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Wednesday 9 October 2019
Grand Jury Returns Indictments; Rock County Man Charged by ComplaintRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Lincoln County Man Charged with Gun Crime
Daniel Boldt, 46, Town of Corning, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The indictment alleges that on August 24, 2019, he possessed a .22 caliber rifle, a .32 caliber revolver, a .22 caliber pistol, a 12 gauge shotgun, a 9mm pistol, and .22 caliber ammunition.
If convicted, Boldt faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow is handling the prosecution.
Rock County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm
Austin Hedges, 23, Clinton, Wisconsin, is charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court today with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The complaint alleges that Hedges, knowing he had previously been committed to a mental institution, possessed a .38 caliber pistol.
The complaint and affidavit filed today allege that Hedges was the subject of an Order of Commitment issued in Rock County Circuit Court on June 12, 2013, and that as part of that order, Hedges was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. The affidavit alleges that federal law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hedge’s home in Clinton, and the pistol was found in his possession. Hedges was arrested by FBI agents. He appeared in federal court in Madison this afternoon and remains in federal custody.
The charge against Hedges is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
Mexican Citizen Charged with Illegally Reentering US & Possessing Firearm & Ammunition
Francisco Arturo Cruz-Martinez, 32, a citizen of Mexico found in Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and with reentering the United States after previously being removed. The indictment alleges that on September 22, 2019, Cruz-Martinez was found in possession of a .38 caliber handgun and ammunition.
If convicted, Cruz-Martinez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the gun charge, and two years in federal prison on the illegal reentry charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Corey is handling the prosecution.
The charges filed today against Boldt, Hedges, and Cruz-Martinez have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Madison Man Charged With Sex Trafficking a Minor
James Coney, 31, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, and maintaining a minor from December 23, 2017 to about January 20, 2018, knowing the minor would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.
The indictment also charges Coney with transporting the minor from Wisconsin to Illinois on December 24, 2017, with the intent that the minor engage in prostitution.
If convicted, Coney faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on each charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Fitchburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the prosecution.
Lake Delton Man Charged with Drug Crimes
Jack M. Washington, 43, Lake Delton, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of distributing crack cocaine and one count of possessing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he distributed crack cocaine on May 31, July 11, and August 6, 2019, and that he possessed 28 grams or more of crack cocaine on August 21, 2019.
If convicted, Washington faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the distribution charges. The charge of possessing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine with intent to distribute carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake Delton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus is handling the prosecution.
Beloit Man Charged with Failing to Register as Sex Offender
Raynaldo Mendez, 44, Beloit, Wisconsin, is charged with failing to register as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The indictment alleges that from September 2017 until March 2018, he traveled from Illinois to Wisconsin and failed to update his registration as required by SORNA.
If convicted, Mendez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Beloit Police Department, South Beloit (Illinois) Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Pfluger and Taylor Kraus are handling the prosecution.
Genetic Testing Company and Three Principals Agree to Pay $42.6 Million to Resolve Kickback and Medical Necessity ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that UTC Laboratories Inc. (RenRX) has agreed to pay $41.6 million, and its three principals, Tarun Jolly M.D., Patrick Ridgeway, and Barry Griffith, have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks in exchange for laboratory referrals for pharmacogenetic testing and for furnishing and billing for tests that were not medically necessary. RenRX, a laboratory company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, also agreed to a twenty-five year period of exclusion from participation in any federal health care program.
“The payment of kickbacks in exchange for medical referrals undermines the integrity of our healthcare system. Today’s settlement reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring that taxpayer monies are well spent and not wasted on unnecessary medical testing,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
“Healthcare fraud, in any incarnation, hurts patients, honest medical practitioners, and all of the nation’s taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The favorable resolution of this False Claims Act matter illustrates the collaborative efforts and firm commitment by our federal partners to use all available remedies, both civil and criminal, to address signs of waste and abuse by providers in our healthcare markets.”
The government alleged that between 2013 and 2017, UTC and its principals offered and paid remuneration to physicians to induce the ordering of pharmacogenetic tests, purportedly in return for their participation in a clinical trial known as the Diagnosing Adverse Drug Reactions Registry (DART), clinical trial identifier NCT01970709. The government also alleged that UTC and its principals offered and paid remuneration, including sales commissions, to entities and individuals as part of the scheme, and furnished pharmacogenetic tests that were not medically necessary and billed the Medicare program.
“The payment of cash and thinly-disguised referral bribes, as contended by the government, resulted in a more than $42 million dollar resolution in this case," said Special Agent in Charge CJ Porter of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Additionally, my agency barred RenRX from receiving any payments from federal health programs for a full 25 years. Genetic testing scams are becoming all too common. OIG has a genetic testing fraud alert here.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations in six lawsuits pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana: United States ex rel. Bergeron v. UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 16-15440 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. McNeil v. Tarun Jolly, UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 14-2247 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Green & Lawson v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX & Stone Surgical, LLC, No. 15-297 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Church v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX, No. 15-877 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Outerbridge v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX, No. 15-1445 (E.D. La.). The lawsuits were filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in these cases. The whistleblower shares to be awarded have not yet been determined.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, in conjunction with the HHS-OIG and the FBI.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Genetic Testing Company and Three Principals Agree to Pay $42.6 Million to Resolve Kickback and Medical Necessity ClaimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that UTC Laboratories, Inc. (RenRX) has agreed to pay $41.6 million, and its three principals, Tarun Jolly, M.D., Patrick Ridgeway, and Barry Griffith, have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks in exchange for laboratory referrals for pharmacogenetic testing and for furnishing and billing for tests that were not medically necessary. RenRX, a laboratory company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, also agreed to a twenty-five year period of exclusion from participation in any federal health care program.
“The payment of kickbacks in exchange for medical referrals undermines the integrity of our healthcare system. Today’s settlement reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to ensuring that taxpayer monies are well spent and not wasted on unnecessary medical testing,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
“Healthcare fraud, in any incarnation, hurts patients, honest medical practitioners, and all of the nation’s taxpayers,” said United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Peter G. Strasser. “The favorable resolution of this False Claims Act matter illustrates the collaborative efforts and firm commitment by our federal partners to use all available remedies, both civil and criminal, to address signs of waste and abuse by providers in our healthcare markets.”
The government alleged that between 2013 and 2017, UTC and its principals offered and paid remuneration to physicians to induce the ordering of pharmacogenetic tests, purportedly in return for their participation in a clinical trial known as the Diagnosing Adverse Drug Reactions Registry (DART), clinical trial identifier NCT01970709. The government also alleged that UTC and its principals offered and paid remuneration, including sales commissions, to entities and individuals as part of the scheme, and furnished pharmacogenetic tests that were not medically necessary and billed the Medicare program.
“The payment of cash and thinly-disguised referral bribes, as contended by the government, resulted in a more than $42 million dollar resolution in this case, said Special Agent in Charge CJ Porter of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Additionally, my agency barred RenRX from receiving any payments from federal health programs for a full 25 years. Genetic testing scams are becoming all too common. OIG has a genetic testing fraud alert here.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations in six lawsuits pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana: United States ex rel. Bergeron v. UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 16-15440 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. McNeil v. Tarun Jolly, UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 14-2247 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Green & Lawson v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX & Stone Surgical, LLC, No. 15-297 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Church v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX, No. 15-877 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Outerbridge v. UTC Labs., LLC d/b/a Renaissance RX, No. 15-1445 (E.D. La.). The lawsuits were filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in these cases.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, in conjunction with the HHS-OIG and the FBI.
The cases are captioned United States ex rel. Bergeron v. UTC Labs., et al., No. 16-15440 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Treci McNeil v. Tarun Jolly, UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 14-2247 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Green & Lawson v. UTC Labs., LLC, et al., No. 15-297 (E.D. La.); United States ex rel. Church v. UTC Labs., LLC, d/b/a Renaissance RX, No. 15-877 (E.D. La.); and United States ex rel. Outerbridge v. UTC Labs., LLC, d/b/a Renaissance RX and Tarun Jolly, No. 15-1445 (E.D. La.). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The whistleblower shares to be awarded have not yet been determined.
Fresenius Agrees to Pay $5.2 Million to Resolve Allegations that it Overbilled Medicare for Hepatitis B TestsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc., d/b/a Fresenius Medical Care North America, Inc., the largest operator of kidney dialysis clinics in the United States, has agreed to pay $5.2 million to resolve allegations that the company tested dialysis patients for Hepatitis B surface antigen more frequently than medically necessary and then billed Medicare for the unnecessary tests.
“Providers are expected to closely follow Medicare rules and bill properly — nothing more, nothing less,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “When that obligation is violated, government health care programs – and American taxpayers – pay the price. This settlement is an example of how whistleblowers and government can work together to recoup and deter overbilling practices.”
Patients suffering from End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and Chronic Renal Disease (CRD) require dialysis treatments 3-4 times a week because their kidneys no longer can perform some functions naturally. Because certain ESRD and CRD patients are at risk of contracting Hepatitis B, a virus-borne disease that affects the liver, Medicare established a testing frequency schedule for dialysis clinics to follow for reimbursement. The schedule depended on each patient’s immunity to Hepatitis B infection, as determined through the result of a Hepatitis B antibody test. The schedule provided for reimbursement of monthly Hepatitis B surface antigen tests for patients who were not immune, but Fresenius also conducted, and billed Medicare for, frequent tests of patients it knew to be immune between Feb. 10, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2010. In many cases, Fresenius performed and billed Medicare for these tests for immune patients against their treating physicians’ orders and without any accompanying documentation of medical necessity. These tests were not eligible for Medicare reimbursement under Medicare’s testing frequency schedule, and the government alleged that Fresenius’s bills for these tests were false.
A former employee of Fresenius, Christopher Drennen, brought these allegations through a whistleblower lawsuit. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, private individuals, known as relators, can sue on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, Mr. Drennen will receive 27.5% of the recovery.
