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24 October 2019
Tangipahoa Parish Man Sentenced on Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today that JERRY PEA, age 43, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 23, 2019 to serve a total of 138 months in federal prison for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act.
PEA and his co-defendant, James Jackson, were indicted by the Federal Grand Jury back on July 12, 2018. This indictment was the result of a drug investigation that was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Hammond Police Department.
Defendant James Jackson pled guilty as charged and was sentenced to serve 73 months in federal prison back on June 26, 2019.
Defendant PEA was sentenced to serve 78 months for participating in a conspiracy to distribute both heroin and crack cocaine. He was also sentenced to serve an additional 60 months for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. His total sentence was 138 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release once he is released from prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu is in charge of the prosecution.
Sullivan Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Robert Wilfred Boevingloh, 76, of Sullivan, MO, pled guilty to one of count of Receipt of Child Pornography. Boevingloh appeared before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White and sentencing was set for January 30, 2020.
According to court documents, between January 2016 and February 2017, Boevingloh knowingly received more than 600 images of child pornography, and those images were visual depictions involving a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Bateman is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
South Boston Man Sentenced for Loansharking and Gambling ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston on loansharking and gambling charges.
Tam V. Nguyen, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 10 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In June 2019, Nguyen pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means and one count of operating an illegal gambling business.
From April to August 2017, Nguyen conspired to collect an extension of credit from a victim and engaged in an illegal gambling business from September 2016 through August 2017. Nguyen was a bookmaker and conspired to collect a large gambling debt from a bettor. In an intercepted telephone call, Nguyen told a conspirator to “go ahead and be firm, be firm with him. That will make him afraid and try hard to take care of it. That’s all.”
As part of the same investigation, in August 2017, Vinh Quang Huynh, Quang PT Le, and Kim Nguyen, all of Dorchester, were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to collect extension of credit by extortionate means, and operating an illegal gambling business. In March 2019, Kim Nguyen was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,300. In May 2018, Le was sentenced to six years in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,300. In December 2017, Huynh pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. In addition, as part of the same case, Ban “Bo” Tran pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and was sentenced in February 2019 to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston and the Massachusetts Department of Correction assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy E. Moran of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Shelton Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SALVATORE PERRY, 45, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2017 and November 2018, law enforcement made five controlled purchases of 30mg oxycodone pills from Perry. Perry sold between 30 and 60 pills each transaction. Perry had obtained the pills from at least two other individuals who had prescriptions for the drugs.
Perry was arrested on December 4, 2018. On that date, investigators searched his residence and seized oxycodone pills, along with Perry’s cell phone, which contained evidence of the drug sales.
Judge Bolden scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2020, at which time Perry faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Perry is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Josiah Ferrebee, age 23, of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 22, 2019, to 15 years’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, for production and attempted to production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ferrebee previously admitted to persuading a 14-year-old female from the state of Michigan to take sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him via the internet. Ferrebee admitted that after he persuaded the minor to take and send some initial images to him, he threatened to post those images online unless she sent him more sexually explicit images of herself, which she did. Ferrebee committed the crime—what some have termed “sextortion”—in January 2016, when he was 19-years-old.
Ferrebee must also comply with the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis P. Sempa and Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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St. Thomas Man Who Used A-15 Rifle in a Robbery Senteneced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Arthur Greaves, Jr., 20, of St. Thomas, was sentenced today after being convicted of Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Greaves to 10 years in prison. He also sentenced Greaves to five years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service and ordered Greaves to pay a special assessment of $100.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2018, Greaves pointed an A-15 rifle at an individual as the individual and his four year old son attempted to enter a residence on Garden Street. Greaves grabbed a gold chain from the individual’s neck and ran to a building on Bunker Hill where responding officers discovered him hiding under a stairwell. Greaves directed the officers to an adjacent abandoned building to reveal the rifle, a .22 cal. DPMS model A-15 with its serial number removed along with a double stack magazine and cartridges.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gary Ryan, age 48, of Clifton Park, New York, was indicted on October 16 and appeared today in court for his arraignment on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor younger than 12 years old and transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Ryan, a registered sex offender, is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, each of which carries a sentence of at least 30 years in prison and up to life. Ryan is also charged with six counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, each of which carries a sentence of at least 10 years in prison and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Ryan was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and detained pending a trial before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the Colonie Police Department, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita.
Raleigh Gang Leaders Convicted of Rico Charges and Gang Related MurdersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that DEMETRICE R. DEVINE, a/k/a “Respect,” 37, of Garner, NC, and BRANDON JOWAN MANGUM, a/k/a “B-Easy,” 31, of Knightdale, NC, were found guilty by a jury sitting in Raleigh today, for Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering (RICO conspiracy), 2-counts of Murder in Aid of Racketeering, 2-counts of Murder with a Firearm During and in Relation to a crime of Violence, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Conspiracy to Commit Witness Tampering.
Evidence presented at trial and other public documents established that DEMETRICE R. DEVINE was the leader of the Gangsta Killer Bloods (GKB), and then created Black Mob Gangstas (BMG) and the Donald Gee Family (DGF) organization. The BMG/DGF are sets of the “Bloods” gang whose members committed various crimes in the city of Raleigh and especially in the area of Haywood Street. BRANDON JOWAN MANGUM was another high-ranking member of BMG/DGF. BMG/DGF members committed acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline, both within the gang and against non-gang members. Members committed acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and assaults, in order to maintain their positions within the gang and to be promoted within the leadership structure of the gang.
BMG/DGF, including its leadership, members and associates, constituted an “enterprise” as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 1961(4), that is, a group of individuals’ associated-in-fact. The enterprise constituted an ongoing organization, whose members functioned as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise. The enterprise was engaged in, and its activities affected, interstate and foreign commerce. The purpose of the BMG/DGF enterprise included the following:
a. Preserving and protecting the power, territory, reputation, respect, and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults, murder and attempted murder;
b. Promoting and enhancing the enterprise and its members’ and associates’ activities, including, but not limited to, murders, attempted murders, robberies, drug distribution and other criminal activities;
c. Keeping the community and rivals in fear of the enterprise and its members and associates through violence and threats of violence;
d. Providing financial support and information to gang members, including those incarcerated in the United States;
e. Providing assistance to other gang members who committed crimes for and on behalf of the gang; and,
f. Hindering, obstructing, and preventing law enforcement officers from identifying, apprehending, and successfully prosecuting and punishing members of the enterprise.
BMG/DGF also held gang meetings to communicate gang information, to recruit members, issue punishment and collect gang dues from each BMG/DGF member for the benefit of the BMG/DGF organization. A portion of the dues were saved and utilized locally in what was referred to as a “community rent box” (CRB) while another portion was sent up the chain of command to gang leadership in Virginia and New York. BMG/DGF members were permitted to earn their money for dues through various methods, including, but not limited to, robberies, fraud schemes, and drug distribution. The monies were used locally for loans to gang members, for drug purchases, for firearm purchases, for gifts, and cellular telephones for high-ranking members who were in jail. DEVINE ordered that individuals selling narcotics in and around Haywood Street who were not BMG/DGF members were also required to pay gang dues in order to continue their drug sales in territory controlled by BMG/DGF. Individuals who did not pay gang dues risked being robbed, assaulted, or murdered.
In his leadership position DEVINE directed members of his gang to shoot a 16 year old rival gang member, Adarius Fowler, who died from gunshot wounds. He also ordered a gang member to shoot a person who provided information to law enforcement regarding the murder of Fowler. While this person was recovering from those gunshot injuries in the hospital, DEVINE ordered that the person be killed. DEVINE presided over a “beat-in” gang initiation of a BMG/DGF gang member and personally assaulted another gang member whose loyalty he questioned. DEVINE conspired with other gang members to silence and threaten gang members that had been provided subpoenas to testify in a federal proceeding.
MANGUM along with other gang members conspired to shoot a 18 year old rival gang member, Rodriguez Burrell, because he refused to pay money to BMG/DGF. Burrell was shot multiple times in the presence of his father and died of his wounds.
DEVINE and MANGUM both sold drugs on behalf of BMG/ DGF. Specifically, the jury found DEVINE guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base (crack), more than 500 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana. DEVINE frequently provided drugs to lower ranking gang members for further distribution into the community. The jury found MANGUM guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and marijuana.
At sentencing, DEVINE and MANGUM face a maximum term of imprisonment of life and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Mr. Higdon commented: “The United States Justice Department and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing violent drug traffickers and this case targeted the worst of the worst. These men pose a serious danger to the people of Eastern North Carolina and with this conviction we have removed this danger from our community. This case is part of our effort to “Take Back North Carolina” from the drug traffickers and violent criminals.”
