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14 November 2019
Opioid Traffickers SentencedRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that on November 12, 2019, 35 year-old Kentriss Thomas Rhodes, 33 year-old Ashley S. Fleming, and 45 year-old Antoine Sanders, all residents of Chicago, Illinois, were sentenced by District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Oxycodone).
The investigation of Rhodes, Fleming and Sanders began on August 16, 2018, when the Council Bluffs Police Department responded to a call from the Madison Avenue Hy-Vee on a report of a fraudulent prescription being presented at the store’s pharmacy.
Council Bluffs Police arrested two individuals who had presented the forged prescription, and then obtained assistance from the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration determined that the two arrested persons were working for a Chicago organization that was sending out groups of people to obtain oxycodone by forging prescriptions and presenting them to area pharmacies.
Rhodes, Fleming, and Sanders used vulnerable adults from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to present forged prescriptions for the oxycodone. Using this method, Rhodes, Fleming, and Sanders obtained oxycodone from Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and other locations in Iowa, in addition to pharmacies in Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, and South Dakota. Rhodes, Fleming, and Sanders had obtained, or attempted to obtain, over 6,500 oxycodone pills through the use of fraudulent prescriptions during a nine month period.
As a result of their conduct, Rhodes was sentenced to 72 months in prison, Fleming was sentenced to 46 months in prison, and Sanders was sentenced to 110 months in prison. All three were also ordered to serve three years of Supervised Release once they are released from incarceration.
This case was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Nebraska State Patrol; Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department; Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Police Department; Iowa Division of Intelligence; Chicago, Illinois, Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Oliver Springs Man Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
[KNOXVILLE, Tennessee] David Tyler Wilson, 25, of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable R. Leon Jordan, Senior U.S. District Judge, to serve 262 months in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography. Following his imprisonment, Wilson will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years and will be required to register with the state sex offender registry in any state in which he lives, works, or attends school.
The investigation began when Wilson sent nude photographs of minors via an online chat application to an undercover FBI agent. The investigation confirmed that Wilson had taken the photographs that he had sent to the undercover FBI agent. “This prosecution represents part of our efforts to work with law enforcement agencies to protect children from persons who produce child pornography for trade on the internet,” said J. Douglas Overbey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. U.S. Attorney Overbey explained, “these predators operate from the shadows of the internet, and find others who are interested in pornographic depictions of children. They use their pornography as online ‘currency’ to trade with others, leading to further sexual abuse of children and the circulation of these terrible depictions of abuse around the world.”
The case was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Morris represented the United States at in Court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Ohio man admits to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Tribett, of Bellaire, Ohio, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Tribett, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Tribett, having been previously convicted of a felony, is accused of having a .9mm pistol in January 2019 in Ohio County.
Tribett faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ohio man admits to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Demarcus D. Hockett, of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hockett, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Hockett, having been previously convicted of a crime, is accused of having a .380 caliber pistol in June 2019 in Ohio County.
Hockett faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ocean Springs Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report and Concealing Federal CrimeRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Lauren Nicole Colegrove, 29, of Ocean Springs, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to misprision of felony for her failure to report to authorities, and then affirmatively concealing the fact that a federal crime had occurred, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
On October 12, 2017, Colegrove became aware that a man she was accompanying had burglarized a St. Martin home, and thereafter was in possession of stolen firearms. Colegrove not only failed to notify federal authorities as soon as possible once she became aware of the crime, but she also took affirmative acts to conceal the crime.
Colegrove will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on Friday, February 21, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., in Gulfport. She faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announces the guilty plea of TERRANCE NEALY, age 32, of Rockville Center, New York, to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. NEALY entered his plea on November 13, 2019 before U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman.
According to court documents, members of the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force received information that NEALY and his co-defendant, Myles Nicholas, would be flying to New Orleans from New York on the morning of June 21, 2019. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Secret Service agents initiated surveillance at New Orleans International Airport, where they observed NEALY and Nicholas arrive on their flight from New York’s JFK Airport. NEALY and Nicholas then rented a car and immediately drove to Baton Rouge. While in Baton Rouge, the defendants attempted to open a fraudulent credit card account at two Best Buy stores using a stolen identity. They then traveled back to New Orleans where they were arrested by state and federal law enforcement.
NEALY’S co-defendant Myles Nicholas’s re-arraignment is scheduled for November 20, 2019.
As to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, NEALY faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000.00 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to the aggravated identity theft, NEALY must receive a mandatory sentence of two years in prison that must be served consecutively to any other sentence. He may also be fined up to $250,000.00, and he may receive up to one year of supervised release. Sentencing is set for Wednesday, February 5, 2019, before Judge Feldman.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the agencies that contributed to this conviction, which represents a coordinated effort of federal and state law enforcement authorities within the Louisiana Financial Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. State Department, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Covington Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Kenner Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Mandeville Police Department, Slidell Police Department, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John The Baptist Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MELVIN WALKER, age 47, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. WALKER was sentenced on November 13, 2019 to 115 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment by the Honorable Sarah Vance.
According to court documents, WALKER was convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, namely, possession with intent to distribute marijuana. On or about July 24, 2017, WALKER was found to be in the possession of four hand guns.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work in investigating this case.
The case is being prosecuted by Michael M. Simpson, First Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Supervisor, General Crimes.
Monroe County Woman Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyme Ashby, age 29, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 13, 2019, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo to 30 months’ imprisonment for her role in a Monroe County-based heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ashby previously pleaded guilty and admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute between 20 grams and 40 grams of heroin (which is equivalent to 800 to 1,600 individual doses of heroin), as well as between 840 grams and 2.8 kilograms of crack cocaine, in the Monroe County area between May and July 2015. Ashby was one of eleven individuals indicted by a grand jury in July 2015, and charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monroe County area.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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 enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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Monroe County Man Sentenced to 41 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sherquille Ernest, age 27, of Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 13, 2019, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo to 41 months’ imprisonment for his role in a Monroe County-based heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ernest previously pleaded guilty and admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute between 20 and 40 grams of heroin (which is equivalent to 800 to 1,600 individual doses of heroin), as well as between 28 and 112 grams of crack cocaine, in the Monroe County area between May and July 2015. Ernest was one of eleven individuals indicted by a grand jury in July 2015 and charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monroe County area.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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 enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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Monongalia County man sentenced for his role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jesse Tichenor, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today three years of probation for his involvement in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Tichenor, age 27, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility” in August 2019. Tichenor admitted to using a phone to help distribute “crack” cocaine in March 2017 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Missouri Man Sentenced for Providing Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, aka Siki Ramiz Hodzic, 45, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and providing material support to terrorists. Hodzic appeared today before Judge Catherine D. Perry.
According to court documents, between May 2013 and continuing to Feb. 5, 2015, Ramiz Zijad Hodzic conspired with others to support the activities of Abdullah Ramo Pazara and others, including a conspiracy to commit outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Hodzic intended to and did provide support and resources to Pazara, knowing that he and his co-conspirators would use the support and resources in furtherance of their combat against Syrian government forces and others. Hodzic’s support consisted of money, which was used by his co-conspirators to purchase supplies such as U.S. military uniforms, rifle scopes, combat boots, tactical gear, clothing, firearms accessories, range finders, and other supplies useful to fighters engaged in combat in Syria and elsewhere.
“In addition to eight years in federal prison, Ramiz Hodzic will also be deported," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Hodzic was the mastermind and primary facilitator of this conspiracy to fund and support terrorists."
Co-defendant Sedina Unkic Hodzic is awaiting sentencing; Nihad Rosic is awaiting trial; Jasminka Ramic, Mediha Medy Salkicevic, and Armin Harcevic were sentenced to 36, 78, and 60 months in prison, respectively.
The St. Louis FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, St. Louis Metropolitan and St. Louis County Police Departments investigated this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake, Howard Marcus and Kenneth Tihen of the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne, Danielle Rosborough, and David Smith of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
Missouri Man Sentenced for Providing Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, aka Siki Ramiz Hodzic, 45, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and providing material support to terrorists. Hodzic appeared today before Judge Catherine D. Perry.
