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Wednesday 9 October 2019
Wausau Doctor Sentenced for Fraudulent Fentanyl Prescription SchemeRead the Press Release
Madison, Wis. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Thomas Strick, 60, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to three months in federal prison for obtaining fentanyl by use of misrepresentation and fraud.
During the timeframe of the government’s investigation, Strick was employed as a family practice physician at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and the Aspirus Wausau Family Clinic. The government’s investigation revealed that between 2011 and 2018, Strick prescribed fentanyl patches to at least six patients without a medical need. Strick instructed the patients to fill the prescriptions and return the fentanyl patches to him for personal use, telling the patients that he needed the fentanyl to relieve his pain. Investigators determined that Strick had written 193 fraudulent prescriptions for fentanyl patches and had acquired 3,156 patches as a result of the prescriptions.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Conley stated that Strick violated the public’s trust by using his position as a physician to feed his own drug addiction. Judge Conley noted that Strick had abused his professional responsibility by enlisting his patients to participate in prescription fraud. Judge Conley noted that Strick’s scheme exploited his patients by using their sense of obligation to him while he repeatedly breached their trust. Judge Conley also expressed deep concern that Strick had been previously convicted in Marathon County in 2004 for similar conduct.
As a result of his conviction in this case, Strick has been suspended from practicing medicine and surgery by the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board.
The charges against Strick are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wausau Police Department. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Wegner.
Waterbury Resident Charged with Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration LawRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KURTIS GASKINS, 46, of Waterbury, was arrested today based on an indictment charging him with violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
On September 25, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Gaskins with the offense. Following his arrest by the U.S. Marshals Service this morning, Gaskins appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge, and was released on a $10,000 bond under GPS monitoring.
In 1992, Gaskins was convicted in Massachusetts of sexual assault offenses. The indictment alleges that Gaskins failed to register as a sex offender in Connecticut when he moved to Connecticut in November 2018, and failed to update his sex offender registration in Massachusetts.
If convicted of the offense, Gaskins faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Warren County Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Terry Lajeunesse, age 48, of Pottersville, New York, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with possessing child pornography.
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).
According to a criminal complaint, Lajeunesse possessed multiple images of child pornography on his cell phone. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lajeunesse appeared yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Lajeunesse faces at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, as well as a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/
U.S. DOJ awards $6.3 million to local and state law enforcementRead the Press Release
Seattle – U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran today announced more than $6 million in federal grant funds to support law enforcement officers and community safety in Washington. Speaking at Microsoft for the 2019 Regional Conference for the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces, U.S. Attorney Moran congratulated the Seattle Police based ICAC for successfully competing for a $606,404 grant to support ICAC investigations in 25 of Washington’s 39 counties.
“More than 100 partner law enforcement agencies are working with the Seattle based ICAC to investigate predators who are using the internet to lure children and steal their innocence,” said Moran. “These grant monies are a tangible indication of how important our ICAC task forces are – they are literally saving children from predation and exploitation, and we owe the men and women who have devoted their professional lives to preventing these crimes a debt of gratitude.”
The ICAC grant is just one of a number of grant awards to law enforcement at the state and local level to enhance public safety. Just over $3.3 million was awarded to Washington State as part of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The monies will be funneled to state and local organizations supporting a variety of initiatives including anti-gang and drug task forces, crime prevention, and officer safety.
Other Byrne grants include: $672,410 to the City of Seattle; $290,738 to Tacoma; $96,127 to Clark County; $51,888 to Snohomish County; $35,915 to Kitsap County; $20,200 to Bremerton; $36,076 to Bellingham; $41,723 to Lakewood; $13,585 to Marysville; and $12,972 to Longview.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs were awarded two grants totaling $368,667 under the Project Safe Neighborhood program. The grant monies are used to support gang task forces working to reduce violent crime, firearms offenses, human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Finally, under the National Officer Safety Initiatives Program, Polis Solutions of Seattle was awarded $750,000 to evaluate and update defensive training for state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies. The grant is to develop a model defensive tactics training program that law enforcement agencies and academies can implement.
The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22-years-old.
For additional information on individual grants, please contact the recipient organizations.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La.: Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, the department’s United States Attorneys have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s 2018 Uniform Crime Report released last week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers. The 2018 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“My number one priority remains aggressively prosecuting violent crime in the Western District of Louisiana through the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “PSN is a proven strategy that works when federal, state and local law enforcement partners come together to identify and prioritize prosecution of the most violent criminals in our neighborhoods — holding them accountable for their crimes and preventing future criminal conduct. We will not allow a culture of violence to deprive honest, hardworking Louisianans of the freedoms and opportunities we cherish as Americans. I want to thank the prosecutors from my office and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication over the past year to make our communities safer.”
Throughout the past year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has continued to make good on its promise to prioritize reducing violent crime through the implementation of PSN throughout the district. Monthly meetings are being held with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and violent crime task forces from the five metropolitan cities within the district, consisting of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers as well as state prosecutors. Directly as a result of this collaboration, teamwork, and shared intelligence and resources, approximately three times the number of firearm and violent crime offenses were charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as compared to prior years.
Enforcement Actions
Some of the more notable cases charged in the Western District of Louisiana under this initiative are as follows:
- On August 27, 2019, DeMarcus D. Morris, ring leader of the “Block Boyz” gang, was sentenced to over 33 years in prison and each of the other members were sentenced to substantial prison time. The “Block Boyz” was a notorious street gang that long terrorized Shreveport neighborhoods using the west side of the Queensborough neighborhood as their base of operations. On October 3, 2018, following a two-week trial, five gang members were convicted of RICO and other offenses. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/block-boyz-gang-leader-and-last-two-members-sentenced-serve-time-federal-prison
- On August 1, 2019, Lakendria Nicole Goings and David Ray Johnson were convicted by a federal jury in Monroe, Louisiana, for an armed bank robbery spree involving three financial institutions and multiple firearms violations. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/federal-jury-convicts-northeast-louisiana-couple-armed-bank-robbery-spree
- Just last week, Ivory Carl Myers was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the armed robbery of a shift manager at a Bossier City Burger King. Myles took the money after threatening to kill the manager and forced the victim at gunpoint to leave the Burger King with him. On the way to Houston, Texas, he sexually assaulted his victim on two occasions. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/armed-robber-sentenced-30-years-federal-prison
- Demarcus Jontue Scales, a violent repeat offender in Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced last week to 44 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm. The 44-month sentence will run consecutively with his 15-year state court sentence for murder. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/six-convicted-felons-receive-federal-prison-sentences-week-illegally-possessing
- On March 18, 2019, seven-time convicted felon, Anthony Joseph Meaux, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Meaux’s previous convictions include simple burglary, simple robbery, and drug-related offenses. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/seven-time-convicted-felon-sentenced-25-years-prison-possession-firearm
Improvements to Community Safety
The U.S. Attorney’s consistent engagement and collaboration with law enforcement and the commitment of substantial resources by our partners at the federal, state, and local levels have proven effective in reducing violent crime. FBI data shows that violent crime rates dropped in the Western District of Louisiana even more than the national average of 3.9 percent. Specifically, 2018 saw violent crime drop 38% in Monroe, 14% in Shreveport, 9% in Lake Charles, and 5% in Lafayette. Violent crime in the major metropolitan cities in the Western District of Louisiana decreased from 4,997 events in 2017 to 4,206 events in 2018. This resulted in 791 fewer victims of violent crime in the Western District of Louisiana.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s 2018 Crime in the United States Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“State, local, tribal, and federal partners’ cooperation has been vital to the successful implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “Through these combined efforts, many violent and dangerous offenders have been removed from our streets. And we are not done! Every day, these partners work to reduce violent crime across all of Idaho.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions:
Enforcement Actions
Idaho’s PSN Task Force is working together with state and local partners to seek out serious offenders that pose a risk to the community. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office increased its prosecution of violent offenders by nearly 30 percent. The following cases exemplify some of the work accomplished by PSN.
- Kuna Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Gun Crimes.
- Garden City Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Crimes
- Drug and Sawed Off Shotgun Dealer Sentenced to 78 Months
Improvements to Community Safety
- For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
- The 2018 national statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate. While Idaho had an increase of 1.95 percent in 2018, Idaho has the lowest violent crime rate among the Western region and the sixth-lowest in the country. Further, in 2018, Idaho experienced a 0.8 percent decrease in aggravated assault offenses, which accounts for 72.4 percent of the violent crime in Idaho.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Civil Action to Resolve Ownership of Jean Dubuffet Painting Formerly in Possession of Indicted Art Dealer Michel CohenRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit to resolve potential claims to “Site avec 5 personnages” (the “Painting”), an acrylic work on canvas by renowned 20th century-artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) that was last known to be the personal property of Michel Cohen (“Cohen”), a former art dealer who has been under indictment for wire and mail fraud since 2003. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) came into the possession of the Painting during the course of its investigation into Cohen, who, according to the indictment against him previously filed in this District, induced numerous national and international art galleries, collectors, and investors to consign to him expensive works of art and to give him large sums of money as part of fraudulent transactions. The civil action filed today, known as an interpleader, seeks to allow the Government to divest itself of the Painting in favor of the party with the rightful claim to it, as determined by the Court. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Michel Cohen fled the United States rather than face charges that he used others’ expensive artworks to defraud his numerous victims. With this civil action, we ensure that a valuable painting that he left behind when he fled will end up with the rightful owner.”
As alleged in the Government’s complaint-in-interpleader, the Painting is one of a series of largely abstract canvases that Jean Dubuffet, a prolific French avant-garde artist and founder of the “Art Brut” or “raw art” movement, and was completed in 1981. The Painting’s catalogue raisonné number is E183, in Catalogue des travaux de Jean Dubuffet : Psycho-sites (1981 - 1982), fasc. XXXIV. Similar paintings from this series have sold at auction in recent years for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Painting was initially the property of the Dubuffet estate, before it was sold to a purchaser in Asia through a Paris gallery in 1993. The Painting’s provenance between 1993 and 1996, the earliest known date that it was in Cohen’s possession, is unknown. Cohen has not had possession of the Painting since 2001, when he left it with a New York art dealer to attempt its sale. That sale never occurred and Cohen has never made an attempt to reclaim the Painting, which was since deposited with the FBI. The complaint names as interpleader defendants Cohen, as the last known claimed owner of the Painting, and Sotheby’s Financial Services, Inc., an art financing company which has a 2002 civil judgment from New York Supreme Court against Cohen for defrauding it of over a million dollars. The complaint also names several John Does, individuals and entities who are unknown at this time but may also hold judgments against Cohen or may have had title to the Painting prior to 1996. If you hold a court judgment against Cohen or believe you have a claim to title of the Painting, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (866) 874-8900.