“The level of law enforcement cooperation to put these violent defendants behind bars where they belong was incredible. We have dismantled the criminal enterprise they ran which threatened and terrorized the citizens of Raleigh. This case is yet another example of law enforcement partners working together to effectively hold criminals accountable. To anyone who tries to fill the criminal void left by these convictions, you should know, we’ll come after you next," said John Strong, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
The prosecution of DEVINE and MANGUM was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) targeting violent gang members and drug traffickers in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department led the investigation with assistance from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh/ Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, United States Marshal’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Assistant United States Attorneys Dena King and Scott Lemmon prosecuted this case with Christina Taylor with the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison After Arrest in Fairfield for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brandon Edward Nichols, 28, of San Leandro, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court records, in December 2017, Fairfield police stopped Nichols’ car for a vehicle code violation. Nichols produced various credit cards and pieces of identification issued in other people’s names and was arrested for possessing these fraudulent cards. A gun was found in the driver-side door and a second gun was found during a subsequent search of Nichols’ hotel room. Nichols cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. Nichols pleaded guilty on Feb. 21.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Fairfield Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
Portland Accountant and Marijuana Proprietor Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Nathan Wheeler, 43, a certified public accountant (CPA) residing in Portland, was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release for wire fraud and tax evasion.
According to court documents, since 2012, Wheeler owned and operated Bridge City Advisors LLC, an accounting firm that provided investment and legal services to clients throughout the Portland area. Wheeler used his position as a CPA to persuade clients to invest in various real estate development projects. Instead of providing promised rates of return and real estate security interests, Wheeler converted his clients’ money to his own use, living an extravagant lifestyle he could not otherwise afford and building a large marijuana business.
“Mr. Wheeler had an important fiduciary responsibility to act in the best financial interests of his clients. Instead, he repeatedly lied to and stole from them,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “His theft from two minor children who had recently endured the loss of their father is uniquely cold-hearted. The children’s simple requests for funds to cover routine expenses like braces were met with callous lies. My hope is that Mr. Wheeler’s prosecution and time behind bars will offer some measure of solace to his many victims.”
“As a CPA, Mr. Wheeler presented himself to investors as a reliable financial advisor in order to receive investment funds, and yet he greedily diverted those funds for his own investment interests. Additionally, Mr. Wheeler knew his obligation to accurately report income on a tax return, but instead chose to file a false personal tax return to evade his tax obligation,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. “IRS-Criminal Investigation will hold accountable licensed CPAs who mislead and violate the trust of the public and the profession for their own selfish interests.”
To carry out his scheme, Wheeler would create limited liability corporations (LLCs) as an investment vehicle on behalf of his clients and name himself a member. He would then open bank accounts for his clients and attempt to gain signing authority so he could transfer funds independently.
One of Wheeler’s first victims was a C Trust or “minor’s trust” established for the benefit of two children whose father died in April 2011. Wheeler was named a trustee of the C Trust and facilitated the sale of the father’s business six months after his death. Unbeknownst to the children or their representatives, Wheeler used the proceeds to purchase a large residential real estate development in Washington State called Trotter Downs in his own name. Despite being the primary source of funding to purchase the development, the children were left with no ownership lien on the property. Further, Wheeler repeatedly refused to pay for the children’s expenses, falsely claiming that the funds were frozen because of a lawsuit involving their deceased father.
A second Wheeler victim was a silver medalist for the U.S. Olympic snowboarding team who had created his own line of snowboarding equipment. Wheeler managed to gain signing authority on some of the victim’s bank accounts and made multiple unauthorized transfers of funds to his own accounts. In just two years, Wheeler embezzled more than $962,000 from the athlete victim.
Many of Wheeler’s victims were retirees who entrusted him with their life savings. One retired victim, a former law enforcement officer, invested more $236,000 with Wheeler. Wheeler quickly redirected these funds for his own use. Shortly thereafter, he used $27,500 of the victim’s money to purchase an engagement ring for his fiancé.
In total, between 2011 and 2014, Wheeler defrauded his clients of more than $4.4 million. The government’s financial investigation revealed that within hours or days of receiving client investment funds, Wheeler would redirect the money to various personal uses.
Wheeler spent a large portion of the money he stole from his clients’ investment assets at the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas, Nevada, at strip clubs, on travel and on expenses related to his marijuana grow operations. Wheeler is a former part owner of Club Rouge, a strip club in Downtown Portland.
U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut postponed the hearing regarding restitution to his former clients and to the IRS until January 10, 2020.
The government filed a civil forfeiture action on the remaining 25 plots in Trotter Downs that Wheeler had not yet sold. This action prevented Wheeler from continuing to sell off plots for his own benefit.
On May 24, 2018, Wheeler pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and attempting to evade or defeat his tax obligations.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Portland Police Bureau, and prosecuted by Michelle Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. The related civil forfeiture case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie de Villiers.
Polson man sentenced to prison for firearms crimeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A Polson man who admitted possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony was sentenced today to three years in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Marc Anthony Friscia, 30, pleaded guilty in July to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
Court records filed by the prosecution said that Friscia was pulled over in a traffic stop in January 2018 and arrested on an outstanding warrant. Friscia also was on probation. During a search of the vehicle Friscia was driving, officers found a .357 caliber pistol in a backpack in the backseat. The pistol had been reported stolen that month. Friscia had been convicted of a felony in Montana and his right to possess a firearm had not been restored.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Polson Police Department.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Pittsburgh Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to serve 12 years’ imprisonment on his conviction for violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Thomas Poole, age 54, formerly of Pittsburgh, on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to information presented to the Court, in 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation primarily targeting cocaine trafficking in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around August 2016, to on or about November 30, 2017, Poole conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 15 kilograms but less than 50 kilograms of cocaine. The Court was further advised that on November 30, 2017, investigators seized large sums of U.S. Currency and approximately six kilograms of cocaine from residences associated with the defendant.
The Court further ordered that following Poole’s release from incarceration, he be placed on a term of supervised release for a period of five years, and that certain property be forfeited to the United States, including more than $120,000 in U.S. Currency that was recovered by the Drug Enforcement Administration during this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome A. Moschetta and Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Poole.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.
Pasco County Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years for Stalking, Threatening to Kill Victim and Her ChildRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Nicholas Marinkovic (29, Pasco County) to three years and four months in federal prison for stalking. Marinkovic had pleaded guilty on May 20, 2019.
According to court documents, between March and December 2018, Marinkovic repeatedly harassed and threatened multiple victims, including via numerous interstate telephone calls and hundreds of text messages. In those communications, Marinkovic repeatedly threatened, for example, to kill one of the victims and her child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin McDonell.
Pacific Beach Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Two Overdoses, One of Them FatalRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Michael A. Deshong (619) 546-9290
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 24, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Pacific Beach resident Maya Kol pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sold fentanyl powder that caused the death of one man and sent another to the hospital over Labor Day weekend in September 2018. A third man - Kol’s source of the fentanyl - also fatally overdosed that weekend from the same batch.
Kol, a Cambodian national living illegally in San Diego, admitted in his plea agreement that he purchased the fentanyl powder believing it to be cocaine. However, after he sampled the powder he noticed it tasted it different and then became woozy and nearly lost his balance from the effects of it. Despite his own troubling experience with the powder, Kol sold it to others and told them it was cocaine.
According to his plea agreement, on September 7, 2018, Kol met three individuals, J.E., J.H., and L.S., and delivered to them one-half gram of fentanyl powder and represented it as cocaine. Several hours later L.S. contacted Kol asking for help. Kol arrived to J.H. and L.S.’s apartment to find J.E. and J.H. non-responsive. When Kol realized authorities would be coming to the scene, he went back to his home and flushed his remaining fentanyl powder down the toilet. J.E. died from the fentanyl powder Kol sold to him. J.H. had to be administered Narcan (used to treat opioid overdoses) and rushed to the hospital, but survived the ordeal. L.S. was admitted to the hospital the following day for lingering symptoms. A subsequent search of Kol’s residence uncovered more than $5,000 in cash, scales and other indicia of drug sales.
J.E.’s death was one of three deaths that occurred in Pacific Beach over Labor Day weekend in 2018, including the individual who sold the fentanyl powder to Kol. Kol is not charged with the other deaths.
“Another life is gone because of fentanyl and the greed of traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “This dealer knew he was selling a dangerous drug and did it anyway. As the opioid epidemic rages across the nation, we will do everything we can to save lives, and that includes pursuing charges against dealers of the poison that is killing people every single day in this country.”
