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Friday 20 September 2019
Henderson Pair Charged in Federal Court after Vance County Deputies InjuredRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces the arrest of two defendants pursuant to Federal Criminal Complaints for federal narcotics offenses. The arrests occurred after law enforcement attempted to serve a search warrant in Henderson, North Carolina. The defendants injured four Vance County Deputy Sheriffs, in their attempt to flee the area where the search warrant was being executed.
JASMELE ROBINSON, 36, of Henderson, is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing heroin, and aiding and abetting. If convicted of these charges, ROBINSON could be sentenced to at least five years’ imprisonment up to life, and up to five years supervised release following any term of imprisonment. KRISHANA WILLIAMS, 30, of Henderson, was charged with maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing heroin, and aiding and abetting. She faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release.
The charges and allegations contained in the Criminal Complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violence crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson is handling the case for the government.
Hazleton Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kevin Charles Brown, age 39, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 19, 2019, to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of cocaine base (crack), and fentanyl (one kilogram is equivalent to approximately 40,000-50,000 individual doses).
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Brown previously pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy during 2015 and 2016. Brown rented a residence on East Birch Street in Hazleton where he and multiple other individuals distributed heroin, crack cocaine and fentanyl to customers on a daily basis. Brown also admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with his drug distribution activities.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Gunman Gets 8 Years for Aurora Post Office RobberyRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announces that Willie Dewayne Phillip was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for holding two postal clerks at gunpoint and stealing cash from the registers. The defendant was sentenced this week in Denver by United States District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson. At the conclusion of his prison sentence, Phillip will serve 5 years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement and facts presented at sentencing, Phillip robbed a Post Office in Aurora on November 8, 2018. While wearing a balaclava and gloves, he pointed a handgun at two postal clerks and then pointed the weapon at a postal customer. Phillip ordered the clerks to lie down and tie their hands together with zip ties. One clerk froze, while the other complied with the order. Phillip then opened the clerks’ registers and emptied more than $5,000 into a bag. He then checked the Post Office safe and fled the scene on foot.
Following the robbery, officers recovered the balaclava and gloves and sent them to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s Denver Forensic Science Laboratory for processing. Forensic examination revealed Phillip’s DNA on both items. After a swift investigation by Postal Inspectors, Phillip was indicted on December 4, 2018. He evaded law enforcement for about a month until Postal Inspectors, with the assistance of ATF personnel, tracked Phillip to a residence in Denver, where Phillip barricaded himself inside. Phillip surrendered to officers with the Denver Police Department’s Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group, Metro/SWAT/K9 Section, who had surrounded the home.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our the Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners, a dangerous criminal is off the street,” said United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn. “My office will work tirelessly to hold violent criminals accountable, especially when they threaten public servants.”
“Anyone who chooses to endanger USPS employees or our customers will bring to bear the full power of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Bill Hedrick, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This investigation was a shining example of how Postal Inspectors utilized our strong working relationships with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bring a swift resolution to this case. Protection of USPS employees and customers is an integral part of our mission, and we are pleased to see justice was served with today’s sentence,” said Hedrick.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Aurora Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Bureau of Investigation – Denver Forensic Science Laboratory, and the Denver Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Weber and Sarah H. Weiss prosecuted this case.
CASE NO. 18-cr-0556
Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Luis Columbie-Abrew, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
During his plea hearing, Columbie-Abrew admitted that he was an employee of Moriarty Consultants, Inc. (MCI), one of four related entities operating in the home health care industry. The other three entities were Activity Daily Living Services, Inc. (ADL), Coordination Care, Inc. (CCI), and Everyday People Staffing, Inc. (EPS). MCI, ADL, and CCI were approved under the Pennsylvania Medicaid program to offer certain services to qualifying Medicaid recipients ("consumers"), including personal assistance services (PAS), service coordination, and non-medical transportation, among other services. Between in and around January 2011 and in and around April 2017, MCI, ADL, and CCI, collectively, received more than $87,000,000 in Medicaid payments based on claims submitted for these services, with PAS payments accounting for more than $80,000,000 of the total amount.
During that time, Columbie-Abrew admitted that he participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program for the purpose of obtaining millions of dollars in illegal Medicaid payments through the submission of fraudulent claims for services that were never provided to the consumers identified on the claims, or for which there was insufficient or fabricated documentation to support the claims. The Court was further advised that Columbie-Abrew conspired with, among others, Arlinda Moriarty, the owner of MCI, ADL, and EPS; Daynelle Dickens, the owner of CCI and Arlinda Moriarty’s sister; various office workers at the companies, including Julie Wilson, Tamika Adams, Tony Brown, Terra Dean, Larita Walls, Keith Scoggins, and Tia Collins; attendants at MCI, including Tionne Street; and Terry Adams, a consumer.
As part of the conspiracy, Columbie-Abrew admitted that co-conspirators fabricated timesheets to reflect the provision of in-home PAS care they provided to consumers but that, in fact, never occurred. In addition, at Arlinda Moriarty’s direction, certain co-conspirators, including Columbie-Abrew, stopped using their own names as the attendant on timesheets and instead used the names of "ghost" attendants, some of whom permitted their names to be used in exchange for a kickback of resulting fraudulent salary payments.
Columbie-Abrew also admitted that he and other co-conspirators submitted false timesheets for PAS care they never provided during times when they were actually working at other jobs or living out of the area. Specifically, Columbie-Abrew admitted that during the conspiracy—from approximately early 2011 through approximately mid 2017—he caused the submission of false timesheets for care of two consumers who resided in Pennsylvania, despite the fact that Columbie- Abrew lived permanently in Georgia. In total PA Medicaid reimbursed Moriarty-related entities approximately $315,000 for purported care of these two consumers.
Columbie-Abrew further admitted that Arlinda Moriarty directed co-conspirators to bill the maximum allowable PAS and service coordination hours for consumers to maximize profits and to ensure that the state did not require MCI, ADL, and CCI to forfeit underutilized consumer hours. Many consumers had no knowledge that their personally identifiable information was being used to bill Medicaid for benefits that the consumers had not exhausted. Moreover, the Court was further advised during the plea hearing that, as part of the conspiracy, Arlinda Moriarty directed employees to fabricate documentation during the course of state audits.
The conspiracy and health care fraud charges each carry a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively with any sentence imposed on any other charge and a fine of no more than $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
To date, a total of 16 defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation. Columbie-Abrew is the fifth defendant to enter a guilty plea. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Edward Song are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation of the defendants.
Fulton County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clay Aaron Rasp, age 34, of McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 210 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, in April 2019, Rasp pled guilty to distributing child pornography between January 2017 to July 2017, in McConnellsburg. During Rasp’s sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Conner noted Rasp’s efforts to lure an eleven-year-old child from Washington State to produce pornography for him as a factor in the 210-month sentence.
The Lower Heidelberg Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Fort Smith, Arkansas Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, AR – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Donald Tankersley, age 76, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, has pleaded guilty to an information on two counts of Tax Fraud. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks accepted the plea in the United States District Court in Fayetteville on September 19, 2019.
According to court records, Tankersley is the owner of the White Dairy Ice Cream Company, Inc. (WDIC). WDIC also includes Tankersley Food Service, which supplies food to restaurants, schools, and government entities. WDIC is a corporation located in the Western District of Arkansas. IRS investigators discovered a fraudulent scheme in which Tankersley siphoned funds from WDIC by having checks created from WDIC accounts and made out to non-existent trucking companies. Tankersley collected and deposited the checks into his personal bank accounts, or directed others to either deposit the checks into his personal bank accounts or cash the checks for his personal use. In 2013, Tankersley falsified the corporate tax returns for WDIC by causing the checks to non-existent trucking companies to be listed as corporate expenses. This reduced the corporate tax liability for WDIC and caused a tax loss for the 2013 WDIC corporate tax return. Also in 2013, Donald Tankersley did not report the checks listed above as personal income, despite many of them being deposited into his personal bank accounts. This false omission from his personal tax returns also caused a tax loss. According to court records, Tankersley has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS for a total tax loss of $188,198.
