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18 October 2019
Justice Department Awards Grants to Wisconsin Tribal CommunitiesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
In the Western District of Wisconsin, five tribal communities were awarded over $5.8 million in funding. They include:
- Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians - $1,717,145
- Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians - $573,400
- Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians - $900,000
- Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - $1,957,170
- St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin - $717,261
“These grant funds will improve public safety and provide significant assistance to the victims of violent crimes in these tribal communities in the Western District of Wisconsin,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “My office will continue to support our tribal partners as they work to protect their communities.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
Jury convicts Cleveland man of using firearm to rob credit unions in Willoughby and Shaker HeightsRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Cleveland man for his role in the armed robberies of credit unions in Shaker Heights and Willoughby on the same day.
Richode Meredith-Hill, 21, is scheduled to be sentenced January 10, 2020. A jury convicted him on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Meredith-Hill attempted to rob the Buckeye State Credit Union on Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights and robbed the Cardinal Community Credit Union on Euclid Avenue in Willoughby. Both took place on April 3, 2017, according to trial testimony.
Meredith-Hill aided and abetted another who used a firearm during these crimes of violence, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted as part of "Project Safe Neighborhoods," a gun violence reduction program administered by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The program targets armed criminals for federal prosecution.
This case was investigated by the FBI and police departments in Cleveland, Shaker Heights, Euclid, Willoughby and Wickliffe. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Zarzycki and Kathryn Andrachick.
Joplin Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet.
Daniel Shawn Rehman, 25, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Rehman to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On March 6, 2019, Rehman pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet.
According to court documents, the website Tumbler reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Rehman had uploaded multiple files of child pornography. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rehman’s apartment on Nov. 7, 2018. Officers seized multiple devices belonging to Rehman’s cell phone, which contained child pornography and a significant amount of child pornography anime.
There also were multiple images that depicted violence and racial hatred; for example, Rehman created an image where he is wearing a Nazi officer’s hat in front of a large pile of dead bodies. In another image, a cartoon character duck is depicted with a caption bubble stating, “When you trick the autistic kid into raping the girl with Down syndrome you record it, sell the video to a local pedophile and use the profit to buy guns to shoot up the school.” Inside Rehman’s apartment, officers found a green flag hung on one of the apartment walls, which Rehman told them was a flag for Pakistani Nazis. In the kitchen, above the cabinets, officers found a German Nazi officer’s hat. A Ruger handgun was found inside a metal ammunition can, along with more than 300 rounds of ammunition.
Rehman admitted to officers that he had been viewing child pornography for several years, and that he had downloaded and possessed images of child pornography of children as young as infants.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
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."Jefferson County man admits to role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jansen V. Carr, of Ranson, West Virginia, has admitted to selling cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Carr, age 34, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Carr admitted to selling cocaine base for $250 in August 2018 in Berkeley County.
Carr faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S Attorney Timothy D. Helman, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography 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 Matthew Bailer, 34, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that on July 11, 2018, the Jamestown Police Department received a complaint from a parent that her minor children, Victim 1 and Victim 2, may have been sexually abused by the defendant. The parent stated that she was told by the defendant’s sister that a series of concerning pictures, sexual in nature, were sent on a Nokia cellular telephone that was used by the defendant.
Bailer was subsequently arrested on a warrant out of Missouri related to a burglary case. During a search of the Nokia cellular telephone, investigators recovered several hundred images of images of child pornography involving sexually explicit conduct by prepubescent and pubescent children.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Justice Department Awards over $273.4 Million to Improve Public Safety, Serve Crime Victims in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr., joined the Department of Justice today in announcing the award of over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the only tribe in the Northern District of Iowa was awarded over $380,000 in funding. This funding will be used to support the Tribe’s justice systems and alcohol and substance abuse programs.
“Improving public safety will always be a priority for my office and the Department of Justice,” said Deegan. “This grant awarded to the Meskwaki Tribe is another step toward making our communities safer for all.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
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Justice Department Awards over $273.4 Million to Improve Public Safety, Serve Crime Victims in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
Five Tribes in the District of South Dakota were awarded $3,740,989 in funding for various programs. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe received $450,000 in funding for the Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program; the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe received $716,968 for the Tribal Victim Services Program; the Oglala Sioux Tribe received $738,871, of which $449,318 is for the Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program, and $289,553 is for the Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities; the Rosebud Sioux Tribe received $1,508,794, of which $792,134 is for the Public Safety and Community Policing program, and $716,660 is for the Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse program; and the Yankton Sioux Tribe received $326,356 for Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities.
“These DOJ grants for additional public safety funding are supplemental to existing funding levels sustained through the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “It is our hope that they will help bridge the gap for these Tribal governments and go a long way toward making every community in South Dakota as safe as it can possibly be.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Oct. 15 was:
Elvin Ricardo Perez-Villar, 30, of Mexico, on charges of illegal reentry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Perez-Villar faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Perez-Villar was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. Pacer case reference. 19-77.
Lucia Marlene Mendez, 34, of Tampa, FL, on charges of attempted transportation of illegal aliens. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mendez faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mendez was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. Pacer case reference. 19-76.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 15 was:
Allan Roy Goodman, 42, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Goodman faces a maximum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Goodman was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI and Montana Regional Violent Crimes Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-43.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Houston Man Charged with Possession of HeroinRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that WILSON ROMERO, age 53, of Katy, Texas, was charged today in a one-count indictment with possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
According to the indictment, on May 6, 2019, ROMERO possessed over 100 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.