“Not only did Mr. Kol’s greed and selfishness cost a life, but he tried to cover up his actions and destroy the weapon that killed J.E. – in this case fentanyl,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “A message to the dealers of death: DEA will find out who you are and we will bring you to justice. You cannot cover up your crimes and you will pay for taking the life of another human being.”
Kol is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2020 before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller.
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and multiple law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs that result in overdose deaths.
Many opioid addicts start their addiction with legitimate prescription drugs. Drug cartels, looking to capitalize on the opioid epidemic, are making counterfeit prescription pills using deadly fentanyl.
Fentanyl-related deaths are rapidly climbing to unprecedented levels. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office reports there have been 89 cases of fentanyl-related deaths so far in 2019, with almost three months left in the year.
Should this trend continue for the remainder of 2019, the death toll could potentially reach 120, which would amount to a 33 percent increase over last year’s total of 90 deaths, and a staggering 700 percent hike over five years ago when there were 15.
In July 2018, Narcotics Task Force Team 10 was created to address drug overdose deaths in San Diego County. Team 10 led the investigation into the cluster of fentanyl drug overdoses in Pacific Beach in September 2018. The victim was 47 years old and he left behind his wife.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19cr1277-JM
Maya Kol Age: 41 Pacific Beach, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum Penalty: 20 years’ imprisonment
AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Owner of New York City Temporary Staffing Firms Indicted for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn, New York, indicted a New York City resident yesterday on multiple counts of willfully failing to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over federal employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Steven Heppenheimer owned and operated temporary employment staffing businesses located in Long Island City, New York, including PTP Staffing Associates Inc. (PTP), and PPS Associates Inc. (PPS). As the alleged sole owner of PTP and PPS, Heppenheimer was required to collect, account for, and pay to the IRS federal employment taxes withheld from the wages of PTP and PPS employees. As alleged in the indictment, from 2013 through 2017, Heppenheimer failed to report more than $270,000 in employment taxes to the IRS.
If convicted, Heppenheimer faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years imprisonment for each count charged. He also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release, and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated this case, and Trial Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Ann Marie Cherry of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Gang Leaders Convicted of RICO ChargesRead the Press Release
Two North Carolina men were found guilty today for conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering (RICO), two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, two counts of murder with a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
Evidence presented at trial and other public documents established that Demetrice R. Devine, aka “Respect,” 37, of Garner, North Carolina, was the leader of the Black Mob Gangsters (BMG) and founder of the Donald Gee Family organization (DGF). The BMG/DGF are sets of the “Bloods” gang whose members committed various crimes in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and especially in the area of Haywood Street. Brandon Jowan Mangum, aka “B-Easy,” 31, of Knightdale, North Carolina, was another high-ranking member of the BMG/DGF. The BMG/DGF members committed acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline, both within the gang and against non-gang members. Members committed acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and assaults in order to promote within the leadership structure of the gang.
BMG/DGF, including its leadership, members and associates, constituted an “enterprise” that constituted an ongoing organization, whose members functioned as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise. The enterprise was engaged in, and its activities affected, interstate and foreign commerce. The purpose of the BMG/DGF enterprise included the following:
- Preserving and protecting the power, territory, reputation, respect and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults, murder and attempted murder;
- Promoting and enhancing the enterprise and its members’ and associates’ activities, including, but not limited to, murders, attempted murders, robberies, drug distribution and other criminal activities;
- Keeping the community and rivals in fear of the enterprise and its members and associates through violence and threats of violence;
- Providing financial support and information to gang members, including those incarcerated in the United States;
- Providing assistance to other gang members who committed crimes for and on behalf of the gang;
- Hindering, obstructing, and preventing law enforcement officers from identifying, apprehending, and successfully prosecuting and punishing members of the enterprise.
BMG/DGF also held gang meetings to communicate gang information, to recruit members, issue punishment and collect gang dues from each BMG/DGF member for the benefit of the BMG/DGF organization. A portion of the dues were saved and utilized locally in what was referred to as a “community rent box” (CRB) while another portion was sent up the chain of command to gang leadership. BMG/DGF members were permitted to earn their money for dues through various methods, including, but not limited to, robberies, fraud schemes, and drug distribution. The monies were used locally for loans to gang members, drug purchases to maintain drug houses, firearm purchases for gifts and cellular telephones for high-ranking members who were in jail. Individuals selling narcotics in and around Haywood Street who were not BMG/DGF members were also required to pay gang dues in order to continue their drug sales in territory controlled by BMG/DGF. Individuals who did not pay gang dues risked being robbed, assaulted or murdered.
In his leadership position, Devine directed members of his gang to shoot a rival gang member, Adarius Fowler, who died from gunshot wounds. He also ordered a gang member to shoot a person who provided information to law enforcement regarding the murder of Fowler. Devine presided over a “beat-in” gang initiation of a BMG/DGF gang member and personally assaulted another gang member whose loyalty he questioned. Devine conspired with other gang members to initiate and silence another individual believed to be cooperating with law enforcement.
Mangum along with other gang members conspired to shoot a rival gang member, Rodriguez Burrell, because he refused to pay money to BMG/DCF. Burrell was shot multiple times in the presence of his father and died of his wounds.
Devine and Mangum both sold drugs on behalf of BMG/ DGF. Specifically, the jury found Devine guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base (crack), more than 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana. Devine frequently provided drugs to lower ranking gang members for further distribution into the community. The jury found Mangum guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and marijuana.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 2020, before U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
The FBI and The Raleigh Police Department conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Marty Woelfle of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena King and Scott Lemmon prosecuted the case.
- Preserving and protecting the power, territory, reputation, respect and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults, murder and attempted murder;
North Carolina Bloods Gang Members Found Guilty of Racketeering Conspiracy Involving MurdersRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted four North Carolina members of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang of charges including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving multiple murders. In May of 2017, 83 UBN gang members were indicted in the Western District of North Carolina for crimes including RICO conspiracy. This trial resulted in the convictions of the last four defendants in the active case.
Dricko Dashon Huskey, aka Drizzy, 27, of Shelby, North Carolina, Renaire Roshique Lewis Jr., aka Banz, 25, of Shelby, North Carolina, Alandus Montrell Smith, aka Kadafia, 29, of Shelby, North Carolina and Jonathan Wray, aka Jon Jon/Yungin, 28, of Lawndale, North Carolina, were convicted by a federal jury sitting in Charlotte following a nearly three-week trial. The evidence at trial showed that Huskey, Lewis and Wray each shot and killed a different victim. The jury also convicted Lewis of murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, attempted Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence. Smith was also convicted of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to sell, possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking crimes and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in addition to racketeering conspiracy.
“These Bloods members terrorized communities by committing murders and robberies on behalf of the gang. Today’s convictions provide a measure of justice to residents of North Carolina,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With 82 defendants now found guilty, the Department of Justice’s prosecution of the Bloods continues to disrupt and weaken this violent gang, and serves as a testament to the effectiveness of federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation.”
“These gang members made a living committing robberies and dealing drugs, and tried to gain respect, reputation and rank within the Bloods by shooting and murdering victims,” said U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina. “With today’s guilty verdict, we have successfully put 82 violent offenders behind bars, as we continue our mission to dismantle criminal enterprises operating in Western North Carolina and protect our communities from violent street gangs.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Lewis and four other UBN members attempted to rob an 18-year-old victim of marijuana and money. Lewis and another UBN member then shot and killed the victim and attempted to murder the victim’s friend, who survived a gunshot wound to his arm. Also, according to evidence presented at trial, Wray shot and killed a member of the Crips, a rival gang, at a party with other Bloods in Shelby, North Carolina. Evidence at trial also proved that Huskey murdered an unarmed man during an argument by shooting the victim multiple times and continuing to shoot while he was on the ground. The jury’s verdict indicated that Lewis, Wray and Smith participated in the UBN knowing and agreeing that Bloods commit acts of murder.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red, and can also often be identified by common tattoos or burn marks. Examples include: a three-circle pattern, usually burned onto the upper arm, known as a “dog paw”; the words “damu,” or “eastside”; the number five; the five-pointed star and the five-pointed crown. UBN members have distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members, as well as to try to thwart law enforcement efforts against them.
Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, and wire fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activity.
In all, 82 defendants have been adjudicated guilty in this case. Three top leaders of the UBN were convicted of racketeering conspiracy by a jury in May 2018, and one defendant was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at trial in July 2019. Seventy-eight defendants have pleaded guilty in this investigation, and 69 defendants have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice; North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; Scotland Neck Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorney Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
North Carolina Bloods Gang Members Found Guilty of Racketeering Conspiracy Involving MurdersRead the Press Release
Charlotte, N.C. – A federal jury convicted four North Carolina members of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang of charges including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving multiple murders. In May of 2017, 83 UBN gang members were indicted in the Western District of North Carolina for crimes including RICO conspiracy. This trial resulted in the convictions of the last four defendants in the active case.
