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Tuesday 17 September 2019
Maryland Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Possessing Six Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Russell Harrison, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for possessing six firearms in furtherance of his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
Harrison pled guilty in August 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Judge Richard J. Leon sentenced Harrison to 110 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Harrison was arrested with seven other individuals in March 2018 in relation to a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base. Numerous defendants were also charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including cocaine base, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation. The charges followed an investigation into narcotics trafficking in the Washington, D.C. area.
On March 15, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant on Harrison’s residence, FBI agents and members of the U.S. Marshals Service recovered six separate firearms, multiple rounds of ammunition, a 50-round capacity drum, a firearm silencer, and drug paraphernalia. During his plea hearing, Harrison acknowledged that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Harrison’s conviction represents his fourth felony conviction. He was convicted twice before for trafficking narcotics and once for committing an assault with a firearm. Harrison was held without bond following his March 2018 arrest. While incarcerated at the D.C. jail, Harrison stabbed a fellow inmate and was subsequently convicted of assault and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Five others have pled guilty to charges in the case. They include Darnell Catlett, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md; Brian Jenkins, 44, of Brentwood, Md.; Everette Reel, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md; Jamal Curtis, 41, of Washington, D.C.; and Derek Holmes, 54, of Washington, D.C. Catlett, Reel, Curtis, and Holmes are now serving sentences. Jenkins has not yet been sentenced. Jenkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to 40 years of imprisonment for his participation in the drug trafficking conspiracy. As the leader of the conspiracy, Catlett was sentenced on August 9, 2019 to 16 years of incarceration and 5 years of supervised release.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Special Agent in Charge Dunham commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias, Legal Assistant Emma Atlas, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and prosecuted the defendants, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar, who prosecuted Harrison’s prison assault matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Scheme to Solicit Millions of Dollars in Contributions to Scam-PacsRead the Press Release
A Maryland political consultant pleaded guilty today to wire fraud as a result of his fraudulent scheme to solicit millions of dollars in political contributions through several scam-PACs that he founded and advertised as supporting candidates for office and other political causes.
Kelley Rogers, 55, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2020, before Judge O’Grady.
“Rogers defrauded countless citizens across the country who sought to participate in the political process, and instead used the money to benefit himself and to perpetuate his fraudulent scheme,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea shows that the Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who undermine the integrity of our democratic institutions, including those who commit fraud to line their own pockets along the way.”
“Rogers preyed upon his victims political beliefs with the intent of enriching his companies, his business partners, and himself,” said U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Individuals like Rogers, who engage in sophisticated fraud schemes will be held accountable for their actions. We have a long history of investigating and prosecuting fraud cases here in the Eastern District, and we remain committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who choose to engage in fraud activity are held accountable and brought to justice.”
“Rogers swindled millions of dollars from individuals attempting to participate in our democratic process,” said Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Instead of using donations to provide assistance and support to military veterans, as he advertised, Rogers used the money to benefit himself and his associates. I commend the dedication and hard work of our FBI agents and analysts who investigated this egregious fraud against innocent U.S. citizens.”
According to admissions Rogers made in connection with his guilty plea, from August 2012 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the defendant operated multiple PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce (CSF), Conservative Majority Fund, and Tea Party Majority Fund. In that role, the defendant engaged vendors to send e-mail solicitations and make telemarketing phone calls to prospective donors seeking political contributions to his PACs. Rogers approved the text and other content of all solicitations, and determined how CSF spent the contributions individual donors gave in response to the solicitations.
During the course of his scheme, Rogers solicited contributions from the general public for his PACs based on materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. For example, in or around 2013, Rogers, working with an email vendor, represented through CSF that money contributed by donors would be used to support the campaigns of a candidate for Governor and a candidate for Attorney General of Virginia through, among other things, get-out-the-vote efforts and the hiring of attorneys to ensure the integrity of the elections. In or around 2014, Rogers represented that donations to the PAC would be spent on assistance and support for military veterans. In truth and in fact, the defendant never intended to spend, and never actually spent, any of the money raised by Rogers’ PACs on get-out-the-vote efforts or lawyers to protect the integrity of the 2013 Virginia and Attorney General elections, or on assistance and support for military veterans. Instead, the defendant spent nearly all of the money raised from donors to benefit himself, his associates, and his PACs, including by pouring the majority of donor money into the solicitation of more donations.
In addition to the misrepresentations that Rogers made to donors, Rogers and others fraudulently billed his PACs for services that were not performed, thereby misappropriating donor money that had been contributed to the PACs by individuals across the country. Rogers and his associates also made false statements to the Federal Election Commission about how they were spending PAC money.
Finally, Rogers admitted that he and several others also participated in a scheme to use conduits (“straw donors”) to make contributions to a candidate running to represent a district in the United States House of Representatives that exceeded the limits placed on individual campaign contributions under federal law.
As part of his guilty plea, Rogers agreed to pay $491,299.00 in restitution to victims of his fraud scheme, as well as a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $208,954.00.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys John Taddei and Bill Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Former PIN attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in the case.
Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On September 16, 2019, Jordan Lee Manuel, 23, of Casa Blanca, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 36 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor on the Gila River Indian Community. Manuel will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Manuel used Facebook to befriend the minor victim and pursue a romantic relationship before ultimately sexually abusing the victim. Both the victim and Manuel are members of the Gila River Indian Community.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Gila River Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Christine D. Keller, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Madras Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Meth Distribution Conspiracy, Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Tyler Wayne Fuller, 30, of Madras, Oregon, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for his role in a Central Oregon methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and for robbing a Madras bank.
According to court documents, Fuller is the son of career criminal and known drug dealer Ronald Wayne Thrasher, 49, also of Madras. By age 28, Fuller had his own extensive criminal history and had spent the majority of his adulthood incarcerated. In December 2016, after Fuller was released from federal prison, Thrasher began giving his son methamphetamine to sell. Within a month, Thrasher was supplying and Fuller was distributing quarter and half-pound quantities of methamphetamine throughout Central Oregon.
In February 2017, Fuller’s volatile relationship with his father led to a confrontation. Armed with a pistol, Fuller unsuccessfully attempted to rob his father of his methamphetamine supply. The resulting estrangement left Fuller without a supplier and illicit income. Now homeless, he continued selling drugs obtained from his father’s customers. In August 2017, Fuller robbed a U.S. Bank in Madras, collecting $517 in cash.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane ordered Fuller to pay $517 in restitution to U.S. Bank and forfeit any property or proceeds derived from his drug trafficking activities.
On April 25, 2018, Fuller pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fifty or more grams of methamphetamine and bank robbery.
Thrasher was convicted at trial in August 2019 for purchasing and transporting methamphetamine for distribution and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will be sentenced on February 4, 2020.
Fuller is the first of 11 defendants to be sentenced for their involvement in his father’s drug trafficking conspiracy. One defendant, Russell Marvin Jones, 53, of Gresham, Oregon, was convicted at trial alongside his father. Nine others pleaded guilty. All are scheduled to be sentenced in the next six months before Judge McShane.
This case was investigated by Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted Frank R. Papagni Jr. and Judi Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with the assistance of the Jefferson, Crook and Deschutes County District Attorney’s Offices.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
MEDIA ADVISORY: United States Attorney Mike Stuart to Hold Press Conference in Beckley TomorrowRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Mike Stuart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement officials, will hold a press conference in Beckley on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss indictments resulting from a long-term investigation.
Where: Robert C. Byrd Federal Building
110 North Heber Street
Beckley, WV
When: Wednesday, September 18, 2019 @ 3:00 p.m.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
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Louisville Man Who Shot at LMPD Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal CrimeRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Louisville, Kentucky, man has pleaded guilty to the federal crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.
Elijah Eubanks, age 21, was charged by a Louisville federal Grand Jury on July 24, 2018, in a single count Indictment of being a felon in possession of a Ruger .357 caliber revolver. Eubanks pleaded guilty to the Indictment yesterday in U.S. District Court.
The federal charge stemmed from a shooting involving a Louisville Metropolitan Police Officer on March 31, 2018. Eubanks fired at an officer who attempted to question him while he was in a vehicle with another person. Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney Tom Wine’s Office previously convicted Eubanks of attempted murder for this incident.
At the time of the March 31st shooting, Eubanks had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Wanton Endangerment I, and one count of Criminal Mischief I, in Jefferson Circuit Court on November 2016, as part of a pre-trial diversion agreement. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his guilty plea.
“Shoot a peace officer, shoot at a peace officer, and the United States Attorney’s Office will seek to send you to federal prison for as long as the law allows,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman.
Eubanks is scheduled for sentencing on November 1, 2019, at 10 a.m., before United States District Court Judge David J. Hale.
The maximum sentence for unlawfully possessing a firearm is no more than ten years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory and it was investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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Local Man Sent to Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking in School ZoneRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 23-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A federal jury convicted Roman Valdez following a two-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberations May 21, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos handed Valdez a 12-month sentence for the drug charges. He also received an additional 60 months for the firearms offense which must be served consecutively for a total sentence of 72 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers.