According to court documents, between May 2018 2013 and continuing to Feb. 5, 2015, Hodzic conspired with others to support the activities of Abdullah Ramo Pazara and others, including a conspiracy to commit outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Hodzic intended to and did provide support and resources to Pazara, knowing that he and his co-conspirators would use the support and resources in furtherance of their combat against Syrian government forces and others. Hodzic’s support consisted of money, which was used by his co-conspirators to purchase supplies such as U.S. military uniforms, rifle scopes, combat boots, tactical gear, clothing, firearms accessories, range finders, and other supplies useful to fighters engaged in combat in Syria and elsewhere.
Co-defendant Sedina Unkic Hodzic is awaiting sentencing; Nihad Rosic is awaiting trial; Jasminka Ramic, Mediha Medy Salkicevic, and Armin Harcevic were sentenced to 36, 78, and 60 months in prison, respectively.
The St. Louis FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, St. Louis Metropolitan and St. Louis County Police Departments investigated this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake, Howard Marcus and Kenneth Tihen of the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne, Danielle Rosborough, and David Smith of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
Missoula Man Sentenced in Meth Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Missoula man who admitted possessing methamphetamine for distribution in the community was sentenced today to 144 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit $4,247 in U.S. Currency. Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
Matthew Curtis Olson, 36, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth.
In court records filed in the case, the prosecution said the Missoula Police Department stopped a pickup truck occupied by Olson and another person, identified as Individual 1, in September 2017. Individual 1 told officers that Olson had spilled meth in the truck earlier. Police arrested Olson for driving with a suspended license and during a search of him, officers found a small amount of meth and a digital scale.
Missoula police officers later executed a search warrant on the truck and found about 420 grams of meth inside a hidden compartment. Individual 1 later claimed ownership of the truck and denied Olson knew of the presence of the large amount of meth that was seized.
From August 2018 to about June 2019, various law enforcement officers in Missoula interviewed a number of cooperating witnesses associated with Olson. The witnesses said that Olson had possessed with intent to distribute and had distributed more than 500 grams, which is about 1.1 pounds or a little more than 3,624 doses, of meth.
Law enforcement officers arrested Olson on February 1 on a federal drug trafficking warrant as he was leaving the home of an associate. Officers seized about one ounce of meth from Olson along with about $4,247 in U.S. currency. Officers also searched the associate’s home and found six ounces of meth and nearly $15,000 in U.S. currency.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thaggard prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI Violent Crimes Regional Task Force, Missoula Police Department, Missoula County Sheriff’s Department, and the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Metro Denver Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Store Thefts and CarjackingRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Jonathan Estrada, a/k/a Hight, age 20, of Denver pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn to thefts of firearms from federal firearms licensees and carjacking. Estrada was part of a violent “smash and grab” organization that stole vehicles and burglarized federal firearms licensees (FFLs). The defendant appeared at the hearing in custody and was remanded at the hearing’s conclusion.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on September 19, 2017, Estrada and another individual burglarized the Reloader’s Corner, an FFL in Arvada, Colorado. The defendant broke into the store by throwing rocks through glass. Seventeen firearms were stolen. Estrada’s DNA was found on the gun case counter.
On the morning of December 26, 2017, the defendant and another individual committed an armed carjacking in Arvada in which they stole a 2008 white BMW. A shell casing was recovered at the scene.
Ten days later, on January 5, 2018, a concerned citizen told the Denver Police Department that his neighbors had discussed gun store burglaries and that one individual had been driving a white BMW. During a later search of the vehicle, officers found three of the firearms that had been stolen during the Reloader’s theft.
On January 18, 2018, Estrada and five others burglarized Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply, an FFL in Littleton, again by throwing a rock through glass. They stole thirteen AR-15 style firearms and left in a stolen Nissan. That evening, ATF agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment. Agents found evidence related to the September 19, 2017 and January 18, 2018 FFL burglaries. The recovered evidence included: a shotgun stolen during the Reloader’s burglary; five firearms stolen during the Murdoch’s burglary; the Ruger 40 caliber pistol that had been fired during the armed carjacking; other firearms and ammunition; Murdoch’s gun sale tags; gloves and a ski mask; and a handwritten ledger on the defendant’s rent notice listing Murdochs and other locations to be burglarized. DNA recovered from the magazine of the pistol fired during the armed carjacking matched the defendant’s DNA. That specific firearm was carefully hidden inside the defendant’s apartment while other firearms were not.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the following law enforcement agencies: Arvada Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Denver Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Crime Lab, and Lakewood Police Department. The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Treaster.
Media Advisory: November 18 TRUST Program Event PostponedRead the Press Release
The TRUST Program event scheduled for November 18, 2019, at Gray-New Gloucester High School has been postponed. The event will be rescheduled, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will issue a press release with details regarding the new date.
McGrew, Nebraska, Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Greg Reichert, 57, of McGrew, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison by Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). In addition to his prison term, Reichert will serve four years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Law enforcement made three controlled buys of methamphetamine (½ oz., ¾ oz., and 1 oz.) from Reichert in August, 2017. On September 1, 2017, Reichert was arrested in possession of 20 grams of methamphetamine. He had previously arranged to sell the drugs.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Massage Therapist Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) announced the arrest of GARY PAMPERIEN for possession of child pornography. PAMPERIEN was arrested yesterday and presented before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Child pornography victimizes society’s most innocent and vulnerable. Massage therapist Gary Pamperien was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography. Sexualizing young children is despicable, and this Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to utilize all of the expertise and resources available to bring to justice those who possess child pornography.”
HSI Special Agent-in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “Pamperien allegedly purchased explicit photos of children, repeatedly victimizing each child with just the click of a button. Perhaps thinking he could conceal these heinous alleged acts, he allegedly used his work computer as a means to mask his identity. HSI has a firm commitment to tracking down those perpetrators who exploit children to satisfy their own horrid desires and we will bring them to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
Between at least August 2017 and December 2018, PAMPERIEN, a massage therapist, purchased access to thousands of files containing child pornography through a password-protected, fee-based website hosted outside the United States. The child pornography included depictions of nude prepubescent children posing lasciviously. PAMPERIEN made his purchases from an IP address associated with a non-profit educational retreat center in Rhinebeck, New York, where PAMPERIEN has lived and worked. Additionally, on November 13, 2019, law enforcement officers uncovered at least a dozen images and one video containing child pornography on a laptop belonging to PAMPERIEN.
PAMPERIAN, 65, of Hicksville, New York, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison or 20 years in prison if any image of child pornography involved in the offense involved a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Berman praised Homeland Security Investigations for their outstanding investigative work.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Benjamin A. Gianforti are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man Who Victimized Immigrants in Kidnapping and Extortion Scheme Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCISCO BETANCOURT, 70, a citizen of Cuba last residing in New York, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a kidnapping and extortion scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on numerous occasions, Betancourt and his co-conspirators targeted individuals after they exited buses at the Port Authority in New York. The victims included women, men and children from Central American countries who did not speak English and were seeking asylum in the U.S. Some of the victims planned to travel from New York to Connecticut. Telling the victims that a connecting bus was not available and that they would provide transportation, Betancourt and others coerced the victims into vehicles. The co-conspirators would then drive the victims around, sometimes for hours, and refused to release them until they or their families agreed to pay the co-conspirators an exorbitant amount of money, on average more than a $1000.
At times, co-conspirators posed as an immigration officer to intimidate the victims further.
Betancourt has been detained since his arrest on December 15, 2016. On March 9, 2018, a federal jury in Bridgeport found Betancourt and his co-conspirators, Lucilo Cabrera and Carlos Antonio Hernandez, guilty of kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy offenses. Cabrera and Hernandez await sentencing.
On October 12, 2018, a fourth defendant, Pascual Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. On July 2, 2019, Judge Underhill sentenced him to 135 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.
Man Sentenced for 2010 Armed Robbery of Truck StopRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to nearly 51 years in prison for his leadership role in the armed robbery of the Mr. Fuel truck stop in Ruther Glen on May 8, 2010.
According to court documents, in November 2008, Winston Sylvester Oliver II, 41, began planning the armed robbery of the Mr. Fuel truck stop located in Ruther Glen. As part of this planning phase, Oliver conducted physical surveillance of the location, devised getaway routes, identified surveillance cameras, and learned cash drop procedures of the business.