Dricko Dashon Huskey, aka Drizzy, 27, of Shelby, North Carolina, Renaire Roshique Lewis Jr., aka Banz, 25, of Shelby, North Carolina, Alandus Montrell Smith, aka Kadafia, 29, of Shelby, North Carolina and Jonathan Wray, aka Jon Jon/Yungin, 28, of Lawndale, North Carolina, were convicted by a federal jury sitting in Charlotte following a nearly three-week trial. The evidence at trial showed that Huskey, Lewis and Wray each shot and killed a different victim. The jury also convicted Lewis of murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, attempted Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence. Smith was also convicted of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to sell, possessing a firearm in furtherance of those drug trafficking crimes and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in addition to racketeering conspiracy.
“These Bloods members terrorized communities by committing murders and robberies on behalf of the gang. Today’s convictions provide a measure of justice to residents of North Carolina,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With 82 defendants now found guilty, the Department of Justice’s prosecution of the Bloods continues to disrupt and weaken this violent gang, and serves as a testament to the effectiveness of federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation.
“These gang members made a living committing robberies and dealing drugs, and tried to gain respect, reputation and rank within the Bloods by shooting and murdering victims,” said U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina. “With today’s guilty verdict, we have successfully put 82 violent offenders behind bars, as we continue our mission to dismantle criminal enterprises operating in Western North Carolina and protect our communities from violent street gangs.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Lewis and four other UBN members attempted to rob an 18-year-old victim of marijuana and money. Lewis and another UBN member then shot and killed the victim and attempted to murder the victim’s friend, who survived a gunshot wound to his arm. Also, according to evidence presented at trial, Wray shot and killed a member of the Crips, a rival gang, at a party with other Bloods in Shelby, North Carolina. Evidence at trial also proved that Huskey murdered an unarmed man during an argument by shooting the victim multiple times and continuing to shoot while he was on the ground. The jury’s verdict indicated that Lewis, Wray and Smith participated in the UBN knowing and agreeing that Bloods commit acts of murder.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red, and can also often be identified by common tattoos or burn marks. Examples include: a three-circle pattern, usually burned onto the upper arm, known as a “dog paw”; the words “damu,” or “eastside”; the number five; the five-pointed star and the five-pointed crown. UBN members have distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members, as well as to try to thwart law enforcement efforts against them.
Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, and wire fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activity.
In all, 82 defendants have been adjudicated guilty in this case. Three top leaders of the UBN were convicted of racketeering conspiracy by a jury in May of 2018, and one defendant was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at trial in July of 2019. Seventy-eight defendants have pleaded guilty in this investigation, and 69 defendants have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice; North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; Scotland Neck Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorney Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Norman Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to File Federal Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – BRIAN LEE FOSTER, 50, of Norman, has pleaded guilty to failing to file two personal federal income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to a two-count information filed on October 8, Foster received gross income of approximately $1,424,449 in 2012 and approximately $981,528 in 2013. The United States alleged he willfully failed to file any income tax return for each year.
Foster pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell. He admitted he earned substantial income in 2012 and 2013 and intentionally failed to file required tax returns.
At sentencing, Foster faces a maximum penalty on each count of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, in addition to up to one year of supervised release. Pursuant to his plea agreement, he will also be required to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid taxes, which could include years in addition to 2012 and 2013. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Brown.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Norcross cousins plead guilty to operating meth lab near an elementary schoolRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roberto Arroyo-Garcia has pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking on premises where a minor child resides and within 1,000 feet of a school. Arroyo-Garcia and two co-defendants illegally entered the United States from Mexico and then utilized a family home across the street from an elementary school to operate a methamphetamine laboratory and to distribute methamphetamine.
“Running a drug lab in a residential neighborhood demonstrates how little the defendant cared for the safety of neighbors and especially children attending the school nearby,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Also, a child lived in the residence where the three operated the lab. Clearly, Garcia only cared about making money at any cost.”
“These criminals’ days of selling poison and endangering children, neighbors and other innocent people are over,” said Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “HSI is firmly committed to working with state and local law enforcement partners to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and protect our communities.
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division said, “Methamphetamine traffickers pose a clear and present danger to our nation and DEA will be unrelenting in our efforts to bring them to justice. The defendant in this case put the lives of neighbors and school-age youth at risk by engaging in illegal drug trafficking activities near an elementary school. Such traffickers are a true menace to society. Now that they have been removed from the streets, our children and the entire community, are much safer. I want to thank our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts who had a direct impact in making this investigation a success.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In August 2017, HSI agents began investigating a local methamphetamine distributor. Using a combination of investigative information, agents identified a stash house they believed was used as part of the drug distribution operation. The house was located across the street from part of an elementary school in Norcross, Georgia.
As agents were surveilling the suspected drug stash house, Georgia State Patrol, working in conjunction with HSI, stopped defendant Zury Brito-Arroyo as he was driving away from the house. Inside his car, they found $10,000 cash wrapped in green cellophane and a 9mm pistol. Brito-Arroyo’s five-year-old child and wife were also in the car. Upon searching Brito-Arroyo’s cell phone pursuant to a federal search warrant, agents discovered an app that monitored security cameras mounted at the stash house. Agents then searched the stash house, and found defendants Roberto Arroyo-Garcia and Bonifacio Brito-Maldonado actively operating a methamphetamine laboratory in a shed in the backyard. Arroyo-Garcia fled after being handcuffed, but was ultimately recaptured.
Agents seized over 12 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from the shed and inside the house, plus additional methamphetamine in liquid form. They also seized a another 9mm pistol, $8,500 cash, and other methamphetamine trafficking paraphernalia including respirators, rubber gloves, and digital scales.
The DEA Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team responded to the scene to remove the dangerous chemicals. Agents also found children’s clothes inside the house, and later confirmed that a ten-year-old child, who was related to the defendants, lived there. With assistance from the Sandy Springs Police Department, agents also searched another residence used by Brito-Arroyo, where they discovered a plastic bin with methamphetamine residue, another 9mm pistol, an electronic money counter, and four bundles of cash totaling $41,000 wrapped in green cellophane.
At the time of these events, all three defendants were illegally present in the United States. Roberto Arroyo-Garcia, a/k/a Jonathan Valenzuela Rodriguez, a/k/a Santiago Arroyo Prieto, 37, of Norcross, Georgia, was previously deported twice following separate drug convictions. His co-defendants, Zury Brito-Arroyo, 27, and Bonifacio Brito-Maldonado, 23, pleaded guilty on October 17, 2019, to these charges and to maintaining a premises for methamphetamine trafficking.
In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Sandy Springs Police Department are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan M. Christian and Garrett L. Bradford, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section, are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Atlanta Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs) or Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs) and their affiliates in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
New York Man Sentenced for Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: A New York man was sentenced on Tuesday in federal court in Bangor for bank fraud, using other people’s Social Security numbers, and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Mark Pignatello, 55, of Yonkers, New York, to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Pignatello pled guilty on April 24, 2019. Pignatello was also ordered to pay $20,893 in restitution.
According to court records, over three days in October 2018, Pignatello traveled across Maine and New Hampshire, visiting branches of People’s United Bank, at which he would pass or attempt to pass counterfeit checks. These checks were made out to individuals other than Pignatello. In order to facilitate his scheme, Pignatello used the Social Security numbers and other personal information of these individuals to impersonate them, as well as counterfeit driver’s licenses bearing his image, but with their personal information. Pignatello was ultimately apprehended by the Newport, Maine police outside of the Newport branch of People’s United Bank, where his activity had been identified as fraudulent.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Bangor, Newport, and Orono Police Departments investigated the case.
New Carlisle Man Convicted at Trial Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay $2,271,720.05 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Kevin Clinton, age 62, of New Carlisle, Indiana, was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr, after being convicted on 4 counts of mail fraud during a 2-day trial in May 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Clinton was sentenced to 71 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,271,720.05 in restitution.
According to evidence presented at trial, Clinton was employed as the Chief Information Officer at a business in South Bend. From about March 2012 through October 2017, he executed a scheme to defraud his employer. He incorporated a separate business called Innovation Services that supposedly provided information-technology services to his employer, and he used a virtual office to submit fraudulent billings to his employer totaling over $2.2 million. Clinton’s employer sent checks to the virtual office as payment for fake services claimed in the fraudulent billings. At the time, his employer did not know Clinton owned the sham business.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse.
