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7 November 2019
Pittsburgh Man on Bond for State Drug Offenses Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Malik Martinez was sentenced to 72 months in prison for committing heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Martinez, age 22 of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab also sentenced Martinez to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term. Martinez was on bond in Pennsylvania state court for a prior drug trafficking crime when he committed the heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes that led to his federal indictment, convictions, and sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the convictions and sentence in this case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday in connection with a decade-long investment fraud scheme in which he defrauded more than 40 people of more than $2.5 million, and concealed more than 20 vehicles purchased with some of the victim funds.
Stephan Kuljko Jr., 61, of Stow, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Mark L. Wolf to 156 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,772,160 in restitution. In August 2019, Kuljko was convicted by a federal jury after a two-week trial of four counts of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.
From 2006 through 2017, Kuljko spun a false story about himself as a wealthy man who won millions in the Ohio Lottery that he turned into hundreds of millions by investing in a Texas oil business and casinos. Kuljko solicited money from people by telling them that his vast fortune had been frozen in a bank account because of problems with the IRS, and that he needed money to pay for lawyers and to travel around the world to try to free up those funds. Kuljko operated his scheme mostly behind the scenes, using an associate in Arizona to solicit funds. Victims were promised huge returns, in many cases more than a million dollars for providing tens of thousands to assist Kuljko. The scheme also involved soliciting money to obtain and market what Kuljko represented as an extremely valuable, large uncut emerald. As with his other representations, the emerald deal was fictitious. In fact, the evidence at trial established that Kuljko had never won the lottery or invested in any Texas oil venture, had no bank account nor hundreds of millions of dollars, and the IRS was not tying up any of his money. Kuljko instead worked out of his home, buying and selling things like used snow blowers and rototillers.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Mark J. Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Ocala Convicted Felon Arrested for Possessing 25 Firearms and Hundreds of Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest of Nicholas Allen Groves (35, Ocala) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. If convicted, Groves faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the
criminal complaint , Groves has a 2012 felony conviction in Maryland for assault-first Degree. That incident involved Groves threatening another person with a firearm. Because of this felony conviction, Groves is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.On November 6, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant on an Ocala residence where Groves lived alone. Inside the residence, agents recovered at least 25 firearms (including AR-15 and AK-47 rifles), hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and personal identification documents belonging to Groves. Among the recovered ammunition, agents located three military-style 40mm smoke and parachute rounds.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Oakland Resident Wing Wo Ma Convicted of Federal Murder, Drug Distribution, Conspiracy, and Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal jury in San Francisco convicted Wing Wo Ma, a/k/a Mark Ma, a/k/a Fat Mark, of murder, drug distribution conspiracy, weapons, and bribery charges, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The verdict follows a three-week trial before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, United States District Judge.
“The jury’s verdict makes clear that Wing Wo Ma will answer for the brutal killings of Jim Tat Kong and Cindy Bao Feng Chen,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “The verdict also ensures that Ma’s personal crime wave, including murder, drug distribution, bribery, and conspiracy, has come to an end.”
“This trial brings a measure of justice for the families of Jim Tat Kong and Cindy Bao Feng Chen. Wing Wo Ma committed these homicides in cold blood and showed a blatant disregard for the rule of law,” said Special Agent in Charge Bennett. “The arrest and conviction of Wing Wo Ma shows the FBI’s commitment to get dangerous criminals off the street and protect Northern Californians from violent threats.”
According to the evidence submitted at trial, Ma, 53, of Oakland, shot and killed Jim Tat Kong and Cindy Bao Feng Chen on October 17, 2013, in Ft. Bragg, Calif., while the couple was seated in their minivan. Beginning in January of 2013, Ma had borrowed money from Kong for several business ventures including a marijuana grow and a real estate scheme in Mendocino County. Fearing retribution from Kong upon finding himself unable to repay the money, Ma met with Kong and Chen on Chen’s birthday. While seated in the car, Ma shot each of the victims with a single gunshot to the head and then left their bodies in the minivan parked in a secluded, wooded area in Mendocino County.
Further, Ma was convicted of bribery. The evidence demonstrated that Ma bribed Harry Hu, an inspector employed by the Alameda County District Attorney and a former Lieutenant in the Oakland Police Department. Ma bribed the inspector with airfare for multiple trips to Las Vegas, free accommodation at high-end suites and hotel rooms at Las Vegas casinos, meals and entertainment in Las Vegas and San Francisco, female hostesses at private room bars in Las Vegas and San Francisco, music concert tickets, use of a new Mercedes Benz, and labor for the remodel of the DA investigator’s personal residence. Ma bribed Hu in an effort to protect himself from prosecution and investigation by Hu and other law enforcement agencies. Ma also collected money from criminal associates for the purpose of bribing Hu and represented to criminal associates that Hu was an investor in Ma’s fraudulent investment projects. As part of the bribery scheme, Ma used Hu’s name and reputation to attract investors to Ma’s fraudulent schemes.
On April 6, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Ma, charging him with one count each of conspiracy to cultivate, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B); discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A); and use of a firearm causing murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j). On October 11, 2018, the grand jury handed down a superseding indictment adding one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 666, 1343, and 1346. In finding Hu guilty of all charges, the jury found that Ma’s conspiracy included the intent to possess 100 or more marijuana plants, that he discharged his gun in connection with his drug trafficking crimes, and that he murdered Kong and Chen with malice aforethought and premeditation.
Judge Breyer scheduled Ma’s sentencing for February 12, 2020. Ma faces the following maximum statutory sentences:
- Conspiracy to cultivate and distribute and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana: maximum term of forty years imprisonment, maximum fine of $5,000,000, at least four years, but up to lifetime, supervised release. (Mandatory minimum prison term of five years.)
- Use of Firearm Causing Murder: maximum lifetime imprisonment, maximum fine of $250,000, maximum three years of supervised release.
- Use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime: maximum life imprisonment, maximum fine of $250,000, maximum five years of supervised release. (Minimum consecutive penalties include the following: 5 years consecutive mandatory minimum, 7 years if the firearm is brandished, and 10 years if the firearm is discharged.)
- Bribery: maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment, maximum $250,000 fine, maximum three years of supervised release.
However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christiaan Highsmith and William Frentzen are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessica Meegan, Kimberly Richardson, Morgan Byrne, and Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Justice, and Oakland Police Department.
Notice Regarding Phone Calls Appearing to Orginate from the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Over the past week, many members of the public have let us know they are receiving phone calls that appear to be coming from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, but are not actually coming from this office. It appears that these calls are being made to look like they are coming from the U.S. Attorney’s Office through the use of a fake caller ID, which is falsely stating that the call is coming from a number associated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The false use of caller ID is also known as “spoofing.” For more information regarding “spoofing” please visit: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id
Members of the public who are concerned about whether they have received a legitimate call from the U.S. Attorney’s Office may call us and inquire. The main line for the US Attorney’s Office is 303-454-0100.
Newington Man Who Embezzled Union Funds is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS POPILLO, 62, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to two years of probation, the first six months of which Popillo must serve in home confinement, for embezzling from the Communications Workers of America Local 81266.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2003 through 2017, Popillo served as the president of the Communications Workers of America Local 81266 (“CWA 81266”). He also served as the secretary-treasurer of CWA 81266 from approximately 2003 until 2015. During his tenure as a CWA 81266 officer, Popillo embezzled approximately $37,568.68 of labor union funds by receiving unauthorized checks from CWA 81266’s bank account, and by making unauthorized purchases with CWA 81266’s debit card.
Judge Bolden ordered Popillo to make full restitution.
On August 7, 2019, Popillo pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and theft of labor union funds.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan.
Newark Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for possession of a loaded firearm and possession with intent to distribute heroin in Newark U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Aljaneer Waller, 41, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On May 11, 2018, at approximately 8:00 p.m., officers from the Newark Police Criminal Intelligence Unit were patrolling the area of Maple and Hansbury avenues in Newark when they observed an Audi automobile parked in the driveway of what appeared to be an uninhabited house. The vehicle had dark tinting on all of its windows, including on the front windows and windshield, which is a violation of New Jersey motor vehicle traffic laws. It was also partially blocking the sidewalk, which is also a violation of New Jersey motor vehicle laws.
As the officers approached the Audi, they observed Waller sitting in the reclined driver’s seat with the window rolled down. They also smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. When Waller observed the officers approaching the Audi, he became startled and abruptly turned towards the back seat, and then turned back towards the front again.
One of the officers then shined his flashlight into the Audi and observed what appeared to be a silver handgun on the back seat of the Audi. Waller opened the driver’s door and began to quickly exit the Audi. However, the officers detained him and then conducted a search of the back seat area of the Audi, which revealed a loaded .357 Magnum Ruger SP101 revolver and 114 envelopes of heroin. Waller was also found to have $1,067 in cash in his pocket. In the trunk of the Audi, officers found more than $13,000 and 40.6 grams of marijuana.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Waller to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brooke M. Barnett Esq. Newark
New Orleans Man Indicted for Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that on November 7, 2019, CHRISTOPER BONDY, age 39, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted today by a Federal Grand Jury in a one count indictment, charging him with attempting to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
These charges stem from an investigation by Special Agents of the Department of Homeland Security and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office into the illegal activities of BONDY.
BONDY, if convicted, faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000.00, and a four year term of supervised release on the drug charges, as to each count.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bayonle Osundare is in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAHDI HENDERSON, 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possesses a loaded handgun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 22, 2017, as part of an unrelated investigation, members of the New Haven and Hamden police departments executed a search warrant at a New Haven residence and encountered Henderson and three other individuals inside the residence. During the search, law enforcement discovered a loaded .22 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun under the couch where Henderson had been sitting. Subsequent forensic analysis of the handgun revealed Henderson’s DNA on the trigger of the gun.
