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Tuesday 1 October 2019
Illegal Alien Previously Removed Four Times Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Gregorio Xolotl-Hipolito, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Mr. William Joyce, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, in New Orleans.
Xolotl-Hipolito will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on January 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. He also faces being removed from the United States to his home nation of Mexico, following the completion of any prison sentence.
On June 24, 2019, while conducting Criminal Alien Program duties at the Forrest County Adult Detention Center, an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent encountered Xolotl-Hipolito, who had been arrested by Hattiesburg Police for possession of a stolen firearm and driving while consuming alcohol. When stopped by police, Xolotl-Hipolito had no driver’s license and only a Tennessee ID card. A .22 caliber pistol was found in plain view next to Xolotl-Hipolito in the vehicle. Police also found .22 ammunition in Xolotl-Hipolito’s pocket as well as elsewhere in the vehicle. Additionally, police determined that the pistol had been reported as stolen.
Local officials notified ICE, and Xolotl-Hipolito was identified as an illegal alien from Mexico who had been previously removed from the United States. Records revealed that, in 2011, an Immigration Judge ordered Xolotl-Hipolito removed from the U.S. Records also documented that Xolotl-Hipolito illegally reentered the U.S. and was removed four additional times.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations, the Hattiesburg Police Department and the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Re-Entering the Unites StatesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 1, 2019 – Jose Lopez-Ruiz, 39, an illegal alien from Guatemala, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, to re-entering the U.S. after having been previously deported, announced Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
In May 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents encountered Lopez-Ruiz while detaining another individual in Madison, Tennessee, as part of its Criminal Alien Program. During this encounter, Lopez-Ruiz fled on foot and was not apprehended. Approximately two months later, on July 9, 2019, ICE ERO, after receiving information on his whereabouts, engaged Lopez-Ruiz again in Madison. After initially resisting officers, Lopez-Ruiz was taken into custody.
Lopez-Ruiz is a native a Guatemala and has been physically deported from the United States on seven previous occasions beginning in 2000 and most recently in January 2018. While in the United States illegally, Lopez-Ruiz has been convicted of Driving Under the Influence on five occasions with another DUI offense still pending.
Lopez-Ruiz faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced on January 24, 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman is prosecuting the case.
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Hudson County Public Official Admits Accepting Bribes for Patient ReferralsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City woman employed by the Hudson County Office of Aging today admitted accepting bribes for referring patients in need of home health care aides, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Myrtha Nicolas, 61, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katherine Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of extortion under color of official right.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Hudson County Office on Aging is an agency of the N.J. Division of Disability Services (DDS) in the Department of Human Services. The DDS works to streamline access to services and information designed to promote and enhance independent living for individuals with disabilities. Included among these services coordinated by DDS were Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS), which provide comprehensive service and support, whether for an individual living at home, in an assisted living facility, or a nursing home.
Nicolas was employed as a referral coordinator at the Hudson County Office on Aging. She exercised control over the coordination and assignment of patients with disabilities in need of home health care services to home health care companies which provide these services through home health care aides.
In June of 2016, Nicolas was approached by a confidential witness (CW), who was a self-employed executive of a home health care company that provided various services, including the training, hiring and assignment of home health care aides to patients with disabilities. Nicolas agreed to help refer patients to the CW and agreed to accept $500 dollars per patient she referred to the CW’s company.
On Aug. 4, 2016, Nicolas accepted a payment of $600 for the referral of a patient. The CW complained that the CW was forced to redirect the patient to another health care company because the patient proved difficult, prompting Nicolas to assure the CW that the CW “will get the easy ones,” in the future. On Jan. 23, 2017, Nicolas accepted another $600 cash payment for a patient referral. Nicolas confirmed that she had previously received gift cards from the CW, but expressed no preference whether future payments from the CW in exchange for patient referrals would be in cash or gift cards. On Oct. 17, 2017, Nicolas accepted a final corrupt payment of $1,000 from the CW for patient referrals, promising the CW that in terms of future patients, “whatever I have, you’ll have.”
The extortion under color of official right charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren, of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Houston Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 52-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Gary Allen Patterson pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2019, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Sep. 30, 2019.
According to information presented in court, Patterson was identified during a federal drug investigation as trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in the Houston, Liberty County and Beaumont, Texas area. In October 2017, Patterson arranged two methamphetamine deals with an undercover agent and directed a co-defendant to meet with the agent and deliver the drugs. In April 2018, a Nederland, Texas traffic stop resulted in the discovery of 24 ounces of methamphetamine that had been supplied by Patterson. Overall, Patterson was responsible for the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of more than one kilogram of methamphetamine. Patterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2018.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle S. Englade and Michael Anderson.
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Grant County woman sentenced for mail fraudRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Sandra Mae Evans, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years probation for mail fraud, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Evans, age 62, pled guilty to one count of “Mail Fraud” in May 2019. Evans admitted to opening an IRA account at Pendleton Community Bank’s Petersburg, West Virginia, branch in July 2018. A check in the amount of $82,170.50 was mailed from St. Louis, Missouri to Pendleton Community Bank to be deposited into Evan’s IRA account. Evans then deposited the check in August 2018, knowing the check was fraudulent. Evans admits to then requesting and successfully collecting withdrawals from the fraudulent check totaling more than $42,000. Evans then sent $18,000 cash to someone in Florida and $11,000 cash to someone in Utah.Evans was ordered to pay $35,808.05 in restitution to the Pendleton Community Bank. The amount represents the unrecovered amount of withdrawals made against the fraudulent check.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grant County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Carmen Liseno, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 92 months incarceration for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Liseno, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in May 2019. Liseno, having been previously convicted of two felonies, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol in December 2017 in Grant County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Georgia drug smuggler confesses to importing 88 kilos of methRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old woman from Brunswick, Georgia, now faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to import a large quantity of meth into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lidia Maria Nandi Bibiano pleaded guilty today in federal court.
On June 28, 2019, she arrived in Laredo at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge driving a Dodge Caravan. During inspection, law enforcement discovered 93 bundles of meth hidden inside a modified compartment in the vehicle’s floor.
The drugs weighed a total of 88.40 kilograms with an approximate value of more than $500,000.
Bibiano has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which will be set at a later before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. At that time, Bibiano faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
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.
Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 1, 2019, to five years in federal prison.
Chelsea Collins, 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Collins admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area from January 2018 through September 2018. In four separate transactions in July 2018, Collins distributed and aided others in the distribution of over 35 grams of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. Evidence at sentencing also showed Collins threatened cooperators and law enforcement officers involved in the investigation of her and her co-conspirators.
Collins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Collins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the federal prison term. This term was ordered consecutive to two state prison sentences Collins is also serving at this time. There is no parole in the federal system. Collins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-3041.
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Former law enforcement officer indicted for using his position to steal cocaine and methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Former Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Deputy Antione Riggins, who was also a federal task-force member, has been arraigned on federal charges that he used his former position to steal cocaine and methamphetamine before the drugs could be secured in evidence, and made a series of false statements to cover up his drug theft.
“Riggins’ alleged theft of previously seized drugs is shocking,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He also allegedly fabricated documents and made false statements to prevent the arrest and prosecution of the drug trafficking suspects from whom the drugs were seized, in an apparent effort to cover his tracks. Riggins’s alleged actions betray the community he was sworn to protect.”
“The allegations in this indictment are particularly disturbing because they are against a law enforcement officer,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta field office. “The alleged actions of this individual undermine and insult the integrity of every law enforcement officer who takes an oath to serve and protect the people in their communities.”
“As a Task Force Officer, Riggins engaged in conduct that betrayed the oath he took to faithfully serve the people of Gwinnett County. His behavior should not take away from the outstanding work done each day by the vast majority of law enforcement professionals around the country.” DHS OIG’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Tippett.