In approximately May 2010, Oliver recruited his co-conspirator, Warren Harold Brown, to execute the robbery of the location. On May 8, 2010, Oliver drove Brown to the area of the Mr. Fuel truck stop, provided him with a firearm, and instructed him how to commit the robbery. Brown entered into the business and demanded money from the cashier. Due to the cashier’s inability to open the register, Brown fired a single warning shot in the direction of the cashier. Following Brown’s discharge of the firearm, a concerned citizen attempted to thwart the robbery by striking Brown in the head with beer bottles from the store refrigerator. In response, Brown shot the concerned citizen four times, including in the head, groin, thigh, and buttocks. Oliver and Brown then fled the scene. The concerned citizen survived the shooting.
On Sept. 14, 2011, a federal jury convicted Oliver and Brown on all counts after a two-day trial. On January 19, 2012, Oliver was sentenced to 630 months in prison. Based on a subsequent legal ruling in United States v. Davis, 139 S. Ct. 2319 (2019), the district court dismissed a single count of the defendants’ superseding indictment and ordered a re-sentencing on Nov. 14, 2019.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Tony Lippa, Jr., Caroline County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:11-cr-63.
Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Trying to Smuggle Cocaine Sewn into His VestRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Dominican Republic was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle into the United States approximately three kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jose Manuel Jimenez Jimenez, 47, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to one count of illegal importation of more than 500 grams of cocaine. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court;
Jimenez arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on a flight from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. During a screening, law enforcement officers discovered the cocaine sewn into the vest Jimenez was wearing.
In addition to the prison term, Jimenez is subject to deportation following his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael; and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Troy Miller, director of Field Operations, New York Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Candace Hom Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Man Involved in Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than Five Years’ PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was involved in distributing pounds of methamphetamine throughout Northern Iowa was sentenced on November 13, 2019, to more than five years in federal prison.
Jose Ordaz, age 27, from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 26, 2019 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Ordaz admitted that beginning in December 2014, he became involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. During his involvement in the conspiracy, he was responsible for distributing at least eight pounds of ice methamphetamine.
Ordaz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Ordaz was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ordaz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2025.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man and Woman Arrested, Charged with Obstruction Involving Overdose Heroin DeathRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Kevin Toth, 29, of Tonawanda, NY, and Samantha Yeates, 27, of Depew, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with obstruction of justice. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who is handling the case, stated that on December 28, 2018, City of Tonawanda Police and Fire personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive man found in the bathroom of Snyder Industries. Several doses of Narcan were administered but the man was declared dead.
The complaint further states that a review of security video footage from December 28, 2018, shows defendant Yeates in a red pick-up truck in the parking lot of Snyder Industries. Defendant Toth is observed approaching the pick-up truck. A short time later, Toth is seen walking back inside the building and walking toward the work space area of the deceased man and handing him an item.
The deceased man is then observed walking towards the bathroom. A short time later, he was found unresponsive in a bathroom stall by fellow employees. In close proximity was a hypodermic needle and a spoon. The man was later pronounced dead with the cause of death determined to be acute intoxication with fentanyl.
On December 29, 2018, defendant Toth denied handing anything to the decreased man when interviewed by a City of Tonawanda Detective. He did identify the person in the red truck as his girlfriend, defendant Yeates.
On January 5, 2019, a City of Tonawanda Detective interviewed Yeates who stated she went to she drove to Snyder Industries to give Toth his bank card, but later contradicted herself by stating she went to pick up Toth’s bank card. On January 14, 2019, Yeates again stated to a detective she went to Snyder Industries to pick up a debit card from Toth and denied supplying heroin to Toth.
On January 23, 2019, Yeates admitted to a detective she gave Toth heroin: “Yah, but I didn't give it to the other guy.”
On April 10, 2019, Toth told a detective that neither he nor Yeates ever provided drugs or other narcotics to the deceased man. Toth also stated that he did not know who provided the deadly fentanyl to the man at Snyder Industries.
Investigators obtained search warrants for the defendants’ Facebook Messages and cellular phones. Many Facebook and text conversations were deleted but one message exchanged between Toth and Yeates on Facebook stated: “Police just called me... Need to talk ASAP.” A text message between the two stated: “Sam I have to talk to you it's really important, I miss and love you.”
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were released.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the City of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Strassburg.
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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Local Man with Cocaine Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months incarceration, five years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on James T. Murray, Jr, 48.
According to information presented to the court, on or about May 12, 2014, Murray possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine..
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Murray.
Local Man on his way to prison for robbing convenience stores with a knifeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 48-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison after he pleaded guilty to robbing two convenience stores causing an interference with interstate or foreign commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Billy Ray Mitchell pleaded guilty July 25, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos handed Mitchell a 125-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On Oct. 29, 2018, Mitchell robbed the Murphy Express convenience store in Corpus Christi at approximately 7:20 a.m. at knife point. Mitchell forced the clerk into the office where a safe was located and robbed the store of cash, cigarettes and duct tape. Mitchell then abducted the clerk, forcing her into her own vehicle and ordering her to drive him to a nearby apartment complex.
Upon arrival there, Mitchell bound and gagged the clerk using the stolen duct tape, leaving the clerk in the vehicle.
Police officers searched the area but were unable to locate Mitchell at that time. Later, agents reviewed video surveillance of the convenience store and noticed that Mitchell was wearing a distinctive neon yellow shirt with “MY SHIRT IS BRIGHTER THAN YOUR FUTURE” printed on the front.
On Nov. 8, 2018, at approximately 4 a.m., Mitchell robbed a Circle K convenience store in Corpus Christi, threatening the store clerk with a large kitchen knife. Mitchell brandished the weapon and forced the clerk at knife point to assist in opening the cash register. Mitchell robbed the store of a pack of cigarettes and the entire contents of the cash register. Again, Mitchell forced the clerk from the store and ordered him to drive him from the scene in the clerk’s own vehicle. This time, the clerk yelled out for help to a nearby patron. Mitchell fled the scene on foot.
Police officers searched the area but were unable to locate Mitchell at that time. However, crime scene investigators were able to recover latent fingerprints from a beer cooler that Mitchell touched. When compared, the fingerprints from the store were determined to be a match to Mitchell.
Agents executed a search warrant on Mitchell’s residence the next day and found the distinctive bright yellow shirt he wore during the Murphy Express robbery.
Mitchell later admitted he committed both robberies.
He has been detained since his arrest and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton is prosecuting the case.
Lewis County man sentenced to nearly 10 years for drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Clarence Russell Foster, III, of Jane Lew, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 112 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Foster, age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in May 2019. Foster admitted to distributing methamphetamine in May 2018 in Lewis County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Langhorne Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Rodolfo Blanco, 45, of Langhorne, PA, was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment, followed by four years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. United States District Court Judge Jeffrey Schmehl imposed the sentence.
In July 2019, Blanco pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Blanco was arrested on June 12, 2019, while traveling southbound on Interstate 476, and the Pennsylvania State Police recovered approximately one kilogram of cocaine in Blanco’s vehicle. Two days later, federal authorities intercepted a second package mailed to a house Blanco owned in Philadelphia. The second package contained approximately one additional kilogram of cocaine.
“This case is an example of federal and state law enforcement working together to stop the flow of illegal narcotics onto the streets of Philadelphia,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Aggressive enforcement of our nation’s most serious drug laws, which is a top priority for my Office, is the best way to stop illegal drugs from destroying our communities and endangering public safety.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher J. Mannion and Alison Donahue Kehner.
Kidnapper Michael Webb Sentenced to Life for Abducting 8-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Kidnapper Michael Webb has been sentenced to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a two-day trial in September, a federal jury in Fort Worth deliberated for less than 10 minutes before convicting Webb, 51, of kidnapping an 8-year-old girl.
“The defendant stole this victim's innocence,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said in Court. "She knows that there is evil in this world. Evil has a face, and that face is Michael Webb's."
“A dangerous predator is spending the rest of his life behind bars because law enforcement and citizen volunteers worked tirelessly to safely bring the victim home. The FBI’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force is committed to assisting our law enforcement partners in the protection of the most vulnerable in our community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Field Office said in a statement following the verdict. “Today’s sentence sends an important message to all predators. We will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Webb grabbed the little girl as she and her mother were walking down Fort Worth’s 6th Avenue at 6:38 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Neighborhood surveillance video shows the victim’s mother knocked to the ground as Webb’s car drives away.
The victim’s mother testified, describing her daughter as “brave, strong, and smart” before describing for the jury the horrific details of the “physical fight” for her daughter’s life.
