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Friday 4 October 2019
Former New Haven City Employee Sentenced to 9 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling $100KRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL LION, 65, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to nine months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $100,000 from the City of New Haven. Judge Hall also fined Lion $7500 and ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lion was employed by the City of New Haven for approximately 40 years, most recently in the city’s accounting department. New Haven had a policy where employees can be paid in advance if they are about to take approved vacation leave. As part of his employment, Lion had access to the city’s payroll system.
From approximately 2002 to June 2018, Lion periodically accessed the city’s financial accounting software to issue vacation paychecks to himself. He then deleted the computer entries for the checks, which caused the payroll system to issue his regular paycheck, as well. Through this scheme, Lion stole $102,947.44 from the City of New Haven.
Judge Hall ordered Lion to make full restitution.
Lion retired from the City of New Haven in March 2019.
On May 22, 2019, Lion pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Lion, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 4, 2019.
This investigation was conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, U.S. Secret Service and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Former Holmes County Clerk of Court Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury in Tallahassee returned an indictment charging former
Holmes County, Florida, Clerk of Court, Kyle Martin Hudson, 39, of Westville, Florida, with wire
fraud. The indictment was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern
District of Florida.“A public office at all levels of government is a sacred public trust and anyone who breaches or
betrays that trust will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “As the people expect and
deserve leaders who do their jobs with honesty and integrity, we will vigorously pursue and
prosecute those few who commit crimes and place their self-interest above the public interest.”The indictment alleges that, between October 2017 and August 2018, Hudson, while employed as the
elected Clerk of Court for Holmes County, Florida, fraudulently obtained more than
$6,800 in taxpayer funds through the submission of fraudulent travel reimbursement claims.Hudson will be arraigned in federal court on the charges on October 7, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. before
United States Magistrate Judge Michael Frank at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.Hudson faces the following potential penalty:
• Wire Fraud: a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fineThis case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant
United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.This case arose from an extensive investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Trust Unit, a
comprehensive anti-corruption initiative designed to target and hold accountable elected,
appointed, and employed public officials who abuse the sacred trust placed in them by citizens.An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of
federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a
fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that
serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access
public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Former Federal Agent Convicted of Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Heesch (619) 546-9442 and Andrew P. Young (619) 546-7981
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 4, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Johnny Martin, a former supervisor in the Department of Homeland Security, was convicted by a federal jury today of lying to the FBI about providing confidential information from law enforcement databases to outsiders. The information was used by fraudsters who duped more than 100 victims out of millions of dollars with false promises of green cards.
During the investigation, the FBI uncovered confidential government information in the email inbox of Hardev Panesar. Panesar and his associate, Rafael Hastie, posed as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents and conned immigrants into paying exorbitant fees for the promise of green cards they would never see. Panesar and Hastie were able to convince victims they were bona fide federal agents in part by presenting them with confidential information obtained from law enforcement databases.
The FBI suspected that Martin, who at the time was a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, was the source of this confidential information. When FBI agents interviewed Martin in June 2017, he denied sending Hastie the confidential government information.
After the interview, the FBI discovered that – contrary to his denials – Martin had personally extracted the information from law enforcement databases, and had emailed this information directly to the Hastie. The FBI confirmed that the information - which included personally identifiable information, immigration and criminal history - was used by Panesar and Hastie in an attempt to defraud the victims in the immigration fraud scheme. There is no evidence that Martin knew that Hastie was using the information he provided as part of their scam.
After a three-day trial and 11 hours of deliberation, the jury found that despite his denials, Martin lied to the FBI about sending that information to Hastie.
“This immigration scam was successful, in part, because a government official betrayed his badge and then lied about it,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “No one, including members of the law enforcement community, is above the law.” Brewer praised the FBI and prosecutors Andrew Young and Megan Heesch for their hard work on the case.
“No matter your role, status, or position in the community, it is a federal crime to lie to the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brunner. “Lying to an FBI agent as part of an investigation is not only fundamentally wrong but could place lives in danger and frustrate the administration of justice. Mr. Martin knew better and today he was held accountable.”
“Law enforcement officials are held to the highest standard and integrity is at the core of those standards,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego. “As in this case, we are fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure violators are held accountable.”
Martin’s case is related to a separate immigration fraud case pending against Panesar, Hastie and Gurdev Singh (Case No. 17CR1371-GPC).
Panesar pleaded guilty in February and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9 at 1 p.m. before Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel; Hastie pleaded guilty in October 2018 and was sentenced to 46 months in custody and was ordered to pay $942,310 in restitution; Gurdev Singh pleaded guilty in June 2018 and was sentenced to 27 months in custody and ordered to pay $392,850 in restitution.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 18CR2835-GPC
Johnny Martin Age: 60 Chula Vista, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Making a False Statement to a Federal Agent, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001
Maximum Penalties: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations
Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility
Five Defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Large Quantities of Oxycodone throughout KentuckyRead the Press Release
Lexington, Ky- Five defendants, who previously admitted to conspiring to distribute thousands of oxycodone pills throughout Richmond, Kentucky and surrounding areas, were sentenced this week.
U.S. District Court Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced, Malik Chapman, Douglas Mayfield, Ryan Jones, Victoria Grimes, and Alyssa Parrish to 84 months, 40 months, 40 months, 18 months, and 18 months respectively. Four other defendants involved in the case, Patsy Wardle, Shannon Allen, Bianca Pennington, and Robert May, were previously sentenced in August to 148 months, 72 months, 41 months, and 40 months, respectively.
According to plea agreements and trial evidence, Malik Chapman, Shannon Allen, Bianca Pennington, Patsy Wardle, and others, worked together to distribute oxycodone throughout Richmond, Kentucky and surrounding areas. Chapman, assisted by Grimes and Parrish, was responsible for transporting oxycodone pills from Detroit, Michigan to Richmond, Kentucky, where Allen and Pennington would further distribute the pills to local drug dealers, like Wardle, May, Mayfield, and Jones. Wardle also acted a source of supply for Allen at times.
Under federal law, the defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
“The distribution of opioids, such as oxycodone pills, remains a significant issue in central Kentucky, particularly in Madison County,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold opioid traffickers, like these defendants, accountable for their criminal conduct. I commend the hard work and cooperation of federal, state, and local law enforcement in dismantling a significant, multi-state drug trafficking operation that was responsible for the distribution of thousands of oxycodone pills in Madison County and elsewhere in our region.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Daniel D. Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Commissioner Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police; Chief James Ebert, Richmond Police Department; Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Department; and Chief David Gregory, Berea Police Department jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, Richmond Police Department, and Appalachian HIDTA Madison County Drug task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Tanner Bradley and Paco Villalobos.
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 PSN program was reinvigorated 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.
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Federal Prosecutors in Northern District of Florida Secured Convictions in Separate Cases of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida this week secured
convictions in two separate trials involving child exploitation, including charges of production of
child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor. The guilty verdicts, from trials in
Tallahassee and Gainesville, were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the
Northern District of Florida.“I am extremely proud of the Assistant United States Attorneys whose efforts made sure these two
criminals receive severe and just punishment under the law,” said Keefe.After a two-day trial, a Tallahassee jury convicted Brennon Kyle Holley, 41, of Pensacola, of
attempted enticement of a minor. Holley came to the attention of law enforcement after he placed a
Craigslist.com advertisement seeking sex that said “age, relationship doesn’t matter.” A law
enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old Panama City girl named “Rhea” responded to the ad, and
Holley then engaged in sexually explicit phone and text conversations with Rhea. He also sent
sexually explicit photographs in an attempt to entice and persuade her to engage in sexual activity
with him. After four days of communication, and believing Rhea’s parents were out of town, Holley
“convinced” the girl to let him come to her house when he got off work in Pensacola in order to
engage in sexual activity. Holley began the trip, but never arrived because his car broke down near
Fort Walton Beach.Holley faces a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment. The sentencing hearing is
scheduled for December 13 at 1:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. The case was
investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Aine Ahmed.In the second case, Joseph Donald Roberts, 43, of Branford, Florida, was convicted of production,
receipt, and possession of child pornography in the U.S. District Court in
Gainesville.After a two-day trial, the jury convicted Roberts of using file sharing software to receive and
share videos of child pornography. The trial jury made a special finding that the images included
children younger than 12 years of age. In addition, Roberts was convicted of using his cell phone
to create pornographic videos of a minor child.Roberts faces a mandatory minimum 15 years up to 30 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is
scheduled for December 16 at 2:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville. The case was
investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and
was prosecuted by the district’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Coordinator, Assistant
United States Attorney Frank Williams.“This child predator represents the very worst of our society,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special
Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “We hope that this verdict offers another step forward in the
healing process for his young victims.”The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as
the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public
court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida,
visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Federal Jury Finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the conviction of NORRIS DESHON ANDREWS, 34, for illegally possessing a firearm. The jury found ANDREWS guilty following a ten-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
As proven at trial, on May 15, 2018, police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 25th and Girard Avenue North in Minneapolis. Witnesses described the shooter’s vehicle as an older model blue Chevrolet Tahoe. Officers recovered 13 discharged bullet casings from the scene. A little over an hour later, two individuals were shot and wounded in a parking lot near Plymouth Avenue North. Surveillance footage from a nearby security camera showed the shooter, who was later identified as ANDREWS, driving up to the scene in a blue Tahoe. ANDREWS and another individual got out of the vehicle and had a verbal altercation with several individuals standing on the sidewalk before ANDREWS pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and fired four shots, hitting two victims. ANDREWS then got back in the blue Tahoe and fired two more shots as he fled the scene. Hours later, officers located ANDREWS and took him into custody.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey S. Paulsen and Samantha H. Bates tried the case.