“This former officer violated his oath of office and the public’s trust. Corruption within the law enforcement ranks will not be tolerated. The GBI is committed to working with local and federal partners to investigate these types of crimes to ensure the public trust of officers is upheld,” said Vic Reynolds, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2017 and 2018, Riggins was a federally-deputized task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), while also employed as a deputy sheriff with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office (GCSO). Riggins’s duties during this time included investigating drug trafficking cases with HSI agents and other law enforcement officers. Riggins was also responsible for assisting Gwinnett County authorities to prosecute local drug cases investigated by HSI. In this role, Riggins was entrusted with transporting seized drugs from HSI crime scenes to the Gwinnett County evidence vault, and obtaining arrest warrants for drug traffickers.
On February 23, 2017, an HSI investigation resulted in the seizure of three kilograms of cocaine following a high-speed car chase and crash on I-285. HSI identified the suspected owner of the cocaine, even though he fled from the crash and was not apprehended. HSI agents tasked Riggins with transporting the cocaine to the Gwinnett County evidence vault. The next day, Riggins allegedly checked only one kilogram of cocaine into evidence, not three, and he failed to secure a warrant for the arrest of the cocaine trafficker.
On July 14, 2017, an HSI investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from an Atlanta hotel room. An HSI agent again tasked Riggins with transporting the methamphetamine to the Gwinnett County evidence vault; however, none of the methamphetamine was subsequently checked into evidence.
Riggins also allegedly made false documents and statements in relation to the cocaine theft, for the purpose of covering up his theft of those drugs. In particular, the indictment alleged that Riggins created and submitted a falsified evidence form to the GCSO, Riggins presented a false court order to the Magistrate Court of Gwinnett County, and made two false statements to HSI agents, all to prevent prosecutors from discovering the missing drugs.
Riggins’s role at HSI ended in early 2018, and his employment with the GCSO ended after these alleged actions came to the attention of law enforcement.
Antione Riggins, 40, of Loganville, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia on September 24, 2019, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, unlawfully removing property to prevent government seizure, and making false statements and documents.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security - Office of the Inspector General, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office are investigating this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former VA Supply Technician Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe for the Northern District of Florida
today announced the sentencing of Caron Griffis, 44, of Melrose, Florida, after she pleaded guilty
in U.S. District Court in Gainesville to a charge of theft of government money.Griffis, who was employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a supply technician at
the Gainesville VA Medical Center, was responsible for purchasing supplies for the center from
outside vendors. Griffis’ responsibilities required that government purchase cards be issued in her
name. She was also responsible for completing internal purchase orders and reconciliation documents
for each transaction that would be charged to her VA purchase cards.
For over a year, Griffis utilized her VA-issued purchase cards to obtain unauthorized items from
retail stores, including Walmart and Office Depot, both in person and online. She also created
false reconciliation forms in the VA computer system in an attempt to justify the transactions and
avoid being caught.In addition to receiving a sentence of one month in federal prison, five months home detention, and
two-half years supervised release, Griffis was ordered to pay restitution to the VA in the amount
of $26,456.11, to Office Depot in the amount of $6,260.47, and to Walmart in the amount of
$3,310.08.Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the
Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). David Spilker, Special Agent
in Charge with VA-OIG, said, "Griffis’ deceitful actions violated the public’s trust and stole from
VA’s limited resources, which are needed to care for our nation’s veterans. The Inspector General’s
Office is committed to safeguarding the integrity of VA’s procurement programs."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 ofFlorida 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 Social Security Administration Employee Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Unauthorized BenefitsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Martin Hernandez, 45, of Selma, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain unauthorized Social Security benefit payments, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Hernandez met Social Security benefit recipients through his employment at the Social Security Administration. Hernandez recruited certain recipients to receive fraudulent payments in addition to the benefits that they were entitled to receive. These recipients agreed to return a substantial amount of the money they received from the fraudulent payments back to Hernandez. Hernandez electronically initiated the payments from his workstation at the Social Security Administration offices where he worked. After Hernandez caused the beneficiaries to receive the fraudulent overpayments, he would instruct them to meet him in person to give him cash. During the course of the scheme, Hernandez caused the Social Security Administration to make unauthorized payments of over $446,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Jan. 13, 2020. Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Former Pine Ridge Indian Health Services Pediatrician Convicted of Multiple Sex Offenses Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY, SD – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Stanley Patrick Weber, age 70, of Spearfish, South Dakota, was found guilty by a federal jury of 5 counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and 3 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a week-long jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Aggravated Sexual Abuse carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum of 30 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Sexual abuse of a minor carries a penalty of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
Evidence at trial established that Weber, while employed as a pediatrician with the Indian Health Services at Pine Ridge, sexually abused minors between 1999 and 2011.
“This defendant is the worst kind of sexual predator: a person placed in a position of trust – a pediatrician – who abused that position to rape and sexually assault the children entrusted to his care,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I want to commend the courage and bravery of the men who came forward to testify about what happened to them as boys. I know that the jury’s unanimous verdict has brought them some measure of justice. I hope that it will bring them some measure of peace. Let us never forget that with the justice granted by these convictions comes an obligation shared by us all. We must resolve to do everything we can to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again to any of our children in any of our communities.”
This case was investigated by the United States Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted and tried the case. A sentencing date is set for February 10, 2020. Weber was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Former Olympic Athlete and Track Coach Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Unlawful Sexual Activity with a StudentRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – United States District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Alexander Greaux-Gómez to 20 years in prison followed by a supervised release term of 15 years for sexual enticement of a minor, and transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. On May 22, 2019, after a three-day jury trial, Greaux-Gómez was found guilty. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ginette Milanés.
On February 9, 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Puerto Rico Police Department’s Division of Sexual Crimes in Guayama, and prosecutors from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, arrested Greaux-Gómez, former teacher and track and field coach of the Salinas’s specialized sports school, “Albergue Olímpico,” for sexual enticement of a minor and production of child pornography.
During the trial, the government’s evidence proved that the female minor first met the defendant when she was in 7th grade and went to train and attend boarding school at “Albergue Olímpico.” The defendant, a former Olympic athlete, took a special interest in the minor. This interest became personal and then eventually sexual in nature. The minor was 15 years old and the defendant was 39 when he began preying on her and convincing her to engage in sexual acts at the school, in his car, and at an abandoned home school he once operated.
The defendant also communicated with the minor over WhatsApp about the secrecy of their relationship and would send extremely sexually graphic communications to her.
“The defendant was entrusted by the families of our community to care for their children and act as a role model. He betrayed that trust in the most profound way – by preying on a student he was supposed to protect. This sentence should serve to reassure the public that we are paying close attention to the well-being of our children, and that we will spare no expense to take child predators off the streets,” said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “We will continue to focus on protecting our children from the depraved individuals who would seek to abuse them.”
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Former NNS Inspector Plead Guilty to Falsely Certifying WeldsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, in November 2012, Joseph Powell, 29, was hired by Newport News Shipbuilding to be a Non-Destructive Test (NDT) Inspector, in Newport News. As an NDT Inspector, Powell performed weld inspections on vessels such as Virginia Class Submarines and Aircraft Carriers. Powell had extensive training on and familiarity with the proper protocol for types of weld inspections. To track and ensure quality control with inspections, NDT Inspectors certify their inspections using NNS’s Electronic Record System (“ERS”). ERS falls within the jurisdiction of the United States Navy and the Department of Defense.
In June 2016, NNS received information that Powell appeared to have certified the inspection of a weld joint in ERS without conducting the requisite inspection protocol. As a result of this information, NNS initiated an inquiry/inspection. Various welds certified by Powell in ERS subsequently were investigated by NNS in June 2016, which led to the identification of additional welds that were not in acceptable condition for inspection, did not contain the required physical markings indicating an inspection had been completed, nor had residue or powder on or around the job from the inspection equipment.
Numerous NDT weld joints certified by Powell in ERS were re-inspected. The re-inspections revealed that a number of weld joints previously certified by Powell as being satisfactory were, in the opinion of the personnel who did the re-inspections, in fact, unsatisfactory, as these weld joints contained indications or defects subject to rejection, and specifically required repair by a welder. Powell agreed, for sentencing purposes, that the estimated loss to the United States attributable to his false certifications of weld inspections from in or about December 2015 through June 2016 is approximately $43,500.