Henderson’s criminal history includes felony convictions for assault in the first degree, possession of a pistol without a permit, and burglary in the second 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.
Henderson has been in state custody for a violation of probation since October 23, 2018. On July 30, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, New Haven Police Department and Hamden Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
New Haven Man Arrested on Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHANNON WICKER, also known as “Bishop,” 33, of New Haven, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with narcotics and firearm offenses.
As alleged in the complaint, on October 16, 2019, law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of a Chapel Street apartment and found a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol; additional rounds of .45 caliber ammunition; quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and other items. Wicker, who was present during the search, was arrested on related state charges at that time.
It is alleged that Wicker’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions, including convictions for weapon in a motor vehicle, sale of illegal hallucinogens or narcotics, sale of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics, tampering with evidence, and failure to appear.
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.
The complaint charges Wicker with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. If convicted of the charges, Wicker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Wicker is detained pending a bond hearing that is scheduled for November 14, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the New Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Nevada Resident Pled Guilty and was Sentenced in Miami for Trafficking an Endangered Galapagos TortoiseRead the Press Release
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Resident Agent in Charge David Pharo, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Major Alfredo Escanio, Southern Region B Commander, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, announced that defendant, Alan Francisco Wheelock, 33, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pled guilty today in Miami, Florida for conduct that involved the purchase and sale of a Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger), which was possessed, transported, and sold in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Title 16, United States Code, Section 1538(a)(1)(E) and (G), and the federal Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(1) and 3373(d)(1)(B).
Wheelock, after entering his guilty plea today before U.S. District Court Judge Ursula M. Ungaro, was immediately sentenced to a two-year term of probation, with a special condition that he serve 120 days of home confinement. In addition, the Court imposed a $7,000 criminal fine, to be directed to the Lacey Act Reward Account and ordered that Wheelock perform 100 hours of community service. The charges against co-defendant Maurico M. Perez, a resident of Miami, were dismissed due to his death after the return of the Indictment.
According to the charges, statements in Court, and a Joint Factual Statement executed by the parties, on August 27, 2018, an Investigator and a Canine Officer with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement were alerted by K-9 “Mag” to a suspicious parcel at a Miami-area FedEx store. Inspection of the package revealed an ESA-listed, juvenile Galapagos tortoise, being shipped to Wheelock in Las Vegas.
The investigation revealed that in August 2018, Wheelock visited a public internet site for reptile enthusiasts. Wheelock saw an advertisement on the site by a licensed breeder, offering “Galapagos Hatchlings” for sale. The site also stated that, “A CBW [Captive-Bred Wildlife Registration Permit] is required if you are outside Florida – Valid proof will be required . . . make sure your CBW is up to date – I will check with proper authorities . . . .”
Wheelock contacted his cousin, co-defendant Perez, via a series of Facebook chat messages and requested that he contact the breeder, pose as an in-state buyer, and acquire a baby Galapagos tortoise to be shipped via FedEx to Wheelock in Las Vegas. Wheelock offered Perez $400 to drive to the breeder’s facility in central Florida. Wheelock, using banking information provided by Perez, wired $4,500 into Perez’s bank account.
On August 25, 2018, Perez travelled by car from Miami, and met with the breeder, withdrawing $4,300 from a branch of his bank on the way. While at the breeder’s facility, Perez posted video clips photos to his Facebook account, which included depictions of juvenile Galapagos tortoises. Perez paid the breeder $3,900, in exchange for one juvenile Galapagos tortoise, which he transported back to Miami. On August 27, 2018, Perez was captured on videotape presenting the box containing the Galapagos tortoise to the FedEx facility in Miami and paying to have the package sent to a FedEx Shipping Center in Las Vegas, addressed to Wheelock.
On August 28, 2018, Wheelock took delivery of the parcel containing the Galapagos tortoise at the FedEx Store in Las Vegas. The entire transaction involving the parcel was captured on videotape, as well as being physically surveilled by a Special Agent of the FWS.
The tortoise at issue, referred to as “Miami,” has been transferred to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and returned to Florida.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the Special Agents of the Fish & Wildlife Service in Florida and Nevada, and Investigators with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and Border Protection Officers, who investigated this matter. She thanked the Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Forensic Laboratory for their technical support. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Navy Employee Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses with Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
A Navy employee, who resided in Silver Spring, Maryland, before moving to Japan, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the production, transportation and possession of child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office made the announcement.
Spencer E. Steckman, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Steckman pleaded guilty on June 11, 2019, to one count of production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, Steckman received a lifetime of supervised release and was ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the victims.
According to court documents, Steckman enticed at least 10 preteen and teenage boys to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record it and send it to him. He employed a variety of tactics, including misrepresenting his identity, offering money and videogame redemption codes and encouraging the children to compete with others to produce and send the “best” photos. After years of this conduct, he moved to Japan in mid-November 2017, where he worked with Commander Navy Region Japan and transported and possessed child pornography.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Japan detained Steckman on March 27, 2018. The U.S. Marshals service transported him back to Maryland to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. He has remained in custody since that time.
Further investigation revealed that Steckman had previously molested two prepubescent children on numerous occasions, that he had given one of the teenage boys cash and marijuana to engage in sexual activity with him, that he had shared his child pornography with like-minded offenders and that he stored most of his child pornography collection on an encrypted device.
The FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from NCIS. Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Navy Employee Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offenses Involving Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Spencer E. Steckman, 36, a Navy employee formerly of Silver Spring, Maryland, today to 40 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for the production, transportation, and possession of child pornography. Judge Grimm also ordered that Steckman pay restitution of $120,000 to the victims, and that Steckman must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office.
Steckman pleaded guilty on June 11, 2019, to one count of production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Steckman enticed at least 10 preteen and teenage boys to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record it and send it to him. He employed a variety of tactics, including misrepresenting his identity, offering money and video game redemption codes, and encouraging the children to compete with others to produce and send the “best” photos. Steckman also admitted that he gave one of the victims cash and marijuana to engage in sexual activity with him. After years of this conduct, Steckman moved to Japan in mid-November 2017, where he worked with Commander Navy Region Japan, and transported and possessed the child pornography.
Further investigation revealed that Steckman had shared his child pornography, including images sent to him by the victims, with like-minded offenders, and that he stored most of his child pornography collection on an encrypted device.
Steckman was detained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Japan on March 27, 2018, and transported back to Maryland by the United States Marshals Service to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. He has remained in custody since that time.
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 and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commended the FBI’s Baltimore Field Division and the Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office who investigated the case, with substantial assistance from NCIS. Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin and Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), who prosecuted the case.
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Monroe Couple Sentenced to 69 Years Collectively in Prison for Armed Robbery Bank SpreeRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – A Monroe couple was sentenced to 69 years collectively in prison for robbing three financial institutions at gunpoint and for multiple firearms violations, announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph.
Lakendria Nicole Goings, 35, and David Ray Johnson, 37, were convicted on August 1, 2019, following a four-day trial, of all counts submitted to the jury – two counts of bank robbery, one count of credit union robbery, and three counts of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition, Johnson was found guilty of two counts of convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided over the trial and handed down Johnson’s sentence of 41 and a half years in prison on November 6, 2019, and sentenced Goings today to 28 years, three months in prison.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Goings and Johnson’s spree began when they robbed the Guaranty Bank branch in Epps, Louisiana on November 10, 2017. The defendants entered the bank wearing hoodies to obscure their faces, and waiving semi-automatic handguns in the direction of customers and employees. Johnson stood at the entrance door acting as lookout and rear guard, while Goings directed the gun at the face of a bank teller, ordering the bank teller to fill a bag with money. The robbers left Guaranty Bank with approximately $17,307. After the robbery, Epps Police Department officers and West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s detectives found a cloth work glove worn by Johnson during the robbery, several rolls of coins, and a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, in a vacant lot close to the bank. DNA from the glove matched David Ray Johnson’s DNA, which was in a North Carolina DNA database as a result of Johnson’s 2012 felony conviction for financial card theft.
The second and third robberies occurred on November 27, 2017 (Barksdale Federal Credit Union in Cotton Valley, Louisiana), and December 18, 2017 (Winnsboro State Bank in Gilbert, Louisiana). On both occasions the defendants entered dressed in black, bulky hooded clothing with dark fabric covering their faces, waiving semi-automatic firearms at bank customers and employees and demanding money from the tellers. They left Barksdale FCU with $12,756, and Winnsboro State Bank with $28,447.
After the robbers left Winnsboro State Bank with a duffel bag full of money, Franklin Parish Sheriff’s deputies located the getaway car and began a high-speed chase with the defendants’ Toyota Sequoia, sometimes exceeding 100 mph. During the chase, Johnson, who was driving, pointed a semi-automatic handgun out of the driver’s window and fired several times at the deputies. The vehicle later crashed in a residential area in Winnsboro, Louisiana, and the defendants surrendered to authorities. Johnson exited the vehicle with a .40 caliber pistol in his hand, loaded with a round in the chamber and four live rounds in the magazine, which dropped to the ground as he submitted to arrest. This .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol was of the same make, model and caliber handgun that investigators found in the vacant lot near the Guaranty Bank robbery in Epps.
In the Sequoia, deputies found a duffel bag with $28,477 in cash, black clothing, hooded jackets, black fabric consistent with the masks worn during the robberies, and paper coin wrappers bearing handwritten account numbers belonging to Barksdale FCU customers. Officers also found a Double Star Brand, Model Star 15, .223-caliber semi-automatic AR-type rifle, which Johnson had just brandished in the Winnsboro State Bank robbery, loaded with a live round in the chamber and 27 rounds in a detachable magazine.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates our firm commitment to fight the menace of violent crime in the Western District of Louisiana,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “The lawlessness of these defendants and the terror they caused will not be tolerated.”