If convicted, ROMERO faces a sentence of between 5 years and 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Louisiana State Police in investigating this case.
An indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni and Jonathan L. Shih are in charge of the prosecution.
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Harrison County man sentenced for methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jack F. Gibbins, III, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Gibbins, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting” in May 2019. Gibbins admitted to distributing methamphetamine in March 2018 in Harrison County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Harrison County man sentenced for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David Weaver, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Weaver, age 34, pled guilty to “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location” in March 2019. Weaver admitted to selling methamphetamine near Washington Irving Middle School in Harrison County in October 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part 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.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Guilty Plea Entered for Theft, Bribery, and Conspiracy Charges Related to Business Dealings with an Oklahoma Indian Tribal TownRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that AARON DEWAYNE TERRY, age 63, of Wichita Falls, Texas, entered a guilty plea via Superseding Indictment in connection with the theft and embezzlement of funds from business entities wholly owned by the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town (AQTT) of Wetumka, Oklahoma.
The AQTT is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in Oklahoma with an enrollment of around 280 members. The AQTT-owned business entities focus primarily on federal contract procurement in Huntsville, AL. Mr. Terry held various executive management and control positions within the AQTT-owned business entities during this period.
Mr. Terry pled guilty to one count of Theft By An Agent Of An Indian Tribal Government Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A); one count of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(B); and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Mr. Terry also pled guilty via Information to two counts of personal Tax Fraud, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Office of Inspector General – General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General – Small Business Administration, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Army Criminal Investigation Command.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Mr. Terry remains free on bond, pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Horn, Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Heatherman, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Jordan represented the United States at the plea hearing.
Greensburg Doctor Convicted at Trial of Illegally Dispensing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – After deliberating for eight hours, a federal jury late yesterday found Dr. Milad Shaker guilty of 14 counts of illegal dispensing of opioids, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Shaker, 50, of Greensburg, PA, was tried before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
U.S. Attorney Brady stated, "The conviction of Milad Shaker reflects this office’s commitment to prosecuting unethical physicians who are responsible for the opioid crisis through their illegal prescribing of Scheduled substances. Shaker’s own statements at trial demonstrate his callous and complete disregard for the health of his patient and the potential damage of his actions."
The evidence introduced during the six-day trial established that from October 2014 through March 2017, Shaker, a primary care physician, illegally dispensed Hydrocodone, Percoset and Tramadol to a patient in return for sex and sexually explicit photos and texts. According to testimony at trial, Shaker would meet the patient at various hotels in Westmoreland and Fayette counties and at two locations on the side of the road to engage in sex in return for opioid prescriptions. Shaker also exchanged prescriptions for texts containing sexually explicit images of the patient. During cross examination, Shaker, in defending his illegal prescribing, testified that, "opioids are like candy," and "10 to 20 opioid pills will not hurt you."
As part of his release pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Shaker cease practicing medicine.
Judge Bissoon set sentencing for February 20, 2020. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 140 years in prison, a fine of $3,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert S. Cessar and Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (OFADU) for conducting the investigation leading to the charges against Shaker. The Western Pennsylvania OFADU, led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, combines the expertise and resources of federal and state law enforcement to address the role played by unethical medical professionals in the opioid epidemic.
The agencies comprising the Western Pennsylvania OFADU include: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotic Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Office of Inspector General and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.
Former Osteo Relief Institutes and Their Owners to Pay over $7.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of Unnecessary Knee Injections and BracesRead the Press Release
Seven former Osteo Relief Institutes (ORIs) and their owners have agreed to pay the United States collectively more than $7.1 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly billed Medicare for medically unnecessary viscosupplementation injections and medically unnecessary knee braces, the Justice Department announced today.
“Billing Medicare for medically unnecessary items and procedures puts patients at risk and wastes taxpayer funds,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue companies and individuals who seek to benefit at the expense of federal health care programs and their beneficiaries.”
“Providers who bill the Medicare system must do so in a manner that is consistent with good patient care,” said Erica MacDonald, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. “When individuals and entities permit financial motivation to cloud their judgment, our office is committed to addressing these abuses. We very much appreciate the tireless investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Health and Human Services in pursuing this nationwide investigation.”
“This settlement demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to identify and hold accountable those healthcare providers who improperly bill medically unnecessary services,” said Robert M. Duncan Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “It is also an example of our commitment to identify those who seek to defraud the government, as well as to work with whistleblowers, who play a critical role in helping keep entities honest, and are encouraged to report suspected waste, fraud, and abuse by those billing federal programs.”
“Providing unnecessary care in an effort to increase profits is illegal and may put patients at risk,” said Lamont Pugh, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The OIG’s five-year compliance agreement in the Osteo Relief Institutes case is designed to ensure such alleged behavior will not be repeated.”
Viscosupplementation is a treatment for osteoarthritis, in which a doctor injects a gel-like fluid into a patient’s knee joint to act as a lubricant and to supplement the natural properties of joint fluid. The government alleged that these clinics administered viscosupplementation injections to patients who did not need them, used multiple brands of viscosupplements successively on patients without clinical support, and used discounted viscosupplements reimported from foreign countries. The government also alleged that they provided unnecessary custom knee braces to patients.