Powell pleaded guilty to false statements and faces a maximum of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 15, 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, Cliff Everton, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, and Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge for Defense Criminal Investigative Service Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels is 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. 4:19-cr-40.
Former Jackson County Treasurer Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The former treasurer of Jackson County, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 45 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom sentenced Beth N. Sallee, 39, of McKee, Kentucky, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Sallee was also ordered to pay $161,808.23 in restitution for devising a multi-year scheme to defraud the Jackson County Fiscal Court of over $160,000 and for misusing the identity of a Jackson County employee to facilitate her theft.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan of the Eastern District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown Jr. of the FBI’s Louisville Field Division and Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, made the announcement.
Sallee pleaded guilty on Feb. 4, 2019, to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. As part of her plea, Sallee admitted that beginning in 2013, she misused her position to write a number of checks, totaling approximately $161,808.23, payable to herself without the approval of the Jackson County Fiscal Court. Sallee proceeded to either deposit these checks into her personal checking account or exchange these checks for cash. The unauthorized checks drew on various Jackson County Fiscal Court accounts, including the Department of Emergency Services grant, payroll and general fund accounts.
To enable her scheme, Sallee forged the signature of other Jackson County employees on unauthorized checks without their knowledge or permission. She later attempted to conceal her scheme by removing pages of Jackson County financial documents, obscuring page numbers with Wite-Out and requesting the deletion of check images from bank statements that were to be given to an auditor.
The FBI and the Kentucky State Police conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Jessica C. Harvey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Boone of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted the case.
Former Jackson County Treasurer Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.—The former treasurer of Jackson County, Kentucky, was sentenced today to45 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $161,808.23 in restitution for devising a multi-year scheme to defraud the Jackson County Fiscal Court of over $160,000 and for misusing the identity of a Jackson County employee to facilitate her theft.
Beth N. Sallee, 39, of McKee, Kentucky, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom. Sallee pleaded guilty on Feb. 4, 2019, to one count of wire fraud and to one count of aggravated identity theft. As part of her plea, Sallee admitted that beginning in 2013, she misused her position to write a number of checks, totaling approximately $161,808.23, payable to herself without the approval of the Jackson County Fiscal Court. Sallee deposited these checks into her own personal checking account or for cash. The unauthorized checks drew on various Jackson County Fiscal Court accounts, including the Department of Emergency Services grant, payroll, and general fund accounts.According to the plea agreement, in order to enable her scheme, Sallee forged the signature of other Jackson County employees on unauthorized checks without their knowledge or permission. She later attempted to conceal her scheme by removing pages of Jackson County financial documents, obscuring page numbers with white-out, and requesting the removal of check images from bank statements that were to be given to an auditor.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown, Jr. of the FBI’s Louisville, Kentucky Field Division and Richard W. Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, made the announcement.
“This case presents another example of a selfish and corrupt official, who stole taxpayer money and spent it on herself,” said United States Attorney Duncan. “Disgraceful conduct like this erodes the public’s faith in government institutions and causes lasting damage. Combatting these betrayals of trust is critical, both to holding people accountable and to repairing the public’s faith. Prosecuting public corruption will remain a fundamental priority for our Office.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police. Trial Attorney Jessica C. Harvey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Boone of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted the case.
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Former Credit Union Teller and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 1, 2019 – Nicole C. Walker, 40, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to three years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. LaToya Chambers, 43, of Nashville, Tennessee, also charged in this case, was sentenced in August to 30 months in prison. Both pleaded guilty earlier this year. U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson also ordered the defendants to pay $84,416.00 in restitution.
Chambers, a former teller at NGH Credit Union, (now Cornerstone Financial Credit Union) and Walker were indicted on December 19, 2018, after an investigation determined that Chambers had used her position to obtain personal identifying information of credit union customers. During their plea hearings, Chambers and Walker admitted that from March 2018 through July 2018, Chambers shared the personal information that she had obtained with Walker, who used the identities to make fraudulent withdrawals from the victims’ credit union accounts without their knowledge. Chambers and Walker divided the proceeds of many of the fraudulent transactions between themselves. Several of the credit union customers were elderly and had accumulated assets. According to court records, the financial institutions involved in these transactions lost over $80,000. Walker also used some of the stolen identities to conduct other personal transactions outside of the credit union.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Sabis. This case is supported by the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates the Department’s activities combatting elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. This case is a product of the Elder Justice Task Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. For more information about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative and the Elder Justice Task Force, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/ and https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/elder-justice-task-force .
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Former Banker Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that on Monday, September 30, 2019, District Judge Richard G. Andrews sentenced Tae Kim, age 49, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, to an 18-month prison sentence for bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The Court also ordered Kim to pay mandatory restitution of at least $2,459,150.49, and to serve three years of supervised release following his sentence.
Kim, a former relationship manager (loan officer) for Citibank and WSFS Bank, pleaded guilty in August 2017, to committing bank fraud in connection with loans obtained by one of his customers, Dr. Zahid Aslam. Kim’s conduct involved allowing Aslam to use third-party nominees to obtain loans on Aslam’s behalf at Citibank and WSFS Bank. These loans, which Aslam could not have otherwise qualified for on his own, fueled the growth of his medical practices. Kim acknowledged that he was responsible for additional misconduct, including: (1) submitting false information about Aslam’s available deposits at Citibank in connection with a loan application at another bank, which was eventually declined; and (2) falsifying the scope of Aslam’s liabilities in connection with multiple loans at WSFS Bank. Aslam’s loans eventually went into default. Aslam pleaded guilty, acknowledged making false statements to Citibank and WSFS Bank, and received a sentence of 30 months imprisonment.
In imposing sentence on Kim, Judge Andrews stated that “loan officers at banks are supposed to protect the bank’s interests and act as the first line of defense.” Instead, defendant Kim was “working for Dr. Aslam, not the banks, when it came to Dr. Aslam’s loans.” The Court told Kim, “This was a very rewarding relationship for you,” and that there was “a strong element of greed here.” The Court referenced Kim’s status as a banking professional in noting that a prison sentence was important to place other bankers on notice of the consequences of committing criminal conduct during their employment. As a result of his criminal conviction, Kim agreed to a bar from working in the banking industry.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated the following, “We couldn’t agree more with the Court that banking professionals have a special responsibility to safeguard the interest of financial institutions in protecting depositor funds. Here, Mr. Kim placed greed and his own financial needs over prudent banking. His conduct resulted in significant losses to Citibank and WSFS, for which he was punished appropriately by the Court. My Office will continue to exercise vigilance in protecting the integrity of the banking system. I commend the hard work of the agents and prosecutors who helped bring Mr. Kim and Dr. Aslam to justice.”
"The FBI remains committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Delaware to protect our nation’s financial security, to include aggressively pursuing those who defraud our banking institutions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Division. “This defendant abused his position as a loan officer and will now serve federal jail time for his fraudulent actions.”
“The IRS Criminal Investigation stands ready to partner with all law enforcement agencies to combat fraud against financial institutions,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Those considering similar behavior should be aware of the steep penalties, which often include jail time.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Office and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission – Office of Inspector General.
Florissant Man Charged with Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
St Louis - Dayon J. Fips, 37, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty to multiple criminal counts before United States District Judge John A. Ross today. His sentencing has been set for January 10, 2020.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2018, Fips distributed fentanyl to victim N.B. who ingested that fentanyl and died as a result. The investigation into N.B.’s death determined that, on the date of his death, N.B. contacted Fips multiple times via mobile phone. Shortly before N.B.’s death, Fips picked up N.B. at his residence, drove N.B. to a bank and then returned N.B. to his residence. Ninety minutes later, N.B.’s father called 911 after finding his son unresponsive in the family’s basement. N.B. died of acute fentanyl intoxication.