In a three-hour recorded interview with the FBI, Webb confessed to the kidnapping, admitting that after successfully fighting off the child’s mother, he drove to a church parking lot. Later that evening, he admitted that he took the girl to Forest Hill’s WoodSprings Suites hotel, where he carried the child into a room and held her captive.
It was around midnight when a tip led Forest Hill police officers to Webb’s room. Shortly before their arrival, Webb admitted to threatening the girl, and hiding the girl from law enforcement in a small laundry basket. The officers, having visually inspected the room, left without finding the child.
Meanwhile, friends, volunteers, and law enforcement canvassed the city of Fort Worth looking for the missing girl. It was ultimately the efforts of a family friend who spotted Webb’s Ford sedan and called 911. Fort Worth Police Department responded and confirmed that there appeared to be blood on the front passenger seat. Law enforcement then acted quickly to gain entry into the hotel room, rescuing the victim who was found hidden in the laundry basket.
“We got her, we got her!” officers announced on their radios. “He’s in custody; we have her.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit Taskforce, which includes representatives of local law enforcement around the region, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem, the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over the trial.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was released from prison in what became known as the “doppelganger case” pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Richard A. Jones, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Jones admitted he was in possession of a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Feb. 25, 2019. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jones has prior felony convictions for burglary and robbery.
At the time of the offense, Jones had recently been released from prison in Kansas after serving 17 years when a different robbery conviction was overturned in what was dubbed the “doppelganger case.” Another suspect, whose appearance was similar to Jones’, was identified and eyewitnesses testified they could no longer say Jones was the robber.
On Feb. 25, 2019, Kansas City police officers responded to a domestic disturbance that involved Jones. When officers attempted to separate Jones and another person, Jones pulled away from the officers and ran. As Jones ran, officers saw a handgun in his rear waistband.
Officers followed the path Jones fled down a flight of stairs and found the pistol and a loaded magazine on the floor nearby. The pistol had been stolen in a burglary of a commercial firearms dealer.
Officers spotted Jones getting into a vehicle on March 5, 2019, and attempted to perform a car stop. Jones fled from officers in a dangerous manner and at high speeds down Swope Parkway before losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a tree in the median. Jones ran from the vehicle, ignoring officers’ commands to go to the ground. He was apprehended after a short pursuit and taken into custody. Jones was in possession of .58 grams of cocaine and 17 grams of marijuana. Officers searched Jones’ car and found a stolen Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Under federal statutes, Jones is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Justice Department Participates in Tri-Border Expert Meeting in Paraguay to Further Capacity Building in Combatting Transnational Crime and TerrorismRead the Press Release
With the objective of strengthening cooperation among governments to counter transnational crime and terrorism, the Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), Office of International Affairs and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division and the Department’s National Security Division, along with experts from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and the United States with experience in countering terrorism, terrorist financing, and transnational crime met for the first time as a Regional Security Mechanism (RSM) in Asunción, Paraguay on Nov. 12 and 13.
On July 19, during Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s visit to Buenos Aires for a counterterrorism ministerial meeting, Argentina, the United States, Brazil and Paraguay agreed to establish the RSM to bolster cooperation among these governments to counter transnational crime and terrorism. Transnational criminal groups, terrorists and those who support them continue to engage in a wide range of illicit schemes in the region. The RSM focuses on identifying vulnerabilities that these groups are exploiting and on developing solutions to address these threats. The RSM held its first meeting at the expert level this week.
The experts shared information to deepen each country’s understanding of the risks of terrorists and organized criminal groups and those who support them pose to the region; identify vulnerabilities that these groups are exploiting; and develop recommendations to mitigate these risks and increase regional cooperation to combat these groups.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay hosted this two-day meeting and led the delegation of the Government of Paraguay composed of investigators, prosecutors, financial analysts and customs officials.
This initiative is part of the continuous effort of the U.S. Embassy of Paraguay in promoting cooperation to increase local and regional institutional and inter-institutional capacity, provide staff training and technical assistance, as well as better information exchange between participating countries.
OPDAT has been in the Tri Border Area (TBA) of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina since 2015, posting a money laundering/terrorism financing-focused Intermittent Advisor to Paraguay and a computer hacking and intellectual property adviser to Brazil. In 2017, OPDAT added a resident advisor in Buenos Aires dedicated to counterterrorism issues in the TBA. In 2018, OPDAT expanded to add a resident legal advisor in Asunción focused on counterterrorism issues. In 2020, OPDAT will add a counterterrorism focused intermittent advisor in Brazil.
The advisor in Buenos Aires has promoted legal and regulatory reforms, provided case-based mentoring and capacity building, and encouraged greater regional cooperation. Over the past two years, after receiving OPDAT training and mentoring on these topics, Argentine authorities are increasingly using undercover officers, informal sources of information, cooperating defendants, and interagency task forces to advance investigations involving complex crimes and criminal organizations. In July, Argentina – also with OPDAT support – developed and deployed a domestic terrorist designation regime, which included Hizballah and its top leaders as designated terrorists.
In August, Paraguay announced its own terrorist designations. These designations, also developed with OPDAT support, declared Hamas, Hizballah, ISIS, and Al Q’aida to be terrorist organizations. The designations, which were passed with technical assistance from OPDAT are currently awaiting the President’s signature, will serve as the basis for freezing assets linked to designated terrorist organizations or any entity linked to terrorism or its financing. In addition to work on terrorist designations and asset freezes, the Paraguay program coordinates and conducts training to counter terrorist financing; provides case-based mentoring to build capacity to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate such cases; and continues to work with Paraguayans to form a financial crimes/terrorism financing task force.
Justice Department Awards over $2.5 Million in Grants to Combat Human Trafficking and Assist Victims in EDVARead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it has awarded more than $2.5 million in funding, through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Human trafficking, forced labor, and the sexual exploitation of both adults and children remains a top priority of this office, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute these serious crimes, which inflict mental, emotional, and physical harm on the victims involved,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As a former human trafficking prosecutor myself, I know firsthand that there are no more righteous causes than combatting modern day slavery. Thank you to the Department of Justice for supporting our efforts and our critical partners in this all important fight to protect vulnerable individuals and hold traffickers accountable.”
On November 12, 2019, the Justice Department announced the awarding of over $100 million nationwide in grants issued by multiple OJP components, including the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), to victim services providers, human trafficking task forces, and jurisdictions all over the country. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, those grants totaled over $2.5 million in funds that were awarded to five organizations located or operating within the Eastern District of Virginia.
Under OVC’s Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking program, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia (OAG) was awarded $354,621 to provide minor victims of trafficking with high-quality services that are developmentally appropriate and tailored for their individual needs. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office plays a leadership role in the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force—which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and victim services providers—and OAG previously received funding in 2016 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to support those ongoing efforts.
Under OVC’s Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking program, the Justice Department awarded $839,055 to Samaritan House, Inc. and $497,958 to Safe Harbor to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of all forms of trafficking.
Samaritan House, which is based in Virginia Beach, provides emergency and permanent housing, support services, and community outreach to victims of violence and homeless families in the Hampton Roads region. Funding from the OVC grant will allow Samaritan House to continue addressing the growing trafficking concerns in the Hampton Roads area, and to collaborate with the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force as its victim services provider. The grant will pay for direct services to support victims of sex and labor trafficking, such as emergency shelter, which is essential to help victims stabilize and succeed.
Safe Harbor, which is based in Richmond, provides support to those who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, sexual violence, or human trafficking in Henrico County and the Greater Richmond region. Safe Harbor’s comprehensive program for victims of sex trafficking includes emergency and transitional shelter for adult female victims, case management, therapeutic counseling, addiction counseling, court advocacy, and a human trafficking hotline for those seeking services. Funding from the OVC grant will allow Safe Harbor to expand and centralize services for human trafficking victims by creating a community center for delivery of services, including case management and addiction counseling, to victims living outside Safe Harbor’s shelter program.
Under OVC’s Field-Generated Innovations in Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking program, Survivor Ventures, Inc. will receive $900,000 to fill gaps and improve the victim service field’s response to human trafficking. Survivor Ventures, which is based in Norfolk, provides survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation with the support and resources needed to attain economic empowerment, including the provision of safe shelter.
In addition, The Salvation Army was awarded $493,798 to provide integrated services for minor victims of human trafficking in both New York and Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Jury Convicts Florida Man for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Dameon Kerk Allen (42, St. Petersburg) guilty of attempted enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity. Allen faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2020.