U.S. Attorney Lelling and Phillip M Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham George, Kriss Basil, Steven Sharobem, Jessica Weber, and Christine Wichers handled the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Juan Williams, age 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Williams was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in September 2017, Mr. Williams distributed fentanyl to a confidential informant. In October 2017, officers searched the residence of Mr. Williams and his co-defendant and located more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a .40 caliber handgun, among other evidence.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
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Former New Haven Resident Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jason J. Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging MICHELLE LYNN GSCHLECHT, formerly known as RICHARD GSCHLECHT, 49, last residing in New Haven, with possession of child pornography.
As alleged in the indictment, Gschlecht knowingly possessed child pornography on July 31, 2019. Gschlecht was previously convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and sexual assault in the first degree.
If convicted, Gschlecht faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Gschlecht’s alleged criminal history.
Gschlecht has been detained since her arrest on a state probation violation on July 31, 2019.
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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut’s Office of Adult Probation. The case is being prosecuted by Nancy V. Gifford.
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.
Former Georgia CEO indicted for multi-million dollar investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA –James Torchia has been indicted for running a fraud scheme that caused investors to spend over $40 million on his company’s promissory notes.
“Torchia is alleged to have stolen investors’ hard-earned money by lying to them about the security of their investments and how he would use their money,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “It is important that investors thoroughly investigate who they are investing with before committing any of their hard-earned savings.”
“The harm that can be caused by greed and the false promise of safe investments can be devastating,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta field office. “By disrupting this alleged scheme, the FBI has demonstrated our commitment to aggressively pursue those engaged in acts of financial fraud.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: James Torchia was the CEO of a Georgia company named Credit Nation. Credit Nation purchased life insurance policies and subprime automobile loans and offered investors the opportunity to purchase promissory notes for those policies and loans. Torchia solicited investments in Credit Nation “promissory notes” that offered a 9% rate of return and that were purportedly “100% asset-backed” and “backed by hard asset dollar for dollar.” However, when making these representations, Torchia knew that these investments were not backed by hard assets “dollar for dollar” as Credit Nation had actually been operating at a significant financial loss. Torchia also allegedly lied to investors about how their funds would be used and diverted investors’ funds for undisclosed purposes.
The indictment further alleges that even after Torchia’s own forensic accountant produced a report to him showing that Credit Nation did not have sufficient assets to cover all outstanding promissory notes, Torchia continued to provide false information about the security of the promissory notes and the use of investors’ funds. All told, investors spent over $40 million on Credit Nation’s promissory notes.
In November 2015, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a federal civil complaint alleging that Credit Nation investors had been defrauded out of millions of dollars. Torchia allegedly sent a letter to investors refuting the SEC’s allegations. The letter also referenced steps that the company had taken during the SEC investigation, which included “hir[ing] a forensic accountant to assist the SEC with its understanding of our business operations and assets. All of this was to no avail.” The letter, however, failed to disclose that the forensic accountant’s report confirmed that Credit Nation could not pay back all of its investors.
James Torchia, 61, of Canton, Georgia was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case. The Atlanta Division Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission previously brought a civil action against Torchia and Credit Nation in the Northern District of Georgia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Krepp and Leanne M. Marek are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Former Fort Peck tribal law enforcement officer sentenced for theft, tax evasionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—An ex-law enforcement officer for the Fort Peck Tribes was sentenced today to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution and back taxes for stealing $40,000 from a tribal program intended to help youth, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Willard Wilson White III, 44, of Glasgow, pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and to income tax evasion.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris also ordered White to pay $40,000 restitution to the tribes and $18,050 to the IRS.
“Mr. White’s illegal actions violated the trust placed in him as a law enforcement officer, hurt the youth of the Fort Peck Tribes and all taxpayers. Today’s sentencing sends the message that not only will those who steal from our tribes and federal government be disgorged of their profits, but they also will go to prison,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
The prosecution said in court records that White was employed as a law enforcement officer for the Fort Peck Tribes. In June 2015, White approached the tribe’s Law and Justice Committee with a proposal to create a facility and programs to help troubled youth. White said he needed $40,000 to establish the proposed Family Justice Center. White posted about the project on Facebook.
White spent the money in less than 30 days and provided no services to the Fort Peck Tribes. Bank records indicated that White had $32.39 in his bank account before depositing the tribe’s money. The day of the deposit, White went to Williston, N.D., and withdrew $305 from his account at an ATM at Whisper’s, which is a local strip club. White continued spending money at retail stores and also bought a Jeep. In addition, White withdrew more than $11,000 in cash in less than three weeks.
Various tribal members saw White posting on Facebook and spending the money and instructed White to return the leftover money. White never did.
The investigation also showed that White omitted on a 2015 tax return the $40,000 of income from the tribes. He also claimed child dependents he was not entitled to claim to obtain a $5,860 refund while paying nothing in federal taxes. White’s tax evasion efforts resulted in him owing $10,184 to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Karla Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Fort Peck Tribes, the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Former City Councilman Adam McFadden Pleads Guilty to New ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Adam C. McFadden pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On April 1, 2019, McFadden previously pleaded guilty to unrelated wire and tax fraud charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was the executive director of Quad A for Kids. Founded in 1994, Quad A for Kids provides after-school and extended-day learning programs at some Rochester City School District elementary schools. The four A’s in Quad A for Kids represent the well-rounded programming it delivers to the students: academics, athletics, arts, and achievement. Quad A for Kids operates as a separate entity funded through the Rochester Area Community Foundation Initiatives Inc. (RACF).
The defendant was the Executive Director for Quads A for Kids between 2004 and 2014. From 2014 to September 2016, McFadden served as an independent contractor for Quad A for Kids. From September 2016 until 2019, the defendant returned to his position as the Executive Director of Quad A for Kids.
Between February 2012 and December 2018, McFadden submitted fraudulent invoices and receipts to the RACF for reimbursements in the approximate amount of $131,163.00. The funds were used, in part, for the defendant’s personal benefit, including to pay personal debts. Specifically, McFadden created fraudulent invoices purportedly from: an individual for various computer and IT related services that were never provided; an entity that provided various sports, fitness and related products and services; entities that provided grant writing and related services; and Amazon, Walmart and Staples. After the submission of the fraudulent invoices, the RACF reimbursed the defendant personally or paid the various entities used by the defendant. The entities then used the money to pay debts owed by the defendant.
In addition, in August 2017 and February 2018, the defendant created fraudulent $4,000.00 invoices from the North East Area Development Association (NEAD) to Quad A for Kids, purportedly for training services provided by NEAD to Quad A for Kids. Although the training services were never performed by NEAD, McFadden caused Quad A for Kids to pay NEAD $8,000.00. NEAD then fraudulently paid the defendant $7,000.00 of the $8,000.00 that NEAD had fraudulently received.
“This defendant previously pleaded guilty to defrauding Rochester Housing Charities, and with today’s plea, he now stands convicted of defrauding yet another not-for-profit agency,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “While these not-for-profits were created to serve the economically disadvantaged and the youth of our community—defendant diverted funds away from those in need in our community and into his own pocket. That he would do so while serving as a Rochester City Councilman is particularly egregious, as such behavior is more consistent with that of a public parasite than it is of a public servant.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rochester Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brad Geary; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office.Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Former Bordentown Township Police Chief Guilty of Lying to FBIRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – The retired chief of the Bordentown Township Police Department was convicted today of lying to FBI agents who were questioning him about violating an 18-year-old man’s civil rights during an arrest; the jury will return to court tomorrow to resume deliberations on the hate crime and civil rights counts, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Frank M. Nucera Jr., 62, of Bordentown, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of making false statements to FBI agents who were interviewing him about an arrest that occurred Sept. 1. 2016. Nucera is also charged by indictment with one count of hate crime assault and one count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law; the jury will return to court tomorrow to continue deliberating on those counts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On Sept. 1, 2016, two Bordentown Township police officers responded to a phone call from the Bordentown Ramada, complaining that two teenagers had stayed in a room at the hotel without paying. The teens were listed in the complaint as “Civilian 1,” an 18-year-old African American teenager, and “Civilian 2,” a 16-year-old African American girl. After the officers arrived and questioned the teenagers, the situation allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation, with both teens attempting to resist arrest. The officers called for backup, and numerous officers, including then-Chief Nucera, arrived on the scene.
After Civilian 1 was handcuffed and was being escorted out of the hotel by police, Nucera allegedly approached him from behind and slammed the man’s head into a metal doorjamb. During a video recorded interview by FBI special agents, Nucera falsely stated multiple times that he did not touch Civilian 1 during the arrest.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The remaining two counts of the indictment on which Nucera was tried are merely accusations, and he remains innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly S. Lorber and Senior Trial Counsel R. Joseph Gribko of the Office’s Criminal Division.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead 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 Angel Gonzalez-Reyes, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that Gonzalez-Reyes was arrested on June 15, 2019, after New York State Police troopers attempted a routine traffic stop of a car the defendant was driving in Rochester. Gonzalez-Reyes drove away from the troopers and a chase ensued. The defendant crashed his car into the yard of a house on Kohlman Street and ran before being apprehended by Rochester Police Department officers in the area. While searching the car, officers found a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol along with ammunition for the handgun.
Gonzalez-Reyes was convicted in United States District Court in Puerto Rico in 2013 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. As a result, he is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Federal Jury Finds Pharmacy Shooter GuiltyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 9, 2019 – Dionte Breedlove, 25, of Nashville, was found guilty yesterday of robberies affecting interstate commerce and using a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The verdicts were the result of a week-long trial in U.S. District Court where Breedlove was tried for participating in the robberies of the Rite Aid Pharmacy on West End Avenue in Nashville on September 14, 2017, and again on October 9, 2017, during which he shot an unarmed security guard.