Tankersley’s sentence will be determined later by the court. In this case, Tankersley faces a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison for each count.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. First Assistant United States Attorney Clay Fowlkes is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Former Treasurer of Police Charity Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LORRAINE SHANLEY pled guilty today to bank fraud and subscribing to false and fraudulent individual income tax returns in connection with fraudulently obtaining over $400,000 from a charity providing support to the families of New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers killed in the line of duty. SHANLEY also agreed to forfeit more than $400,000 in criminal proceeds. SHANLEY pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As she admitted today, Lorraine Shanley exploited the NYPD officers and employees who generously made charitable donations to support the survivors of fallen officers. Thanks to the investigative work of the IRS and special agents from our Office, Shanley will be held responsible for her actions, and will forfeit her ill-gotten gains.”
According to the allegations in Information to which LORRAINE SHANLEY pled guilty, public court filings, and statements made in court:
For many years, from 2010 to 2017, SHANLEY served as a volunteer treasurer for a charity that provides financial support to the families of NYPD officers killed in the line of duty (“Charity-1”). During that time period, Charity-1 received approximately $1.9 million in donations, over 99% of which came from NYPD employees, from an average of 5,500 NYPD employees per year.
SHANLEY was an authorized signatory on Charity-1’s bank account and credit card, and was authorized to use them for Charity-1’s operations. But SHANLEY also used the bank account and credit card to benefit herself and her family members. From 2010 to 2017, SHANLEY fraudulently obtained over $400,000 from Charity-1’s coffers, taking money for herself and relatives, and paying for various personal expenditures such as private school tuition for her grandchild, legal services, dental bills, landscaping, and entertainment.
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SHANLEY, 69, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty to one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and six counts of subscribing to false and fraudulent individual income tax returns, which each carry a maximum term of 3 years in prison. As a condition of her plea, SHANLEY also agreed to forfeit $406,851 and to pay restitution of $406,851 to Charity-1 and $103,983 to the IRS.
SHANLEY is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stein on December 19, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Berman praised the Internal Revenue Service and special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work.
The maximum and mandatory minimum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brett M. Kalikow is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Scottsdale Resident Sentenced to 42 Months for Securities FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced William “Lance” Mullins, 50, formerly of Scottsdale, Ariz., to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Mullins to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to 125 victim shareholders. Mullins had previously pleaded guilty to engaging in fraudulent interstate securities transactions.
Mullins was involved with a Tempe, Ariz.-based technology company called Xhibit Corporation, whose stock was publicly traded on the over-the-counter market and which merged with the airplane catalog SkyMall in May 2013. In 2012 and 2013, before the SkyMall merger, Mullins and others made misrepresentations about the company when recruiting investors. They also engaged in manipulative trading of Xhibit stock that is prohibited by U.S. securities laws and regulations. Their prohibited trading activities artificially inflated Xhibit’s stock price and made it falsely appear that there was more demand for the stock. Because of these actions and other events, Xhibit’s stock price rose sharply, from less than a dollar in early 2012 to a peak of more than seven dollars in May 2013, and then fell just as quickly. Mullins made more than $1 million from selling much of his own stock before the stock price dramatically fell, while unknowing shareholders lost millions.
Two others pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in related cases and were sentenced in June 2019. Nicolas Russo, Jr., 72, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, and Larry Eiteljorg, 70, of Scottsdale, Arizona, were sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution after cooperating with the government’s investigation.
“Mr. Mullins was the mastermind of this market manipulation scheme and the 42-month prison sentence Mullins received should send a strong message of deterrence to criminals committing securities fraud in Arizona,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Division. “We are pleased that all defendants have been ordered to pay restitution to the victims. The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who commit complex financial crimes. We thank the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office for their work in prosecuting this case.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Bridget Minder and Peter Sexton, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Former New Castle Police Officer Charged with Deprivation of Civil RightsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of deprivation of civil rights, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on September 19 and unsealed today, named Ronald Williams, 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about April 23, 2018, Williams, at the time a police officer of the New Castle Police Department, willfully deprived an individual identified as P.L. of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure by repeatedly slamming P.L.’s face into a floor surface, without justification, thereby causing bodily injury to P.L.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Carlisle Man Sentenced to Eight Years’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jordan James, age 22, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 96 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, in May 2019, James pled guilty to distributing child pornography between May 2017 to May 2018, when he resided in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Former CEO of Two Bellevue IT Companies Sentenced to 7+ Years in Prison for Mail Fraud and Failure to Pay more than $1 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
The former CEO of two Bellevue, Washington information-technology (IT) firms was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 87 months in prison for mail fraud and tax crimes related to a multi-year visa-fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. PRADYUMNA KUMAR SAMAL, 50, a citizen of India, was arrested in August 2018 when he arrived on an international flight at Sea-Tac Airport. Prior to the arrest, SAMAL had fled the U.S. in the midst of the visa fraud investigation. He has been in custody since his arrest last year. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said “Based on your time in the U.S. you have basically defrauded everyone you could defraud…. It is clear you have not followed the law since you came to this country. You engaged in an extensive scheme…. This was driven by greed: nothing more, nothing less.”
“This was the largest and most sophisticated H-1B visa fraud scheme we have prosecuted in Western Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Brian Moran. “The fraud harmed the workers who wound up far from home, essentially “benched” by the company, with no pay and no job. It harmed foreign workers who legitimately sought, but could not get visas, and it harmed U.S. workers who were excluded from employment opportunities.”
According to records filed in the case, two companies incorporated by SAMAL in 2010 and 2011, engaged in a scheme sometimes referred to as a “bench-and-switch” scheme, to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the U.S. government. According to the investigation that began in 2015, SAMAL served as the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Divensi’ and ‘Azimetry.’ Both companies were in the business of providing information-technology workers, such as Software Development Engineers, to major corporate clients. SAMAL submitted, and directed his employees to submit, forged and false application materials to the United States government, making it appear as if foreign-national employees named in the petitions had been earmarked for projects contracted to SAMAL’s companies by end clients. In fact, these project assignments were fictitious. The forged documents included forged letters and fraudulent statements of work, which appeared as if they had been signed by senior executives at SAMAL’s clients. After USCIS relied on the false representations and approved the applications, SAMAL’s companies “benched” the foreign nationals – i.e., the companies left those foreign nationals unpaid, and forced them to submit phony sick and annual leave requests – until and unless they were able to place those employees at actual end clients.
More than 250 workers were brought in under the phony applications. The employees were forced to pay SAMAL’s companies a partially-refundable “security deposit” of as much as $5,000 for the visa filings, regardless of whether they were assigned to any projects that provided them with income.
"This sentence punishes a sophisticated offender who fraudulently manipulated the U.S. visa process to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the U.S. government,” said Matthew Perlman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, San Francisco Field Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to ensuring the integrity of the visa process, securing the homeland, and protecting the American work force.”
Not only did SAMAL’s companies fail to pay the clients, it failed to pay more than $1 million in employment taxes. SAMAL has agreed to pay restitution of $1,119,867 for the tax loss. In addition Judge Robart imposed a $10,000 fine.
“Mr. Samal exploited foreign nationals for personal gain while also stealing $1.1 million from his employees' payroll withholdings to fund his luxury car, his mortgage, and his personal accounts in India,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “IRS-Criminal Investigation continues to prioritize employment tax fraud in order to protect hard-working employees and serve honest taxpayers.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Siddharth Velamoor and Michael Dion.
Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Conduct “Operation Fall Clean up” to Clear Warrants for Violent Offenses as Part of Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
• 67 violent felony fugitives arrested in weeklong operation
• More than 650 guns taken off the streets in Rapid City since January 2018
• Gun-related prosecutions have increased 50 percent District-wide
• Shootings in Rapid City have declined dramatically since January 2018
RAPID CITY, SD – United States Attorney Ron Parsons and United States Marshal Dan Mosteller today announced a multi-agency law enforcement operation that resulted in dozens of arrests in the Rapid City area as part of the District of South Dakota’s renewed Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
For the past week, the U.S. Marshals have been working in collaboration with law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation to track down and apprehend some of the Rapid City area’s most violent and persistent offenders with outstanding state and federal felony warrants for violent crimes, drug trafficking, and sex offenses.