Following N.B.’s death, Fips distributed fentanyl on multiple occasions to a confidential informant. In connection with those sales, Florissant Police executed a search warrant at Fips’ residence in the 8800 block of Harold in Berkeley, Missouri, in August 2018. Officers recovered heroin, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and body armor. Fips was on parole to the Missouri Department of Corrections for Robbery in the First Degree at the time of N.B.’s death and when the warrant was executed. During an interview with police, Fips admitted that he knew N.B. and had sold N.B. drugs on multiple occasions.
After Fips was arrested, incarcerated and awaiting trial, Fips attempted to tamper with one or more witnesses connected to the investigation. Fips’ efforts were detected and prevented by jail staff. In court today, Fips admitted that he attempted to induce others to give false testimony.
Following today’s guilty plea, Florissant Police Department Chief Timothy Fagan stated, “Mr. Fips’ conduct resulted in the loss of one life and presented a danger to countless others. Even incarceration did not deter Mr. Fips’ conduct, and we are grateful to the jail staff for their diligent efforts, which thwarted an attempt to tamper with a witness. His continued criminal conduct while on parole must be met with serious consequences.”
Fips pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of ownership of body armor by violent felons, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance drug and one count of influencing testimony of any person in an official proceeding.
Felon in possession charges carries a penalty of not more than 10 years and a fine of $250,000; ownership of body armor carries a penalty of not more than three years and a fine of $250,000; possession with intent to distribute carries a penalty of not more than life and a fine not more than $1,000,000; and influencing testimony carries a penalty of not more than life and a fine of $250,000.
The Florissant Police Department is handling the case.
Five Members of a Talladega-based Heroin, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Conspiracy ArrestedRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- Federal and local law enforcement today arrested 5 of 12 defendants indicted in September as part of a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine sourced from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris.
Today's arrests bring the number of people arrested to 10, as a result of the nearly three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation into the Talladega-based drug-trafficking conspiracy.
A 21-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges PATRICK NOLAN “YoYo” McSwain, 50, of Talladega, NOLBERTO ORTEGA, 54, of Chicago, Ill., EDGAR AGUILAR-TERRAZAS, 31, of Mexico, JOSE FERNANDO PEREZ LEYVA, 30, of Ind., AMANDA DENISE CONNELL, 33, KELVIN DENARD CHATAM, 36, AMECHE LASHUAN “Meche” CURRY, 50, LASHONDA RENEA WHITE, 40, MICHAEL TWYMON, 49, ROBERT SHURONE CHATMAN, 40, FLEMMINGS “Boobang” CHATMAN, 37, all of Talladega, and CHRISTOPHER LANE, with conspiracy to distribute drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine between May 2017 and July 2019. The indictment also charges four defendants with money laundering and six defendants with using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime.
“Today’s arrests are an important step in reducing the flow of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines, sourced from Mexico, into the Northern District of Alabama,” Town said. “These dealers will go to extreme lengths to profit from this deadly poison with no regard to the pain and ruin they leave behind. To the drug traffickers out there, you’ll have company soon.”
“This investigation and the subsequent indictments are a clear example of the drug pipeline running directly from Mexico to Alabama and specifically Talladega,” Morris said. “The size, scope and magnitude of the McSWAIN Drug Trafficking Organization cannot be understated. Literally, weekly shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin were pouring into Talladega county. Those arrested today could care less about the countless lives they tragically affected. Their sole purpose of existence was selling poison and making money. Fortunately, DEA and the Talladega Drug Task Force has found a new home for them…prison.”
The indictment includes special findings of the grand jury regarding the amount of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine attributable to various defendants as part of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Ortega, McSwain, and Terrazas, are charged with conspiring to traffic five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Ortega, McSwain, Leyva, and Connell are charged with conspiring to traffic one kilogram or more of heroin.
Kelvin Chatman, Curry, Robert Chatman, and White are charged with conspiring to traffic five hundred grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ortega, Kelvin Chatman, and McSwain are charged with conspiring to traffic four hundred grams or more of fentanyl.
The leaders of the organization, McSwain and Ortega, were already in custody on federal charges related to a large seizure of cocaine and heroin on July 7th. DEA agents arrested McSwain after he met with a drug courier coordinated by Ortega. Agents found 16 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin in McSwain’s vehicle. Agents then executed on search warrant on Mcswain’s home in Talladega, Alabama and discovered two kilograms of heroin, 383.8 grams of cocaine, 267.1 grams of marijuana, 884.4 grams of methamphetamine, two drug presses, multiple cellphones, scales, a handgun, and an AR-15 rifle.
After McSwain’s arrest DEA agents intercepted two drug shipments coordinated by Ortega on July 10th and July 12th. On July 10th Ortega sent a drug courier from Mexico that was intercepted by DEA in Jefferson County with six kilograms of cocaine. On July 12th Ortega coordinated the shipment of a wooden crate intercepted by DEA in Jefferson County containing seven kilograms of heroin. Both shipments were intended for McSwain and distribution in Northern Alabama.
Through investigation, the DEA identified McSwain as the source of supply of heroin and methamphetamine to a drug trafficking organization led by Kelvin Denard “Cabo” Chatman in Talladega. In October of 2018, DEA agents intercepted a shipping crate sent to north Alabama by Ortega. DEA agents obtained a search warrant and found 69 kilograms of methamphetamine and two kilograms of fentanyl inside the wooden crate. The wooden crate was addressed to a car lot owned by Chatman.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance is life in prison. The minimum prison penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is five years in prison, which must be served after completion of any other sentenced related to the crime. The maximum penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.
The penalty for money laundering is a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Each count of using a telephone in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
The DEA and other law enforcement agencies have seized a total of 81 kilograms of methamphetamine, 22 kilograms for cocaine, 11 kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and 150 pounds of marijuana as a part of the investigation.
Defendants Curry and Twymon are currently fugitives from justice.
The DEA and Talladega County Drug Task Force investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Blake Milner and Austin D. Shutt are prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Fishing Vessel Crew Member Held for Assault on the High Seas After Allegedly Stabbing Ship's Captain Off Pensacola CoastRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Lawrence Keefe today announced a criminal complaint against Robert Odom, a crew member on a commercial fishing vessel who allegedly attacked and wounded the vessel’s captain with a pellet gun and long-blade knife as the vessel was underway in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola. The criminal complaint against Odom, 46, was lodged by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Odom is being held by the United States Marshals Service pending a detention and probable cause hearing on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at 2:30 pm CST at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
According to the complaint, the vessel was at sea approximately 20-26 nautical miles south-southeast of Perdido Pass, with a captain and two crew members. While fishing shortly before 9:30 pm on Friday, September 27, Odom allegedly shot the captain in the chest with a pellet rifle and then, after a struggle, stabbed the captain twice, causing "immediate, profuse bleeding." Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to a call for help, and Coast Guard personnel administered first aid to the captain. The captain was taken by helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. Odom was taken into custody by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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 guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Love is prosecuting the case.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts “Father of Identity Theft”Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a week-long federal jury trial, James Jackson, 58, of Memphis, Tennessee was found guilty of 13 counts of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and theft of mail. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the conviction today.
According to the information presented in court, in 2014-2015, Jackson devised a scheme to steal money from banks, financial companies and other individuals. Jackson obtained the personal identifying information of numerous individuals, most of whom were deceased, and used this information to take over the victims’ financial accounts (stock, credit card, and bank accounts). Jackson would search online obituaries and noteworthy articles to discover the identities of recently deceased individuals and then he would research the individuals to determine if they had any credit accounts or financial investment accounts. He would then impersonate the victims (both male and female) and use their information when contacting customer service representatives of banks, credit card and financial firms. Jackson would convince the businesses to mail new bank/credit cards to other addresses (vacant homes and hotels in Memphis area) and also caused the sale of over $340,000 of stock out of one victim’s investment account. Jackson recruited another individual to use the cards to withdraw funds from the victim accounts and to purchase gift cards.