On Nov. 14, 2018, at approximately 3:00 p.m., they discovered Valdez passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light in front of Flour Bluff Elementary School as students were being released. When the officers opened the door to check on him, he became combative and began reaching around inside the vehicle. During the struggle, officers discovered a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and the center console.
Law enforcement secured the firearm but Valdez continued to reach behind the driver’s seat. He was ultimately removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.
When officers searched his vehicle, they discovered multiple bags of white powder, a black tar substance, a bag of synthetic cannabinoids, assorted prescription pills, small bags, a digital scale and a second loaded handgun in the back seat.
The controlled substances were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Laboratory. Testing confirmed the substances were cocaine, heroin and 5F-MDMB-PICA – a synthetic cannabinoid.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Valdez possessed the cocaine for personal use and the firearms were not related to any of the drugs. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. These chemical compounds can be applied to carrier mediums such as plant material and ingested using rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or otherwise taken orally. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in small, foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves (resembling potpourri) and is marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is commonly sold and known on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and by its popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush, Klimaxx and many others.
In custody since his arrest, Valdez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Corpus Christi Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Joel Dunn are prosecuting the case.
Lincoln County Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Dealing Drugs and IllegallyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Jon Michael Walsh, 46, of Neskowin, Oregon, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, in February 2018, Walsh was on post-prison supervision for a 2015 federal firearms conviction, when probation officers conducted a routine search of his vehicle outside a community center and found a stolen loaded pistol and concealed packages of methamphetamine and heroin.
During a subsequent search of Walsh’s Neskowin residence, officers found additional distribution quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. Walsh later admitted to buying and selling methamphetamine and heroin in Lincoln and surrounding coastal counties to support his own methamphetamine addiction.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane also ordered Walsh to forfeit the stolen pistol and any property derived from his drug trafficking activities.
On March 8, 2019, Walsh pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute heroin and felon in possession of a firearm. Walsh admitted to dealing methamphetamine and heroin while possessing the loaded pistol to protect himself and drug supplies.
Walsh previously served nine years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine while in possession of a firearm after being sentenced in June 1998.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Oregon State Police, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office and the Lincoln City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Frank R. Papagni, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Michelle Branam, Lincoln County District Attorney.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Last defendant in Calcasieu Parish cocaine distribution ring sentenced to more than 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Calcasieu Parish cocaine distribution ring was sentenced last week. United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced Derrick Harrison, 41, of Houston Texas, on September 9, 2019, to 151 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Harrison previously pleaded guilty on September 24, 2018.
Harrison was one of six defendants named as part of an indictment filed December 14, 2017. From January 2016 to August 2016, Harrison conspired with four co-defendants to distribute cocaine in the Calcasieu Parish area. Harrison lived in the Houston area and supplied cocaine to Vanchiese Green, who served as a middleman for Eric Beloney, Anthony Celestine and Donnie Lewis for distribution of cocaine in Calcasieu Parish.
Beloney acquired 9 pounds of cocaine on July 26, 2018, using Green as a conduit to acquire the narcotics in Houston. On his return to Lake Charles from Houston, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Beloney’s car and found 9 pounds of cocaine and 16 grams of cocaine base. Following the traffic stop, officers executed a search warrant at Beloney’s residence and recovered additional controlled substances, approximately $3,432 in cash and a Hi-Point .40-caliber handgun that had been reported stolen. Tramicke Taylor was a courier of cocaine and cash for the Vanchiese Green Drug Trafficking organization. Altogether, the group was responsible for distributing from 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine.
All six defendants have now been convicted and sentenced for their part in the conspiracy:
Co-Defendant
Date of Guilty Plea
Sentencing
Vanchiese Green, 43, of Lake Charles
July 18, 2018
October 3, 2018 - 109 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Eric Beloney, 43, of Lake Charles
August 16, 2018
November 13, 2018 - 188 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (cocaine).
Anthony Celestine, 44, of Lake Charles
September 24, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 212 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Donnie Jermaine Lewis, 42, of Houston, Texas
September 24, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 212 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Tramicke Taylor, 44, of Lake Charles
July 18, 2018
November 13, 2018 – five years of probation for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The FBI and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. McCoy and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Klamath County Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Missing Mother's Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—On Friday, September 13, 2019, Theodore Martin Kirk, 64, of Klamath County, Oregon, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for stealing more than $30,000 in Social Security benefits dispersed in the name of his elderly mother, Nadine Kirk. Ms. Kirk has been missing since March 2010 and is presumed to be deceased.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane announced his intent to sentence Kirk to 15 months in federal prison at a sentencing hearing on September 6, 2019, but held off on entering the judgement to allow Kirk one week to give the location of his mother’s remains to investigators. Kirk failed to produce this information and was formally sentenced on September 13, 2019.
According to court documents and information shared during trial, in July 2015, a concerned community member contacted the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office regarding the whereabouts of Ms. Kirk as she had not been seen for multiple years. At the time of this call, Ms. Kirk would have been 98 years old. Shortly thereafter, a sheriff deputy visited the residence shared by Ms. Kirk and her son in Bonanza, Oregon. Kirk claimed his mother had left with friends to travel to California two months prior, but would not permit the deputy to enter his property to confirm his mother was not there.
In an August 2015 interview with a detective, Kirk again told law enforcement he believed his mother was in California with friends. He added that it had been "quite some time" since his mother had seen a doctor despite having suffered from multiple strokes. Kirk claimed to be suspicious of his mother’s medications and reported previously removing her from them. Further, he acknowledged that he shared a joint checking account with his mother, into which her monthly Social Security payments were deposited.
Later in August, the Social Security Administration suspended payments to the Kirk’s joint checking account based on Ms. Kirk’s unknown whereabouts. A Social Security investigator reviewed Ms. Kirk’s bank records and found that the last transaction bearing her signature was dated January 2010. From January 2010 until August 2015, over $1,000 in benefits were deposited monthly into the joint checking account and nearly every month, Theodore Kirk would withdraw the entire amount in cash. All of the withdrawals from the account occurred in Oregon, not in California where Ms. Kirk was purported to be.
In August 2017, investigators conducted a search of the Kirk property and recovered a detailed calendar kept by Theodore Kirk. Prior to 2010, the calendar included activities for both Kirk and his mother. The calendar revealed a series of strokes experienced by Ms. Kirk beginning in 2004 and continuing into the beginning of 2010, where the calendar showed she experienced two strokes in three days. Following the multiple strokes, there were no additional calendar entries for Ms. Kirk’s activities.
During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane ordered Kirk to pay $30,868 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
On March 13, 2019, Kirk was convicted at trial by a federal jury in Medford on one count of theft of government funds.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General with the assistance of the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Adam E. Delph and Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Jackson County Man Charged with Gun & Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Victor Williams, 40, Melrose, Wisconsin has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and with four counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
Williams was charged in a sealed indictment returned on August 28, 2019, by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin. The indictment was unsealed on September 9, 2019, when Williams was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Madison. He is being detained in federal custody pending his trial, which is scheduled for February 3, 2020, before U.S. District Judge William M. Conley.
The indictment alleges that on July 2, 2019, Williams possessed a 9mm firearm and ammunition, and that he possessed cocaine, heroin, and marijuana with the intent to distribute. He is charged with two counts of possessing heroin with intent to distribute. In the second heroin count, the indictment alleges that he possessed heroin in a residence in Melrose.
If convicted, Williams faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the gun charge, and 20 years on each of the drug charges. The charges against Williams are the result of an investigation by the Tomah Police Department, West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Jackson and Monroe County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Irondequoit Man Arrested, Charged with Cyberstalking; Investigators Asking for Assistance from the PublicRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Theodore Loria, 53, of Irondequoit, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with cyberstalking. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Buffalo FBI Cyber Task Force was notified in June 2018 of a possible cyber stalking campaign being executed by the defendant.
Subsequent investigation determined that the Victim in the case met Loria in May 2015 at her place of employment. Shortly after that meeting, the defendant expressed an interest in dating, which was not reciprocated by the Victim. In September 2015, Loria contacted the Victim and told her that her life was in danger and they needed to talk. During a conversation, the defendant told the Victim that he had overheard her ex-boyfriend in a restaurant say that the Victim was better off dead and that the ex-boyfriend was going to kill her. Loria then offered to keep an eye on the ex-boyfriend and the Victim to ensure her safety.
On October 31, 2015, the defendant told the Victim that he had seen a mysterious car circling her property and that he chased it away. Loria also said that Halloween is an easy night to commit murder because it was the one night when wearing a mask was not questioned. The defendant told the Victim he would stay on her driveway through the night to ensure her safety.
Loria and the Victim became romantically involved for approximately three months from late spring to early summer of 2016. During that time, the defendant became protective of the Victim, jealous of any male clients or employees, and routinely monitored her Facebook page, commenting to her about online conversations she had with males on the Facebook page.