The ORI clinics and their owners in Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Lexington, Kentucky; Wall Township, New Jersey; Dallas, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas have agreed collectively to pay the United States $6 million, and the clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has agreed to pay the United States approximately $1.13 million to resolve its role in the submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary viscosupplementation and braces.
Contemporaneous with the civil settlement, the settling ORI clinics and related parties entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The CIA requires implementation of comprehensive compliance controls and annual ORI clinics claims reviews by an Independent Review Organization.
The allegations resolved by today’s settlement were identified by a government investigation that arose out of a critical analysis of Medicare claims data. The settlement also resolves a lawsuit filed against the ORIs and their owners under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did, in part, in this case. The whistleblower in this action will receive $857,550.
The government’s settlement in this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was investigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Former New York State Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography 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 Joseph Chojnacki, 26, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Murray, who is handling the case, stated that after receiving a tip of suspected child pornography from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations traced the suspected child pornography to the defendant, a New York State Corrections Officer.
On May 9, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Chojnacki’s Louis Street residence. Investigators seized various computers, electronic devices, and electronic media. A total of approximately 3,814 images and 138 videos of child pornography were discovered on the defendant's electronic devices. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors less than 12 years old, as well as sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Former New York Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A former Auburn, New York, business owner pleaded guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith for the Northern District of New York.
As alleged in court documents, Timothy Blackman, 48, was a self-employed contractor providing construction and remodeling services to customers. During the years 2007 through 2010, Blackman failed to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and failed to pay income taxes. After learning of an IRS criminal investigation in June 2010 concerning his income taxes, Blackman filed his 2007 individual tax return late, and willfully falsified that return by understating his true business receipts and total income from his construction and remodeling business. Blackman previously pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion in the Northern District of New York on March 19, 2004, for which he received a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment.
Senior United States District Court Judge Norman A. Mordue scheduled sentencing for Feb. 17, 2020. The charge to which Blackman pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former LEO charged with civil rights violationsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A former local police officer has been taken into custody for allegedly sexually assaulting two men while in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Matthew Lee Sepulveda, 24, Edinburg, was a former law enforcement officer with the Progreso Police Department, serving from April 17 to July 2 of this year.
The criminal complaint filed under seal yesterday was unsealed today upon his arrest. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker Monday.
The charges allege Sepulveda violated the civil rights of two individuals while acting under his authority as a uniformed police officer. Specifically, he allegedly performed oral sex on two men while they were in his custody.
If convicted, Sepulveda faces up to life in federal prison.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarina S. DiPiazza is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former Honduran Congressman Tony Hernández Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court of Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United States and Related Firearms and False-Statements OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Wendy C. Woolcock, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that a jury returned a guilty verdict against JUAN ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ ALVARADO, a/k/a “Tony Hernández” (“HERNÁNDEZ”) on all four counts in the Superseding Indictment, which included cocaine-importation, weapons, and false-statements offenses. HERNÁNDEZ is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2020.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Former Honduran congressman Tony Hernandez was involved in all stages of the trafficking through Honduras of multi-ton loads of cocaine that were destined for the U.S. Hernandez bribed law enforcement officials to protect drug shipments, solicited large bribes from major drug traffickers, and arranged machinegun-toting security for cocaine shipments. Today, Hernandez stands convicted of his crimes and faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Wendy C. Woolcock said: “This conviction serves as a warning to all those who traffic illegal drugs into our country with complete disregard for human life. The United States will not tolerate any individual or organization that seeks to gain profit through violence and corruption. The DEA will continue to stand with its partners to pursue justice regardless of social status. No one is exempt from being held accountable for predatory criminal activity.”
As reflected in the Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:
HERNÁNDEZ is a former member of the National Congress of Honduras, the brother of the current President of Honduras, and a large-scale drug trafficker who worked with other drug traffickers in, among other places, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, to import cocaine into the United States. From at least in or about 2004, up to and including in or about 2018, HERNÁNDEZ helped process, receive, transport, and distribute multi-ton loads of cocaine that arrived in Honduras via planes, helicopters, and go-fast vessels. HERNÁNDEZ controlled cocaine laboratories in Honduras and Colombia, at which some of his cocaine was stamped with the symbol “TH,” i.e., “Tony Hernández.” HERNÁNDEZ also coordinated and, at times, participated in providing heavily armed security for cocaine shipments transported within Honduras, including by members of the Honduran National Police and drug traffickers armed with machineguns and other weapons. HERNÁNDEZ also used members of the Honduran National Police to coordinate the drug-related murder of Franklin Arita in 2011, and he used drug-trafficking associates to murder a drug worker known as “Chino” in 2013. In connection with these activities, HERNÁNDEZ participated in the importation of almost 200,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
HERNÁNDEZ made millions of dollars through his cocaine trafficking, and he funneled millions of dollars of drug proceeds to National Party campaigns to impact Honduran presidential elections in 2009, 2013, and 2017. Between 2010 and at least 2013, one of HERNÁNDEZ’s principal co-conspirators was former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, a/k/a “Chapo.” During that period, HERNÁNDEZ helped Guzmán Loera with numerous large cocaine shipments and delivered a $1 million bribe from Guzmán Loera to HERNÁNDEZ’s brother in connection with the 2013 national elections in Honduras.