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Mexican man previously deported 9 times faces drug chargesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI — The United States charged a Mexican man in a three-count superseding indictment with intent to distribute cocaine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl, as well as illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director Rebecca Adducci, announced the superseding indictment returned yesterday.
Luis Tapia, 27, was arrested at a Cincinnati residence on Sept. 13. At the time of his arrest, Tapia attempted to escape from a second-floor window onto the roof. He eventually retreated into the house and locked himself in a closet. Special Response Team agents then forcibly entered the home and apprehended Tapia. He has remained in custody since.
In August 2019, Tapia fled from law enforcement during a routine traffic stop. Before fleeing the stop, Tapia falsely identified himself as his brother, who is legitimately in the country under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Tapia is ineligible to remain in the country under DACA due to his previous felony convictions. Further investigation uncovered a photograph of Tapia illegally reentering the country at a border checkpoint.
According to ICE records, Tapia had been previously removed to Mexico nine times between 2012 and 2019. After each removal, he illegally reentered the United States. Tapia was most recently deported on April 25, 2018.
Reentry of a removed alien is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing more than 400 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, with a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Cincinnati and Norwood police departments, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt; all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison Following Deportation and Document FraudRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who had been deported, illegally returned to the United States, and then used false identification documents to obtain a job was sentenced today to almost three months in federal prison.
Jose Martinez-Lopez, age 47, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in West Liberty, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 22, 2019, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of identification documents, one count of misuse of a Social Security number, and one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Martinez-Lopez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and that he illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Martinez-Lopez was deported in April 1992 following a conviction for theft in El Paso County, Texas.
Martinez-Lopez also admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2019 at a business in Stanwood, Iowa. On the employment application, Martinez-Lopez falsely claimed to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The Social Security account number on the card used by Martinez-Lopez was fictitious. The Alien Registration number on the “green card” was issued to another person. On July 11, 2019, Martinez-Lopez was found and arrested by immigration agents at the business in Stanwood where Martinez-Lopez was employed.
Martinez-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Martinez-Lopez was sentenced to 80 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martinez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-75.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Guilty of Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that MANUEL LIRA-RIVERA, age 35, a native of Mexico, pleaded guilty October 23, 2019 to illegally using a Social Security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
According to court documents, LIRA-RIVERA submitted an application to obtain employment with Company “A.” During the application process, he presented a fraudulent United States Social Security card in the name of R.L.A. (a male) which contained the Social Security number of A.E.E. (a female) ending in 6757, which he represented to be his own. An employee suspected that the Social Security card was fraudulent and law enforcement was contacted. LIRA-RIVERA admitted that his real name was not R.L.A. and that the Social Security number ending in 6757 did not belong to him.
LIRA-RIVERA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. United States District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle set sentencing for December 18, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of United States Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Social Security Administration agents in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
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Member of Violent New Haven Gang Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL VIA, also known as “Mike Live,” 22, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the New Haven Police Department’s Shooting Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating numerous unsolved shootings that had occurred in New Haven and Hamden. Ballistic examination of recovered cartridge cases determined that three firearms were used in 18 shootings committed in or around New Haven in 2016. The investigation revealed that the firearms were possessed by members and associates of the Goodrich Street Boys (“GSB”), a New Haven street gang, and that GSB members also were involved in a number of other shootings in 2016, many of them retaliatory against rival gang members.
On August 3, 2017, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Via and five other GSB members with racketeering, attempted murder, firearm and narcotics trafficking offenses. The indictment alleged that, between September 2015 and May 2016, GSB members and associates were involved in six gang-related shootings that caused injuries to five individuals.
Via previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and admitted that he and other GSB members conspired to kill an individual who they believed had been disrespectful to a GSB member. On May 27, 2016, GSB members ambushed the individual and his friend as the pair were walking on a busy street in New Haven. The individual, who survived the attack, identified GSB member Milton Westley as an assailant. Westley, also known as “Reese,” shot the victim in the stomach. After the victim collapsed to the ground, Westley stood over him and shot him in the head. Another GSB member shot the second victim in the hand as he attempted to shield his face.
The victim who was shot in the stomach and head continues to recover from his injuries. He was in coma for several weeks and had to learn to walk and talk again.
This victim had been shot at by GSB members twice prior to May 27, 2016.
GSB members also shot at rival gang members on February 6, 2016, in a densely populated residential area; March 13, 2016, during a heavily attended St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown New Haven; and June 21, 2016, during which an innocent bystander was shot in the stomach through her bedroom window.
The investigation further revealed that Via regularly distributed marijuana. Via and other GSB members also used social media to post pictures and videos of themselves with firearms. Via also used social media to threaten rivals, including individuals who might cooperate with law enforcement.
Via has been detained since his arrest on August 9, 2017. On July 31, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
Westley and the four other defendants also have pleaded guilty to various charges and are detained while awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that this prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF and the New Haven Police Department. The FBI, Hamden Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of this investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
McClellandtown, PA Man Charged with Possessing IEDsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A resident of Fayette County, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on October 15 and unsealed yesterday, named Nathanael Varney, age 24, of McClellandtown, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 15, 2019, Varney possessed an unregistered firearm, specifically four improvised explosive devices.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Czarnecki is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mandeville Nurse Charged with Conspiracy to Alter or Falsify Records in a Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that SUZANNE C. MAY, age 61, of Mandeville was charged October 22, 2019 by a Bill of Information with conspiracy to alter or falsify records in connection with a federal investigation, namely, a Medicare audit of a hospice facility located in New Orleans, identified in court documents as Company 1.
According to court documents, MAY was a registered nurse in the State of Louisiana and served as the administrator of Company 1. In 2015, Medicare audited Company 1 and concluded that Company 1 did not have the proper patient documentation to justify Company 1’s level of billing for hospice services. As a result, Medicare reversed all the claims for hospice services under review in that audit, which amounted to $383,107.26. In connection with that audit, Medicare sent an education letter to MAY regarding what was required of Company 1 in order to bill for hospice services.
In August 2017, Medicare performed another audit of Company 1 and requested patient documentation for 99 beneficiaries for whom Company 1 submitted claims for purportedly providing hospice care services. MAY was in charge of gathering the documents requested by the August 2017 audit. After reviewing Company 1’s files for these beneficiaries, MAY understood that Company 1 did not have the required records to justify Company 1’s billings to Medicare for purported hospice care services for the claims under review.
According to court documents, between August 2017 and October 2017, MAY and other employees of Company 1, altered, amended, and falsified patient records to hide the fact that Company 1 lacked required medical records to justify bills submitted to Medicare for purported hospice services for the beneficiaries at issue in the audit. Court documents detail an instance where MAY placed whiteout on one patient record and created a note on that record indicating that she treated that patient as a nurse in November 2014, when she had not done so. MAY caused all these falsified patient records to be submitted to Medicare in response to the August 2017 audit so that Company 1 would pass the Medicare audit. Despite the falsifications, Medicare still determined that Company 1’s patient records were still largely deficient.
If convicted, MAY faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervised release in addition to a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their work investigating the case.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh.
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Man Sentenced for 5 Years for Madison Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Albert Singer, 24, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to five years in federal prison for bank robbery. Singer pleaded guilty to this charge on July 25, 2019.
Singer robbed the Chase Bank on East Towne Boulevard in Madison on August 11, 2018. During the bank robbery, Singer presented the victim bank teller with a note stating that it was a robbery, and threatened them harm if they didn’t give him money.
Noting that bank robberies have a significant effect on victims, Judge Peterson said that even though a weapon was not used, Singer still harmed the victim. Singer was on state supervision for robbery at the time of this bank robbery, and is facing revocation in that case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter violent crime.
The charge against Singer was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Madison Police Department. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on October 24, 2019, Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf, sentenced Hersel Raymar Bradley, 41, of Lincoln, to 19 years and seven months, (235 months) in prison. Bradley pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine actual and 500 grams of cocaine in July of 2019. Information provided to law enforcement indicated Bradley was responsible for the distribution of at least 15 kilograms (approximately 33 pounds) of methamphetamine mixture, at least 20 grams (approximately ¾ ounce) of methamphetamine actual and at least 500 grams (approximately 18 ounces) of cocaine in the Lincoln area between August of 2016 and August of 2018. Following the prison term, Bradley will serve five years on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Frank Rowles, 59, of Lewiston, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish, who is handling the case, stated that on January 3, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at 5150 Homestead Place in Lewiston, NY, and recovered two digital scales and a quantity of cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 6, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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Law Enforcement, Community Leaders Announce New Cooperative Effort to Curb Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Leaders from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Virginia State Police, City of Roanoke Police Department, and Roanoke City Public Schools, joined United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen today in announcing the formation of Roanoke C.A.R.E.