The objective of "Operation Fall Clean Up," as designated by the U.S. Marshals Service, was to clear as many outstanding warrants for violent offenses from federal and state rolls as possible in order to make a positive impact on public safety for the entire Black Hills region.
The operation began in the early morning of Monday, September 16, 2019, and continued until the afternoon of Friday, September 20, 2019. By the end of the operation, deputy marshals and other law enforcement officers on the fugitive task force teams arrested 67 targeted fugitives with state or federal felony warrants for violent crimes, drugs, and sex offenses. And an additional 10 felony warrants were cleared for collateral subjects who were not initially targeted by the operation.
In all 77 federal and state felony warrants were cleared. The arrestees are among the most violent and active offenders in the Rapid City area. Investigations are currently underway to determine how many of those arrested in this operation will be charged in state or federal court with additional crimes.
"The resounding success of this operation is a testament to the courage, professionalism, and dedication of law enforcement officers at every level here in our state," said U.S. Attorney Parsons. "I want to thank all of the officers and agencies involved for removing these violent offenders from our communities and placing them in custody where they belong."
"This operation is an excellent example of what people can accomplish when they work together. In this endeavor, law enforcement has banded together to arrest the worst of the worst in our communities. They are locked up where they can no longer continue to commit violent crimes against our families, and especially our children," said U.S. Marshal Mosteller.
This warrant operation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods in 2017 as part of its 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 local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
At the beginning of 2018, U.S. Attorney Parsons designated Rapid City and the surrounding communities as the initial target area for the Department of Justice’s reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods in the District of South Dakota. Since that time, federal prosecutions of gun-related crimes in the District of South Dakota have increased by approximately fifty percent, with most of that increase coming from the District’s Western Division. The collective efforts of our law enforcement partners under Project Safe Neighborhoods have taken more than 650 guns off the streets in Rapid City alone since the beginning of 2018.
This focus on gun-related crimes has produced results. From 2017 to 2018, shootings in the Rapid City area declined significantly. According to the Rapid City Police Department, in 2017, there were a total of 50 non-fatal shootings in the Rapid City area. In 2018, that number decreased to less than 20, with the vast majority of those coming in the first quarter of 2018, when the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative was reinvigorated in Rapid City with the help of Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris, Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom, and Pennington County State’s Attorney Mark Vargo. In the last three quarters of 2018, there were only five such shootings. This favorable trend has continued into 2019.
Law enforcement representatives at today’s Project Safe Neighborhoods press conference, held at the Public Safety Building in Rapid City, included:
Ron Parsons: U.S. Attorney, District of South Dakota
Dan Mosteller: U.S. Marshal, District of South Dakota
Jason Ravnsborg: Attorney General, State of South Dakota
Don Hedrick: Assistant Police Chief - Rapid City Police Department
Jeromey Smith: Pennington County Sheriff’s Office
Mark Vargo: Pennington County State’s Attorney
Jonathan Ortiz: ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Brett Garland: South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation
Brian Swets: Sergeant – South Dakota Highway Patrol
Leonard Her Many Horses: Lt. Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety
Estherville, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while illegally possessing guns pled guilty September 20, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
Dustin Julich, 35, from Estherville, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm. Julich was previously convicted of theft and burglary, and was prohibited from possessing firearms in Iowa.
At the plea hearing, Julich admitted that from about December 2015 through February 2019 he and others distributed over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine in the Estherville, Iowa area. During a search warrant of Julich’s truck and trailer, law enforcement seized approximately ½ pound of methamphetamine along with two guns.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Julich remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Julich faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment on the conspiracy conviction. On the firearm conviction, Julich faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Steenholdt and was investigated by Estherville Police Department, Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-3010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Ellwood City Felon Sentenced to 12½ Years in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 150 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton imposed the sentence on Derick Davare, age 32.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around 2015, and continuing thereafter to on or about October 22, 2018, Derick Davare conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Additionally, on or about October 22, 2018, Derick Davare, being a convicted felon, illegally possessed a F.N. (FN Herstal) Five-Seven, 57 Caliber Pistol, a Sig-Sauer P226 9mm Pistol with an obliterated serial number, 5.7 x .28 ammunition and 9mm ammunition. He also possessed additional rounds of ammunition on August 28, 2018. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year to possess a firearm or ammunition.
As part of a related case, Derick Davare’s brother, Drake Davare, was also sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh last week. Drake Davare, 29, also of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to time served, which was approximately 15 months of imprisonment, and three years of supervised release by Senior United States District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Drake Davare was convicted of distribution of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway and Marnie Sheehan-Balcon prosecuted these cases on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the Davare brothers. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
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Duo Found Guilty of Heroin Conspiracy After 4-Day TrialRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jerry Harris, age 38, of South Bend, Indiana and David Gibson, age 47, of Chicago, Illinois were found guilty, late September 19th, after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Jon DeGuilio, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
In March of 2018 Jerry Harris and Gibson were indicted for conspiracy to distribute heroin. The jury deliberated about three hours and found them both guilty of conspiring to distribute over a kilogram of heroin in the South Bend area. In an earlier case (United States v. Corey Harris, et al.), several individuals who sold heroin for Harris and Gibson pled guilty; some have been sentenced and others are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “I have directed my Office to focus on individuals who distribute heroin and other dangerous opiate narcotics, especially in light of the opioid crisis that exists across the United States. This successful prosecution was the result of cooperative efforts throughout local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. We will aggressively investigate, prosecute and hold accountable those who flood our streets with these drugs to make our communities safer.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Jerry Harris and Gibson conspired with at least six others persons from that earlier case to sell heroin in and around the Miami Hills area of South Bend. The conspirators shared a cellphone that customers called to arrange purchases of heroin. The evidence showed that undercover law enforcement officers purchased heroin from members of the conspiracy on 28 separate occasions between March and October of 2017. Phone records show that the shared cellphones had over 80,000 contacts during the time of the conspiracy. The investigation included search warrants on five houses and cars. Harris and Gibson directed the sales conducted by those who sold heroin to the undercover officers.
Mr. Jerry Harris and Mr. Gibson are scheduled to be sentenced on January 30 of 2020. Both face a minimum of ten years to life incarceration. Gibson was recently convicted of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime in Wyoming and is currently serving a twelve year sentence.
The case was investigated by the DEA and ATF with assistance from several local police agencies including the St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit, Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, the Elkhart Police and ICE unit, the St. Joseph County Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Molly Donnelly.
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Domestic Abuser Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – This week, Jose Moreno, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 84 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release. Moreno had previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping and domestic assault by a habitual offender.
On August 11, 2017, Moreno physically prevented the victim, his domestic partner, from leaving their residence, and threatened harm if the victim did try to leave. On that date, and again between August 24 and 27, 2017, Moreno assaulted the victim, by striking and beating the victim. Moreno had previously been convicted of two domestic violence assaults involving other victims. The assault in this case occurred at a home in Tucson, on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation. Moreno is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the victim is an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Schmit and Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson.
District Man Sentenced to 18-Month Prison Term for Sexually Assaulting Fellow Passenger After Getting Off a MetrobusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Justin Quentin Taylor, 20, of the District, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a stranger after the two got off a Metrobus, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Taylor pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in March 2019, to attempted third degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson to 18 months in prison. Following his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for seven years and will have to register as a sex offender for ten years.
According to the government’s evidence at the plea hearing, in the early morning hours of December 10, 2018, both Taylor and the victim were passengers on the same city bus. They did not know one another. They both got off the bus on 48th Street, N.E. in the District. While in the 1300 block of 48th Street N.E., the Taylor walked past the victim, then stopped directly in front of her and asked her for directions, asked whether he could use her phone and asked the woman whether she could help him with his “button.” Taylor then grabbed the woman, took down his pants and attempted to sexually assault her. She escaped and immediately notified the police. Taylor was stopped by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers nearby a short while later, where they arrested him.