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Mr. Berman thanked the FBI for its ongoing efforts in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Cha-Kim is in charge of the case.
Two Men Admit Drug Conspiracy after Seizure of Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Two men have admitted their roles in a drug distribution conspiracy in connection with the seizure of fentanyl and heroin at a New Jersey rest stop, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Luis Aponte, 48, of Riverside, California, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin. Denny Diaz, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before Judge Sheridan on Sept. 10, 2019.
According to the documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Aponte drove a tractor-trailer truck to a rest stop in Bloomsbury, New Jersey, on March 1, 2019. The next day, he met Diaz in a car and gave Diaz approximately six kilograms of fentanyl. Both men were arrested shortly thereafter. Law enforcement officers searched Aponte’s truck at the rest stop and found an additional two kilograms of fentanyl and 11 kilograms of heroin inside.
The charge to which the defendants have pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million. Sentencing for Aponte is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2020, and for Diaz, Dec. 16, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Division; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; and N.Y. State Police Acting Superintendent Keith M. Corlett with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. This case is being investigated by the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department and New York State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Macurdy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Two Brothers Plead Guilty to Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two brothers who formerly operated a tax preparation business in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court today to preparing false tax returns.
Eliyas Jiregna, 34, of Kansas City, and his brother, Eyob Jiregna, 42, of Memphis, Tennessee (formerly of Kansas City), pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna each pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.
Eliyas Jiregna owned and operated a tax preparation business, Tax-N-Go Services, with three locations in Kansas City, Missouri: 1108 E. Armour Blvd., 7934 Troost Ave., and 10411 Blue Ridge Blvd. Eyob Jiregna prepared tax returns at the 1108 E. Armour Blvd. office during the 2015 return filing seasons.
Under federal statutes, Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna each are subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. Under the terms of their plea agreements, Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the total amount of federal tax loss as determined by the court at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Larson and Matthew N. Sparks. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Tuscaloosa Felon Convicted on a Federal Charge Arising from ShootingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal jury convicted a Tuscaloosa man of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Jay E. Town and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Larry Leon Bryant, 33, on October 8th, after two days of testimony before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler. His sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2020.
“This verdict sends a clear message to those felons who choose to pick up a firearm and take the law into their own hands,” Town said. “Bryant, an armed career criminal, will finally be removed from our community and will soon call a federal prison cell home.”
“ATF’s priority is reducing violent crime,” Watson said. “Criminals often utilize firearms as tools of their trade causing harm to our communities. This case illustrates ATF’s commitment to effective law enforcement partnerships and dedication to keeping our cities safe.”
Evidence at trial showed that on December 13, 2018, Bryant and his brother went looking for Bryant’s stolen Chevy Suburban. Driving separate vehicles, they found the Suburban on a busy four-lane highway in Tuscaloosa. After boxing the vehicle in at a red-light, they got out of their vehicles and began shooting into the Suburban, as the driver attempted to get away. Bryant’s brother shot the driver, a juvenile, who survived.
He has six felony drug convictions, three of which involved distributions that qualify him for a sentence of 15 years to life under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
ATF investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Alan Baty and Brittney Bucak prosecuted the case.
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Tulsa Man Sentenced for Laundering Money in Large Scale Methamphetamine OperationRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court for his involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering operations while he worked at Casa Herrera, a local money remitter business, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Domingo Aguirre, 62, of Tulsa, to 44 months in federal prison for money laundering conspiracy.
“Corrupt money remitter businesses can play significant roles in facilitating criminal enterprises - fraud schemes, human trafficking, terrorism, and, as in this case, the trafficking of large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico to Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Unscrupulous individuals and drug trafficking organizations that exploit addiction for profit will be prosecuted by my office. Mr. Aguirre will now spend time in federal prison as punishment for his role in this drug trafficking enterprise. I hope this sentence sends a message of deterrence to anyone who might think about becoming involved in the drug trade.”
Aguirre was indicted in August 2018, along with 21 other defendants, and pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 15, 2019. In his plea agreement, Aguirre stated that he received money and sent it back to Mexico to individuals who supplied methamphetamine for distribution in Tulsa and the surrounding areas. To facilitate the process, he used Casa Herrera to generate wire transfers using nominee names. A “nominee name” is used to hide the actual recipient of the money and disguise the true nature of the transactions. Aguirre explained that he along with Alfredo Herrera and Javier Passement maintained communication with the source of supply, counting money and generating wire transfers to send drug proceeds from Tulsa to Mexico. As a result of the criminal prosecutions associated with this case, Casa Herrera is no longer in business.
Aguirre will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick prosecuted the case. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the United States Attorney’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
Towson Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On October 8, 2019, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Stephen Bayne Fields, Jr., age 47, of Towson, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Fields admitted using multiple social media accounts to send and receive video and still images of children engaging, and being used to engage in, sexually explicit conduct via the Internet. Judge Chasanow also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Fields must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to Fields’ plea agreement, between July and September 2018, Fields used four social media accounts under alias names that were variations of a name beginning with the letter “T” and each included images of an adult female by that name as profile photos. “T” was 20 years old at the time and was known personally to Fields, who obtained the profile photos for his alias accounts from a genuine social media account used by “T” in her own name.
Fields admitted that during this time, using the four social media accounts created using “T’s” name and photos, he sent and received child pornography on numerous occasions. For example, as detailed in the plea agreement, while posing as “T” in July 2018, Fields sent messages to other social media users stating that he (or she) lived in Maryland and requesting “young girl pictures.” Between July 24 and September 2018, Fields received at least five videos depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from other social media users. Fields also sent at least three videos and one still image depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other users.
On August 30 and 31, 2018, Fields corresponded through the social media accounts with another user discussing that person’s sexual abuse of a seven-year-old minor female. Fields received two videos from the user depicting an adult male engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent female. Fields also sent the other user a sexually explicit video. During their conversations, Fields asked the user to send him photos or videos of the user sexually abusing the girl.
Law enforcement became aware of Fields’ alias accounts through a series of Cybertipline reports made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Internet Protocol addresses used in August 2018 to access three of these accounts were subscribed by Fields at his residence in Towson. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence and seized a laptop computer and other electronic devices.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Toledo man charged in federal court after law enforcement officials seized nearly 10 kilograms of what is believed to be fentanylRead the Press Release
A Toledo man was charged in federal court after law enforcement officials seized nearly 10 kilograms of what is believed to be fentanyl.
Robert Escobar, 49, was charged in federal court with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to an affidavit filed in federal court:
DEA agents used a confidential source to make numerous drug purchases from Escobar between March and October 2019. The drugs were tested and found to be mixtures of heroin and/or fentanyl.
During a buy from Escobar’s residence on Westmonte Road in Toledo in October, Escobar stated he has two different kinds of heroin: “XXX” and “Maserati”. Escobar then traveled to a house on North Michigan Street and returned with drugs, that he sold. The drugs were tested and returned results for fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue.
A search warrant was executed on the house on North Michigan Street on October 8. Agents found ten packages in the attic area which weighed approximately 9,615 grams. Three of the packages were marked “Maserati” while other packages were marked “XXX”. The contents of the packages will be tested, according to the complaint.
“This is believed to be the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Toledo area,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This defendant is accused of branding deadly narcotics with names like ‘XXX’ and ‘Maserati.’ The idea that more than 20 pounds of this deadly substance was being sold in a residential neighborhood is both infuriating and terrifying. I applaud the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Perrysburg Township Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Wauseon Police Department, Sylvania Police Department, BCI, Sandusky Police, CBP and Toledo Police Department for this action – they have undoubtedly saved many lives today.”
“Our communities have been plagued by fentanyl-related overdose deaths for far too long and bringing charges against a major distributor like this will save lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to get drug dealers out of our communities and brought to justice.”
The DEA Toledo Task Force investigated the case. The Task Force includes representatives of the DEA, Perrysburg Township Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Wauseon Police Department, Sylvania Police Department, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Sandusky Police Department and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Toledo Police Department SWAT team also assisted. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley A. Futrell and Alissa M. Sterling.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
A charge is only an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
To Serve and Protect: A Shared Understanding of the Meaning of SacrificeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – On Saturday, October 5, 2019, United States Attorney William M. McSwain addressed members of law enforcement, the military, and civilian guests as the Law Enforcement Guest of Honor at the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation’s Philadelphia Gala. The annual event, held this year at the SugarHouse Casino, is a fundraiser to support the Foundation’s core mission: to provide scholarships to children who have lost a parent serving in the U.S. Marine Corps or federal law enforcement. Since its founding in 1995, MC-LEF has awarded over $76 million in educational awards and other humanitarian assistance to over 4,100 recipients.
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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Thank you, Chief Inspector Boyle for that kind introduction and for your work as Vice President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation (MCLEF).
There are a few other thank-yous that I would like to make at the outset. First, I want to thank the organizers of this wonderful Gala. In particular, I’d like to thank Kevin Cauley, both for inviting me to speak to this distinguished group of heroes and friends, and more importantly, for his continued support of law enforcement and the military. Our country needs more citizens like Kevin – people who appreciate the sacrifices that those serving in the military and in law enforcement make every day.
I’d like to thank our military guest of honor, General James T. Conway, the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps: it is an honor to be with you this evening, General, though this is not the first time that our paths have crossed in a meaningful way to me. Back when I was a boot Second Lieutenant at Quantico, General Conway – or Colonel Conway at the time – was in command of The Basic School, which as many of you know is an arduous, six-month infantry training course for newly commissioned Second Lieutenants. Among these Lieutenants, it is known as TBS. Which either stands for The Basic School, or perhaps, depending on your mood at the time, “The Big Suck.”