The FBI, ATF, Louisiana State Police, Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, Epps Police Department, Cotton Valley Police Department, and Winnsboro Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case, aided by District Attorney Mack Lancaster’s office, Fifth Judicial District of Louisiana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Miami, FL Man Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Cocaine Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Miami, FL pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiring to distribute kilograms of cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Sebastian Velasquez, age 29, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from October 2017 through July 2018, Velasquez and his co-conspirators conspired to distribute between 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Velasquez’s co-conspirators obtained the supply of cocaine and physically transported kilograms of cocaine via bus from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh roughly twice a month for the nine-month period. In connection with this investigation, the United States seized nearly $8,000,000 in cash and other assets; 42 kilograms of cocaine; 12 kilograms of fentanyl; three kilograms of heroin; and 121 grams of oxycodone.
Velasquez’s co-defendants,Moussa Jabateh and Danny Jackson, both plead guilty in October and are awaiting sentencing.
Senior Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for on March 19, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $10,000,00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Mark V. Gurzo are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Wilkinsburg Police Department, and the Allegheny County Adult Probation Office, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Velasquez
Meth trafficker gets more than 11 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 24-year-old Edinburg man has been ordered to prison following his conviction of trafficking meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Enrique Alessandro Quintero pleaded guilty Aug. 6.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales handed Quintero a 135-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the quantity of drugs.
On or about April 10, Quintero drove a Chevrolet pickup truck towing a trailer through the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint near Falfurrias. After a service K-9 alerted to the vehicle, law enforcement discovered the gas tank concealed 15 bundles of pure meth.
The narcotics weighed approximately 4.778 kilograms with an estimated street value in excess of $50,000. Two additional bundles of heroin were also hidden in the gas tank.
Quintero had previously been on bond but found to have violated those conditions after he failed to appear for a court setting. The court then ordered him into custody where he has been and will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning is prosecuting the case.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement of Lawsuit Against Spinal Implant Company, Its CEO, and Another Executive for Paying Millions of Dollars in Kickbacks to SurgeonsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has settled a civil healthcare fraud lawsuit against LIFE SPINE INC. (“LIFE SPINE”), MICHAEL BUTLER (“BUTLER”), the founder, president, and chief executive officer of LIFE SPINE, and RICHARD GREIBER (“GREIBER”), the vice president of business development of LIFE SPINE, alleging that LIFE SPINE paid kickbacks in the form of millions of dollars of consulting fees, royalties, and intellectual property acquisition fees to surgeons to induce them to use LIFE SPINE’s spinal implants, devices, and equipment. The surgeons who received these kickbacks accounted for approximately half of Life Spine’s domestic sales of spinal products from 2012 through 2018. In the settlement, LIFE SPINE agreed to pay $5.5 million, BUTLER agreed to pay $375,000, and GREIBER agreed to pay $115,000. Each defendant also made admissions and acknowledged and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s complaint as described further below. The amounts paid by LIFE SPINE and GREIBER under the settlement are based on the Office’s assessment of their ability to pay based on the financial information they provided.
The settlement was approved by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The settlement reflects this Office’s commitment to stopping companies like Life Spine, and the individuals who run them, from engaging in unlawful kickback schemes. Such conduct seriously undermines the public’s confidence in medical treatment decisions made by doctors whose judgment may be compromised by illegal kickbacks. This Office will continue vigorously to pursue companies and individuals who pay health care providers to induce them to use their products or services.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert said: “Medical treatment should be based on the patient’s best interest and not on illegal kickbacks. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients and taxpayers from individuals who place profits before the needs of patients.”
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
LIFE SPINE is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Huntley, Illinois. LIFE SPINE designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices and equipment primarily used in spinal surgeries performed by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, including implants and instruments (“Life Spine Products”).
LIFE SPINE paid surgeons to induce them to use Life Spine Products during their surgeries. LIFE SPINE aggressively recruited surgeons who had the potential to use a high volume of Life Spine Products to enter into agreements to serve as paid consultants and/or to transfer their patents and patent applications to LIFE SPINE in exchange for payments and promised support from LIFE SPINE to bring the surgeons’ new products to market. These agreements took different forms, including agreements under which the surgeons were purportedly paid to provide training and/or educational services; agreements under which the surgeons were purportedly paid to provide input on new products and then would receive royalties on future sales of the product; and agreements under which the surgeons were paid large up-front acquisition fees for their patents/patent applications and then would receive royalties on the sales of any products developed based on the patents. LIFE SPINE tied these agreements and the associated payments – as well as the company’s continued commitment to devote resources to the surgeons’ product development projects – to the surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products.
The kickback scheme was successful and these surgeons used Life Spine Products during procedures performed on Medicare and Medicaid patients, which resulted in the submission of kickback-tainted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
As part of the settlement, LIFE SPINE admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct:
- Between 2012 and 2018 (the “relevant period”), LIFE SPINE entered into agreements with dozens of surgeons and paid these surgeons, and entities owned in whole or in part by the surgeons, millions in consulting fees, royalties, and intellectual property (“IP”) acquisition payments. Most of the surgeons who received these payments substantially increased their usage of Life Spine Products after entering into agreements with LIFE SPINE.
- Many of the surgeons who received consulting fees, royalties, and IP acquisition payments were high-volume users of Life Spine Products. Approximately 21 of the top 30 users of Life Spine Products during the relevant period received consulting fees, royalties, and/or IP acquisition payments. In addition, approximately half of LIFE SPINE’s domestic sales of spinal products during the relevant period were attributable to surgeries performed by surgeons who received consulting fees, royalties, and IP acquisition payments from LIFE SPINE.
- During the relevant period, LIFE SPINE generated reports for management that reflected both the payments made to surgeons and the surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products during a given time period. On one occasion a report included an “ROI” column that calculated LIFE SPINE’s return on investment by dividing the sales revenue associated with each surgeon’s usage of Life Spine Products by the total amount paid to that surgeon in consulting fees and royalties during the same period. When surgeons’ usage decreased, senior sales managers would contact the surgeons, or their distributors, to urge the surgeons to use Life Spine Products more frequently.
BUTLER admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct:
- BUTLER was involved in identifying and retaining some of the surgeons who served as paid consultants for LIFE SPINE. He reviewed many of the patents that LIFE SPINE considered purchasing from surgeons and was involved in some of the negotiation of the terms of the IP purchase agreements, in some instances including the initial acquisition fee and royalty rates.
- On multiple occasions, BUTLER received reports that reflected both the payments made to surgeons and the surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products during a given time period. When surgeons’ usage of Life Spine Products decreased, on occasion, BUTLER would contact the surgeons, or their distributors, to encourage them to increase their usage of Life Spine Products.
GREIBER admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct:
- GREIBER was one of the LIFE SPINE managers responsible for reviewing the qualifications of, selecting, and approving surgeons who served as paid consultants for LIFE SPINE.
- LIFE SPINE entered into an IP purchase agreement under which LIFE SPINE licensed a patent for a static compression plate owned by a company associated with a surgeon who wanted to develop the product and bring it to market. GREIBER was one of the two LIFE SPINE managers who signed the agreement on behalf of LIFE SPINE. LIFE SPINE spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to attempt to develop and bring the compression plate to market but encountered a number of setbacks. The surgeon accounted for over $3.7 million in Life Spine Product sales from 2012 through 2016.
- In 2016, GREIBER participated in two discussions with the surgeon during which LIFE SPINE’s continued funding of the project and the surgeon’s recent decreased usage of Life Spine Products were discussed. During the calls, while discussing the funding of the compression plate, GREIBER suggested that the surgeon should increase his usage of Life Spine Products. On one call, GREIBER asked the surgeon to consider using Life Spine “more vigorously” than he recently had been. Later in the discussion, the surgeon suggested that the company and he “renew our vows to each other.”
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government intervened in a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
Mr. Berman thanked the FBI and HHS-OIG for their assistance with the case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Jude, Jeffrey K. Powell, Lara K. Eshkenazi, and Rachael Doud are in charge of the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Text Messages Threatening to Kill JewsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office announced that Hanson Richard Larkin, 26, of DeLand, Florida, pled guilty yesterday to a felony Information charging him with knowingly and intentionally transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c). Larkin, who has been in custody since his arrest, is scheduled for sentencing on January 8, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, Larkin met an individual who resided in Miami-Dade County online around 2017, and over time, they became friends, communicating via text, phone, and various social media outlets. This friendship did not include any in-person interactions. On a number of occasions during the two years leading up to August 25, 2019, Larkin told this individual about his hatred of Jews.
In 2019, Larkin repeatedly expressed his intent to travel to Miami, Florida to meet with this individual, even though the individual repeatedly urged him not to come because he did not want to meet with the defendant. On August 24, 2019, Larkin traveled from DeLand, Florida, to Miami, Florida via train, and on August 25, 2019, while Larkin was in Miami-Dade County, he texted the individual that he was at his house, despite being told not to visit.
Larkin then sent the following series of threatening text messages designed to coerce this individual to meet with him: (a) “…I bought a gun with my first paycheck If I don’t meet you I will be forced to use it.” (b) “I told you how much I hate Jews right?” (c) “If meeting me for five seconds is not worth the lives of multiple Jews than I have no other option.” (d) “There’s a chabad near me. And Amtrak has no security for weapon. Don’t make me make a choice theyll regret.” (e) “Ok so then we meet and no dead Jews?”
The recipient took these threats seriously because of Larkin’s frequent expressions of hatred for Jews, and contacted local law enforcement. No meeting ever took place between this individual and Larkin, and Larkin returned to DeLand on August 26, 2019, where he was eventually arrested.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter. She thanked the West Miami Police Department, Hialeah Police Department, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, DeLand Police Department, FBI Jacksonville, and Amtrak Police Department for their invaluable assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Maria K. Medetis.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Role in $1.4 Million Bank Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with receiving and laundering approximately $1.4 million fraudulently obtained from a Korean company.