On February 27, 2015, Jackson called the Cordova Post Office claiming to be a Charles Fulks and inquired about a credit card package that should have been delivered the day before to 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail. United States Postal Inspectors and members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol Identity Crimes Unit determined this was an imposter because the true Charles Fulks had died on February 2, 2015 and the 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail address was a vacant house at the time. Later, agents watched the package containing credit cards be delivered to the mailbox at 10022 Cameron Ridge Trail. Twelve hours later, agents observed Jackson emerge from a house at 10027 Cameron Ridge Trail and walk across the street to retrieve the credit card package from the mailbox and then went back into his residence. No one answered the door when agents announced their presence. Later, agents noticed smoke coming out of the home. Agents eventually located Jackson in the house pretending to be asleep. Numerous small fires had been set throughout the house in what appeared to be an attempt to destroy evidence.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Aggravated identity theft and schemes to defraud or compromise the personal and financial security of vulnerable and deceased victims will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates our commitment to protect the personal and financial information of citizens and institutions, and to hold offenders accountable for these disturbing crimes of dishonesty. We are pleased to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to achieve justice for the victims in this case."
In the home, agents located items associated with identity theft, including documents and a guide entitled "How to Find Anyone and Anything" and computers. A search of Jackson’s computers revealed that he had been researching the deceased victims. This was done through use of numerous online obituary sites and nationwide news articles. In a subsequent search of Jackson’s mother’s house, agents found a box of Jackson’s business cards, wherein he claimed to be the "Father of Identity Theft." A copy of the business card was introduced by the government as an exhibit at trial, and a copy of the same is included below in this release.
Based upon this conviction and his prior federal convictions for mail fraud, credit card fraud and bank fraud from the Southern District of New York, and mail fraud, credit card fraud and social security fraud from the Western District of Tennessee, Jackson is facing up to 30 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2019, before U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr.
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Memphis Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Ellicott City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Attempted Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Mark David Franklin, age 44, of Ellicott City, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of attempted possession of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, between September 7 and October 10, 2018, Franklin used online applications to attempt to induce an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit activity and send Franklin photos of the sexual conduct. In fact, Franklin was communicating with an undercover FBI Special Agent.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Franklin engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the minor female, sent her sexually explicit photographs of himself, and requested that she send him sexually explicit photographs of herself. During their conversations, Franklin also discussed meeting in person to engage in sex acts and described the photographs he wished to take during their sexual encounter.
On October 10, 2018, Franklin traveled from Ellicott City to Frederick, Maryland, to meet and engage in sex acts with the 13-year-old girl. When Franklin arrived at the agreed-upon location, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest Franklin was in possession of a teddy bear requested by the 13-year-old girl, condoms, two blankets, and a towel.
Franklin faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2019 at 10:15 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick City Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr. and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the federal case.
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Drug Trafficking Organization Member Is Going to Prison for Selling Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and HeroinRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Christopher Harrison, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, cocaine, and heroin, was sentenced to serve 94 months in prison by Chief United States District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that the defendant conspired with Michael Wyatt, who would obtain quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin from various suppliers, and Andre Cunningham. After obtaining the drugs, Wyatt and Cunningham supervised and directed the distribution and sale of them to individual drug users. Harrison was responsible for processing, breaking down, and re-packaging the controlled substances into smaller quantities to be sold to individual drug users out of houses at 218 Emerson Street and 131 Saratoga Avenue in Rochester. The defendant was also responsible for selling the controlled substances to individual buyers. At times, Harrison also “cooked” the crack cocaine.
Michael Wyatt and Andre Cunningham were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd K. Baxter; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron D. Singletary. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley.
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Downey Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Sexually Explicit Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – James Clifford Goodwin, III, 46, of Downey, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possessing sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Goodwin was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye. Goodwin pleaded guilty on January 16, 2019.
According to court records, law enforcement agents searched Goodwin’s Downey residence in October 2017. Agents discovered that Goodwin had cell phones and other electronic storage devices. During a forensic search of Goodwin’s phones, agents found 33 images of child pornography. At Goodwin’s change of plea hearing, he admitted to knowingly possessing the images. At the time of the search, Goodwin was on supervised release for a federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography. The terms of his supervised release prohibited him from possessing any electronic storage devices or cell phones.
At sentencing, Judge Nye ordered Goodwin to forfeit the phones used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Goodwin will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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District Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Traffic Fatality in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert E. Little, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight and a half years in prison on a charge of voluntary manslaughter in a crash that killed bicyclist, David Salovesh in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Little pled guilty on July 23, 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the eight and a half years prison sentence, which was agreed upon by the government and the defense. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Little accordingly.
According to the government’s evidence, the fatal crash occurred on Friday, April 19, 2019, at approximately 10:15 a.m. Uniformed MPD officers in a marked cruiser attempted to stop the van that Little was driving earlier near the intersection of Bladensburg Road and Benning Road NE, because the van was reported stolen from Maryland the day before. When officers activated their emergency lights behind Little’s van, he fled from police, turning west onto Florida Avenue NE. For safety concerns, officers discontinued their attempt to stop the van, after realizing that the van was not going to stop.
Continuing to flee, Little drove at a high rate of speed west in the 1200 block of Florida Avenue NE. He ran a red light at the intersection of Florida Avenue, 12th Street and Montello Avenue, and struck a vehicle that was driving through the intersection with the green light. The collision caused Little’s van to be redirected, and it struck the victim, David Salovesh, who had been riding a bicycle and was stopped at the red light waiting to continue east bound on Florida Avenue. During the crash, Little’s van dragged Mr. Salovesh’s body, struck a tree, a trash can and came to a rest, pinning Mr. Salovesh against a second tree, killing him.
The pursuing officers came upon the crash scene while Little was still behind the wheel of the stolen van. Little, who was injured, was taken to a hospital and treated. His blood taken at the hospital was later analyzed and found to contain PCP. The crash data recorder of the van was downloaded and showed that the Little was driving at speeds up to 78 miles per hour, in a 25 mile per hour zone, leading up to the crash.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case from the Major Crash Investigations Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Siegerist and Lorce Applewhite, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the case.
Distributor of potentially tainted pills charged in federal court with drug crimesRead the Press Release
A Bellingham, WA man was charged in federal court today with two drug crimes related to cocaine and heroin found in his apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. TONY LEE WILLIAMS, 33, was arrested this morning following an investigation by the Lummi Tribal Police and the FBI. The investigation began late yesterday, when medics responded to a home on the Lummi reservation where a woman was unresponsive. The woman could not be revived with NARCAN and is deceased. Pills ingested by the woman are linked to those sold by WILLIAMS. Lab analysis of the pills is underway to determine whether they are tainted with a substance such as fentanyl.
“It is critically important that the word go out about these potentially deadly pills,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “Right now we don’t know whether the pills are directly connected to the death. However, anyone buying street pills that appear to be oxycodone 30s – like those described in this case -- could be risking his or her life by ingesting them.”
The pills were sold to those associated with nightclubs in Bellingham, as well as on the Lummi Reservation.
WILLIAMS is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. According to the criminal complaint, WILLIAMS sold the pills to a brother and sister who distributed them to others. When law enforcement searched WILLIAMS’ apartment, they recovered cocaine, heroin, and 30 additional pills that appear to be oxycodone.
The drug crimes are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Cohen, Chantelle Dial, and J. Tate London.
williams_complaint.pdfDayton man sentenced to 70 months in prison for possessing firearm after felony convictionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Rasu Taylor, 45, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 70 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Clark County Sheriff Deborah K. Burchett announced the sentence handed down on September 30 by U.S. District Judge Thomas M Rose.
According to court documents, in September 2018, while Taylor was on parole, a Clark County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop of Taylor’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Springfield. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed an open container of alcohol in the console and Taylor attempting to hide a firearm.
A search of the vehicle revealed a pistol with a full magazine, marijuana, scales and nearly $2,000 in cash.
A subsequent search of the motel room Taylor had been living in for 19 days revealed marijuana, fentanyl, body armor, a Glock pistol with two magazines and more than $2,600 in cash.