Breedlove, along with Carlos Valcarcel-Arocho, 23, also of Nashville, were both charged in August 2018, after an investigation into the robberies determined that Valcarcel-Arocho, an employee of Rite-Aid, was present during each robbery and participated by texting Breedlove when the time was right for him to enter the store. Valcarcel-Arocho posed as a victim during each robbery and helped stuff cash into a bag after opening the safe and cash registers. The investigation also determined that Breedlove and Valcarcel-Arocho had been acquainted for several years. A search warrant later executed at Valcarcel-Arocho’s apartment uncovered several items connected to the robbery. Valcarcel-Arocho pleaded guilty to the charges in June.
During the October 2017 robbery, Breedlove pointed a gun at two employees, including Valcarcel-Arocho, and ordered them to put cash into a bag. The unarmed security guard stood nearby with his arms behind his head. Breedlove then shot him in the chest at close range and held the gun to the back of the head of the other employee while threatening him. The security guard underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized for several weeks. Doctors were unable to remove a bullet that remains lodged in his spine.
Breedlove faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years, and up to life in prison. Valcarcel-Arocho faces seven years, up to life in prison. Both will be sentenced in February 2020.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip H. Wehby and Sunny A.M. Koshy prosecuted the case.
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Erie Residents Charged in Bank Fraud Scheme that Used the Homeless to Cash Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – Two former residents of Erie, Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of conspiracy and bank fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The seven-count indictment named Victor Keenan Lemmons, 33 and Jasmine Nicole Carter, 30, as defendants.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from in and around August 2015, to in and around September 2018, Lemmons and Carter engaged in a scheme where they stole checks from the mail and used homeless people with valid identification to cash the checks. The defendants removed the legitimate name from the checks and replaced them with the homeless persons’ name.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 210 years in prison and a fine of $7,000,000 for both defendants. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Erie Police Department and the Millcreek Police Department 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.
Drug Runner Apprehended with Seven Kilos of Methamphetamine Sentenced in Federal Court to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Du Minh Tran on October 4, 2019 to serve a term of imprisonment of 120 months followed by 5 years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in violation of 21 USC § 846 and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in violation of 21 USC § 841. The defendant previously entered a guilty plea with the Court on May 23, 2019.
Court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea establish that on November 29, 2018, the defendant Du Minh Tran and his co-defendant, Tadd Gobert, were en route to Mobile, Alabama when they were stopped in Covington, Louisiana for a traffic violation. At that time, Tran and Gobert were returning from picking up methamphetamine from a source of supply in Texas. Tran and Gobert had approximately seven kilograms of pure methamphetamine in their possession when they were stopped. Subsequently, Tran admitted to the authorities that he traveled to Texas on two occasions with Gobert to pick up methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mobile Police Department Tactical Intelligence Unit. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief, Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Multiple Firearms While Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Fields, 38, of Southeast, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office.
Fields pled guilty in July 2019 before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Judge Friedman sentenced Fields to ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 9, 2019, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Fields’ residence located in the 1900 block of Naylor Road, Southeast. After entering the apartment, MPD officers located Fields in the back bedroom. In that same room, officers located three loaded firearms, a Glock 21 .45 caliber firearm, a Ruger LC95 9mm caliber firearm, and an Intratec AB-10 firearm. An additional magazine with ammunition was also recovered. Law enforcement also discovered crack cocaine, heroin, multiple digital scales, razor blades, extensive drug packaging material, and U.S. currency in the residence. As part of his plea agreement, Fields acknowledged that all three firearms belonged to him and that he possessed them in furtherance of his drug trafficking. As part of the government’s investigation, the FBI assisted law enforcement by investigating the history of the firearms and their connection to other crimes committed in the District.
When Fields was arrested for trafficking narcotics and possessing firearms in the present case, he was on supervision with the U.S. Parole Commission following a 2012 D.C. Superior Court felony drug trafficking conviction. Fields now faces formal revocation of his supervised release and additional incarceration, separate from the above-referenced sentence, from the U.S. Parole Commission. Fields also had a prior 2002 D.C. Superior Court conviction for assault with intent to kill, where he was incarcerated for twelve years.
This case was investigated in support of the Felon in Possession initiative, a joint partnership between MPD and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, in an effort to reduce gun violence within the District of Columbia.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Special Agent in Charge Dunham, commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and prosecuted the defendant.
Defense Intelligence Agency Employee Arrested for Leaking Classified Information to JournalistsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today on charges related to his alleged disclosure of classified national defense information (NDI) to two journalists in 2018 and 2019.
“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with TOP SECRET information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Frese allegedly violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and is charged with engaging in dastardly and felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This indictment should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal.”
Henry Kyle Frese, 30, of Alexandria, is a DIA employee and holds a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information U.S. government security clearance. According to court documents, between mid-April and early May 2018, Frese allegedly accessed classified intelligence reports, some of which were unrelated to his job duties, and provided TOP SECRET information regarding a foreign country’s weapons systems to a journalist (Journalist 1).
According to court documents, Frese and Journalist 1 had the same residential address from August 2017 through August 2018 and, based on reviews of Frese’s and Journalist 1’s public social media pages, it appears that they were involved in a romantic relationship for some or all of that period of time. The unauthorized disclosure of TOP SECRET information could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the United States.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, Frese was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Frese betrayed the trust placed in him by the American people—a betrayal that risked harming the national security of this country. This is one of six unauthorized disclosure cases the Department has charged in just over two years, and we will continue in our efforts to punish and deter this behavior.”
According to the indictment, a week after Frese accessed one of the intelligence reports (Intelligence Report 1) for the second time, Journalist 1 wrote to Frese on April 27, 2018, and asked whether he would be willing to speak with another journalist (Journalist 2). Frese stated that he was “down” to help Journalist 2 if it helped Journalist 1 because he wanted to see Journalist 1 “progress.”
As alleged, in that same communication, Frese and Journalist 1 also discussed a story that Journalist 1 was working on, the subject matter of which was the topic of Intelligence Report 1. Several days after that communication, Frese searched on a classified United States government computer system for terms related to the topics contained in Intelligence Report 1. According to the indictment, in the hours after searching for terms related to the topic of Intelligence Report 1, Frese spoke by telephone with both Journalist 1 (twice) and Journalist 2, and within approximately a half hour after Frese’s conversations with the two journalists, Journalist 1 published an article (Article 1) through News Outlet 1, which contained NDI from Intelligence Report 1 classified at the TOP SECRET//SCI level.
“Mr. Frese allegedly disclosed highly classified national defense information, which puts our country and people at risk,” said Alan E. Kohler Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division. “He violated his oath to serve and protect the United States. The men and women of the FBI work hard every day to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution - we will not stand by while trusted government employees violate that trust in such an egregious way.”
In addition, as alleged in the indictment, on Sept. 24, 2019, Frese was captured on court-authorized surveillance of his cell phone orally transmitting classified NDI to Journalist 2. These disclosures contained NDI classified at the SECRET level, meaning that the unauthorized disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm to the national security of the United States.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Frese with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh and Trial Attorney Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-304.
Defense Intelligence Agency Employee Arrested for Leaking Classified Information to JournalistsRead the Press Release
An employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today on charges related to his alleged disclosure of classified national defense information (NDI) to two journalists in 2018 and 2019.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, Frese was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Frese betrayed the trust placed in him by the American people—a betrayal that risked harming the national security of this country. This is one of six unauthorized disclosure cases the Department has charged in just over two years, and we will continue in our efforts to punish and deter this behavior.”
Henry Kyle Frese, 30, of Alexandria, is a DIA employee and holds a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information U.S. government security clearance. According to court documents, between mid-April and early May 2018, Frese allegedly accessed classified intelligence reports, some of which were unrelated to his job duties, and provided TOP SECRET information regarding a foreign country’s weapons systems to a journalist (Journalist 1). According to court documents, Frese and Journalist 1 had the same residential address from August 2017 through August 2018 and, based on reviews of Frese’s and Journalist 1’s public social media pages, it appears that they were involved in a romantic relationship for some or all of that period of time. The unauthorized disclosure of TOP SECRET information could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the United States.
According to the indictment, a week after Frese accessed one of the intelligence reports (Intelligence Report 1) for the second time, Journalist 1 wrote to Frese on April 27, 2018, and asked whether he would be willing to speak with another journalist (Journalist 2). Frese stated that he was “down” to help Journalist 2 if it helped Journalist 1 because he wanted to see Journalist 1 “progress.”
As alleged, in that same communication, Frese and Journalist 1 also discussed a story that Journalist 1 was working on, the subject matter of which was the topic of Intelligence Report 1. Several days after that communication, Frese searched on a classified United States government computer system for terms related to the topics contained in Intelligence Report 1. According to the indictment, in the hours after searching for terms related to the topic of Intelligence Report 1, Frese spoke by telephone with both Journalist 1 (twice) and Journalist 2, and within approximately a half hour after Frese’s conversations with the two journalists, Journalist 1 published an article (Article 1) through News Outlet 1, which contained NDI from Intelligence Report 1 classified at the TOP SECRET//SCI level.
In addition, as alleged in the indictment, on Sept. 24, 2019, Frese was captured on court-authorized surveillance of his cell phone orally transmitting classified NDI to Journalist 2. These disclosures contained NDI classified at the SECRET level, meaning that the unauthorized disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm to the national security of the United States.
“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with TOP SECRET information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Frese allegedly violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and is charged with engaging in dastardly and felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This indictment should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal.”
"Mr. Frese allegedly disclosed highly classified national defense information, which puts our country and people at risk," said Alan E. Kohler Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division. "He violated his oath to serve and protect the United States. The men and women of the FBI work hard every day to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution - we will not stand by while trusted government employees violate that trust in such an egregious way."