Defendant Information:
NORRIS DESHON ANDREWS, 34
City of residence unknown
Convicted:
- Felon in possession of a firearm - armed career criminal, 1 count
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Jury Convicts Owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. in Austin for Investment and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal jury convicted 49-year-old Charles McAllister, CEO and owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. (BDI), of money laundering and scheming to defraud customers out of millions of dollars, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; and, Texas State Securities Board Commissioner Travis J. Iles.
The jury convicted McAllister of two counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property.
According to evidence presented during the five-day trial, from at least January 2009 through July 2015, McAllister perpetrated a scheme that falsely represented that funds obtained from individual customers would be used to purchase precious metals on behalf of the customer and either shipped directly to the customer or stored in BDI’s vault. Instead of buying the precious metals with the customer’s funds and storing customer metals, McAllister spent customer property on BDI corporate expenses, on other investment activities, and for his own personal use and benefit.
McAllister, who is currently on bond, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to ten years in federal prison for the money laundering charge. The Court is also considering entering a $16,186,212.56 monetary judgment against McAllister that represents the amount of proceeds obtained directly or indirectly from the defendant’s alleged scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for 9:00am on December 19, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel.
Agents with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas State Securities Board conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Keith Henneke are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Federal & State Charges Announced in Methamphetamine InvestigationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Federal, state, and local officials announced that 16 people have been charged with drug crimes following a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution in the Wausau, Wisconsin area.
The charges were announced today by Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul; Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon; FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes; Wausau Police Chief Benjamin Bliven; Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks; and Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Schneider.
Twelve people have been charged in indictments returned by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2019, as follows:
- Lisa Xiong, 31, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, with three counts of distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chong Chueneng Moua, 51, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chou Xiong, 36, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, seven counts of distributing 5 grams or more; and one count of distributing 50 grams or more;
- Soua Khang, 23, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and three counts of distributing methamphetamine;
- Ya Yang, 31, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine;
- John Gates, 49, Hewitt, Wisconsin, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of attempting to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chai Thao, 34, Wausau, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 50 grams or more;
- Sandy Vang, 49, Wausau, is charged with three counts of distributing methamphetamine, with two counts alleged to involve 5 grams or more;
- Ger Moua, 31, Wausau, is charged with three counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more, and one count alleged to involve 50 grams or more; with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Vang C. Yang, 26, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine;
- Meng Xiong, 26, Wausau, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more; and
- Dao Thao, 39, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The conspiracy is alleged to have operated from November 2018 to June 2019. The indictment alleges that the amount of methamphetamine in the conspiracy attributable to the conduct of Lisa Xiong is 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and with respect to defendant Chong Chueneng Moua, Soua Khang, and Chou Xiong, the amount of methamphetamine attributable to their conduct is 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
If convicted, Lisa Xiong faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The counts alleging 50 grams or more of methamphetamine carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years is prison. The charges that allege the distribution of a mixture of methamphetamine carry a maximum penalty of 20 years; the drug charges that allege distribution of 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years. Ger Moua faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which federal law mandates be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum of 10 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge.
District Attorney Wetzsteon announced that four people will face state charges in Marathon County, as follows:
- Kai Chang, 28, Wausau, is charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine as a habitual criminality repeater;
- David Castillo-Lopez, 30, Wausau, is charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine as a habitual criminality repeater;
- Mai Xiong, 32, Wausau, is charged with delivery of methamphetamine (10 to 50 grams), as a party to the crime, as a habitual criminality repeater; and;
- Par Y. Her, 61, Wausau, has been charged in Marathon County Case 19CF1033 with delivery of methamphetamine (3 to 10 grams) and delivery of methamphetamine (10 to 50 grams), both as a habitual criminality repeater.
U.S. Attorney Blader said, “As United States Attorney, I want to make it clear to those who choose to distribute these dangerous drugs for profit - you are a priority for law enforcement, and my office will work with our local, state, and federal partners to prosecute you and send you to federal prison. Those who are pouring these substances into Wisconsin from out of state should be on notice that we will use all resources available to us, including the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, to identify you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
The charges announced today are the result of an investigation by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force. The members of the task force include the Marathon and Lincoln County Sheriffs’ Offices, Wausau and Everest Metro Police Departments, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper is handling the prosecution of those facing federal charges. Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Kyle Mayo is handling the prosecution of those facing state charges.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Fake Lawyer Sentenced for Defrauding Members of Immigrant Communities in Northern VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to two years in prison and ordered to pay $332,000 in restitution to 35 victims for posing as a lawyer in order to defraud numerous car accident victims who were members of immigrant communities in Northern Virginia and elsewhere.
According to court documents, Tuan Duc Nguyen, 55, of Garden Grove, falsely held himself out to car accident victims and insurance companies alike as a lawyer for over four years. In the course of his scheme, Nguyen told victims he would represent their interests and they would receive settlement proceeds from insurance companies. But instead of disbursing funds to the victims, Nguyen kept the money for himself. Nguyen carried out the scheme by providing false address information to settling insurance companies so that the victims would not learn of the settlement and by signing documents with false signatures. When victims contacted Nguyen to inquire about the status of their claims, Nguyen often deceived them by stating that negotiations were ongoing when, in fact, the claims had already been settled and Nguyen had stolen the money.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dober and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-329.
FBI Crime Statistics Show Reduction in Violent Crime Across WyomingRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Mark A. Klaassen announced today a significant reduction in violent crime affecting Wyoming communities over the past two years. The Uniform Crime Reporting Index for Wyoming, as compiled by the FBI, indicates violent crime in Wyoming dropped approximately 17% between 2016 and 2018. “This decrease in violent crimes is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement across the State of Wyoming. I appreciate their efforts and assistance these partners provide to our federal law enforcement agencies as we continue our Project Safe Neighborhoods program emphasis.” The reduction in Wyoming is consistent with a nationwide decrease in violent crime that has been occurring since 2017.
Law enforcement agencies throughout Wyoming submit reports on offenses, arrests, clearances, and other supplemental information to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. Those reports are processed and a yearly report is sent to the FBI for compilation and analysis. Violent crimes include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. During this two-year period, homicides in Wyoming dropped from 19 in 2016 to 14 in 2018. During the same time aggravated assaults dropped from 952 to 722 and robbery went down from 57 to 43.
Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. The goal of PSN is for a broad spectrum of stakeholders to 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 with the goal of achieving lasting reductions in crime.
“Throughout the past two years, as part of our PSN efforts, we have been looking for ways to more effectively collaborate and partner with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” said Klaassen
According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate also decreased nationwide for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers. “The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
Eye Doctor Group, Physicians Pay $6.65 Million to Settle Allegations They Submitted Fraudulent Bills to Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Southern California-based ophthalmology group, its former CEO and several of its physicians have paid the United States and California $6.65 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that they defrauded public health care programs by billing for unnecessary eye exams, improperly waiving Medicare co-payments, and violating other regulations, the Justice Department announced today.
Retina Institute of California Medical Group (RIC), is a medical partnership of ophthalmologists who specialize in the treatment of retinal diseases. RIC operates in multiple locations in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. On October 2, the RIC and several other defendants paid the United States $6,353,410 and paid California $296,590 pursuant to a settlement agreement.
The other defendants who participated in the settlement are:
- Dr. Tom S. Chang, of Pasadena;
- Tom S. Chang, M.D., Inc., a Pasadena-based company;
- Dr. Michael A. Samuel, of Arcadia;
- Dr. Michael J. Davis, also of Arcadia;
- Brett Braun, former CEO of Retina Institute of California Medical Group;
- California Eye and Ear Specialists, a Pasadena-based subsidiary of Trilogy Eye Medical Group Inc., a company for whom Chang and Samuel serve as senior executives; and
- San Gabriel Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, a San Gabriel-based company.
Between January 2006 and August 2017, the defendants allegedly violated the False Claims Act by submitting bogus claims to Medicare and Medicaid/Medi-Cal, according to a settlement agreement signed in this case. Medicare reimburses physicians for examining patients, paying more money as the medical exams performed increase in complexity. RIC personnel allegedly improperly billed public health programs by misclassifying simpler exams as being more complex, using billing codes normally used for patients with severe or emergency conditions.
RIC and the other defendants also allegedly waived Medicare co-payments and deductibles without proper documentation of patients’ financial hardship, which was intended to induce referrals. The defendants allegedly also billed Medicare and Medicaid for medical services that weren’t performed, were unnecessary, not documented in the medical record or were not in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
The allegations were made in a whistleblower lawsuit filed in United States District Court by Bobbette A. Smith and Susan C. Rogers, who formerly worked for RIC as administrators, under the qui tam – or whistleblower – provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The United States may intervene in the lawsuit, or, as in this case, the whistleblower may pursue the action. Smith and Rogers will receive a share of the settlement, but that amount has not yet been determined.
