Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 15 October 2019
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 136 Months for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Joseph Defilippi, age 55, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 136 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted online enticement of a minor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea in June 2019, Defilippi admitted that between about February 2018 and August 10, 2018, he exchanged multiple online communications with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year old boy. Defilippi further admitted that his online communications were intended to persuade, induce, entice and coerce the boy into meeting with him for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts, and that on the morning of August 10, 2018, he traveled to a park in Menands, New York, in an effort to meet the child.
In sentencing Defilippi, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy specifically found that Defilippi had previously engaged in a pattern of activity involving prohibited sexual conduct, which included Defilippi’s having sexual contact with at least one boy.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Synthetic CannabinoidsRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Heath Palmer, 39, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court on October 10, 2019, to possessing a synthetic cannabinoid product containing 5F-MDMB-PICA with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to statements made in court, on April 18, 2019, Palmer was observed by police officers conducting hand-to-hand sales from a car. The Manchester Police stopped Palmer and he voluntarily turned over the product he was selling. Palmer claimed that the product did not contain illegal substances. Testing by the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed, however, that the product contained an illegal substance, 5F-MDMB-PICA.
On May 7, 2019, Palmer was informed by the Manchester Police that the substance he was selling was in fact illegal under federal law. Three days later, the Manchester Police observed Palmer continuing to make hand-to-hand sales from a car. The police stopped the car and seized the product that Palmer was selling. The product was again tested, and it contained the same illegal substance, 5F-MDMB-PICA.
Palmer is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2020.
According to the DEA, synthetic cannabinoids, which commonly are referred to by names such as “Spice” or “K2,” are designer drugs that are made in laboratories. The chemicals often are sprayed onto plant substances and then smoked in order to obtain a high. These substances have severe adverse effects and have often led to overdoses. In addition to the dangers associated with the chemical substances themselves, the lack of manufacturing standards may lead to increased health risks.
The DEA issued a regulation on April 16, 2019, that made 5F-MDMB-PICA and several other synthetic cannabinoids Schedule I controlled substances. In its order, the DEA noted that this drug had been associated with over 47 overdoses in Connecticut and at least 244 overdoses in Washington, D.C. Further information is available at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2019/fr0416.htm and https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/sites/getsmartaboutdrugs.com/files/publications/DoA_2017Ed_Updated_6.16.17.pdf#page=88.
“Synthetic cannabinoids are dangerous drugs that can cause serious bodily harm,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Because of significant damage to communities in the Granite State, we will not hesitate to bring federal charges against those who sell these dangerous substances. I am grateful to the Manchester Police and DEA for their excellent work, which got this drug trafficker off the streets.”
“There is a misconception that synthetic cannabinoids, known on the street as synthetic marijuana, K2 and spice are safe. Synthetic cannabinoids are anything but safe,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “They are a toxic cocktail of lethal chemicals created in China and then disguised as plant material here in New England. DEA and its local, state and federal partners will work diligently to keep this dangerous drug off the streets of New Hampshire.”
The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth R. Aframe.
###
Lyman Man Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: A Lyman man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced David Alexandre, 26, to five years in prison and five years of supervised release. Alexandre pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019.
According to court records, on February 28, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Lyman. Alexandre was staying in one of the bedrooms. During the search, agents seized distributable quantities of methamphetamine, approximately $2,100 in U.S. currency and a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Alexandre admitted possessing the firearm to protect himself, his drugs and the proceeds from his drug trafficking.
The FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police and the York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Oregon School DistrictRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it reached a settlement agreement with Marion County School District 103, aka Woodburn School District, a public school district that serves suburban and rural communities in Marion County, Oregon. The settlement resolves a complaint that the Woodburn School District violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it refused to hire a work-authorized non-U.S. citizen as a teacher.
“The Department of Justice is committed to removing unlawful discriminatory barriers that deprive workers of opportunities because of their citizenship status or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “We commend the Woodburn School District for working with the Division to swiftly resolve this matter and prevent future violations.”
The Department’s investigation concluded that the Woodburn School District discriminated against an applicant for a teaching position by refusing to hire him because of his citizenship status even though the District’s hiring committee considered him to be the most qualified applicant. The Department also concluded that the Woodburn School District pre-screened the applicant when it asked for specific documentation to verify the applicant’s citizenship status and work authorization, but did not make similar requests of U.S. citizens. The INA generally prohibits employers from refusing to hire certain work-authorized non-U.S. citizens because of their citizenship status. It also prohibits employers from pre-screening applicants by requesting specific documentation to prove work authorization based on employees’ citizenship status or national origin.
Under the settlement, the Woodburn School District will pay the rejected applicant $5,774.81; pay the maximum civil penalties applicable ($5,543) to the United States; and be subject to departmental monitoring, training, and reporting requirements for a three-year period.
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English or Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to retaliation; different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Illegal Charter Operator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violating Coast Guard OrderRead the Press Release
An illegal charter operator was sentenced to federal prison on Oct. 11, 2019, for violating a U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Order.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida and Zinnia P. James, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, made the announcement.
Dallas Allan Ladd, 38, of Miami Beach, previously pled guilty to violating a Captain of the Port Order, in violation of Title 46, United States Code, Section 70036 (Case No. 19cr20315). U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno sentenced Ladd to 30 days in prison. Following his incarceration, Ladd will be prohibited from owning or going aboard any boats while on probation for a period of three years.
According to the court record, Ladd is the registered owner of the 45-foot motor yacht SEA YOU TWERK. On or about Feb. 10, 2019, the Coast Guard suspected that the SEA YOU TWERK yacht was operating illegally as a charter vessel. Illegal charters can cause accidents resulting in property damage, injuries and death. Given these concerns, the Coast Guard issued Ladd a Captain of the Port Order on Feb. 19, 2019, requiring him to immediately cease operation of the SEA YOU TWERK yacht as a passenger vessel until the defendant was in compliance with all federal laws and regulations. Ladd was advised that his failure to comply with the Captain of the Port Order could subject him to civil penalties, imprisonment and a fine.
Thereafter, on or about March 31, 2019, Ladd continued to operate the SEA YOU TWERK as an illegal charter, in violation of the Captain of the Port Order.
“The operation of illegal charters poses a safety risk to passengers and the public at large,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner with the U.S. Coast Guard to protect our South Florida residents and visitors. We will continue to forge ahead with federal charges against those who knowingly violate laws and regulations that endanger lives and compromise legitimate business practices.”
“Those who seek to dodge federal regulations and take shortcuts by operating illegally willfully put their passengers at risk and will be held accountable,” said Capt. Janet Espino-Young, Chief of Coast Guard 7th District Prevention Department. “This sentence demonstrates the aggressive posture the Coast Guard and our partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office have taken in the detection of illegal passenger vessels and in seeking maximum enforcement actions for violations.”
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the CGIS in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sattler.
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.
Harrison County man sentenced for role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Taylor Espinoza, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months incarceration for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Espinoza, age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in April 2019. Espinoza admitted to having methamphetamine in August 2018 in Harrison County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force members recognized for Operation Dry Dock and Online investigationsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that members of the Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force are being recognized with a U.S. Attorney’s Office Excellence Award for their involvement in the prosecution of multiple cases as a result of the U.S. Department of Justice Project Safe Childhood initiative. The Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force is comprised of police officers from the Carmel Police Department, Fishers Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force.
“I am extremely proud of the work of the members of the Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force,” said Minkler. “I applaud the task force for their perseverance, their hard work, especially in often difficult subject matter, and their tireless effort in rescuing multiple minor victims from sex predators who exploited them sexually.”
“The Carmel Police Department is proud to be a partner in Project Safe Childhood,” said Chief Jim Barlow. “The officers assigned to this project are tasked with a very difficult, but rewarding job. The hard work of the members of Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force has spared countless children the horrors of being future victims. We are so pleased with the outcome of this project and would like to thank everyone involved in its success.”
“The arrests made in partnership with the Hamilton County Metropolitan Child Exploitation Task Force reflect the success that results from the cooperative efforts of federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies,” said Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to safeguard one of our most precious resources, our children.”
The Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative launched in 2006 that aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for physical sexual contact is well-known and serious; the danger of perpetrators who produce, distribute, and possess child pornography is equally dramatic and disturbing. The Department of Justice is committed to the safety and well-being of every child and has placed a high priority on combating sexual exploitation of minors.
PSC is implemented through a partnership of U.S. Attorneys; Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces; federal partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service; advocacy organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC); and state and local law enforcement officials in each U.S. Attorney’s district.
The Project Safe Childhood cases highlighted below were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven D. DeBrota and Kristina M. Korobov.
Adam Armstrong, 29, Frankfort, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Daniel Doyle, 33, Franklin, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Transportation of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Jason Frye, 37, Frankfort, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Shipping and Transporting Child Pornography and was sentenced to 188 months followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Timothy Reeves, 40, Linton, Indiana, pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and one count of Offense by Registered Sex Offender. Reeves was sentenced to 540 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Zachary Ballinger, 33, Franklin, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 240 months followed by 20 years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler also announced the successful results of Operation Dry Dock, a sophisticated law enforcement investigation targeting offenders using internet and telephone social networking tools to sexually exploit children and trafficking in child pornography in the United States and worldwide. To date, this Operation successfully identified 18 children in the Southern District of Indiana, Kentucky, South Africa, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Canada. It also led the prosecution of at least 11 different offenders, including Jorgensen and the following, among others:
Warren Knoop, 32, East Rand, South Africa was convicted and sentenced to 32 life sentences, plus 170 years, by South African authorities after the target was identified by Operation Dry Dock in Indiana.
Chato Patterson, 43, Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 180 months followed by 7 years of supervised release, and restitution of $9,000.
Bradley Dennison, 30, Jeffersonville, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 360 months followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and restitution of $18,000.