After his arrest, Taylor told detectives from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit that he had intended to rape the victim. Taylor told the detective that he had done something similar in Prince George’s County, Maryland, when he was 18-years-old, and that he had served time in Maryland for that other incident.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Assistance Unit Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Department of Justice Antitrust Division Announces Agenda and Panelists for Joint Agency Workshop on Competition in Labor Markets with the U.S. Federal Trade CommissionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has released the agenda and list of participants for its public workshop on the role of antitrust enforcement in labor markets and promoting robust competition for the American worker. The workshop will be the first in a two-part series hosted together with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
The first workshop, which the Justice Department will host on Sept. 23, 2019, will cover a variety of labor competition issues, including, among other topics, anticompetitive no-poach and wage-fixing agreements, approaches to labor market definition, the role of employer collaboration and contractual arrangements between employers on competition for workers, labor monopsony in merger enforcement, and antitrust exemptions for union activity and collective bargaining. Panelists will discuss recent developments in the law, economic research, and policy proposals, as well as how to effectively develop cases challenging labor monopsony.
The agenda for the workshop includes a morning session from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and an afternoon session from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Details are as follows:
Morning Session
Opening Remarks
- Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice
Presentation: Economics of Labor Markets and Key Questions for the Workshop
- Ioana Marinescu, Assistant Professor, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania
- Elena Prager, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Panel 1: Approaching Labor Market Definition
Panelists will discuss how labor markets should be defined in antitrust analysis and the appropriate tools, methods and categories of information required for such analysis. The panel also will discuss market definition in merger and non-merger cases, and when antitrust enforcers should investigate labor monopsony theories in merger reviews.
- Orley Ashenfelter, Professor of Economics, Princeton University
- Patrick Greenlee, Economist, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- Dean Harvey, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
- Kevin Murphy, Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
Afternoon Session
Afternoon Remarks
- Ramogi Huma, Executive Director, National College Players Association
Panel 2: Ancillarity, Collaborations and Contractual Arrangements: Assessing Antitrust Harm in Complex Business Settings
Restraints on worker mobility are not always purely horizontal or purely vertical, and they sometimes arise in complex business settings, including a variety of collaborations, that blur the lines between interbrand and intrabrand competition. The panel will explore recent developments in the case law and economic literature and discuss how antitrust enforcers should assess restraints on worker mobility, including restraints that arise within franchise systems and for workers in the “gig” economy.
- Rachel Brass, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Darrell Johnson, CEO, FranDATA
- Rahul Rao, Assistant Attorney General, Washington State Attorney General
- Marshall Steinbaum, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Utah
- Randy Stutz, Vice President of Legal Advocacy, American Antitrust Institute
- Samuel Weglein, Managing Principal, Analysis Group, Inc.
Panel 3: Labor Unions and Collective Bargaining
The panel will address the latest developments in case law and public policy regarding statutory and non-statutory labor exemptions from the antitrust laws for collective bargaining and other union activity. Panelists also will discuss how the evolving status and classification of workers, including workers in the digital economy, dovetails with these labor exemptions.
- Jonathan Berry, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
- W. Stephen Cannon, Constantine Cannon LLP
- Matthew Ginsburg, Associate General Counsel, AFL-CIO
- Jeffrey Kessler, Winston & Strawn LLP
- Derek Ludwin, Covington & Burling LLP
- Sanjukta Paul, Assistant Professor of Law, Wayne State University
Closing Remarks
- Ronald Drennan, Acting Economics Director of Enforcement
The Department of Justice invites comments from the public on the topics covered by this workshop. Interested parties may submit public comments online now through Oct. 23, 2019 at [email protected].
The workshop is free and open to the public and will take place in the DOJ Conference Center, Room 7411 of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 23, 2019. A recording of the workshop will be available on the Antitrust Division’s website. Registration information, an agenda, directions to the event, and a list of speakers are available on the event webpage. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to register in advance for the workshop here. Members of the press also should email [email protected]. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees should bring a valid government-issued photo ID (government badge, license, passport, etc.) and arrive in time to go through security.
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. If you need such an accommodation, please contact Alexei Woltornist in the Office of Public Affairs at [email protected]. Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodations needed and a way to contact you if we need more information.
The second day of the workshop will be hosted by the Federal Trade Commission and will focus on the legal, economic and consumer protection issues associated with the use of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The workshop will examine the current state of economic research on the effects of non-compete clauses, and whether additional research would allow the agencies to better understand the short-term and long-term micro and macro effects of such clauses. The Federal Trade Commission will announce the date and agenda for the second workshop at www.ftc.gov.
DEA-Led Multi-Agency Investigation Dismantles Major New Mexico Poly-Drug Trafficking Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Twelve individuals are facing federal drug trafficking and firearms charges as the result of a two-year DEA-led multi-agency investigation into a major New Mexico-based poly-drug trafficking organization allegedly operating between Las Vegas, N.M., and Albuquerque, N.M., under the alleged leadership of Robert Padilla, 42, of Albuquerque. The investigation culminated this week when Padilla and eight other defendants were arrested yesterday and today by teams of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officers.
U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson and Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the DEA’s El Paso Division announced the results of the investigation, which was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. OCDETF is a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI Albuquerque Division, Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr., of the Phoenix Field Division of IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Monique Y. Villegas of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) joined the U.S. Attorney and the DEA in announcing the results of the investigation.
In announcing the results of the investigation, U.S. Attorney Anderson said, “This investigation and resulting prosecutions are about taking control of our streets. The charges filed and drugs seized as the result of this investigation demonstrate the success of the collaborative efforts of our federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to root out drug traffickers operating in New Mexico. Through today’s law enforcement action sends a clear message to those who traffic drugs in our communities that they cannot commit crimes in New Mexico without consequence.”
“Drug trafficking organizations have preyed upon the citizens of Las Vegas, New Mexico, for far too long,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Williamson. “By having charges brought against these alleged drug traffickers, the DEA and its law enforcement partners are working to stop the harm, and to make the Las Vegas community a safer place to live and work.”
The charges against the defendants are the result of an investigation that began in 2017, and initially targeted Padilla, the alleged source of supply and leader of a drug trafficking organization operating in Las Vegas and Albuquerque that allegedly distributed cocaine, cocaine base (more commonly known as “crack”), heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized or documented approximately 1.39 kilograms of cocaine, 567 grams of cocaine base, 160 grams of heroin, 2.68 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 2,000 fentanyl pills. Investigators also recovered more than 30 firearms and seized approximately $14,000 in cash.
The charges against the 12 defendants are contained in an indictment that was filed under seal by a federal grand jury on Sept. 11, 2019, and was unsealed yesterday. According to the indictment and other court filings, Padilla allegedly led a New Mexico-based drug distribution network operating in several locations, including Albuquerque and Las Vegas, that distributed cocaine, “crack,” methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. Court filings allege that Padilla’s co-defendants participated in the network by distributing illegal controlled substances for profit. The indictment also charges a defendant with violating the federal firearms laws by possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of multiple felony offenses.
“The members of this drug trafficking organization have been charged with distributing dangerous narcotics. IRS-CI is fully committed in assisting DEA and other law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug organizations by tracing and seizing the monies they earn from trafficking drugs,” stated IRS Special Agent in Charge Nevarez.
“ATF is committed along with our law enforcement partners to removing these career criminals off the streets,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Villegas. “We will use every means necessary to pursue and prosecute in federal court these violent criminals that try to victimize our community.”
Seven defendants who were arrested yesterday morning made their initial appearances in federal court in Albuquerque yesterday afternoon. Two other defendants were arrested today and will make their initial appearances in federal court on Monday. All nine arrested defendants will remain in federal custody pending detention hearings scheduled for next week. One other defendant is in state custody on unrelated charges, and will be transferred to federal custody to face the charges in the indictment. The remaining two defendants have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives.
Summary of the Charges
Count 1 of the indictment charges all 12 defendants with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction varies for each defendant.
Count 2 of the indictment charges one defendant with distributing 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is not less than five years or more than 40 years in prison.
Counts 3 and 6 of the indictment charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction for each count is up to 20 years in prison.
Count 4 of the indictment charges a defendant with distribution of fentanyl. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is up to 20 years in prison.
Counts 5, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 18 of the indictment charge certain defendants with distribution of cocaine. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction on each count is up to 20 years in prison.
Counts 7 and 13 of the indictment each charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction on each count is up to 20 years in prison.
Count 8 of the indictment charges one defendant with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is up to 10 years in prison. However, if the Armed Career Criminal Act is found to apply to the defendant, the maximum statutory penalty is not less 15 years or more than life in prison.