Chukwuemeka Eze, 37, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft charges. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Feb. 3, 2020. Eze, 37, of Lynn, was arrested on a criminal complaint in June 2019, and is being held in federal custody.
Eze admitted that he used a victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security number without permission to open bank accounts in the victim’s name and in the name of a fictitious Massachusetts corporation that Eze created, Levistronix GMB Ltd. Eze selected the name for Levistronix because of its similarity to Levitronix GmbH, an actual Swiss company. In May and June 2018, others involved in the scheme sent fake Levitronix invoices totaling approximately $1.4 million to a Korean company that was a Levitronix customer. The fake invoices directed the company to send the $1.4 million to Eze’s deceptively-named Massachusetts bank account.
When Eze received the money, he withdrew cash, and spent tens of thousands of dollars on retail purchases, including Apple laptops and Zales’ jewelry. He also purchased $700,000 in bank checks payable to other fictitious companies that he controlled, which he deposited into bank accounts in those companies’ names. Eze in turn made cash withdrawals, retail purchases, and wire transfers from those bank accounts, all to conceal the fact that the money was the proceeds of the fraud scheme. In doing so, Eze spent or disbursed more than $862,000 of the Korean company’s money.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1 million, forfeiture and restitution. The charges of money laundering provide for sentences of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Loomis Gun Store Crash and Grab Robber Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Lee Patrick, 30, of Loomis, was sentenced today to five years and 11 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley for crashing a truck into a gun store and stealing at least five guns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On October 25, 2018, Patrick pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Patrick stole his former employer’s flatbed truck and repeatedly rammed it into the wall of a licensed firearms dealer in Loomis, leaving two truck-sized holes in the side of the building. Patrick stole at least five firearms from the store, fled the scene, and went to the home of co-defendant and convicted felon Rocky Gordon, 63, of Colfax, where he sold Gordon four firearms for $1,000 and at least 35 grams of methamphetamine. That afternoon, sheriff’s deputies found and arrested him. In Patrick’s backpack was a fifth firearm that had been stolen from the dealer along with 35 grams of methamphetamine.
Patrick had previously been convicted of five felonies in Amador and Placer Counties including convictions for burglary and illegally possessing an assault weapon. At the time of his arrest, a California state court had issued a no-bail warrant for his arrest because he was on community supervision and had removed his ankle monitor.
Gordon pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Long Island Doctor Indicted for Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging Tameshwar Ammar, a medical doctor in Roslyn, New York, with writing prescriptions for oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, without a legitimate medical purpose. Ammar was arrested this morning, and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, announced the indictment.
As set forth in the indictment and other court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Ammar illegally prescribed more than 19,000 highly addictive oxycodone pills to two individuals identified in the indictment as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2. According to a review of Ammar’s medical files for the two individuals, Ammar wrote the prescriptions without any diagnostic proof that either had a legitimate medical necessity. Ammar prescribed approximately 8,400 oxycodone pills to John Doe 1, knowing that he intended to sell the pills to others. Ammar prescribed 11,525 30 milligram oxycodone pills to John Doe 2. After learning that John Doe 2 had been admitted to a psychiatric facility in March 2018, Ammar continued to prescribe John Doe 2 with oxycodone and also prescribed methadone.
In July 2019, John Doe 2 died of a drug overdose caused by oxycodone, methadone and ketamine. A search warrant executed at Ammar’s office in October 2017 resulted in the recovery of ketamine.
“As alleged, Ammar prescribed thousands of highly addictive opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, which makes him a drug dealer and, sadly, in this case one of his customers lost their life,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office and our partners at the DEA are working tirelessly to combat the opioid epidemic on Long Island and elsewhere by prosecuting medical professionals who contribute to the crisis.” Mr. Donoghue also thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, for their assistance during the investigation.
“The illegal and unethical way Dr. Ammar conducted his medical practice paved a way for patients’ opioid addiction and overdoses,” said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. “The fact that Dr. Ammar prescribed over 8,000 oxycodone pills to one patient for street resale shows his disregard to public health and safety, which are both a good doctor’s main concerns. I applaud the DEA Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their diligent work.”
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Ammar faces up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s investigation was led by the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), Suffolk County Police Department, Port Washington Police Department and Rockville Centre Police Department. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad also worked in conjunction with officers and agents of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, and New York City Department of Investigation.
This case is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this district, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police and other key federal, state and local government partners launched the Initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Preventions called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. To date, the Initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions, including the prosecution of 19 health care professionals; taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy and pharmacy chain; removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The Initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley T. King and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Tameshwar ammar
Age: 51
Amityville, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-516 (DRH)
Lengthy Prison Sentences Handed Down to Three Monroe Residents for Illegal Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – A federal judge has sentenced a 37-year old Monroe resident to 42 years in prison following his convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and phencyclidine (PCP), announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph. Thomas J.M. Goodin, 37, was convicted on July 19, 2019, following a four-day jury trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty.
Also sentenced were co-conspirators Meko R. Walker, 37, and Brittany S. Gix, 31, both of Monroe, who were convicted on July 19, 2019 following trial, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Doughty sentenced Meko Walker to 12 years in prison, and Brittany Gix to 10 years in prison.
Judge Doughty handed down the sentences for Goodin and Walker on November 6, 2019, and sentenced Gix today.
Testimony presented during the trial showed that Goodin traveled to California on October 4, 2017, and shipped approximately one pound of pure methamphetamine inside of a gift-wrapped present to Gix. Agents intercepted the package at a Fed Ex processing center in Monroe and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Gix’s home. After Gix received the package, Walker arrived at the home to pick it up and left with the methamphetamine. At that point, the Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish arrested Walker and Gix.
In a second incident on November 30, 2017, a Louisiana State Trooper pulled over Goodin’s vehicle, bearing California license plates, in West Monroe on Interstate 20 traveling eastbound. After a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, the trooper searched it and found additional gift-wrapped presents containing two drink bottles filled with liquid determined to be 92.8 grams of pure PCP and a candle containing a plastic bag determined to be 343.1 grams of pure methamphetamine. During the traffic stop, Goodin attempted to conceal his identity by providing a driver’s license belonging to another individual.
Due to Goodin’s prior serious drug convictions of distribution of cocaine and possession of PCP with intent to distribute, the career offender provision of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines allowed the court to sentence Goodin to an enhanced sentence. Goodin has been a suspect in multiple homicide and armed robbery investigations.
The DEA, Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and Monroe Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike O’Mara and Brandon B. Brown, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Anderson Thompson, of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office, Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
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Ledyard Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERROD STEELE, 31, of Ledyard, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the FBI, Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Steele received cocaine from a co-conspirator and then sold the drug to his own customers.
On March 5, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Steele and 12 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses. Steele has been detained since his arrest on April 25, 2019. On July 31, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine.
Steele’s criminal history includes state convictions for attempted first degree assault, conspiracy to commit first degree robbery, burglary third degree, assault third degree, and running from police.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police and Norwich, Town of Groton and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore Police Department and Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and S. Dave Vatti.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to 52 Months for Participating in a Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Geudin Nivar Baez, a/k/a/ Jhonatan Mateo, 31, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday to 52 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements make in court, in May of 2018, Nivar Baez’s co-defendant Santo Benito Lara participated in a conspiracy to sell fentanyl to a customer in Salem, New Hampshire. After the DEA received information about the conspiracy, it began an investigation into Lara’s activities. Between May and September of 2018, Nivar Baez and Lara sold fentanyl in Lawrence to a cooperating individual on multiple occasions.
Lara was found guilty by a jury on May 10, 2019 and is awaiting sentencing. Nivar Baez previously pleaded guilty on May 15, 2019.
Nivar faces possible removal to the Dominican Republic after the completion of his prison sentence.
“Interstate fentanyl trafficking is damaging communities in New Hampshire every day,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the health and safety of our citizens, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and incarcerate those who are selling illegal drugs in the Granite State. This prison sentence demonstrates the severe consequences for drug dealers who choose to introduce lethal fentanyl into our state.”
“Opioid abuse are at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and across New England,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “DEA is committed to aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Navar Baez who are coming from out of state to distribute fentanyl, in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and the Essex County (MA) Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Dronzek and Jarad Hodes.
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Kanawha County Woman Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Elkview woman was sentenced to federal prison for a federal drug trafficking offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stephanie Barnett, 36, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“Barnett was acting as a courier for drug dealers,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Just like the dealers, she will be going to federal prison. We will prosecute all those bringing deadly drugs into our communities, from the drug source to the courier.”
On February 6, 2019, Barnett’s vehicle was pulled over in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, by a Kanawha County Sheriff’s deputy. Barnett initially lied to the deputy about her name and age, and the deputy also smelled burnt marijuana inside the car. The deputy retrieved his K-9 partner, who also indicated that there were narcotics inside the car. Inside the console of the car, officers found a small baggie of methamphetamine. When the officers opened the trunk, they found a large, plastic bag that contained three large bricks of methamphetamine. Each brick weighed approximately two pounds. The methamphetamine was sent to the DEA Mid-Atlantic Lab where it tested as being over 93% pure methamphetamine. Barnett had traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where she received over six pounds of methamphetamine. She had intended to deliver the methamphetamine to local dealers in Charleston.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution.
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Justice Department Settles with College to Resolve Disability Discrimination ComplaintRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it reached an agreement with Lanier Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, to resolve the Department’s lawsuit alleging disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves the Department’s complaint alleging that the college terminated an employee, who has multiple sclerosis, on the basis of her disability after years of service to the college. The complaint further alleges that, after the employee took three days of sick leave one summer, the college removed her from the teaching schedule for an entire school semester, thus reducing her hours and pay to zero, due to her multiple sclerosis.