Allen was indicted on August 20, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, Allen communicated online and over text messages with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old child. In reality, he was communicating with an undercover agent. In the conversations, Allen proposed and planned to meet up with the child to have sex, discussing in graphic detail the sex acts he would engage in when they met.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Thelwell and Colin McDonell.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Iranian Businessman Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions by Exporting Carbon Fiber from the United States to IranRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced that Behzad Pourghannad was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to export carbon fiber from the United States to Iran between 2008 and 2013. Pourghannad pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2019,before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. United States District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti imposed yesterday’s sentence.
“Pourghannad falsified shipment documents and used front companies to export carbon fiber to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions,” said Assistant Attorney of National Security John C. Demers. “Carbon fiber is used by the Iranian Regime to further its nuclear, military, and aerospace programs. We continue to thwart the efforts of the Iranian regime to evade our sanctions and work steadfastly with our international partners to investigate, prosecute and bring sanctions violators to justice.”
"Behzad Pourghannad conspired to circumvent U.S. export controls on carbon fiber, a substance with numerous military and aerospace applications,” said U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman for the Southern District of New York. “The significant sentence Pourghannad received should send a message that such violations, which threaten our national security, will incur stiff penalties.”
According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, including statements made during the plea and sentencing proceedings:
Between 2008 and July 2013, Pourghannad and his two codefendants, Ali Reza Shokri and Farzin Faridmanesh, lived and worked in Iran. During that period, they worked together to obtain carbon fiber from the United States and surreptitiously export it to Iran via third countries in violation of United States sanctions. In particular, Shokri worked to procure many tons of carbon fiber from the United States; Pourghannad agreed to serve as the financial guarantor for large carbon fiber transactions; and Faridmanesh agreed to serve as the trans-shipper. Carbon fiber has a wide variety of uses, including in missiles, aerospace engineering, and gas centrifuges that enrich uranium.
In or about late 2007 and early 2008, Shokri and a Turkey-based co-conspirator (CC-2) successfully arranged for the illegal export and transshipment of carbon fiber from the United States to an Iranian company Shokri operated (Iranian Company-1). Specifically, CC-2 contacted a United States supplier of carbon fiber, who in turn enlisted a third individual (Individual-1) for assistance with the transaction. Through Individual-1, CC-2 purchased carbon fiber from the United States supplier and arranged for the shipment of the carbon fiber from the United States, through Europe and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Iranian Company-1 in Iran.
In or about May 2009, Pourghannad and Shokri attempted to arrange another illegal purchase and transshipment of carbon fiber from the United States to Iran. Specifically, Individual-1 returned a signed contract to Pourghannad for Shokri’s purchase of a large quantity of carbon fiber. Individual-1 then purchased the carbon fiber from a United States supplier and arranged for the carbon fiber to be exported from the United States to a third country (Country-1), en route to Iran. Country-1 authorities, however, interdicted the carbon fiber shipment before it could be trans-shipped to Iran.
In or about 2013, Pourghannad, Shokri, and Faridmanesh again attempted to illegally procure and export carbon fiber from the United States to Iran. In the 2013 transaction, Shokri and Pourghannad negotiated with Individual-1 for the purchase and trans-shipment to Iran of more than five tons of carbon fiber. Faridmanesh and Pourghannad further agreed with Individual-1 that the carbon fiber would be trans-shipped from the United States to Iran through Tbilisi, Georgia, with Faridmanesh to serve as the trans-shipper. Faridmanesh specifically instructed Individual-1 to change the shipping labels on the carbon fiber to reference “acrylic” or “polyester,” rather than “carbon fiber.” Pourghannad provided Individual-1 with the bank guarantee that was to serve as surety for a portion of the carbon fiber. In or about June 2013, Individual-1 informed Pourghannad, Shokri, and Faridmanesh that the carbon fiber would soon be shipped from Manhattan and that Individual-1 would replace the carbon fiber labels with shipping labels referencing “acrylic” to evade U.S. export controls.
No one involved in these transactions obtained permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control to export the carbon fiber from the United States.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Commerce, and thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gillian Grossman and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie are in charge of the prosecution.
Iranian Businessman Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions by Exporting Carbon Fiber from the United States to IranRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that BEHZAD POURGHANNAD was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to export carbon fiber from the United States to Iran between 2008 and 2013. POURGHANNAD pled guilty on August 29, 2019, before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. United States District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti imposed the sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “Behzad Pourghannad conspired to circumvent U.S. export controls on carbon fiber, a substance with numerous military and aerospace applications. The significant sentence Pourghannad received should send a message that such violations, which threaten our national security, will incur stiff penalties.”
Assistant Attorney General John Demers said: “Pourghannad falsified shipment documents and used front companies to export carbon fiber to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Carbon fiber is used by the Iranian Regime to further its nuclear, military, and aerospace programs. We continue to thwart the efforts of the Iranian regime to evade our sanctions and work steadfastly with our international partners to investigate, prosecute and bring sanctions violators to justice.”
According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, including statements made during the plea and sentencing proceedings:
Between 2008 and July 2013, POURGHANNAD and his two codefendants, Ali Reza Shokri and Farzin Faridmanesh, lived and worked in Iran. During that period, they worked together to obtain carbon fiber from the United States and surreptitiously export it to Iran via third countries in violation of United States sanctions. In particular, Shokri worked to procure many tons of carbon fiber from the United States; POURGHANNAD agreed to serve as the financial guarantor for large carbon fiber transactions; and Faridmanesh agreed to serve as the trans-shipper. Carbon fiber has a wide variety of uses, including in missiles, aerospace engineering, and gas centrifuges that enrich uranium.
In or about late 2007 and early 2008, Shokri and a Turkey-based co-conspirator (“CC-2”) successfully arranged for the illegal export and transshipment of carbon fiber from the United States to an Iranian company Shokri operated (“Iranian Company-1”). Specifically, CC-2 contacted a United States supplier of carbon fiber, who in turn enlisted a third individual (“Individual-1”) for assistance with the transaction. Through Individual-1, CC-2 purchased carbon fiber from the United States supplier and arranged for the shipment of the carbon fiber from the United States, through Europe and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Iranian Company-1 in Iran.
In or about May 2009, POURGHANNAD and Shokri attempted to arrange another illegal purchase and transshipment of carbon fiber from the United States to Iran. Specifically, Individual-1 returned a signed contract to POURGHANNAD for Shokri’s purchase of a large quantity of carbon fiber. Individual-1 then purchased the carbon fiber from a United States supplier and arranged for the carbon fiber to be exported from the United States to a third country (“Country-1”), en route to Iran. Country-1 authorities, however, interdicted the carbon fiber shipment before it could be trans-shipped to Iran.
In or about 2013, POURGHANNAD, Shokri, and Faridmanesh again attempted illegally to procure and export carbon fiber from the United States to Iran. In the 2013 transaction, Shokri and POURGHANNAD negotiated with Individual-1 for the purchase and transshipment to Iran of more than five tons of carbon fiber. Faridmanesh and POURGHANNAD further agreed with Individual-1 that the carbon fiber would be trans-shipped from the United States to Iran through Tbilisi, Georgia, with Faridmanesh to serve as the trans-shipper. Faridmanesh specifically instructed Individual-1 to change the shipping labels on the carbon fiber to reference “acrylic” or “polyester,” rather than “carbon fiber.” POURGHANNAD provided Individual-1 with the bank guarantee that was to serve as surety for a portion of the carbon fiber. In or about June 2013, Individual-1 informed POURGHANNAD, Shokri, and Faridmanesh that the carbon fiber would soon be shipped from Manhattan and that Individual-1 would replace the carbon fiber labels with shipping labels referencing “acrylic” to evade U.S. export controls.
No one involved in these transactions obtained permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, to export the carbon fiber from the United States.
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Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, and thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division. Assistant United States Attorney Gillian Grossman and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie are in charge of the prosecution.
Huntsville Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Large Collection of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Huntsville man pled guilty today to possession of a large collection of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge James G. Hernandez.