In the summer of 2016, the Victim began to distance herself from Loria. In June 2016, the defendant asked to meet the Victim at a local coffee shop, during which he gave her a diamond ring so that people would know the Victim was spoken for. The Victim refused to take the ring. Loria stated “take the (expletive) ring” and “put the (expletive) ring on your (expletive) finger.” The Victim kept the ring and left the coffee shop. The defendant followed the Victim to another location where he apologized. The two did not speak for several months after. Months later the Victim saw Loria in her driveway. He told her, “give me my (expletive) ring back,” which the Victim did.
In the months to follow, the Victim received threatening phone calls and text messages from the defendant. One text read, “Your DEAD cop calling (expletive) [address of Victim].” And during one phone call, Loria stated he would burn down her place of business. The defendant also told the Victim that he had connections to the mafia and to cold-blooded killers who owed him favors, and who would take care of people who crossed him.
In February 2017, Loria confronted the Victim and her ex-boyfriend at a restaurant. The defendant approached the ex-boyfriend and told him that he would beat him every day for the rest of his life and that if he went to jail that he would beat him again after he got out. Following this incident, the Victim began receiving escalating threats via phone call, text message, or in person at her place of business. Loria stated that the Victim had crossed him and he had no choice but to teach her a lesson.
In a series of text messages, emails, and phone calls, the defendant also accused the Victim of plotting with Charlie Tan to murder him. In 2015, Charlie Tan was accused of murdering his father, but a state court jury failed to reach a verdict. However, in November 2018, Tan was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison on federal gun charges. The Victim confirmed to investigators that she allowed Tan to volunteer at her place of business during his legal proceedings.
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and was detained. Loria is schedule to be back in court on September 18, 2019, at 11:00 a.m.
Members of the public who have information related to this case are asked to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 585-546-2220.The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary.
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.
# # # #Illegal Alien and Convicted Bank Robber Sentenced for Fourth Illegal Reentry into United StatesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mario Calderon-Medina, 55, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release by United States District Judge Juan R. Sanchez for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported previously. The defendant was found by the judge to fall within Criminal History Category II based on his previous offenses.
Calderon-Medina reentered the United States illegally after having been deported to his native Mexico four times, the most recent occurrence being in 2003. During his most recent illegal return to this country, he committed a bank robbery in Montgomery County, PA, for which he was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years in state prison.
“The defendant has demonstrated a complete lack of respect for our country’s laws and has also now clearly shown that he represents a danger to the community if he should return again,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “The need to enforce immigration law is underscored in this case when an alien not only reenters the country unlawfully, but commits a serious crime upon his reentry.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Wolfe and Thomas Perricone.
Illegal Alien Involved in Deadly Interstate 70 Crash Sentenced to 42 MonthsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced that a Guatemalan man who was involved in a February 2018 crash that killed Indianapolis Colts player Edwin Jackson and rideshare driver Jeffrey Monroe was convicted and sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. Manuel Orrego-Zavala, 38, was sentenced following a guilty plea to 42 months in federal prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson at the federal courthouse in Indianapolis.
"Mr. Orrego-Zavala re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men on February 4, 2018," said Minkler. "This prosecution represents our office’s commitment to charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present." According to court records, Orrego-Zavala was convicted of two drug felonies in California prior to his removal from the United States the first time in 2007. Orrego-Zavala was found in the United States again in May 2009 and subsequently removed a second time.
On February 4, 2018, Orrego-Zavala was back in the United States illegally and driving a pickup truck westbound on Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Orrego-Zavala swerved and struck Monroe and his rideshare passenger, Jackson, who were standing alongside the highway after Jackson had become ill and Monroe pulled over. The impact killed Monroe and Jackson. Orrego-Zavala, who had a blood alcohol content of twice the legal limit, was later convicted in state court and sentenced to 16 years for causing death when operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
At the sentencing hearing, Assistant United States Attorney William L. McCoskey told the Court that a consecutive federal sentence would be appropriate because it would "send a strong message to the defendant and others similarly situated that we are a nation of laws, and that there are real consequences that come from violating those laws."
Chief Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Orrego-Zavala’s sentence of 42 months must be served consecutively to the state sentence of 16 years.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Department of Homeland Security.
"This individual’s criminal and immigration histories clearly demonstrate a total disregard for U.S. law," said Special Agent in Charge James M. Gibbons. "Let this sentence serve as a reminder that Homeland Security Investigations prioritizes the prosecution of those who are intent on disrespecting our laws and putting the community at risk."
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilize and partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute illegal immigration cases. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 1.8
Illegal Alien Indicted for Re-Entering the United States After Having Been Previously DeportedRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 17, 2019 – A federal indictment unsealed today, charged Jose Fernando Andrade-Sanchez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, with unlawful re-entry into the United States, after having been previously removed, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and John Condon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Field Office.
Andrade-Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 11, 2019, after encountering U.S. Immigration & Enforcement agents in Nashville on September 5, 2019, and eluding apprehension. Andrade-Sanchez was arrested by ICE agents in Nashville earlier today.
According to documents filed with the court, Andrade-Sanchez was found and removed from the United States on four prior occasions, most recently on October 13, 2013. While in the U.S. illegally and living in Nashville, Andrade-Sanchez was charged under the alias of Eduardo Negrete, with domestic assault and aggravated child abuse after striking a three-year old child in the face, while assaulting his then girlfriend and the child’s mother. Both required transport to a local hospital where the girlfriend was treated for facial injuries and the child was evaluated for a possible broken nose. Andrade-Sanchez later pleaded guilty to domestic assault and the child abuse charge was retired.
Following his removal to Mexico on July 16, 2009, Andrade-Sanchez illegally returned to the U.S. and on April 21, 2013, he was charged with criminal impersonation after falsely identifying himself to a Metro Nashville Police officer as Erik Valazquez. He pleaded guilty to that charge in May 2013.
On September 5, 2019, two ICE Enforcement & Removal agents located Andrade-Sanchez in a parking lot in Antioch, Tennessee. While speaking to Andrade-Sanchez, he refused to exit his truck and drove forward instead. One of the agents fired his weapon twice and one shot struck Andrade-Sanchez. Andrade-Sanchez then fled the area.
Andrade-Sanchez will make an initial appearance tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Hannafan is prosecuting this case.
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Huntsville Man Convicted of Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Monday, September 16, 2019, Robert Williams, Jr., a 56-year-old resident of Huntsville, Alabama, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, and illegal possession of oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. A federal jury convicted Williams on all three counts in his indictment.
Evidence presented at trial showed that during the early morning hours of September 27, 2015, the Dothan Police Department observed Williams speeding on his motorcycle and performed a traffic stop. While approaching the vehicle, the officer saw Williams pass a pack of cigarettes to his female passenger, who was riding on the back seat. Upon inspection, the officer discovered that the pack contained a small amount of cocaine and two oxycodone pills. The officer also discovered that Williams had a handgun in his waistband. Williams has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
William’s sentencing hearing will take place in the next few months and he faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
The Dothan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Davidson and Josh Wendell prosecuted this case.
Honduran Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – September 17, 2019 – Franklin Pineda-Caceres, 18, of Honduras, was charged yesterday with illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to charging documents, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) first encountered Pineda-Caceres in October 2017, during the execution of an arrest warrant on another individual at a Nashville residence. Pineda-Caceres was taken into custody at that time by the MNPD and charged with drug crimes. HSI agents determined that Pineda-Caceres unlawfully entered the United States in 2014 and a final order of removal was issued in June 2016.
In February 2018, Pineda-Caceres was transferred to the custody of HSI and on May 3, 2018, he was placed on a plane and deported from the United States.
In July, HSI and MNPD learned that Pineda-Caceres had returned to the United States and attempted to arrest him at a residence in Nashville on an outstanding warrant for aggravated kidnapping. Pineda-Caceres was able to evade arrest but officers found cocaine, marijuana and digital scales inside the car he abandoned.
On September 15, Pineda-Caceres was involved in an automobile accident in Nashville and MNPD officers recovered a substantial amount of cocaine from his vehicle. Pineda Caceres was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital where MNPD officers subsequently identified him and arrested him on the outstanding kidnapping warrant.
If convicted, Pineda-Caceres faces up to 2 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah.
The charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Heroin and Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin.
“Alexander dumped a significant amount of opioids into our community,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is a just sentence for Alexander, a defendant with a significant criminal history that includes over 30 previous convictions.”
According to court documents, Barry Jamel Alexander, 33, sold heroin mixed with fentanyl to an undercover police officer at a Norfolk 7-Eleven. He used his cousin as a middle man in an attempt to protect himself from criminal exposure, but the store security cameras caught him handing the drugs to his cousin and, soon after, receiving the drug money.
“Alexander’s distribution of heroin and fentanyl in our Virginia communities carried grave consequences, causing drug overdoses, and potentially ripping away the future of loved ones and leaving families devastated,” said Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division. “The investigation and prosecution of these drug-related crimes that so gravely affect our communities continues to be a top priority for the DEA Washington Division, and we remain steadfast in our pursuit of those who spread this poison across our cities.”