Count 9 the indictment charges a defendant with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is not less than five years or more than 40 years in prison.
Count 10 the indictment charges a defendant with possession with intent to distribute heroin. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is up to 20 years in prison.
Count 12 of the indictment charges a defendant with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is not less 5 years or more than 40 years in prison.
Count 17 of the indictment charges a defendant with distribution of cocaine base. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is not less 10 years or more than life in prison.
Count 19 of the indictment charges certain defendants with distribution of cocaine base. The maximum statutory penalty on conviction is not less 5 years or more than 40 years in prison.
Charges Against Defendants
Robert Padilla, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 3-5, 11-12, and 14-19. Padilla was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Rose Ann Romero, 36, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in Count 1. Romero was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Jonathan Vigil, 27, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in Count 1. Vigil was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Robert Hockman, 35, of Rio Rancho, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2, and 10. Hockman was arrested earlier today and is in custody.
Marcos Ruiz, 40, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in Count 1 and 13. Ruiz is in state custody on other charges. He will be transferred into federal custody to face the charges in the federal indictment.
Luis Sanchez, 31, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, and 8-9. Sanchez was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Ashley Romero, 27, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in count 1. Romero has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Tomas Sanchez, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., is charged in counts 1, and 6-7. Sanchez was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Amanda Silva, 33, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in counts 1 and 14. Silva was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Sergio Valdez, 28, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in counts 1 and 11. Valdez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Genevive Atencio, 24, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in counts 1, and 18-19. Atencio was arrested yesterday morning and is in custody.
Janaya Atencio, 25, of Las Vegas, N.M., is charged in counts 1, and 18-19. Atencio was arrested earlier today and is in custody.
Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fugitives: Photos of the fugitives, Ashley Romero and Sergio Valdez are attached to this press release. Individuals with information about the whereabouts of Ashley Romero and Sergio Valdez are asked to contact the DEA at (505) 452-4500.
The Albuquerque office of the DEA led the investigation leading to the charges in the indictment. DEA received assistance with the investigation and apprehension of the defendants from several federal law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and the El Paso and Las Cruces offices of DEA. DEA task force officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, Pueblo of Laguna Police Department, Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department, Rio Rancho Police Department, and Valencia County Sheriff’s Office also contributed along with the New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Region IV Narcotics High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, New Mexico Office of the Inspector General, San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, and Las Vegas (N.M.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristopher N. Houghton and Robert I. Goldaris are prosecuting the defendants as part of the OCDETF Program.
Costumed Crack Addict Sentenced to 12+ Years for Robbing 3 Banks and a Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -A former resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 12 years and seven months (151 months), to be followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia imposed the sentence on Glenn Ford, age 60.
According to information presented to the court, on September 15, 2017, Ford robbed the Huntington Bank, on Smithfield St. wearing a long black curly wig, a long leather coat, and a sticker on his face covering his nose and mouth. He demanded $100 and $50 bills and received $2,340. On September 28, 2017, Ford robbed the same Huntington Bank. He attempted to conceal his face as he approached the same teller. Ford demanded $100, $50 and $20 bills and received $2370. The teller recognized Ford from the prior bank robbery and placed a dye pack with the money, which exploded as he fled.
On September 20, 2017, Ford, wearing a hat, a dress, a trench coat and caramel colored dress shoes, entered the Citizens Bank located on East Carson St. with a white plastic bag covering part of his face. He demanded money and received $2,950. He discarded his clothing after he exited the bank. The Court was further advised that on October 4, 2017, wearing a Darth Vader mask and black hoodie, Ford robbed the CoGo’s on East Carson Street with a knife and took $186.
Ford confessed to committing the robberies to support his crack addiction. He told officers about his efforts to clean and use the money damaged from the dye pack explosion. Ford took officers to recover the damaged money, as well as clothing and shoes from an abandoned house in Wilkinsburg, a short distance from his house.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ford through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Federal Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor A. Brown, Jr., 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury yesterday of federal firearm and narcotics charges following a law enforcement search that uncovered drugs, a weapon, and ammunition in a residence located in the Petworth Neighborhood in Northwest Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base on September 19, 2019. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. He will be sentenced on December 11, 2019 by the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 22, 2019, officers from MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team executed a search warrant at a rowhouse in the Petworth neighborhood. At the time the officers entered the residence, Brown was flushing marijuana down a toilet in a bathroom on the first floor of the residence. Inside of Brown’s bedroom nightstand, officers located a 9 millimeter pistol with an extended magazine loaded with ammunition. Officers also recovered fentanyl and cocaine base from on top of Brown’s bed and recovered various items used for drug distribution throughout his bedroom (including digital scales, ziplocs, a tray with residue, cutting agents, and razor blades). Officers also recovered more than $2,800 in U.S. currency on Brown.
“My Office’s top priority is the safety of the people who live in, work in, and visit Washington, D.C., and that means protecting them from the danger posed by illegal firearms. This case shows our commitment to doing just that. This defendant previously had been convicted of a serious crime and had no business possessing a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Liu.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD officers involved in the arrest and prosecution of Brown. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Laura Crane of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca.
Convicted Felon Arrested on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jason Yelder, 37, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40, and $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated in May 2017, Yelder pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, five grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison and five years post-release supervision. The defendant was released from custody and supervision began on May 25, 2018.
On February 12, February 21, and April 23, 2019, Yelder was tested by U.S. Probation for drug screening. On each date, he tested positive for amphetamine. The defendant was instructed to report for further testing on April 29 and May 2, 2019. Yelder failed to report as directed and further broke off all contact with probation personnel. On April 26, 2019, a probation officer contacted the defendant’s mother who advised she did not know the whereabouts of her son. On May 3, 2019, an arrest warrant was issued for Yelder for a violation of supervised release.
On July 15, 2019, the defendant was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Serve and Buffalo Police at a hotel in downtown Buffalo. Yelder was found with 21 bags of suspected crystal methamphetamine, as well as numerous additional suspected controlled substances.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Container Ship Crewmembers Sentenced for Conspiring to Import over Three Tons of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On September 19, 2019 United States District Judge Barry Ashe sentenced two Colombians, JHONNY RODRIGUEZ ALVAREZ, age 36, and ARIEL CALVO HENAO, age 52, two Ecuadorians, HECTOR RAFAEL GOMEZ LIMONES, age 38, VICENTE LOPEZ MERO, age 61, and four Peruvians JESUS JUSTO TASA CERVANTES, age 65, BORIS WISMARK VERGARA MONCADA, age 54, WALTER REYNALDO VIERA SULLON, age 45 and EDISON OMAR OTERO CRUZ, age 26, for conspiring to import 3,400 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. The sentencings took place over the last several weeks, with the final defendant being sentenced today.
All of the defendants were crewmembers aboard a container vessel that was traveling from Chimbote, Peru to Ensenada, Mexico, which is near the border with the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel in international waters south of Costa Rica. After extensive searching, law enforcement found a hidden compartment inside a ballast tank on the vessel. Inside the hidden compartment, law enforcement located approximately 3,400 kilograms of cocaine.
As part of the plea agreement, the crewmembers all acknowledged that after the vessel left port in Peru, it met up at sea with speedboats sent from near the Colombia/Ecuador border. The vessel crew used an onboard crane to load the tons of cocaine off of the speedboats and onto the deck of the container vessel. The crewmembers then moved the cocaine into a secret compartment that had been constructed specifically to hide the cocaine. The sophisticated compartment was secured with headless screws and covered with putty so that it was virtually impossible to detect.
Pursuant to the plea agreement with the United States, the crewmembers, many of whom claimed they were forced into participating in the smuggling operation by the individuals who organized the shipment, faced a statutory maximum sentence of sixty months. District Judge Ashe sentenced each of them to the statutory maximum term, as well as one year of supervised release.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the United States Coast Guard. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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Colombian Narcotics Kingpin Sentenced to Prison for Bribing Former Federal Agent to Dismiss IndictmentRead the Press Release
A Colombian Cali Cartel cocaine trafficker was sentenced today to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release in the Southern District of Florida for bribing a former special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) to secure the dismissal of a drug trafficking indictment filed against him.