A one-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Ryan Thomas Carver, 29, with possession of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children, bondage, and bestiality. According to the plea agreement, an investigation by HSI recovered records showing that Carver paid Bitcoin, a virtual currency, and used the dark web to access a website used for the distribution of child pornography. Based on this information, federal investigators executed a federal search warrant at the Carver’s home in Huntsville, Alabama on March 5, 2018. Analysis of the items found in Carver’s possession at the time discovered a total of 180 identified series of child pornography meeting the federal definition, including 3,102 identified photos of child pornography, 162 identified videos of child pornography, and 45 identified victims.
He is scheduled for sentencing on March 13, 2020.
“Criminals who victimize our children through digital pixels, videos, or photos should expect a visit from federal law enforcement,” Town said. “It’s not a question of if, but when. And when we find you we will prosecute you and you will go to federal prison.”
“HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting those among us that are the most vulnerable,” said James Hernandez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Alabama. “HSI uses all of the tools and technology available to ensure that criminals find no refuge in the Darknet.”
The investigation that ensnared Carver was part of an international investigation into Welcome To Video, the largest child sexual exploitation Darknet marketplace by volume of content, that authorities seized in March 2018 in an operation spanning three continents. Authorities seized approximately eight terabytes of child sexual exploitation videos, one of the largest seizures of its kind. The authorities have shared data about the site’s users with law enforcement agencies throughout the world.
The Darknet site had users across the United States and throughout the world, including at least 53 individuals in the United States. According to a press release by the Department of Justice, the site provided child sexual exploitation videos to users in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington State and Washington, D.C., as well as the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Brazil, and Australia who have now been arrested and charged.
The maximum penalty for possession of child pornography is 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both.
HSI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Keim is prosecuting, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Highlands County Man Sentenced to 18 years in Prison for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Office, and Paul Blackman, Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office announced that Samuel Martinez, 41, of Avon Park, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to 18 years in prison for armed drug trafficking.
Martinez previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Case No. 19cr14022).
According to the court record, on March 12, 2019, law enforcement officers from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant for a hotel room in Avon Park. Martinez was found inside the hotel room, along with over three pounds of methamphetamine, some of which had been packaged for resale, and a loaded Springfield Armory .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Methamphetamine is a dangerous and highly addictive controlled substance. This case involved one of the largest single seizures of methamphetamine in Highlands County, to date.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and Highlands County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Hempstead Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Armed Robbery Conspiracy and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, James Rogers was sentenced to 184 months in prison by United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley for conspiring to commit gunpoint robberies of retail stores in Nassau and Suffolk Counties between August 10, 2015 and December 21, 2015, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery of a Petco Pet store in Hicksville, New York, on August 20, 2015. Rogers pleaded guilty to the charges in April 2017.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
At his guilty plea proceeding, Rogers admitted his role in 15 robberies of retail businesses during a four-month period in 11 different towns in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, including the gunpoint robbery of the Petco store, women’s clothing stores and a Babies R’ Us. On most occasions, Rogers committed the robberies at or near opening or closing times, his face covered with a mask, brandishing a handgun, threatening employees and customers and restraining them using toy handcuffs or plastic zip-tie restraints. Rogers also stole cash, jewelry and other personal items from his victims before fleeing in a vehicle driven by his co-conspirator.
“The defendant terrorized his victims during a violent crime spree, fully justifying today’s lengthy prison sentence. Our communities are safer as a result of his incarceration,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the Nassau County Police Department, the Suffolk County Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for their outstanding work on the case.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles N. Rose is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JAMES ROGERS
Age: 49
Hempstead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-530 (DRH)
Harrisburg Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Haskins, age 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on November 13, 2019, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Haskins with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on October 5, 2018, in Dauphin County.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Hampton Woman Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Jacqueline Masse, 49, of Hampton, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to participating in a mail fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in letters mailed to restaurants and food companies Masse falsely claimed that she (or another member of her family) became seriously ill after eating food served by the restaurants or packaged by the food companies. In other letters also mailed to restaurants and food companies, Masse assumed the identity of other members of her family and falsely claimed that the family member became seriously ill after eating food served by the restaurants or packaged by the food companies.
In each of the 12 letters, Masse falsely claimed that the letter’s writer had paid or borrowed money to pay hospital bills and other medical expenses incurred to treat an illness because they did not have personal health insurance. Each letter included a demand that the affected restaurant or food company reimburse the writer for medical expenses and provide financial compensation for pain and suffering.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, to support each demand letter, Masse provided fraudulent medical records allegedly obtained from hospitals in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as false evidence of the fictitious illnesses. She used fraudulent bank account and credit card statements as false evidence that the writer had dined at the affected restaurant or bought food packaged by the affected food company. Masse also used fraudulent invoices from hospitals and an ambulance company as false evidence of medical expenses.
In correspondence with the insurance carriers, Masse demanded payments totaling more than $399,000. Some of the insurance companies responded by mailing insurance settlement checks totaling more than $206,000 to Masse’s home in Hampton and homes associated with her family members (who were unwitting participants in the scheme to defraud).
Masse is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2020.
“Insurance fraud has a serious impact on hard-working individuals and families, as it drives up their insurance premiums and makes it more difficult to collect on legitimate claims,” said U.S Attorney Murray. “The conduct in this case was carefully planned and persistent. It involved the attempted theft of almost $400,000, the use of bogus documents, and Masse’s use of personal identifying information that belonged to innocent members of her family. I want to commend the New Hampshire Insurance Department for its exceptional work on this case and its overall tenacious effort to investigate and prosecute insurance fraud in all of its forms.”
“I’m very proud of the hard work and dedication of my Fraud Unit,” said John Elias, the New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner. “This fraud scheme caused harm to private consumers, businesses, and insurance carriers. One of our highest priorities is to protect these entities, and we are thankful to the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI for partnering with us to combat fraud.”
"Cleanliness and accountability are the bedrock on which restaurants and food providers stake their reputations. Jacqueline Masse attempted to enrich herself by exploiting that fact and using smear tactics to persuade the victims' insurance companies to settle her bogus claims," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "The FBI thanks the New Hampshire Insurance Department for its exceptional investigative work, which helped expose her fraud and the truth."
The New Hampshire Insurance Department investigated this case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
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Grand jury indicts men allegedly involved in murder of DEA task force officerRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Three local men previously charged by criminal complaint in connection to the shooting death of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge Del Rio have now been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Nathan S. Goddard, Jr., 39, is charged with nine counts, including deliberately killing Det. Del Rio, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana, assault of a federal officer by inflicting bodily injury through the use of a deadly weapon, brandishing and discharging a firearm resulting in death by murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Cahke Cortner, 39, and Lionel Combs III, 40, are each charged with five counts, including conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana, andbrandishing and discharging a firearm resulting in death by murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Combs is additionally charged with maintaining a drug premises at 1454 Ruskin Road in Dayton. Cortner is additionally charged with carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The charges are a result of a shooting that took place during the execution of a federal search warrant during the evening of Nov. 4.
Between mid-July and late-October 2019, the DEA’s Dayton resident office conducted an investigation into a Dayton-based fentanyl operation.
As a result of that investigation, Goddard was named as an alleged source of supply of narcotics and a federal search warrant was subsequently authorized for 1454 Ruskin Road.
At approximately 6:50pm on Nov. 4, DEA and Dayton Police executed the search warrant. After announcing themselves, officers entered the home and Det. Del Rio descended the stairway to the basement of the residence. The officer immediately came under gunfire from the basement and was struck by the gunfire.
In the residence, authorities discovered three firearms. Approximately ten kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine were located in a duffel bag. Containers containing 50 to 60 pounds of marijuana were discovered in the basement. Approximately $11,000 in cash was spread out on a coffee table, and more than $40,000 in cash was located in a duffel bag in a storage area under the stairs.
Five counts pending against Goddard are potentially punishable by the death penalty.
“There are many crimes that, if committed, one forfeits his right to live in a free society. And then there are the rare, few crimes that are so abhorrent to a free society that one is subject to forfeiting his right to exist at all,” said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers. “Goddard has been accused by a grand jury of the latter.”
The drug conspiracy in this case is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison. The brandishing and discharge of a firearm resulting in death by murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime is punishable by an additional mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison, and by death. Congress sets the minimum and maximum penalty ranges for all offenses charged.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. have agreed to proceed federally at this time. Should it later be deemed appropriate, a state indictment could be sought. Mr. DeVillers and Mr. Heck agreed to commit both Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Montgomery County Prosecutors to the trial team regardless of jurisdiction.