Under the agreement, Lanier Technical College will revise its policies to ensure compliance with the ADA, implement new policies to ensure it does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its scheduling practices, train staff on the ADA, and file periodic reports with the Department on implementation of the agreement. The college will pay $53,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to its former employee. This matter was based on a referral from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Atlanta District Office, which completed the initial investigation of the facts.
“Individuals should not face unlawful barriers to employment because they have a chronic illness or other disability,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This agreement is another step towards eliminating discriminatory employment barriers for people with disabilities. We applaud Lanier Technical College for committing to change its policies and practices, and compensating its former employee who was unlawfully terminated from her job.”
“Nearly 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, cases like this demonstrate that there is still work to be done to ensure that the hard-working people in our district do not face disability discrimination at work or otherwise,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak for the Northern District of Georgia. “It is of paramount importance that state institutions like Lanier Tech set the example in rooting out discriminatory policies and practices.”
To read the settlement agreement, please click here, and to read the complaint, please click here. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
Justice Department Awards $95 Million to Improve Public Safety in the State of TennesseeRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced awards of approximately $95 million to support public safety efforts in the state of Tennessee. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will target violent crime, support law enforcement efforts to combat the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, improve officer mental health and wellness, and enhance school safety.
“Supporting our partners in state, local and tribal law enforcement is at the heart of our mission at the Department of Justice,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “These federal investments in the state of Tennessee will help keep kids safe in school, provide peer support services for law enforcement officers and give crime victims critical resources needed to heal in the aftermath of a crime.”
“Tennessee’s brave crime-fighters and compassionate service providers deserve to know that the Department of Justice is doing everything in its power to help them safeguard their communities and protect their fellow citizens,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is so very pleased to make its resources available to support them in this vital work.”
Director Keith made the announcement in Nashville on Thursday morning along with U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Don Cochran; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee J. Douglas Overbey; U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee D. Michael Dunavant; and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch. Also on hand for the announcement were Metropolitan Nashville Police Deputy Chief John Drake; Memphis Police Deputy Chief Michael Hardy; Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Maggi Duncan; Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs Deputy Director Daina Moran; and Director of the Elizabethton, Tennessee City School District Dr. Corey Gardenhour.
TBI was awarded nearly $2 million from the COPS Office for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking. In addition, the cities of Memphis and Nashville were both awarded funding through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act program for their respective officer peer support programs. The well-being and safety of the nation’s law enforcement officers is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and these awards are a step in the direction of helping our men and women in blue get the services they need and deserve. Other awards announced today will assist with violent crime reduction, rapid DNA analysis, school safety, and victim services, and will provide much needed equipment for law enforcement agencies.
“These grant awards make possible programs which would otherwise be impossible to implement and provide our local governments with the necessary resources to make our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. “I’m grateful to Director Keith and his office for the support they continue to provide to our state and local agencies.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement partners, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding will fulfill the President’s Executive Orders to reduce crime in America and Back the Blue," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee. “These grant resources from the COPS Office will allow our state and local partners to focus on the priority areas of violent crime and drug trafficking, as well as the emerging areas of school safety and officer health and wellness.”
“I find the Department of Justice’s continued support of its law enforcement allies very heartening,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee. “These federal resources will serve to provide better tools to promote safety within our state as well as the well-being of law enforcement officers and victims of crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to support its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in all endeavors that seek to promote justice and safety within our community.”
“This grant funding will make the difference for our agency, by providing extra resources to help us better address some of the most pressing issues impacting communities across Tennessee,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “We are thankful to our partners at COPS and the Department of Justice for their support and their investment in TBI and agencies across the state to improve public safety and the quality of life for all Tennesseans.”
“The Memphis Police Department appreciates the COPS Office support through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act funding which will expand Memphis’ Peer Support Program,” said Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings. “These funds will allow us to increase the number of Peer Support Officers, enhance opportunities to utilize peer support, and make resources more accessible to officers.”
“Through the support of Justice Department grants, our police department is able to deploy cutting edge technology to better protect our residents, ensure that we are caring for our employees’ mental health and wellness, and ensure that Metro Nashville Police Department personnel receive important specialized training in a number of areas,” Chief Steve Anderson said. “I have often noted that the relationship with our Justice Department partners, including Don Cochran and Phil Keith, is outstanding. I’m grateful for their commitment to Nashville and the state of Tennessee.”
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Awards $95 Million to Improve Public Safety in State of TennesseeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The Department of Justice today announced awards of approximately $95 million to support public safety efforts in the state of Tennessee. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will target violent crime, support law enforcement efforts to combat the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, improve officer mental health and wellness, and enhance school safety.
"Supporting our partners in state, local and tribal law enforcement is at the heart of our mission at the Department of Justice," said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. "These federal investments in the state of Tennessee will help keep kids safe in school, provide peer support services for law enforcement officers and give crime victims critical resources needed to heal in the aftermath of a crime."
"Tennessee’s brave crime-fighters and compassionate service providers deserve to know that the Department of Justice is doing everything in its power to help them safeguard their communities and protect their fellow citizens," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katherine T. Sullivan. "The Office of Justice Programs is so very pleased to make its resources available to support them in this vital work."
Director Keith made the announcement in Nashville on Thursday morning along with U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Don Cochran; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee J. Douglas Overbey; U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee D. Michael Dunavant; and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch. Also on hand for the announcement were Metropolitan Nashville Police Deputy Chief John Drake; Memphis Police Deputy Chief Michael Hardy; Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Maggi Duncan; Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs Deputy Director Daina Moran; and Director of the Elizabethton, Tennessee City School District Dr. Corey Gardenhour.
TBI was awarded nearly $2 million from the COPS Office for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking. In addition, the cities of Memphis and Nashville were both awarded funding through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act program for their respective officer peer support programs. The well-being and safety of the nation’s law enforcement officers is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and these awards are a step in the direction of helping our men and women in blue get the services they need and deserve. Other awards announced today will assist with violent crime reduction, rapid DNA analysis, school safety, and victim services, and will provide much needed equipment for law enforcement agencies.
"These grant awards make possible programs which would otherwise be impossible to implement and provide our local governments with the necessary resources to make our communities safer," said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. "I’m grateful to Director Keith and his office for the support they continue to provide to our state and local agencies."
"The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement partners, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding will fulfill the President’s Executive Orders to reduce crime in America and Back the Blue," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee. "These grant resources from the COPS Office will allow our state and local partners to focus on the priority areas of violent crime and drug trafficking, as well as the emerging areas of school safety and officer health and wellness."
"I find the Department of Justice’s continued support of its law enforcement allies very heartening," said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee. "These federal resources will serve to provide better tools to promote safety within our state as well as the well-being of law enforcement officers and victims of crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to support its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in all endeavors that seek to promote justice and safety within our community."
"This grant funding will make the difference for our agency, by providing extra resources to help us better address some of the most pressing issues impacting communities across Tennessee," said TBI Director David Rausch. "We are thankful to our partners at COPS and the Department of Justice for their support and their investment in TBI and agencies across the state to improve public safety and the quality of life for all Tennesseans."
"The Memphis Police Department appreciates the COPS Office support through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act funding which will expand Memphis’ Peer Support Program," said Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings. "These funds will allow us to increase the number of Peer Support Officers, enhance opportunities to utilize peer support, and make resources more accessible to officers."
"Through the support of Justice Department grants, our police department is able to deploy cutting edge technology to better protect our residents, ensure that we are caring for our employees’ mental health and wellness, and ensure that Metro Nashville Police Department personnel receive important specialized training in a number of areas," Chief Steve Anderson said. "I have often noted that the relationship with our Justice Department partners, including Don Cochran and Phil Keith, is outstanding. I’m grateful for their commitment to Nashville and the state of Tennessee."
A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.
About the Office of Justice Programs:
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
About the Office on Violence Against Women:
The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw
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Jury Finds Chronic Felon Guilty of Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - After deliberating one hour, a federal jury of five men and seven women found Frederick H. Banks guilty of five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Frederick H. Banks, 52, was tried before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Shaun E. Sweeney and Christopher M. Cook, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that Banks attempted to defraud Forex, a retail foreign exchange company of at least $264,000 in the scheme. The evidence at trial established that, during a four-week period in 2013, Banks submitted false and fraudulent account applications to Forex in an effort to use those money to kite funds from Forex to Banks’ pre-existing personal bank accounts. As part of the scheme, Banks used the identity information of a former friend in an effort to fraudulently open a Forex account.
Judge Hornak has not yet scheduled the sentencing for Banks. The law provides for a total sentence of 22 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum two years in prison for the identity theft conviction, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Banks will remain in custody. Banks has multiple prior felony convictions.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Frederick H. Banks.
Jury Convicts Lebanon CPA of $7 Million Wire Fraud, Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A certified public accountant in Lebanon, Missouri, was convicted by a federal jury today of a $7 million scheme to defraud his employer and clients.
Douglas A. Richardson, 46, was found guilty of all 10 counts contained in an Aug. 16, 2018, federal indictment. Richardson was found guilty of six counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
Richardson, a certified public accountant, owned his own company, Douglas A. Richardson, CPA, LLC, since Feb. 2009. He was the former chief financial officer, treasurer, and CPA of Smart Prong Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Dec. 2013, to June 2016. Smart Prong developed technology, and manufactured devices for charging cell phones.
Richardson engaged in a scheme to defraud Smart Prong and several of the clients of his CPA firm from February 2014 to October 2016.
Richardson transferred at least $4.4 million from Smart Prong bank accounts into his personal and business bank accounts. Richardson also solicited loans from several clients and induced them to make investments. Richardson made representations to these clients that he knew were false, in that he told them their loans and investments would be used for a certain purpose. In reality, Richardson used at least part of the money for his personal benefit, and to pay other individuals (including prior investors and others to whom he owed money).