Anyway, as a boot Second Lieutenant, I had the privilege of sitting next to General Conway at our TBS Mess Night. I actually had General Conway on my right, and General Christmas to my left. That’s pretty heady stuff for a Second Lieutenant. Sitting with those two great men, listening to their stories, absorbing their lessons, and seeing the way that they treated each other (and the way that they treated me) solidified my love for the Marine Corps in a way that has stayed with me for my whole life, and that will always be with me.
I also would like to express my gratitude this evening to the five brave Medal of Honor recipients who grace us with their presence: Barney Barnum (USMC); Brian Thacker (Army); Tom Kelley (Navy); Mike Thornton (Navy SEAL); and Tommy Norris (Navy SEAL, and retired FBI). Every American is indebted to you for your incredible fortitude, sacrifice, and valor.
Next, I want to thank and congratulate Tony McIntyre, founder of the McIntyre Group, for being selected to receive the Eagle Globe & Anchor Award tonight, and Quint Avenetti, Vice President, Combat Systems Development and Support at Navmar Applied Sciences Group, for receiving the Semper Fidelis Award. Both of these men have made extraordinary contributions to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation’s cause, and tonight’s recognition is very well-deserved.
And my final thank you is, in many ways, the most important one: I would like to recognize and thank those in the audience tonight who have either served in the military or in law enforcement (or both, as is the case for many of you). Whether you served in the past or serve in the present, and whether you are a reservist or active duty, a police officer or a federal agent – you are the heroes among us. And you share the same purpose: to keep Americans safe and to ensure that we all can sleep peacefully at night. All Americans are indebted to you for your service. If everyone could please join me in a round of applause to thank our heroes.
There is much that is similar about military service and law enforcement service, so it comes as no surprise that likeminded individuals are drawn to this sort of work. There’s a natural bond between the military and law enforcement.
For one thing, to succeed, both jobs require discipline and mental and physical toughness. They both also rely on structure and a healthy respect for rules. That said, there’s also a good bit of uncertainty that comes with both lines of work. For example, when you volunteer for this life, there is often uncertainty about where you will be assigned or even what you will do; more poignantly, when you are on the job, you don’t know whether you will return home safely at the end of a shift or the end of the tour of duty. These parallels between the military and law enforcement bring me to three main points I would like to make this evening.
First, I believe those who serve in the military or in law enforcement share a set of core values that enable them to serve and protect others and preserve our American way of life. One of my favorite aspects of the job as U.S. Attorney is that I get to work side-by-side with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners every day. I see, firsthand, how hard they work to do the right thing, to protect our communities, and to help victims of crime. And as I have said publicly, their jobs are made all the more difficult by a disturbing culture of disrespect for law enforcement in some circles in this City. This is unconscionable and despicable. But I make you this promise: as long as I’m the U.S. Attorney, I will use the full power of my Office for every minute of every day to stand with and stand up for the police and law enforcement. Because that is what you deserve.
It is the shared core values of the military and law enforcement – values like honor, courage, commitment, humility, integrity, resilience, and selflessness – that bind us together, and what makes this organization so special. You have embraced sacrifice as a way of life, not because it’s easy, but because you recognize the power and the good that comes from it. There is no greater calling than the one you have chosen in a life of service.
Second, while service to others requires personal sacrifice, the act of service also bestows great gifts to those who choose this path in life. That observation certainly holds true for me, both from my time as a Marine and my time in law enforcement. And when it comes to the Corps, I know that it has given me much more than I could ever give in return.
There is, first and foremost, the satisfaction that comes with committing yourself totally to something greater than yourself. But there are also practical, day-to-day gifts. Two that come to mind immediately are the lasting friendships and the lifelong lessons in leadership that I’ve received. I am at my happiest when I am with my Marine Corps brothers and sisters. I know that they would do anything for me, and I would do anything for them. Those friendships bring joy and meaning to my life.
And I can also say with certainty that my time in the Corps has influenced my career as a lawyer more than anything else. Whenever I come to a fork in the road and encounter a difficult decision in my civilian career, I always try to think back to what my Marine Corps commanders would expect of me – what would people like General Conway expect me to do? What can I do that is true to values that I learned in the Corps? What decision would that version of myself from long ago choose to make? In short, what would Lieutenant McSwain do?
I ask myself these questions and they give me clear answers. It isn’t always easy to do the right thing – especially in today’s complicated civilian world, with its attendant social and political pressures, the desire to be liked, the temptation to just go along to get along, and the natural human desire to do less, not more. I sometimes fail to meet the expectations of the Marine Corps. But I know what they are – and I know right from wrong. I draw strength from that. And I always will.
Which brings me to my final point. This evening’s event – a Gala to raise scholarship funds for the children of fallen military or law enforcement officers – is a microcosm of all that is good and pure about the people drawn to military and law enforcement service. We can never repay the debt that we owe to the fallen and their family members. And we cannot replace the void or take away the families’ pain. But what we can do is take care of the families and work tirelessly to make sure that the sacrifices that their loved ones made will never be forgotten. I am profoundly proud to be part of that everlasting cause.
May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you and Semper Fi.
Texarkana Felon Sentenced for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A 31-year-old Texarkana, Texas, man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Kendall Ray Gray was found guilty by a jury on May 29, 2019, of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 9, 2018, Gray’s vehicle was spotted by police as he drove to a location known for drug activity in Texarkana. Upon noticing the marked patrol car, Gray attempted to evade police by making four successive left turns and then briefly parking in a restaurant parking lot. Gray then exited the business parking lot by illegally turning directly into a center lane. Again, officers attempted to follow Gray as he improperly signaled turns and accelerated away from their marked police car. Gray drove into a residential area and parked along a public street. As police activated the lights on their car, Gray jumped out of the vehicle, locked the doors, and ran. Gray was apprehended by a police office on foot and arrested for evading detention. A search of the vehicle revealed small bags containing suspected marijuana and a loaded handgun with a chambered round was positioned under the driver’s side seat.
Further investigation revealed Gray was a convicted felon having been previously convicted of counterfeiting and forging obligations or securities of the United States in 2012 in the Eastern District of Texas and forgery in 2015 in Bowie County, Texas. As a convicted felon, Gray is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Gray was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 17, 2019, and charged with federal firearms violations.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence; deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition, and body armor; and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Texarkana, Texas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Bloss and Alan Jackson.
Statement of United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Field DivisionRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – On Monday, September 23, 2019, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrived at a property owned by Dr. Vincent K. Jones to execute a federal arrest warrant. Upon arrival, agents found Dr. Jones unresponsive and acted promptly to administer emergency, life-saving care and additionally called for medical transport. Dr. Jones was transported to a nearby hospital. He died the next day.
Due to his death, the United States Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the September 19, 2019 indictment that charged Dr. Jones with illegal drug distribution, which was granted today.
Springdale Man Received Maximum Possible Sentence in Federal Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jackson Abed Rodriguez-Robles, age 36, of Springdale, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 120 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2500 in fines and special assessments for one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in 2001, Rodriguez-Robles was convicted of a felony in the United States territory of Puerto Rico. In February 2019, officers responded to a crime in progress at Rodriguez-Robles’ apartment in Springdale. Upon entry into the apartment, Rodriguez-Robles fled out of the back of the apartment but was apprehended by officers. Inside the apartment, officers located a firearm. Rodriguez-Robles later admitted ownership of the firearm.
Rodriguez-Robles was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2019. He entered a guilty plea in June 2019.
This case was investigated by the Springdale Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Fire, Tobacco, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
South Texas man learns fate for smuggling nearly 30 illegals in cargo trailerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 25-year-old resident of Alamo has been sentenced in Corpus Christi federal court for transporting illegal aliens within the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jose Angel Herrera pleaded guilty July 10.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered him to prison for 45 months to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Herrera’s criminal history and the needless and substantial risk to human life his actions caused.
On May 21, Herrera approached the primary inspection lane of the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita driving a Chevrolet Silverado and pulling a cargo trailer. During routine inspection, Herrera appeared nervous and would not make eye contact with authorities.
A K-9 also alerted to the trailer, indicating the possible presence of humans and /or narcotics.
In secondary inspection, law enforcement located a total of 28 undocumented aliens inside the cargo trailer, one of whom was an unaccompanied minor.
At the time of his plea, Herrera admitted that he knowingly transported the aliens in the trailer.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.
South Florida Jury Convicts Man Who Cybserstalked and Threatened Families of Parkland VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a federal jury in South Florida convicted Brandon Michael Fleury, 22, of Santa Ana, California, of cybserstalking and sending a kidnapping threat to families of victims of a mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, announced U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
According to evidence introduced at trial, Fleury used thirteen different Instagram accounts, using aliases including alleged Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, and others, to target families and friends of Parkland shooting victims with messages over the course of three weeks between Dec. 22, 2018 and Jan. 11, 2019. Many of the messages, including ones written under usernames referring to Cruz and containing Cruz’s profile picture, taunted the message recipients about the deaths of loved ones in the Parkland shooting. On Dec. 25, 2018, Fleury, sent a message stating, “I’m your abductor I’m kidnapping you fool.” On January 9, 10, and 11, 2019, Fleury continued to harass, intimidate, and threaten the message recipients from multiple Instagram accounts. These included messages sent under the username “the.douglas.shooter,” and using a profile picture of Nikolas Cruz. These messages included statements like, “With the power of my AR-15, you all die,” and “With the power of my AR-15, I take your loved ones away from you PERMANENTLY.”
After examining Fleury’s tablets, law enforcement found thousands of saved images of Ted Bundy, images of the targeted victims, and saved screenshots of the messages that he had sent the victims.
Fleury was convicted of interstate transmission of a threat to kidnap, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c), and interstate cyberstalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A. Fleury is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2, 2019 by United States District Judge Rudolfo A. Ruiz II (Case No. 19cr60056). Fleury faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force and Broward Sheriff’s Office in this matter. U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan also thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and task force members. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared M. Strauss and Ajay Alexander.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Sheboygan Man Faces Mandatory Minimum 15-Year Sentence in Federal Prison After Being Found Guilty of Methamphetamine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 8, 2019, Ey Lao (age: 34) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was found guilty following a jury trial in federal court in Green Bay, Wisconsin, of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841(a) and 841(b)(1)(A). The jury also found beyond a reasonable doubt that the possession involved 50 grams or more of actual (“crystal’) methamphetamine. Lao was further convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The evidence at trial revealed that Lao and his girlfriend, Lola Yang a/k/a “Lola Chang,” slid off an Interstate 43 exit ramp into the “gore” area where their vehicle became stuck during a March 1, 2019 blizzard. A Brown County Sheriff’s lieutenant made contact with the couple and became suspicious when Lao and Yang declined his offer of assistance. Further investigation revealed that Lau and Yang were in possession of 73.01 grams of actual (“crystal”) methamphetamine, a digital scale, and drug paraphernalia located inside a locked safe. Following the couple’s arrest, the vehicle was more closely searched and a loaded 9mm Kel-Tec firearm was located in the glove box.