They are joined by Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Joseph M. Deters, Acting Special in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in announcing the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Dominick S. Gerace and Brent G. Tabacchi, and First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal J. Patel, are currently representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Indicts Lincoln Man for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that the Grand Jury in the District of Nebraska has returned a seven-count indictment against Titus Miller, 26, of Lincoln. The Indictment charges Miller with the sexual exploitation of five children between August 17, and October 15, 2019.
The first five counts of the Indictment charge the production of child pornography. Each of these offenses are punishable by a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory assessment of $50,000. After release from any imprisonment, Miller would be subject to a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life. Counts 6 and 7 charge Miller with distributing child pornography. Both counts are punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years’ and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life.
Miller’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 13, 2019, at 3:30 pm before Magistrate Judge Cheryl R. Zwart in Lincoln. A preliminary examination will not be held as the Grand Jury has found of probable cause in returning the Indictment. A finding of probable cause is not a finding of guilt and Miller is presumed innocent of these charges.
United States Attorney Kelly expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln Police Department for their quick actions in obtaining a criminal complaint and search warrant immediately upon receiving notification of children being placed at risk of being sexually abused.
"Today’s indictment is evidence of our continued resolve to find those that prey on children in our community," said Special Agent in Charge Kristi Johnson. "We appreciate our partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, the Lincoln Police Department, and the Lancaster County Attorney in this very important investigation."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Gloucester County Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was charged today with allegedly distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Matthew Alongi, 30, of Thorofare, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In November 2018, an undercover law enforcement officer participated in an online chat group on a social networking application that allows internet users to trade digital files. During multiple sessions, a user shared multiple files featuring images of child sexual abuse from an internet address traced to Alongi’s residence.
On May 8, 2019, law enforcement lawfully obtained from Alongi’s residence multiple devices that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Jeff Kocher; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore; the West Deptford Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean McKenna; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Georgia man sentenced for traveling to Atlanta to have sex with an eleven-year-old childRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Devin Herman has been sentenced for attempting to have sex with someone he believed was an 11-year-old girl he met on the internet.
“Unmonitored internet and online chatting make it easy for potential predators to meet and sexually exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We will not tolerate this conduct. Our mission is to protect citizens, especially the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“The facts of this case are shocking but unfortunately all too common,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Chris Hacker. “This sentencing sends a message to Herman and any other predators that the FBI will go to any length, within the constraints of the U.S. Constitution, to bring you to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In February 2019, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity posted an ad online pretending to be a mother in metro-Atlanta. On February 19, 2019, Devin Herman responded to the ad by sending the agent a message. Over the next three days, Herman and the undercover agent exchanged multiple messages that led to Herman arranging to meet in person to have sex with the 11-year-old daughter.
In the chats, the undercover agent told Herman that she was looking for someone to “teach” the 11-year-old girl. Herman told the mother that “it sounds like it’d be a fun time.” Herman then explained what he would do to the purported child. During the chats, there were also times where Herman believed he was chatting directly with the 11-year-old girl, and he asked the child what she liked and what she wanted him to teach her.
When Herman showed up at the planned meeting location in Alpharetta, Georgia on February 22, 2019, he was instead met by FBI agents and taken into custody. Upon his arrest, Herman was found to be in possession a cell phone, and two condoms.
Devin Herman, 22, of Roswell, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy M. Totenberg to ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Herman had been convicted on August 21, 2019, after he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Fresno Men Charged with Possessing and Selling False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment today against Fresno residents Isaias Herrera-Ortiz, 29, and Lucas Lara Portillo, 38, charging them with conspiracy, production of false identification documents, transfer of false identification documents, and fraud and misuse of visas and related documents, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in February and March 2018 and in July and September 2019, the defendants engaged in transactions in which they manufactured and sold false identification documents to buyers. These documents included social security cards and green cards.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Frankfort Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A Frankfort, Maine man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Bangor to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
According to court records, in April 2019, Nicholas Norwood, 33, used a mobile messaging service to send an image of his genitalia to an undercover federal agent posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Norwood faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Framingham Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Framingham man was sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, for selling guns locally that were purchased in Pennsylvania.
Mitchell Daniells, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole to 97 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, Daniells was convicted by a federal jury of dealing in firearms without a license and unlawful possession of a firearm while felony charges were pending.
In January, February and March 2015, Daniells and a straw buyer acting at Daniells’ request, purchased firearms at several gun stores in Pennsylvania. Daniells transported the guns to Massachusetts, where he unlawfully sold them. Daniells obliterated many of the firearms’ serial numbers, but investigators were able to restore them, permitting the firearms to be traced back to the gun stores. While the government introduced evidence at trial that Daniells trafficked 10 guns in the three month time period, the jury also heard that he was selling guns for more than three years, since 2012.
Daniells sold the guns “on the street” to drug dealers and gang members, while other guns ended up in the hands of domestic abusers. For example, Demetrius Williams, a convicted leader of the Columbia Point street gang, was arrested with a gun that traced back to Daniells. Williams’s co-defendant, Benjamin Figeroa, also received a gun from Daniells. Most recently, police recovered a gun traced back to Daniells during a domestic abuse arrest in July 14, 2018.
Daniells was also convicted of possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol purchased for him by the straw buyer on March 27, 2015, and sold by Daniells to a government’s witness for $800 three days later.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Mackinlay and Timothy Moran of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Four Individuals Sentenced in Federal Court for FraudRead the Press Release
El Dorado, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas announced that four individuals were sentenced by the United States District Court for their roles in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in south Arkansas. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in El Dorado, Arkansas.
According to court records, in January 2015, the decedent, a survivor of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred in 2010, received a substantial amount of wealth through lawsuit settlements related to the explosion. In January 2015, he died in a car accident at the age of 34, leaving an estate worth approximately $1.7 million. When he died, his then-17-year-old son was his sole surviving heir. Six days later, Donna Christina Herring used Marion Diane Kinley’s debit card to establish an account on Formswift.com, an internet-based platform that prepares and provides legal documents, including wills, to customers. Herring drafted a fraudulent Last Will and Testament in the decedent’s name which named Herring’s daughter, Jordan Alexandra Peterson, as the executor and the majority beneficiary of the decedent’s estate. Peterson and the decedent were in a long-term relationship at the time of his death.
Herring presented a copy of the fraudulent will to her sister, Marion Kinley, and her brother-in-law, John Wayne Kinley, Jr., and had them sign as witnesses when all three knew that the decedent was deceased. Herring then put the fraudulent will in a sealed envelope. The envelope contained a photocopy of the fraudulent will created by Herring and signed by the Kinleys after the decedent’s death. The photocopied fraudulent will was then delivered to an attorney. When Herring learned that only an “original” copy of a will would be probated, she again presented a copy of the fraudulent will she created on Formswift.com to the Kinleys and the Kinleys signed as Testation Clause witnesses even though the Testator signature line was blank.
Peterson provided Herring the combination to the decedent’s gun safe located in his residence. Herring then asked Peterson to leave the decedent’s residence. After Peterson left the residence, Herring placed the fraudulent will she created in the safe. She then asked her husband and a family friend to search the safe for the decedent’s will and gave them the combination. When the safe was opened, Herring’s husband and the family friend found the fraudulent will that had been placed there by Herring.
In 2016, investigators led by the FBI executed search and seizure warrants and conducted interviews regarding the document fraudulently purporting to be the Last Will and Testament of the decedent. During Peterson’s interview, investigators asked about the whereabouts of the decedent’s cell phone. Peterson told investigators that she had it shortly after his death but no longer had it or knew where it was. This statement to investigators was false because, in fact, Peterson had given the cell phone to a third party a few months earlier. After the interview concluded, Peterson retrieved the cell phone from the third party and placed it in a safe at her stepfather’s business. At no time did Peterson provide the cell phone to law enforcement or inform them of its whereabouts.
The fraudulent will created by Herring and signed by the Kinleys left all but $50,000 of the decedent’s estate to Peterson. It was filed in the Ouachita County Circuit Court in March 2015, resulting in Peterson entering into a settlement with the decedent’s heir, whereby the heir received $50,000 provided for in the fraudulent will, an additional $250,000, and several items of personal property. Peterson received all other assets of the estate minus some items given to the decedent’s brother. The total value of estate assets distributed to Peterson was approximately $1,300,000.