For example, Richardson solicited one of his clients to participate in a promissory note program through which the client could earn money from interest on loans he and Richardson would enter into for the purpose of investments. Richardson claimed the loans would be used to provide funding for a real estate deal and an automobile dealership. The client loaned Richardson $365,000 from his business, which Richardson used to repay $230,000 to another individual for unrelated loans, to pay $72,704 to pay off a Chevrolet Corvette, and to issue a $7,500 check to himself.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for approximately five hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.
Under federal statutes, Richardson is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for each of the wire fraud convictions and a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for each of the money laundering convictions. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the Missouri Securities Division.
Jury Convicts Dallas Drug Dealer of Murdering 19-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a local drug dealer guilty of killing a Dallas teenager following an investigation by the FBI Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle, a federal jury found Freddie Gilbert, 35, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and murder resulting from the use of a firearm in during a drug trafficking crime Thursday afternoon.
“Far too often, drug trafficking spurs horrific acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “In this case, a known cocaine dealer legally barred from possessing a weapon gunned down an innocent 19-year-old, then shoved her in the trunk like a piece of trash. We will not allow his crimes to go unpunished.”
“The defendant in this case is a dangerous criminal that not only committed murder, but routinely committed acts of violence and sold large quantities of drugs,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Field Office. “The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate drug-related violence and protect the well-being of the communities we serve.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Gilbert, an avowed cocaine dealer, shot and killed 19-year-old Jacquisha Isaac on Oct. 29, 2017.
Forensic evidence showed that Mr. Gilbert shot Ms. Isaac through the head while she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car. He likely fired the fatal shot through the window, while standing outside the vehicle, then stashed her body in the trunk and took off, prosecutors said.
Hours later, Mr. Gilbert was apprehended driving more than 110 mph down I-20.
Investigators identified Ms. Isaac’s blood inside the car, as well as on the clothing Mr. Gilbert was wearing when he was apprehended and on the revolver he used to kill the young girl.
They also discovered a bullet he had purchased the day before covered in Ms. Isaac’s blood on the floorboard, gun residue on Mr. Gilbert’s hands, and his palm print on the trunk of the car where he’d stashed her body.
Mr. Gilbert faces up to life in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Tiffany Eggers prosecuted the case.
Hoover Criminal Gang Member Lorenzo Jones Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced today that Lorenzo Laron Jones, 46, a Portland resident and senior member of the Hoover Criminal Gang, has been indicted for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that caused the shooting deaths of two Portland men.
Jones is charged with racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of murder in aid of racketeering, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The superseding indictment alleges that beginning in June 1989, Jones engaged in a 30-year pattern of violent racketeering activity for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the Hoover Criminal Gang, a criminal enterprise engaged in racketeering in California, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere.
Jones is alleged to have murdered Ascensio Genchi Garcia on July 19, 1998 and Wilbert Butler on September 17, 2017, both in Portland. Additionally, he is accused of attempting to murder six other people, possessing stolen firearms, and distributing cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Jones made his initial appearance in federal court today and was detained pending a four-week jury trial before U.S. Chief District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
Jones is named alongside fellow Hoover gang members Ronald Clayton Rhodes, 34, and Javier Fernando Hernandez, 23, both of Portland, in the superseding indictment unsealed today. Rhodes and Hernandez were previously charged with murder in aid of racketeering, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm for the December 16, 2015 murder of Portland resident Kyle Polk.
Jones, Rhodes and Hernandez will be tried together and each face a maximum sentence of death or life in prison.
According to the indictment, the Hoovers are a criminal street gang operating in Oregon, and are known to engage in acts of violence including murder, assault, robbery, sex trafficking and the distribution of narcotics. The Hoovers originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and established a presence in Portland in the early 1980s. The gang has a loose hierarchical structure in which members have different amounts of power and influence based on age and gang activity. To maintain status and increase one’s position in the gang, members are expected to carry out violence on behalf of the enterprise.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Attached here is a TimelineHonduran National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser announced that LORENZO CRUZ NUNEZ-MENA (“MENA”), age 36, was sentenced on October 3, 2019 to time served today to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). He was initially detained in May 2019 by authorities.
MENA, reentered the United States after he was previously deported on September 19, 2014. MENA faced a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Honduran national man pled guilty to the felony offense of reentry of a removed alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Edilberto Hernandez-Garcia, 43, was then immediately sentenced to “time served,” having spent approximately seven months previously incarcerated. He was immediately remanded to ICE to face administrative removal proceedings. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Sophia Police Department, and the Raleigh County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.
“Seven prior removals,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Hernandez-Garcia seems to think our immigration laws do not apply to him. Repeat offenders like Hernandez-Garcia are a drain on critical law enforcement resources.”
On April 26, 2019, Hernandez-Garcia was stopped by the Sophia Police Department where he was charged with and convicted of the felony offense of fleeing with reckless indifference in Raleigh County Circuit Court. Once arrested and incarcerated, ICE agents determined that Hernandez-Garcia was in the United States illegally. ICE agents confirmed his legal status. Hernandez-Garcia admitted to agents that he was in the United States illegally. Hernandez-Garcia was arrested and ICE agents matched his fingerprints to a number of previous removals from the United States. Hernandez-Garcia had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprinting matched Hernandez-Garcia to seven prior removals from the United States in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. His previous removals also included a prior 2010 conviction of illegal reentry into the United States from United States District Court in San Antonio, Texas. In all seven prior removals, Hernandez-Garcia was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and he was subsequently deported to Honduras. He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Hernandez-Garcia further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Honduran citizen.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.
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Holbrook Man Convicted of Heroin and Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holbrook man was convicted yesterday in federal court in Boston of distribution of heroin and cocaine base.
Allah Mallory a/k/a “Parod,” 43, was convicted by a federal jury of distribution of heroin and cocaine base. U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Feb. 11, 2020.
On July 9, 2018, Mallory distributed heroin and cocaine base to an cooperating witness in Brockton. According to the court documents, this case was part of Operation Landshark, a federal investigation that targeted impact players and repeat offenders in Brockton and Boston, each who have prior convictions for acts of violence, firearm offenses and/or drug trafficking.
The charge of distribution of heroin and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and Southeastern Massachusetts Gang Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth and Essex County Sheriff’s Offices; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; U.S. Parole Commission; U.S. Postal Inspection Services; and the U.S. Secret Service.
Operation Landshark is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Heroin Mixer and Stash House Operator Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Symphoni V. Wiggins, 38, mixed, prepared, and stored heroin and fentanyl in her home for a kilogram-weight drug distributor on the Peninsula from at least May until December 2018. Co-conspirators would pick up heroin and fentanyl at Wiggins’s house, then take that heroin and fentanyl and deal it to customers on the street, including other drug dealers. In communications with another co-conspirator, Wiggins boasted that she was “the master mixer.”
As part of her plea agreement, Wiggins also has agreed to a $159,000 forfeiture judgment.
Wiggins was charged by indictment along with 38 other defendants as part of Operation Cookout. The 106-count indictment alleges various offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, cocaine base, and fentanyl; conspiracy to launder money; felon in possession of a firearm; maintaining drug-involved premises; use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking; interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises; and illegal re-entry by a previously deported or removed alien.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Cookout. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The 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 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 28 HIDTAs, which include approximately 18 percent of all counties in the United States and 66 percent of the U.S. population.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Wiggins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of forty years in prison when sentenced on March 20, 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; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter G. Osyf and Kevin P. Hudson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-47.
Gregg County Man Convicted of East Texas Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 44-year-old Longview, Texas, man has been convicted of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Field Office today.
Correy James Rider was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and crack cocaine. The verdict was reached today following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to information presented in court, Rider was indicted together with several co-defendants on charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine and crack cocaine in the Gregg County area. On different occasions, Rider sold methamphetamine to an informant in 2017 and possessed methamphetamine and crack cocaine with intent to distribute it from a Longview, Texas motel room in 2018.
“Federal law enforcement is active in East Texas,” said United States Attorney Brown. “We are working with our state and local partners to move against drug dealers, large and small. It does not pay in the long run for people to get involved in the drug trade.”
Under the federal statute, Rider faces from 10 years to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement (CODE) Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucas Machicek and Ryan Locker.
Greene County Sheriff's Lieutenant Indicted for Stealing FBI MoneyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK— A Greene County Sheriff’s Lieutenant has been charged with stealing government funds related to a ruse money seizure in Paragould.
Cody Hiland, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today the return of an indictment charging Allen Scott Pillow, 55, of Paragould, with theft of government property, specifically $30,400 of FBI funds. A federal grand jury returned the indictment Wednesday night.
Pillow was arrested on a federal complaint on Tuesday, and was initially arraigned and then released by United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris on Wednesday. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Billy Roy Wilson, who has set arraignment on the indictment for November 14, 2019 at 2 p.m.
According to the complaint, on Monday the FBI conducted a ruse narcotics investigation which led to the seizure of FBI funds by Pillow, who is in a leadership position within the narcotics unit of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. As part of the ruse, agents left a backpack containing $76,000 in FBI funds in a vehicle left in a Lowe’s parking lot. Believing that he was assisting out-of-state police officers, Pillow arrived in the parking lot and seized the backpack. Pillow told the out-of-state officers that he located $45,600 in the backpack, and later Pillow checked $45,600 into evidence. According to the complaint, on Tuesday, while executing a search warrant, officers located money from the missing $30,400 in Pillow’s pants’ pocket, at which time Pillow was arrested.
The statutory penalty for theft of government property is not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Arkansas State Police, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.
A complaint and indictment only contain allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Great Falls man sentenced for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Great Falls man who admitted distributing methamphetamine as part of heroin and meth trafficking ring in the community was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
David Owen Awberry, 31, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The prosecution said in court records that in September 2018, the Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a meth and heroin distribution ring in Great Falls. Agents learned that Awberry redistributed meth and heroin for the group, which included co-defendants Anthony Beltran and Jacqueline Kirkaldie.