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Frese with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh and Trial Attorney Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Defendants in drug conspiracy, firearms crimes get total sentences of more than 400 months in prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Three Savannah men will spend a total of nearly 34 years in federal prison after sentencing for a drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms crimes discovered after a high-speed chase with Georgia state troopers.
Amari Jermaine Sams, a/k/a/ “Face”, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Sams was convicted in July after a three-day jury trial for Conspiracy to Possess With Intent Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and a quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person; Possession of a Stolen Firearm; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Also sentenced were Sams’ co-conspirators, Hakeem Campbell, 28, of Savannah, sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Cocaine and Marijuana; and Jovonn Brisbon, 31, of Savannah, sentenced to 86 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. All three will be subject to terms of supervised release after completion of their incarceration, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“Our community is automatically a safer place today because three violent drug traffickers are off of our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “We’re grateful that our state troopers safely ended their reckless attempt to flee from justice, and applaud the work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in slamming the door on these dangerous felons.”
According to evidence presented in court documents and proceedings, on the morning of April 22, 2018, Sams, Brisbon and Campbell stole a Ford F-150 from the Savannah Airport and fled from Georgia State Patrol officers at speeds up to 120 mph. During the pursuit, a stolen Glock 40 firearm was thrown from the vehicle and later recovered. State troopers forced the vehicle to a stop and apprehended Brisbon and Campbell, and Savannah Police Department officers captured Sams hiding in a creek parallel to I-516. A search of the stolen vehicle yielded approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, and inside a book bag found next to the vehicle officers found a stolen Springfield XD .45 caliber pistol, approximately 1 pound of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine, scales and baggies. The occupants had more than $4,000 cash combined.
“This case is an example of the partnership between ATF and its local partners to investigate the perpetrators of violent crime,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF). “These sentences will ensure the incarceration of three dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace in Savannah.”
“Law enforcement is a collaborative effort, as this case highlights,” said Everett Ragan, Chatham-Savannah County Narcotics Team (CNT) Director. “I am thankful for our partnerships and even more thankful our streets are now safer.”
“When criminals flee, it always adds an additional level of danger to the job a law enforcement officer performs,” said Lt. Stephanie Stallings, Public Information Director, Georgia State Patrol. “The Georgia State Patrol is proud to have well-trained troopers to assist when duty calls. It is an honor to take part in putting these criminals behind bars.”
This case was investigated by the ATF and CNT, along with the Savannah Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Bearden and Frank Pennington.
Cleveland man pleads guilty to selling drugs that resulted in fatal overdose inside downtown hotel last yearRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man pleaded guilty to selling drugs that resulted in a fatal overdose of a man inside a hotel in downtown Cleveland last year.
Terry Lee Christian, 36, was indicted Wednesday on one count of distribution of controlled substances, which included a sentencing enhancement for causing death. He is scheduled to be sentenced January 17, 2020.
Christian admitted to causing the death of a person identified in court papers as S.K. on July 13.
“This case demonstrates yet again that there are no safe street drugs, and the drug dealers who sell them, like this defendant, are focused only on their own interests,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “By all accounts, the victim in this case believed he was buying cocaine, not fentanyl. People should assume that the cocaine they are buying on the street contains fentanyl and can kill them, even in small doses. Unfortunately the victim in this case is just one of hundreds who have died from cocaine and fentanyl mixes in Cuyahoga County since last year.”
“This case highlights the collaboration between the Cleveland Division of Police Heroin Death Investigators, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory and the Northern Ohio United States District Attorney’s Office,” said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams. “The indictment of Mr. Christian should serve as an example to those trafficking in these dangerous and deadly narcotics. Through thorough investigations and the efforts of the attorneys who prosecute the cases, these criminals can be held accountable at the highest level.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin said: “This death underscores the seriousness of the opioid crisis plaguing northern Ohio and the need for dedicated collaboration from law enforcement. The DEA, Cleveland Division of Police and the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to expend our time, energy and resources in an effort to stem the tide against this epidemic.”
Members of the Cleveland Division of Police’s Heroin Involved Death Investigations Unit responded to a drug overdose at a hotel room in Cleveland on July 14, 2018. Officers observed a bag of suspected cocaine on the dresser and suspected cocaine residue on the dresser and bathroom vanity, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
The narcotics were tested and found to be a mixture of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. The packaging material was tested and DNA found on the package matched Christian, according to the affidavit.
A review of the victim’s phone and other evidence revealed the man who overdosed met with Christian on July 13 and several calls between them on that day. Shortly after the calls and meeting, the man who overdosed made a hand-to-hand transaction with someone in a minivan, according to the affidavit.
The Cleveland Division of Police and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vasile Katsaros and Kathryn Andrachik are prosecuting the case.
Citizen of Singapore indicted in scheme to steal cloud computing power for cryptocurrency miningRead the Press Release
Seattle - A 14-count indictment was unsealed today charging a citizen of Singapore, HO JUN JIA, a/k/a Matthew Ho, 29, with federal crimes related to his scheme to mine cryptocurrencies using stolen computing power and services, obtained with the stolen identity and credit card account information of California and Texas residents, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. HO was taken into custody by the Singapore Police Force on September 26, 2019, and is being investigated for various alleged offenses committed under Singapore law.
According to the indictment, between October 2017 and February 2018, following the surge in popularity, and value, of cryptocurrencies, HO ran a large-scale cryptocurrency mining operation, propelled predominantly, if not exclusively, through fraud and identity theft. HO, allegedly used stolen identity and credit card information of a prominent California video-game developer to open cloud computing accounts at multiple U.S. cloud service providers, which he used to mine various cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. HO created a web of phony email accounts and used social engineering techniques to trick cloud computing providers to approve heightened account privileges, increased computer processing power and storage, and deferred billing.
HO used the fraudulently obtained computing power to mine cryptocurrency – a resource-intensive process by which “miners” essentially compete to verify blockchain transactions and receive an amount of cryptocurrency in return. HO then used the cryptocurrency or exchanged it for traditional funds on various marketplace websites. In the few months his scheme remained active, HO consumed more than $5 million in unpaid cloud computing services with his mining operation and, for a brief period, was one of Amazon Web Services (AWS) largest consumers of data usage by volume. Some of the bills were paid by the California game developer’s financial staff before the fraud was detected. HO also used the identities of a Texas resident and the founder of a tech company in India and, in addition to AWS, opened cloud services accounts with Google Cloud Services, which he similarly used as part of his cryptocurrency mining operation.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Access device fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle Office, Cyber Crime Unit, with assistance from the Singapore Police Force - Technology Crime Investigation Branch, the Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.
ho_indictment.pdfChinese national faces federal charges of smuggling goods from United States and violating export control lawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Pengyi Li, 33, of Guangdong, China, appeared in federal court on Monday for arraignment on an indictment charging him with two counts of smuggling goods from the United States and two counts of violating the Export Control Reform Act.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on August 29. It accuses Li of committing the offenses between May 30 and August 22. According to the indictment, Li allegedly attempting to export radiation-hardened drivers and microchips to China without obtaining a license and authorization from the Department of Commerce. According to a criminal complaint, Li’s illegal conduct allegedly included communicating with an undercover agent in New Mexico. The complaint also accuses Li of traveling from China to Hawaii to obtain the items and transport them back to China by airplane. However, the complaint further alleges that law enforcement officers arrested Li before he could leave the United States with the items.
Li appeared for his arraignment after being transported to New Mexico from Hawaii where agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested him on August 22. He is currently in custody awaiting placement at a halfway house. Li faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the smuggling offense and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of violating export control laws. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Stanford is prosecuting the case.
Burneyville Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Rhett Holland, age 26, of Burneyville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Felon In Possession Of Firearm. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Information alleges that on or about March 10, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce, a firearm, an SKS 7.62 x 39 mm caliber semi-automatic rifle, serial number 023245, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Federal law prohibits previously convicted felons from possessing guns. Enforcing federal firearm statutes is an effective way to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in their ongoing efforts to combat and reduce violent crime. We are committed to continuing our relationships with those agencies and the use of federal resources to help carry out our top priority – protecting the public.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.Buffalo Woman Indicted for Scheming to Defraud Hurricane VictimsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 33-count indictment charging Keonna Davis, 32, of Buffalo, NY, with wire fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that between September and December 2017, the defendant worked as a disaster recovery specialist for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA provides low-interest disaster relief loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from federally declared disasters such as Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. In her role as a disaster recovery specialist, Davis spoke directly with loan applicants to assist in processing their loan applications. The defendant also had access to the SBA’s loan application database.
It is alleged that Davis abused her position at the SBA by stealing the identities of multiple disaster relief loan applicants, who were victims of Hurricane Harvey or Irma, and by using, and attempting to use, the victims’ identities fraudulently to enrich herself. She did so by opening new accounts using victim information, adding herself to existing victim accounts, using victim information to apply for loans, and purchasing goods using victim accounts. In the course of this scheme, Davis is alleged to have attempted to obtain, among other things, a $4,900 loan for a French bulldog, a $15,000 loan for plastic surgery, and a $35,000 personal loan.
The defendant was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and released on conditions.
The indictment 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 fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Browning woman sentenced for death of pedestrianRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Browning woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter for hitting and killing a pedestrian while driving 90 mph on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $3,500 restitution, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
After a three-day trial in March, a jury convicted Shayanna Marie England, 21, of involuntary manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The prosecution presented evidence at trial that England had been drinking and driving throughout the night of Jan. 15, 2018 when she veered into the oncoming southbound lane on BIA Route 1, near the post office, and turned back, striking the victim. The victim, who had been with England and others earlier in the night, had been standing in the northbound land near an intersection. The victim was carried on top England’s vehicle as it left the roadway and crashed into a ditch. The victim was transported to the Indian Health Services Clinic in Browning where he died from injuries.
An investigation determined that England’s vehicle was traveling at approximately 90 mph on a road with a posted speed limit of 35 mph.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Starnes prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Montana Highway Patrol.