Defendants in this conspiracy received the following sentences:
Donna Christina Herring, age 51, of Camden, Arkansas was sentenced November 12, 2019, to serve 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Herring was first indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in July 2017 and entered her guilty plea in January 2018.
John Wayne Kinley Jr., age 57, of Camden, Arkansas was sentenced November 12, 2019, to serve 12 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Wire Fraud. John Kinley Jr. was first indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in July 2017 and entered his guilty plea in April 2018.
Marion Diane Kinley, age 57, of Camden, Arkansas was sentenced November 13, 2019 to serve 18 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Marion Kinley was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in July 2017 and entered her guilty plea in April 2018.
Jordan Alexandra Peterson, age 23, of Camden, Arkansas, was sentenced November 13, 2019 to serve 6 months home confinement followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Making a False Statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Peterson was first indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in July 2017 and entered her guilty plea in January 2018.
Duane (DAK) Kees, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas stated, “I hope that the conviction and sentence in this matter represents some comfort to Matthew Jacob’s son, Jordan Jacobs, who was the victim of this scheme to disinherit him in the wake of his father’s tragic passing. I also hope that these sentences send a message to those who would seek to abuse the integrity of the Arkansas State Court system. This particular scheme, through its use of a fraudulent will and fake attestations was an assault on the rule of law. I am thankful to the FBI in particular for their dogged determination in pursuing this million dollar fraud and to the District Court for making clear that when white collar offenders go big, they don’t get to go home with probationary sentences.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Arkansas State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Wulff prosecuted the case for the United States.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 117 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Varnell Coe, age 28, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady upon his plea of guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Coe was sentenced to 117 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in March 2018 both Mr. Coe and Brandon Buchanan were indicted for maintaining two premises that were used for the purpose of distributing controlled substances in Fort Wayne. A search warrant was executed at these locations and during the search, investigators located a loaded .357 caliber revolver, fentanyl, crack cocaine, marijuana, hypodermic syringes, approximately $1000 in US currency, evidence of narcotics dealing, along with multiple calibers of ammunition and magazine for various firearms.
Co-defendant Brandon Buchanan was sentenced to 117 months in prison for his role in this case in September 2019.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Indiana State Police. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey R. Speith and Anthony Geller.
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Fort Lauderdale Resident Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Rick Maglione, Chief, Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced that Jean Jameson, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was sentenced to 30 years in prison today for distributing the fentanyl that resulted in the death of another individual.
Jameson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez to a total of 365 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and two counts of distribution of fentanyl (Case No. 19cr60083). He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution to the victim’s family to cover funeral expenses.
According to the court record, on September 25, 2018, Jameson distributed fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, to an individual who died as a result of ingesting the drug. Thereafter, on two separate occasions, Jameson distributed a controlled substance, to wit, fentanyl.
“Men and women in our community are losing their lives to the drug trade,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “Fentanyl, a highly potent controlled substance, is being illegally distributed with deadly results. We implore the public to educate themselves, friends and loved ones about the dangers of drug abuse and addiction. Federal law enforcement authorities will continue to prosecute those who endanger our residents by fueling the opioid epidemic.”
“The DEA takes the distribution of any illegal drug very seriously,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wright. “The recent spike in opioid sales, which correlates to an increased death toll, only heightens our commitment to continue in this fight. The DEA Miami Field Division will continue to work very closely with our law enforcement partners in the Tri-County area along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to fully investigate and prosecute those responsible for illicit drug trafficking activities to ensure that they are held accountable for their actions, especially when the consequences from those actions result in the tragic death of another individual.”
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Maglione stated, “Individuals who knowingly distribute a substance that often results in death should absolutely be held accountable for the results of their actions. Hopefully these individuals will begin to think twice before taking advantage of people who are suffering from an addiction now that they realize the severity of the charges and potential penalties that can be associated with their crimes.”
In December of 2014, the DEA, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and the Broward County Sheriff's Office formed a partnership with the Broward Medical Examiner's Office to track both synthetic drug and heroin related overdoses. From that, and as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) National Heroin strategy to combat heroin/fentanyl trafficking and related overdose deaths, Operation Phantom Chase emerged. The operation, begun in July 2017, is a multi-jurisdictional heroin/fentanyl initiative between the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Sunrise Police Department, Hollywood Police Department, Coral Springs Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’ Office in Broward County which operates as a data collection clearinghouse to analyze intelligence gathered from fatal and non-fatal heroin and fentanyl overdoses that occur in Broward County. The charges being announced today result from the diligent investigative work of this successful federal-local partnership.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. She also thanked the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for their support during the course of this investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Juman.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Fort Dix Correctional Officer Admits Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Delivering Contraband to InmatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man who worked as a corrections officer at a federal facility admitted today that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for delivering contraband to inmates, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Paul Anton Wright, 34, of Berlin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to Count 1 of a five-count indictment charging him with accepting thousands of dollars in cash bribes in exchange for delivering contraband to federal inmates at Fort Dix.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 2014 through April of 2018, Wright worked as a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix (FCI Fort Dix), a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in Burlington County. In 2015, Wright agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband, including tobacco, K2 (synthetic marijuana) and suboxone (a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction), to inmates.
Wright received cash bribes from two individuals outside of FCI Fort Dix. Between February and September 2015, Wright traveled to Philadelphia on multiple occasions to meet with a relative of an FCI Fort Dix inmate and subsequently delivered contraband, including K2, to the inmate. Wright would conceal the contraband in order to smuggle it into FCI Fort Dix. Between October and December of 2015, Wright traveled to New York City on multiple occasions to pick up contraband from a different inmate’s associate, from whom he also received corrupt cash payments in return for smuggling contraband into FCI Fort Dix.
The bribery charge to which Wright plead guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential fine of $250,000. In addition, Wright agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against him in the amount of $50,000, reflecting monies he accepted as bribes during the course of his criminal scheme. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Guido Modano, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, for their assistance in the prosecution.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Angelo R. Bianchi Esq. and Peter C. LaGreca Esq., West Caldwell, New Jersey
Former Velda City Treasurer Indicted for Stealing Approximately $400,000 in City Funds, and Stealing Approximately $150,000 from a CharityRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Venita Sedodo, 32, of St. Charles, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of wire fraud related to her former position as Treasurer of Velda City, Missouri, and four counts of mail fraud related to her former position as Trust Secretary for the Travelers Protective Association of America, Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired.
According to the Indictment, Sedodo served as the Treasurer for Velda City, Missouri. From November, 2015 through October, 2018, Sedodo schemed to steal approximately $400,000 from the city. During that time, Sedodo issued approximately 90 unauthorized Velda City checks to herself, which she deposited into several of her personal bank accounts. Sedodo spent the stolen funds on personal items and services such as clothing, automobile payments, as well as making numerous cash withdrawals. Sedodo also issued unauthorized Velda City checks directly to a number of businesses to pay for personal items and services. Further, Sedodo made numerous unauthorized ACH wire transmissions of funds from Velda City bank accounts to pay for personal items and services at businesses such as BMW, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Commerce Bank to pay off charges on her personal credit cards. Altogether, Sedodo’s fraud scheme netted her approximately $400,000 in funds stolen from Velda City.
Sedodo was also employed as the Trust Secretary for the Travelers Protective Association of America, Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired (“TPA Scholarship Trust”). This is a charitable organization which provides financial aid to individuals with deafness or hearing deficiencies. From June, 2014, through January, 2019, Sedodo submitted false and fraudulent grant applications for her family members and friends to the charity’s Board of Trustees. These grant applications falsely claimed that the individual applicants suffered from deafness or hearing impairment, and Sedodo created and submitted along with the applications false audiograms and audiological evaluations. Sedodo did not advise the Board of Trustees that the individual applicants were her family members and friends. Once the Board of Trustees unwittingly approved the grant applications, Sedodo processed and issued checks to the individual applicants, who then cashed the checks and split the proceeds with Sedodo. None of the grant funds were used for legitimate health care or treatment related to deafness or hearing impairment, but were used by Sedodo and her family and friends for their own personal use and expenses. Sedodo obtained approximately $156,100 from TPA Scholarship Trust through her fraudulent scheme.
If convicted, as to each charge Sedodo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is also mandatory.
In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.