Beltran, who got a large quantity of meth and heroin from a source in California, used numerous individuals, including Awberry, to redistribute the drugs. In March 2019, detectives spoke to a person who said he got his meth from Awberry. In addition, detectives saw a photograph on Awberry’s Facebook account showing him holding a large amount of cash with the word “dope” at the bottom of the picture.
Detectives arrested Awberry in April and searched his home. Awberry admitted he sold drugs, including meth, but declined to identify his source. Detectives found thousands of dollars in cash in his home and confirmed the money was from drug sales.
Kirkaldie was convicted in the case and sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Beltran has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Freddie Grant Resentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Federal Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Freddie Grant, age 59, of Elgin, was resentenced to the statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison after his conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Grant was back before the federal district court for resentencing after a change in the law affected his earlier classification as an armed career criminal. Grant, who was convicted following a federal trial in January 2013, was originally deemed an armed career criminal subject to a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. He was sentenced to 212 months in prison with 5 years of supervision to follow. That conviction and sentence were upheld in 2014 by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In 2016, Grant filed a habeas petition challenging his armed career criminal status. He argued that, based on a change in law, his 1980 military kidnapping court-martial could not subject him to an enhanced federal sentence. The district court agreed based upon an August 2019 Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision and vacated Grant’s sentence. Grant no longer has the requisite three predicate convictions to be classified as an armed career criminal and is now subject to a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years.
Grant’s new advisory sentencing guidelines range was 27 to 33 months in prison. The Government moved for an upward variance from the guidelines range, noting that Grant’s extensive criminal history was underrepresented in the guidelines calculation, and asked the court to impose the statutory maximum 10 years in prison and 3 years of supervision to follow. Grant has prior convictions for assault by inflicting grievous bodily harm, resisting apprehension, assault upon an officer, kidnapping, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of cocaine, carrying concealed weapon, resisting arrest, shoplifting, driving under suspension, and criminal domestic violence.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie, of Columbia, granted the Government’s motion and sentenced Grant to 10 years’ imprisonment with 3 years of federal supervision to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
Grant will be returned to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to serve the remainder of his 10-year federal sentence. After Grant completes his federal sentence, he will be transferred to a state facility to serve the remainder of his 30-year state sentence for the kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Gabrielle Swainson. After that state sentence is completed, he will be on federal supervision for 3 years.
Evidence presented during the January 2013 federal trial established that on August 21, 2012, investigators with the Richland County Sheriffs Department executed a search warrant at Grant’s home in Elgin. During the search, investigators located a box of 12 gauge shotgun shells on a table in the living room area and a box of .38 caliber ammunition in a nightstand in a bedroom. Federal law prohibits Grant from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions. Investigators seized the ammunition and notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which arrested Grant on the federal charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
During his original federal sentencing hearing in April 2013, the court found that Grant obstructed justice during his federal trial by suborning perjury by his then 27-year-old daughter Dominique Grant.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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Four Philadelphia Men Charged in Connection with Nearly 50 Burglaries and Attempted Burglaries of Delaware Valley-Area PharmaciesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that William Limper, 41, Raul Rivera, 42, Michael Dombrowski, 30, and Robert Hopkins, 24, all of Philadelphia, were charged by a Second Superseding Indictment for their roles in a conspiracy to burglarize or attempt to burglarize 49 pharmacies in the City of Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs over the last five years. The charges include 36 counts of pharmacy burglary; 13 counts of attempted pharmacy burglary; one count each of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count each of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and related conspiracy, drug and gun offenses.
The Second Superseding Indictment alleges that Limper, Rivera, Dombrowski, and Hopkins were involved in a conspiracy from November 2014 until April 2019 to burglarize pharmacies in order to steal controlled substances – primarily Schedule II opiates such as oxycodone and Percocet tablets – for the purpose of distributing them to others for profit. The defendants allegedly forced entry into the pharmacies at nighttime with burglary tools such as crow bars and Halligan bars (specialized forcible entry tools used by law enforcement and firefighters) when the pharmacies were closed. The defendants concealed their identities with clothing and masks over their faces, and used scanners to monitor police activity and two-way radios to communicate with each other during the burglaries.
As alleged, the defendants thoroughly planned and executed these burglaries in great detail. For example, in order to facilitate quick getaways in the event that they were detected by witnesses or law enforcement, the defendants used stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT sport utility vehicles (SUV) with powerful engines. When they were not using the stolen vehicles to perpetrate burglaries, the defendants concealed the vehicles in garages in a commercial storage lot, where they also hid their tools and the clothing they wore during the burglaries to avoid detection by law enforcement. After each of the burglaries, the defendants divided the stolen narcotics among themselves for the purpose of selling them to others.
“These charges are a huge blow to this sophisticated burglary and drug distribution organization,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “As alleged, these defendants were able to carry out their conspiracy for years – terrorizing communities and small businesses all across the region, and adding to the scourge of the opioid epidemic for their own benefit. I want to thank the large group of law enforcement partners who worked together in a highly coordinated effort using targeted investigative techniques to make this case possible.”
“The FBI remains committed to fighting the opioid crisis on all fronts,” said Michael T. Harpster, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia Division. “Today's indictment makes it clear that the the FBI and or law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to prevent violent drug gangs from terrorizing our communities, and we will bring them to justice when they do.”
If convicted, defendant William Limper faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory-minimum five years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a mandatory minimum six years’ supervised release up to lifetime supervised release, a $16,750,000 fine, and a $5,300 special assessment; defendant Raul Rivera faces a maximum 1,010 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory-minimum three years up to lifetime supervised release, a $14,250,000 fine, and a $5,100 special assessment; defendant Michael Dombrowski faces a maximum 310 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory-minimum three years up to lifetime supervised release, a $5,500,000 fine, and a $1,600 special assessment; and defendant Robert Hopkins faces a maximum 470 years’ imprisonment, a mandatory-minimum three years up to lifetime supervised release, a $7,500,000 fine, and a $2,400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Bristol Township Police Department, the Upper Southampton Police Department, the Chester Police Department, the Lower Merion Police Department, the Upper Chichester Township Police Department, the Folcroft Police Department, the Sharon Hill Police Department, the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, the Hatboro Police Department, the Upper Darby Police Department, the Haverford Township Police Department, the Ridley Township Police Department, the Bristol Borough Police Department, the Lower Southampton Township Police Department, the Falls Township Police Department, the Springfield Township Police Department, the Marple Township Police Department, and the Warrington Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Four Indicted for Marijuana CultivationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today charging four men with marijuana cultivation and firearms offenses in El Dorado County, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Christopher Garry Ross, 47, of Somerset; Juan Carlos Vasquez, 20, a Mexican national residing in Somerset; Ramiro Bravo Morales, 22, a Mexican national residing in Somerset; and Jorge Lamas, 25, of Yuba City, were charged with conspiring to cultivate marijuana, cultivation of marijuana, and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. In addition, Vasquez and Morales were each charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the California Department of Justice. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office have provided key assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael M. Beckwith, Justin L. Lee, and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
The statutory penalty for the marijuana counts is a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence up to 40 years in prison with fines up to $5 million. The discharge of a firearm during a drug crime is a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The alien in possession of a firearm count is a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Four Convicted Felons Receive Federal Prison Sentences This Week for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced the resolution of several cases this week, all of which are separately noted, that were brought pursuant to the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which 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.
Minden Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing 10 Firearms
SHREVEPORT - Alvia D. Martin, 62, of Minden, Louisiana, was sentenced November 6, 2019, by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies visited Martin’s home to investigate the whereabouts of an armed robbery suspect. His wife let them in, and while there, deputies observed a .22-caliber rifle in the corner of the living room. Deputies questioned Martin and he said there were more firearms in the bedroom. A search of the bedroom uncovered four revolvers, three pistols, an additional rifle, a shotgun and ammunition. In total, deputies found 10 firearms and approximately 1,500 rounds of ammunition. Martin is a felon who was convicted of two counts of possession of illegal drugs on July 11, 2014.
The ATF and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Rayville Man Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearm Offenses
MONROE - Aaron Mitchell Adcock, 42, of Rayville, Louisiana, was sentenced November 6, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty, to two years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and five years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, to run consecutively. Judge Doughty also sentenced Adcock to three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents received a complaint that Adcock was in possession of a large amount of drugs. Agents executed a search warrant at a house in Monroe on December 18, 2018, and found 139 pounds of marijuana, a pistol, three shotguns and 10 rifles. Most of the firearms were loaded and within close proximity to the marijuana. The drugs were recovered from various rooms within the residence and inside of more than 100 heat-sealed bags. They also recovered $701, a digital scale, documentation from a website that sells marijuana seeds, a suspected drug ledger, large amounts of 5.56-caliber ammunition, .223-caliber ammunition and a Louisiana driver’s license issued to Adcock. Agents also found a commercial lease agreement for property in Maine that identified Adcock as tenant, which stated that Adcock shall use the property for “subleasing to state licensed medical marijuana caregivers.”
The DEA and Monroe Metro Narcotics conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Natchitoches Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Firearm
ALEXANDRIA – Dustin James Aguillard, 29, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was sentenced November 6, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 47 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2018, Glenmora police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Aguillard. During the course of the traffic stop, Aguillard consented to a search of the vehicle and informed the officer that his sister’s firearm was underneath the passenger seat. The officer found a Taurus pistol and ammunition underneath the passenger seat. Aguillard is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of simple burglary in November 2016, and knew that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing the Taurus pistol and ammunition.