According to admissions in the plea agreement, Jose Bayron Piedrahita-Ceballos, 60, of Medellin, Colombia, offered and gave things of value to Christopher Ciccione II, 54, a former federal law enforcement agent, in exchange for Ciccione using his official position to cause a drug trafficking indictment against Piedrahita-Ceballos to be dismissed and to obtain official authorization for Piedrahita-Ceballos to enter the United States. At the time of the dismissal, Ciccione was the case agent for Operation Cornerstone, a large-scale Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case that resulted in indictments of over 100 Colombia-based cocaine traffickers from the Cali Cartel.
“This defendant was a drug kingpin who paid a Special Agent to bribe his way out of a criminal indictment,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As today’s sentence shows, the Department of Justice will work diligently to ensure that our justice system is never corrupted in this manner.”
“ICE takes responsibility in ensuring its employees have the trust of the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Southeast Michael T. Moreland of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). “To erode that trust, Mr. Piedrahita sought to use an employee for his personal gain and his sentence today conveys to other bad actors that ICE will not tolerate the exploitation of its employees or the American justice system.”
“This case demonstrates the power of collaboration between the U.S. law enforcement and our counterparts abroad,” said Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (DHS-OIG) Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari. “Today’s sentence constitutes a substantial step toward our commitment to thwart any scheme that attempts to corrupt the integrity of U.S. law enforcement personnel and circumvent our justice system.”
Piedrahita-Ceballos, an Operation Cornerstone defendant, and Colombian national Juan Carlos Velasco, 51, gave Ciccione approximately $20,000 in cash, dinner, drinks and prostitution during an extended hotel stay in Bogota, Colombia, in exchange for official acts that resulted in the dismissal of the indictment against Piedrahita-Ceballos. Velasco served as the intermediary between Ciccione and Piedrahita-Ceballos. Velasco and Ciccione have previously pleaded guilty for their conduct in this matter. On Feb. 9, 2018, Ciccione was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On Jan. 19, 2018, Velasco was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
In furtherance of this scheme to obstruct justice, Ciccione misled the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI management, and altered TECS records to secure the dismissal. Ciccone also falsified the concurrence of several other federal agents and attempted to obtain entry for Piedrahita-Ceballos into the United States.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Piedrahita as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act on May 3, 2016.
ICE-OPR, DHS-OIG and the FBI investigated the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the Office of the Judicial Attaché in Colombia and the Drug Enforcement Administration provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The Colombian Attorney General’s Office also provided invaluable support. Trial Attorney Jennifer A. Clarke of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
Chicopee Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicopee man was charged yesterday in federal court in Springfield with child pornography offenses.
Thomas Stemmer, 57, was indicted on one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that Stemmer received and possessed child pornography during 2015.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chicopee Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicopee man was charged yesterday in federal court in Springfield with child pornography offenses.
Herve Plasse, 65, was charged in an indictment with one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that Plasse received and possessed child pornography during 2015.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 10 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chester Methamphetamine Dealer with History of Crime Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that John Bennett Roof, Jr., a/k/a “Brent Roof,” a/k/a “Ice Man”, age 34, of Chester, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Following the term of imprisonment, Roof will remain on federal supervised release for an additional 3 years. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia imposed the sentence.
Evidence presented in court established that on April 17, 2018, officers with the Chester Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit and a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a traffic stop of a Mazda sedan on West Elliott Street in Chester. Officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana and asked Roof, the only occupant of the vehicle, to step out of the car. A search of the car produced a 9mm handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber; 4.86 grams of methamphetamine; what appeared to be cocaine, hydrocodone, three ecstasy pills, and a jar of marijuana; and $560 in U.S. currency. Roof admitted the firearm and narcotics were his, that he is a methamphetamine dealer, that the pistol was stolen, and that he traded methamphetamine for the firearm.
Federal law prohibits Roof from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon multiple prior state convictions, including a 2008 conviction for distributions of marijuana, a 2012 conviction for distribution of a controlled substance, and a 2006 conviction for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature related to an incident where Roof threw an infant on the ground, cracking the infant’s scull. In addition, Roof has at least five prior drug possession convictions from 2002 through 2018, and a 2016 conviction for criminal domestic violence. Roof has 16 outstanding charges in the state system. Evidence presented in court also indicated Roof is a validated member of a criminal street gang.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Chester Police Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation 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.
Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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Carjacker Disguised as Law Enforcement Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An armed carjacker who repeatedly disguised himself as a police officer has been ordered federal prison for 30 years, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Fernando Fabian Alvarez, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn on Sept. 20 after an investigation led by the FBI Dallas Field Office.
“This Defendant exploited innocent citizens’ trust in law enforcement to commit acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We will not tolerate criminals brazenly impersonating police.”
“Police officers are trusted members of the communities they serve. When someone impersonates an officer, it violates the trust our citizens have in law enforcement,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners encourage the public to report anyone they believe is a police impersonator. We will hold these individuals accountable for using a law enforcement uniform to harm others.”
In May, Mr. Alvarez pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in Addison, Texas.
According to his plea papers, Mr. Alvarez admitted that he and an accomplice, donning police uniforms and badges, approached their victim at an apartment complex, striking him in the face with a 9 millimeter pistol. They then placed the victims in handcuffs, bound his ankles, and stuffed him into his own car.
While the victim was restrained inside the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz sedan, his apartment was burglarized and his valuables – including cash, jewelry, a smartphone, and a pistol – were taken from him.
Mr. Alvarez admits he and his accomplice later drove the helpless victim to another part of the apartment complex and abandoned him next to a trash dumpster. Mr. Alvarez then abandoned the Mercedes Benz in a parking lot.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Lynn noted that in addition to the armed carjacking offense, Alvarez admitted in his plea papers to committing other violent offenses in the Dallas area, including:
• A home invasion in Frisco, Texas on December 20, 2016. Mr. Alvarez and two accomplices, all wearing police uniforms, confronted the homeowner in his garage, drawing pistols and shouting that they were the police. They then bound the homeowner, his wife, and his teenage sun at gunpoint, and took approximately $6,000 in cash and other valuables.
• A home invasion in Colleyville, Texas on January 26, 2017. Mr. Alvarez and his accomplices knocked on the house’s front door, announcing that they were U.S. Marshals. When the victim opened the door, they forced their way into the home at gunpoint, placed the victim in handcuffs, and took jewelry, clothing, a pistol, and an automobile.
• A home invasion in Duncanville, Texas on May 1, 2017. Mr. Alvarez and an accomplice confronted the homeowner in his garage at gunpoint and handcuffed him. The two robbers brought the homeowner inside his home and when the homeowner—believing that they were police officers—asked to see the search warrant, one of the robbers struck him twice in the head with a pistol. The pair then took jewelry, approximately $10,000 in cash, and a pistol from the victim.
Mr. Alvarez, a citizen of Mexico residing in the U.S. illegally, will likely face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence. He is ineligible for parole.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, along with the Addison, Frisco, Colleyville, Duncanville, and Irving Police Departments, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case
California Man Sentenced for Heroin OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on September 18, 2019, Jorge Alejandro Salazar Machado, age 28, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Salazar Machado was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a five year term of supervised release.
In January 2019, Salazar Machado was arrested by Council Bluffs Police for possession of drug paraphernalia. A subsequent search warrant was executed on his vehicle. During the search, officers located two packages containing a total of 1,891.28 grams of heroin. Salazar Machado pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2019.
This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Rogelio Mueses, 26, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, and fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case, stated that between January and May of 2018, the defendant conspired with another individual to distribute controlled substances. In particular, on six different dates, they sold controlled substances to an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of heroin, butyryl fentanyl, and 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, all of which are Schedule I controlled substances, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Being A Felon in Possession of A GunRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Willie C. Graham 38, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Ulubiyo, who is handling the case, stated that on October 8, 2018, during the execution of a state search warrant at the defendant’s residence on Foote Avenue in Jamestown, law enforcement officers recovered two firearms, ammunition, two magazines, a scope, a Kevlar vest, and a quantity of methamphetamine.