* * *
HERNÁNDEZ, 42, was convicted on four counts: (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life; (2) using and carrying machine guns during, and possessing machine guns in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory consecutive prison term of 30 years; (3) conspiring to use and carry machine guns during, and to possess machine guns in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum prison term of life; and (4) making false statements to federal agents, which carries a maximum prison term of five years.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, New York Strike Force, and Tegucigalpa Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Houle, Jason A. Richman, Matthew J. Laroche, and Emil J. Bove III are in charge of the prosecution.
Former CBP Employee Sentenced for Using OPM Data Breach to Falsely Claim Identity Theft to Charge-Off Legitimate DebtsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronda M. Young, 49, a former Management & Program Analyst for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection (CBP), was sentenced to a two-year probation term for using OPM data breach to falsely claim identity theft to charge-off legitimate debts.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Anthony Triplett, Special Agent in Charge of U. S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Young pled guilty in August 2019 to one count of making a false statement, and one count of second-degree felony fraud. On October 16, 2019, the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle sentenced Young to a two-year term of probation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The probationary sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Young was also ordered to pay $14,734.48 in restitution to the victim financial institutions, a $2,000 fine, $200 in special assessment fees, and perform 150 hours of community service.
According to court papers, from April 2010, through November 2017, Young obtained and used credit from J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Barclays Bank and FedChoice Federal Credit Union, for, among other things, personal domestic and international travel, furniture, and to register for the CBP Trusted Traveler/Global Entry Program. Young then used the 2015 Office of Personnel Management data breach to submit a false complaint and affidavit claiming that she was the victim of identity theft and that she neither applied for, obtained, nor used, the credit for her personal benefit, which in turn caused the financial institutions to charge-off approximately $34,664 in legitimate debts. Young admitted to engaging in the scheme to defraud the financial institutions to improve her credit history in anticipation of an upcoming background investigation.
When CBP conducted Young’s five-year background investigation in March 2018, she made false statements to the agents conducting the interviews on two occasions. First, Young falsely claimed that she paid the debts in full and would provide documentation reflecting the payments. At a subsequent interview, Young claimed that she misspoke and said that she was the victim of identity theft from the OPM breach, the debts were not hers, and that she had disputed the debts, which should have been removed from her credit report. Young made the false statements to the agents knowing that she had lawfully incurred the debts and that the claims of identity theft were false. She also knew that her financial background and credit history were material to her background investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Special Agent in Charge Triplett praised the work of Special Agents from Customs and Border Protection, Office of Prodessional Responsibility, who led the investigation. They also acknowledge the work of Assistant United States Attorney Diane Lucas and former Assistant United States Attorney Denise A. Simmonds of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, who investigated and prosecuted this matter, and former Paralegal Specialist Brittany Phillips, who worked on the investigation.
Former Auburn Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Auburn, New York, business owner pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.
Timothy Blackman, age 48, was a self-employed contractor providing construction and remodeling services to customers. During the years 2007 through 2010, Blackman failed to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and failed to pay income taxes. After learning of an IRS criminal investigation in June 2010 concerning his income taxes, Blackman filed his 2007 individual tax return late, and willfully falsified that return by understating his true business receipts and total income from his construction and remodeling business. Blackman previously pled guilty to felony tax evasion in the Northern District of New York on March 19, 2004, for which he received a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2020. The charge to which Blackman pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former Airline Gate Agent Pleads Guilty to Cheating Airline Ticketing SystemRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with using her position as an airline gate agent to convert low cost flights to more expensive flights and destinations for friends, family and acquaintances.
Tiffany Jenkins, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. She was arrested and charged in November 2018. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2019.
As a gate agent, Jenkins had access to the airline’s computer reservation database and had the ability to use a special code, referred to as an involuntary exchange or “INVOL,” to change flights for customers at no additional cost. This code enables agents to change flights for customers who miss their flights or experience a death in the family.
During a 15-month period, from approximately July 1, 2016, through Sept. 27, 2017, Jenkins executed approximately 505 involuntary ticket exchanges for more than 100 different passengers. Many of those exchanges occurred after the passenger was first booked on domestic flights at one of the airline company’s lowest available fares—often, roundtrip flights between Las Vegas, Nev., and Long Beach, Calif. A short time later, Jenkins exchanged those tickets for a completely different city pair, generally involving much more expensive international locations, for friends, family and acquaintances.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss or gain, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Mark Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Federal jury convicts Houston man of trafficking girls for sexRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston jury has just returned guilty verdicts against a 44-year-old Houston man on five separate counts of sex trafficking involving adults and minors, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting David Mearis following three days of trial.
The jury heard evidence that spanned from approximately 2007 – 2016. Four victims testified about how they each met Mearis while still teenagers and how he won them over with gifts and kindness before using threats, sexual abuse and physical force to compel them into prostitution.
The jury heard Mearis knew what he was doing and that he lived off the backs of these young women and girls. The government described how Mearis exerted constant control over the female victims.
One girl began a relationship with Mearis, then 32, when she was 17 after
she had run away from her Oakland, California, home. Another victim was only 15 when she met Mearis, then 34. Both of these girls considered Mearis their boyfriend in the earlier stages of their relationships but were eventually forced to engage in commercial sex in north Houston. One testified that they had to engage in these acts daily and at all times of the day.
Another victim, 14, encountered Mearis, 41, and eventually ran away to live with him after they met on MocoSpace. She testified he had sexually assaulted her twice while she was with him in 2016.