The case, which was filed in May 2013 and unsealed in July 2016, was monitored by the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
The claims settled are allegations only and the defendants did not admit liability.
The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Smith and Rogers v. Tom S. Chang, M.D., et al., No. 13-CV-3772-DMG (C.D.Cal.).
Eight people indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Northwest OhioRead the Press Release
Eight people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Northwest Ohio.
Leonardo Espino, 48, of Holland; Peter Martinez, 29, Tony Nichols, 47, Ramon Ochoa, 43 all of Oregon, Ohio; Thomas Espino, 42, Christopher Faust, 36 all of Toledo; Glendon Patrick, 40 of Fremont, Ohio; and Jose Luis Betancourt-Ponce, 46, of Mexico, are all charged with conspiracy to distribute with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Thomas Espino is also charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
The Espino drug trafficking organization is allegedly responsible for multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine and heroin as well as tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to Northwest Ohio. The group is also believed to have distributed drugs to New York City, Chicago, and North Carolina, according to court documents.
Leonardo Espino is the alleged head of the organization and coordinates directly with a source of supply for drugs in Mexico. Thomas Espino is the principal party responsible for drug distribution and obtaining payments, which are then returns to suppliers in Mexico. Nichols owns Nichols Automotive at 460 East Broadway, which is the group’s primary meeting place. He also distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and large amounts of fentanyl pills to others, according to court documents.
Faust distributed heroin in Toledo and also made wire transfers to pay suppliers in Mexico. Martinez distributed cocaine and fentanyl in the Toledo area. Ochoa transported drugs and cash for members of the organization. Patrick distributed pills for the group and transported heroin and cash, according to court documents.
Prosecutors are seeking to forfeit six firearms and ammunition seized from 1619 Albert Street in Toledo, six firearms and ammunition seized from 2649 Hayden Street in Toledo and one firearm and ammunition seized from 460 East Broadway Street in Toledo as part of the investigation, according to court documents.
“This group is responsible for bringing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl into Northwest Ohio, then shipping the profits back to Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This is occurring at the same time our neighbors continue to die from overdoses. We will continue to do all we can to choke off the supply of these deadly drugs.”
“This is a significant blow to a major drug trafficking organization operating in the Toledo, Ohio area,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “These actions make Toledo and the surrounding community safer by taking a significant amount of drugs off the street and bringing criminals with ties to violent drug trafficking organizations to justice.”
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Weldon and Gene Crawford.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eastport Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: An Eastport man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Daniel B. Boone, Sr., 49, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Boone pleaded guilty on May 8, 2019.
According to court records, on November 26, 2018, Boone possessed a 12-gauge shotgun in his home and then transferred the shotgun to another individual. Boone was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2012 felony conviction for unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs.
The Eastport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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. For more information about PSN, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psn.
East Coast man admits to bringing aliens into USRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old man from Gaithersburg, Maryland, has admitted he conspired to illegally transport more than 30 undocumented aliens for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Ernest Michael Carter pleaded guilty in federal court today.
On June 3, Carter arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35, north of Laredo. He was driving a tractor trailer with Oklahoma plates. Soon after, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics or hidden persons inside the trailer.
Authorities sent him to secondary inspection, at which time they discovered 36 undocumented aliens inside the trailer, more than $45,000 in cash and $4,000 in money orders. Two of them were minors, according to records.
Court documents also indicate that Carter had purchased a vehicle for $10,000 cash in Laredo two days prior. He was unemployed at the time.
Carter has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which will be set for a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. At that time, Carter faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
Dyer County Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Deangelo Liggons, 36, has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in March 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information about a group of individuals involved in the distribution of large amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine. Agents utilized confidential sources (CS) and made numerous drug purchases from unindicted co-conspirators.
On March 30, 2018, agents observed the defendant return home. A short time later a CS entered the residence and purchased one quarter ounce of marijuana. These purchases continued for over a year. Agents obtained a search warrant for Liggons’ Facebook account and began arranging to purchase narcotics from Liggons.
On October 29, 2018, a federal search warrant was executed at Liggons’ residence. Liggons was found at the residence in possession of a Canik TP9 9mm semi-automatic firearm, which was loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition. They also found marijuana, a digital scale, a notebook ledger, a box of 9mm ammunition and approximately 48 grams of actual methamphetamine. Agents advised Liggons of his Miranda rights, and Liggons informed the agents that he owned the firearm and was a convicted felon. He further advised agents that he owed the source of the narcotics $5,000, because he was fronted the narcotics and would pay the source when the drugs were sold.
Liggons was held responsible for distributing a total of 320 pounds of marijuana and 48.62 grams of actual methamphetamine.
On October 2, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Liggons to 144 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community, and in this case, Liggons was a drug dealer who continued to possess a firearm and sell poison in our rural community, despite his prior felony conviction history. There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this armed drug dealer will be removed from our streets for 12 years."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dyersburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Duo Sentenced and Ordered to Pay $757,499.06 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Edward Kerr, Jr., 56, of San Pierre, Indiana and Tammy Estrada, 36, of North Judson, Indiana, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon following their pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Edward Kerr Jr. was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
Tammy Estrada was sentenced to 6 months home detention along with 2 years’ supervised release and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Edward Kerr, Jr., Tammy Estrada, and Brenda Kerr participated in a scheme in which United Mobile Care of San Pierre, Indiana, submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for transporting recipients by ambulance to dialysis appointments, when in fact the recipients were ambulatory and ineligible for ambulance transportation under Medicare and Medicaid. Edward Kerr, Jr. admitted he was United Mobile Care’s leader/manager.
Brenda Kerr was sentenced on September 13, 2019, to 2 years’ probation with 12 months of home detention and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was handled by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Berkowitz.
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Driver Pleads Guilty to Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jaswinder Singh, age 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Utica to knowingly transporting illegal aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
In pleading guilty, Singh, who worked as a driver for a ridesharing company, admitted that on May 20, 2019, he picked up two aliens who had recently crossed into the United States from Canada illegally a few miles from the border in St. Lawrence County. The aliens paid Singh $2,200 after he picked them up. Singh also admitted that he transported several other aliens in exchange for money between January 1, 2019 and May 20, 2019.
The charge to which Singh pled guilty today carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, a special assessment of $5,100, and forfeiture of the $2,200 Singh was paid. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Singh will be sentenced on February 13, 2020, by United States District Judge David N. Hurd.
This case is being investigated by the United States Border Patrol, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Felony Drug Trafficking and Firearm Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Abdul Samuels, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to seven years in prison stemming from drug trafficking and gun possession charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Samuels, Anthony Fields, 45, of Washington, D.C., and Lonnell Tucker, 42, of Temple Hills, Md., were found guilty on March 21, 2019, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Samuels was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Mehta sentenced Samuels on October 2, 2019 to seven years in prison. Following his prison term, Samuels will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In June 2017, ATF began investigating the trafficking of narcotics from the Next Level Cuts barbershop located in the 2400 block of MLK, Jr., Avenue, SE and adjoining property above. Through surveillance, controlled purchases from inside and outside the barbershop, residential search warrants, cellphone searches, arrests, jailhouse calls, pleas, and cooperating witnesses, law enforcement discovered a coordinated drug trafficking operation that was centered at the barbershop and extended into Maryland. The investigation established that drug traffickers used the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location.
The investigation led to a series of arrests beginning in February 2018 which led to the recovery of three firearms from the barbershop and one firearm in a residence, the seizure of more than $7,000 in cash, and without packaging, the seizure of more than 300 grams of PCP, more than 150 grams of heroin, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, boxes of suboxone strips, and more than 100 grams of a cutting agents.
In addition to being convicted of conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl from the barbershop, Samuels was also convicted of narcotics trafficking and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition relating to a search of his residence in Southeast, D.C. on May 10, 2018, where ATF recovered a firearm, ammunition, extensive drug paraphernalia, and crack cocaine.
During the trial, officers from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority testified regarding a separate arrest of Samuels in 2018 in Virginia, in which crack cocaine packaged for distribution was recovered from his vehicle. Samuels’ charges in Virginia for that arrest are still pending and on those charges, he is presumed innocent.
The Defendant was previously convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in D.C. Superior Court, following the shooting of a victim in the neck at the victim’s residence. While serving his sentence for that offense, Samuels was subsequently prosecuted and convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for his role in the murder of a fellow inmate.
On June 13, 2019, Fields was sentenced to 16 years of incarceration to be followed by eight years of supervised release. On June 14, 2019, Tucker was sentenced to five years of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. On September 25, 2019, Artinis Winston, who was a fugitive for approximately nine months, was sentenced to five years of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release for his role in the narcotics conspiracy.