At the time of the search warrant, Graham was a two-time convicted felon, and as a result, he was legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Brooklyn Man Indicted for Threatening Former State Court ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Scott Allan Smith was arraigned today before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie on an indictment charging him with threatening to murder the former state prosecutor who handled his criminal case. Smith was arrested on a complaint on August 6, 2019, and was remanded pending trial. If convicted, Smith faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, six months after he was released from prison, the defendant began threatening to kill the former state prosecutor who had handled a criminal case against him,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Threats against members of the criminal justice system who work to protect our communities will never be tolerated and those who commit such crimes will face the consequences.”
“A threat against anyone's life is unacceptable. However, when you threaten the life of an official who was representing the public and enforcing the law on behalf of law abiding citizens, as we allege Mr. Smith did here, you are attacking all of society,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The consequence is prison, something Mr. Smith knows all too well.”
As alleged in court filings and proceedings, Smith was sentenced in Missouri to seven years in prison in October 2015 after pleading guilty to assault and felony restraint. Smith was released from the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections on February 22, 2019.
On or about August 3, 2019, Smith called the former Callaway County, Missouri prosecutor in his criminal case and stated, in sum and substance, “You remember me, don’t you? I just want to tell you, you are about to die.”
Later that day, Smith sent the victim a series of threatening text messages, stating, in part, “5 years I’ve been waiting for what’s about to happen. I’ve fantasized about it every single night for years… My life for your life” and “I am a martyr for this.”
The defendant then concluded with a voicemail left on the victim’s telephone, stating he would “get the needle,” make “national news” and “every prosecutor in the United States would think twice about telling a lie in this country.”
The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney John Vagelatos is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
SCOTT ALLAN SMITH
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-421 (RJD)
Boston Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Kyvon Ross, a/k/a Ky-von Ross, 20, of Boston, was indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The indictment alleges that Ross possessed a Beretta .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition on May 31, 2019, in Boston. Ross was subsequently arrested and has been in custody since. Federal law prohibits Ross from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes 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.
Bisbee Bank Robber Sentenced to Nearly 9 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – This week, Gilbert Salaz, 52, of Benson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 105 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Salaz previously pleaded guilty to one count of Armed Bank Robbery.
On April 28, 2017, Salaz walked into the Washington Federal Bank in downtown Bisbee, Ariz., pointed a gun at a teller and demanded money. Salaz fled the bank after the armed bank robbery, but was apprehended within 24 hours.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the prosecution was handled by Micah Schmit, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
Bellingham Woman who Stole $200,000 from Tribal Casino Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Bellingham, Washington woman who used her employee access to steal $200,000 from the Lummi Nation’s Silver Reef Casino was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to time-served (approximately 10 months in prison) and two years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. SHANNON MARIE MORRIS is a Lummi Tribal member and was an employee of the casino on November 24, 2018, when she stole $200,000 from the vault at the casino. Hours after the theft, MORRIS led law enforcement to where she had stashed the cash, but not before making a false report about a bomb in the casino that forced the evacuation of the casino and adjacent hotel. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that MORRIS placed her young son in harm’s way and adversely impacted the lives of a lot of people due to the bomb scare.
According to records filed in the case, it was just before 3:00 AM on November 24, 2018 when MORRIS walked into the employee entrance at the rear of the casino and got another employee to let her into the cash vault. MORRIS filled a bag with four bricks of cash totaling $200,000 and told the employee in the vault not to push the panic button. MORRIS ran from the vault, got in her car and drove away. MORRIS called 9-1-1 claiming that a man with a gun had forced her to rob the casino and that the man claimed to have placed a bomb at the casino which he would trigger if she did not steal the money. MORRIS claimed the man had jumped out of her car with the money.
Because of the report of a bomb, law enforcement from the Lummi Nation, Bellingham and Ferndale Police Departments, the FBI and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department evacuated the hotel and casino. No bomb was located.
While being questioned by law enforcement, MORRIS’ statement changed over time: initially she claimed that a strange man with a gun held her and her child hostage and forced her to steal the money from the casino. Later she admitted she was alone in the vehicle with her child when she drove to the casino and stole the money. MORRIS led the investigators to the location in Ferndale where she had hidden the money near a tree at the side of the road.
While the money was recovered, the Lummi Nation still lost money due to the evacuation of the hotel and casino on a busy holiday weekend. The funds generated by the hotel and casino are used to provide services to the tribal members and their families.
On December 12, 2018, MORRIS was indicted for theft by an employee of a gaming establishment on Indian lands. She pleaded guilty to that charge on June 12, 2019.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London
Bella Vista, Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Transport of A Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cameron Nathaniel Robinson, age 21, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, entered a guilty plea to Transportation Of A Minor With Intent To Engage In Criminal Sexual Activity in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a), punishable by not less than 10 years and not more than life imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleges that from on or about April 2, 2019, to on or about April 3, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly transport E.F., an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years, in interstate commerce, with the intent that such individual engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Westville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Attorney General William Barr Announces U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady Appointed to AG’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC): David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott W. Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
"I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction," Attorney General William P. Barr said. "The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law."
"It is an honor to be selected by Attorney General Barr to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee," said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. "I look forward to working closely with Attorney General Barr to help shape the Department of Justice’s crime fighting policies, and to guarantee the voices of western Pennsylvanians are heard in our nation’s capital."
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
U.S. Attorney Brady’s bio can be found at this link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/meet-us-attorney.
Attorney General William Barr Announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II as One of New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC): David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said, “I am honored that Attorney General Barr has appointed me to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The Committee plays a central role in implementing new programs and policies for the Department of Justice. It is a privilege for me to be able to serve the Department and Attorney General in this manner.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch’s Bio can be found at this link:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/meet-us-attorney
Attorney General Barr Appoints U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich to Attorney General's Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of Nicholas A. Trutanich, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, along with eight other U.S. Attorneys, to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). The following eight U.S. Attorneys were also named to serve on the AGAC: David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; and Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
The AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting the 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.
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Attorney General Barr Appoints U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson as one of nine new U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). The other eight members include the following: Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas A. Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
“I am grateful to the Attorney General and to my teammates here in the Northern District of California,” Anderson said. “As the U.S. Attorney, I get the recognition. But it is a fact that our AUSAs and staff do the work.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.
Attorney General Barr Appoints Nine New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC): David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.Attorney General Barr Appoints Nine New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC): David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.
Attorney General Barr Appoints Nine New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC): David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores and five other U.S. Attorneys will continue serving on the committee.
“I am honored to continue to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. Attorney General Barr is a dynamic leader with an unshakeable devotion to justice and the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. “I will strive to represent with honor and integrity the Northern District of Oklahoma, as well as all of my U.S. Attorney colleagues in the Tenth Circuit. From reducing violent crime to combating elder fraud to confronting the opioid epidemic, the Attorney General’s priorities are my priorities. Together, we will do all we can to pursue justice for the American people.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Appoints Nine New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the appointment of the following nine U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC):
Zach Terwilliger, Eastern District of Virginia; David Anderson, Northern District of California; Scott Brady, Western District of Pennsylvania; Maria Chapa Lopez, Middle District of Florida; Halsey Frank, District of Maine; Erica MacDonald, District of Minnesota; Christina Nolan, District of Vermont; Tom Kirsch, Northern District of Indiana; and Nicholas Trutanich, District of Nevada.
“I am pleased to appoint these nine outstanding U.S. Attorneys to this key advisory committee. I am confident that they will serve with distinction,” said Attorney General Barr. “The U.S. Attorneys who comprise the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee play a critical role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s important work, including its efforts to reduce violent crime, combat the opioid crisis, protect the most vulnerable, and enforce the rule of law.”
The Attorney General also thanked the following U.S. Attorneys who have completed their terms and are rotating off the committee: Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Robert Higdon, Eastern District of North Carolina; John Huber, District of Utah; Rob Hur, District of Maryland; Jeff Jensen, Eastern District of Missouri; Andrew Lelling, District of Massachusetts; Joshua Minkler, Southern District of Indiana; Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; Bryan Schroder, District of Alaska; and David Weiss, District of Delaware.
Chaired by U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jessie K. Liu, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Attorney General Barr also announced that U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, a current member, will replace U.S. Attorney John Huber as the Vice Chair of the AGAC.
The bios of all U.S. Attorneys are available here.