Garrick Jorgensen, 39, Crestline, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count each of Distributing Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Steven Robinson, 43, Cleveland, Texas pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was sentenced to 420 months of imprisonment by the Eastern District of Texas after the target was identified by Operation Dry Dock in Indiana.
Learn more about Project Safe Childhood by visiting the Department of Justice's website at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilize and partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals engaged in the sexual exploitation of children. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 4.1.
Gary Man Sentenced to 108 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Emmanuel French, 32, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge Philip P. Simon following his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 28 grams of crack cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
French received a sentence of 108 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case, between August 2016 and February 2017, Emmanuel French conspired with other individuals in Gary, Indiana, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute at least 28 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Gang Response Investigative Team and Gary Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas R. Mahoney, Joseph A. Cooley, and Alexandra McTague.
###
Former Wichita Lawyer Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former lawyer in Wichita was sentenced today to 36 months in custody for embezzling from clients, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. He was ordered to pay restitution of more than $603,000.
Christopher O’Brien, 69, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an estate. In his plea, O’Brien admitted he embezzled more than $132,000 from the bankruptcy estate of Roger L. and Maria K. Altis while he was representing the couple.
O’Brien voluntarily surrendered his license to practice law in Kansas.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
Former TSA Officer Charged with Smuggling a Kilogram of Cocaine Through Cyril E. King AirportRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Former TSA Officer Miguel Batista, Jr., 26, appeared yesterday before District Judge Curtis V. Gomez for an advice of rights hearing after being taken into custody by the Homeland Security Investigations at the Cyril E. King Airport. Batista, Jr. was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Gomez remanded Batista, Jr. to federal custody, pending his detention hearing on October 16, 2019.
According to court records, on Saturday, October 12, 2019, Batista, Jr. presented himself to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-departure checkpoint in an attempt to board Jet Blue flight #1035 to San Juan, PR. Batista Jr. was referred to secondary inspection where CBP officers noticed that he was wearing a suspicious under garment. When questioned about the under garment, Batista, Jr. told CBP officers that he was in a car accident and had to wear the garment for support. Further inspection revealed a hard, brick-shaped object concealed under Batista, Jr.’s under garment and duct taped to his left torso. After removing the brick-shaped object, CBP officers discovered a vacuum-sealed package covered in blue and white wrapping paper which contained a white powdery substance. The white powdered substance tested positive for the presence of cocaine, and weighed approximately 1.03 kilos.
This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia L. Smith.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an information is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Former Informix Executive Hauled into Court on 19-Year-Old Indictment Regarding Alleged Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – This morning, former Informix executive Walter Konigseder appeared in federal court to face investment fraud charges laid out in an 11-count indictment filed in October of 2000, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
A federal grand jury indicted Konigseder, 67, a German national, on October 5, 2000. According to the indictment, in the early 1990s, Konigseder was the Sales Director and Country Manager for Germany of Menlo Park-based Informix, a multinational, publicly held computer software developer, support, training, and consulting company. From 1992 through 1996, Konigseder had authority over Informix’s sales force, finance, and legal staff within all of Central and Eastern Europe. The indictment alleges that Konigseder caused Informix to record false and illusory sales, to make false statement to Informix’s auditors and management, and to book license revenue in advance, rather than over the period of maintenance contracts.
The indictment describes how Konigseder engaged in numerous acts of alleged wrongdoing in connection with Informix’s restatement in 1997 of its 1996 earnings. The indictment alleges that Konigseder’s fraud contributed to the need for Informix to restate its 1996 earnings. Between April and September of 1997, Informix therefore restated its previous year’s growth. The result was a 60% drop in its stock value—a change to the company’s value from approximately $2.5 billion to as low as $975 million. For example, the indictment describes six illusionary sales between June of 1996 and January of 1997 in which Konigseder, contrary to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, directed Informix to recognize more than $25 million in revenue on contracts that contained contingencies. Further, the indictment describes how Konigseder allegedly concealed material facts from Informix’s auditors. In July of 1997, for example, Konigseder allegedly reported to Informix’s auditors that a client did not make a multi-million dollar payment because the client was hoping to expand on the existing contract with Informix. In truth, Konigseder was aware that the client had exercised a side agreement canceling the contract with Informix altogether. The indictment also alleges Konigseder caused Informix to make false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission overstating the company’s earnings in the second, third, and fourth quarters of 1996.
In sum, Konigseder was charged with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2; four counts of accounting fraud, in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78m(b) and 78ff(a), 17 C.F.R. 240.13b2-1, and 18 U.S.C. § 2; and three counts of false statements to accountants, in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78m(b)(2) and 78ff(a), 17 C.F.R. 240.13b2-2, and 18 U.S.C. § 2.
A bench warrant was issued for Konigseder’s arrest on October 5, 2000. At that time he was residing in Germany and remained there for almost 19 years after being indicted. Konigseder was arrested by Mauritius authorities in August while on a trip to that country. He was handed over to United States authorities on October 9 and arrived in the United States on Friday, October 11. He made his initial federal court appearance at 10:30 this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 10 years’ imprisonment and up to $1 million for each count of falsification of accounting records and false statements to accountants. In addition, the court may order additional periods of supervised release, fines, and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Frentzen is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, Mauritius, and the United States Marshal Service.
Former Erie Vets Home Pharmacist Sentenced for Stealing DrugsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Union City, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to two years probation, ordered to pay $15,308.75 in restitution and a $1,000 fine, on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on James Frederick Franks, 34.
According to information presented to the court, while Franks was employed as a chief pharmacist at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie, he unlawfully obtained multiple dosage units of controlled substances for personal use.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Franks.
Florida Contractor Pleads Guilty to Procurement Fraud Related to Federal Courthouse Construction on St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that David Wikel, president of Florida-based Therma-Seal Roof Systems, LLC, pleaded guilty to providing kickbacks in connection with the $1.7 million dollar federal government subcontract to retrofit the roof of the Ron de Lugo Federal Building in St. Thomas, VI.
According to the Information filed in the case, in May through October 2014 Wikel paid over $200,000 in kickbacks to a senior project manager for the prime contractor on the Ron de Lugo Project, and that person ultimately funneled $85,000 back to Wikel. The Information also alleges that Wikel falsely inflated the costs billed under the subcontract in order to cover the aforementioned kickbacks.
This case is being investigated by the General Services Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of the Inspector General, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Brooks and Jennifer Blecher.
Felon Charged with Drug and Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Allegheny County has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating the federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on Oct. 9, named Romello Edward Jones, age 20, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on May 6, 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Jones possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, which are scheduled controlled substances under federal law. The Indictment further alleges that on May 6, 2019, Jones, a convicted felon, unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Drug Trafficking Indictments Unsealed, Search Warrants Executed in Dougherty, Henry, Muscogee and Worth CountiesRead the Press Release
Albany, GA— A multi-agency investigation has resulted in the execution of search warrants today in Dougherty, Henry, Muscogee and Worth Counties, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Additionally, federal indictments charging six individuals for drug trafficking were unsealed today.
The search warrants were executed in the following locations:
- 948 South Street, Albany, Dougherty County
- 3 Simmons Way, Ellenwood, Henry County
- 204 Whitehead Drive, Albany, Dougherty County
- 710 Johnson Road, Apartment C, Albany, Dougherty County
- 1718 Nelms Road, Albany, Dougherty County
- 7794 Leaning Pine Court, Midland, Muscogee County
- 202 Glade Lane, Albany, Dougherty County
- 610 Johnson Road, Albany Dougherty County
- 101 Gurr Drive, Albany, Dougherty County
- 202 Pecan Street, Sylvester, Worth County
The following defendants were indicted by the September 2019 federal grand jury. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct. All of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Willie Keith Ware, 32, of Albany, is facing six charges. Mr. Ware is charged with four counts of distribution of methamphetamine in an amount exceeding 50 grams. If convicted on any of these charges, Mr. Ware faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Mr. Ware is also charged with one count of distribution of heroin. If convicted on this charge, Mr. Ware faces a maximum 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine. Mr. Ware is also charged with one count of distribution of MDMA. If convicted on this charge, Mr. Ware faces a maximum 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
- Jamie L. Keith, 38, Albany, is charged with one count possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in an amount exceeding 50 grams. If convicted, Mr. Keith faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.
- Quade’ Z. Barrett, 25, of Albany is charged with one count of distribution of MDMA. If convicted, Mr. Barrett faces a maximum 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
- Demarcus Cook, aka GA Boy, 37, of Sylvester, is facing two charges. Mr. Cook is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in an amount exceeding 50 grams. If convicted, Mr. Cook faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Mr. Cook is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Mr. Cook faces a mandatory minimum 5 years in prison consecutive to any other conviction, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
- Addy Cook, aka Frost, 36, of Sylvester, is facing two charges. Ms. Cook is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in an amount exceeding 50 grams. If convicted, Ms. Cook faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Ms. Cook is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Ms. Cook faces a mandatory minimum 5 years in prison consecutive to any other conviction, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
- Artarius Davis, aka Showboat, aka Boat, 38, of Albany, is facing two charges. Mr. Davis is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in an amount exceeding 50 grams. If convicted, Mr. Davis faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Mr. Davis is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Mr. Davis faces a mandatory minimum 5 years in prison consecutive to any other conviction, up to a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
“These search warrants and indictments are part of a multi-month, multi-agency investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “Our office is grateful for the strong partnership exhibited between our local, state and federal law enforcement in the Middle District of Georgia.”