Three other defendants – Darryl Smith, 41, of Washington, D.C., James Venable, 47, of Fort Washington, Md., and Lacy Hamilton, 42, of Suitland, Md. – pled guilty earlier to federal charges. Smith managed the barbershop and was sentenced to 80 months in prison relating to his possession of narcotics in the barbershop on February 1, 2018, and for his possession of packaged fentanyl and a loaded firearm following an arrest by MPD in December 2017 outside of the barbershop. Venable, another conspirator, was sentenced to a 37-month prison term following his possession of narcotics and a firearm in both Washington, D.C. during a December 2017 arrest by MPD and at his residence in Maryland on February 1, 2018. Venable also acknowledged selling narcotics to an ATF confidential informant in July 2017. Hamilton was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for selling narcotics outside the barbershop and in Maryland as part of the charged narcotics conspiracy.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Benedict, and Chief Newsham commended the assistance provided by officers and agents of the Prince George’s County Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for 2016 Murder on Sidewalk in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Becton, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison stemming from a shooting that took place in Southeast Washington in September 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Becton was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed and related firearms offenses by a jury on April 4, 2019, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge Juliet McKenna.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Sept. 15, 2016, the victim, Darnell “Kirk” Peoples, Sr., agreed to help a woman buy drugs. They encountered a group of young men who were playing craps in the 600 block of Mellon Street SE, in front of a neighborhood market. Mr. Peoples made a remark that offended the group, leading to a confrontation with Becton. Mr. Peoples tried to quash the trouble, but Becton pulled out a gun and started counting down. Mr. Peoples unsuccessfully tried to get the gun. Becton shot him two times in front of numerous people and fled the scene. Mr. Peoples, 35, stumbled across the street and collapsed, shot in the neck and the left hip.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrived within minutes and Mr. Peoples managed to mumble before he died that he was shot by “Dre from Trenton Park.” Becton was arrested on Oct. 21, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Stephanie Siegerist, Meridith McGarrity, Alesha Matthews, and Richard Cheatham; Witness Security Specialists Lesley Slade and Tanya Via; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and interns Jeremy Kelly and Madison Jansky.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso and Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendant Sentenced for Role in Omaha-based Methamphetamine Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Stacy Kretchmer, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on October 4, 2019, to 24 months in prison by United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. In addition to her prison term, Stacy Kretchmer will serve two years of supervised release following her release from prison.
On August 24, 2018, as part of a DEA wiretap investigation, investigators intercepted communications that Kretchmer was going to transport methamphetamine on behalf of a drug trafficking organization. Kretchmer was stopped on the way to meet coconspirators and 730 grams of actual methamphetamine were seized.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
D.C. Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies, CarjackingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to nearly 30 years in prison for his participation in three armed robberies and an armed carjacking.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lamont Kortez Gaines, 29, participated in the armed robbery of an Advance America Cash Advance store in Alexandria and two 7-Eleven convenience stores in Arlington. During the robberies, a semi-automatic, submachine-gun style pistol with an extended and loaded magazine was brandished at the businesses’ employees. Additionally, Gaines participated in an armed carjacking in Alexandria. Three of Gaines’ co-conspirators—Andrew Bernard Duncan, 28, Desmar Rashad Gayles, 27, and Anton Durrell Harris, 29, all of Washington, D.C.—previously pleaded guilty to charges of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and each was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
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.
This case was investigated by the Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of FBI Special Agents, and task force officers from the Arlington County Police, the Alexandria City Police, the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Leesburg Police Department, the Herndon Police Department, the Fairfax City Police, and the Vienna Police, and works in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service. The task force worked cooperatively and extensively with the City of Alexandria Police, Arlington County Police, and the Prince George’s County Police, Maryland, on this investigation. The task force is charged with identifying, investigating, disrupting and bringing to justice the most violent and egregious criminal enterprises and actors impacting the National Capital Region.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Rebeca H. Bellows prosecuted the case.
Alexandria Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during this investigation and prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-106.
Counterfeit NCAA, NFL Ticket-Seller Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Rakee Russ, 41, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 12 months and one day of incarceration, three years’ supervised release and $420 restitution by United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for his participation in a scheme to sell counterfeit tickets.
Russ pleaded guilty in July 2019 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and trafficking in counterfeit goods, arising from his role in the sale of counterfeit tickets to sporting events, including the January 2017 Villanova-Virginia NCAA Men’s College Basketball game and the September 2017 Eagles v. Giants NFL game, both in Philadelphia, PA. The counterfeit tickets bore the authentic trademarks that were registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Russ sold the counterfeit tickets at the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field.
“Criminal counterfeiting and piracy are serious, federal crimes,” said First Assistant U. S. Attorney Williams. “When fans spend their hard-earned money on event tickets, they deserve the real deal. This defendant took advantage of unsuspecting fans, and now he will be doing more than a year in federal prison. To anyone else out there who thinks selling counterfeit tickets are not going to be prosecuted federally, take notice. Justice has been served.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joan E. Burnes and Anita Eve.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican citizen was sentenced today to one and a half years in prison for illegally reentering the United States subsequent to removal for an aggravated felony conviction.
“Gonzalez-Granillo committed burglary and a sex offense involving a minor victim, was deported at taxpayer expense, and then illegally returned to the country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His criminal actions have shown a complete disrespect for our nation’s laws and borders. Individuals like Gonzalez-Granillo represent a clear threat to the safety and security of our communities, and as such we will continue to prioritize criminal immigration enforcement cases across the Eastern District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, Marcos Gonzalez-Granillo, 40, originally illegally entered the United States in 1997. In 2002, he was convicted in state court in North Carolina of attempted second-degree rape and first-degree burglary, an aggravated felony. He was removed from the country at taxpayer expense in 2007 after serving his state prison sentence. Gonzalez-Granillo was next encountered by law enforcement authorities in Norfolk in 2019, when he was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender under Virginia law.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Shean and Elizabeth M. Yusi 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. 2:19-cr-75.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Sean Humby, 31, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The defendant was previously convicted of sexual abuse of a child and as a result faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in 2008, Humby was convicted of sexually abusing three minors in Monroe County and sentenced to serve 108 months in prison. The defendant was released on parole in 2016. On August 24, 2018, New York State Parole Officers conducted a routine search of Humby’s residence, during which they discovered the defendant with a cellular phone, in violation to his parole conditions. Humby was taken into custody. A forensic analysis determined that the cell phone contained child pornography.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York State Division of Parole, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2019, before Judge Geraci.
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Columbus man admits to role in cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Martenez Strong-Edmondson, Jr., of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a cocaine and heroin distribution operation that spanned two states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Strong-Edmondson, also known as “Bo,” age 21, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base and Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” He admitted to distributing cocaine and cocaine base near Pulaski Playground in September 2018 in Ohio County.
Strong-Edmondson is facing no less than one year and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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.
The investigation was led by the Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department. Those assisting in the arrests are the United States Marshal Service; Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department; and the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Columbia County Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John G. Stroming, age 60, of Stuyvesant, New York, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue ordered that Stroming’s sentence run consecutive to a state term of imprisonment Stroming is serving. Today’s federal sentence should begin in 2027, when Stroming’s state sentence is scheduled to end.
Stroming was convicted in May 2019 following a 2-day jury trial. The evidence at trial showed that Stroming videotaped himself sexually abusing a 19-month-old and that he also possessed child pornography involving other children. At the time of the crimes, Stroming was required to register as a sex offender. He has sex offense convictions including for rape in the second degree (2011) and promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child (1999).
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Shira C. Hoffman.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Clarksburg woman admits to her role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michelle Elaine Queen, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Queen, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Queen admitted to selling heroin in January 2017 in Harrison County.
Queen faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Charles Edward Harrington Receives 96 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced CHARLES EDWARD HARRINGTON 34, of Wilmington to 96 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
HARRINGTON was named in an indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on February 13, 2019, charging him with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base (crack). On June 11, 2019, HARRINGTON pled guilty to that charge.
On December 22, 2018, investigators assigned to the Mobile Field Force task force with the Wilmington Police Department in Wilmington, North Carolina were patrolling in the area of Rankin Street, Wilmington when they observed HARRINGTON. HARRINGTON had an active warrant for his arrest and law enforcement placed HARRINGTON under arrest. During the course of the arrest, officers discovered a bag of cocaine base (crack) in HARRINGTON’s pocket. HARRINGTON has an extensive history of narcotics related convictions and offenses in New Hanover County.
This case is part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation “Tooth Fairy” with cooperation from the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. This operation is focused on a drug trafficking organization operating in the New Hanover County area of North Carolina.
This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The FBI, Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Mr. Averitt is a prosecutor with the Prosecutorial District 6 District Attorney’s Office encompassing New Hanover County. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.
Californian Vintner Sentenced to Five Months in Prison in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Californian vintner was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for paying $50,000 to have his daughter’s SAT scores artificially inflated, and agreeing to another $250,000 to have her fraudulently recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) as a water polo player.
Agustin Francisco Huneeus, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $100,000. In May 2019, Huneeus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
The government recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $95,000.
Beginning in 2017, Huneeus conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. Over the course of several months, Huneeus took steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for his daughter to take the SAT, lying to her high school guidance counselors, and arranging for her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. In March 2018, Huneeus’s daughter took the SAT with the help of co-conspirator Mark Riddell, thereby receiving an artificially higher score. The following month, Huneeus made a purported contribution of $50,000 to Singer’s shame charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the scheme.