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Brockton Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possession of child pornography.
Alex Levin, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 78 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and restitution to be determined at a later time. In May 2019, Levin was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of possession of child pornography.
In August 2015, a search warrant was executed at Levin’s Norwood residence following a nation-wide investigation into the use of the Dark Web for the trade of child pornography. As a result of the search, videos and images depicting the rape and abuse of young children were found on Levin’s computer.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EFRAIN MOLINA, also known as “Frankie,” 34, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a heroin and cocaine trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration learn that Efrain Molina’s uncle, Carlitos Molina, also known as “Carlos,” was transporting kilogram-quantities of heroin and cocaine to Connecticut from his home in South Carolina. Efrain Molina then sold the drugs in and around Bridgeport. In January 2019, members of the DEA and Bridgeport Police Department arranged a controlled purchase of approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 400 grams of heroin from the Molinas in exchange for $53,000. On January 17, 2019, Efrain and Carlitos Molina were arrested after they arrived at location in Bridgeport in possession of narcotics.
Efrain Molina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, more than 100 grams of heroin and more than 500 grams of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Carlitos Molina, 48, has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty to the same charge on May 17, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17.
Carlitos Molina has an extensive criminal history and, at time of this offense, was on parole in the State of Georgia for trafficking methamphetamine. He faces the remaining 10 years of a 20-year state sentence when he is released from federal custody.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bridgeport Police Department and Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez
Boise Man Sentenced to Prison on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jonathan Edward Ball, 35, of Boise, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also sentenced Ball to serve three years of supervised release once he has completed his prison term. A federal grand jury indicted Ball on September 11, 2018.
According to court records, in October 2017, officers arrested Ball on an outstanding parole warrant at a home in Nampa, Idaho. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ball concealed a firearm, magazine, and ammunition inside of the home shortly before officers arrested him. Ball has prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and grand theft.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Nampa City Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Bloods Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Violent Crimes on East End of Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip variously charging six members and associates of the Red Stone Gorillas “set” of the Bloods street gang with racketeering, murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. The superseding indictment adds five new defendants, Jimmy Dean, Roger Foster, Corey Belcher, Willie Belcher and Eric Ross. Those defendants were arrested this morning in various locations on the East End of Long Island, and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. Two defendants, the gang’s alleged leader Jimmy Dean and Terrill Latney, were already in custody, and will be arraigned at a later date.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Timothy Sini, District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDA), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), and David J. Hegermiller, Chief, Riverhead Police Department, announced the charges.
“Through murder, assaults and drug sales, these members and associates of the Bloods’ Red Stone Gorillas posed a grave danger to communities on eastern Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will continue working tirelessly to prosecute defendants like these and eradicate violent street gangs throughout Long Island.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force for their work on the case.
“These arrests are the culmination of several years of intensive investigation to take out the worst-of-the-worst gang members terrorizing Eastern Long Island communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “These subjects have allegedly created such a violent environment in parts of the town where they operate that they were dealing out in the open, without fear. We put a huge dent in that practice with the first round of arrests in this case, and today's action shows our FBI Long Island Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners won’t stop until all of them are rounded up.”
“These are extremely dangerous gang members who are responsible not only for conspiring to commit murder, but for consistently driving crime on the East End through drug dealing and illegal firearm offenses,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Sini. “Eradicating violent street gangs from our community is a top priority for my office. I thank all of our federal and local law enforcement partners for their continued partnership in the investigation and prosecution of gang members.”
“These Blood gang members and their associates engaged in violence and trafficked large quantities of narcotics for years on the East End of Long Island. Thanks to the diligent work of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force— they have been stopped and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “The department will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of violent street gangs.”
“I commend our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods,” stated NYSP Superintendent Corlett. “The arrests of these criminals are proof that, together, we are making our neighborhoods safer. Through our collaborative efforts, we will continue to target and apprehend gang members like the Blood Gang so they can no longer endanger the lives of New Yorkers through their heinous activities.”
“We truly appreciate the unprecedented cooperation and assistance from our federal, state and county law enforcement partners in helping us to remove these criminals from our local communities here on the east end of Long Island,” stated Riverhead Police Chief Hegermiller.
As detailed in the superseding indictment and other court filings by the government, the defendants’ gang committed acts of violence and distributed large quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin in the Riverhead area on Long Island for nearly a decade. On November 17, 2015, while attempting to carry out Dean’s order to kill an individual, Latney, and others fatally shot Thomas Lacolla as he sat in the intended victim’s car. On August 1, 2015, Foster and others shot and wounded a suspected member of the rival Crips gang and a female bystander. Following Dean’s arrest in 2016, Latney, Foster and others assumed control of the gang’s drug distribution operations.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences of up to life imprisonment.
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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
Terrill Latney (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)
Age: 39
Riverhead, New YorkCorey Belcher (also known as “Dot”)
Age: 34
Riverhead, New YorkWillie Belcher (also known as “Thug”)
Age: 33
Flanders, New YorkJImmy Dean (also known as “Jim Dick”)
Age: 41
Calverton, New YorkRoger Foster (also known as “RJ” and “YG”)
Age: 22
Baiting Hollow, New YorkEric Ross (also known as “Smurks”)
Age: 27
Flanders, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (S-2) (JS)
Blackfoot Woman Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statement to FBI AgentRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Olivia Sabrina Jay, 23, of Blackfoot, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief District Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Jay serve three years of supervised release after her release from prison. Jay pleaded guilty to the offense on June 25, 2019.
According to court records, on September 14, 2018, the Fort Hall Police responded to a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation where a person had been run over by a car and suffered severe injuries. Officers contacted Jay, who blamed an intoxicated man for intentionally running over the victim with a car. Jay was later interviewed about the incident by an FBI Special Agent. Jay again said that the intoxicated man targeted and deliberately ran over the victim with a car.
A witness to the incident later told authorities that the intoxicated man was not driving the car, but that Jay was driving the car. Jay then admitted that she had lied to police officers and the FBI. She admitted accidentally running over the victim.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department.
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Beaver Falls Man Indicted on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Beaver Falls, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named JaeMere Scott, 24, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Scott was found to be in possession of a firearm. Scott is precluded from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, or a combination thereof. 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.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Chad R. Parks is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 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.
Arizona Adoption Attorney Arrested for Adoption Fraud and Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas; Andrew Parker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI and Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas Attorney General announced today that Paul Petersen was arrested on federal charges. A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted Petersen on one count of Conspiracy to Smuggle Illegal Aliens for Commercial Advantage and Private Financial Gain, four counts of Aiding and Abetting in Alien Smuggling for Commercial Advantage and Private Financial Gain, seven counts of Wire Fraud, five counts of Mail Fraud, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
According to the Indictment, Petersen is a licensed attorney who practices law in Arizona, Utah, and Arkansas. Beginning in 2014, Petersen devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property from unknowing adoptive parents and others. He paid pregnant Marshallese women large sums of United States currency to induce them to travel to the Western District of Arkansas and to put their babies up for adoption in the Western District of Arkansas. He purchased airline tickets for them and caused them to conceal their true travel purpose from the authorities in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States.
In furtherance of this scheme, Petersen caused adoption case files to be opened that were supported by documents containing fraudulent material false statements. He caused these court documents to be filed in the Circuit Clerk’s Offices in Washington and Polk counties and further caused case documents to be sent through the U.S. mail to government offices in Little Rock, Arkansas. Petersen is alleged to have intentionally concealed his involvement in the payments and conducted wire transactions to transfer more than one million dollars into a bank account.
The Indictment charges that Petersen, for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, encouraged and induced three RMI citizens to come to, enter, and reside in the United States when he knew it to be in violation of the law. Petersen conspired to cause them to make false claims to government officials and further conspired to transport and move them within the United States. The Indictment also charges that Petersen conducted wire communications in furtherance of his scheme to defraud and conspired to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of the aforementioned unlawful activities.
The DSS and the FBI are conducting the investigation and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also assisted in the investigation.
An Indictment is merely an accusation. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Another charged in association with city of Weslaco scamRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 56-year-old McAllen man has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Authorities arrested Sunil Wadhwani this morning upon the filing of a criminal complaint yesterday. He is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan Alanis at 11:00 a.m. today.
Beginning in at least April 2013, Wadhwani allegedly conspired with others to obtain a development agreement with favorable terms containing $300,000 in incentive agreements from the City of Weslaco Economic Development Corporation.
According to the criminal complaint, Wadhwani and Person A met with and engaged in e-mail communications with Person B and Person C in order devise a scheme to funnel thousands of dollars in funds to Person B, Person C and Commissioner A, who was a sitting Weslaco city commissioner and Economic Development Corporation Board member. According to the charges, the bribes were paid in order to ensure the commissioner’s votes before the Economic Development Corporation and the City Commission in obtaining the development agreement and its favorable terms.
In order to conceal the nature and source of the bribe payments, Wadhwani and others allegedly drafted and circulated a fictitious consulting agreement between a business entity he owned and another that Person C owned. According to the complaint, Wadhwani and the city commissioner visited a former Weslaco Economic Development Corporation executive director regarding the incentive agreement. That director allegedly felt pressured.
The charges further allege Person B and that city commissioner helped push the requests through the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation. It eventually granted a $300,000 incentive agreement the City of Weslaco approved to be paid in two equal $150,000 installments, according to the charges.
The final installment was allegedly deposited into a bank account for which Wadhwani was an authorized signer Nov. 3, 2014.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Anchorage Nurse Practitioner and Soldotna Doctor Arrested on Separate Federal Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration have arrested an Anchorage nurse practitioner and a Soldotna doctor on separate federal narcotics charges, which allege that they illegally distributed large amounts of opioids and other powerful narcotics by writing prescriptions for “patients” without medical examinations and lacking medical necessity. Federal law enforcement officials executed multiple search warrants in both cases yesterday.