The case was investigated by the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Albany Dougherty Drug Unit, the GBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Doraville, Georgia Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marcos Antonio Lopez, age 27, of Doraville, Georgia was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment, and 3 years’ supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on December 12, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“The defendant set out on a mission to deliver a large quantity of methamphetamine from California to Georgia. He made it as far as Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, but thanks to the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, neither the defendant nor the thousands of dosage units he was hauling arrived to the intended destination,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “This office values the strong relationships we have with local, state, federal and tribal agencies. As a result of those relationships and our joint efforts to disrupt drug trafficking organizations, we are able to maximize our impact in the Eastern District.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Department of Justice Awards More than $16.5 Million in Public Safety FundingRead the Press Release
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Acting Director Laura L. Rogers today announced awards of more than $16.5 million to support public safety efforts in the Northern District of Texas. Funds will help law enforcement agencies, local cities and counties, campus safety, and victim service providers and domestic violence shelters fight gun, gang, drug and domestic and sexual violence and bring criminals to justice.
“The Department of Justice is providing well-deserved funding to local law enforcement in North Texas to help further advance the critical efforts of fighting violent crime and serving victims of crime and abuse,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for her leadership there and, especially, for her steadfast work with the Department in the prevention of domestic-violence homicides.”
Acting Director Rogers made the announcement at Family Place Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Dallas. Acting Director Rogers also recognized U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox, for her work as the Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Attorney General and Chair of the Workgroup on prosecuting gun crimes to stop and reduce domestic violence. Corresponding with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Acting Director Rogers and U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox discussed the Department’s work in bolstering law enforcement, providing victim services, and keeping firearms out of the hands of abusers.
“The Department of Justice is proud to make this critical funding available to the Northern District of Texas, making public safety resources available to help law enforcement officers reduce crime and protect the citizens of Texas,” said Acting Director Rogers. “We are also grateful for the hard work and exceptional leadership of U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, who represents the Justice Department’s most vital link between Washington and the communities of her district and represents the Attorney General’s priority of ending violent crime—especially violent domestic and sexual violence. We congratulate the award recipients and look forward to seeing the good work that the awards will produce.”
“We’re grateful to all our grantees for their work protecting and empowering victims of domestic abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The Justice Department is proud to stand alongside them in the fight to end domestic violence.”
The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice—OVW, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office of Justice Programs.
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Department of Justice Awards More than $122 Million in Public Safety Funding to MichiganRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced awards of more than $122 million to support public safety efforts in Michigan. The funds will help law enforcement agencies and community organizations in jurisdictions across the state fight gun, gang, drug and sexual violence, and bring criminals to justice.
“The fight against crime is a never-ending one, and it is our front-line law enforcement officers who lead that fight, working around the clock to take criminals off the street while partnering with service providers to reduce and prevent crime, serve victims and at-risk youth, and combat domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “Attorney General Barr is very pleased to make these resources available to the citizens of Michigan, who deserve to know that the Department of Justice is doing everything in its power to secure their communities, safeguard their schools and homes, and deliver justice on their behalf.”
The awards include funds to hire and train law enforcement officers and to support state, local and tribal law enforcement activities. Funding will help agencies purchase body-worn cameras, investigate child exploitation cases, address domestic and sexual violence, improve criminal history records and administer victim service programs. Funds will also help jurisdictions prevent school violence, provide inmate reentry services, apply DNA technology to solving crimes and combat opioid and other drug abuse.
“We are proud to make these critical public safety resources available to help Michigan’s brave law enforcement officers reduce crime and protect the citizens of this great state,” said Phil Keith, Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. “We are also grateful for the hard work, strong commitment and outstanding leadership of U.S. Attorneys Matthew Schneider and Andrew Birge, who represent the Justice Department’s most vital link between Washington and the communities of their districts. We congratulate the award recipients and look forward to seeing the benefits that these investments will yield.”
“The grants announced today will give Michigan sheriffs and city police departments more resources to keep Michigan safe, and we hope these funds will offset some of the recent state budget cuts in Lansing,” said Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “These grants will also provide community service organizations tools to help crime victims, keep our schools safe, and protect elder Michiganders from abuse. Our local law enforcement partners are the best in the country, and I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to protect the citizens of Michigan.”
“These awards are welcome news for our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners,” said Andrew Birge, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “Large and small departments alike throughout West Michigan face resource challenges. These awards will help them achieve their shared mission of securing the safety and well-being of our communities.”
Director Keith and Mike Costigan, Chief of Staff for OJP, highlighted the awards at today’s Rural Policing Forum, which was organized by the COPS Office, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. The session was held to solicit input from rural and tribal law enforcement on the challenges they face and the resources they need. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices lead the Justice Department’s crime-fighting efforts in the state, coordinating with local prosecutors and federal and local law enforcement agencies under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice—OJP, the COPS Office and the Office on Violence Against Women.
OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Department of Justice Awards More Than $122 Million in Public Safety Funding to MichiganRead the Press Release
LANSING, MI – Today, the Department of Justice announced awards of more than $122 million to support public safety efforts in Michigan. The funds will help law enforcement agencies and community organizations in jurisdictions across the state fight gun, gang, drug and sexual violence, and bring criminals to justice.
“The fight against crime is a never-ending one, and it is our front-line law enforcement officers who lead that fight, working around the clock to take criminals off the street while partnering with service providers to reduce and prevent crime, serve victims and at-risk youth, and combat domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “Attorney General Barr is very pleased to make these resources available to the citizens of Michigan, who deserve to know that the Department of Justice is doing everything in its power to secure their communities, safeguard their schools and homes, and deliver justice on their behalf.”
The awards include funds to hire and train law enforcement officers and to support state, local and tribal law enforcement activities. Funding will help agencies purchase body-worn cameras, investigate child exploitation cases, address domestic and sexual violence, improve criminal history records and administer victim service programs. Funds will also help jurisdictions prevent school violence, provide inmate reentry services, apply DNA technology to solving crimes and combat opioid and other drug abuse.
“We are proud to make these critical public safety resources available to help Michigan’s brave law enforcement officers reduce crime and protect the citizens of this great state,” said Phil Keith, Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. “We are also grateful for the hard work, strong commitment and outstanding leadership of U.S. Attorneys Matthew Schneider and Andrew Birge, who represent the Justice Department’s most vital link between Washington and the communities of their districts. We congratulate the award recipients and look forward to seeing the benefits that these investments will yield.”
“The grants announced today will give Michigan sheriffs and city police departments more resources to keep Michigan safe, and we hope these funds will offset some of the recent state budget cuts in Lansing,” said Matthew Schneider, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “These grants will also provide community service organizations tools to help crime victims, keep our schools safe, and protect elder Michiganders from abuse. Our local law enforcement partners are the best in the country, and I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to protect the citizens of Michigan.”
“These awards are welcome news for our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners,” said Andrew Birge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “Large and small departments alike throughout West Michigan face resource challenges. These awards will help them achieve their shared mission of securing the safety and well-being of our communities.”
Director Keith and Mike Costigan, Chief of Staff for OJP, highlighted the awards at today’s Rural Policing Forum, which was organized by the COPS Office, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. The session was held to solicit input from rural and tribal law enforcement on the challenges they face and the resources they need. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices lead the Justice Department’s crime-fighting efforts in the state, coordinating with local prosecutors and federal and local law enforcement agencies under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice—OJP, the COPS Office and the Office on Violence Against Women.
OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
###
Department of Justice Awards More Than $122 Million in Public Safety Funding to MichiganRead the Press Release
LANSING, MICHIGAN – Today, the Department of Justice announced awards of more than $122 million to support public safety efforts in Michigan. The funds will help law enforcement agencies and community organizations in jurisdictions across the state fight gun, gang, drug and sexual violence, and bring criminals to justice.
"The fight against crime is a never-ending one, and it is our front-line law enforcement officers who lead that fight, working around the clock to take criminals off the street while partnering with service providers to reduce and prevent crime, serve victims and at-risk youth, and combat domestic violence and sexual assault," said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "Attorney General Barr is very pleased to make these resources available to the citizens of Michigan, who deserve to know that the Department of Justice is doing everything in its power to secure their communities, safeguard their schools and homes, and deliver justice on their behalf."
The awards include funds to hire and train law enforcement officers and to support state, local and tribal law enforcement activities. Funding will help agencies purchase body-worn cameras, investigate child exploitation cases, address domestic and sexual violence, improve criminal history records and administer victim service programs. Funds will also help jurisdictions prevent school violence, provide inmate reentry services, apply DNA technology to solving crimes and combat opioid and other drug abuse.
"We are proud to make these critical public safety resources available to help Michigan’s brave law enforcement officers reduce crime and protect the citizens of this great state," said Phil Keith, Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. "We are also grateful for the hard work, strong commitment and outstanding leadership of U.S. Attorneys Matthew Schneider and Andrew Birge, who represent the Justice Department’s most vital link between Washington and the communities of their districts. We congratulate the award recipients and look forward to seeing the benefits that these investments will yield."
"The grants announced today will give Michigan sheriffs and city police departments more resources to keep Michigan safe, and we hope these funds will offset some of the recent state budget cuts in Lansing," said Matthew Schneider, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. "These grants will also provide community service organizations tools to help crime victims, keep our schools safe, and protect elder Michiganders from abuse. Our local law enforcement partners are the best in the country, and I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to protect the citizens of Michigan."
"These awards are welcome news for our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners," said Andrew Birge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. "Large and small departments alike throughout West Michigan face resource challenges. These awards will help them achieve their shared mission of securing the safety and well-being of our communities."
Director Keith and Mike Costigan, Chief of Staff for OJP, highlighted the awards at today’s Rural Policing Forum, which was organized by the COPS Office, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan. The session was held to solicit input from rural and tribal law enforcement on the challenges they face and the resources they need. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices lead the Justice Department’s crime-fighting efforts in the state, coordinating with local prosecutors and federal and local law enforcement agencies under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice—OJP, the COPS Office and the Office on Violence Against Women.
OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
END
Creston Man Appears in U.S. District Court and Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa—On October 11, 2019, United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that Brandon Robert Fry, age 38, of Creston, Iowa, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer and entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fry admitted that he knowingly possessed over 500 grams of methamphetamine on June 4, 2019, which was found by law enforcement in a white Mercedes, in Creston, Iowa. Fry admitted that prior to being arrested on June 4, 2019, he had intended to distribute the methamphetamine. At the time of this offense, Fry was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction of felon in possession of a firearm.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Fry faces an agreed-upon sentence of 188 months in prison. He is also subject to at least 5 years of supervised release following the imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for February 24, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., before the Honorable Chief Judge John A. Jarvey at the United States Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa.
This matter was investigated by the United States Probation Office, the Creston Police Department, the Des Moines Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Community partners unveil campaign designed to raise awareness around the fact that cocaine is likely contaminated with fentanyl and potentially fatalRead the Press Release
Several community partners this month unveiled a campaign designed to raise awareness around the fact that cocaine is likely contaminated with fentanyl and potentially fatal.
The ad campaign features images of everyday food items such as bottled water, pretzels, donuts and trail mix with the wording: “If these contain fentanyl, would you eat them? They don’t. Your cocaine might.”
The billboard then directs people to a website, which contains links to numerous websites and partner agencies offering treatment services, additional information about addiction, and other resources.
The campaign comes as Cuyahoga County is experiencing a record number of overdose deaths involving cocaine, either on its own or mixed with fentanyl. So far in 2019, nearly 60 percent of overdose deaths in Cuyahoga County are associated with cocaine, either as a stand-alone narcotic or mixed with fentanyl. Investigators believe many of the people dying are not addicted to opioids, but rather cocaine users who do not realize the cocaine they ingest includes fentanyl.
The ad campaign was developed pro bono by Marcus Thomas, an award-winning Cleveland-based marketing communications agency. The client is Greater Than Heroin, a group that includes several diverse stakeholders seeking comprehensive solutions to the opioid epidemic. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio provided funding to pay for the billboards and digital advertising campaign. Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish’s office, as well as Aaron Marks, who chairs the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force’s Education and Prevention Committee, were also involved in developing the campaign.
“Nobody should be using drugs like cocaine or heroin. Our office has filed a record number of drug indictments against the people who seek to profit from this epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Yet we have to acknowledge the opioid crisis has set its sights on a new group of victims, those who use cocaine, with absolutely no idea that what they are about to take contains a deadly painkiller like fentanyl. Making the mistake of using cocaine should not result in a death sentence.”
Fr. Bob Stec, who leads Greater Than Heroin, said: “This crisis is so real and so large that it’s going to take all of us working together to bring the awareness, help, hope and care to end this epidemic and make sure everyone finds the help and support they need. This awareness campaign is one example of the blessing of so many working together for the good of our community. Understanding and awareness are key in our efforts to end this crisis and build a stronger, more caring community.”
The campaign includes digital and static billboards at more than a dozen locations in Cleveland, as well as digital ads that will run on Facebook and Youtube. The campaign will run through the end of 2019.
Digital Locations:
- West 3 WS 150ft S/O St Clair Ave F/S
- Ontario St WS 500ft N/O Carnegie Av F/N
- East 14 St ES 380ft S/O Prospect Av F/S
- Carnegie Av NS 200ft W/O East 46th F/W
- Carnegie Av SS 200ft W/O East 14 St F/E
- Lorain Av NS 950ft E/O West 25 St F/E
Static Locations:
- I-71 NS 800ft S/O Denison Av F/W
- Prospect Av NS 200ft W/O East 21 St F/E
- I-90 SS 0.3 mi E/O Martin Luther King Drive F/E
- West Shoreway SS 10ft W/O West 28 St F/E
- Old River Rd ES 600ft S/O Main Av F/S
- I-77 ES 1MI N/O I-480 F/N
- I-90 NS 0.5mi E/O Bunts Rd F/E
- East 9 St ES 100ft S/O Carnegie Av F/N
Columbus man sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for killing potential witnessesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The second of two Columbus men who murdered, tortured, assaulted and intimidated people as part of their drug-distribution conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 365 months in prison.
Michael J. Favors, 27, of Columbus, was sentenced for conspiring to murder two potential witnesses and on related drug charges.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Favors and Antwan L. Hutchinson, 28, were both indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017.
According to court documents, Favors and Hutchinson possessed and distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana.
As part of their drug conspiracy, they used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs. This included using threats of force and using the homes of drug-addicted individuals.
It was further part of the conspiracy to intimidate, assault, threaten and torture individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy.
Favors pleaded guilty in November 2018 to his role in the murders of Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp.
Specifically, Favors pleaded guilty to five counts as charged against him in the indictment, which include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness, and two counts of murder through use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Favors accompanied Hutchinson in February 2017 to Sidney Campbell’s home after Hutchinson learned of Sidney Campbell’s son’s death. Hutchinson and others suspected the son, Cody Campbell, of allowing a trap house to be robbed, and in retaliation Hutchinson used a two-by-four to beat and extension cords to whip Cody Campbell, who died hours after the incident.
Sidney Campbell had witnessed the beating of her son. She and Marie Stamp were present in her house when Favors and Hutchinson fired their weapons, killing both potential witnesses.
Hutchinson and Favors were arrested on March 27, 2017 and have remained in custody.
Hutchinson was sentenced on Oct. 1 to life in prison with no chance of parole.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and the Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Jessica W. Knight who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Colorado Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Distributing Oxycodone, Defrauding Employee Benefit Plans, and Falsifying Patient FilesRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Dr. John Van Wu, age 50, of Golden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 51 months (4 years and 3 months) in federal prison for mail fraud and obstruction of justice charges as well as distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice. Following the prison sentence, Wu will serve 3 years on supervised release. Wu was also ordered to pay restitution of $94,829.38. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals after the sentence was pronounced.
Wu was convicted of mail fraud and obstruction of justice charges following a jury trial in April, 2019. He later pleaded guilty, pursuant to a plea agreement, to a charge of distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice and obstruction.
According to documents and testimony presented at trial, Wu operated a medical clinic at locations in west Denver between January 2011 and March 2015. During that time period the defendant devised a scheme in which he billed employee benefit programs and insurers for services that were never actually rendered nor medically necessary. During the trial over a dozen of the doctor’s former patients testified that they did not have many of the ailments described in their medical files and did not get the expensive procedures billed to insurance. For example, patient files described days-long nosebleeds followed by nasal cauterization procedures, but patients testified that neither happened. Other files described diagnoses related to migraine headaches and frequent administrations of injections to treat those agents. Patients testified that those, too, did not occur. Testimony at trial also established that the defendant billed approximately 95% of his office visits as the longest, most expensive, and highest-reimbursing type of office visit, despite the fact that his patients had relatively simple and routine ailments that did not need that level of service. During his testimony, the defendant admitted that he shredded patient files while the investigation was ongoing.
After the trial, pursuant to the plea agreement filed in Court, the defendant pleaded guilty to a separate charges of distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice and for no legitimate reason. According to the facts contained in that plea agreement, Wu also falsified a corresponding patient file, documenting that a patient needed oxycodone when he fell down some stairs causing lower back pain so bad that the patient could “barely stand” and was “moving around in his wheelchair.” However, the patient had never used or been confined to a wheelchair and had never used oxycodone.
The defendant does not currently have a license to practice medicine. As part of the plea agreement, Wu agreed to never again apply for a license to practice medicine in any jurisdiction. He also agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his fraud.
“Doctors take an oath – and in this case Dr. John Van Wu disregarded it,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “To be clear, he lied to the government and sold dangerous narcotics for no medical purpose. He deserves this prison sentence.”
“The Honorable Judge Brooke Jackson emphasized the harm to the community done by Dr. John Wu with the prescribing/distribution of Oxycodone for no legitimate purpose,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “Dr. Wu, a registrant, who not only pled guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance but was also found guilty of insurance fraud and obstruction of justice, failed the community he was entrusted to help. The DEA will continue to investigate registrants who cause harm to the public and fuel the opioid epidemic. This case shows the opioid epidemic is being fought at all levels to include professionals in a position of trust.”
“Healthcare fraud victimizes the individuals involved and the community at-large,” said U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Regional Director Jim Purcell in Kansas City. “Fraudulently billing for unnecessary or non-existent healthcare treatments passes the costs on to others wishing to obtain health insurance. The Department of Labor remains committed to ensuring that benefits are not abused, and anyone found guilty of committing fraud is held accountable.”
This case was jointly investigated by EBSA and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan D. Fields and Conor Flanigan.
Chinese National Sentenced to One Year and One Day Imprisonment for Smuggling Protected Wildlife from the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Haixi Sheng, age 20, a native and citizen of China, was sentenced on October 11, 2019, by Senior United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to one year and one day imprisonment for smuggling goods from the United States.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Sheng fraudulently and knowingly exported and sent Gulf Coast box turtles to China in November 2017 via the United States mail. The Gulf Coast box turtle is a protected species under Federal law and cannot be exported from the United States without prior approval from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Sheng pled guilty to smuggling the protected turtles without the required authorization to export wildlife from the United States to China.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell prosecuted the case.
# # #
Chicago, Illinois Man Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Jonquel Lawson, 26, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced before District Court Judge James T. Moody following his plea of guilty Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Lawson received a sentence of 96 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case, on September 2017 Mr. Lawson entered and robbed a cellular store in Munster, Indiana. When the employee went to the back room, he followed her and pointed a gun at her. Mr. Lawson stole in excess of $25,000 in cellular phones from the store and fled on foot.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.
###
California Man Sentenced for 50 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A California man who was stopped in Kansas with 50 pounds of methamphetamine in his car was sentenced today to six years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Jesus Antonio Garcia-Maldonado, 36, Panorama City, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he was stopped for speeding on US 54 near Minneola in Clark County, Kan. Law enforcement officers found approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine in wrapped packages under seats and behind a rear quarter panel. The defendant said he was driving the drugs from San Diego, Calif., to Minnesota.
McAllister commended the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst.