Huneeus was not happy with the results of the fraudulent exam scheme, and considered pursuing it on two more occasions. Ultimately, Huneeus decided to use the college recruitment scheme to guarantee his daughter’s admission to USC. During a call intercepted by a court-authorized wiretap, Singer explained the recruitment scheme in detail and the cost to Huneeus. In September 2018, Singer sent Donna Heinel, the senior athletic director at USC, an email with Huneeus’s daughter’s high school transcript, fraudulent SAT score, a fabricated athletic profile, and a photograph that was intended to appear to be Huneeus’s daughter playing water polo. In November 2018, Heinel emailed Singer a conditional acceptance letter for Huneeus’s daughter stating that she was admitted to USC as a water polo player. Later that month, Huneeus sent a $50,000 check to Heinel purportedly for the “USC Women’s Athletics Board.” Ultimately, Huneeus was arrested before making the final agreed-up payment of $200,000 to Singer.
Co-defendants Felicity Huffman, Devin Sloane, Stephen Semprevivo, and Gordon Caplan were previously sentenced to two weeks, four months, four months, and one month in prison, respectively.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Bronx Man Sentenced to Life Plus 75 Years in Prison in Connection with Murders of Marvin Harris AndRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES FELTON was sentenced today to life plus 75 years in prison for the June 11, 2016, murder of Marvin Harris, whom FELTON shot 13 times, and the December 11, 2016, murder of Jose Morales, whom FELTON shot in the head. FELTON’s sentence also encompassed his participation in a drug conspiracy and firearms offenses. FELTON was convicted on June 19, 2019, after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “James Felton murdered two people in cold blood and attempted to murder two others. The sentence imposed today is a just punishment for a brutal, unrepentant killer. We thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on this case and for their dedication in bringing Felton to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and evidence at trial:
Between 2010 and 2017, FELTON was a member of a long-running narcotics conspiracy centered around 240 East 175th Street in the Bronx, New York, as well as a criminal enterprise consisting of members of his family and other associates. On June 11, 2016, at the corner of East 175th Street and Monroe Avenue, FELTON shot Marvin Harris 13 times after Harris insulted FELTON and challenged FELTON’s status within the drug territory. Six months later, at the corner of East 175th Street and Weeks Avenue, one block away from the scene of the Harris murder, FELTON shot rival drug dealer Edwin Romero four times, attempted to shoot Romero’s girlfriend, and shot Jose Morales in the head, killing him.
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In addition to the prison term, FELTON, 50, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Matthew Hellman, and Anden Chow are in charge of the prosecution.
Bradley Chiropractor to Serve Nearly Three Years in Prison, Pay $495,000 Restitution for Insurance Billing Fraud, Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid has ordered that Joseph Mayotte, who previously owned and operated Bradley Chiropractic Clinic, in Bradley, Ill., serve 33 months in prison, the sentence recommended by the government, and pay restitution in the amount of $401,000 to Blue Cross Blue Shield and $93,526 to the IRS. The hearing for Mayotte, 72, of Kankakee, Ill., concluded late afternoon on Oct. 3, before Judge Shadid in Peoria. Mayotte was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Dec. 17, 2019, to begin serving his sentence.
Mayotte entered pleas of guilty to the offenses charged on Feb. 11, 2019, as jury selection was beginning for trial. Mayotte admitted that from January 2007 to October 2015, he submitted false billing claims to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance. The false claims were typically made on behalf of patients for whom the clinic had not provided any services or were in excess of the actual services provided. As a result, Blue Cross Blue Shield paid the clinic money to which it was not entitled, which Mayotte then used for his own benefit. In addition, Mayotte admitted that he failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2014.
In addition to Mayotte, the clinic’s former office manager, Constance Leadingham, aka Connie, previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing false income tax returns, and was sentenced on March 1, 2019. Leadingham, of Watseka, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for her role in the fraud scheme. As the clinic’s office manager, Leadingham admitted she submitted false billing claims, then wrote checks payable to herself from the clinic’s checking account in addition to her salary. Leadingham also admitted that in addition to the fraud scheme, she filed false income tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of Inspector General; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the case prosecutions.
Beachwood woman sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing the identities of more than a dozen people and filing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
A Beachwood woman was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for stealing the identities of more than a dozen people and filing false tax returns.
Aesha Johnson, 42, was convicted by a jury earlier this year on all 29 counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She was also ordered to pay $63,708 in restitution.
Her daughter, Brittany Williams, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy. She was sentenced to three years of supervised release and $63,708 in restitution
Williams and Johnson, when she was living in West Virginia, conspired together to use stolen identities to file false tax returns with the IRS, seeking tax refunds. Johnson acquired many of these identities through a previous criminal fraud scheme, according to the indictment.
Johnson and Williams used an address associated with the family on East 142nd Street in Cleveland as the address of record for many of the false tax returns. They often communicated with each other using a code that referred to the victims using numbers 1 through 31, and created and used fictitious email accounts in the names of the victims to communicate with the IRS, according to the indictment
Williams filed the false tax returns online, obtained prepaid debit cards in the names of the identity-theft victims and requested the IRS deposit the refunds onto those cards. Williams then withdraw cash or made purchases with the cards, according to the indictment.
“This pair stole people’s identities then used it to steal from taxpayers,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “The community is safer with Ms. Johnson behind bars.”
“This sentence is a small victory for the many American taxpayers who have been victims of stolen identity refund fraud schemes,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “The defendants demonstrated a blatant disregard for the integrity of the United States tax system and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS-CI will continue to do our part in protecting the sanctity and integrity of the tax system and those individuals whose identities were stolen."
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Cronin and Justin Seabury Gould following an investigation by the IRS.
Attorney Convicted of Embezzling over $1.5 Million from Virginia Senator, Canadian Business, and Autism OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Fairfax attorney today on charges of conspiring to defraud and to launder fraud proceeds totaling over $1.5 million, including funds embezzled from Virginia State Senator Richard Saslaw’s campaign account, a Canadian business, and an organization intended to support students with autism and other intellectual disabilities.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, David H. Miller, 70, conspired with his wife, Linda Diane Wallis, to defraud three categories of victims from 2011 through 2014. First, Miller, an attorney, conspired with Wallis to create two fake law firms, Federal Legal Associates and The Straile Group. Miller and Wallis used the two fake law firms to fraudulently bill Miller’s employer, SkyLink Air and Logistic Support, Inc. (SkyLink), a Canadian based aviation company that maintained an office in Dulles, for purported legal work that was never actually performed. Miller and Wallis caused approximately $368,400 in losses to SkyLink.
Second, Miller and Wallis embezzled approximately $653,000 from the campaign account of Senator Saslaw. From June 2013 to September 2014, Wallis served as the treasurer of the Saslaw for State Senate campaign. During that time, Wallis issued over 70 fraudulent checks from the Saslaw for State Senate campaign bank account, which totaled approximately $653,000. All of the checks were issued without the knowledge or permission of Senator Saslaw or his campaign staff, and were ultimately deposited into accounts that were controlled by Miller or Wallis.
Third, Miller and Wallis misappropriated funds from an autism organization, which Miller co-founded and for which Wallis served as the Executive Director. The organization, known as The Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities (CCCAID), claimed to provide assistance to community colleges to develop programs for individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities. Between April 2010 and April 2013, community colleges located around the country and an individual donated approximately $783,000 to CCCAID. The funds contributed to CCCAID were supposed to be used to further the mission of the organization and not to enrich Miller or Wallis. Despite these restrictions, from 2011 through 2014, Miller and Wallis embezzled over $600,000 from CCCAID’s bank account and used the money to pay their own personal expenses.
Miller and Wallis laundered the proceeds of their crimes through multiple bank accounts and ultimately spent the funds on lavish personal expenses, including mortgage payments on a million-dollar home in Fairfax, renovations to an oceanfront property owned by Miller in Bethany Beach, Delaware, dues payments to the Country Club of Fairfax, and travel on private aircraft from Manassas to Montego Bay, Jamaica for a family vacation at a luxury oceanfront resort.
Miller’s co-conspirator and wife, Linda Diane Wallis, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 56 months in prison on Mar. 18, 2016.
Miller faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on each of ten counts of conviction when sentenced on Jan. 24, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the verdict. Assistants U.S. Uzo E. Asonye and Samantha P. Bateman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-213.
Aspiring Manager and Former Adidas Consultant Sentenced to Prison Terms for Bribing NCAA Division I Men’s College Basketball CoachesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTIAN DAWKINS was sentenced to twelve months and a day in prison, and MERL CODE was sentenced to 3 months in prison, after having been found guilty in May 2019 of engaging in a scheme to bribe multiple NCAA Division I men’s college basketball coaches. The defendants were sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who also presided over the jury trial. Both sentences are in addition, and will run consecutive, to sentences previously imposed on both defendants by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan for their roles in a separate scheme to defraud Adidas-sponsored universities by making illicit cash payments to the families of college-bound student-athletes and concealing those payments from the schools.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Christian Dawkins and Merl Code have now been sentenced to prison a second time for their roles in corrupting the world of college basketball. The sentences imposed this week should make crystal clear to other members of the basketball underground exposed during the various prosecutions brought by this Office that bribery is still a crime, even if the recipient is a college basketball coach, and one that will result in term of incarceration.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Indictment, Superseding Indictment, and evidence presented during the trial in Manhattan federal court:
Overview of the Scheme
DAWKINS and CODE agreed to pay bribes to various NCAA Division I men’s college basketball coaches in exchange for those coaches’ exerting their influence over the student-athletes that they coached in order to retain the services of DAWKINS and a new sports management business (the “Dawkins Company”) that he had recently started.