The ATF and Glenmora Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Alexandria Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Pistol and Firing it in Neighborhood
ALEXANDRIA - Kerrian Andre Elie, 30, of Alexandria, was sentenced November 6, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 92 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, officers with the Alexandria Police Department responded to a shots-fired call from Elie’s uncle on March 25, 2018, who told police that Elie had shot at him and his girlfriend. After arriving at the scene, officers found two 9 mm shell casings on the street in front of the residence and a black 9 mm H&K pistol, Model P30SK, under the house by the carport door. After further investigation, officers learned that Elie had been involved in an argument with a family member. The relative later returned and resumed the argument with Elie. During that time, Elie entered the home and returned with a firearm. As his family members were leaving, Elie threatened to shoot them and fired the gun into the air.
Elie is a felon who has multiple convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances on February 2, 2011, and for simple burglary on October 14, 2011, and February 18, 2011.
The ATF and Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
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Former Postal Employee Indicted for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John R. Elbayeh, aka Jean Elbayeh, age 43, of Albany, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with stealing iPhones and other valuable items from mailed packages.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area for the United States Postal Service (USPS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Elbayeh worked as a lead mail processing clerk at the USPS Processing and Distribution Center in Albany, according to a criminal complaint also filed in the case. For approximately 2 years ending in December 2018, he stole valuable items from the mail, including iPhones, other phones, cash, coins, and jewelry, according to the complaint and indictment.
The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Shortly after being interviewed by federal agents in December 2018, Elbayeh took a one-way flight to Beirut, Lebanon, and remained outside the United States until October 17, 2019. On that date, USPS-OIG Agents arrested him at Dulles International Airport, where Elbayeh had just arrived from a flight originating in Cairo, Egypt.
Elbayeh was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, who ordered him detained pending trial.
If convicted, Elbayeh faces up to 5 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the USPS Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Former Genesis Convention Center Employee ChargedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Deborah Black, age 62, of Merrillville, Indiana, was charged by Information with one count of theft from a local government entity receiving federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to the Information, between November 2016 and August 2017, Black was employed as the Executive Director of the Genesis Convention Center, a venue owned by the City of Gary, Indiana. The Information alleges that during this time, Black used her position to steal over $10,000 in cash from the Genesis Center.
The parties have entered into a plea agreement to resolve the criminal charge. Under this signed plea agreement, which has been filed with the court, if accepted by the court, Black would be required to pay $16,421.80 in restitution to the City of Gary.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute instances of public corruption. Public officials are not above the law. I encourage anyone with information regarding official corruption to contact my office or the FBI”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently charged Victoria Wilson, Black’s coworker at the Genesis Center, with one count of theft from a local government entity for stealing money from the Genesis Center. Wilson entered a formal plea of guilty to her charge on September 17 and is awaiting sentencing. In her plea agreement, Wilson agreed to pay $12,727 in restitution to the City of Gary.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Information is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of Indiana State Police and the Indiana State Board of Accounts. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
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Florida Man and Woman Indicted for Trafficking Drugs Through Southeast TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Florida man and woman have been indicted for federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Ryan Andrew Davis, 35, of Clearwater, Florida and Erica Ann Lang, 35, of St. Petersburg, Florida, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 6, 2019, and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to information provided in court, on Oct. 24, 2019, Davis and Lang were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 10 East in Beaumont, Texas. A certified narcotics detection dog alerted on the car and a search was performed revealing approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.
If convicted, Davis and Lang each face from 10 years to life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
It is important to note that a complaint, arrest, or indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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BEAUMONT, Texas – A Florida man and woman have been indicted for federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Ryan Andrew Davis, 35, of Clearwater, Florida and Erica Ann Lang, 35, of St. Petersburg, Florida, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 6, 2019, and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to information provided in court, on Oct. 24, 2019, Davis and Lang were stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 10 East in Beaumont, Texas. A certified narcotics detection dog alerted on the car and a search was performed revealing approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine hidden in the trunk of the vehicle.
If convicted, Davis and Lang each face from 10 years to life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
It is important to note that a complaint, arrest, or indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Acquire Valuable Artworks Fraudulently Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that ANTONIO DIMARCO pled guilty in Manhattan federal court today to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, based on his attempt to fraudulently acquire millions of dollars’ worth of artworks from art galleries, auction houses, and private collectors from around the world. U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni presided over the defendant’s guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted in court today, Antonio DiMarco was a serial swindler, using stolen identities to access auctions, place winning bids on multimillion-dollar artworks, and defraud lenders and insurers into believing that he owned artworks he never actually acquired. Now the self-portrait DiMarco painted has been revealed to be a sham.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Allegedly preying on an elderly woman, stealing her identity and using her financial information to commit a crime is simply despicable behavior. Mr. DiMarco is accused of trying to get money based on the value of artwork he didn’t own, and in his attempts he is alleged to have caused the victims in this investigation millions of dollars in losses. Whether it’s a scheme to steal a few dollars, or millions in precious works of art, criminals deserve to face justice and pay for their crimes.”
As alleged in the underlying Complaint, Indictment, public filings, and statements made in open court:
From at least as early as November 2017 through and including October 2018, DIMARCO and a co-conspirator attempted to acquire millions of dollars’ worth of artworks from around the world using a variety of methods, including through appropriating the identity and financial information of a particular victim, and creating and presenting a multitude of fraudulent documents.
For example, in November 2017, DIMARCO attempted to purchase artworks by Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt at an auction house located in New York, New York. DIMARCO obtained access to the auction through the use of an elderly victim’s identity documents, including her passport, and bank account information showing that the victim held liquid assets in excess of $7,000,000. DIMARCO and his co-conspirator further presented false information indicating that the victim had authorized DIMARCO to bid on her behalf, when in reality, the victim knew nothing about DIMARCO’s plan to purchase artworks in her name. DIMARCO won the auction, bidding close to $6,500,000 for the Rothko work, and $1,155,000 for the Reinhardt work. However, because DIMARCO in fact lacked funds to pay for the art, the auction house suffered a loss of close to $1,400,000.
Continuing throughout late 2017 through at least May 2018, DIMARCO and his co-conspirator attempted to purchase artworks from approximately 20 galleries and collectors throughout the world. Indeed, DIMARCO and his co-conspirator entered into completed sales agreements for more than 60 artworks totaling in excess of $150,000,000. Among other works, DIMARCO entered into a contract for a $16,500,000 Matisse painting. None of these works was ever paid for, yet to entice the galleries and collectors to continue to hold the artwork for DIMARCO and his co-conspirator, they provided strings of false excuses for non-payment. This caused galleries and collectors to suffer monetary losses.
Having failed to obtain valuable artworks that he had contracted to buy but never paid for, DIMARCO then began to seek out ways to monetize artworks that he had not acquired. DIMARCO created a series of false documents designed to deceive financiers and insurers into believing that in fact he owned the artworks. DIMARCO did this in hopes of obtaining funds based on the value of those artworks. DIMARCO was arrested in the course of executing this scheme, after having arranged a showing of high-value artwork he convinced others that he owned.
Through his plea today, DIMARCO further acknowledged two additional frauds conducted in the midst of the art scheme: a ploy to deprive a victim of hundreds of thousands of dollars through false representations concerning the purposes for providing the funds, and a scheme to purchase a high-end property in Manhattan using a fraudulently altered bank statement.
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DIMARCO, 43, of Florida, was arrested on December 6, 2018, by law enforcement authorities in Florida, and subsequently transferred to federal custody. DIMARCO pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
DIMARCO is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Caproni on February 7, 2020.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Noah Falk, Tara M. La Morte, and Abigail S. Kurland are in charge of the prosecution.
Filipino National Indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse on Board a Cruise Ship Bound for the USVIRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today the return of an indictment charging a Filipino national, Louis Isom Mangampat, with aggravated sexual abuse. Mangampat was arraigned in federal court today in St. Thomas.
According to the indictment, Mangampat sexually assaulted a woman while on board a cruise ship bound for the Virgin Islands.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Blecher.
An indictment is merely a formal charging document, and it is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fernandina Beach Woman Charged with FEMA Fraud Involving Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jessica Ann Smothers (35, Fernandina Beach) with disaster assistance fraud involving Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Smothers faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Smothers was arrested on November 4, 2019. She has been detained pending her January 6, 2020 trial.
According to the indictment, Smothers made a fraudulent application for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program from Hurricane Irma, in which she falsely represented that she was in need of rental assistance due to storm damage to her primary residence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Fernandina Beach Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Felon with Ammunition Sentenced to 108 Month ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A Lee County resident was sentenced today in federal court in Greensboro for knowingly possessing ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
JAMAR LACOBLY ALSTON, age 33, of Sanford, North Carolina, was sentenced to a 108 month term of imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge N. Carlton Tilley, Jr. In addition to prison time, ALSTON was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a special assessment of $100.00. ALSTON pleaded guilty on August 1, 2019, to knowing possession of CBC and Winchester .45 caliber ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.
Court records show that at approximately 1:48 a.m. on January 1, 2018, ALSTON fired three shots from a .45 caliber handgun during an altercation at the Elks Lodge in Sanford, North Carolina. The handgun was never recovered. However, a high-resolution surveillance video of the incident shows ALSTON instigated a fistfight with a person in the bar area, and during that altercation, grab an object from the right-side pocket of his coat. Moments later, while ALSTON’s back was to the surveillance camera, he fired three shots toward the man with whom he was fighting. All three shots missed. The video shows three shell casings hit the ground. Sanford Police were called to the scene and recovered the shell casings, but not the handgun used in the incident.
At sentencing, after reviewing the surveillance video of the shooting, Judge Tilley applied a cross reference under the sentencing guidelines for attempted first-degree murder and sentenced ALSTON to 108 months.
ALSTON has a 2010 conviction in Lee County for felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury, which resulted in a term of imprisonment of 15 to 18 months.
The case was investigated by the Sanford Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanner L. Kroeger.
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