Taylor had been previously convicted of felonies, including possession of drugs in Montgomery County and felonious assault in Clark County.
Taylor pleaded guilty on September 9 to illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the ATF and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Corning Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead 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 Robert W. Wood, 49, of Corning, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in 2011, the defendant was convicted of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 24 months in prison and 15 years supervised release. While on supervised release, members of the U.S. Probation Department made an unannounced visit to Wood’s residence and found an unauthorized smart phone in his possession.
A search of the phone revealed that the defendant was in possession of over 2,300 images and over 20 videos of child pornography, some of which depicted the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 10, 2020, before Judge Geraci.
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Congressman Christopher Collins Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading Scheme and Lying to Federal Law Enforcement AgentsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, who represented the 27th District of New York as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, pled guilty to participating in a scheme to commit insider trading and to making false statements to federal law enforcement agents when interviewed about his conduct.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “By virtue of his office, Christopher Collins helped write the laws of this country, but he acted as if the law did not apply to him. Today, by pleading guilty, Collins acknowledged that while he was a member of Congress he committed insider trading and then lied to the FBI in an attempt to cover it up. Today’s plea is a reminder that all citizens stand equal before the law in our criminal justice system.”
The following facts are based on the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:[1]
The Insider Trading Scheme
The Scheme
In or about June 2017, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, who, in addition to serving on the board of directors of Innate Immunotherapeutics (“Innate”), an Australian biotechnology company, was also one of Innate’s largest shareholders, participated in a scheme to commit insider trading. Specifically, on or about June 22, 2017, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS learned that MIS416 – a multiple sclerosis drug that Innate was developing – had failed a critical drug trial that was meant to determine the drug’s clinical efficacy (the “Drug Trial”). The negative Drug Trial results were highly confidential, and, as an insider who owed duties of trust and confidence to Innate, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS was obligated to keep the Drug Trial results secret until Innate publicly released them. Instead, in breach of those duties, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS tipped his son, Cameron Collins, who was also a substantial Innate shareholder, so that Cameron Collins could make timely trades and tip others before Innate publicly released the Drug Trial results. Cameron Collins traded on the inside information and passed it to the father of his fiancée, Stephen Zarsky, as well as to three individuals not named in the Superseding Indictment (“Individual-1,” “Individual-2,” and “Individual-6”), so that they could utilize the information for the same purpose. Zarsky, in turn, traded on the information and used it to tip three more individuals not named in the Superseding Indictment (“Individual-3,” “Individual-4,” and “Individual-5,”) so that they too could engage in timely trades in Innate stock. All of the trades preceded the public release of the negative Drug Trial results.
In total, these trades allowed Cameron Collins and Zarsky, and Individual-1 through Individual-6, to avoid over $768,000 in losses that they would have otherwise incurred if they had sold their stock in Innate after the Drug Trial results became public.
The Drug Trial Results
In or about October 2014, Innate initiated a Phase 2B clinical trial of its primary drug, MIS416. Successful completion of the Drug Trial was a necessary prerequisite to the commercialization of MIS416. Because Innate had no other significant products in development, its stock price was tied to the success of MIS416.
The Drug Trial was widely expected to be completed around the summer of 2017. For example, on or about June 9, 2017, Innate’s chief executive officer (“CEO”) sent various individuals, including CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, an email stating that “the delivery date for [the] review and ‘verdict’” of the Drug Trial “will [] occur at COB on US Thursday June 22nd.” As the summer progressed, individuals within Innate remained optimistic that MIS416’s Drug Trial results would be positive. The initial Drug Trial results were made available by trial administrators to Innate’s CEO on June 22, 2017. These results established that MIS416 lacked therapeutic value in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The results were not publicly released at that time. Instead, they were released publicly on June 26, 2017, after the U.S. markets had closed (the “Public Announcement”). Innate’s stock price subsequently crashed, dropping 92% on the first trading day following the Public Announcement.
Dissemination of the Drug Trial Results
On or about June 22, 2017, at approximately 6:55 p.m., Innate’s CEO sent an email describing the Drug Trial results to the company’s board of directors, including CHRISTOPHER COLLINS. The email explained to Innate’s board of directors for the first time that the Drug Trial had been a failure. The email began, in part, “I have bad news to report,” and continued to explain that “the top line analysis of the ‘intent to treat’ patient population (ie every subject who was successfully enrolled in the study) would pretty clearly indicate[s] ‘clinical failure.’” The email continued, “Top-line 12-month data . . . show no clinically meaningful or statistically significant differences in [outcomes] between MIS416 and placebo,” and concluded by stating, “No doubt we will want to consider this extremely bad news. . . .”
At the time CHRISTOPHER COLLINS received this email, he was attending the Congressional Picnic at the White House. At 7:10 p.m., CHRISTOPHER COLLINS replied to the email, stating, in part, “Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???” After responding to the Innate CEO’s email, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS called his son, Cameron Collins. They traded six missed calls between 7:11 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.. At 7:16 p.m., CHRISTOPHER COLLINS and Cameron Collins spoke for more than six minutes. During that six-minute phone call, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS told Cameron Collins, in sum and substance, that MIS416 had failed the Drug Trial.
Trading and Tipping by Cameron Collins and Zarsky
Cameron Collins began placing orders to sell his Innate shares the morning after he received inside information from CHRISTOPHER COLLINS. Between the morning of Friday, June 23, 2017 and the close of the market on Monday, June 26, 2017, Cameron Collins sold approximately 1,391,500 shares of Innate stock. These sales allowed Cameron Collins to avoid approximately $570,900 in losses.
Furthermore, after learning the Drug Trial results from CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, on or about the night of June 22, 2017, Cameron Collins provided the Drug Trial results to at least the following three sets of individuals so that they could trade in advance of the Public Announcement: (1) his fiancée, Individual-1; (2) Zarsky and Zarsky’s wife, Individual-2; and (3) Cameron Collins’s friend, Individual-6. Collectively, these individuals avoided approximately $186,620 in losses as a result of their trading on inside information.
On or about the morning of June 23, 2017, Zarsky provided the negative Drug Trial results that he had learned from Cameron Collins and Individual-1 to at least the following individuals, among others, or otherwise caused them to trade or attempt to trade in advance of the Public Announcement: (1) his brother, Individual-3; (2) his sister, Individual-4; and (3) his longstanding friend, Individual-5. Collectively, these individuals avoided approximately $10,900 in losses as a result of their trading on inside information.
False Statements to the FBI
On or about April 25, 2018, special agents from the FBI separately interviewed CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, Cameron Collins, and Zarsky. During these interviews, and as detailed in the Superseding Indictment, CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, Cameron Collins, and Zarsky made false statements to the FBI to cover up their participation in the insider trading scheme.
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CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, 69, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of making false statements to law enforcement officials, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, which also carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Judge.
COLLINS will be sentenced January 17, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hartman, Max Nicholas, and Damian Williams are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges against Cameron Collins and Stephen Zarsky are merely accusations, and they are deemed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As for the defendants who have not pled guilty, the description of the charges set forth herein constitute only allegations.
Columbus man sentenced to life in prison for murdering potential witnessesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Antwan L. Hutchinson, 28, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to life in prison with no chance of parole for murdering two potential witnesses and conspiring to distribute narcotics.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the sentence imposed this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Hutchinson and Michael J. Favors, 27, also of Columbus, were indicted in April 2017 and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and murdering two potential witnesses.
According to court documents, Hutchinson led a drug trafficking organization and possessed and distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana. As part of the drug conspiracy, he and Favors used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs. This included using threat of force and using the homes of drug-addicted individuals.
Hutchinson also intimidated, assaulted, threatened and tortured individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy. Further, he tortured and killed individuals who were seen as potential witnesses against the members of the conspiracy.
As part of his plea in April 2019, Hutchinson admitted he intentionally killed Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp in February 2017 because they were perceived as potential witnesses against the defendants.
Hutchinson also beat and tortured Cody Campbell in February 2017. Hutchinson used a two-by-four to beat and extension cords to whip Campbell, who died hours after the incident.