Earlier that month, Alexander sold heroin mixed with fentanyl to a customer who overdosed on the substance and had to be revived with Narcan. At the time Alexander sold the heroin to the undercover officer, he knew that a customer had previously overdosed on his product. Agents later interviewed some of Alexander’s customers, who reported that over an approximately five-year period they had purchased more than two kilograms of heroin from Alexander.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and John F. Butler prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-5.
Hawaii Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Aaron A. Hood, 42, of Honolulu, Hawaii pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of possession of child pornography. This guilty plea occurred on the second day of Hood’s jury trial involving a separate charge of production of child pornography. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the parties agreed to a recommended sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and a 25-year term of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2020 before U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi.
According to U.S Attorney Kenji M. Price, the government alleged during trial that Hood met the 14-year-old minor female victim on January 23, 2016, outside the store where he worked in Waikiki. The minor had run away from home. Over a four-day period, Hood provided the minor with cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol, and had her stay in an apartment that he had access to, which was located behind the store where he worked. During that time, Hood engaged in sexual activity with the minor and took photos and videos of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Honolulu Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Nammar and Rebecca Perlmutter.
Notably, this is the second child pornography trial handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Hawaii within the past month. On August 27, 2019, a federal jury in Honolulu, Hawaii found defendant Grant Manaku, 34, of Kauai, Hawaii guilty of one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Price.
Haverhill Nurse Pleads Guilty to Drug TamperingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill licensed practical nurse pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug tampering.
Lauren Perrin, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance morphine, which is used for pain relief. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2019. Perrin was charged in an Information in March 2019.
While working as a licensed practical nurse at Maplewood Care and Rehabilitation Center in Amesbury, Perrin tampered with three bottles of morphine sulfate prescribed to a hospice patient. In an attempt to avoid detection, she replaced the extracted medication with another liquid. Perrin’s tampering lowered the potency of the three bottles of morphine sulfate to only 4-29% of the intended potency.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 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.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of Lelling’s Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Hamden Deli Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAYMOND GEORGE, 53, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to nine months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for tax evasion. Judge Underhill also ordered George to pay a $5,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, George owns and operates a Ray & Mike’s, LLC, a delicatessen located at 3030 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. For the 2012 and 2013 tax years, George evaded payment of his federal income taxes in multiple ways. First, George failed to deposit all of the cash receipts of the business into his business bank account. He used a portion of the cash to fill an in-store ATM and failed to report the cash as income.
In addition, George used the Ray & Mike business account to pay personal expenses. He also deposited three large checks totaling nearly $300,000 from the Ray & Mike’s business account into his personal investment account, without reporting the funds as income in any capacity, and then withdrew funds from the investment account to purchase personal investment properties. He also deposited a $25,800 check from the Ray & Mike’s lottery account into his personal investment account without reporting the funds as income.
On his federal tax returns, George underreported his income by approximately $365,065 for the 2012 tax year and by $273,108 for the 2013 tax year, and failed to pay a total of approximately $220,000 in taxes for those two years.
George has paid the IRS approximately $480,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
On May 17, 2019, George pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
George, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 17, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry with the assistance of Law Student Intern Virginia Manoyan.
Georgia Supplier Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Anthony Donta Jones (39, Atlanta) to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Jones was found guilty on April 10, 2019.
According to court documents, on May 23, 2018, Jones traveled to Jacksonville, Florida from Atlanta, Georgia, after agreeing to deliver 15 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Jones arrived in Jacksonville where he was detained. A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office canine performed a narcotics “sniff” of Jones’ vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics near the vehicle’s trunk. Agents then searched the vehicle and located six gallon-sized plastic bags containing methamphetamine that was concealed in comforter bags. Agents also located a stolen, loaded Ruger .38 caliber revolver in the driver’s side door and seized a total of $2,611 in U.S. currency.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Gary Woman Ordered to Pay $195,602.09 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Felicia Blount, 44, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon following her plea of guilty to health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Blount was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay 195,602.09 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Felicia Blount owned and operated Lending Hand Transportation, a company that provided transportation for medical appointments and services. Blount and co-defendant Charlotte Hunter, a company secretary, defrauded Indiana Medicaid by submitting claims for multiple trips to Indianapolis without corresponding medical claims. The investigation revealed that the defendants submitted bills for trips not taken, inflated mileage, billed multiple-passenger trips as individual single-passenger trips, and altered travel documentation. The fraudulent claims submitted to Indiana Medicaid equaled $443,917 and Indiana taxpayers paid Blount and Hunter $195,602.09 for those false claims. Earlier this year, Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and was sentenced to two years supervised release and ordered to pay $195,602.09 in restitution.
“Defrauding the healthcare system steals from hard working tax payers while compromising the integrity of the system,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. “We will continue to work with the Indiana Attorney General and all other federal, state and local agencies to aggressively prosecute these cases.”
“Indiana Medicaid serves more than one million Hoosiers across the state,” Attorney General Curtis Hill said. “Many of these individuals are children, the disabled, and the less fortunate among us. To commit Medicaid fraud is to take advantage of our most vulnerable while also defrauding hardworking Hoosier taxpayers. Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works diligently to pursue those who abuse the system and commit fraud against the state so that they may be brought to justice.”
This case was referred by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and investigated by the Indiana Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General. This case was handled by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Berkowitz.
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Fresno Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison After Pulling Out a Gun While Fleeing from Police During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Bert Harris, 38, of Fresno, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 10 years and three months in prison for using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 6, 2017, law enforcement officers saw Harris conducting what appeared to be hand-to-hand drug deals outside an apartment complex in Fresno. When the officers tried to arrest Harris, he fled on a bicycle. Officers chased Harris as he rode away, and eventually Harris turned into a parking lot outside an apartment complex and jumped off his bike. He started running away as an officer gave chase. While Harris was running, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a gun. The officer shot Harris though his hip and Harris dropped the gun on the ground. Harris ran a short distance farther and fell to the ground.
Officers searched Harris and found methamphetamine in his pocket and marijuana in the backpack he was carrying. Harris admitted that he had been selling the methamphetamine and that he had the gun for protection.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Melanie Alsworth prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Freight Transportation Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Antitrust ChargeRead the Press Release
Dip Shipping Company LLC, a Louisiana-based freight forwarder, has agreed to plead guilty to an antitrust charge for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of freight forwarding services sold to customers in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today. Under the terms of its plea agreement, Dip Shipping agreed to pay a $488,250 criminal fine.
According to a one-count felony charge filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami, Dip Shipping conspired with other providers of freight forwarding services to fix, raise and maintain prices charged to customers from September 2010 until at least March 2015. According to court documents, Dip Shipping and its co-conspirators met in the United States and elsewhere to discuss and agree to fix prices. Freight forwarders arrange for and manage the shipment of goods, including receiving, packaging and otherwise preparing cargo destined for international ocean shipment. Dip Shipping is the first company to be charged and to agree to plead guilty in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation in the freight forwarding industry. The plea agreement is subject to court approval.
As a result of this ongoing federal investigation, Dip Shipping executives Roberto Dip and Jason Handal earlier had pleaded guilty to price fixing. Dip and Handal were sentenced in June 2019 to 18-month and 15-month terms of imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy.
“Dip Shipping and its executives and co-conspirators sought to profit by cheating some of the most vulnerable American consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Sherman Act provides for prosecution of both individuals and the companies on whose behalf they act. Today’s charge is further proof that crime does not pay and that we will prosecute those who conspire to violate the antitrust laws to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The FBI remains committed to upholding the Constitution and protecting the American people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Riedlinger of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Throughout this investigation the men and women of the FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, were focused on holding accountable those who illegally profited from U.S. consumers. Let today’s plea serve as a stern warning to all companies seeking to defraud the American people, that price fixing will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
A criminal violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act carries a maximum fine of $100 million for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The ongoing investigation into price fixing in the international freight forwarding industry is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section and the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section at 202-307-6694, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
Former President of Radnor Township Board of Commissioners Sentenced for Trafficking in Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that defendant Philip Ahr, 68, of Radnor, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 151 months’ incarceration and 10 years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson after pleading guilty to three counts of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. His sentence requires him to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
The defendant, who created online aliases like “DaddyX” and “DaddyXX” to commit these crimes, was originally arrested by the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, and then later by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of an online investigation into the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children.
For more than four years, the defendant communicated online with hundreds of other child offenders, distributing horrific images of children being sexually abused and collecting an extensive supply of the unlawful videos and images. He did so at all times of the day and night and from various locations and devices, including at his home, his place of employment, and using his government-issued iPad which he had received as President of the Board of Commissioners in Radnor Township. During the same time that he was committing these offenses, Ahr also involved himself in numerous community service activities that were geared toward and gave him access to children of the same age that he sexually exploited as part of his crimes.