Testimony revealed Mearis had put at least two of the girls on a peanut butter diet in order to fatten them up for the purpose of working as his prostitute. Evidence also showed text messages between Mearis and several victims demonstrating his constant control over their activities, including during the sex dates themselves. He controlled where they went, what they wore, what they ate and with whom they engaged in commercial sex. The jury saw commercial sex advertisements Mearis created for two of the victims and heard evidence about numerous times Mearis had accessed Backpage, a site formerly used for the purpose of advertising people for sexual activity. He also had bonded one of the victims out of jail at least twice after she was arrested for engaging commercial sex.
Some victims testified Mearis perpetrated acts of violence upon them, from slapping them across the face to being bound and gagged. They reported multiple instances in which they feared physical retaliation if they did not comply with demands, did not do as instructed or perform sexual acts as required. One victim described violence she experienced at the hands of Mearis following her release from jail.
At one point, when the girls were not making enough money, Mearis made one of them participate in a bank robbery. When it did not go exactly as he had planned, he berated her, calling her stupid, among other things.
That victim also described how she had virtually no relationships with anyone outside Mearis’ circle. He had taken her ID, would not let her drive or even use the phone. She was brought to tears multiple times on the stand. In one instance, she described that when her grandfather passed away, Mearis would not let her go unless he went with her. In trying to find the right word to describe the experience, she testified she felt “kidnapped” at the time and called him in court a “threat to young women.” “I felt like I had met the devil,” she said.
When she had eventually made it back to family in California after seeking help from Houston authorities, Mearis contacted her and threatened to call the police about her actions and the bank robbery if she did not return.
Another victim described how Mearis had hog-tied her and that he made her find other women for him. The jury heard Mearis had put a sock in her mouth, a gun to her head and threatened to kill her.
Evidence and testimony further established Mearis caused Supplemental Security Income benefits, intended for one of the victims, be directed to him. That victim had been diagnosed with mental retardation at an early age. Mearis himself described her as having the “mental capacity of a child” and could not do the simplest of tasks without constant supervision and instruction.
The defense implied the victims only implicated Mearis to avoid prosecution for their actions. The defense attempted to portray Mearis as simply a loving boyfriend who provided protection while the girls voluntarily engaged in commercial sex. However, testimony revealed the victims had to turn over the monies they earned for sexual acts directly to Mearis.
The jury did not believe the defense claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 13, 2020. At that time, Mearis faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Houston Police Department, Texas Attorney General’s Office and FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed the HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as a national model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Sebastian Edwards are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Wilkinsburg Man on All Counts of Running a Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – After deliberating approximately two hours, a federal jury found Cameron Basking guilty of four counts stemming from an FBI investigation that culminated in seven search warrants in Allegheny County and the seizure of a large quantity of fentanyl, multiple firearms and ammunition, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Basking, age 28, of Wilkinsburg, Pa., was tried before United States Judge Marilyn S. Horan. He was convicted after a week-long trial of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to information presented during the course of the trial, Cameron Basking was part of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Allegheny County from January to March 14 of 2018. Basking would receive large amounts of fentanyl from two co-conspirator suppliers and then mix that fentanyl for future resale. To further this conspiracy, Basking used multiple locations in Allegheny County to cut and mix the fentanyl, store the fentanyl, and sell the fentanyl.
As part of the investigation, on March 14, 2018, members of the FBI’s Western Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force executed search warrants at multiple locations and vehicles tied to Basking. At an address on Princeton Boulevard in Wilkinsburg, investigators recovered tens of thousands of stamp bags used to package fentanyl in the basement of this location as well as ammunition. At an address on West Carter in North Versailles, investigators recovered voluminous drug and drug-related evidence, including over 40 grams of fentanyl, thousands of stamp bags, blenders and grinders, and gas masks to protect from fentanyl exposure. Additionally at the West Carter address, investigators recovered a fully-loaded 9mm Glock handgun, a fully-loaded Bushmaster .308 assault rifle, two extended 9mm magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. At another location in Wilkinsburg, on Rebecca Street, investigators recovered another firearm and ammunition, a quantity of fentanyl, six digital scales for drug distribution use and fentanyl packaging material.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Basking used the West Carter location to store the fentanyl, the Princeton Boulevard location to cut and mix the fentanyl for distribution, and the Rebecca Street location as the distribution center.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for February 10, 2020. Basking faces a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $5,000,000 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 of the defendant. Indicate relevant bond/detention information if known
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and Christopher Cook represented the Government in this prosecution and trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The Allegheny Office of the Medical Examiner, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics and Vice Division, and the Drug Enforcement Agency also assisted in the prosecution of this case.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 18 Years After Shooting and Paralyzing Robbery VictimRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced Ricky Fitzgerald Artis, 49, of Fayetteville to 216 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. ARTIS and co-defendant Clifton Currie were named in a three-count Indictment on October 18, 2018, charging both men with attempted interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and ARTIS alone with possession of a firearm by a felon.
ARTIS pled guilty to the charges of robbery and brandishing and discharging on July 31, 2019. His sentencing followed that of his codefendant. Currie, who pled guilty to charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm, received a sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release on July 24, 2019.