Pursuant to the murder charges to which Hutchinson pleaded, the defendant must be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
“Today Antwan Hutchinson was sentenced to life in prison for his heinous conduct,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “He will never be paroled, and he cannot appeal the sentence. This swift, severe, and certain punishment is appropriate for his crimes, and I hope it gives his victims’ families some sense of closure.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and the Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Jessica W. Knight who are prosecuting the case.
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Citizen of Guatemala Is Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Robson Gustavo Morales Santos, 31, was sentenced on Monday, September 30, 2019, to 96 months in prison on child pornography charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Santos, who is a citizen of Guatemala residing illegally in the United States, was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. presided over the sentencing hearing.
According to information contained in filed court documents and yesterday’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement received a cybertip that Santos was uploading child pornography to a cloud application. A forensic analysis of Santos’ cell phone, and a subsequent search of his cloud account by law enforcement, revealed that Santos possessed more than 600 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were prepubescent minors as young as infants. Santos pleaded guilty on April 29, 2019, to receiving child pornography.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and the FBI for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Recruiting Minors to Engage in Sex ActsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for recruiting minors on Facebook to participate in sex acts with him and others.
BRYAN OSBORNE, 30, posed as a woman on Facebook to send thousands of messages to intended victims, most of them minors. Osborne enticed several children to agree to appear in sexually explicit films in exchange for a purported payment of thousands of dollars. He told the minors that they would first need to engage in sex acts with a male producer named “Trey,” purportedly so that “Trey” could make sure the minors were suitable for filming. Several of the minors agreed to the arrangement and engaged in sex acts with “Trey,” who turned out to be Osborne.
Osborne admitted to engaging in sex acts or attempting to engage in sex acts with 14 minor victims. Osborne often engaged in the sex acts with the minors inside and outside of a building in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. He later fabricated various reasons for why the minors could not be paid.
Osborne pleaded guilty in 2017 to sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Monday sentenced Osborne to 22 years in prison, to be followed by 12 years of supervised release after imprisonment, and ordered him to pay restitution of $142,481 to the victims.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Superintendent. Members of FBI Chicago’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Petersen.
According to evidence in the case, Osborne used various online personas to target children. Osborne told some of the minors that they could be paid larger sums if they referred even younger children to him for participation in the purported films, including victims under the age of 12.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or log on to http://www.missingkids.com. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cedar Rapids Man Who Led Police on Two Pursuits Sentenced to over Sixteen Years in Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin, was sentenced September 30, 2019, to 200 months in prison.
Lloyd Koger, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a December 28, 2018 guilty plea to distribution of heroin after a prior felony drug conviction.
Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that Koger was convicted in 1995, 1999, and 2004 of felony drug offenses in Illinois. During one such offense, Koger was found in possession of 170 baggies of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school. In 2016, Koger started selling heroin in the Cedar Rapids area. At times, he was selling daily and people would line up to get heroin from him. In February 2018, Koger led police on a pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers attempted to stop the car he was driving. Koger eventually came to a stop. Officers located over $3,000 in drug proceeds on him.
On August 3 and August 9, 2018, Koger sold heroin to a confidential informant. In August 2018, Koger again led officers on another pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers tried to stop the car he was driving. Koger drove up to 80 miles per hours through residential areas of Cedar Rapids. He eventually came to a stop after colliding with another vehicle. No one was injured in the crash. Koger had over $9,000 on him at that time.
In total, Koger was responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin in the Cedar Rapid area. Koger has 17 criminal convictions going back to the age of 17.
Koger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Koger was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Marion Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00093.
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Braddock Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing a Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of five years (60 months), to be followed by four years of supervised release on charges of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of an analogue of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Court Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Trevon Woodson, 22. According to information presented to the court, Lynell Guyton is the main target of the investigation. From May 2017 until August 2017, he utilized various individuals to package drugs for him. Guyton purchased large quantities of fentanyl analogues from overseas purveyors to sell locally.
Trevon and his twin brother Drevon are Guyton’s cousins who also packaged narcotics for him. On July 10, 2017, the Woodsons and their friend were subjected to a traffic stop in the City of Pittsburgh. Trevon Woodson was sitting in the back seat, kicking at a blue plastic shopping bag at his feet. After searching the vehicle, officers found the shopping bag that was at Trevon Woodson’s feet, and discovered that it contained 16 bricks plus two stamp bags, marked "Louis Vuitton" in black ink. That was one of the three stamps distributed by Guyton. The substances tested positive for over 10 grams of cyclopropyl fentanyl.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)/ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, including the Pittsburgh Police SWAT Team, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Bergen County Man Admits Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to launder the proceeds of narcotics activity, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Bobbie L. Henderson III, 36, of Edgewater, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2017 through May 23, 2019, Henderson conspired with others to launder the proceeds of narcotics distribution, with the intent to promote the distribution of narcotics. Henderson further admitted possessing more than $850,000 in furtherance of this conspiracy. These funds were seized by law enforcement during the course of the investigation.
Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, with the investigation. Today’s guilty plea is the result of an investigation by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The Strike Force is housed at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, the U. S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, the Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Defense counsel: Scott E. Leemon Esq., New York
Belmont County, Ohio man indicted on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Nathan Parker, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, was indicted today on a fentanyl distribution charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Parker, age 39, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Parker is accused of selling fentanyl near Madison Elementary School in July 2019 in Ohio County.
Smith faces at least 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Barrington Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Thomas Whitney, 39, of Barrington, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court to production of child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between a date unknown and September 19, 2018, Whitney produced visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct using a cellular telephone.
Whitney is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2020.
“Protection of children is a high priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Murray. “We will continue to work closely with the FBI and all of our law enforcement partners to safeguard young people.”
“Mr. Whitney is finally accepting responsibility for his heinous actions—coercing a five-year-old child into sexually explicit conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to stop children from being exploited and bring to justice those responsible for terrorizing them.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.
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Atlantic Beach Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as A Two-Time Convicted Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jimmie Dwight Whitfield (43, Atlantic Beach) to 37 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender after absconding from supervision in Georgia and establishing residence in Florida. Whitfield was also sentenced to a 5-year term of supervised release and required to register as a sex offender. He has been in custody since his arrest on October 25, 2018.
According to court documents, in 1995, Whitfield was convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old child in Jacksonville. In 2006, he was convicted of sexual battery and sodomy against a mentally challenged adult in Valdosta, Georgia. Following his release from prison, Whitfield resided at a motel in Valdosta while serving a term of supervised probation. In March 2018, he cut off his ankle monitor, fled to Florida, and established a residence in Atlantic Beach. Whitfield failed to register as a sex offender in Florida as required by federal and state law. On October 25, 2018, he was arrested at his home in Atlantic Beach for violating his probation. During an interview with law enforcement, he admitted that he had cut off his ankle monitor and that he knew he was not allowed to leave Georgia without permission.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Lowndes County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Armed Robber Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A man who robbed a Burger King shift manager at gunpoint was sentenced September 30, 2019, to spend 30 years in federal prison announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph. Ivory Carl Myles, 30, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., for interference with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. Myles was also sentenced to five years of supervised release following confinement. The defendant pleaded guilty on December 13, 2018.
On July 21, 2017, around 3:30 a.m., while Ivory Myles was working at a Bossier City, Louisiana, Burger King restaurant, he entered the safe where the shift manager was making a cash drop, turned off the lights and put a gun to her head. He then told her to give him the money and threatened to kill her. Myles fled the scene in a vehicle and forced the victim at gun point to leave the Burger King with him. He made her drive while he sat in the back seat. On the way to Houston, Texas, he had her stop the vehicle in a parking lot and he sexually assaulted her. He then had her stop at a hotel where he sexually assaulted her again. Myles eventually released the victim in Houston, and was later apprehended by police in Beaumont, Texas, following a high-speed chase.