“The defendant’s days of exploiting his position of trust in our community for his perverse gratification are over,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Child sexual exploitation is appallingly pervasive, exacerbated by the easy availability of online file sharing, and it demands an aggressive response. We stand ready with our federal partners to identify and prosecute individuals that perpetuate this abuse.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Former Detroit Police Officer Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
A former Detroit Police Office was convicted today by a federal jury in Detroit on the charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Joining Schneider in the announcement were Acting Special Agent in Charge Rainer S. Drolshagen of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
The four-day trial was conducted before U.S. District Judge Sean Cox. The jury deliberated approximately one day before convicting Christopher Staton, 52.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Staton, a former officer with the Detroit Police Department, was part of a drug trafficking organization and conspired with Meltwaine Dukes and Sedrick Jackson, both known drug dealers, to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl. Staton used his position as a police officer to assist the drug trafficking organization by running license plates and providing other sensitive law enforcement information. For instance, after a law enforcement officer stopped one of the organization’s drug couriers who was trying to deliver almost one kilogram of fentanyl, Staton provided advice to Dukes about how to handle the situation, and also agreed to find out if the courier was actually arrested. On another occasion, Staton, at the request of Dukes, conducted a staged traffic stop of Jackson, who was transporting drugs or drug proceeds, in order to fool their drug supplier to think that police had taken the drugs / money. Staton was in a police vehicle and armed with a firearm at the time of the stop. Staton was paid $20,000 in cash for performing the staged traffic stop and fake arrest. In addition to using his position as a police officer to assist Dukes and Jackson in running the drug business, Staton was also a drug customer—purchasing drugs from Dukes for re-sale.
“Although the vast majority of police officers in Michigan are fully dedicated to protecting the public, sometimes there is an infrequent example of an officer driven by corruption and greed,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “Here, instead of protecting and serving the public, Staton acted at the behest of the drug dealers peddling fentanyl. Nonetheless, former Officer Staton’s actions, while egregious, do not overshadow the outstanding work of so many other great police officers.”
“Christopher Staton turned his back on his oath to serve and protect the citizens of Detroit. He used his position to make it easier for drug traffickers to push controlled substances into our community and now faces justice for his greed,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Martin. “I applaud our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Michigan for their efforts in this investigation.”
“This former officer took illegal advantage of his law enforcement position,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Drolshagen said. “His conviction is a reminder that the laws apply evenly to every Michigan resident, including those who carry badges to uphold them. I extend thanks to our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Detroit Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs for their collaboration in removing this individual from his position of authority.”
The case was investigated by the by the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, in collaboration with the Detroit Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Cares and Mitra Jafary-Hariri.
Eastern Panhandle man indicted on heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl distribution chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Karl Justin Dunn, III, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was indicted today on multiple drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Dunn, age 32, was indicted one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base,” one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl,” six counts of “Distribution of Heroin,” two counts of “Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.” Dunn is accused of distributing cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl from May 2018 to February 2019 in Berkeley County.
Dunn faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty in Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Mark Conover (619) 546-6763 and David P. Finn (619) 546-7342
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 17, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Uriah Odish pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of 25-year-old Tiffany Hansen of La Mesa on January 23, 2018.
According to his plea agreement, Odish sold more than 500 grams of what he knew to be fentanyl between 2017 and the day of the fatal overdose. He pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Crawford to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.
“Every time we have an overdose death, we are going to come looking for the dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are using every available criminal and civil tool to combat this deadly epidemic and stop these tragic losses.”
“We work every day to save lives and we grieve when we lose a precious soul to drugs,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “We will continue to pursue anyone who deals death. Is that you? If so, we are coming and your time will soon be spent behind bars. We are relentless.”
The United States Attorney’s Office is working closely with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and our other federal, state and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cases targeting those who supply drugs in fatal overdose cases.
U.S. Attorney Brewer praised prosecutors Mark Conover and David Finn as well as DEA agents and La Mesa police for their hard work on the case.
For those who suffer from addiction, please know there is help. Call the Crisis line at 888-724-7240; it’s always open.
DEFENDANT Case Number 18-CR-1812-BTM
Uriah Odish Age: 28
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison up to life
AGENCY
La Mesa Police Department
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Narcotics Task Force
Dominican National Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Salem was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for Social Security fraud.
Romulo Alvarez Reyes, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 12 months and one day in prison. Alvarez Reyes will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. Alvarez Reyes previously pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number. He was arrested and charged as part of a 2018 federal law enforcement sweep of 25 individuals accused of document and benefit fraud.
Dubbed “Double Trouble,” the July 2018 investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), comprised of local, state and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
On Nov. 19, 2014, Alvarez Reyes, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, applied for a Massachusetts identification card using the name and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican citizen. He presented a Puerto Rican birth certificate and a Social Security card in the other person’s name to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles as proof of his identity. Based on the application and supporting identity documents, Alvarez Reyes was issued an identification card in the name of the Puerto Rican citizen.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Doctor and Physician Practice to Pay $178,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Arising from Billing of “P-Stim” DevicesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Richard P. Frey, D.O., and Physicians Alliance Ltd. (“PAL”) have agreed to pay $178,398.35 to resolve liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged improper billing of “P-Stim” devices.
From May 2013 through June 2014, Frey and PAL billed Medicare for the implantation of neurostimulator electrodes, a surgical procedure typically necessitating an operating room for which Medicare reimburses thousands of dollars. Frey did not conduct surgery, however. Instead, he applied a “P-Stim” device in an office setting without surgery or anesthesia.
P-Stim is an electric acupuncture device that, pursuant to manufacturer’s instructions, is affixed behind a patient’s ear using an adhesive. Needles are inserted into the patient’s ear and affixed using another adhesive. Once activated, the device then provides intermittent stimulation by electrical pulses. It is a single-use, battery-powered device designed to be worn for approximately four days until its battery runs out, at which time the device is thrown away. Medicare does not reimburse for acupuncture or for acupuncture devices such as P-Stim, nor does Medicare reimburse for P-Stim as a neurostimulator or as implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. Other brand names for this device include Stivax, NeuroStim, ANSiStim, E-Pulse, and NSS-2 Bridge.
“P-Stim is an acupuncture device that was billed here as a surgically implanted neurostimulator,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “Medicare does not reimburse a dime for acupuncture devices, but it paid these defendants thousands of dollars because of their alleged improper billing. We appreciate Dr. Frey and PAL’s willingness to promptly negotiate a resolution in this matter, and we will continue working closely with our partners at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to hold accountable any other providers who inappropriately billed for this device and any distributors or marketers who carried out such a billing scheme.”
“Every dollar saved is critical to the sustainability of our Medicare program and the needs of our beneficiaries,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. “We thank our partners at the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for working hard with us to identify, investigate, and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in our federal healthcare programs.”
“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries is required of all health care providers,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG, CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to evaluate and pursue inaccurate billings of P-Stim and similar devices.”
The settled civil claims are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew E. K. Howatt, Civil Chief Gregory B. David, and Auditor Dawn Wiggins.
Doctor Charged in Manhattan Federal Court for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an indictment charging RUVIM KRUPKIN, a New York state-licensed doctor, with writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone over at least an 11-year period. KRUPKIN is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang later today. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Analisa Torres.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, for more than a decade, as the nationwide opioid crisis mushroomed and left death and destruction in its wake, Ruvim Krupkin wrote thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone. He allegedly charged $200 per prescription. Now he will learn the true cost of his alleged crime.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney said: “While society continues to grapple with a solution to end the plague of drug addiction throughout this country, Ruvim Krupkin, as alleged, was complicit in prescribing medically unnecessary doses of oxycodone pills to patients under his care. Those with access to a now-virtual prescription pad carry a heavy responsibility to uphold the ethics of their profession. Those who don’t will be held accountable.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “As alleged, the doctor who’s charged in this case not only broke the law, he betrayed his oath and his ethical obligations for millions in personal profit – and he did this at a time when the nation and our city was in the throes of an opioid epidemic. I want to thank the investigators who worked to bring federal charges in this case. Whether you purport to be a medical professional or you’re a street-level drug dealer, the NYPD and its law enforcement partners will find you and hold you accountable.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in federal court:[1]
From in or about 2006 up to and including July 2017, RUVIM KRUPKIN wrote prescriptions resulting in the unlawful distribution of more than four million oxycodone pills to individuals he knew had no legitimate medical need for this medication. In exchange for writing these medically unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions, KRUPKIN received over $3.8 million in cash payments.
During the time period charged in the Indictment, KRUPKIN was an internal medicine doctor with specialties in oncology and hematology. KRUPKIN practiced out of a medical office located in Coney Island, New York. As a hematologist, KRUPKIN treated patients who had, or claimed to have, sickle cell anemia – a medical condition that can cause pain for which oxycodone, in conjunction with other treatments – may be legitimately prescribed. However, KRUPKIN wrote thousands of prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone to patients, knowing that they in fact had no legitimate medical need for the prescriptions. KRUPKIN generally performed little to no physical examination on these patients; indeed, the medical notes for each patient were largely the same from one visit to the next. KRUPKIN charged each patient $200 in cash for each visit, payable directly to him.