Bridgeport Man Who Distributed Heroin to Overdose Victim Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TALVIN HINTON, 43, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
This matter stems from a statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 23, 2017, the Stratford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a suspected overdose of a 25-year-old female at a Stratford home. The victim was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. At the scene, officers collected nine bags of suspected heroin and other evidence of drug use.
The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be intoxication of a combination of heroin, fentanyl and other substances.
The investigation revealed that Hinton was the source of the narcotics purchased by the victim shortly before she died.
Between January and March 2018, investigators made four controlled purchases of heroin from Hinton. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on March 20, 2018.
On November 13, 2018, Hinton pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin. He has been detained since May 7, 2019, when his bond was revoked.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA, Connecticut State Police and Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, Bridgeport and Trumbull Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Bastrop Man Facing Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on October 9, 2019, charging Brandon Keith Harris, 32, of Bastrop, Louisiana, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. This indictment stems from the joint federal and local investigation into the July 14, 2018, firearm theft from Simmons’ Sporting Goods in Bastrop, Louisiana.
According to the indictment, Harris, who is prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, is accused of unlawfully possessing six pistols and a rifle on July 14, 2018. The indictment also alleges that the firearms were stolen from a licensed firearms dealer. Under federal law, it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm or ammunition.
If convicted, Harris faces up to 10 years in prison and fines for each offense, and a period of supervised release following confinement.
The ATF, Bastrop Police Department, and Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shannon is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought 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.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
Alleged Ring Leaders of Transnational Migrant Smuggling Organization IndictedRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Timothy D. Coughlin (619) 546-6768 and Zachary J. Howe (619) 546-8693
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 15, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Three men were indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges that they were members of a migrant-smuggling operation based in Tecate, Mexico, that recruited juvenile drivers from San Diego high schools.
Cristian Hirales-Morales, Marcos Julian Romero and Sergio Anthony Santivanez, all U.S. citizens, were arraigned in federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo.
According to the indictment, defendant Hirales is alleged to be the leader of the organization that smuggled undocumented migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border to various motels in the greater Los Angeles area. Once at these motels, Hirales’ top lieutenants, including Romero and Santivanez, held the migrants until they received payments - usually $8,000 per person - from the migrants’ sponsors. The organization used juveniles and young adults from local high schools as load drivers and recruited drivers using internet platforms like Craigslist. Hirales, based in Tecate, handled Mexico-based arrangements with migrants and smugglers. He also coordinated illegal crossings into the United States, tracked load drivers using live-location phone apps, and guided load drivers to the waiting migrants by sending pin drops with exact Google Maps coordinates, among other things, the indictment said. Once load drivers found the undocumented migrants, Hirales turned over the smuggling to his U.S.-based co-conspirators, who scouted border patrol checkpoints and handled smuggling fees at Los Angeles area motels.
Romero, allegedly a top lieutenant in the organization, recruited drivers and sent their personal information, such as photos of their driver’s licenses and vehicles, to Hirales and the U.S.-based organizers and managers, the indictment said. Romero also tracked smuggling events from the border and directed the payment of smuggling fees at the Los Angeles area motels. He dealt face-to-face with sponsors and collected smuggling proceeds in cash for the smuggling organization.
Santivanez, also an alleged manager in the organization, transported undocumented migrants; coordinated smuggling events from the border; dealt with sponsors of the migrants and collected smuggling proceeds at the Los Angeles motels.
All three defendants were arrested on complaints after Hirales crossed the U.S./Mexico border at the Tecate Port of Entry. The indictment tracks particular alien smuggling events that occurred in July, August and September of 2019. It charges conspiracies involving bringing undocumented migrants to the United States, as well as transporting them once they were in the United States. Border Patrol investigators tracked command-level managers to hotels in the Los Angeles area and surveilled the exchange of smuggling fees conducted by Romero and Santivanez. According to the indictment, the proceeds from the alien smuggling events were funneled back to Hirales in Mexico by codefendants Romero and Santivanez and other members of the smuggling organization.
“We will not allow criminal organizations to recruit our youth to smuggle people or drugs into our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We will bring the full power of the justice system down on these recruiters.” Brewer praised the U.S. Border Patrol and prosecutors Timothy D. Coughlin and Zachary J. Howe for their work on the case.
Chief Patrol Agent Douglas Harrison stated, “I am proud of the great work our agents demonstrated in this investigation. Their actions have kept our communities safe and dismantled this dangerous smuggling organization.”
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the United States Border Patrol–San Diego Sector to target active transnational criminal organizations in the Southern District of California. One of the principal missions of the United States Border Patrol is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of alien smuggling organizations.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19CR4089-DMS
Cristian Hirales-Morales Age: 31 Tecate, Baja California, Mexico
Marcos Julian Romero Age: 21 San Diego, California
Sergio Anthony Santivanez Age: 23 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 (Defendants Hirales and Romero) – Conspiracy to Bring In Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (a)(1)(A)(v)(I), and (a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Count 2 (All Defendants) – Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), (a)(1)(A)(v)(I), and (a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Counts 3-6 (Defendants Hirales and Romero) – Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii); Aiding and Abetting – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2; and Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640 (1946)
Maximum penalty: Each count carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of three years and a maximum of 10 years for the first or second violation. Any additional violations carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum of fifteen 15 years
AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
San Diego Sector/Campo Station Intelligence Team
United States Border Patrol – BORTAC – Special Operations Division
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
ACI Inmate Admits to Running Crack Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) admitted in federal court today that on multiple occasions, while incarcerated at the ACI, he arranged for the sale and delivery of crack cocaine to individuals outside of the state prison.
James Gomes, 30, admitted to the Court that on several occasions in 2018, fellow inmates provided Gomes with prospective buyers and their contact information. Gomes admitted that he often passed the information through his mother, Lisa Ellis, 51, of Pawtucket, to two individuals, Joshua Moore, 19, formerly of Pawtucket, and Gerald Price, 34, of Cranston, who allegedly delivered crack cocaine to Gomes’ customers.
According to information presented to the Court, a Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation by the Rhode Island Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Task Force determined that, using his prison call account and the accounts of others, Gomes frequently called his mother, Lisa Ellis, and would direct her to establish conference calls with Moore and Price. During the conference calls, Gomes admitted, he would direct Ellis, Moore and/or Price to sell crack cocaine to others. Ellis allegedly kept a small portion of the proceeds from the sales for herself and deposited the rest of the money into Gomes’ ACI prison account.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Gomes pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and three counts of distribution of cocaine base, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Kelly D. Brady.
Gomes is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2020.
Joshua Moore pleaded guilty on September 4, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and three counts of distribution of cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2019; Lisa Ellis is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and four counts of distribution of cocaine base; Gerald Price is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and distribution of cocaine base.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The ATF Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
###
36 Arrested During Joint Law Enforcement Initiative in Northern AlabamaRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – A joint federal, state, and local law enforcement initiative has resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals on a variety of criminal charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking and various firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, Adrian Gonzalez. The majority of the defendants were arrested in north Alabama, however some defendants were arrested in California, Iowa, Virginia and Tennessee.
“There is no daylight between local, state and federal law enforcement,” Town said. “These indictments represent the hard work of many of our law enforcement partners, and exemplify our global efforts of taking on the most dangerous criminals menacing our neighborhoods. Our relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
"These arrests are indicative of DEA's commitment to rid our communities of drug trafficking organizations determined to profit on the backs of addiction," said Morris. "Citizens in Northern Alabama can rest assured that the DEA and our law enforcement partners are determined to ensure these communities remain safe and a great place to live. The success of this investigation is an outstanding example of our law enforcement community's resolve and determination."
"North Alabama is safer today as a result of this operation," Sharp said. "This was an outstanding example of law enforcement partnerships working together to remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods."
“The Postal Service has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute illegal drugs or other harmful substances,” Gonzalez said. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who misuse the U.S. Mail. Through our joint efforts, we have dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to various communities in multiple states.”
“We thank our State and Federal partners for their efforts and support in helping rid our community of illegal activity,” Madison County Sheriff Kevin Turner said. “We value our partnerships and will continually look for opportunities to enhance our ability to protect and serve all of Madison County”.
The arrests made on October 9, 2019, resulted from the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies across eight counties in Northern Alabama, along with State and Federal law enforcement partners. Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation included: Drug Enforcement Agency; United States Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; United States Postal Inspection Service; Office of the Attorney General State of Alabama; Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Morgan County Sheriff’s Department; Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department; Decatur Police Department; Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department; Colbert County Sheriff’s Department; Franklin County Sheriff’s Department; Russellville Police Department; Marion County Sheriff’s Department; Huntsville Police Department, Madison Police Department, Cullman County Sheriff’s Department, Cullman Police Department, and the Wayne County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Department.
In the spring of 2018, Special Agents of the DEA, and members of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and ALEA began an investigation involving quantities of high quality methamphetamine being sold in Morgan and Lawrence County. Agents quickly learned that the methamphetamine was being distributed not only in those areas, but also in the surrounding areas as far south as Cullman and as far north as Tennessee, by multiple affiliated individuals. Agents also learned that the methamphetamine was coming from the San Bernardino area of California.
During the course of the investigation, over 74 pounds of “ice” methamphetamine, a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride and 46 grams of “crack” cocaine was seized. Twenty guns were seized, including two assault rifles and a short barrel shotgun. Some of the guns seized were identified as stolen. Over $123,000 was seized by federal agencies. This amount does not include amounts of money seized and forfeited by state and local agencies.
DEA, FBI, and USPIS, investigated the case, which Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
36 Arrested During Joint Law Enforcement Initiative in North AlabamaRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – A joint federal, state, and local law enforcement initiative has resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals on a variety of criminal charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking and various firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, Adrian Gonzalez. The majority of the defendants were arrested in north Alabama, however some defendants were arrested in California, Iowa, Virginia and Tennessee.