According to the information presented to the Court, on July 31, 2018, RICKY ARTIS and Clifton Currie attempted to rob a man who they knew to be dealing drugs out of a hotel in Fayetteville, North Carolina. A man with a pistol, later identified as ARTIS, entered the hotel room, yelled “Where is it,” and then fired two rounds into the victim’s chest. The victim admitted to police that ARTIS stole a bag of crack cocaine from a table before fleeing from the room. Currie served as lookout, but peered into the room, as confirmed by hallway surveillance video showing both men. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and as a result is now paralyzed from the waist down. Both ARTIS and Currie subsequently confessed to their roles in the robbery.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
Eight Tribes in the Western District of Oklahoma Awarded over $8.5 MillionRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Of that amount, $8,536,419 will go to tribes in the Western District of Oklahoma.
"Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive," said Attorney General William P. Barr. "We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it." "My office is thrilled that tribes will be receiving funds to support public safety in Indian Country," said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with federal, state, and tribal officials to keep tribal members safe and promote health and well-being in Indian Country."
The following amounts have been awarded to Western District of Oklahoma tribes for the programs indicated:
- Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma - $2,142,292
Public Safety and Community Policing - $499,549
Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse - $750,000
Tribal Youth Programs - $392,743
Addressing Violent Crime in Tribal Communities - $500,000
- Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes - $1,050,000
Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning - $150,000
- Citizen Potawatomi Nation - $171,757
Public Safety and Community Policing - $171,757
- Comanche Nation - $1,142,023
Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse - $749,467
Tribal Youth Program - $392,556
- Kaw Nation - $1,619,868
Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program - $899,955
Tribal Victim Services Program - $719,913
- Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians - $562,122
Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program - $562,122
- Chickasaw Nation - $1,676,597
Public Safety and Community Policing - $776,597
Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program - $900,000
- Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma - $171,760
Public Safety and Community Policing - $171,760
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand, and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth, and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public-safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards.
Eastlake man indicted in federal court of child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
An Eastlake man was indicted in federal court of child pornography charges.
Craig A. White, 40, was indicted on one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment charges that from on or about July 3, 2017 through on or about March 6, 2019, , White received and distributed files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also charges that on June 10, 2019, White possessed a computer tower with several internal and external hard drives that contained child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force.
A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to fentanyl trafficking and using the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to obtain a driver’s license.
Santo Patricio Lugo Santos, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of false representation of a Social Security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2020. Lugo Santos has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 14, 2019.
According to charging documents, Lugo Santos made two sales of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in October 2016 and January 2017. Additionally, in July 2018, he used the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license.
The charges of distribution of over 40 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, at least one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Lugo Santos will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the OCDETF Strike Force, which consists of members of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Reading, Watertown, Braintree, Peabody, Waltham, Woburn, and Concord Police Departments. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Boston Police Department also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dewitt Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Child and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Derek Indivero, age 27, of Dewitt, New York, pled guilty today to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a child and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Special Agent-in-Charge James N. Hendricks of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.
In entering his guilty plea today in United States District Court, Indivero admitted that in February of 2018 he began communicating with a middle school student using the Snapchat online messaging application. Over the messaging application Indivero offered the student $50 in exchange for sexual contact. Indivero then met with the minor, engaged in the sexual contact, and paid the child $49.
Later that same month, law enforcement officials took over the middle school student’s Snapchat identity and, posing as the child, continued messaging Indivero. During the course of a Snapchat conversation, Indivero offered to pay the child $50 in exchange for oral sexual conduct, and then drove to a location to meet with the child for that purpose. Instead of finding the child, Indivero encountered law enforcement officials, and was arrested.
As part of his guilty plea, Indivero also admitted that he possessed images of child pornography that he obtained from the Internet using his cellular telephone. A search of his cellular telephone revealed that he possessed 37 videos depicting child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2020, in Syracuse, New York. Indivero faces a mandatory minimum of ten years, and up to life imprisonment for attempted coercion and enticement of the middle school student, and up to 20 years of imprisonment for possession of the child pornography he obtained from the Internet. Sentences of imprisonment may be concurrent or consecutive at the discretion of the Court. The Court must also impose a term of supervised release of between five (5) years and life, and Indivero will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the New York State Police in coordination with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Department of Justice Awards Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo a $331,827 Grant Under the Violence Against Women Tribal Governments ProgramRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has awarded the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (YDSP), a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in El Paso County, a $331,827 federal grant to combat violence against women on their reservation, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash.
“Domestic violence is one of the most serious and challenging problems plaguing American society, including Native American communities. This grant will help fund solutions that save lives,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
The federal grant awarded to the YDSP is part of a $33.1 million funding package offered by the Office on Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program. According to YDSP officials, the money will be used to recruit one Violence Against Women (VAWA) police officer assigned to cases concerning domestic violence and/or violence against women in YDSP's jurisdiction. By assigning a VAWA police officer to domestic violence and sexual assault cases, the YDSP will be better equipped to follow through with women victim needs to ensure that they receive a continuum of care beginning with response to calls of domestic violence and sexual assault, to linkage with health & human services, and finally through adjudication of cases working closely with Tribal Court, YDSP's Social Services and other essential community organizations. The VAWA officer will also prioritize community outreach as a mechanism to educate the tribal community of such dedicated resources, while providing necessary referrals and assistance to aid victims. The VAWA officer will also collaborate with intra tribal agency partners to design workshops and presentations intended to mitigate the proliferation of domestic violence on the reservation.