Notwithstanding having performed little to no physical examination of the patients, KRUPKIN typically issued them prescriptions for a large dose of oxycodone – typically 180 80-milligram pills, until approximately 2010, when the formula for oxycodone changed, reducing the street value of the 80-milligram pills. At that time, KRUPKIN began prescribing 180 or 240 30-milligram pills. KRUPKIN’s patients filled their prescriptions at pharmacies throughout New York, and in certain cases, sold the oxycodone pills they received to drug dealers, who in turn re-sold the pills at high value on the street. KRUPKIN knew that certain of his patients were diverting the oxycodone pills he was prescribing, but he nonetheless continued writing prescriptions of oxycodone for such individuals.
* * *
KRUPKIN, 68, of Summit, New Jersey, is charged with one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-NYPD Health Care Fraud Task Force. Mr. Berman also thanked the New York City Human Resources Administration for its work on the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara M. La Morte and Alexandra Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Murder Near Playground in Columbia HeightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deontae Britton, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced on Friday to 22 years in prison for the murder of Dawud Debruhl near a playground and parking lot in Columbia Heights, Washington. U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) made the announcement today.
Britton pled guilty on July 9, 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of murder. He was sentenced on September 13, 2019, by the Honorable Craig Iscoe.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 28, 2019, Dawud Debruhl was hanging out with friends in the parking lot of the Columbia Heights Village Apartment Complex located in the area of the 2900 block of 13th Street in NW Washington. Britton approached Mr.Debruhl from behind while he was engaged in conversation and shot him in the back. Britton then fled on foot.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, the Third Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Evidence Technicians. U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity and Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal for investigating and prosecuting the case.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Tyrone Mayes, 28, of Columbia, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Mayes, a convicted felon, possessed a loaded 9mm handgun, along with ammunition, while fishing on the Santee River in Calhoun County. On October 15, 2017, an officer with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approached the boat where Mayes was fishing to conduct a safety inspection. While conducting the inspection, the Officer asked to see the contents of a drawstring bag that Mayes was holding to check for fish. Mayes did not allow the officer to inspect the bag, but instead jumped into the water with the bag in hand and dropped the bag in the river. Later, DNR assembled a dive team, along with other officers, to search for the bag in the river. The dive team recovered the bag after approximately 2 ½ hours, finding a loaded 9mm handgun, along with ammunition, digital scales, and a cell phone. The gun had been previously reported as stolen from a vehicle. Mayes, a felon, admitted to possessing the gun and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits Mayes from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his felony status. His prior state felony convictions include: 2nd degree burglary (2006), grand larceny (2010), and 2 counts of attempted murder (2013).
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Mayes to 48 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 2-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Carolina DNR. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Warren of the Columbia office and Executive Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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Columbia Man Pleads to Federal Charges of Conspiracy to Sex Traffic Minors and Benefiting from Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Donnell Salethian Woodard, a/k/a “Tank,” age 31, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to sex traffic minors and benefiting from sex trafficking of minors.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on November 21, 2017, undercover officers with the Lexington Police Department encountered a minor advertising sex via a website. An undercover officer set up a time to meet with the minor at a local motel, wherein officers observed the minor being dropped off by Woodard and India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler, a/k/a “Lady Tank,” age 24. Officers placed both Woodard and Cuyler under arrest. The investigation led to another nearby motel where a second minor, who was also involved in the illegal venture, was located. The investigation revealed Woodard and Cuyler were using a cell phone to post advertisements for commercial sex with the minors on a website and taking a portion of the proceeds. Woodard and Cuyler were both charged federally.
Woodard faces of mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, a trafficking fund special assessment of $5,000, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and at least 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Cuyler previously pleaded guilty in federal court to using a facility of interstate commerce (a cell phone) to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity and is awaiting sentencing. Cuyler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, a trafficking fund special assessment of $5,000, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and at least 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence both Woodard and Cuyler after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Lexington Police Department, and the West Columbia Police Department. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Colombian Brothers Sentenced to Federal Prison for International Drug SmugglingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez-Covington has sentenced Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez (44, Colombia) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. On June 12, 2019, his brother, and co-defendant, Juan Carlos Caceres-Lopez (50, Colombia) was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his involvement in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, since at least 2013, Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez, with the assistance of his brother, planned, organized, and coordinated the smuggling of almost four tons of cocaine into the United States from the Guajira region of Colombia and Venezuela, through the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean Sea. Alfredo Milan Caceres-Lopez dispatched seven cocaine smuggling ventures, three of which were interdicted by the United States Coast Guard.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Running ‘Birth Tourism’ Scheme that Helped Aliens Give Birth in U.S. to Secure Birthright CitizenshipRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Chinese national pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for running an Orange County-based “birth tourism” business that catered to wealthy pregnant clients and Chinese government officials, charging them tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States so their children would get U.S. citizenship.
Dongyuan Li (李冬媛), 41, of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and one count of visa fraud. Li was one of 19 defendants named in a series of indictments unsealed earlier this year. She is the first of the charged operators of birth tourism businesses to plead guilty. The remaining defendants either are pending trial or are fugitives.
Li admitted in her plea agreement that, from 2013 until March 2015, she operated a birth tourism company in Irvine and in China called You Win USA Vacation Services Corp. You Win would assist pregnant foreign nationals – typically from China – to travel to and remain in the United States to give birth so their children would receive birthright U.S. citizenship, according to the plea agreement.
According to a January 2019 federal grand jury indictment against Li, You Win advertised that it had served more than 500 Chinese birth tourism customers seeking U.S. birthright citizenship for their children. The indictment details that Li used 20 apartments in Irvine, charged each customer between $40,000 and $80,000, and she received $3 million in international wire transfers from China in two years.
Some You Win customers coached by the company made false statements on their visa applications and to U.S. immigration officials, Li’s plea agreement states. Li also admitted that the customers were advised on how to pass the U.S. Consulate interview in China, including by falsely stating that they were going to stay in the United States for only two weeks, when in reality, they planned to stay for up to three months to give birth.
Li further admitted that her customers bypassed U.S. immigration controls by booking two flights – the first from China to Hawaii and the second from Hawaii to Los Angeles International Airport – because they thought it would be easier to clear U.S. Customs through Hawaii. Li’s customers also were coached how to trick U.S. Customs at ports of entry by concealing their pregnancies, according to the plea agreement.
In October 2013, Li made a $30,965 rent payment for Irvine apartments used in her birth tourism operation, and in November 2013, she made a $30,321 rent payment for those apartments, the plea agreement states.
As part of her plea agreement, Li agreed to forfeit more than $850,000, a Murrieta residence worth more than $500,000, as well as several Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a December 16 sentencing hearing, at which time Li will face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Irvine Police Department provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Centralia Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today
that on September 12, 2019, David Herron, 48, of Centralia, Illinois, pleaded guilty to an
indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine and heroin,
possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a
felon. The conspiracy took place from March 2018 to April 2019.Court documents revealed that an FBI Task Force investigated Herron’s narcotics trafficking
activities in the Centralia area for several months leading up to his arrest in April 2019. During
that time, Herron was out on bond in two separate pending drug-related cases in Marion County.
Herron was distributing methamphetamine and heroin from 2 locations in Centralia: a residence and a
mobile home.At the time of his arrest, Herron was in possession of methamphetamine and heroin packaged for sale
as he left his residence on Hardin Street in Centralia. A search of his residence revealed over 200
grams of 98% pure methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Herron is prohibited
from possessing a firearm or ammunition.The conspiracy and drug charges each carry a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment and not less
than 5 years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years’
imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release. Federal inmates typically serve 85% of their prison
term. Supervised release follows completion of imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for December
19, 2019 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Herron has been detained in the federal
system since his April arrest.The FBI’s Task Force continues its investigation into narcotics trafficking and related activities
in the Marion-Clinton-Washington County areas. Law enforcement agencies participating in the FBI
Task Force include the Centralia Police Department, the Carlyle Police Department, and the Marion,
Clinton, and Washington County Sheriffs’ Offices. This case is being
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.
Bronx Man Arrested for Gunpoint Robbery of Manhattan Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced that PEDRO DAVILA has been arrested for his participation in an armed robbery of a jewelry store in New York, New York, on Sunday, August 25, 2019. DAVILA was apprehended Sunday night in Pasco County, Florida, by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and will be presented today before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson in Tampa federal court. The criminal Complaint, unsealed today, also names JAYSEAN SUTTON as a defendant. SUTTON remains at large.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the Complaint, Pedro Davila participated in a brazen daytime robbery, in which victims were held at gunpoint and tied up. This criminal conduct is intolerable, and thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, the defendant faces significant federal charges for his alleged crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “In the day and age of technology and cameras, you would think robbers trying to pull off a cinematic heist would think twice. But these men allegedly took over a jewelry store in Midtown, tied up the employees and robbed it without believing they would get caught. Their mistakes should be a warning to everyone wanting to be a copycat, you will get caught and pay the price for breaking the law.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated: “In working to reduce crime past already record-lows in New York City, the NYPD is relentless in our pursuit of the relatively small percentage of the population driving the violence and disorder. I commend the NYPD investigators involved in this investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their efforts and making these arrests. The NYPD will continue, along with our law enforcement partners, to vigorously pursue and hold responsible individuals responsible for violent criminal activity.”