Yang previously entered a guilty plea in the case.
Lao was convicted in 2015 on state charges of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute for which he was sentenced to a five-year term of imprisonment. Based on his prior felony drug conviction and the jury’s determination, Lao faces a mandatory fifteen-year term in federal prison and up to a lifetime of imprisonment when he is sentenced by Chief Federal Judge William C. Griesbach in January 2020. He remains incarcerated pending that hearing.
The case was investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Taibleson and Daniel R. Humble.
Seven Indicted in Connection with Gas Station Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Seven people have been indicted for a scheme in which they stole and used credit and debit card numbers of gas station customers in Albany, Broome and Montgomery Counties.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin, Boston Division, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The three defendants arrested to date are:
- Joan Jesus Manso Dieguez, age 33, of Miami, Florida, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering;
- Atnetys Ferreira, age 40, of Miami, charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering; and
- Hugo Hernandez, age 32, of Miami Lakes, Florida, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to the indictment, from April 2016 through approximately December 2018, defendants conspired to build and install gas station skimming devices and install those devices inside gas pumps in Albany, Broome, and Montgomery Counties, so that they could steal credit and debit card data of gas station customers who used the “pay at the pump” function to purchase gasoline.
The defendants then used that data to create fraudulent debit and credit cards, which they or co-conspirators used to obtain money orders, gift cards, cash, and other merchandise. The indictment also alleges that five of the defendants conspired to engage in financial transactions with money orders and gift cards obtained through the scheme that were designed to conceal the source of the stolen funds, and obtain cash or transfer the value of the gift cards, using gift card exchange websites, to bank accounts controlled by the members of the conspiracy.
If convicted, Dieguez, Ferreira, and Hernandez each face up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering conspiracy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and USPIS, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Emily C. Powers.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Conspiracy, and Money Laundering in Rochester Federal Court; Charged in Federal Court in Pennsylvania as A Result of His Role in Masterminding A Nationwide Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., of the Western District of New York, together with David J. Freed, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that Perry Santillo, 39, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. for the Western District of New York, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to launder money. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. As part of his plea in the Western District of New York, Santillo has also agreed to plead guilty to a mail fraud charge, which is also relating to his Ponzi scheme activities, that is currently pending against him in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case in the Western District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni, who is handling the case in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, stated that between January 2008 and June 2018, the defendant conspired with an individual identified as C.P., and others, to obtain money through an investment fraud commonly known as a Ponzi scheme. Specifically, in 2007, Santillo and C.P., as equal partners, formed a business known as Lucian Development in Rochester. Prior to approximately July 2007, Lucian Development raised millions of dollars from investors in Rochester, and elsewhere, by soliciting investments for City Capital Corporation, a business operated by Ephren Taylor. In July 2007, Santillo and C.P. were advised by Ephren Taylor that their investors’ money had been lost. In response, in August 2007, Santillo and C.P. agreed to acquire the assets and debts of City Capital Corporation. The acquisition proved financially ruinous, with the amount of the acquired debt far exceeding the value of the acquired assets. Taylor was later prosecuted and convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme.
Subsequently, Santillo and C.P. chose not to disclose the truth to investors that their money, entrusted to Lucian Development for investment in City Capital Corporation, was gone. Instead, the defendant and C.P. continued to solicit ever-increasing amounts of money from new investors in an unsuccessful attempt to recoup the losses. In order to find potential investors to solicit and defraud, Santillo and C.P. purchased businesses from established investment advisors or brokers who were looking to exit their businesses. Between approximately 2008 and September 2017, Santillo and C.P., using money obtained from prior investors, purchased the businesses of at least 15 investment advisors or brokers, located in Tennessee, Ohio, Minnesota, Nevada, California (5 businesses), Florida, South Carolina (2 businesses), Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Indiana.
The investment offerings pitched by Santillo and C.P. consisted principally of unsecured promissory notes and preferred stock issued by various entities controlled by Santillo and C.P. Potential investors were offered an apparent array of investment options to create the illusion of a diversified investment portfolio. Those investment options included products issued by purported issuers such as First Nationle Solutions (FNS), Percipience Global Corporation, United RL Capital Services, Boyles America, Middlebury Development Corporation, and NexMedical Solutions, among others. None of these issuers had substantial bona fide business operations or used investor money in the manner and for the purposes represented to investors. To the extent that an issuer may have had some minor legitimate business activities, it was not profitable and insufficient revenues were generated to pay investors any returns (let alone return the principal amounts of their investments). Santillo, and others, sold fraudulent investments from these issuers to investors who were told that the money received would be used to conduct the purported business of each respective issuer. In fact, however, such issuers were the defendant’s various Ponzi schemes. Santillo, and others working with him, fraudulently induced investors to invest at least $46,000,000 in the First Nationle offering since February 2012, $22,000,000 in the Percipience offering since July 2012, and $25,000,000 in the United RL offering since March 2015.
Over the years, to keep the Ponzi scheme from being detected, a substantial portion of incoming new investor monies were depleted by making promised interest and other payments to earlier investors. Most of the rest of incoming investor money was used by Santillo, C.P. and other co-conspirators: to finance lavish lifestyles of the conspirators, their families and associates; to expand the scheme by purchasing investment advisor/brokerage businesses to obtain access to fresh investors; and to pay operating expenses – salaries for a sales force and administrative staff, office rents and related expenses, housing for employees, and interest on loans—all of which were used to keep the scheme going and maintain a façade of legitimate business operations.
Very little investor money was deployed in productive investments, and when so deployed, the investments yielded meager income and were not profitable, or failed altogether. The Ponzi scheme was headquartered and based out of locations in Rochester, with a number of satellite offices around the country. Administrative and banking functions were largely performed out of Rochester. The conspiracy employed a variety of sales people, including Santillo and C.P., who traveled around the country to meet with and solicit new investors. In the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Santillo, and others, conducted their fraud scheme under the guise of an investment business located in Scotrun, Monroe County, using various business names, including Advice and Life Group, Poconos Investments, First American Securities, and Financial Planners Group of America.
Between January 2012 and June 19, 2018, Santillo and C.P. obtained at least $115.5 million from approximately 1000 investors. By the time the scheme collapsed in late-2017/early 2018, Santillo and C.P., doing business through an array of corporate entities, had returned approximately $44.8 million to investors as part of their scheme, but continued to owe investors approximately $70.7 million in principal.
Among the Rochester/Pennsylvania victims area victims of the Ponzi scheme were the following:
- A resident of Webster, NY with a total asset value of $94,341.89 with a fictitious company known as First Nationle Solutions (FNS), which, as of December 31, 2017, was worthless or close to worthless, and
- A resident of Victor, NY and his wife invested approximately $221,758.67 with FNS and Middlebury Development. The couple received three payments of $2500 but lost approximately $214,258.67.
- Since May 2015, Santillo and others fraudulently raised at least $3,000,000 from approximately 30 investors in Pennsylvania, including the MDPA.
Santillo and C.P. controlled hundreds of different business bank accounts opened under numerous different business names at various financial institutions, including but not limited to Bank of America, Citizens Bank, Genesee Regional Bank and ESL Federal Credit Union. Santillo and C.P. directed and authorized the transactions that occurred in the accounts, including deposits, withdrawals, check writing and funds transfers. The various bank accounts were used to transfer money from one account to another. Incoming investor money was routinely transferred through several accounts before the funds were finally spent on whatever purpose Santillo and/or C.P. authorized. By moving investors funds through various accounts in various entity names, Santillo and C.P. were able to, conceal and obscure the fact that new investor money was being used to repay earlier investors, finance the operations of the Ponzi scheme, and fund their lifestyles.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms the shared commitment that United States Attorney’s Office’s across the country have to discovering those who hide behind deceptive fraud schemes in an effort to bilk investors out of their hard earned money and savings,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “This investigation and these pleas should make clear to fraudsters everywhere that you cannot hide and that we will work together across jurisdictions to find you and to bring you to justice.”
“As he did in districts throughout the country, Perry Santillo came to the Middle District of Pennsylvania and purchased a business from a trusted investment advisor for the sole purpose of finding new victims to exploit,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “This massive nationwide fraud was committed for one simple reason – to enrich Santillo and his confederates. This was a scam from day one, and Santillo and the others knew it. Thankfully, federal law enforcement was on the case. I want to particularly thank my friend and colleague U.S. Attorney J.P. Kennedy and his team for their hard work on this case and commend all of the federal agencies involved for their industry and cooperative efforts.”
“The United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting consumers from falling victim to fraud, including illegitimate investment schemes,” stated Postal Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin. “Along with our law enforcement counterparts, Postal Inspectors will always pursue individuals who utilize the US Mail to steal the hard earned money of our customers through false and misleading representations."
“Greed fueled Perry Santillo’s crimes and became the common thread throughout this investigation,” said Gary Loeffert, Special Agent-in-charge of the FBI Buffalo Office. “Everyone touched by his greed will forever feel the painful consequences. Santillo’s plea serves as a teachable moment for those criminals who believe they can stay ahead of their Ponzi schemes.”
“Defendants like Perry Santillo lure innocent investors by taking full advantage of their trust and hopes for a better financial future,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent- in-Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “As victims envision their nest eggs growing, these scammers are diverting, even pocketing, that hard-earned money. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to bring such financial fraud to light, and its perpetrators to justice.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said, “Tracing the complex flow of money between hundreds of bank accounts is vital in unraveling a Ponzi scheme such as the one perpetrated by Mr. Santillo, and we are proud of the excellence displayed by our team. The collaboration and partnership of our skilled financial investigators and prosecutors provides a formidable adversary in the fight for victims as seen in this case.”