Jessica Joyce Spayd, 48, of Anchorage owns a medical clinic called Eagle River Wellness in Eagle River, Alaska. Spayd is a licensed Advanced Nurse Practitioner specializing in pain management and addiction treatment. Spayd was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint that charges her with illegally distributing oxycodone, methadone, and hydromorphone.
The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint alleges that between 2014 and 2019, Spayd prescribed over 4 million dosage units of opioid narcotics to just over 450 unique “patients” in Alaska, many of whom traveled hundreds of miles from Fairbanks, Utqiagvik, King Salmon and other remote locations to obtain prescriptions. The complaint alleges that Spayd’s unlawful distribution of opioids resulted in the deaths of two patients. Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate Spayd’s prescribing history.
Dr. Lavern R. Davidhizar, 74, of Soldotna owns and practices at Family Medical Clinic in Soldotna, Alaska. Davidhizar has been licensed as an Osteopathic Physician since 1978 and holds an Alaska Medical License. Davidhizar was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint that charges him with illegally distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice.
The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint alleges that between 2017 and 2019, Davidhizar prescribed over 700,000 narcotic pills. During that time, the leading medications prescribed, but not limited to, were hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, methadone, and tramadol. According to the affidavit, drug abusers on the Kenai Peninsula referred to Davidhizar as the “Candy Man” because it was common knowledge that people could obtain pain medication prescriptions from him even though they did not have a legitimate medical need. Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate Davidhizar’s prescribing history.
In response to the arrests, U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder states, “[t]ogether with our partners in law enforcement, we are committed to prosecuting the illegal distribution of controlled substances, whether the crimes are committed by medical professionals or street dealers. The end result of their activities is the same: the creation of addicts, crime, and sometimes death.”
Additionally, “[t]he Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAAVEN) represents an ongoing effort to build the capacity of federal, state, and tribal law enforcement in rural Alaska and collaborative public safety and prevention measures with community leaders and local law enforcement officers.”
“While facing a frightening opioid drug epidemic, it is truly sad that these two medical professionals would deliberately contribute to this on-going health crisis,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis. “DEA and its partners will continue to aggressively address illicit drug trafficking throughout the entire State of Alaska under Operation RAAVEN.”
If convicted, Spayd faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in federal prison for the most serious charges alleged in the complaint. If convicted, Davidhizar faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment. The actual sentences imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If the public has any further information regarding Spayd or Davidhizar,
please contact Anchorage DEA at (907) 271-5033.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and members of the Alaska Health Care Fraud Task Force, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Office of Law Enforcement and Security, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Alaska State Parks Rangers, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department, Soldotna Police Department, Kenai Police Department, Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the State of Alaska Division of Insurance conducted the investigations leading to the charges in these cases. The Spayd case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan D. Tansey. The Davidhizar case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Corso and Jonas Walker.
The Alaska Health Care Fraud Task Force (AHCFTF) is a partnership of local, state, federal, and private agencies focused on the investigation of health care fraud, waste, and abuse in Alaska or affecting Alaskan interests. For more information: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/alaska-health-care-fraud-task-force
Ada Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Branden Ashley Rowell, age 37, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Ada Police Department, the District 22 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
The Indictment alleges that on or about June 8, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Rural and urban areas alike have felt the devastation methamphetamine has had on individuals, families, and communities. The number of overdose deaths attributable to methamphetamine in Oklahoma each year continue to climb. Drug dealers must be stopped. Thanks to the Ada Police Department, District 22 Drug Task Force, the OBN and members of this office, Rowell is being held accountable.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
Tuesday 8 October 2019
Wood County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Belleville man pled guilty to a gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joshua Adam Dowler, 37, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Dowler admitted that on April 12, 2018, he possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol at a residence on Cain Hill Road. Dowler was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to his July 2007 conviction of daytime burglary in Wood County Circuit Court. He was serving a term of parole at the time he possessed the pistol.
Dowler faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on January 31, 2020.
The United States Marshals Service, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Woman sentenced for rebranding, selling prohibited weight loss drugs from ChinaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Belmont County woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today for buying illegal weight loss drugs from China to rebrand and resell them for a profit in the United States.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Crystal Ware, 33, formerly of Shadyside, purchased drugs from China containing Sibutramine and then mislabeled the drugs and sold them at an inflated price. Sibutramine was approved as a treatment for obesity in 1997 but was withdrawn from the U.S. market in October 2010 due to its association with increased strokes and cardiovascular events.
In 2015, Ware created the website “www.positivevibespositivelife.com” and registered the trade name “Positive Vibes” in Ohio to promote and sell weight loss products called “Burn, Vibe, Vortex, Slimming V and Fruit Fit” that contained the discontinued Sibutramine.
Ware would bulk order the original Sibutramine drugs from China, then relabel and resell them at up to eight times the cost. For example, she purchased 160 bottles of drugs for $5.50 to $10 per bottle from China and resold them for $40 per bottle. Ware received more than $17,000 total from the sale of the misbranded drugs.
The FDA Office of Criminal Investigation received information in 2016 that Ware was operating a business that sold weight loss products that contain undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients. FDA laboratory analysis revealed that Ware’s weight loss products contained Sibutramine as an active ingredient.
“Distributing foreign prescription drugs of unknown origin and ingredients places U.S. consumers at risk,” said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “In this case, the drug had previously been removed from the U.S. market for safety reasons. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who attempt to subvert FDA requirements, which are designed to ensure the safety and quality of drugs distributed to American consumers.”
In November 2018, Ware was charged with and pleaded guilty to receiving misbranded drugs in interstate commerce.
She was sentenced today to six months of home confinement, three years’ probation and 80 hours of community service.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, as well as Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Marous, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Winchester Man Sentenced to 300 Months for Drug Trafficking and Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of 19 Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jeffery L. Barnett, 49, of Winchester was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for the possession with the intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the plea agreement, a federal search warrant was executed at Barnett’s residence in Winchester, on March 11, 2019. ATF agents and KSP detectives located over 100 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mix that was meant for sale and seized over $2,000 in drug proceeds. A subsequent search was executed at a nearby storage unit leased by Barnett, and 19 stolen firearms were discovered. Barnett has five prior felony drug trafficking convictions and qualified as a “Career Offender” under federal law.
“The defendant’s criminal history, the type and quantity of drug he intended to distribute, and the numerous firearms he illegally possessed, directly led to his lengthy sentence,” said United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “I commend the cooperation and dedicated work of ATF and KSP in building the investigation that led to this prosecution and conviction.”
Barnett previously pleaded guilty on June 10.
“Repeat violent offenders are a threat to the safety and security of our communities,” stated ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Tommy Estevan of the Louisville Field Division. “All too often, drug dealers use guns to further their violent criminal activities. Today’s sentence reflects ATF’s ongoing commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ATF; and Richard W. Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment After Police Seize His Cache of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN —United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan, sentenced ISAI SANCHEZ, 23, of Wilmington to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. SANCHEZ was named in a five-count Indictment on May 22, 2018, charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. SANCHEZ pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography on October 18, 2018. As a condition of the plea agreement, SANCHEZ, a native and citizen of Mexico, also agreed to his removal from the United States following the completion of his sentence.
The investigation began in June 2016, when officers of the Arlington Police Department in Arlington, Massachusetts arrested a separate man on child pornography charges. That man admitted to trading child pornography on his KIK Messenger account, and he agreed to allow agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take over the account.
In July 2016, an undercover agent accessed a chat group on KIK titled “Boys” using the account and identified a user that had posted two child pornography videos. Agents were able to identify an IP address for the account that posted the videos and found that it was assigned to SANCHEZ’s residence in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence on May 4, 2017. SANCHEZ was present and agreed to be interviewed. He admitted using his laptop to download child pornography. He retrieved his laptop, which he had hidden under a dresser, and showed agents where he had hidden two hard drives in air vents. Forensic analysis found child pornography on each of the three devices. In total law enforcement recovered over 3,200 individual images and 3,600 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
Willimantic Teen Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegally Manufacturing and Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MOHAMMADREZA KAMALI, also known as “Reza,” 19, of Willimantic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally manufacturing and selling firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation into Kamali began after law enforcement learned that Kamali was offering to sell firearms to individuals in Connecticut. In October and November 2018, Kamali sold four AR-15 style firearms, which he had built himself after ordering parts on the internet, to an undercover ATF special agent.
Kamali was arrested on November 2, 2018. On April 16, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license.
Kamali, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 30.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Willimantic Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Whitecone Man Sentenced to 29.5 Years’ Prison for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Bryan Joshua Tewanema, 25, of Whitecone, Ariz., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 355 months of imprisonment. Tewanema had previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.
During the evening of September 13, 2017, Tewanema entered a residence where the victim was staying, forced the victim outside, and then shot the victim with a rifle. The victim died as a result. Both Tewanema and the victim were members of the Navajo Nation, and the offense occurred in Whitecone, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Navajo Nation Departments of Public Safety and Criminal Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Advertising Videos and Images of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
A Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty today to advertising child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Simon Walker, 33, was charged in July 2018 with one count of advertising child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, Walker was the creator and administrator of online chat groups devoted to the trading of child pornography. In addition to uploading images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, Walker encouraged other members of the groups to distribute child pornography, warning them that they would be removed from the groups if they did not contribute to the online community of offenders. Forensic examination of his electronic devices, pursuant to a federal search warrant executed at his residence in May 2018, uncovered hundreds of videos and images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Walker was arrested by the FBI on July 12, 2018, was ordered detained by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and has remained in custody since that time.
U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols scheduled sentencing for Jan. 23, 2020.