As alleged in the criminal Complaint:[1]
On August 25, 2019, DAVILA, SUTTON, and a third co-conspirator committed a brazen gunpoint robbery of a jewelry store in Midtown Manhattan in broad daylight. Surveillance video from the time of the robbery shows the robbers, two of whom were carrying guns, tying up several employees in a back room and throwing multiple pieces of expensive jewelry into bags before fleeing the store.
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DAVILA, 27, of the Bronx, and SUTTON, 39, of Brooklyn, are each charged with one count of robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of brandishing of a firearm, which carries 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 a judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the NYPD’s Major Case Squad and the Joint Bank Robbery Task Force of the FBI and the NYPD. Mr. Berman also thanked the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the United States Marshals Service and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in apprehending DAVILA.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit and the General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher J. Clore and Alexander Li are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bronx Associate Principal Charged with Child Enticement and Production, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of JONATHAN SKOLNICK on charges of child enticement; production, receipt, and possession of child pornography; and sending extortionate communications. SKOLNICK was arrested Saturday, September 14, 2019, presented the same day before United States Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman, and detained on consent pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As an associate principal of a Bronx private school, one of Jonathan Skolnick’s primary responsibilities was the well-being and education of students. Instead, Skolnick allegedly preyed on his underage victims in a heinous plot to fool them into sending him nude photos of themselves. Skolnick allegedly falsely identified himself as several different teenage girls – and when his victims refused to continue to send more photos, he unconscionably threatened to publicly release the ones they had already sent. This arrest exemplifies law enforcement’s ability to detect those attempting to use the ‘anonymity’ of the internet to prey on young children.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “A principal at a school plays a significant role in the lives of children, and is charged with protecting and educating them. Now Mr. Skolnick faces criminal charges for his alleged attempts to illegally extort a vulnerable child in a manner that should shock and anger every parent in this community. Members of our FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force got information Mr. Skolnick might be engaged in this illicit activity, and acted as quickly as possible to protect other children. We believe Mr. Skolnick may have victimized other teens, and we ask that they call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Speaking directly to parents, have a conversation with your children, and please let us know any information you can that will help this investigation.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Today’s charges serve as a warning to individuals who prey upon some of our society’s most vulnerable population – you will be arrested and held accountable for your actions. I thank the NYPD detectives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, and the FBI for their work in this investigation. The NYPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to end the exploitation and abuse of children in our city and nation and work to bring justice to victims of these heinous crimes.”
According to allegations in the Complaint and statements made in public court proceedings[1]:
Between at least March 2019 and September 2019, SKOLNICK, who was an associate principal at a private school located in the Bronx, New York, communicated online with a 14 year-old male victim (“Victim-1”) while posing as several teenaged girls. SKOLNICK used several purported names in these communications, including “Molly Dejmal,” “Tina Warner,” and “Anna Freed.” In response to requests from SKOLNICK, posing as the “girls,” Victim-1 emailed nude and sexually explicit photographs of himself to at least two email accounts, including to “[email protected]” and “[email protected]”.
In or about June 2019, Victim-1 stopped communicating with SKOLNICK. In or about September 2019, SKOLNICK, using the name “Molly Dejmal,” texted Victim-1 from a spoofed telephone number. SKOLNICK’s messages became increasingly threatening in nature, causing Victim-1 to fear that the person he was communicating with would release the sexually explicit photographs that Victim-1 previously sent. Internet Protocol addresses associated with certain of the messages directed to Victim-1 were registered to SKOLNICK’s home in the Bronx.
SKOLNICK, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of child enticement, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of making extortionate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to this investigation should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov.
Mr. Berman praised the FBI and NYPD for their outstanding investigative work.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Espinosa is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Birmingham Man Sentenced to 105 Months in Prison for CarjackingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a Birmingham resident and six-time convicted felon to 105 months in prison for a 2018 carjacking in Homewood, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced CORDERREL DEWAYNE POOLE, 32, on one count of carjacking. Poole pled guilty in June.
On November 5, 2018, Poole ran up to the victim as she was getting into her SUV in the parking lot of a Homewood business on Green Springs Highway. As the victim backed her vehicle out of the parking space, Poole repeatedly banged on her window and screamed for her to get out. When the victim did not meet his demands, he reached inside the SUV and grabbed her arm in an attempt to pull her out. Poole then put his hand into a shoulder bag he was carrying and acted as if he was going to pull a gun. Believing she was about to be shot, the victim gave up her vehicle. Poole drove off in the SUV and was apprehended the same evening by Lincoln Police Department at the scene of a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 20 in Lincoln, Alabama.
“This career criminal has been brought to justice. We will not sit idly by and allow criminals to intimidate our citizens with such violence,” Town said. “We will find you, and we will prosecute you. The revolving door for Poole is now locked tightly behind him and a warm prison bed awaits him.”
“I want to extend my personal thanks to all of our law enforcement partners whose efforts quickly brought Poole to justice,” Sharp said. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to address violent crimes in north Alabama.”
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department, the Lincoln Police Department, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Baty and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the charge.
Armed Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man stopped by Pawtucket Police for a traffic violation and found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, ammunition, several bags of crack cocaine, and a large bag of marijuana pleaded guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking and firearm charges brought in a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation.
Scott Arnum, 30, was stopped by Pawtucket Police on September 17, 2017, after he stopped short of pulling out in front of a police cruiser while failing to use a turn signal. According to court documents, as the officer approached the vehicle she smelled a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and observed the driver making rapid movements. Arnum complied with the officer’s request to exit the vehicle.
Once out of the vehicle, officers discovered a large bag of marijuana and six bags of crack cocaine inside Arnum’s clothing. A seventh bag fell out of Arnum’s underwear after he was transported to the police station. An inventory of Arnum’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of a loaded 9mm pistol and two loaded 9mm magazines from inside the vehicle’s glovebox.
According to court records, Arnum was previously convicted in federal court for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In December 2010, Arnum was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Arnum pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle, and Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady.
Arnum is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2019. Possession of crack cocaine is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison followed by at least 3 years supervised release. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence imposed in this matter followed by up to 5 years supervised release. Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years of incarceration followed by up to 3 years supervised release.
This Project Safe Neighborhoods case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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After Being in the Country Illegally on Four Separate Occasions, Illegal Alien is Caught Again and Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Zenon Carbajal-Osorio, an illegal alien from Mexico, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Jere Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
Carbajal-Osorio will be sentenced by Judge Guirola, on December 10, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. He also faces being removed from the United States following the completion of any prison sentence.
On July 17, 2019, the Homeland Security Investigations office in Gulfport received a complaint that Carbajal-Osorio was physically present at the Jackson County Circuit Court in Jackson County Mississippi, after having previously been deported from the United States. Agents made contact with Carbajal-Osorio, who provided a Mexican passport as his means of identification. Agents questioned Carbajal-Osorio regarding his legal status to reside in the United States, which he did not deny being in the country without legal status, and in fact admitted to having been previously removed from the United States to Mexico. Further investigation revealed that Carbajal-Osorio had unlawfully entered the United States, and been lawfully removed from the United States, on multiple occasions.
On December 5, 2007, Carbajal-Osorio was encountered by Border Patrol Agents in o Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Agents determined that he was in the country illegally. He was granted a Voluntary Return to Mexico and he departed the United States through Hidalgo, Texas, on December 21, 2007.
On April 4, 2011, Mr. Carbajal-Osorio was encountered by an ICE Agent at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, having been arrested by local authorities for Domestic Abuse Battery (a local misdemeanor charge for which he was convicted and sentenced to 6 months in jail). Carbajal-Osorio was issued a Warrant of Removal/Deportation on November 1, 2011, and was physically removed from the United States, pursuant to the lawful removal order.
On October 18, 2012, Carbajal-Osorio was again encountered by Border Patrol Agents in the Southern District of Texas. He was issued an Order to Reinstate his lawful removal order from 2011, and he was returned to his home nation of Mexico from Laredo, Texas. At the time of his most recent removal, Carbajal-Osorio was prohibited from entering, attempting to enter, being in the United States or even lawfully applying to reenter the U.S. for a period of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
52nd Defendant Arrested and Charged in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Spanish authorities arrested a Chinese woman last night in connection with her role in using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate her son’s admission to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) as a purported soccer recruit.
Xiaoning Sui, 48, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, was arrested in Spain and charged in an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Boston with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Sui is currently detained in Spain, and authorities will seek her extradition to Boston to face charges.