Prior to founding the Dawkins Company, from in or about 2015 until in or about May 2017, DAWKINS worked for a major sports agency recruiting high school and college basketball players as clients. In connection with his work for the sports agency, DAWKINS paid bribes to Lamont Evans, who at the time was an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina, in order for Evans to exert his official influence over student-athletes he coached to retain the services of the sports agency that employed DAWKINS. DAWKINS subsequently introduced Louis Martin Blazer III, a financial advisor who, unbeknownst to DAWKINS, was cooperating with the Government, and Munish Sood, another financial advisor, to Lamont Evans in order for them to continue paying bribes to him.
In or about May 2017, DAWKINS was terminated from his job at the sports agency and started the Dawkins Company with Munish Sood and another investor who, unbeknownst to DAWKINS, was an undercover law enforcement officer (“UC-1”). In order to recruit future clients, DAWKINS proposed, among other things, paying bribes to coaches at various NCAA Division I universities so that these coaches would steer their student-athletes to retain the services of the Dawkins Company. DAWKINS thereafter proposed paying bribes to Emanuel “Book” Richardson, an assistant coach at the University of Arizona. Soon thereafter, DAWKINS arranged for Richardson to travel to New York City in order to receive a $5,000 cash bribe. Weeks later, Richardson requested an additional $15,000 from DAWKINS, which Richardson said he would use in order to secure the commitment of a top high school basketball player to attend the University of Arizona, who Richardson would then steer to retain the services of DAWKINS and his company. DAWKINS arranged for UC-1 and Munish Sood to pay Richardson an additional $15,000 cash bribe in New Jersey in or about July 2017.
In or about June 2017, DAWKINS introduced Sood, UC-1, and Blazer, among others, to MERL CODE, who at the time was a consultant for Adidas, in order for CODE to work with the Dawkins Company to recruit future clients. During the initial meeting, DAWKINS, CODE, Sood, Blazer and UC-1 discussed, among other things, CODE’s ability to identify and connect the Dawkins Company with corrupt college basketball coaches willing to accept money. At the end of the meeting, CODE received a $5,000 cash payment from UC-1 on behalf of the Dawkins Company.
In or about July 2017, DAWKINS and CODE discussed by telephone, among other things, CODE introducing UC-1 to various men’s college basketball coaches at an upcoming recruiting event in Las Vegas, Nevada, and that CODE would be paid $5,000 for each men’s college basketball coach that he introduced to DAWKINS and UC-1. CODE later sent a text message to DAWKINS containing a list of coaches that CODE had set up meetings with in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the dates and times of each of the meetings, for the purpose of DAWKINS and his company arranging to bribe them. In advance of the meetings, CODE advised UC-1 and DAWKINS that they should tell the coaches they would meet with that they would be available to provide them with money in the future, including with respect to any future financial needs these coaches had in connection with recruiting.
In Las Vegas, several coaches received cash bribes during their meetings with DAWKINS, and other coaches DAWKINS agreed to pay later as needed, in exchange for them using their influence to steer players to the Dawkins Company. Anthony Bland, an assistant coach at the University of Southern California, and an assistant coach from Creighton University -- two of the coaches that were on the list of meetings that CODE sent to DAWKINS by text message -- met with DAWKINS, UC-1 and Blazer in Las Vegas in July 2017 and accepted cash bribes. During the meeting in Las Vegas, Bland accepted a cash bribe and confirmed that he would use his influence to steer student-athletes at the University of Southern California to retain the Dawkins Company. During the trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, DAWKINS, Blazer and UC-1 also met with a third coach from Texas Christian University and paid this coach a cash bribe, as well.
After these meetings, DAWKINS discussed with college coaches who had been bribed players that they could steer to DAWKINS and his new company. For example, in August 2017, Anthony Bland, an assistant coach at the University of Southern California, facilitated meetings between DAWKINS and Sood, and the family members of a then-current student-athlete on the University of Southern California men’s basketball team, as well as a family member of a different student-athlete who was a rising freshman planning to play for the University of Southern California men’s basketball team the next season. During a meeting on the campus of the University of Southern California in or about August 2017, Bland informed DAWKINS and Sood that if they continued to fund payments to family members of University of Southern California men’s college basketball players and recruits that Bland would use his position as an assistant coach to influence these players to retain the Dawkins Company.
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DAWKINS, 26, of Los Angeles, California, and CODE, 45, of Greer, South Carolina, were also sentenced to 2 years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the FBI and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert L. Boone, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Eli J. Mark are in charge of the prosecution.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 109 months for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky- Michael Virgil Woodham, 45, of Bessemer, Alabama was sentenced to 109 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Wier for receiving child pornography.
According to Woodham’s plea agreement, he knowingly received a visual depiction from a Pulaski County resident, and the visual was of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant admitted that he knew that the visual depiction was of a minor.
Michael Virgil Woodham pleaded guilty March 8.
Under federal law, Woodham must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Division, and Johnnie Sharp, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Birmingham, Alabama Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
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Air Force Colonel Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Air Force Colonel pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, between November 2015 and June 2016, Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, received and attempted to receive child pornography using the Internet. Visconi used an online bulletin board dedicated to the sharing of child pornography that operated on the anonymous TOR network to download child pornography. A forensic review of his laptop showed that Visconi downloaded and viewed numerous child pornography images and videos.
According to court documents, Visconi used his cell phone to create hundreds of pictures focused on the clothed buttocks of minor girls. In a smaller subset of these pictures, Visconi appeared to take “upskirting” images of some of the girls. It does not appear that any of the girls were aware that pictures were being taken.
Visconi pleaded guilty to receiving and attempting to receive child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 31, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Marc Meyer, Special Agent In Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Trial Attorney of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Gwendelynn Bills are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-258.
Air Force Colonel Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
An Air Force colonel pled guilty today to receiving child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent In Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, between November 2015 and June 2016, Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, Virginia, received and attempted to receive child pornography using the Internet. Visconi used an online bulletin board dedicated to the sharing of child pornography that operated on the anonymous TOR network to download child pornography. A forensic review of his laptop showed that Visconi downloaded and viewed numerous child pornography images and videos.
Separately, the plea documents also note that Visconi used his cell phone to create hundreds of pictures focused on the clothed buttocks of minor girls. In a smaller subset of these pictures, Visconi appeared to take “upskirting” images of some of the girls. It does not appear that any of the girls were aware that pictures were being taken.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III for the Eastern District of Virginia scheduled the sentencing for Jan. 31, 2020.
The case was investigated by HSI. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
"Showtime," Leader of Massive Middle Georgia Drug Operation, Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Macon—The final two of ten defendants involved in a large-scale illicit drug operation based in Warner Robins, Georgia have been sentenced to prison for their crimes, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell sentenced Travis McKenzie a/k/a “Showtime,” 38, of Warner Robins, GA on Thursday, October 3, 2019 to 300 months in prison. On February 15, 2019, Mr. McKenzie pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, “crack” cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, alprazolam and more than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Co-defendant Clarence Bogan, 40, of Warner Robins, GA, entered a guilty plea on February 25, 2019 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 130 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The curtain has closed on Showtime and his entire criminal organization,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “I am proud of the seamless effort displayed by our partner law enforcement agencies to coordinate the successful take-down of a massive drug trafficking operation that was ruining lives in Middle Georgia. Mr. McKenzie’s unique business model allowed him to gain substantial profits by directly controlling many points of sale, all at the expense of addicted Georgians, their wounded families and our society, gravely harmed by the drug epidemic. I want to commend our partner law enforcement agencies for their role in ending this insidious drug trafficking network.”
“This case highlights the joint commitment, dedication, and partnership between our state and federal partners in combatting drug trafficking in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta field office. “McKenzie wreaked havoc on his community and fueled the flames of the drug epidemic in this country. This sentence sends a message that the FBI and its law enforcement partners are devoted to taking drug traffickers off our streets to clean up our neighborhoods.”
“It was an extensive investigation that was a collaborative effort between many agencies. Travis McKenzie was a major drug dealer in Houston County, and we are very pleased with the sentence,” said Captain Jon Holland, Chief Investigator, Commander, Criminal Investigations Division, Houston County Sheriff’s Office. “The successful result in this case shows what happens when local, state and federal agencies work together. We want to thank the other agencies working with us to investigate this case and move forward with a successful prosecution.”
“This was a very large scale drug operation responsible for many overdoses in Middle Georgia,” said Stephen Lynn, Chief of Police, City of Perry, Georgia. “It was a tremendously successful take down, involving multiple agencies, which shows the importance of partnership and teamwork.”
“The show is finally over for ‘Showtime’ and his ring of criminals who flooded the Warner Robbins area with dangerous drugs,” said Robert J. Hammer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta. “Georgia law enforcement at both the state and federal level is committed to removing both the illicit drugs and those criminals that sell them from our streets.”