“Perry Santillo, Jr., conspired with his co-defendants by engaging in a Ponzi scheme that swindled unwitting investors out of tens of millions of dollars in retirement savings. The investors liquidated their retirement accounts to invest with companies Santillo and his-co-conspirators operated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of employee benefit plans,” said Michael C. Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“The alleged acts by the perpetrator endangered the financial security of hard-working, innocent New Yorkers and their families,” said Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell. “Anyone who commits insurance fraud by definition is acting against the interest of consumers. I commend the investigative work by DFS in coordination with fellow law enforcement agencies for apprehending the suspect.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the Boston Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and FBI Scranton Division; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Michael C. Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Region, the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Linda A. Lacewell; and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Sentencing in the Western District of New York is scheduled for March 6, 2020, before Chief Judge Geraci. The arraignment date in the Middle District of Pennsylvania has not yet been set.
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Rochester Man Going to Prison for 10 Years on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Christopher Johnson, 47, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The defendant was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that Johnson was arrested in June 2018, after distributing child pornography to an undercover FBI Agent via the Internet. That arrest prompted law enforcement officers to execute a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Rochester. Investigators seized Johnson’s computers which contained approximately 52,372 images and 316 videos of child pornography. Some the videos and images depicted the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by members the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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Over 300 firearms seized and firearms dealer closed downRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that approximately 390 firearms, silencers and receivers were seized from Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), G2FS LLC (G2 Sports Products/G2 Firearms Sales) on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. Months of investigation into the FFL, located at 8255 Indy Court in Indianapolis, revealed numerous regulatory and statutory violations of federal law. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) found evidence that the FFL knowingly transferred handguns to an out-of-state resident, made false entries in records, failed to report multiple sales of handguns and knowingly transferred firearms to a prohibited person.
The FFL agreed to an enhanced surrender of its federal license. As a result, none of the owners will be eligible to reapply for their license or engage any further in the business of dealing in firearms. The owners also agreed to the seizure of approximately 390 firearms, silencers and receivers including rifles, shotguns and handguns with a total estimated value of $224,000.00.
This seizure follows an Indictment against Scott Genung for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The investigation revealed that law enforcement made several undercover purchases of firearms at G2 Sports from Genung, a convicted felon, who personally processed the sales. Scott Genung was observed carrying a firearm on his person during those transactions. Genung, who indicated he was responsible for much of the store operations at G2 Sports, also placed an order from a distributor for a firearm, despite the fact he was prohibited by law from doing so.
“This prosecution, firearms seizure, and license surrender represent our commitment to reducing violent crime in the Southern District of Indiana by keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals who have no legal right to possess firearms,” said Minkler.
This investigation was conducted by a team of Special Agents, Auditors and Industry Operations Investigators with the ATF. The ATF was assisted by officers and investigators by with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Fishers Police Department, Zionsville Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan McPherson believes the dual missions of the ATF, criminal and regulatory enforcement, were tantamount to the successful outcome of this investigation. McPherson stated that “ATF is committed to investigating FFLs who operate outside the law and regulations they are responsible to uphold. This FFL will never again have to ability to place firearms in the hands of prohibited persons.”
“Working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to hold accountable not only those who commit violent gun crimes, but also those who illegally provide the guns used in crimes,” said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “Removing crime guns from our neighborhoods is critical to our efforts to make Indianapolis a safer place.”
An Indictment is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court. If convicted of the charge in the indictment, Scott Genung faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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 protect the community from gun violence. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.9.
Orange County Woman Admits to Embezzling Social Security Benefits Intended for Disabled and Elderly PeopleRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for stealing more than $176,000 in Social Security benefits designated for elderly and disabled beneficiaries.
Rowena Isabel Lokeni, 36, of Garden Grove, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud. Lokeni was hired as an SSA service representative in 2008 and worked in the administration’s field office in Fountain Valley. She resigned from SSA shortly after her September 6 arrest on a federal grand jury indictment in this matter.
From her work cubicle, between April 2017 and August 2019, Lokeni accessed the SSA computer databases and queried the records of 10 Social Security beneficiaries, according to her plea agreement. Once she accessed the victims’ records, Lokeni fraudulently changed each victim’s direct deposit bank account and routing numbers to instead reflect her personal bank account’s routing and account numbers, the plea agreement states.
Of the 10 victims whose Social Security benefits were affected by Lokeni’s fraud, eight victims were supposed to be receiving disabled adult children benefits because they were unmarried adults who had a disability that began prior to their 22nd birthday, court documents state. The ninth victim was supposed to be receiving disability insurance benefits, while the tenth victim was supposed to be receiving retirement insurance benefits, according to the plea agreement.
Lokeni admitted to fraudulently obtaining a total of approximately $176,015 in Social Security payments.
United States District Judge John F. Walter has scheduled a January 6, 2020 sentencing hearing, at which time Lokeni will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney David H. Chao of the General Crimes Section.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT DUDUKOVICH, 25, of Wakeman, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release, for distributing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July and October 2017, Dudukovich managed a chat group on “Kik,” a smartphone messaging application, that provided a forum for group members to communicate about their sexual interest in young boys and to share and trade child pornography primarily depicting young boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dudukovich shared with the group members, including an individual in Connecticut, images and videos of child pornography. The child pornography included videos of a minor engaged in sexual acts with another minor, and a video of a minor engaged in a sexual act with an adult. Dudukovich also shared with the group members a link to his Dropbox account, which contained additional images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The investigation revealed that Dudukovich also used his Tumblr account to access and view child pornography.
Dudukovich was arrested on September 5, 2018. Subsequent analysis of Dudukovich’s laptop and cellphone, which were seized at the time of his arrest, revealed additional videos of child pornography.
Dudukovich has been detained since his arrest. On July 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
This matter was being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Norwich Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HAROLD BUTLER, also known as “Haas,” 42, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 77 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine and crack.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the FBI, Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and six controlled purchases of crack from Butler, revealed that Butler and others were distributing narcotics to drug users and other street-level dealers in southeastern Connecticut. Butler also used his Norwich business, Hat Boyz, to store and distribute narcotics.
Butler has been detained since his arrest on February 25, 2019. On March 5, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Butler and 12 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses. On June 24, Butler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
Butler’s criminal history spans more than 20 years and includes 19 convictions.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and Norwich, Town of Groton and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore Police Department and Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and S. Dave Vatti.
North Carolina Licensed Attorney Sentenced for Harboring AlienRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that SARAH JANE BRINSON, age 34, of Clinton, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to three months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons followed by three years of supervised release, for the crime of harboring an alien.
On June 4, 2019, BRINSON pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging that she encouraged and induced an alien to reside in the United States, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such residence in the United States was in violation of the law. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement leading to BRINSON’s guilty plea, BRINSON surrendered her law license to the North Carolina State Bar and forfeited $5,000.
According to Court records, Homeland Security Investigations initiated an inquiry into BRINSON, a licensed attorney and notary public in North Carolina, based upon her representation of an alien in North Carolina state court. The representation included appearing before a North Carolina district court judge to enter a prayer for judgment continued on behalf of an alien while knowing the alien was assuming the identity of a United States citizen. In the meantime, BRINSON represented the same alien in immigration proceedings under the alien’s real name without disclosing the alien’s use of another name. Further, BRINSON notarized the alien’s signature under the assumed name in connection with North Carolina state court proceedings, while knowing that was not the alien’s true name.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that from December 2011 to August 31, 2014, BRINSON hired an illegal alien to work at her law firm knowing the employee was unlawfully present in the United States.
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Misconduct by a member of the Bar – and officer of the Court – is particularly troubling and poses a grave threat to the administration of our civil and criminal justice systems. The prosecution of this defendant, an attorney, is critical if we are to maintain the integrity of our legal system. And, here, the prosecution itself, even more than the actual sentence, sends a message throughout the legal system that we expect lawyers to be honest and reliable or face the consequences of their misconduct.”
“This attorney had no regard for our nation’s laws. She blatantly hired and harbored at least one alien illegally present in the United States and knowingly represented an alien in state court proceedings who was using a United States citizen's identity,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte. “HSI’s investigative work through the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force ensured this attorney can no longer practice law in North Carolina.”
The Document Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina investigated this case. The DBFTF is led by Homeland Security Investigations, in partnership with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and various other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. More Here.
Nine Defendants Charged in Federal Court with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession after Seizure of 58 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger has announced federal charges related to a significant drug enforcement investigation undertaken by federal, state, and local agencies in Green Bay and surrounding communities, including a seizure of approximately 58 pounds of methamphetamine last month. On October 8, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging nine defendants with conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Additionally, the indictment charges some defendants with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The defendants charged in the indictment are:
Name
Age
Charge
Derek A. Liebergen
26
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Possession with intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime
Malachi J. Root
29
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Possession with intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime
Wayne L. Stilen
39
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Crime
Sally A. Miller
35
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Jeremy M. Ludwig
32
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Kayla R. Kennedy
39
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Jasmine L. Gillette
24
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Christopher S. Ullmer
22
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Peter F. Thao
23
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case on September 17, 2019, and detention hearing held October 9, 2019, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants in September 2019, including one at a hotel in Outagamie County resulting in the seizure of approximately 58 pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram of a white powder later determined to be tramadol, 57 grams of cocaine, 32 marijuana vaping cartridges, marijuana edibles, $39,215 in U.S. currency. Derek Liebergen rented the hotel room and was arrested in the vicinity of the room. When arrested, Liebergen possessed a handgun in the waistband of his pants. Law enforcement indicates that the street value of 58 pounds of methamphetamine is $500,000-$750,000 after it is divided for further delivery.
Furthermore on September 9, 2019, Brown County Drug Task Force investigators arrested Malachi Root in Green Bay. On the driver’s seat of Root’s car, law enforcement seized a loaded Ruger 9 mm handgun. A variety of drugs were located in several bags and suitcases including 930 grams hash oil, 463 grams marijuana, 68 grams MDMA, 23 grams of methamphetamine, 8 grams of cocaine, a money counter, marijuana edibles (cookies and gummies) and approximately $25,728.
United States Attorney Krueger stated: “Meth is highly addictive and destroys lives. That is why law enforcement partners at all levels—federal, state, and local—are working together to bring federal charges against drug traffickers to the fullest extent of the law. The enormous quantity of meth seized in connection with this case underscores both the real danger posed by meth and our resolve to combat it. I commend the extraordinary investigative efforts that made these charges possible.”