According to the indictment, Sui agreed with William “Rick” Singer to pay $400,000 to facilitate her son’s admission to UCLA as a purported soccer recruit. It is alleged that during a phone call in August 2018, Singer explained that Sui’s son could be “guaranteed” admission to UCLA, in exchange for $400,000. Between August and October 2018, Sui allegedly provided Singer with her son’s transcript and photographs of her son playing tennis. Co-conspirator Laura Janke then fabricated a soccer profile for Sui’s son, which described him as a top player for two private soccer clubs in Canada. On Oct. 24, 2018, Singer instructed Sui to wire Singer $100,000 which would be “paid to the coach at UCLA” in exchange for a letter of intent from the UCLA soccer coach. Two days later, Sui allegedly wired $100,000 to a bank account in Massachusetts in the name of Singer’s sham charitable organization, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF). On Nov. 5, 2018, UCLA admitted Sui’s son as a recruited soccer player, and awarded him a 25% scholarship. In February 2018, Sui allegedly wired an additional $300,000 to the KWF account as final payment for her son’s fraudulent admission to UCLA.
Janke previously pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government’s investigation.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
42-Year-Old Convicted of Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Production of Child Pornography, and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Jason Gatlin, 42, of Miami, was convicted on all three counts of the superseding indictment, including Sex Trafficking of Minor, Production of Child Pornography, and Witness Tampering, by a federal jury on September 16, 2019, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith in Ft. Lauderdale.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
According to the court record, in October of 2018, the defendant met the 17-year-old victim through another 17-year-old girl. Gatlin knew the victim had a history of running away and being trafficked by others for prostitution. Over the course of the next two months, the defendant tricked the victim into believing that he loved her and wanted to marry her. He enticed her with his attention and drugs, gave her money for sex, took photos of them having sex, and lied to her. Gatlin made the victim believe that he wanted to marry her, that he did not want her to prostitute, and that he wanted her to get a real job. Instead, after gaining her trust, Gatlin bought the victim a cell phone that was used to set up prostitution dates, transported her to motels, and rented motel rooms for her so that she could commit prostitution, and harbored her for days in the Keys while she was advertised on an escort website. Then, at the end of November, when Gatlin felt that victim was not living up to his rules, he beat her up and left her at a gas station down in the Keys with a swollen face, and bloody, ripped clothes. The victim called the police and the defendant was arrested a few days later.
While incarcerated, Gatlin began bribing the victim into committing perjury. Gatlin had a relative give the victim money and Gatlin promised more money if the victim told the authorities that she was never trafficked by the defendant and never had sex with him. At trial, the jury heard how Gatlin’s relative housed the victim for a short period and then drove her to a defense attorney’s office for her to recant her statement in a sworn statement. The government presented recorded evidence at trial to prove the witness tampering.
Gatlin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, before Judge Rodney Smith (Case No. 19cr20163). He faces a statutory sentence of up to life in prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in partnership with MDPD’s Human Trafficking Squad, and assistance from Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, Plantation Police Department, FBI Chicago, and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI Miami Child Exploitation Task Force, MDPD, and all those who assisted in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and J. Mackenzie Duane.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
20-Year Illegal Resident Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 52-year-old illegal alien who resided in Corpus Christi been sentenced to federal prison for possessing more than 10 thousand child pornography images, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Baldemar Cardenas-Martinez pleaded guilty May 20, 2019.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey ordered Cardenas to serve a 63-month term of imprisonment. After his sentence, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet and register as a sex offender. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
A Mexican citizen, Cardenas was originally granted a Visa which expired in 1997. He has been illegally present in the United States since that time.
The investigation began when authorities went online on a peer-to-peer network which catered to offenders sharing child pornography. Law enforcement was able to download multiple images from the device which belonged to Cardenas.
They conducted a search warrant, at which time they seized multiple electronic devices from the residence. A forensic examination of those devices revealed 10,673 child pornography files.
The Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Jensen is prosecuting the case, which 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."
15 Defendants Charged for Involvement with Hawaii Game RoomsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Federal charges against 15 defendants and the seizure of thousands of dollar’s worth of property and funds were announced today by U.S Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price.
The fifteen individuals charged include:
Zongqi Ding (33), Tommy Can Wei Lee (50), Zhong Chen (38), Endrews Setefano (31), Paolo Ioane (30), and Matthew Samuela (31) who were charged with conducting, financing, managing, supervising, directing, or owning a gambling business operated out of a single-family residence from October 2018 to August 2019 at 94-103 Pupupuhi Street in Waipahu.
Jason Ishizuka (38), Aiyan Zhang (33), Seng Long Lio (30), Shi Min Huang (33), Alex Hui Zhang (29), and Freddy Siatunuu (31) who were charged with conducting, financing, managing, supervising, directing, or owning a gambling business operated out of a single-family residence from October 2018 to August 2019 at 1577 Hoolehua Street in Pearl City. In addition, Siatunuu has been charged with robbery for the July 22, 2019 robbing of a patron at gunpoint at the illegal gambling business located at 1577 Hoolehua Street after the patron won an estimated $4,000 playing an electronic video gambling machine.
Kenneth Puahi (47) who was charged with arson of a building used in interstate commerce. According to the indictment, during 2018, Puahi leased a space in a commercial warehouse located at 94-170 Leoole Street in Waipahu. The warehouse owners were notified that the leased space was suspected of being used for unlawful gambling and took steps to evict Puahi. On, April 14, 2019, Puahi maliciously damaged and attempted to damage the warehouse by setting it on fire.
Pauulu Lavatai (21) who was charged with robbery and using a firearm to commit a crime of violence. According to the criminal complaint, on February 3, 2019, Lavatai and an unidentified male entered an illegal game room located on Liliha Street. The two pistol whipped the security officer, took money from a female cashier and fled the scene.
Ifo Nimoai, Jr. (35) who was charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of firearm in furtherance of drug tracking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the criminal complaint, on November 29, 2018, Nimoai possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Additionally, Nimoai knowingly possessed a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition and did so after having been previously convicted of a felony.
The aforementioned charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), U.S. Marshals Service Hawaii Fugitive Task Force, and the Honolulu Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Smith, Rachel Moriyama, Sara Ayabe, Jeremy Butler, Mohammed Khatib, and Sydney Spector are handling the cases.
Monday 16 September 2019
Young Serial Bank Robber Sent to PrisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 20-year-old resident of Wilmer has been ordered to federal prison for a significant amount of time after committing multiple bank robberies and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Markeist Daquon Reed pleaded guilty June 17, 2019, to a total of three counts of bank robbery involving three different banks and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John Rainey handed Reed a 63-month sentence for the robberies. He also received an additional 84 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The sentences will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the more than 12-year sentence, the court noted how people were put in significant danger as a result of Reed’s actions during each of the robberies.
The charges stem from a series of bank robberies that occurred Oct. 5, Oct. 19 and Oct. 25, 2018, at the BB&T Bank on Park Lane in Dallas, Value Bank Texas on South Staples in Corpus Christi and BBVA Compass Bank on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, respectively.
In each instance, a male - later identified as Reed - entered the banks and approached an employee demanding money. During the last robbery, Reed carried with him and pointed an AK-47 style rifle as he demanded the money from the bank employee. Reed was later arrested during a traffic stop. At that time, law enforcement recovered the rifle and items linking him to the robberies.
Reed has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and police departments in Corpus Christi and Dallas conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Worcester Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen Firearm and Lying to Firearm DealersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, in federal court in Worcester for lying to federal firearms dealers and for possession of a stolen firearm.
Ruben Ramos, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2019, Ramos pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm, five counts of making false statements in records required to be maintained by a federal firearm dealer, and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
In December 2016, Worcester Police issued Ramos, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service and member of the U.S. Army National Guard, a license to possess firearms. From May 2017 through May 2018, Ramos purchased at least 16 firearms, including 14 pistols and two rifles. On at least five occasions, from March 2018 through May 2018, Ramos knowingly provided a false address to the firearms dealers from whom he purchased seven firearms.
In June 2018, Ramos admitted to federal investigators that he only possessed six of the 16 guns that he purchased over the previous 12 months. Ramos admitted to investigators that he lied to firearms dealers on two occasions in May 2018, when he acted as a “straw buyer,” by claiming that he was buying the gun for himself when, in fact, he was buying the guns on behalf of another person. Additionally, in June 2018, investigators also found a Beretta 9 mm pistol in Ramos’s residence that was the property of the Army National Guard. Ramos admitted that he stole the pistol from the weapons vault at the Army National Guard facility on Plantation Street in Worcester.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Woman Who Absconded from Federal Custody Sentenced to 24 MonthsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of escape was sentenced on September 5, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Diana Bald Eagle, age 45, was sentenced to 24 months of federal custody, followed by 1 year of supervised release. She was ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, on April 10, 2019, Bald Eagle was released from federal custody on a furlough to attend a relative’s funeral. Bald Eagle was scheduled to return at 7:00 PM, April 11, 2019. Due to severe weather, she was granted an extension and ordered to return to the Yankton County Jail no later than Sunday, April 14, 2019. Bald Eagle did not return to the Yankton County Jail on April 14, 2019, and her whereabouts were unknown until her arrest in Sioux Falls.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Bald Eagle was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service