During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a Walther .22-caliber handgun loaded with 11 hollow-point bullets and one bullet in the chamber.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany E. Fields and Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Armed Drug Dealer SentencedRead 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 Demetrius Jackson, 43, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that Jackson was arrested after police officers served a court-authorized search warrant at his residence on Wadsworth Street in Rochester, and found controlled substances and a loaded firearm.
While searching the location, police officers found a green container with 10 small zip-lock bags of cocaine in a bedroom which Jackson later admitted belonged to him. In the same bedroom, secreted in a crawl space, officers found a Taurus .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun which was loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition. In the living room, officers found a black container with additional quantities of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. A digital scale, typically used to weigh drugs for distribution, was located on a kitchen counter.
Jackson spoke with officers after he was arrested and admitted he was selling cocaine through a window in the residence. He said he had been selling cocaine for several weeks to earn money and acquired the handgun by exchanging cocaine for it.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.
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Allenwood Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced for Contraband PossessionRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 30, 2019, Ruben Esparza, an inmate formerly of the United States Penitentiary Allenwood, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Mathew W. Brann for possession of contraband.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, on June 27, 2015, Esparza was found in possession of heroin while he was an inmate at USP Allenwood. The prison sentence runs consecutively to Esparza’s present federal sentence imposed for drug trafficking.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Figgsganter prosecuted the case.
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Akron Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Akron, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on Sept. 25 and unsealed today, named Oshay Love, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on July 23, 2019, Love possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and over $700 in cash that was seized from the defendant’s red Chevy Blazer. The court was further informed that the defendant attempted to evade arrest in the parking lot of the Monroeville Hampton Inn by fleeing in his vehicle, damaging multiple police vehicles, and jumping off a cliff before he was apprehended.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Monroeville, Elizabeth, and Wilkinsburg Police Departments conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monday 30 September 2019
Wilmington Gang Member Receives 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced TAVEON NIXON, 21, of Wilmington, North Carolina to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On December 20, 2018, a Grand Jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina returned a four-count indictment, charging NIXON with three counts of distribution of heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and quantity of cocaine base (crack). On May 20, 2019, NIXON pled guilty to distribution of a quantity of heroin and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and a quantity of cocaine base (crack).
According to the investigation, on November 29 and December 4, 2018, the Wilmington Police Department made two controlled purchases of heroin from NIXON in the area of South 9th Street in Wilmington.
On December 10, 2018, officers with the Security Threat Unit of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety conducted a warrantless probationary search at the NIXON’s residence in Wilmington. NIXON was on probation for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement found heroin, crack cocaine, and $1,400 cash. NIXON was arrested as a result. Following this arrest, NIXON removed an ankle monitor in an attempt to evade law enforcement. According to law enforcement, NIXON was a validated gang member.
On January 17, 2019, NIXON had an outstanding federal arrest warrant. Law enforcement received information that NIXON was the passenger in a car with other gang members. Task Force Officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and members of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office attempted to make a traffic stop at a gas station in New Hanover County. The driver struck a law enforcement car, while NIXON fled on foot. NIXON was arrested following a foot chase. Law enforcement found more than 250 bindles of heroin in the car and United States Currency. The driver and another passenger are scheduled to be sentenced in federal court later this month.
This case is part of an FBI-led Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation named “Dodge Ball.” This operation is focused on members of the Nine Trey sect of the United Blood Nation, a violent gang in Wilmington, North Carolina involved in the distribution of heroin, possession of firearms and associated violence. This is a joint investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (Gang Unit), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wilmington Police Department, and New Hanover Sheriff’s Office. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and ATF utilize resources from federal, state, and local law enforcement in order to efficiently and effectively target and combat criminal gangs and drug trafficking organizations operating in coastal southern North Carolina. A key component of federal task force’s success involves the use of task force officers from local law enforcement who have direct knowledge of the criminal gang activity in their areas.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Wichita Man Appears in Federal Court on Charge of Escaping CustodyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man appeared in federal court here today on a charge of escaping custody, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Wade Dunn, 30, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of escape from custody. A criminal complaint filed in federal court alleges Dunn escaped from the Mirror, Inc., Residential Re-entry Center in Wichita.
In July 2017, Dunn was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after being convicted on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In July 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons transferred him to the residential re-entry center in Wichita to serve the remainder of his sentence.
On Sept. 23, 2019, Dunn left the halfway house on a pass at 9:30 a.m. and failed to return at 5:30 p.m. that day.
On Sept. 28, 2019, Wichita police announced they had arrested Dunn in connection with a random stabbing on Sept. 23 in the 7400 block of East 17th Street North.
Dunn will be held pending trial.
If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind are prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.Wetzel County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Lemasters, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced 15 months for a firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Lemasters, age 56, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2019. Lemasters, who is prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 9mm caliber pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition in Wetzel County in October 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, West Virginia State Police, and the Paden City Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Westfield Man Sentenced to 9 years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - William Moit, age 72, who was formerly a resident of Rensselaer, Indiana -- but resided in Westfield, Indiana when arrested -- was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after his plea of guilty to receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Moit was sentenced to serve a term of 108 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and he was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
According to documents in this case, Moit, who was convicted in Jasper County, Indiana in 2000 for possessing child pornography and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, was charged, in the federal indictment in 2017, with receiving child pornography. Between November 2014 and October 2015, Moit knowingly used a computer to receive 111 images and 157 videos depicting minors, some of which were under 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Weakley County Man Sentenced to 140 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Wesley Wilson, Jr., 43, has been sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on April 17, 2018 the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of child abuse. When law enforcement discovered Wilson and his wife Lacy traveling in a red truck, they were stopped and asked to return home. Upon approaching the truck, officers smelled the strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and on Wilson’s person. Wilson acknowledged that he had marijuana cigarettes in his pocket. The defendant gave consent for the officers to search his truck and property, including his house and barn. The officers located a black shaving style kit bag in the bed of the truck that smelled strongly of marijuana. Inside was a large quantity of marijuana and approximately two ounces of methamphetamine, in crystal form. Both Wilsons were taken into custody.
Law enforcement located more methamphetamine inside the residence and barns in numerous small packages, along with scales and packaging materials, 4 ounces of methamphetamine, two ounces of marijuana, and numerous firearms, including an AR-15 and a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
On September 24, 2019, U.S. Chief District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Wilson to 140 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. Wilson is also facing state charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Armed drug dealers are a double threat, and this case demonstrates our focus on the priority areas of firearms and narcotics cases that impact public safety in our rural communities. We are pleased that this dangerous offender has been removed from the streets for over 10 years, and we appreciate the partnerships with our local law enforcement agencies in Weakley County."
This case was investigated by the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAEKWON OVERSTREET, 24, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 19, 2019, as part of a special parole compliance check, law enforcement officials searched Overstreet and found that he had in his possession a loaded Springfield 9mm firearm.
Overstreet’s criminal history includes a state felony conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2020, at which time Overstreet faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Overstreet has been detained since his arrest on February 19, 2019.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Veteran’s widow charged with defrauding VARead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old resident of Katy has been indicted for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of more than $600,000, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Tammy Wilson made her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Sept. 19, alleging she committed one count each of mail fraud, health care fraud and making a false statement relating to health care matters. She is set for trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal.
According to the charges, Wilson is a widow of military veteran. Her husband allegedly died of service related injuries, after which she was eligible to participate in the Civilian Health and Mental Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) Program. CHAMPVA is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and is a comprehensive health care program in which the VA reimburses for eligible out-of-pocket prescription expenses, according to the indictment.
From 2013 through 2017, Wilson allegedly submitted falsified prescription summaries to the CHAMPVA Program. In the scheme, according to the charges, Wilson claimed to have paid for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of prescription medications. The VA then allegedly paid Wilson more than $640,000 for those claims. However, the indictment alleges the pharmacies never dispensed the prescriptions as she had claimed.
During the course of the scheme, Wilson was the biggest recipient of CHAMPVA funds in the world, according to the charges.
If convicted, Wilson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The VA - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heyward Carter is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct.
A defendant is presumed unless and until convicted through due process of law.