“There is no daylight between local, state and federal law enforcement,” Town said. “These indictments represent the hard work of many of our law enforcement partners, and exemplify our global efforts of taking on the most dangerous criminals menacing our neighborhoods. Our relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
"These arrests are indicative of DEA's commitment to rid our communities of drug trafficking organizations determined to profit on the backs of addiction," said Morris. "Citizens in Northern Alabama can rest assured that the DEA and our law enforcement partners are determined to ensure these communities remain safe and a great place to live. The success of this investigation is an outstanding example of our law enforcement community's resolve and determination."
“North Alabama is safer today as a result of this operation,” Sharp said. “This was an outstanding example of law enforcement partnerships working together to remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods.
“The Postal Service has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute illegal drugs or other harmful substances,” Gonzalez said. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who misuse the U.S. Mail. Through our joint efforts, we have dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to various communities in multiple states.”
“We thank our State and Federal partners for their efforts and support in helping rid our community of illegal activity,” Madison County Sheriff Kevin Turner said. “We value our partnerships and will continually look for opportunities to enhance our ability to protect and serve all of Madison County”.
The arrests made on October 9, 2019, resulted from the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies across eight counties in Northern Alabama, along with State and Federal law enforcement partners. Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation included: Drug Enforcement Agency; United States Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; United States Postal Inspection Service; Office of the Attorney General State of Alabama; Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Morgan County Sheriff’s Department; Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department; Decatur Police Department; Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department; Colbert County Sheriff’s Department; Franklin County Sheriff’s Department; Russellville Police Department; Marion County Sheriff’s Department; Huntsville Police Department, Cullman County Sheriff’s Department, Cullman Police Department, Madison Police Department, and the Wayne County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Department.
In the spring of 2018, Special Agents of the DEA, and members of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and ALEA began an investigation involving quantities of high quality methamphetamine being sold in Morgan and Lawrence County. Agents quickly learned that the methamphetamine was being distributed not only in those areas, but also in the surrounding areas as far south as Cullman and as far north as Tennessee, by multiple affiliated individuals. Agents also learned that the methamphetamine was coming from the San Bernardino area of California.
During the course of the investigation, over 74 pounds of “ice” methamphetamine, a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride and 46 grams of “crack” cocaine was seized. Twenty guns were seized, including two assault rifles and a short barrel shotgun. Some of the guns seized were identified as stolen. Over $123,000 was seized by federal agencies. This amount does not include amounts of money seized and forfeited by state and local agencies.
DEA, FBI, and USPIS, investigated the case, which Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
36 Arrested During Joint Law Enforcement InitiativeRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – A joint federal, state, and local law enforcement initiative has resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals on a variety of criminal charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking and various firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and United States Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, Adrian Gonzalez. The majority of the defendants were arrested in north Alabama, however some defendants were arrested in California, Iowa, Virginia and Tennessee.
“There is no daylight between local, state and federal law enforcement,” Town said. “These indictments represent the hard work of many of our law enforcement partners, and exemplify our global efforts of taking on the most dangerous criminals menacing our neighborhoods. Our relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
"These arrests are indicative of DEA's commitment to rid our communities of drug trafficking organizations determined to profit on the backs of addiction," said Morris. "Citizens in Northern Alabama can rest assured that the DEA and our law enforcement partners are determined to ensure these communities remain safe and a great place to live. The success of this investigation is an outstanding example of our law enforcement community's resolve and determination."
“North Alabama is safer today as a result of this operation,” Sharp said. “This was an outstanding example of law enforcement partnerships working together to remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods.”
“The Postal Service has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute illegal drugs or other harmful substances,” Gonzalez said. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who misuse the U.S. Mail. Through our joint efforts, we have dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to various communities in multiple states.”
“We thank our State and Federal partners for their efforts and support in helping rid our community of illegal activity,” Madison County Sheriff Kevin Turner said. “We value our partnerships and will continually look for opportunities to enhance our ability to protect and serve all of Madison County”.
The arrests made on October 9, 2019, resulted from the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies across eight counties in Northern Alabama, along with State and Federal law enforcement partners. Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation included: Drug Enforcement Agency; United States Attorney’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; United States Postal Inspection Service; Office of the Attorney General State of Alabama; Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Morgan County Sheriff’s Department; Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department; Decatur Police Department; Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department; Colbert County Sheriff’s Department; Franklin County Sheriff’s Department; Russellville Police Department; Marion County Sheriff’s Department; Huntsville Police Department, Cullman County Sheriff’s Department, Cullman Police Department, and the Wayne County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Department.
In the spring of 2018, Special Agents of the DEA, and members of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and ALEA began an investigation involving quantities of high quality methamphetamine being sold in Morgan and Lawrence County. Agents quickly learned that the methamphetamine was being distributed not only in those areas, but also in the surrounding areas as far south as Cullman and as far north as Tennessee, by multiple affiliated individuals. Agents also learned that the methamphetamine was coming from the San Bernardino area of California.
During the course of the investigation, over 74 pounds of “ice” methamphetamine, a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride and 46 grams of “crack” cocaine was seized. Twenty guns were seized, including two assault rifles and a short barrel shotgun. Some of the guns seized were identified as stolen. Over $123,000 was seized by federal agencies. This amount does not include amounts of money seized and forfeited by state and local agencies.
DEA, FBI, and USPIS, investigated the case, which Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
defendants_1.pdf16-Count Superseding Indictment Charges Owner of Pain MD and Three Medical Professionals in Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 15, 2019 –A 16-count superseding indictment unsealed today charged Michael Kestner, 67, of Nashville, Tennessee, Brian Richey, 37, of Cookeville, Tennessee, Daniel Seeley, 58, of Batesville, Mississippi, and Jonathan White, 49, of Tullahoma, Tennessee, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and multiple counts of healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Richey and Seeley, both nurse practitioners, and White, a physician assistant, were indicted in April on one count of healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Today’s superseding indictment charges each with four additional counts of healthcare fraud and also charges Kestner, the owner of MedManagement, Inc. (MMI), with one count of conspiracy and 15 counts of healthcare fraud.
Kestner surrendered to U.S. Marshals earlier today and will be making an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later this afternoon. Richey, Seeley and White are expected to surrender at a later time.
According to the indictment, Kestner was the owner and CEO of MMI and was the majority owner of Pain MD, with a principal place of business in Franklin, Tennessee. Richey, Seeley and White were employed by MMI, which managed Pain MD. Pain MD operated pain and wellness clinics throughout middle Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina and Michael Kestner, who has neither medical training nor certifications, served as its President.
Pain MD represented itself to be an “interventional” pain management practice and it claimed to provide procedures, including injections and durable medical equipment (“DME”) that were intended to reduce patient reliance on opioids and other narcotic pain medications. The indictment alleges that, in fact, these practices were intended to increase revenues for Pain MD and to personally enrich Pain MD providers.
Between 2010 and continuing through May 2018, the indictment alleges that Kestner, Richey, Seeley and White conspired to enrich themselves and their employers by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. Kestner and others took steps to ensure Pain MD providers increased their “productivity” by providing more and more services, without consideration of whether those services were medically reasonable and necessary. These steps included, but were not limited to: paying productivity-based bonuses to providers; locking providers into legally questionable employment agreements that included extended non-compete periods of up to 24 months; threatening providers who had low productivity numbers with termination and other consequences; sending regular emails, sometimes more than once daily, comparing and ranking providers based on the number of injections or DME devices they had provided; providing erroneous clinical trainings to under-experienced providers, instructing them on inappropriate care protocols and anatomically incorrect injection procedures; and sending Richey, Seeley and White out to clinics to “train” providers, who were not providing a high percentage of injections and DME, and how to “control” the patients and get them to agree to receive unnecessary medical procedures, under threats to discontinue their narcotic pain medications if they refused.
Richey, Seeley and White provided services to patients, namely “Tendon Origin Injections,” which were neither medically necessary nor anatomically possible, provided medically unnecessary DME, and then submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. These services were provided to further the company’s business model by increasing revenues and to personally enrich Pain MD providers and executives.
As a result of the conspiracy, Kestner, Richey, Seeley and White caused the submission of more than $27,537,383.17 to be billed to Medicare, resulting in approximately $5,054,525.07 in reimbursement; more than $8,567,657.00 to be billed to TennCare, resulting in approximately $101,077.79 in reimbursement; and more than $2,544,322.01 to be billed to TRICARE, resulting in approximately $284,458.51 in reimbursement.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
This case is brought as part of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force, comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices for ten federal districts in six states, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the IRS, Criminal Investigation; and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers and Trial Attorney Anthony Burba of the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the cases. The southern hub of the ARPO Strike Force operates out of Nashville.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
# # # # #
Monday 14 October 2019
Columbia Man Convicted on Federal Dog Fighting ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Santerrio Montinez Smith, age 32, of Columbia, was convicted by a federal jury on a dog fighting charge after a day-and-a-half long trial before United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis. The jury took just two hours to find Smith guilty. This was Smith’s second federal conviction this year; in August, he was convicted after trial for distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin.
Smith was convicted of Buying, Possessing, Training, Transporting, and Receiving Animals for Purposes of Having the Animals Participate in an Animal Fighting Venture. He faces a maximum possible penalty of 5 years in prison for his conviction.
During the trial, the government called seven witnesses to establish that, between March and September 2017, Smith possessed pit bull terriers for the purpose of fighting the dogs. The evidence presented in court showed that Smith, who already had a 2014 state conviction for dog fighting, kept his fighting dogs at his grandmother’s house on Dubard Boyle Road in Richland County. On September 20, 2017, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia Violent Gang Task Force (CVGTF), with assistance from the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), executed a search warrant at the residence on Dubard Boyle Road and seized eight pit bull-type dogs. Forensic veterinarian Dr. Cathy Anderson, DVM, examined the dogs and testified that two of the dogs had both scarring and fresh wounds indicative of the dogs having participated in organized dog fighting.