The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents and local, state and federal partners, investigated the case. Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi Lazarus of the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Validated Gang Member and Felon Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing Loaded Handgun with Extended MagazineRead the Press Release
NEW BERN — United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan, sentenced JENOURI ROBERTS, 29, of Wilmington to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. ROBERTS was named in a three-count Superseding Indictment on May 16, 2018, charging him with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of ammunition by a felon. ROBERTS pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on June 4, 2019.
On January 27, 2018, members of the Wilmington Police Department in Wilmington, North Carolina, conducted a traffic stop on a car with expired plates. Officers made contact with the driver, JENOURI ROBERTS. Officers observed that ROBERTS, a convicted felon and validated gang member, began acting nervously as they checked his information in the computer. Officers decided to conduct a protective frisk for officer safety and asked ROBERTS to step out of the vehicle. While checking the driver’s compartment of the vehicle, officers noticed the outline of the back strap of a pistol between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers detained ROBERTS and retrieved a Glock 19 9mm handgun. The gun, which had been reported stolen, containing a loaded, 15-round magazine. Beneath the gun, officers found an extended 31-round magazine, loaded with 9mm ammunition.
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. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted 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.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
United States Attorney Mike Stuart Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
FBI 2018 Crime Report Shows 3.9 Drop in Violent Crime in the United States
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- 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.”
“We are seeing significant reductions in violent crime as a result of PSN,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Our PSN success to date is a testament to the remarkable partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the Southern District. Rest assured that while we’ve locked up record numbers of violent drug dealers and prohibited persons with guns, we maintain a sense of urgency. We still have much work to do to keep our citizens safe from perpetrators of violence.”
“ATF strives to be ‘no better partner’ to law enforcement agencies,” stated ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Tommy Estevan of the Louisville Field Division. “During the past year, ATF investigated illegal sources of crime guns and persons who illegally possessed or used guns to commit violent crimes in the Huntington and Charleston communities. Together, we pursued ‘traffickers and trigger pullers’ with every resource, including new ballistic technology and other crime gun intelligence to disrupt the shooting cycle. ATF remains committed to the continued success of Project Safe Neighborhoods and this comprehensive approach to public safety.”
“Huntington’s reductions in violent crime can be credited to our partnerships with federal agencies and our community, as well as the hard work of our police officers,” said Huntington Police Chief Hank Dial. “Our PSN partnerships have resulted in more thorough and rapid gun investigations which have led to marked decreases in violent crime making our community a safer place to live.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
As a result of its precipitous increase of violent crime in 2017, we have continued to focus our PSN enforcement efforts in the City of Huntington. Work continues with the Huntington Police Department (HPD) to identify and investigate the City’s most violent offenders. An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) works daily with HPD to conduct investigations on trigger pullers and gun traffickers. Collaborative law enforcement operations continue to shutter significant violent drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). Federal, state and local law enforcement are working collaboratively and cooperatively across jurisdictional boundaries to shut down the pipeline of drugs flowing into the Southern District of West Virginia through Huntington, which borders both Kentucky and Ohio. Through these successful operations, the flow of illicit drugs from out-of-state sources such as Akron, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan have been curtailed. Collaboration between federal, state and local partners most recently resulted in two significant takedowns: Operation Free Market – a takedown that took out a heroin and fentanyl DTO operating between Detroit and Huntington in which seven defendants have been charged by federal indictment, with approximately 120 grams of heroin and 130 grams of fentanyl taken off the streets of Huntington; and Operation Flat Tire which shuttered a large Akron to Huntington heroin and methamphetamine DTO. To date, 23 members of the DTO are under federal indictment. As a result of the long-term investigation, more than 22 pounds methamphetamine, 300 grams of heroin, 2 ounces of fentanyl and 15 firearms have been seized.
Recent notable cases include:
- Brandon Douglas Tomblin, of Huntington, was sentenced to 102 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Read more: https://go.usa.gov/xVFD7.
- Bryan Patrick, of Ohio, was sentenced to eight years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Read more: https://go.usa.gov/xVFDw.
- Jonathan Forest Johnson, of Huntington, was sentenced to 131 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Read more: https://go.usa.gov/xVFDS.
- Justin Michael Wilson, who threatened two Putnam County government employees with a machine gun and stole their work vehicle, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for carjacking and gun crimes. Read more: https://go.usa.gov/xVFWQ.
Community Partnerships
A public messaging campaign will soon be launched featuring the deterrent message “Gun Crime = Fed Time.” Meetings were held throughout the District to discuss PSN and the utilization of federal firearms statutes in cases of domestic violence with law enforcement, local prosecutors and victim service providers. In addition, United States Attorney Mike Stuart continues to address community and faith-based organizations to discuss violent crime prevention strategies and public safety.
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 statistics also 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.
- In 2018, the City of Huntington’s overall violent crime offenses dropped approximately 20% and homicides decreased by 53%. Violent crime incidents continued to decline in early 2019. A comparison of the first six months of 2019 with the same time period in 2018 indicates another decrease in violent crime incidents of approximately 24%, a 71% reduction in murders; and a 52% decrease in robberies.
- In FY 19, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia increased the number of PSN defendants prosecuted by 77%. In addition, the Office increased prosecutions of felon in possession cases by approximately 29%.
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's Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Norwalk Urgent Care ProviderRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with DRX NORWALK, P.C. doing business as AFC Urgent Care in Norwalk, to resolve allegations that the urgent care facility was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint filed by the parent of a child with developmental disabilities. The complaint alleged that a doctor at AFC Urgent Care Norwalk refused to provide the complainant’s child with a school physical based on the doctor’s determination that the child’s developmental disability made him too medically complex to be seen at an urgent care facility.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, AFC Urgent Care Norwalk will submit for approval to the U.S. Attorney’s Office a nondiscrimination policy that outlines AFC Urgent Care Norwalk’s obligations pursuant to Title III of the ADA and sets forth a patient grievance procedure. Once approved, AFC Urgent Care Norwalk will post the nondiscrimination policy on its website and will also physically post the policy in public view at AFC Urgent Care Norwalk’s office. Further, AFC Urgent Care Norwalk will train its staff members on Title III of the ADA and the new nondiscrimination policy. AFC Urgent Care Norwalk will also compensate the complainant in the amount of $2,500.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including professional offices of healthcare providers, hospitals, and other service establishments are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that the management of AFC Urgent Care Norwalk was cooperative with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is committed to addressing the issues raised by the ADA investigation without litigation.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures that individuals are able to access places of public accommodation in Connecticut, including medical services at doctors’ offices, hospitals, urgent care and other healthcare facilities,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “AFC Urgent Care Norwalk has fully cooperated throughout our investigation and has made clear its commitment going forward to comply in all respects with the ADA.”
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica H. Soufer of the District of Connecticut in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Three-Time Deported Felon Sentenced to 30 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Obeth Cardona-Quinonez, age 32, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady for illegal reentry of a removed alien, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Cardona-Quinonez was sentenced to 30 months in prison and will be deported upon completion of his federal sentence.
According to documents in this case, Cardona-Quinonez, a citizen of Mexico, was convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) and providing false information to a law enforcement officer in 2013. Cardona-Quinonez was arrested for a second OWI in 2014. He was thereafter deported to Mexico in 2014. In May 2016, he illegally re-entered the U.S., was found and deported again within two weeks. In July of 2016, he again illegally re-entered the U.S. and in October of 2017, he was arrested for OWI after he drove into a utility pole, ran from the scene of an accident and had a blood alcohol content of double the legal limit in the State of Indiana. In July 2018, he pleaded guilty to the 2017 and the 2014 OWI charges and was deported a third time in August 2018. Cardona-Quinonez returned to the U.S. two months later, in October 2018, without legal authorization, and lived in Fort Wayne until December 2018 when he was charged with driving after having been declared a habitual offender, a charge which was later dismissed.
The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Nokes.
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Three Gangster Disciples leaders convicted of racketeering, attempted murder, and other crimesRead the Press Release
Jury heard about triple murder in nightclub, murder of witness, 50 pounds of cocaine, and shooting of teenager
ATLANTA – Three leaders of the Gangster Disciples national criminal organization have been convicted by a federal jury of offenses including racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking conspiracy, and other crimes. This case is the latest of a series of trials and pleas for members and leaders of the Gangster Disciples.
“The Gangster Disciples are extremely organized and their reach is wide-spread across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak. “Their strict chain of command that carried their message of violence and crime throughout the organization posed a serious threat nationwide. They lured young people into the gang with the promise of a better life, and then inducted them into an appalling world of violence and crime.”
"The Gangster Disciples have terrorized communities in Georgia and elsewhere for far too long,” said Assistant Attorney Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s convictions, as well as the convictions of 32 co-defendants to date, send a clear message: the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling this violent and lawless criminal enterprise.”
“Drug trafficking, thefts, violent assaults and murders are all crimes that the Gangster Disciples commit every day to protect their turf, increase their territory, control and recruit members and terrorize rival gangs. They are merciless and have wreaked havoc in our neighborhoods for far too long,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface. We are dedicated to dismantling these organized and violent criminal enterprises in order to make Atlanta and the surrounding communities, a safer place for our citizens.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: The Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago dating back to the 1970’s. The gang is highly structured, with a hierarchy of leadership posts known as “Positions of Authority” or “POAs.” The gang strictly enforces rules for its members, the most important of which is “silence and secrecy” – a prohibition on cooperating with law enforcement. Violations of the rule are punishable by death.
The evidence showed that the defendants and their fellow gang members used the gang’s structure to carry out a pattern of violent and serious crimes, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, bank and wire fraud, drug trafficking, and extortion. The jury heard testimony and other evidence about multiple murders and attempted murders by Gangster Disciples.