Roanoke C.A.R.E. is the Coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and partners Acting together to more effectively investigate, and prosecute crimes to Reduce the number of shootings, violent crimes, and gang activity in the City of Roanoke, and to Educate both the school and broader community about the dangers of gun violence and gang life.
“We are committed to working directly with the Roanoke Police Department and our other federal, state, and local partners to prosecute acts of violence, gun-related crimes, and gang activity in federal court,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “I am also pleased to support our Mayor and Dr. Bishop in their critical efforts to curb the rise of organized gang activity in our neighborhoods and classrooms.”
U.S. Attorney Cullen explained during today’s announcement that the agencies involved in Roanoke C.A.R.E. will meet regularly to share intelligence on trends, examine crime data, and work to move ongoing criminal investigations more efficiently toward federal prosecution. In addition, partner agencies will work with officials from the City of Roanoke, Roanoke City Public Schools, and community groups to engage residents about the dangers of gun violence and a gang lifestyle.
“The safety of all citizens in the City of Roanoke is the paramount concern of Roanoke City Council. Roanoke City Council has taken several actions to address the issue of violence, including the creation of a community-based task force focused on finding tangible, meaningful, and transformative solutions to gun violence in our community,” said Roanoke Mayor Sherman P. Lea Sr. “Roanoke City strongly endorses this federal, state, and local initiative to address violence within our City and Region as an exciting opportunity to engage all community stakeholders to partner with agencies in implementing effective solutions to violence in the Roanoke Valley. Roanoke City is committed to being an active contributor and participant in this initiative and applauds the commitments of all partners in this program.”
“Student safety is the number one priority of Roanoke City Public Schools. I appreciate the cooperation of the U.S. Attorney, the Mayor, Chief of Police, and other partner agencies in addressing violence in Roanoke,” said Dr. Rita Bishop, Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools. “The School Division will be an active partner in confronting the problem.”
“We are looking forward to this enhanced partnership opportunity, and are ready to loosen the ties these dangerous individuals have in the Roanoke Valley,” said City of Roanoke Police Chief Timothy Jones. “When the influences of gang life and violence become focused on our children, the community must collectively respond to protect our most vulnerable members.”
“ATF is fully committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and gang activity in the City of Roanoke,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict, ATF Washington Field Division. “The C.A.R.E. initiative is a forward-looking and comprehensive approach to combating violent crime on multiple fronts. Not only are we focusing resources on more effectively investigating gun crime and bringing criminals to justice, we are also concentrating on earlier intervention in the school to provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to avoid the reach of gang life and gun violence. This holistic approach will keep the Roanoke community safer by removing illegal guns and violent offenders from our streets and curbing violence before it begins.”
“This announcement of the Roanoke C.A.R.E. effort is an exciting initiative for law enforcement and a valuable resource to help protect the citizens of Roanoke and hold criminals accountable,” said Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Washington Field Division. “Combining the unique skills, talents, and capabilities of the participating agencies and resources will enable us to better address the wide variety of significant drug and violent crime threats facing Roanoke-area communities. The DEA is fully committed to helping assist in this critical new initiative with substantial resources and effort.”
“We all see the families who are affected somehow by the violence that's erupting in our communities and schools - theft to fuel a drug dependency; children that are exposed to drugs or gangs on the streets, in the schools or in their own homes; or the death of a loved one from an overdose or some other violent crime - these are hard truths for the community,” said Neil L. Mathison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “Creating this initiative, combining these collective resources, will be a significant factor in addressing violent crime; but law enforcement can't do it alone. Please work with us, be engaged and report suspicious activity - help us, help you!"
Roanoke C.A.R.E. is part of the Western District of Virginia’s Project Safe Neighborhoods [PSN] initiative to reduce gun and violent crime in Roanoke and Danville. PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven 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.
Latin King Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-David Ulmenstine, 28, of Posen, Illinois, and a member of the Chicago-based Latin Kings, was sentenced by Judge Simon to 70 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release following his guilty plea to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Ulmenstine was held responsible for activity involving between 400 and 500 grams of cocaine distributed by the Latin Kings street gang. As a member of the Latin Kings, Ulmenstine attended gang meetings and paid dues, which went to the purchase of such things as firearms and narcotics for the gang. Ulmenstine was involved in distributing narcotics and patrolled Latin King neighborhoods looking out for rival gang members and police.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, have also provided assistance. The Latin King case is being prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Nicholas J. Padilla.
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KC Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Armed Robbery of Pizza Hut, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he used in the armed robbery of a Pizza Hut restaurant.
Teandre L. Wilson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 9, 2019, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wilson admitted he robbed the Pizza Hut at 9515 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Wilson entered the Pizza Hut at about 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2018. He approached the register, made brief small talk with the cashier, then lifted the right side of his shirt to reveal a firearm tucked in his waistband. “Give me your money,” he told the cashier, “or I’ll pop ya.” The cashier emptied the register and handed the money to Wilson, who fled from the premises.
Shortly afterward, on Aug. 24, 2018, Kansas City police officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of 6th Street and Benton Boulevard. The caller told officers he heard shots from his residence, then looked out his window and saw a man later identified as Wilson hiding behind a car. Wilson was found by officers in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store. Wilson was arrested and officers seized a loaded Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol from his right waistband.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Wilson has prior felony convictions for possessing or distributing a controlled substance, and a prior felony conviction for robbery.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Jury Convicts Tulsa Woman for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a Tulsa woman guilty Wednesday of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
The jury convicted Amy Lee Davis, 38, of Tulsa, for her role as the primary source of supply in the Tulsa methamphetamine distribution operation.
“Amy Davis was charged with moving more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and today a jury of her peers found her guilty as charged,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. “Methamphetamine continues to be the most widely abused drug in Oklahoma. Ms. Davis spread addiction on the streets of Tulsa. I am proud of the prosecution and investigative teams for their hard work to pursue justice for our community.”
During the investigation, officers with the Tulsa Police Department’s Special Investigations Division discovered that Davis consistently supplied a group of drug dealers with pound quantities of methamphetamine for distribution and was suspected of routinely traveling to Oklahoma City in order to re-up her supply of the drug. Davis was further found to have maintained a commercial property in Tulsa where she regularly stored and sold the drug.
On Nov. 13, 2018, Tulsa police officers executed search warrants at multiple locations routinely visited by Davis. Multiple firearms, methamphetamine, digital scales, and large amounts of cash were discovered in the searches. The same day, officers also stopped Davis and a co-conspirator on a return trip from Oklahoma City for a traffic violation. Officers found drug paraphernalia and seven pounds of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Davis was arrested and detained at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center. After being released on bond, Davis was arrested again in April for failure to appear for preliminary proceedings in Tulsa County District Court. At that time, officers found approximately 3 ounces of methamphetamine in her possession.
During the trial, the United States presented text messages Davis had exchanged with a person she believed to be a methamphetamine customer but turned out to be an undercover Tulsa police officer. In the texts, Davis used coded language that officers testified was consistent with language used by drug traffickers arranging a sale. Officers also testified about jailhouse calls made by Davis while she was housed at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center. The United States showed that Davis contacted her known co-conspirators to collect on debts and to assist with posting bond. Officers explained that it is a common practice for drug conspirators to bond one another out in order to maintain their drug distribution operations and profits associated with their crimes.
In closing, the United States argued that the evidence showed Davis was a “top-tier drug trafficker” who stored drugs and drug proceeds at multiple locations in Tulsa and used a team of individuals to funnel pounds of methamphetamine into Tulsa and surrounding communities. The United States noted that officers had testified to conducting multiple different types of surveillance over the course of several weeks to track Davis’s drug distribution activities before they arrested Davis.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for Jan. 30, 2020. At sentencing, Davis faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. She also faces maximum fine of $10 million.
The Tulsa Police Department Special Investigations Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn A. McCormick, Thomas E. Duncombe, and Vani Singhal are prosecuting the case for the United States. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force unit.
Inmate-Gang Member Sentenced for Using the Mail to Threaten to Kill Federal Prosecutor and His FamilyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Dylan Ray Langley (25, Fort Myers) to two years and six months in federal prison for using of the U.S. Mail to threaten to injure an officer of the United States.
Langley had pleaded guilty on June 19, 2019.