The national methamphetamine problem is a growing concern here in the state of Wisconsin, as evidenced by this large seizure of methamphetamine and the indictments of six individuals. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) works daily with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in an attempt to stem the flow of methamphetamine into Wisconsin, as well as, hold drug dealers accountable for their disregard for human life and public safety,” said Paul E. Maxwell, Jr., Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA’s Milwaukee District Office.
If convicted of the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, the defendants face a minimum term of ten years, up to life in prison. Convictions on the firearms counts would expose the defendants to additional terms of incarceration.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was led by the following law enforcement groups: Brown County Drug Task Force, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Drug Unit, Green Bay Police Department, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Brown County District Attorney’s Office, Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Oconto County Sheriff Department, and Oconto Falls Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Roach.
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Natick Man Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Natick man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possessing child pornography.
Joshua Bemis, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 8, 2020. Bemis was arrested and charged in November 2018.
Federal authorities received information from law enforcement in the United Kingdom about an individual whose IP address was traced to Bemis’ Natick residence, who had posted child pornography on a photo sharing website. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant where they seized a laptop computer and separate hard drive, both of which contained numerous videos of children, including some that depict the rape of children as young as seven-years-old.
Bemis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Natick Police Chief James G. Hicks made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 20 Years on Attempted Enticement and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Jordan, Minnesota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on October 2, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Rodney Allen Buetow, age 36, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stemmed from Buetow communicating with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts. Buetow drove from Minnesota to Rapid City to meet the 14-year-old and was arrested at a pre-arranged meeting location. Buetow was also found to possess child pornography videos and images on his cellular phone.
The investigation was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case.
Buetow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Methuen Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man has was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Michael O’Neil, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year and a day in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, O’Neil pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition after being arrested on Dec. 1, 2018 in Andover, when police seized a loaded .380 caliber pistol from him. O’Neil is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior conviction of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of Lelling’s Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Memphis Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin Resulting in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – David Mitchell Murray, 39, of Memphis has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death. Also indicted as a co-defendant in this case was Glenda Aldape, 48, of Cordova. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on the evening of March 28, 2016, the victim Sean Heywood agreed over the phone to buy half a gram of heroin from Aldape for $75. Aldape texted Sean that she was sending "Mitch" (later identified as 39-year-old David Mitchell Murray) to deliver the heroin. Sean lived with his father, mother and grandmother at the time.
At 10 p.m., Sean told his father he was going to a nearby Huey’s location to have a beer. Surveillance tape showed Sean entering the bar area of the restaurant a few minutes after 10 p.m. and having one beer. During this period, he spoke on the phone with Mitch at least twice. The tape then shows him leaving the restaurant. After a few minutes, he left the bar and got into a car with Mitch, who then sold the heroin to Sean. Mitch then drove Sean home.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Sean’s father found Sean unresponsive on the bathroom floor. Memphis emergency personnel arrived at the house and pronounced Sean dead at 1:02 a.m. Law enforcement responded and tagged all of the items as evidence – a plastic bag of heroin in his pocket, syringe, spoon and 0.19 grams of heroin, and Sean’s cell phone. The autopsy results concluded the cause of Sean’s death was a lethal dose of heroin.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our district-specific opioid strategy, heroin distribution cases resulting in death receive top priority for investigation and federal prosecution, regardless of quantity of heroin involved or the prior criminal record of the offender. Our Heroin Initiative also provides time-sensitive case coordination between law enforcement agencies and medical examiners, to ensure that opioid overdose death cases are investigated quickly and thoroughly to identify the nature and source of the drug distribution. Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute and seek the maximum guidelines sentences in these cases in order to disrupt trafficking organizations, hold the distributor accountable for the death of the victim, and to deter others from selling poison to our citizens."
On October 4, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Murray to 188 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. Judge Fowlkes Jr. sentenced Glenda Aldape, to 240 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release on May 14, 2019.
This case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit (OCU).
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Mattoon Man Charged with Transportation, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – An initial trial date of Dec. 9, 2019, has been scheduled for a Mattoon, Ill., man, Tyler L. Foote, 28, indicted on federal child pornography charges on Oct. 1. The indictment had remained sealed pending Foote’s arraignment today in federal court in Urbana. Foote, of the 1300 block of Champaign Ave, in Mattoon, was arrested on Aug. 16, on Coles County state charges.
The indictment alleges that on four occasions between March 2017 and January 2019, Foote used a computer to transmit sexually explicit images of minors, and that at the time of his arrest, on Aug. 16, 2019, Foote possessed child pornography.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of transportation of child pornography (four counts) is 20 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. Each of the five counts carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.
During today’s court appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Foote remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Mattoon Police Department.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Man who Attempted to Rob a South Side Bank in a Wheelchair is IndictedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of attempted bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on October 8, named Emanuel Luna, 54, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment and criminal complaint, Luna, while in wheelchair, attempted to rob the First National Bank, located at 1114 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, on August 13, 2019. Upon entering the bank, Luna approached the teller counter and handed the teller a note that stated he had a bomb and "will press the button and kill us all for no less than $50,000." Luna left the bank prior to receiving money from the teller. Surveillance video following the attempted robbery shows Luna using a cane to walk.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Luna has been detained pending the resolution of the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Haley Warden-Rodgers are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the O’Hara Township 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.
Man Who Assaulted 88-Year-Old Woman Charged via Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
The man who allegedly assaulted an 88-year-old woman inside her Dallas home yesterday has been charged via criminal complaint with carjacking and possession of a stolen firearm, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Kristopher Charles Martin Brown, 19, allegedly broke into the victim’s home on Cliffmere Drive around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, likely through her back door, according to the federal complaint.
He punched her in the face, then brutally sexually assaulted her, the complaint alleges.
After the assault, he allegedly dug through her closet and purse, taking money, the keys to a 2007 Lexus RX, and a Remington shotgun. He then allegedly tied the victim to her chair, disabled her telephones, and told her she would find her vehicle at an address on East Overton Road in five days. He fled the scene in her Lexus.
A few hours later, Dallas Police Officers observed Mr. Brown filling up the Lexus’ tank at a local 7-Eleven, with the stolen shotgun in plain view in the rear of the vehicle. When he was apprehended, Mr. Brown was allegedly wearing Nike shoes that matched footprints found in the victim’s backyard.
After being read his Miranda rights, Mr. Brown told officers he’d purchased the Lexus for $900 at a complex at East Overton Road. He claimed he’d purchased the shotgun there too. While undergoing processing by DPD’s Crime Scene Response team, Mr. Brown asked officers if anyone had died, noting that “the old woman got up.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced KAYODE FADAMORO, formerly of Raleigh, NC, to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $35,466.93 in restitution to the defrauded credit issuers.
fadamoro was named in an eight-count Superseding Indictment on February 6, 2019, charging him with conspiracy to commit access device fraud; using unauthorized access devices; and, multiple counts of misuse of a social security number. On June 4, 2019, FADAMORO pled guilty to the conspiracy to commit, pursuant to a plea agreement.
As set forth in the charging document, FADAMORO conspired with others to obtain credit with the use of synthetic identities. FADAMORO’s name and actual date of birth were combined with a social security number not issued to him by the Social Security Administration in order to create a new credit profile, commonly referred to as a CPN. To enhance a CPNs’ credit worthiness, these new profiles are added to other individuals’ credit accounts with positive credit history.
In 2015 and 2016, two CPNs in FADAMORO’s name were used to obtain credit and purchase merchandise in various retail stores, in Raleigh, NC. On July 27, 2016, he was arrested by the Fuquay-Varina Police Department when he attempted to purchase approximately $8,723 in commercial grade equipment. He had submitted an online John Deere credit application using a CPN. According to the Superseding Indictment, persons utilizing CPNs, make purchases with no intention of paying the lenders or issuers for the items and services obtained.
The Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh Police Departments partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Administration to conduct the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Susan Menzer represented the government.
Man Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that ADAM RYAN CORNETT faces federal charges for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and two counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
CORNETT was named in a three-count indictment, returned by a federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The indictment alleges that CORNETT possessed a firearm, after he was subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order that by its terms explicitly prohibited the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against a person that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury whereby CORNETT possessed a firearm. CORNETT was also charged with making false statements when completing forms to purchase firearms on two separate attempts, to which he stated he was not subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order.
If convicted, CORNETT would face up to a maximum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine as to each of the three counts, and a term of up to three years supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Smith represents the government.
Madison Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Hector Valdez-Loera, 42, of Madison, was sentenced on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for harboring an illegal alien for commercial advantage and private financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and William Joyce, Acting Field Office Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Valdez-Loera was also ordered to pay an administrative fine in the amount of $79,784.00.
On April 13, 2017, while searching for an illegal alien fugitive who had a prior order of removal for illegal reentry into the United States, ICE ERO officers went to a home located in Ridgeland, Mississippi where the illegal alien fugitive had been living. Upon arrival, officers found two additional illegal aliens living at the residence. Officers later determined the illegal alien fugitive had left for work at a jobsite located in Madison, Mississippi. At the jobsite, Madison Concrete was performing concrete work. Upon arrival, a number of the workers fled into the woods. Officers gave chase but was unable to apprehend the illegal alien fugitive.
Further investigation revealed that Madison Concrete was owned and operated by Hector Valdez-Loera and that Valdez-Loera hired illegal aliens who either had social security numbers that did not exist or belonged to someone deceased. He failed to check E-Verify to determine legitimacy of his workers and referred to them as subcontractors, when they were in fact his employees. The investigation also revealed that Valdez-Loera provided his financial information to obtain housing for at least two of his illegal alien employees.
Valdez-Loera was subsequently charged with two counts of harboring an illegal alien for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He pled guilty before Judge Jordan on May 24, 2019.
The case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Lower Brule Woman Sentenced on Meth Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on October 7, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Alisha Flute, age 21, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Flute was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 11, 2018. She pled guilty on May 14, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy that began at a time unknown, but no later than December 1, 2015, and continuing to November 14, 2018, where Flute knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota. The methamphetamine was supplied by Frank “Tank” Adams from St. Paul, Minnesota. Adams was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance at a federal jury trial in August and will be sentenced in November.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Crow Creek Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Lower Brule Agency, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Pierre Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges.