Altoona Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding United Way of Central Iowa, Embezzling from a Labor UnionRead the Press Release
Des Moines, IA—On September 17, 2019, Theodore Eric Watson, age 54, of Altoona, appeared before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey and was sentenced to 18 months in prison for mail fraud and embezzlement of labor union assets, with three years of supervised release to follow his prison term. Watson pleaded guilty to these offenses on April 15, 2019.
Watson admitted from 2007 until September 2016, while employed as the Business Manager for Local 74 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (AFL-CIO), he sent fraudulent requests for payment of grant funds for training to the United Way of Central Iowa. These fraudulent requests were unauthorized and unknown to Local 74.
Watson also admitted to embezzling from Local 74 by making unauthorized purchases and cash advances on a Local 74 credit card and then concealing the fraud by submitting altered credit card statements and false monthly reports to Local 74. Watson additionally opened a bank account in the name of Local 74, without Local 74's consent or knowledge, and from December 2013 through January 2016, Watson diverted Local 74 funds into this account for his personal use.
Watson was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $125,443.24 ($55,604.91 to Local 74 and $69,838.33 to United Way of Central Iowa).
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Labor—Management Standards. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Alleged Colombian Drug Kingpin Extradited to the United States to Face Charges of Operating a Continuing Criminal EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Santos Roman Narvaez Ansazoy will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on charges of leading a continuing criminal enterprise. The defendant was arrested in Colombia on a provisional arrest warrant and was extradited yesterday from Colombia to the United States.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the extradition.
“The defendant will now face charges in an American courtroom for leading a major Colombian drug trafficking organization that imported huge quantities of cocaine into the United States,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “We will cooperate with law enforcement here and abroad to dismantle drug rings that flood our streets and neighborhoods with lethal drugs.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the assistance provided by DEA’s offices in Bogota, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of State, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Colombian National Police and the Government of Colombia.
“For years, Roman Narvaez Ansazoy allegedly participated in a conspiracy to facilitate the distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine throughout the United States,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. “Ansazoy’s arrest and extradition demonstrate the commitment of the United States and our partners in Colombia to bring to justice drug traffickers who fuel narco-terrorism and seek to flood our streets with addictive and deadly poisons.”
“I commend the members of the Task Force for their outstanding work on this case. All of the agencies involved are committed to taking down any criminal enterprise that imports these dangerous drugs into our county, and we will continue to collaborate on that mission. We simply will not tolerate this type of activity,” stated NYSP Superintendent Corlett.
According to the indictment, Narvaez was a founder and principal leader of a drug trafficking organization in Colombia responsible for producing multi-ton quantities of cocaine, on a monthly basis, in jungle laboratories in the Cauca region of Colombia. The cocaine was then transported to Colombian ports on the Pacific coastline under the protection of paramilitary groups paid by Narvaez, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The cocaine was then shipped by sea, primarily to the United States.
The extradition of Narvaez is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA. 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 charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Francisco J. Navarro is in charge of the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition in this matter.
The Defendant:
SANTOS ROMAN NARVAEZ ANSAZOY (also known as “Roman Narvaez Ansazoy”)
Age: 45
Cauca, ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-048 (S-1) (BMC)
11 Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Crack Cocaine DistributionRead 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 Brian Ryan, Town of Greenburgh Police Chief, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 11 defendants with narcotics distribution offenses in and around Westchester County, New York. The defendants, RANDY SARGEANT, a/k/a “Black,” KELVIN GANPAT, JEANCARLOS LAUREANO, a/k/a “Rico,” CHRISTOPHER MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Panama,” HOWARD MEREDITH, WILLIAM BRITO, AMANDA COPPOLLA, JAMAAL PETERS, a/k/a “Mega Head,” BERT HICKSON, CHRISTINE MORRISON, and CRYSTAL MARTINE, were presented in White Plains federal court yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants were responsible for selling crack cocaine, a potentially lethal commodity that plagues far too many of our communities. Thanks to the FBI and the Greenburgh Police, the defendants are in custody and facing federal criminal charges.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The outstanding work of our law enforcement partners on the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force should give the community peace of mind that we are working every day to make their lives safer. These groups pushing illegal drugs create chaos and violence which put innocent people at risk. Our work going after these criminals won’t stop.”
Greenburgh Police Chief Brian Ryan said: “I would like state my appreciation for this outstanding example of what can be achieved when local and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate to maximize our efforts in battling drug trafficking in our communities. We are committed to maintaining our partnerships with all our law enforcement partners and staying vigilant in our efforts to keep our communities safe.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court [1]:
From at least 2018 until September 2019, RANDY SARGEANT, a/k/a “Black,” KELVIN GANPAT, JEANCARLOS LAUREANO, a/k/a “Rico,” CHRISTOPHER MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Panama,” HOWARD MEREDITH, WILLIAM BRITO, AMANDA COPPOLLA, JAMAAL PETERS, a/k/a “Mega Head,” BERT HICKSON, CHRISTINE MORRISON, and CRYSTAL MARTINEZ conspired to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine.
* * *
All defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, ATF, New York State Police, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DAs Office, NYPD, Yonkers PD, Mount Vernon PD, Peekskill PD, Greenburgh PD and New Rochelle PD. The Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Greenburgh PD, Tarrytown PD, Sleepy Hollow PD, Dobbs Ferry PD, Ardsley PD, Irvington PD, Hastings PD and Elmsford PD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Brumwell is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Thursday 19 September 2019
Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail for 12 Year Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Smyrna woman was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to 18 months in prison for defrauding the U.S. Social Security Administration (“SSA”) of more than $175,000.
According to court documents, Deborah Vaughn, 63, spent over a decade collecting fraudulent Social Security funds intended for her deceased mother-in-law. Each month for twelve years, the SSA deposited approximately $1,100 into a bank account belonging to Vaughn’s mother-in-law. Vaughn, who was a joint-user on the bank account, fraudulently accessed and withdrew the money—knowing that her mother-in-law, the rightful beneficiary of the Social Security funds, had died in 2006. When the SSA contacted Vaughn in 2013 and again in 2018, Vaughn repeatedly lied, including pretending to be her deceased mother-in-law, to ensure that the Social Security deposits would continue.
David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence: “By defrauding the government, Vaughn’s conduct subverted the purpose of the SSA: to provide a safety net for vulnerable individuals in our society. The Court’s sentence reflects the seriousness of fraud against the government and should serve as a warning to those inclined to lie and cheat to obtain Social Security payments they do not deserve.”
“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support in bringing this individual to justice and recovering funds for Social Security,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “We will continue to work closely with SSA and other agencies to identify beneficiary deaths and pursue those who misuse those payments after someone dies.”
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated this case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted it.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Criminal Action No. 19-cr-63-MN.
Woburn Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Woburn man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Vasily Hardy, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2019. Hardy was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2019. He has been in custody since his arrest.
According to charging documents, on Nov. 14, 2018, a police officer conducted a vehicle stop after observing the vehicle’s driver make multiple traffic violations. After identifying the driver as Hardy, the officer was informed over the radio that there was an active warrant for Hardy’s arrest. Hardy was subsequently arrested and his vehicle was searched. During the search, the officer recovered a Sig Sauer, semi-automatic pistol loaded with an eight-round magazine of .45 caliber ammunition as well as a second eight-round magazine. During an interview with law enforcement, Hardy confirmed that the handgun belonged to him and that he did not have a license to carry a firearm in Massachusetts. Further investigation revealed that Hardy was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a previous conviction of larceny from a person in 2013, which is punishable by more than a year in jail.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wellesley Police Department, Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office in New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Prison for Producing Child Pornography Outside of the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing and possessing child pornography in 2015 and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in the Philippines between 2014 and 2015.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin made the announcement.
Jeffrey H. Ernisse, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lynn S. Adelman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, while law enforcement was investigating Ernisse for production of child pornography in Wisconsin, they discovered evidence of additional child pornography production from the Philippines on Ernisse’s digital devices. He sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl and then recorded the sexual assaults on March 10, 2015 and April 17, 2015.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the cooperation of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Police Department investigated the case. Former Trial Attorney William M. Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan J. Paulson of the Eastern District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case.
This investigation is 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.