According to court documents, while serving a state prison sentence for armed robbery, Langley mailed a letter to an Assistant United States Attorney. In his letter, Langley threatened to kill the prosecutor as revenge for his having prosecuted Langley’s “brother.” He also made serious threats against the prosecutor’s family. When interviewed by federal agents, Langley admitted that he had sent the letter and intended to carry out his threats. He explained that the letter’s mention of a “brother” did not refer to any biological brother, but rather a fellow gang member. Langley changed his story after an agent told him that if a state prisoner commits, and is convicted of, a federal crime, the prisoner must serve his state sentence and then the federal sentence. During a second interview with agents, Langley claimed that he never intended to carry out the threat and mistakenly had believed that threatening a federal official would result in him being moved from state custody into federal custody.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Illegal alien admits to reentry chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jesus Sinaca-Ambrose, a citizen of Mexico, has admitted to a reentry charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Sinaca-Ambrose, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of Removed Alien.” Sinaca-Ambrose admitted to being in Berkeley County in July 2019 after being removed twice for being in the country illegally.
Sinaca-Ambrose faces up to two years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Found Guilty of Assault on Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Vincente Lopez-Sanchez, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found guilty by a federal jury Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate of assaulting and inflicting serious bodily injury upon a federal law enforcement officer, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
“Our men and women in law enforcement put themselves in harm’s way every day, and any time someone attacks or harms them, our office will be there to quickly and aggressively prosecute such criminals. This defendant, who has previously broken our nation’s immigration laws multiple times and who should have never been in the country to begin with, is another example of the importance of strong enforcement of our immigration laws and the protection of our nation’s border, so that our citizens and our law enforcement can remain safe,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
On August 2, 2018, Lopez-Sanchez was stopped by an officer with the Brandon Police Department for a traffic violation. The police officer contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a Deportation Officer came to the scene. Once on the scene, Lopez-Sanchez assaulted the ICE Deportation Officer, causing serious bodily injury to the officer.
Lopez-Sanchez has two previous federal felony convictions for smuggling illegal aliens and two previous federal felony convictions for illegal reentry into the United States.
Lopez-Sanchez will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on February 18, 2020, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brandon Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Murray and Ted Cooperstein.
Hudson County Man Admits Role in Wire Fraud Scheme to Defraud Financial Institution CustomersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted participating in a scheme that involved defrauding financial institution customers of almost half a million dollars, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ramon Herrera, 36, of Union City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between May 2015 and January 2018, Herrera used his position as a registered broker and financial advisor at a clearing services company associated with “Financial Institution-1” to meet and learn confidential information about Financial Institution-1 customers in the Hudson County area, for whom he was ostensibly providing advice and brokerage services. Herrera caused the Financial Institution-1 customers he was advising, many of whom were elderly and/or communicated with Herrera in Spanish, to sign blank withdrawal slips, which Herrera then completed and presented to bank tellers at Financial Institution-1 branches. Herrera directed the bank tellers to withdraw the money from the customers’ accounts in the form of cashier’s checks, which enabled Herrera to then apply the checks against the various personal accounts that Herrara and a family member maintained at Financial Institution-1. In total, Herrera stole more than $450,000 from approximately 40 Financial Instiution-1 customers. He used the stolen funds for his own purposes without the customers’ knowledge or authorization.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain derived from or loss caused by the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Jason LeBoeuf Esq., Livingston, New Jersey
Hartford Man with Violent Criminal History Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYSHAWN COLEMAN, 30, of Hartford pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of August 5, 2017, Hartford Police stopped a car after a witness had reported that the car was involved in a fatal shooting on Edgewood Street less than 30 minutes earlier. Coleman was sitting in the front passenger seat. An officer conducted a pat-down of Coleman and retrieved two clear zip-lock bags from his pocket. One of the bags contained marijuana, and the other contained a .45 caliber bullet.
Prior to August 2017, Coleman had sustained two felony convictions for conspiracy to commit murder, three felony convictions for accessory to first-degree assault, one felony conviction for first degree assault, and one felony conviction for sale of a controlled substance.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Coleman has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 16, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Hammond Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Temika Coleman, age 41, of Hammond, Indiana was sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge James T. Moody upon her plea of guilty to wire fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Coleman was sentenced to 121 months in prison and ordered to pay in excess of $180,000 in restitution to various financial institutions and retailers.
According to documents in this case, Coleman participated in a scheme that involved stolen personal identifying information from victims in more than 10 states and Canada. Coleman and co-defendants stole some of the victims’ information from a hospital in Arizona. The stolen records included birth dates, social security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, employment information, insurance carriers, treating physicians, and identifying information related to the victims’ emergency contacts. Coleman and others fraudulently opened credit cards, bank accounts, and retail credit accounts on-line.
Co-defendant Vincent Prunty of Chicago was sentenced in August 2019, to 154 months in prison for his role in the scheme. Co-defendant Germico Childress of Calumet City, IL pled guilty in June 2018, and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Denise Houston.
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Gilmer County woman and Braxton County man admit to roles in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kisha Starr Riggs, of Glenville, West Virginia, and Duncan Currie Canter, of Burnsville, West Virginia, have admitted to their involvement in methamphetamine distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Riggs, age 31, and Canter, age 25m each pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Methamphetamine in Proximity to a Protected Location.” Riggs and Canter admitted to selling methamphetamine near Glenville State College in September 2018 in Gilmer County.Riggs and Canter each face at least one year and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Georgia attorney sentenced for obstructionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Natasha Simone White, has been sentenced for obstructing an official forfeiture proceeding. White, a lawyer and licensed real estate agent, used drug proceeds to renovate a house she owned in California. She blatantly disobeyed warnings from the federal government not to sell the house, and made off with a profit of almost one million dollars from the sale.
“While she did not sell the drugs, White lined her pockets with the excessive profits gained from drug trafficking, using the funds to build her dream house in California,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “But when the Government came knocking, White packed her bags and tried to leave town, along with $1 million dollars in profit. As an attorney herself, White should have known better than to obstruct the federal government in its pursuit of justice.”
“HSI is firmly committed to targeting the illegal import and sale of narcotics; following the money trails, and leveraging our transnational partnerships to stop drug trafficking organizations in their tracks,” said Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “HSI will continue to focus on bringing to justice members of drug trafficking organizations, those complicit in their activities as well as seizing every illicitly-derived proceed and ill-gotten gain.”
“The sentencing of Natasha White signals an important victory for the American public. The role of IRS Criminal Investigation in narcotics investigations is to follow the money so we can financially disrupt and dismantle major international drug trafficking organizations,” said Thomas J. Holloman III, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “One of the government's most powerful weapons is the ability to seize the assets associated with narcotics-related crime. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2012, federal agents began investigating a drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in the Atlanta area. In 2015, agents identified White, who was at the time a romantic interest of a target of the drug investigation, for her possible involvement in the laundering of the drug proceeds.
Through the investigation, agents began to suspect White was involved in concealing the source of the drug proceeds. Agents learned that White is an attorney admitted to the State Bar of Georgia and a real estate broker licensed in California. Agents also learned that White had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds, which she used to purchase a house located in Los Angeles, California, for $625,000, and then renovate and improve with an additional $600,000.
Once in 2015, and again in 2016, agents interviewed White about the drug and money laundering investigation, and each time, the agents informed White that the Los Angeles house was subject to federal forfeiture on the grounds that it was the proceeds of drug trafficking and that it was involved in money laundering. Agents also advised White not to sell the property, and she agreed.
In August 2016, agents discovered that White listed the Los Angeles house for sale on various real estate websites with an asking price of $1,600,000. White's attorney agreed to have her withdraw the property from the listing services, and a few days later, agents confirmed that she had done so.
On September 29, 2016, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the Los Angeles house in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Agents then contacted White's lawyer to inform him that the complaint had been filed and that the government would be recording a lien, known as a lis pendens, against the house in the real property records of Los Angeles County, California. Agents also informed the attorney that White could be charged with obstruction if she were to sell the house.
On November 6, 2016, despite instructions to the contrary from the federal government, White sold the Los Angeles house for $1,550,000 to a third-party who had no knowledge that the property was subject to forfeiture. After paying off the mortgage, White received sale proceeds of more than $997,196, which she spent, among other things, to purchase a house in Union City, Georgia, to fund her bank accounts, and to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal and family debt, including her school loans.
Natasha White, 44, of Inglewood, California, pleaded guilty to obstruction before U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen on July 22, 2019. White was sentenced to six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release with the first six months to be served on home confinement. She was also ordered to pay a personal forfeiture money judgment of $997,196 and to forfeit the real property located in Union City, Georgia and approximately $59,000 in funds seized from her bank accounts.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys C. Brock Brockington, Sekret T. Sneed, Deputy Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Lee prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Brown, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, prosecuted the related civil forfeiture case against the Los Angeles house.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fulton County man indicted for allegedly attempting to coerce a 15-year-old girl into sexual activityRead the Press Release
A Fulton County man was indicted for allegedly attempting to coerce a 15-year-old girl into sexual conduct.