Mr. McKenzie admitted in his guilty plea to orchestrating a large-scale illicit drug trafficking operation based in Warner Robins, Georgia. From December 18, 2014, until his arrest on June 28, 2017, Mr. McKenzie and his co-conspirators were documented storing and distributing large quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from various sources. The drugs were sold in smaller quantities to sellers with their own customers or directly to users from various locations, including “trap houses” located in Warner Robins, where Mr. McKenzie resided. Mr. McKenzie not only directly controlled the sale of narcotics at each of the trap houses, but also supplied and facilitated other co-conspirators selling directly from those locations. Law enforcement conducted more than 70 controlled buys during the course of the investigation, and surveillance, including wire and electronic telephone interceptions, documented the near daily purchase and sale of controlled substances by Mr. McKenzie and the organization to a large number of different people.
The co-conspirators are as follows:
Jonathan Haslem, 38, of Warner Robins, GA, entered a guilty plea on March 8, 2019 to one count conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, “crack” cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, alprazolam and more than 50 kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced on June 27, 2019 to 220 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Kimseing Le, 31, of Atlanta, GA, entered a guilty plea on February 27, 2019 to one count conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on August 14, 2019 to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
LaTray McKenzie, 20, of Warner Robins, GA, entered a guilty plea on February 27, 2019 to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. He was sentenced on June 13, 2019 to 84 months in prison and one year of supervised release.
Tamika Lashawn Hickey, 37, of Perry, GA, entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2019 to one count possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was sentenced on June 27, 2019 to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Justin High, 32, of Warner Robins, GA, entered a guilty plea on February 27, 2019 to one-count conspiracy to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. He was sentenced on June 13, 2019 to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Esha Hill, 30, of Warner Robins, GA, entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2019 to one count misprision of a felony. He was sentenced on June 13, 2019 to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release.
Kaelin Varrett, 25, of Warner Robins, GA entered a guilty to plea to one count possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on June 13, 2019 to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Thomas Jeffrey Locke, 52, of Reynolds, GA entered a guilty plea on February 20, 2019 to possession with intent to distribute, cocaine and heroin. He was sentenced on June 13, 2019 to three years of probation.
The case was investigated by the Perry Police Department, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, ICE. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McCullers prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Thursday 3 October 2019
Wrestler admits to running drug smuggling conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old Mexican national has admitted he conspired to import over 50 kilograms of meth into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jose Ramos-Delgadillo pleaded guilty in federal court today to two counts – conspiracy to import and importation of meth.
On Aug. 4, 2019, he arrived in Laredo at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge driving a Ford Escape. An initial search yielded 24 bundles of meth concealed within the tires. However, authorities also discovered an additional 19 bundles in the vehicle’s firewall.
Upon questioning, Ramos-Delgadillo claimed he was a wrestler from Guadalajara, Mexico, who was traveling to Dallas to visit a friend.
He soon admitted he knew there were narcotics in the vehicle. He expected to be paid $5,000 for transporting the drugs.
The drugs weighed a total of 53.56 kilograms with an approximate value of more than $300,000.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, which will be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. At that time, Ramos-Delgadillo faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
Worcester Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted today for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Lawrence Rutherford, 37, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Rutherford was arrested on Sept. 6, 2019, and charged by criminal complaint.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2019, law enforcement agents found two guns and more than 600 rounds of ammunition in Rutherford’s home while executing a search warrant. Rutherford is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions punishable by more than one year in person.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm and John T. Mulcahy of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woman Sentenced for Helping to Plan Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced today to nearly 13 years in prison for aiding and abetting multiple robberies, and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during one of those robberies.
According to court documents, Christina Pilgrim, 37, met Ali Cousins, Jr. around the year 2017 when Cousins brought his son to Pilgrim’s daycare center which she operated out of her home. The two entered into a romantic relationship shortly after meeting. Pilgrim was married at the time. While also operating the daycare center, Pilgrim worked at the Dollar Tree at 8920 Patterson Avenue, Henrico. So, when Cousins began to suffer financial difficulties in 2018, Pilgrim suggested to him that he could rob the Dollar Tree where she worked. She assured him that the business would be easy to rob. Cousins decided to rob the store and relied on information Pilgrim provided, particularly the store employees who would work on a given night and the location of safes and cameras in the store, to carry out the robberies. Additionally, Pilgrim provided Cousins access to a firearm that her husband owned and left in her home which Cousins could use during the robberies. Cousins would rob the store five times between the months of March and September 2018.
During one robbery which occurred in August 2018, Pilgrim informed Cousins that the store manager to the Dollar Tree would make the nightly bank deposit at a nearby Wells Fargo bank. Cousins decided that he would rob the store manager as the manager made the deposit, and Pilgrim drove Cousins to the Wells Fargo to wait for the store manager to arrive. Pilgrim watched as the store manager left the Dollar Tree and informed Cousins when the manager was on his way to the bank. When the manager arrived, Cousins completed the robbery and Pilgrim picked Cousins up afterward.
For the last robbery in September 2018, Pilgrim provided Cousins access to her husband’s vehicle which Cousins used to complete the robbery. Cousins and an accomplice, Bryant Williams, then traveled to the Dollar Tree and entered the store just before closing. Pilgrim, who was working at the store at the time, saw Cousins and Williams arrive and enter the restroom of the store to wait for the right opportunity to complete the robbery. While Cousins and Williams waited, Pilgrim sent text messages to Cousins regarding others in the store being suspicious of them when they came to the store. Soon after that text message, Cousins and Williams completed the robbery and fled the store. Law enforcement would arrest Cousins the same night and would arrest Williams several months later.
Cousins pleaded guilty and admitted to having committed the five robberies. Also, Williams, and another accomplice, Anthony Simmons, who Cousins recruited for the first robbery, pleaded guilty to their roles in the individual robberies they performed with Cousins.
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, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony 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. 3:19-cr-50.
Wilson Man Sentenced for Distribution of Synthetic CannabinoidRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced AKRAM ABDEL-AZIZ, age 52, of Wilson, North Carolina, to 50 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
ABDEL-AziZ was named in a five count Superseding Indictment filed on September 6, 2018 charging him with offenses related to the distribution of 5F-ADB; a synthetic cannabinoid listed as a Schedule I controlled substance. On December 17, 2018, pursuant to a plea agreement, ABDEL-AZIZ pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5F-ADB and money laundering by structuring.
According to the investigation, between March of 2017 and April of 2018, ABDEL-AZIZ possessed and distributed a large quantity of 5F-ADB, known locally by the label “Black Magic” and other similar names. The substance was sold as a liquid vaporizer product at vape shops in Onslow, Craven, Wilson, Cumberland, New Hanover, and Pamlico counties. The product came to the attention of authorities following dozens of instances in which individuals required medical attention after ingesting the product and suffering from symptoms such as seizures, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, paranoia, and cardiac arrest. The military was particularly hard hit as more than 100 military members fell ill and/or required medical attention after ingesting the substance. Moreover, use of the illegal substance resulted in the administrative separation of a large number of military personnel, negatively impacting the readiness of certain units. ABDEL-AZIZ obtained the 5F-ADB through bulk purchases from co-conspirators elsewhere in the United States using Western Union money orders. To avoid reporting requirements, purchases were made with money orders obtained from several locations in amounts of less than $10,000.
In carrying out the scheme, ABDEL-AZIZ took steps to obscure his identity and that of the 5F-ABD. These actions included using a false alias to make purchases and obtaining “Black Magic” labels printed from a local print shop that he then affixed to individual bottles. Upon arrest, items related to the conspiracy were seized from ABDEL-AZIZ’s possession including bottles, labels, and an amount of 5F-ADB. Additionally, nearly $200,000 in cash was seized from his home.
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr, stated, “This sentence highlights the seriousness of unlawful vape products. Our community, and notably our military community, is safer because of this sentence. Illegal narcotics come in all forms, and unlawful vape products are particularly insidious as they convey a less dangerous appearance than other well-known harmful drugs. The work of the investigators on these cases is invaluable and deserves our thanks and appreciation.”
The U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; U.S. Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division; North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; Alcohol Law Enforcement Division; Jacksonville Police Department; Onslow County Sheriff’s Office; Wilson County Sheriff’s Office; Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office; Craven County Sheriff’s Office; Wayne County Sheriff’s Office; and, other state and local law enforcement agencies investigated this case.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing DrugsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Subree Waterman, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark to five years in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents, over the course of several months between March and June 2018, Waterman distributed crack on at least seven different occasions. Video of one transaction showed Waterman removing 42 grams of crack from plastic baggies, weighing the crack on a digital scale, taking $1,875 in exchange, and smiling and laughing as he counted the money.
David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence, “The Defendant willingly chose to profit from peddling addictive, illegal drugs in our community. Today’s substantial sentence is the product of tireless work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure that Delaware drug dealers face serious consequences for their actions.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Wilmington Field Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 19-CR-22-001-LPS.