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
Department of Justice Awards over $273.4 Million to Improve Public Safety, Serve Crime Victims in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, joined the Department of Justice in announcing awards totaling more than $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Three of the American Indian communities receiving awards are located in the Eastern District of Washington. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation was awarded $3,080,006, the Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation was awarded $697,972 and the Colville Tribe was awarded $583,707. The funding for the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation will support the violence against women and crime victim services programs, public safety and community policing, and corrections and correctional alternatives. The funding for the Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation will support justice systems and the alcohol and substance abuse programs. The funding for the Colville Tribe will support the crime victim services program.
“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”
United States Attorney Hyslop said, “These grants will give Tribal officials additional tools they need to fight violent crime, protect their citizens, serve crime victims, and deliver justice. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to working with our Tribal, federal, state and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and improving public safety.”
Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.
The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.
CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.
The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.
Dayton, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed two handguns pled guilty October 17, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
Christopher Johnson, 45, from Dayton, Iowa, was convicted of possession of firearms by a felon. Johnson was previously convicted of manufacture of methamphetamine and/or possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, a felony, in August of 2001, in Boone County, Iowa.
At the plea hearing, Johnson admitted that on May 28, 2017, in Webster County, Iowa, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a residence in Dayton, Iowa, on reports of a person (later identified as Johnson) at the residence under suspicious circumstances. Law enforcement officers located Johnson nearby (at a residence where Johnson was known to reside) in a barn. Law enforcement officers located and seized two guns, namely a Ruger .22 caliber pistol and a Jimenez Arms .22 caliber pistol, along with some .22 caliber ammunition from Johnson.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Johnson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Dayton Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-3028. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Convicted Felon Gets Statutory Maximum Sentence for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
A 39-year-old Mexican national with an extensive criminal history has been ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Antonio Serrano-Perez, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was sentenced Friday morning before Senior U.S. District Judge John H. McBryde, who handed down the statutory maximum sentence based in part on the defendant’s lengthy criminal history.
Mr. Serrano-Perez pleaded guilty in May 2019 to illegal reentry after being deported at least five times, the judge noted, adding that after every removal, he came back into the United States illegally, only to commit crimes including cocaine trafficking and family violence.
“This felon and narcotics trafficker has been deported to Mexico five times, and has repeatedly demonstrated that he has no respect for U.S. laws,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director of the ICE Dallas office. “Throughout his extensive criminal career, he has operated as though the United States is simply a profitable location for him to traffic in illegal drugs. After he fully completes his latest federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the United States, our ICE officers will deport him a sixth time.”
Mr. Serrano-Perez was first removed to Mexico in October 1998, then reentered the United States at least five times over a 20-year period. During that time, the judge observed, Mr. Serrano-Perez racked up numerous state drug and violent crime convictions as well as three federal immigration convictions.
Following an illegal reentry in 2006, at age 25, he was convicted of a federal immigration offense in the Southern District of Texas, sentenced to 27 months in prison, and then removed to Mexico in 2014. At some point after that removal, he returned to Fort Worth, where he was apprehended on March 11, 2019 outside his residence by immigration authorities.
After serving his 10-year sentence, Mr. Serrano-Perez will once again face deportation proceedings.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Violent Criminal Alien Section and ICE Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Child Sexual Abuser Sentenced for Illegally ReentryRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An illegal alien who has a previous conviction for aggravated sexual battery of a child, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
According to court documents, Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo, 38, a citizen of Honduras, entered the United States three times between 1999 and 2007, and was twice removed from the United States during that time. Sometime after his most recent removal in 2007, Garcia-Gordillo again reentered the United States without permission, and was found in February 2017 when he was arrested in Prince William County. In June 2019, Garcia-Gordillo was convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.
“Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo has illegally entered the United States on four occasions, and has recently been convicted of sexually abusing an innocent child,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Individuals like Garcia-Gordillo, who are here illegally and committing serious crimes, represent a clear threat to the safety and security of our communities. This case is representative of precisely why we have committed to prioritizing criminal immigration enforcement cases across the Eastern District of Virginia.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh 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. 1:18-cr-134.
Collierville Woman Sentenced to 75 Months in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Latrice Calvin, 48, of Collierville, Tennessee was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison in connection with a scheme to defraud mortgage lending institutions and individuals of more than $1.5 million dollars. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
Calvin entered a plea of guilty to a one-count information charging her with wire fraud in May. According to the information, between April 2016, and October 2018, Calvin, through her company, Trinity Home and Investments, made false statements and representations to mortgage lenders and individuals to induce them to fund mortgage loans and invest monies with Trinity.
On October 18, 2019, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Calvin to 75 months imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the lenders and investors in the total amount of $1,524,564.28 and to pay a money judgment to the United States in the same amount.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Financial fraud can happen anywhere, and can be devastating to lending institutions and individual investors. The defendant used her position of trust and authority to steal proceeds for her personal benefit, and her dishonesty has been exposed. We are pleased that justice has been achieved on behalf of the victims, and we commend the FBI for their outstanding investigation in this disturbing case. Wherever fraud occurs in the Western District of Tennessee, this office will be prepared to hold offenders accountable."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Clayton Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced CHRISTOPHER EDWARD REAVES, 35, of Clayton, North Carolina to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
REAVES was named in a Criminal Information filed on May 16, 2019 charging him with two-counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. On July 11, 2019, REAVES pled guilty to the charges.