Flute was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Court for Drug and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Michael Joseph Nicholson, 36, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for his role in a drug and money laundering conspiracy that distributed cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in Anchorage, Alaska.
According to documents filed, Nicholson along with Wendy Del Carmen Recinos, Jonathan Toliver Jr., and Reon Jordan; were part of a drug and money laundering conspiracy that began sometime in August 2016 and continued through December 2017. Among the conspirators there was an agreement to distribute heroin and cocaine in Alaska. Members of the conspiracy flew back and forth between California and Alaska for the purpose of distributing these illegal controlled substances. An Alaskan residence became a base of operations and is where the conspirators stored heroin, cocaine, and other controlled substances with the intent of distributing them in Anchorage. Investigators seized 1.4 kilos of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 43 grams of benzodiazepine, and 76 grams of oxycodone.
During this same time frame, the conspirators used multiple methods to launder their drug proceeds, including deposits into bank accounts, wire transfers and shipments of bulk currency between Alaska and California. The deposited drug proceeds were used to pay travel expenses of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Approximately $147,998 in U.S. currency, a Rolex “Sky Dweller” wrist watch, and four firearms were seized by the government as property constituting proceeds of the drug trafficking.
On February 4, 2019, Wendy Del Carmen Recinos was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for her role in the drug and money laundering conspiracies.
On February 4, 2019, Renee Livingston was sentenced to five years of probation for her role in the money laundering conspiracy.
On March 25, 2019, Jonathan Toliver Jr. was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for his role in the drug and money laundering conspiracies.
On March 25, 2019, Reon Jordan was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by a four-year term of supervised release, for her role in the drug and money laundering conspiracies.
On July 9, 2019, Nicole Manglona was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for her role in the money laundering conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder commends all investigative and prosecutorial officials. “This case is a great example of the interagency cooperation we see every day in Alaska. The law enforcement officers and prosecutors in this case worked diligently to take down a significant drug trafficking operation, but also conducted a financial investigation to disrupt the money laundering aspect of the organization and seize the money, jewelry, and firearms illegally obtained by the defendants.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS-Criminal Investigation, Anchorage Police Department Vice Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester in connection with a 2017 fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Carlos Rodriguez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 40 grams of fentanyl.
Co-defendants Ernesto Rodriguez, Jorge Burgos, and Joshua Sanchez were sentenced to 20 months, 60 months, and 34 months in prison, respectively.
As a result of various wiretaps capturing the defendants’ discussions of sales and purchases of fentanyl, in November and December 2017, law enforcement conducted surveillance of Burgos purchasing fentanyl for resale from Carlos Rodriguez, Ernesto Rodriguez, and others. In addition, on Dec. 20, 2017, law enforcement stopped Sanchez after wire intercepts suggested he would be distributing 50 grams of fentanyl to co-defendant Jorge Burgos. Agents conducted a stop of the vehicle Carlos Rodriguez was driving and recovered 50 grams of fentanyl. Further investigation led to the recovery of 40 additional grams of fentanyl from Ernesto Rodriguez. Intercepted communications captured Carlos Rodriguez discussing with Burgos how agents had stopped him on the way to Burgos’ residence and captured him discussing with another individual where to hide a firearm from authorities.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Leicester Interim Police Chief Kenneth Antanavica made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Major Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Concord – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Sergio Martinez, 29, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to leading a continuing criminal enterprise and participating in a money laundering conspiracy based upon his role in operating a Lawrence-based fentanyl trafficking organization. The plea agreement, if accepted by the judge at sentencing, would require Martinez to serve a 45-year prison sentence and forfeit $2,000,000 in cash, as well as three houses in Lawrence.
The guilty plea came on the sixth day of a jury trial. During the trial, which began on October 1, 2019, the government presented evidence that Martinez operated a fentanyl trafficking operation that employed numerous individuals to sell fentanyl to customers from various New England states, including New Hampshire. Testimony at trial showed that customers knew the Martinez organization by the name “Brian” and that most of the organization’s customers came from New Hampshire. Distributors knew to identify customers on the streets of Lawrence by their New Hampshire license plates.
Testimony at trial showed that the organization served three distinct sets of customers. The first group of customers, who ordered the smallest amounts of drugs, was served by various telephones (“small phones”) that were located in a specific residence and answered by dispatchers. This residence was referred to as “the base” and dispatchers staffed “the base” from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. Dispatchers took orders and directed customers to meet various distributors throughout the Merrimack Valley area, mostly in Lawrence or Haverhill, Massachusetts, but sometimes in Salem, New Hampshire. These phones usually received hundreds of calls daily from customers placing fentanyl orders. Street-level distributors were provided with 200-gram bags of fentanyl, which they sold for $30 per gram, generating $6,000 per bag of fentanyl sold. Distributors testified at trial that they sometimes had lines of 10 to 15 customers, most with New Hampshire license plates, waiting for them on the street.
A second set of customers was serviced by the so-called “big phone.” The big phone was reserved for customers who typically purchased from ten grams to 200 grams of fentanyl at a time, quantities which the purchasers would then distribute themselves. The defendant and his brother Raulin Martinez answered this telephone, took orders, and sent these customers to meet a different set of distributors. They promised these customers better and faster service than they received if they called the small phones. These phones received between approximately 50 and 100 calls daily.
A third, much smaller set of customers, who ordered particularly large quantities of fentanyl (usually one kilogram or more at a time) called the defendant directly to place orders. The organization would deliver directly to these individuals by sending a distributor, often in a taxi, to deliver to these customers at or near their residences.
Trial testimony showed that Martinez managed numerous individuals including between five and ten runners working each day, people who staffed “the base” answering telephones, and people who mixed and packaged the drugs in milling operations he operated at different locations in Lawrence. The jury was provided with evidence showing that investigators seized over 12 kilograms of fentanyl from the Martinez organization during the investigation. During one telephone call intercepted over a court-authorized wiretap and played at trial, Martinez spoke to a man who identified himself as a fentanyl supplier located in Sinaloa, Mexico. Martinez told him, “what I look for is quality for when I prepare it and give it to people. Because I’m one of those people that’s moving a lot here. I move between 15, to 30, to 35 kilos a month.” In other intercepted telephone calls played at trial, Martinez acknowledged the dangerous nature of the drug he distributed, noting that “what we give out is poison.”
Evidence at trial showed that Martinez received substantial income from his business and that he sent some of this money to the Dominican Republic. Drug runners testified that they provided the defendant with between $30,000 and $35,000 per day based on aggregate drug sales. On one occasion, the defendant was stopped by the police while transporting $400,494 in cash that he intended to send to the Dominican Republic. This money was seized by the DEA.
The plea agreement includes a forfeiture of $2,000,000 including funds in two bank accounts in the Dominican Republic in Martinez’s name.
Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2020.
A total of 34 individuals were charged with participating in this conspiracy. Martinez is the last of various co-conspirators to plead guilty. The following individuals previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing:
- Miguel Alvarez, 38, of Haverhill, MA, pled guilty on January 31, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2019;
- Eduard Amparo, 47, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on August 29, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for December 16 2019;
- Edward Brailey Delacruz, 25, of Methuen, MA, pled guilty on June 24, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2019;
- Edward Brito, 32, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on July 10, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2019;
- Julio Colon, 25, of Lawrence, MA pled guilty on September 30, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2020.
- Luz DeJesus, 34, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on January 31, 2019. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2019;
- Juan Dimel Gil Castillo, 25, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on February 6, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2019;
- Ramon Gil Huma, 26, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on March 11, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2019;
- Steven Lessard, 31, of Lowell, MA pled guilty on September 30, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2020;
- Henry Marte, 22, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on January 25, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2019;
- Raulin Martinez, 37, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on December 7, 2018. His sentencing is scheduled for November 29, 2019;
- Fernand Miranda, 24, of Haverhill, MA, pled guilty on September 16, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for January 2, 2020.
- Jared Ortega-Peguero, 26, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on December 6, 2018. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2019;
- Suhey Perez, 40, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on May 2, 2019. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2019;
- Luz Perez DeMartinez, 27, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on February 12, 2019. Her sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2019;
- Wagner Pimentel, 29, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on March 15, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2019;
- Luis Angel Polanco Huma, 23, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on August 14, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 2019.
- Jorge Rodriguez, 22, of Methuen, MA, pled guilty on February 28, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2019;
- Luis Antonio Salomon Polanco, 21, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on March 11, 2019. His sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2019;
- Juan Rafael Tejada-Jimenez, 39, of Lawrence, MA, pled guilty on November 29, 2018. His sentencing is scheduled for November 22, 2019.
In addition to the defendants listed above, nine other defendants have pleaded guilty and already have been sentenced. Four defendants remain fugitives.
In addition to these defendants, 13 New Hampshire-based individuals who obtained fentanyl from this organization have been charged with drug trafficking offenses. Twelve of those individuals have pleaded guilty and one is still awaiting trial.
“The evidence in this case demonstrates that Lawrence-based fentanyl traffickers have made huge profits from pumping large quantities of deadly fentanyl into New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Mr. Martinez ran a sophisticated marketing operation that served as a conduit between the Mexican drug cartels and customers in Northern New England. This was a complex case in which the entire law enforcement community worked together to bring high-level fentanyl traffickers to justice. The end result should serve as a warning to those who choose to sell fentanyl in the Granite State.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large scale drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in Lawrence, MA led by Mr. Martinez,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Fentanyl distribution destroys people’s lives and wreaks havoc in our communities. DEA and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue any individual or organization that distributes this poison.”
This investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Seth R. Aframe.
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Laredo felon guilty of firearms violationRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 74-year-old local felon for unlawfully possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. They deliberated for one hour before returning the guilty verdict against Javier J. Trevino following a one-day trial.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony about an Aug. 10, 2016, search warrant authorities executed on Trevino’s residence. Upon entering the home, law enforcement observed multiple firearms in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Authorities ultimately discovered more than 120 firearms and a significant amount of ammunition within Trevino’s residence.
Trevino had a felony conviction for making false statements in relation to the purchase of firearms from 1987 and was, therefore, prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury Trevino owns multiple homes and did not reside in the home where authorities seized the firearms. He argued that because he resided somewhere else, he was not in possession of those firearms. The jury did not believe those claims and found Trevino guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 24, 2020. At that time, Trevino faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher dos Santos and Anthony Brown prosecuted the case.