The jury heard testimony from Terry Mills, the Director of Blood Sports Investigations at the ASPCA, who educated them about the underworld of organized dog fighting. Mills, a former law enforcement officer with the Missouri Highway Patrol, testified that he had spent 18 months working undercover in a massive multi-state dog fighting investigation. During that time, he had essentially lived the life of a dog fighter. He described in detail the horrific treatment that dogs are forced to endure to become fighters, as well as what happens when a dog loses a fight. According to Mills, “the losing dog rarely leaves the building.”
Government attorneys then played a dozen recorded phone calls involving Santerrio Smith, his brother Dantrell Smith, their father James “Denny” Green, and other known dog fighters, discussing the dogs and different aspects of dog fighting. During one call, Santerrio Smith and another dog fighter made arrangements for an upcoming fight.
Both Dantrell Smith and James Green have pleaded guilty to federal dog fighting charges. Santerrio Smith, Dantrell Smith, and Green will be sentenced after the court has received and reviewed a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Although dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, it continues to occur in every part of the country and in every type of community. ASPCA experts estimate that there are tens of thousands of dog fighters across the country forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer for the entertainment and profit of spectators as part of this brutal “blood sport.” In the past nine years, the ASPCA has assisted with approximately 200 dog fighting cases in at least 24 states, and it has impacted through rescue, consultations, and investigations nearly 5,000 victims of dog fighting.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s CVGTF, which is comprised of law enforcement officers from the FBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Columbia Police Department (CPD), Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD), Lexington Police Department (LPD), and the South Carolina National Guard. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jane B. Taylor and Christopher D. Taylor.
####
Friday 11 October 2019
Woman Convicted of Sexual Battery of a Child Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bolivian woman who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child family member was sentenced today to more than a year in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
“This case is yet another example of an individual who is here in the United States illegally and committing serious crimes,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Not only did Siles reenter this country illegally, but she used her time here to sexually abuse a vulnerable child. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these criminal immigration cases, especially those with defendants like Siles that pose a significant threat to the most vulnerable in our communities.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lourdes Terrazas Siles, 39, is a native and citizen of Bolivia. Terrazas Siles was previously removed from the United States in 2000, after she attempted to enter the United States with a fraudulent passport. Sometime thereafter, Terrazas Siles reentered the United States without permission to do so. She was found in the United States in August 2016, when she was arrested for felony aggravated sexual battery by a parent, step-parent, grandparent, or step-grandparent of a victim at least 13 but less than 18 years of age. She was convicted in Virginia on aggravated sexual battery charges in June 2017.
“This woman attempted to thwart our immigration laws first by entering illegally and again by returning after she was removed,” said Lyle Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). “Her choice to return was not only a crime in itself, it gave her the opportunity to victimize the child she was meant to care for.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh prosecuted the case. This case was previously handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kraft.
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-127.
Westbank Gunman Sentenced to 15 Years for Two Attempted Robberies in Orleans Parish and One Robbery in Jefferson ParishRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –DARRYL HENRY (“HENRY”), age 27, was sentenced on October 9, 2019, for committing three Hobbs Act Robberies and Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, announced United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
On August 24, 2018, HENRY entered the Walmart Supercenter at 4001 Behrman Place in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, and passed the teller a demand note and displayed a firearm. The teller was unable to open the safe, and HENRY left the business empty-handed. HENRY then went to the Winn-Dixie Supermarket at 3008 Holiday Drive, in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, and unsuccessfully attempted to rob a clerk at that location. HENRY then drove to the Walmart Neighborhood Market located 3265 Manhattan Boulevard, Harvey, Louisiana, and passed a demand note to a cashier while holding a gun in his right hand. HENRY ultimately fled the store with $6,992.00 in United States currency.
HENRY was sentenced to 180 months by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk. HENRY was also sentenced to a period of five (5) years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the diligent work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myles Ranier is handling the prosecution.
Washington man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for possessing meth, heroin for distributionRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Washington man convicted of possessing methamphetamine and heroin for distribution after his arrest following a high-speed chase was sentenced this week to 15 years and eight months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Juan Jose Camarena, 37, of Tacoma, WA, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided at the Oct. 10 hearing. Judge Molloy also ordered forfeiture of $6,750 and ammunition.
The prosecution said in court records that a Montana Highway Patrol trooper arrested Camarena on Oct. 24, 2018 after a high-speed chase on Interstate 90 in which speeds approached 120 mph. Law enforcement served a search warrant on Camarena’s 2006 Mercedes and seized 9mm ammunition, drug paraphernalia, $6,750 in U.S. currency and drugs, including meth and heroin.
Camarena admitted to drug task force officers that he had fled the MHP trooper because he had “pounds” of drugs in his car and was concerned for his safety. He admitted stealing the drugs from a person in Missoula who owed him a debt. Camarena also admitted throwing drug evidence out of the car during the chase. Officers recovered about 3.1 pounds, which is the equivalent of about 11,234 doses, of meth and 99 grams of heroin from the car. In addition, Camarena was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of a prior conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montana Highway Patrol, the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Police Department.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
XXX
Warren Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Multi-Kilogram Quantities of Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
Warren, Michigan man pleaded guilty October 1, to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin, Drug Enforcement Administration, Commissioner William Dwyer, Warren Police Department and Chief Dale Dwojakowski, Sterling Heights Police Department.
Pleading guilty was Lewis Darnell Payne, 46. Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge Linda A. Parker of the Eastern District of Michigan on January 15, 2020, where he faces at least ten years in prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court records, Payne was arrested in May 2018 at his Warren residence where officers seized a handgun and valuable jewelry. The same day officers executed search warrants at two other locations in Detroit and Warren that Payne used to store drugs. From the two locations officers seized nine kilograms of cocaine, seven kilograms of heroin, five firearms, and $189,000 in cash.
“Drug distribution is one of the root causes of the degradation of our communities,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. Federal agencies will continue to work together closely with local law enforcement to eradicate this poison from our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Schneider.
“This is a clear message to drug traffickers in Southeastern Michigan. If you sell drugs we will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin.
Chief Dwojakowski stated, “A case like this is exactly why the Sterling Heights Police Department assigns narcotics officers to the DEA task force. Our officers, working together with the DEA, were able to take down a large scale drug operation and remove enough narcotics that would have flooded our streets and no doubt led to further deaths and drug violence. We are committed in our partnership with the DEA, and let it be known, that if you decided to make a living selling drugs, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.”
“This was an excellent investigation conducted by the DEA, Sterling Heights Police Department, and Warren Police Department,” stated Commission Dwyer. “Together federal and local law enforcement continued to fight the epidemic that is killing thousands of Americans every year. Those responsible for poisoning our communities by selling and distributing illicit drugs will face serious consequences.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with task force officers from Sterling Heights and Warren police departments. Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Hutting prosecuted the case for the United States.
Virginia Beach Area Woman Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Virginia Beach area woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for sex trafficking.
Claire Poole, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 125 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking. Poole was arrested on July 7, 2017, and has been detained since that time.
Poole moved to the Springfield area in early 2017 and began helping co-defendant Walter Brown have sex with a teenage girl. Brown induced the girl to provide pornographic videos and to have sex with him on two occasions by paying her money. Poole acted as a go-between, first by conveying Brown’s initial offer to the girl and then by relaying Brown’s messages to the victim, which included negotiations about what Brown would pay. Poole also provided a cell phone to produce the pornographic videos, and Poole transported the minor to Brown’s house in Ware for sex on two occasions.
Brown is scheduled to plead guilty on Oct. 18, 2019.
United States Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Ware Police Chief Shawn Crevier; Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski; and Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Van Nuys Man Who Sold Fentanyl that Led to Fatal Overdose Agrees to Plead Guilty to Narcotics Charge and Serve 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Van Nuys man who sold the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl to a 23-year-old man who suffered a fatal overdose has agreed to plead guilty to drug trafficking offense and serve 15 years in federal prison.
James Dorion Rodriguez, 28, agreed to plead guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in a plea agreement filed today in United States District Court.
In the plea agreement, Rodriguez admits that he delivered fentanyl to the victim, who ingested the drug and suffered a fatal overdose in Sherman Oaks on the morning of March 18, 2018.
Court documents filed in this case detail how investigators used surveillance video, phone records and witness statements to determine that Rodriguez supplied the narcotics to the victim only hours before he was found dead. Investigators believe that Rodriguez had intended to sell cocaine to the victim, but accidentally gave him fentanyl instead. The overdose was the result of him snorting the fentanyl.
Rodriguez is expected to appear to enter his guilty plea before United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney later this month. The plea agreement calls for Judge Carney to impose a sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Should Judge Carney decide to impose a different sentence, either Rodriguez or the government could withdraw from the plea agreement and the case would proceed to trial.
The investigation into Rodriguez was conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case initially brought against Rodriguez one year ago was the first pursuant to a law enforcement partnership established to aggressively investigate opioid overdose deaths and prosecute the responsible drug dealers. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Opioid Response Team is part of the Southern California Drug Task Force, which operates under the auspices of the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Barron, Chief of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Unlicensed Lawyer Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Cheating ‘Clients’ and Fraudulently Seeking Income Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Pasadena man who falsely claimed to be a licensed attorney was sentenced today to 50 months in federal prison for his conviction on charges related to his representation of “clients” in federal and state courts.
Kenneth Paul Ferreyro, 37, who resided in Glendale during most of the criminal conduct, also sought well over $100,000 in refunds on federal tax returns that falsely claimed substantial payroll taxes had been withheld and remitted to the IRS.
United States District Judge John F. Walter imposed the sentence, calling Ferreyro’s criminal conduct “absolutely despicable.” In addition to the prison term, Judge Walter ordered Ferreyro to pay $190,887 in restitution to the IRS.
Following a four-day trial in April, a federal jury convicted Ferreyro of four counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false claims on his tax returns. Judge Walter remanded Ferreyro into custody after the guilty verdicts were read.