Wichita Woman Sentenced for Four Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for taking part in four commercial robberies, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Savannah Cole, 22, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery. In her plea, he admitted committing the following robberies:
- Dollar General Store, 915 S. Glendale in Wichita, Nov. 22, 2017. Cole admitted she and co-defendant Kenneth W. Cade, 29, Wichita, Kan., went into the store together to rob it. Cade pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money.
- C-Store, 837 S. Oliver in Wichita, Feb. 7, 2018. Cole admitted she pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money. Cade stayed outside as a lookout.
- Arby’s, 4308 E. Harry in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cade pointed a firearm at an employee and demanded money.
- Circle K Store, 515 N. Seneca in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cole pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. Cade grabbed the cash.
Last month, co-defendant Cade was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
McAllister commended the FBI, the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case, which was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting violent crime.
Waterbury Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMAYRA SANTIAGO, 43, of Waterbury, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to one count of theft and conversion of public money related to her illegal receipt of Social Security benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for approximately 13 years, Santiago received monthly Social Security benefits from the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) in the form of Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”). Santiago was the representative payee of her children’s SSI benefits, and she represented to the SSA that her household’s income, resources and living arrangements caused the children to be eligible for SSI benefits.
In pleading guilty, Santiago admitted that, from 2005 to 2018, she made multiple false statements to the SSA, including misrepresentations of her income, resources and living arrangements, in order to qualify for and receive SSI benefits. In addition, in January 2017, Santiago received approximately $220,000 from the settlement of civil lawsuit, but never disclosed her receipt of the money to the SSA.
Between 2005 and 2018, Santiago collected more than $146,752.86 worth of SSI benefits.
Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for December 30, 2019, at which time Santiago faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan.
Vallejo Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm After a High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jonathan Shane Blakeley, 25, of Vallejo, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 20, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Blakeley for a traffic violation, but Blakeley refused to yield and led police on a high-speed chase through Vallejo. Blakeley crashed his car on Interstate 80 and got out of his car and ran through several lanes of traffic. He tried to get into the passenger seat of a car that stopped to avoid hitting him. After police apprehended Blakeley, they found a Glock 9 mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his car. Blakeley cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. When the current offense took place, Blakeley was on federal probation. He had just been released from federal prison less than 30 days prior, after having served a 30-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
If convicted, Blakeley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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 defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Uvalde Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Farm Loan Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Del Rio has sentenced Ruben James Valadez, age 45 of Uvalde, TX, to six months in federal prison for his role in a farm loan scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John Bash.
During sentencing yesterday afternoon in Del Rio, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses also ordered Valadez to perform 200 hours of community service in lieu of a fine; pay $15,782 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (joint and severally with co-defendant Barbara Serna Salinas); and, be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term.
On April 26, 2018, Valadez pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a loan application. By pleading guilty, Valadez admitted that in order to secure a $15,000 FSA loan in June 2016, he provided false information and paid cash and other incentives to Serna, a former loan officer for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Uvalde. Valadez and Eric Torres Neira of San Antonio, received FSA loans totaling more than $150,000 as a result of this scheme.
On April 9, 2019, Judge Moses sentenced Serna to two years in federal prison and ordered her to pay $166,744.20 in restitution to the USDA. On December 4, 2018, Judge Moses sentenced Neira to five months imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution to the USDA, joint and severally with Serna, in the amount of $142,961.94.
The USDA Office of Inspector General-Investigations, with the assistance of the FBI, conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Keagle and Joshua Banister are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Ukrainian Fraudster Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Prison for $20 Million Decade-Long ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that VALENTYN BELAN, a/k/a “Belan Valentin,” a/k/a “Belan Valentyn,” a/k/a “Belan Valentyn Volodymyrovych,” a/k/a “Belan Valentyn Voldymyrovich,” a/k/a “Valentino,” was sentenced to 109 months in prison for a sophisticated fraud scheme lasting more than 10 years during which BELAN invented and promoted fake business opportunities purportedly located in Ukraine and elsewhere. BELAN previously pled guilty to the scheme on May 29, 2019, and he was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “For years, Valentyn Belan headed an elaborate fraud in which he convinced his victim to part with more than $20 million to invest in fake business opportunities. In fact, he created false documents and photos, and even arranged for fake meetings with his co-conspirators to perpetuate the fraud. Today’s sentence, and the judge’s order to forfeit the $20 million in profit, ensures that Belan is punished for his crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint and the Information, as well as other documents filed in federal court and statements made in public court proceedings:
For more than a decade, BELAN was the mastermind behind a scheme to defraud a Hong Kong national through fake business opportunities that included, among others things, sham investments in real estate, rare earth mines, and oil interests. In order to induce the victim to invest in those fraudulent opportunities, BELAN employed a litany of elaborate misrepresentations, including numerous falsified documents and photographs, and he orchestrated multiple fake meetings around the world with co-conspirators pretending to be business partners and government officials. Over the course of the scheme, from October 2008 through December 2018, BELAN defrauded his victim of more than $20 million.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, BELAN, 39, of Kherson, Ukraine, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $20,107,243, representing proceeds traceable to the charged offense, and to pay restitution in the amount of $13,309,918.
In addition to BELAN, Olena Chumachenko and Nika Khrystych were charged in connection with the fraudulent scheme. Chumachenko pled guilty to a separate charge of visa fraud and was sentenced to a term of probation by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos. Khrystych remains at large. All charges against Khrystych are merely allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and thanked agents with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their excellent assistance throughout the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod L. Schaeffer is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. Attorney to Join Community and Law Enforcement Leaders for Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities EventRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will join Portland-area community and law enforcement organizations and community members for the fourth-annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event on October 24, 2019, hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) in Tigard, Oregon.
This year’s theme is Confronting Hate. This event brings criminal justice and community leaders together to share perspectives and engage in discussions on how to best respond to and prevent future hate-motivated incidents and crimes.
A panel of diverse community perspectives will discuss personal and community experiences with hate-motivated incidents and crimes, reporting, and trauma. The event will conclude with a listening session and facilitated discussion.
Presenters include leaders and subject matter experts from the Western States Center, Portland United Against Hate, Coalition of Communities of Color, Coalition Against Hate Crimes, Latino Network, Oregon District Attorney’s Association, Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, Oregon Attorney General’s Office, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office and others who will present information reviewing recent racial violence trends and data from our community as well as legal and enforcement efforts at the local, state and federal levels.
Community members from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties are encouraged to attend this free event. Registration is required. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
- WHAT: Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities: Confronting Hate
- WHEN: Thursday, October 24, 2019 from 8:30am-3:00pm
- WHERE: Muslim Educational Trust – 10330 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Tigard, Oregon
The Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event series brings leaders from public safety and civil society organizations together to build and strengthen trust with one another and to cultivate that trust within the communities served. The first building bridges event was held in the fall of 2016 at the Muslim Educational Trust. Since the inaugural event, two additional annual events have been held.
The event series is jointly hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust, Washington County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, City of Portland New Portlander Commission, City of Lake Oswego, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Vision Action Network, Korean American Coalition, New Portlanders Foundation, Tigard Police Department, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Offices, Urban League of Portland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
If you have media inquiries or would like to book interviews with steering committee members, please contact Stephen Mayer of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office: [email protected], 971-708-8219.
Media outlets are also welcome to contact the following steering committee members directly:
- Sahar Bassyouni; Muslim Educational Trust; [email protected]
- Wajdi Said; Muslim Educational Trust; [email protected]
- Theresa Kohlhoff; Lake Oswego City Council; [email protected]
- Jack Hanna; New Portlanders Foundation; [email protected]
- Sho Dozono; New Portlanders Commission; [email protected]
- Linda Castillo; Community Member and Commissioner for Hispanic Affairs; [email protected]
- Kezia Wanner; Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office; [email protected]
- Glenn Montgomery; Vision Action Network; [email protected]
U.S. Attorney Bill Powell Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“PSN is a proven success. When federal, state and local partners focus on the worst offenders, you get results which have a dramatic effect on our communities. We will continue to focus on the identified “alpha” criminals who prey on our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Powell, Northern District of West Virginia.
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of West Virginia works closely with local, county, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure our communities are safe by keeping firearms out of criminals’ hands and prosecuting violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
In March 2019, Rocky Idleman was sentenced to life incarceration for firearms and drug distribution charges. Idleman had a lengthy criminal history and was a known violent offender. Read more here: Idleman sentencing
Christopher Lee Yates of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced in August 2019 to 14 years incarceration for stealing thousands of firearms parts, firearms, and ammunition from an ATF facility in Martinsburg. Learn more about his case here: Yates case
In September 2019, Lamar Perdue was sentenced to more than 16 years for drug trafficking and firearms possession. Perdue traveled to West Virginia from his home in Detroit, Michigan to prey on the residents of Marion County. Read more about his case here: Perdue sentencing
Community Partnerships
The Northern District of West Virginia has a strong reentry initiative, offering its reentry simulation to state and federal prisons, community members, and service organizations. The Reentry efforts also extend to offering resource fairs, job fairs, and education to those recently released from prison or currently incarcerated.
The Reentry efforts are supported by organizations in the community with a common mission, such as the YWCA in Wheeling, Catholic Charities of West Virginia, The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Second Chance Technologies, to name a few.
Improvements to Community Safety
For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.