Kinston Woman Sentenced to 37 Months for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced ROSALIND JACKSON, of Kinston, NC to 37 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $393,724 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 10, 2019, JACKSON pled guilty to a two-count Criminal Information, charging her with willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for others and filing a false income tax return in her name. JACKSON previously recruited individuals to have fraudulent tax returns prepared by Issac Blount, who operated a tax preparation service in Greenville, known as Enriched Tax Services. For the tax years 2009 through 2014, Blount filed at least 270 fraudulent income tax returns, seeking $1,746,347 in refunds. Blount generated these false refunds with fictitious wage and tax statements, enabling the taxpayers to qualify for the Earned Income and Additional Child Care tax credits. Alicia Jenkins and Kiawanna Langley also worked for Blount. The taxpayers were expected to pay an additional $1,500 in cash out of the fraudulent refund proceeds, which was split three-ways between Blount, Langley and the recruiter. In 2016, Blount, Jenkins and Langley pled guilty to tax charges and were sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the Government’s proffer, after JACKSON disassociated herself from Blount, Jenkins and Langley, she continued to assist others in filing false tax returns in the same fraudulent manner. She took her clients’ files containing manufactured wage and tax statements to other tax preparation businesses or prepared and filed the returns herself, but falsely represented the returns were self-prepared by the taxpayer. Thirteen individuals confirmed that JACKSON had filed tax returns for them for multiple years. Those returns claimed approximately $363,368 in refunds to which the individuals were not entitled.
In addition, JACKSON filed false income tax returns in her own name for the tax years 2011 through and including 2015, seeking approximately $38,419 in refunds to which she was not entitled. Those returns similarly reported false wage income to qualify her for various tax credits.
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Whenever anyone defrauds the Government by not filing their tax returns, by claiming refunds or monies to which they are not entitled, or, as here, by scheming with others to do those things, they are victimizing every American who works hard and who diligently pays their taxes to support our Government and the programs and services its provides. There is no such thing as a victimless tax fraud case; we are all victims when anyone pulls off a scheme like this one. We are gratified by the Court’s sentence and the message it sends to those who would attempt to defraud the tax system. You’ll be caught; you’ll be prosecuted; and, you’ll be punished.”
“Return Preparer fraud is a priority for IRS Criminal Investigation and we have committed many resources to investigating and prosecuting cases just like these,” said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Let this be a reminder to others seeking to enrich themselves illegally; IRS-CI Special Agents will find you and uncover your fraudulent schemes that will lead you to prison.”
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Susan Menzer represented the government.
Kansas City Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for managing a conspiracy to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Missouri area.
Donald R. Taylor, also known as “Dee,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 17, 2018, Taylor pleaded guilty to participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that lasted from Dec. 2, 2014, to Jan. 23, 2018. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized a total of 5.342 kilograms of methamphetamine from various co-conspirators.
Women were frequently used to transport illegal drugs during the conspiracy, including large quantities of methamphetamine in vehicles and smaller quantities of cocaine and heroin hidden inside of their vaginas. They were paid to drive to Texas, Arizona, or California to pick up methamphetamine and other drugs and transport them back to Springfield. Several women admitted they made multiple trips to acquire illegal drugs, sometimes in multi-kilogram quantities.
On one occasion, Taylor admitted, he flew to Arizona to deliver a large amount of cash to co-conspirators in order to purchase methamphetamine. Taylor attached a package that contained four pounds of methamphetamine onto a Chevrolet Avalanche near the gas tank, which co-conspirators drove back to Springfield. However, Arizona law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle and discovered the hidden methamphetamine.
Taylor is among seven co-defendants who have been sentenced in this case. Five co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team).
Jury convicts Nigerian for presenting fake British documents to open local bank accountsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A jury has returned a guilty verdict against a 57-year-old Nigerian man for committing passport fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for one hour before convicting Ademola Okulaja, Kingwood, following a two-day trial.
On June 6, 2016, Okulaja opened a checking account at a Houston branch of the International Bank of Commerce (IBC). At that time, he claimed to be a British citizen known as “Michael Millet” and provided the bank with a fraudulent passport the United Kingdon purportedly issued.
Okulaja entered a different IBC Branch in Houston on Nov. 21, 2016, and opened another checking account. This time, he used the name “David Allen” and presented another fraudulent British passport.
The defense conceded the passports were counterfeit, but attempted to convince the jury Okulaja was not the person presenting those passports to open the accounts. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 23, 2020. At that time, Okulaja faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Sandel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
Jury Finds Lauderdale County Man Guilty of Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearms Used in the Murder of a Pregnant WomanRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day jury trial, Sequna Copeland a/k/a "Cutthroat", 30, of Ripley, Tennessee has been found guilty of two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on June 18, 2018 in Lauderdale County, Tennessee a white minivan crashed on Highway 19. Two men emerged from the vehicle and ran in the direction of Maple Hill Circle. Multiple people identified these men as Sequna Copeland and Bryson Bonds. The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the wreck and found a Canik 9mm pistol and a Harrington & Richardson .22 revolver in the minivan. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation lab tests, codefendant statements, and circumstantial evidence revealed that these two handguns were used to kill Jessica Hunt and her unborn child on Berry Morrow Road earlier that same morning.
In 2016, Copeland, along with three other members of the Gangster Disciples, robbed the Ripley Express convenience store. He along with another defendant evaded law enforcement for eight months and was subsequently placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s "Top 10 Most Wanted" list. On July 30, 2015, Copeland, while under oath and testifying as a witness in a proceeding before a Federal Grand Jury, made a false statement to prevent the punishment of two co-defendants. In July 2016, Copeland pleaded guilty to one count of perjury, and was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release. In 2009, Copeland was convicted in Lauderdale County of Facilitation of the Second Degree Murder of Brian Bond, son of then Haywood County Sheriff Melvin Bond.
On October 1, 2018, the Lauderdale County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Copeland with two counts of Premeditated First Degree Murder, two counts of Felony First Degree Murder, one count of Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, one count of
Tampering with Evidence, one count of Felony Possession of a Firearm, one count of Employing a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, one count of Abuse of a Corpse, one count of Theft of Property, and one count of Leaving the Scene of an Accident. https://tbinewsroom.com/2018/10/06/tbi-top-ten-fugitive-captured-charged-in-lauderdale-county-homicide/
Sentencing for the federal firearms convictions is scheduled for November 22, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker, where Copeland faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "As his nickname indicates, ‘Cutthroat’ has a long criminal history of felony convictions involving violence, and has now been found guilty of possessing firearms that were used in the murder of Jessica Hunt and her unborn child, and while he was still on a period of supervised release from a prior felony conviction. Copeland has devoted his entire adult life to a career of criminal conduct in Lauderdale County, and that prior history has finally caught up with him. This federal conviction will remove this violent recidivist from the community for up to 10 years, will hopefully deliver justice for his victims, and will make Lauderdale County and West Tennessee a safer place."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tennessee Highway Patrol, The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ripley Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Jersey City, New Jersey, Man Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City, New Jersey, man was charged today with allegedly receiving images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Benigno Gonzalez-Mendoza, 35, is charged by complaint with one count of receipt of child pornography. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 9, 2019, through July 27, 2019, Gonzalez-Mendoza knowingly received images and videos of child sexual abuse, including videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, a minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma Spiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Indictment: Former Immigration Officer Pretended to Be ICE SupervisorRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former ICE officer was indicted today on a charge of impersonating a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Andrew J. Pleviak, 42, Topeka, is charged with one count of false impersonation of a federal officer. In court documents, Pleviak is alleged to have tried to have a man who was arrested by the Kingman County Sheriff’s Department released from custody.
Juan Tapia-Alfaro was arrested after deputies allegedly found a Kansas driver’s license he fraudulently obtained using a birth certificate and Social Security number of a person living in Puerto Rico. On the same day, Pleviak is alleged to have called the Sheriff’s Department claiming to be a supervisor with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In fact, Pleviak was no longer an ICE employee. In 2018, he was convicted of violating a federal computer security statute.
On Sept. 3, 2019, Pleviak allegedly gave the Sheriff’s Department a letter on ICE letterhead claiming that Tapia-Alfaro was working as a confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration and requesting charges be dropped. Sheriff’s Department officers saw through the ruse and arrested Pleviak on the spot.
According to court records, Tapia-Alfaro said he knew Pleviak from doing work on Pleviak’s house.
If convicted, Pleviak could face up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kingman County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Shawn Richard Seburn, 41, Hutchinson, Kan., is charged with one count of transporting child pornography through a Tumblr account via the internet. The crime is alleged to have occurred in August and September 2018 in Reno County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
John Dean Hopkins, 61, Haysville, Kan., is charged with two counts of transporting child pornography through Dropbox via the internet. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in January 2017 and October 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting
Danny Del Real, 30, Dodge City, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with seven counts of distributing methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2018 and 2019 in Dodge City, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on each count. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Dodge City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
Tomas Juan Tomas-Andres, 39, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with one count of using another person’s Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in October 2017 in Arkansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the Social Security count and a mandatory two years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft count. The Kansas Department of Revenue investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
Cornel A. Owens, 42, Iola, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2018 and 2019 in Iola and Independence, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million on the drug charge and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated, the Iola Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Independence Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
Laveil D. Mansaw, 34, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred on Feb. 15, 2019, in Bonner Springs, Kan.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the first firearm charge and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second firearm charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
Sonia Hernandez-Smith, 41, Wichita, Kan., is charged with 20 counts of making false statements in federal tax returns. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
The indictment alleges Hernandez-Smith prepared taxpayers’ returns that falsely stated they were eligible to claim Child Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit.
If convicted, Hernandez-Smith could face up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $100,000 on each count. The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.
Gerson Ramos-Matamoros, 33, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 20, 2019, in Republic County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.Wade Dunn, 30, Wichita, Kan., was indicted by a grand jury on one count of escaping from federal custody. The indictment alleges that on Sept. 23, 2019, he failed to return to Mirror, Inc., Residential Re-Entry Center in Wichita after leaving the facility on a pass.
Initially, Dunn was charged Sept. 25, 2019, in a sealed criminal complaint filed in federal court.
On Sept. 28, Wichita police announced they had arrested Dunn in connection with a stabbing incident.
The federal complaint was unsealed Sept. 30.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.