Kyle Brackman, 25, of Delta, Ohio, was indicted on one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents:
A high school principal in Iowa contacted local police in 2017 after learning a 15-year-old student was communicating with Brackman and the messages were sexual in nature.
Brackman sent the juvenile four images of his genitals and solicited a video from the girl, according to court documents.
Brackman was arrested on July 28, 2019 after officers responded to reports of a male making sexually suggestive remarks and gestures to a 10-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl, according to court documents
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fort Hall Man Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stormy Ray Adakai, 24, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Adakai was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on November 27, 2018. Sentencing for Adakai is set for January 22, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
According to court records, on September 2, 2018, at approximately 3:02 a.m., the Fort Hall Police were notified of a truck driver who had been assaulted while inside his semi-truck parked near the TP Gas Station on Ross Fork Road, in the area of the Fort Hall Casino, on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The victim told police that, while he was asleep in his truck’s cab, an unknown male, later identified as Adakai, broke into the cab and assaulted him. Adakai demanded money and struck the victim repeatedly with rocks. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered a broken nose, a broken orbital (eye) bone, and a brain hemorrhage. The victim also had seizures as a result of the brain hemorrhage.
A witness identified Adakai as the assailant. Investigators then interviewed Adakai. Adakai admitted assaulting the victim, using rocks to beat the victim. He stated that he was intoxicated and wanted money from the victim.
The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department.
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Fort Belknap man sentenced to 22 years for sexually abusing girlRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Fort Belknap man convicted of sexually abusing a girl on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced this week to 22 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.
James Edward Snell, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided at the Oct. 22 sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said in court records that an investigation of Snell, and defendant Geneva Marie Nadeau, found photographs and videos of them in 2015 sexually abusing a girl, who was under the age of 12. Nadeau confirmed that Snell was in a photograph of a sex act involving the victim. Nadeau was sentenced in February to 22 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Belknap law enforcement.
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Former U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
This morning, a federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant assigned to Lackland Air Force Base to 40 years in federal prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Special Agent/Lt. Col. Jeffrey Hall, Commander of the 11th Field Investigations Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered that 34-year-old Rowell Flora of San Antonio, TX, be placed on supervised release for a period of 20 years after completing his prison term. Judge Garcia also ordered Flora to pay $20,000 restitution and a $10,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
“This case is yet another example of a child predator put behind bars for decades. I’m proud of the work of our office and our law-enforcement partners,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
On February 1, 2018, Flora pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. According to court records, federal authorities executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on August 2, 2017, and seized numerous electronic devices, including the defendant’s cell phone, desktop computer, laptop computer and several external hard drives. A forensics examination of the seized materials revealed the presence of child pornography. By pleading guilty, Flora admitted to using his phone and computer equipment to receive and distribute multiple images and videos depicting child pornography, including files created and sent to him in June 2017 by a female with whom he was involved in a romantic relationship, 21-year-old Jaelene Roxana Fenior. Flora persuaded Fenior to sexually exploit a minor child for Flora’s own self-gratification.
Fenior, who has admitted to generating images and videos of child pornography and transmitting them to Flora, was sentenced on June 20, 2018, to time served (approx. 10 months) and 15 years of supervised release.
Flora has remained in federal custody since his arrest on August 2, 2017.
“This case was a perfect example of the joint capabilities of AFOSI and FBI. We are very proud of the special agents from both agencies that worked tirelessly to ensure a child predator was removed from society,” stated Lt. Col. Hall.
AFOSI and the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Thompson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, 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.
Former President of Our Lady of the Lake Foundation Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced John Paul Funes, age 49, of Baton Rouge, to 33 months in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud and money laundering. The Court further sentenced Funes to two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. As the Court noted at the sentencing hearing, the defendant has already forfeited $796,309, and the Court ordered the defendant to pay an additional $50,000 as a fine.
According to admissions made during his plea, Funes executed a scheme to defraud Our Lady of the Lake Foundation (the “Foundation”), a non-profit organization that supports the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and caused a loss of more than $550,000. During today’s sentencing hearing, the Court determined that the defendant’s fraudulent scheme caused a specific loss of $796,309. Funes prepared, signed, and submitted payment vouchers that caused the Foundation's accounting personnel to issue checks for the payees, amounts, and purposes reflected on the vouchers. Because of his position at the Foundation, Funes could approve his own vouchers, which enabled him to submit dozens of false and fraudulent vouchers that misrepresented the purpose of the checks. In furtherance of the scheme, for example, Funes submitted numerous fraudulent vouchers in which he represented that Foundation funds were necessary to pay a charter flight company to make time-sensitive “outbound patient transports” from Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, when in fact Funes was repeatedly using the flight company's services for his own personal benefit, unbeknownst to the Foundation. On numerous occasions, after fraudulently causing the Foundation to issue payments to other individuals, Funes would direct those individuals to funnel the majority of the funds back to him, by check or money order, thereby conducting financial transactions designed in part to conceal proceeds of the fraudulent scheme. In August of 2018, when the Foundation’s finance department began an internal audit of the expenses described above, Funes created numerous false documents in an effort to conceal the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “This defendant blatantly violated the trust bestowed upon him by the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation and people they serve by stealing valuable resources from those who needed it most. This conviction and sentence should serve as a warning to those who would betray such trust. We are pleased that justice has prevailed, and I am grateful to the Foundation for the full cooperation and valuable assistance it has provided throughout this investigation. I am extremely proud of our prosecutor and the agents from the Secret Service, the FBI, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division for quickly getting to the bottom of this scheme and bringing the defendant to justice.”
Tara McLeese, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service in Baton Rouge said “Today’s sentencing is the result of an outstanding collaborative effort between Federal Prosecutors and Federal investigative agencies based in the Baton Rouge area.”
Bryan A. Vorndran, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge stated, “John Paul Funes betrayed Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, its donors, and the Baton Rouge community by embezzling funds that were intended to benefit the area's sick and injured children. The FBI New Orleans Field Office, along with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Secret Service, will continue to vigorously investigate and hold those accountable who illegally profit at the expense of our community's institutions.”
“Funes abused his CEO position while engaging in a series of fraudulent transactions devised to siphon funds from a worthwhile public charity. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to have assisted our partners in unraveling the criminal activity and fraudulent financial transactions undertaken by Funes for his personal benefit,” said Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “Pooling the skills of each agency makes a formidable team as we investigate allegations of wrong-doing. Today's sentencing demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust.”
This investigation is being handled by the United States Secret Service, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan Stevens, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.
Former Owner of Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza in Saugus was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for failing to report $800,000 in corporate and personal income to the IRS.
Steve Konis, 70, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 and restitution of $178,196. In July 2019, Konis pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in filing false corporate tax returns.
Konis was the sole owner of Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza in Saugus. From 2012 through October 2016, Konis underreported the gross receipts of Giovanni’s in order to reduce the federal income taxes owed by Konis and Giovanni’s. Konis accomplished this by diverting some of the restaurant’s cash receipts for his own benefit, paying for some supplies with cash, and paying a portion of his employees’ wages in cash. In addition, Konis failed to report all of Giovanni’s business expenses in order to make the false gross receipts he reported appear more realistic. As a result, Konis failed to report on cash receipts totaling approximately $800,000 and cash expenses of $312,000 on Giovanni’s tax returns. As a result, for tax years 2012 through 2015, Konis avoided paying corporate and personal taxes totaling $178,169.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Norfolk Sheriff Indicted on Public Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a former Sheriff of the City of Norfolk with defrauding the citizens of Norfolk through a bribery scheme.
According to allegations in the indictment, Robert McCabe, 61, who currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Gerard Boyle, 64, of Franklin, Tennessee, engaged in an illicit quid pro quo relationship while McCabe was the Sheriff of the City of Norfolk. During most of the time covered in the indictment, Boyle was the Chief Executive Officer of Correct Care Solutions, a company that he founded and which contracted with the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office to provide medical services to the inmates at the Norfolk City Jail.
According to allegations in the indictment, between about January 2004 and December 2016, Boyle provided McCabe with cash, travel, a loan, entertainment, gift cards, personal gifts and campaign contributions, in exchange for official actions that favored Boyle’s company in connection with the medical services contract, including contract extensions and renewals, as well as inside bidding information.
The indictment also alleges that McCabe engaged in a similar illicit quid pro quo relationship with the unnamed Chief Executive Officer of a Louisiana-based company that provided food services management to the Norfolk City Jail.
McCabe is charged with eleven counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, obtaining property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Boyle is charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Boyle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O’Boyle, Alan M. Salsbury, and Randy C. Stoker are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-171.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.