Included in those murders was a deadly shooting at a nightclub in Macon, Georgia. Three people were killed and another three were wounded after gang member Vertuies Wall and his subordinates started a gunfight with rivals. On another occasion, gang member Lewis Mobley shot a teenage victim twice at point-blank range. Mobley believed that the victim had disrespected the gang by walking through a crowd while shouting a slogan and wearing the color associated with a rival gang. In a third incident, a top Gangster Disciples leader summoned the gang’s National Chief Enforcer to travel across the country to kill a witness. The witness, who was scheduled to testify against a Gangster Disciple on drug charges, was shot dead in her home on the gang’s orders.
The evidence also showed that each of the trial defendants held a position of authority within the gang’s structure. Mobley held a position in the gang’s security/enforcement arm, and exercised leadership over the enforcement team known as “HATE Committee,” that was responsible for committing murders, shootings, and other violence. Wall was the “First C,” or local leader, for the Macon area Gangster Disciples. Gang member Lawrence Grice also held a leadership position over Gangster Disciples in parts of Texas including the city of Houston.
The defendants listed below were convicted in this case, and found guilty of the following charges:
- Lewis Mobley, 42, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, including murder and drug conspiracy; committing an attempted murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm to do so; and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm relating to the drug crime.
- Vertuies Wall, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, including murder.
- Lawrence Grice, 30, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, and a drug conspiracy regarding more than five kilograms of cocaine.
To date, 27 defendants have pleaded guilty, five were convicted at a separate trial, and three defendants are presently awaiting trial.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force; ATF; U.S. Marshal Service; The U.S. Postal Service, the Bureau of Prisons; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Georgia Department of Corrections; DeKalb Police Department; Cobb County Police Department; Bibb County District Attorney’s Office; Atlanta Police Department; Louisiana State Police; and Aurora, Colorado Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Section, Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section, and Erin N. Spritzer of the Northern District of Georgia, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Three Gangster Disciples Leaders Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy, Attempted Murder and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury has convicted three leaders of the Gangster Disciples (GD) national criminal organization of offenses including racketeering conspiracy (RICO) involving murder, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking conspiracy and other crimes.
Lewis Mobley, 42, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, including a sentencing enhancement for murder and a sentencing enhancement for drugs; committing an attempted murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm to do so and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm relating to the drug crime. Vertuies Wall, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, including a sentencing enhancement for murder. Lawrence Grice, 30, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, including a sentencing enhancement for drugs and a separate conviction for drug conspiracy regarding more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago dating back to the 1970s. The gang is highly structured, with a hierarchy of leadership posts known as “Positions of Authority” or “POAs.” The gang strictly enforces rules for its members, the most important of which is “Silence and Secrecy” – a prohibition on cooperating with law enforcement. Violations of the rule are punishable by death.
“The Gangster Disciples have terrorized communities in Georgia and elsewhere for far too long,” said Assistant Attorney Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s convictions, as well as the convictions of 32 co-defendants to date, send a clear message: the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling this violent and lawless criminal enterprise.”
“The Gangster Disciples are extremely organized and their reach is wide-spread across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak for the Northern District of Georgia. “Their strict chain of command that carried their message of violence and crime throughout the organization posed a serious threat nationwide. They lured young people into the gang with the promise of a better life, and then inducted them into an appalling world of violence and crime.”
“Drug trafficking, thefts, violent assaults and murders are all crimes that the Gangster Disciples commit every day to protect their turf, increase their territory, control and recruit members and terrorize rival gangs. They are merciless and have wreaked havoc in our neighborhoods for far too long,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface. We are dedicated to dismantling these organized and violent criminal enterprises in order to make Atlanta and the surrounding communities, a safer place for our citizens.”
The evidence showed that the defendants and their fellow gang members used the gang’s structure to carry out a pattern of violent and serious crimes, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, bank and wire fraud, drug trafficking and extortion. The jury heard testimony and other evidence about multiple murders and attempted murders by Gangster Disciples.
Included in those murders was a deadly shooting at the Wings Café nightclub in Macon, Georgia. Three people were killed and another three wounded after Wall and his subordinates started a gunfight with rivals. On another occasion, Mobley shot a teenage victim twice at point-blank range. Mobley believed that the victim had disrespected the gang by walking through a crowd while shouting a slogan and wearing the color associated with a rival gang. In a third incident, a top Gangster Disciple leader summoned the gang’s National Chief Enforcer to travel across the country to kill a witness. The witness, who was scheduled to testify against a Gangster Disciple on drug charges, was shot dead in her home on the gang’s orders.
The evidence showed that each of the trial defendants held a position of authority within the gang’s structure. Mobley held a leadership position in the gang’s security/enforcement arm, and exercised leadership over the enforcement team known as “HATE Committee” that was responsible for committing murders, shootings and other violent crimes. Wall was the “First C,” or local leader, for the Macon-area Gangster Disciples. Grice held a leadership position over Gangster Disciples in parts of Texas including Houston.
To date, 27 defendants have pleaded guilty, five were convicted at a separate trial and three defendants are presently awaiting trial.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force, DeKalb Police Department, DeKalb District Attorney’s Office and Atlanta Police Department investigated this case.
Trial Attorney Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs section, Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security section and Erin N. Spritzer of the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Rebecca Ann McLean, 27, a resident of Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. District Sul Ozerden to unlawful transportation of aliens within the United States for commercial advantage or private financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
McLean will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 10, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and special assessments that could total $5,100.
On May 18, 2018, a Hancock County Sheriff’s Office deputy was in the area of I-10 eastbound near Diamondhead, Mississippi, when he observed a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with Texas license plates driving carelessly. A traffic stop was initiated and another deputy arrived to assist. The driver of the vehicle was Pascual Lopez-Lopez, who did not have a driver’s license and was an illegal alien from Mexico. Deputies also saw several people lying down in the SUV, and found eight illegal aliens from Mexico (including the driver). Defendant Rebecca McLean, a U.S. citizen and Texas resident, was the front seat passenger. Further investigation showed she was taking the eight men to Florida.
A deputy contacted the Department of Homeland Security, Blue Lightening Operations Center which contacted a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Deputies collected the names and birth dates of the eight males and discovered one was a juvenile. All, except for the juvenile, were transported to the Hancock County Jail. HSI determined the occupants of the vehicle were, indeed, illegally present in the U.S. and were being smuggled/transported by McLean. Three of the illegal aliens had been previously deported from the United States.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Golden and Stan Harris were the prosecutors for the case.
Texarkana Physician Arrested for Over-Prescribing Opiates and Other Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Texarkana, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas and Justin King, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced today that Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker was arrested today on federal charges. A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted Dr. Parker on nine counts of Prescribing Without a Legitimate Medical Purpose Outside the Scope of a Professional Practice.
According to the Indictment, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Groups initiated an investigation into Dr. Parker of Texarkana, Arkansas in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Dr. Parker, and the investigation revealed Dr. Parker was an over-prescriber of controlled substances, to include opiates, benzodiazepines, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup in the Texarkana area. In the two-year period analyzed, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opiates, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, to approximately 1,508 patients (approximately 847 dosage units per patient). Dr. Parker also prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to approximately 29 patients during the same time period. These prescriptions included several prescriptions written in combination with narcotics and sedatives to high diversion risk patients.
Other agencies participating in the investigation are the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS). Special Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner is prosecuting the case for the United States.
An Indictment is merely an accusation. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ten Tribes in Western Washington awarded nearly $13 million to strengthen law enforcement and provide services for crime victimsRead the Press Release
Ten Indian Tribes in Western Washington have been awarded nearly $13 million in U.S. Department of Justice grant funding to enhance criminal justice and safety in their communities, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. One notable grant will fund a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to work with the FBI’s Northwestern Washington Safe Trails Task Force to prosecute crime in tribal communities. The $482,419 three-year grant was awarded to the Swinomish Tribal Community, though the attorney will prosecute cases for a consortium of tribes located in northwest Washington.
“These grants provide a wide range of services in our tribal communities – everything from services for crime victims, to sex offender monitoring, to reducing alcohol and drug related crime,” said U.S. Attorney Moran. “It is a competitive process to obtain these grants, and I congratulate our tribal partners on their successful applications.”
The Lummi Indian Nation in Bellingham was awarded four grants totaling $2.5 million. The funded programs include: $748,608 to enhance tribal justice programs and reduce Alcohol and substance abuse related crime; $720,000 to support crime victims; $374,994 to support programs to reduce Elder Abuse; and $720,000 to hire a tribal attorney and advocate to assist crime victims with civil litigation.
The Swinomish Tribal Community in La Conner was awarded four grants totaling $1.4 million. In addition to the $482,419 for a designated attorney, the Tribe was awarded two additional grants totaling $802,205 to support services for crime victims. An additional grant of $134,267 will pay for personnel to enter 10 years of historical data into the nationwide National Criminal Background Check System.
Tulalip Tribes of Washington was awarded three grants totaling $1.5 million. A $643,871 grant will enhance the tribes family drug court program working to get parents into treatment and reunite families. Two additional grants totaling $926,845 will got to support services for victims of crime.
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe in Kingston was awarded three grants totaling nearly $1.5 million: An $898,000 grant to enhance the tribal justice system; $491,542 to support victims of crime; and $108,750 to enhance sex offender monitoring.
Puyallup Tribe of Indians were awarded two grants: $783,873 to improve the Tribal justice system and $717,292 to support victims of crime.
The Makah Tribe in Neah Bay was awarded $498,796 to support their drug court and $719,528 to support victims of crime.
The Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation in Oakville were awarded $750,000 to strengthen their tribal justice system and $369,213 to support services for crime victims.
The Skokomish Indian Tribe was awarded $374,633 to improve their sex offender monitoring program and $488,978 to improve services for crime victims.
The Hoh Indian Tribe in Forks was awarded $514,778 to expand victim services with a special focus on educating the community on human trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The Quinault Indian Nation in Taholah was awarded $480,187 to enhance victim services.
The grants were awarded by a variety of DOJ agencies including the Office of Victims of Crime, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
For additional information on individual grants, please contact the recipient organizations.