The evidence presented at trial showed that, from at least 2010 until 2017, Ferreyro told people, most of whom were affiliated with his father’s church, that he could represent them in United States Bankruptcy Court and other courts, and that he could perform work related to real estate refinancing and tax liens. While Ferreyro graduated from law school, he never received a license to practice law.
In relation to several victims, Ferreyro prepared and/or filed bankruptcy petitions in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Phoenix. In relation to petitions filed in the Central District of California, Ferreyro concealed his participation by claiming that the victims were filing on their own behalf. Ferreyro also claimed he could “represent” a person in a child custody dispute in Idaho state court, and he charged another person $5,000 based on false claims he could remove federal tax liens so the victim could refinance a residence.
Ferreyro, who at times described himself as a “tax attorney,” also defrauded the government by making false claims on tax returns he filed for the years 2013 through 2016. Ferreyro submitted tax returns to the IRS which falsely stated that he and his wife had already paid substantial amounts of payroll taxes. He also fraudulently sought refunds totaling $126,826, some of which was paid by the IRS.
“Amazingly, even the indictment in this case could not deter defendant from continuing to commit fraud,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Earlier this year – while free on bond in this case and under a court order prohibiting him from providing legal services to any California resident – Ferreyro falsely claimed to a California couple that he was he was an attorney and a member of the military’s Judge Advocate General Corps. Prosecutors alleged in the sentencing memo that Ferreyro “told the couple he could help them with their tax returns for $2,000, and help them protect assets by incorporating a trust or limited liability company.”
The investigation into Ferreyro was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The United States Trustee Program offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Phoenix provided substantial assistance.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Monica E. Tait and Ashwin Janakiram of the Major Frauds Section.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Gymnastics Facility to Ensure That Children with Disabilities Receive Equal Access to Its ServicesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has reached an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) settlement with a Bergen County, New Jersey-based gymnastics facility to ensure equal access for children with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office determined that Paragon School of Artistic Gymnastics (Paragon) of Norwood, New Jersey, violated the ADA by refusing to make reasonable modifications to its program and then excluding children on the basis of disability. The matter stems from a complaint alleging that Paragon cancelled a child’s birthday party after learning that the birthday child and guests had disabilities.
According the to the complaint, Paragon required parents of any child with a disability that wanted to participate in a Paragon birthday party to provide an individual to “shadow” the child throughout the party, regardless of the child’s disability or individual needs.
Under Title III the ADA, places of public accommodation such as Paragon must make reasonable modifications to policies and practices to permit persons with disabilities to participate in its services. Places of public accommodation also cannot impose additional eligibility criteria or a surcharge on persons with a disability wishing to participate in its goods and services, and cannot deny access to good and services to people associated with someone with a disability.
Under the settlement agreement, Paragon has agreed to implement policies and procedures to ensure that children with disabilities are afforded full and equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from its programs and parties, to publish on its website a statement of its policy on the prohibition of disability discrimination, and to provide mandatory training on the ADA and its prohibition of disability discrimination to all Paragon employees. Paragon will also pay $3,000 in damages to the minor complainant and $2,000 to that complainant’s parents, as well as a $1,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office here. Additional information about the ADA can be found at ADA.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Kelly Horan Florio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit in Newark.
Two nurses charged in health care fraud and illegal kickback schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Two Houston area nurses are set to appear in federal court on charges they defrauded Medicare of more than $2.1 million, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
The indictment, returned under seal Oct. 9, was unsealed today upon the arrests of Joseph Nwankwo, 56, Houston, and Stacey Ajaja, 49, Richmond. They are expected to make their initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy K. Johnson today.
According to the indictment, Nwankwo and Ajaja co-owned Hefty Healthcare Services Inc. From 2014 through 2016, Hefty allegedly billed Medicare for home health services that were never provided and not medically necessary. Nwankwo and Ajaja obtained patient referrals by paying marketers and patients and bribed physicians to authorize medically unnecessary home health services for Hefty patients, according to the charges. The indictment also alleges they created phony medical records to perpetrate the healthcare fraud.
Nwankwo and Ajaja are both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks.
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and each of the health care fraud charges carry a maximum punishment of 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine, upon conviction. If convicted of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, they also face a maximum possible punishment of five years and a $25,000 fine.
The Department of Health and Human Services‐Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson 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.Two Tahlequah Women Sentenced for False StatementRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amanda Louise Ellis, age 40, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced on August 8, 2019, to 12 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for False Statement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). Ellis was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $89,324.78. In a related matter, Julieann Logsdon, age 33, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced on October 10, 2019, to 18 months’ imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release for False Statement, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. The charges against Ellis and Logsdon arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The investigation was related to an August 26, 2017 arson at Mail-Mart, a shipping business located at One Plaza South in Tahlequah.
The Information charging Ellis alleged that on August 28, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Ellis willfully and knowingly made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States, by stating she had received a phone call from a specific individual, although she knew the call had come from someone else.
The Indictment charging Logsdon alleged that on August 29, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Logsdon willfully and knowingly made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States, by claiming she entered the MailMart and turned off the alarm, at a specific date and time. Contrary to her statement, as the defendant then and there knew, she did not enter the MailMart and did not turn off the alarm at that time.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Federal law enforcement agents have difficult jobs. Their work is made even more difficult when people who have knowledge of a crime lie to agents in an effort to sabotage an investigation. Fortunately, during the course of this investigation it became apparent that Ellis and Logsdon had lied to investigators. As a result, they are being held accountable.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Two Camden Men Admit Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two members of a drug-trafficking organization have pleaded guilty this week to distributing significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Paul Salcedo, 29, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Oct. 10, 2019, and Waldemar Garcia, 33, of Camden, pleaded guilty Oct. 7, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court, to their respective roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden. The pleas reflected that the members of the drug-trafficking organization sold massive amounts of heroin as well as crack cocaine, cocaine, and fentanyl in and around Camden. Salcedo also admitted his role as a manager or supervisor of the conspiracy.
Two top-level managers of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Ronnie Lopez and Nelson Salcedo, previously pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against 15 other defendants in this case remain pending.
According to documents filed in this case:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The counts to which Waldemar Garcia and Paul Salcedo pleaded guilty carry a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations against the other defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Twenty-Two Year Sentence for Drug and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Marcos Salas Mendoza, 30, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and acetylfentanyl, and to launder drug proceeds.
The investigation into Salas’ criminal activities began in 2018 and was jointly conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lexington Division of Police. As part of the overall scheme to distribute drugs and to launder money, Salas, co-defendant Marcos Gonzalez Garfias, and others routinely smuggled drugs and drug proceeds in the axles of vehicles to avoid detection by law enforcement. Gonzalez Garfias previously pleaded guilty to the same offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1.
According to court documents, when agents executed a search warrant at Salas’s “stash house” in Lexington, they found multiple disassembled axles. The agents found large quantities of controlled substances concealed within those automotive parts and concealed within numerous appliances, such as the dishwasher, microwave oven, stove and refrigerator. Overall, agents located a total of over 3 kilograms of fentanyl nearly 1 kilogram of acetylfentanyl, and nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine from the search of the residence and a storage unit. Agents also located $134,000 in drug proceeds at the stash house.
A total of approximately $257,000 in drug proceeds was seized and forfeited as a result of the investigation. Salas admitted in his plea agreement that the drug proceeds were destined for Mexico to members of the larger drug trafficking organization to promote their drug-trafficking activities.
“Fentanyl is potentially lethal at very low levels – a dose as small as 2 milligrams can be deadly. The defendant is responsible for conspiring to distribute nearly 6 pounds of fentanyl and over a pound of acetylfentanyl- enough to kill well over one million people,” said United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. “I commend the cooperative efforts of the Lexington Police Department and DEA in this investigation. Removing these large quantities of deadly drugs from the community undoubtedly saved lives. The lengthy sentence imposed by the Court reflects the dangerousness of the defendant’s conduct and should serve as a warning to others involved in similar drug trafficking activities.”
Robert M. Duncan Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Daniel Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington Division of Police, jointly announced the indictment. Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
– END –
Tulsa Man Indicted for Attempting to Destroy His Apartment Building with Explosive MaterialsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Charles Michael Fox, 44, of Tulsa, with attempting to destroy his apartment building by means of fire and explosive materials, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
The incident began on Sept. 29, 2019, at the French Villa Apartments, located on Harvard Avenue in Tulsa, and lasted until early the next morning. The Tulsa Police Department’s Bomb Squad and Special Operations Division; Tulsa Fire Department’s Engine and Ladder 23 and HAZMAT crews; Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA); and Oklahoma Natural Gas responded to the incident.
“Attempted destruction of a building by fire and explosive materials is a serious violation of federal law. The emergency responders who handled this potentially life threatening situation are to be commended. I appreciate their dedication to the safety of residents living in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “This indictment stems from an incident in which Mr. Fox is alleged to have threatened to blow up his apartment building during a domestic dispute and then took steps to do so. The alleged criminal acts placed residents of the apartment complex in harm’s way and caused the use of significant law enforcement and emergency resources.”
The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
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.
Tortola Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Possession of a 40 cal. Firearm by an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Ashan Westcott, 29, of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, was sentenced on Thursday, October 10, 2019, for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Westcott to 10 months in prison, followed by a one-year term of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement, on March 2, 2019, the Virgin Islands Police Department ("VIPD") responded to a motorcycle and vehicle accident on Turpentine Run Road, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Westcott, who was injured in the accident, was identified as the driver of the motorcycle. In response to an EMT’s request to locate the defendant’s ID, a VIPD officer looked in a backpack Westcott had been wearing at the time of the accident. While looking for the ID, the officer found a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber handgun in Westcott’s backpack.
Westcott is a citizen of Tortola, British Virgin Islands and when he was apprehended on March 2, 2019, was in the United States illegally.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.