On January 6, 2019, deputies with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) responded to a suspicious vehicle call at a home in Clayton. Upon arrival, deputies observed REAVES asleep inside the vehicle. Deputies had to shake REAVES to wake him up and observed narcotics in plain view. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 1 gram of cocaine, 0.22 gram of heroin (11 dosage units), 14.9 grams of Suboxone, drug paraphernalia, and a .25 caliber handgun. Subsequent to REAVES’ arrest, he provided an unprotected statement acknowledging that he was a drug addict. Deputies attempted to question REAVES about the firearm; however, he had fallen asleep.
On February 24, 2019, officers with the Clayton Police Department responded to a report that REAVES was passed out behind the wheel of a truck with the brakes depressed. Law enforcement officials learned REAVES was also wanted by the JCSO. As officers opened the driver’s door to get REAVES out of the vehicle, a concealed 9mm handgun fell to the floor. The firearm was secured, and REAVES was taken into custody without incident. Thereafter, a search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of 84.1 grams of marijuana, 12.2 grams of Suboxone, drug paraphernalia, and $1,084 in U.S. currency.
In summation, REAVES is accountable for possession of two firearms in connection with his drug trafficking crimes. Specifically, he possessed with intent to sell a total of 84.1 grams of marijuana, 0.22 gram of heroin, 27.1 grams of Suboxone, and 1 gram of cocaine. On July 18, 2019, the defendant submitted a written statement accepting responsibility for his involvement in these crimes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and the Clayton Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Smith represented the government.
Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Military- and Space-Grade Technology from the United States to ChinaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On October 16, 2019, United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Tao Li, a 39-year-old Chinese national, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Li had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to export military- and space-grade technology to the People’s Republic of China without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.
Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li worked with other individuals in China to purchase radiation-hardened power amplifiers and supervisory circuits and illegally export them from the United States to China. The electronic components sought by Li are capable of withstanding significant levels of radiation and extreme heat, and as a result, are primarily used for military and space applications. Due to the technological capabilities of the electronic components sought by Li and the significant contribution that the components could make to a foreign country’s military and space programs, both parts required an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, prior to being sent out of the United States. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.
Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li, who resided in China, used multiple aliases to contact individuals in the United States, including representatives of United States-based private companies, to try to obtain the electronic components.
During his efforts to obtain the electronic components, Li contacted two different undercover law enforcement agents in Arizona. During his communications with the undercover agents, Li asked both of them to export the electronic components to China without obtaining the required license from the Department of Commerce. Additionally, Li and his coconspirators agreed to pay a “risk fee” to illegally export the electronic components to China. In furtherance of his request, Li wired money from a bank account in China to a bank account in Arizona. Li was arrested in September 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport, as he attempted to travel from China to Arizona to meet with one of the undercover agents.
“This sentence is well deserved and further demonstrates the lengths of criminal activity by those who seek to engage in illegally obtaining sophisticated materials,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix. “One of HSI’s top priorities is preventing U.S. military products and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests. We will continue to aggressively pursue violators wherever they may be.”
“Li’s sentencing was the result of a highly successful joint investigative effort with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that prevented U.S. military technology from falling into the wrong hands,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “It also reaffirms our commitment to protecting America from this type of activity and, equally so, serves as a warning to those intent on illegally exporting our technologies that the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its partners will pursue these crimes relentlessly.”
“If you steal our military and space technology, you should expect to go to prison,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “But for the diligent work of HSI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, our nation’s security would’ve been damaged by Mr. Li.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by HSI and DCIS. The prosecution was handled by Todd M. Allison and David Pimsner, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix, with assistance from Scott Claffee, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice National Security Division.
Chinese National Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Military- and Space-Grade Technology from the United States to ChinaRead the Press Release
On October 16, 2019, United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Tao Li, a 39-year-old Chinese national, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Li had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to export military- and space-grade technology to the People’s Republic of China without a license in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
“This case is one of many involving illegal attempts to take U.S. technology to China. Li attempted to procure highly sensitive U.S. military technology in violation of our export control laws. Such laws are in place to protect our national security, and the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce them,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “We don’t take these crimes lightly and we will continue to pursue them.”
“If you steal our military and space technology, you should expect to go to prison,” said Michael Bailey, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. “But for the diligent work of HSI and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, our nation’s security would’ve been damaged by Mr. Li.”
“Li’s sentencing was the result of a highly successful joint investigative effort with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that prevented U.S. military technology from falling into the wrong hands,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “It also reaffirms our commitment to protecting America from this type of activity and, equally so, serves as a warning to those intent on illegally exporting our technologies that the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its partners will pursue these crimes relentlessly.”
“This sentence is well deserved and further demonstrates the lengths of criminal activity by those who seek to engage in illegally obtaining sophisticated materials,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix. “One of HSI’s top priorities is preventing U.S. military products and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests. We will continue to aggressively pursue violators wherever they may be.”
Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li worked with other individuals in China to purchase radiation-hardened power amplifiers and supervisory circuits and illegally export them from the United States to China. The electronic components sought by Li are capable of withstanding significant levels of radiation and extreme heat, and as a result, are primarily used for military and space applications. Due to the technological capabilities of the electronic components sought by Li and the significant contribution that the components could make to a foreign country’s military and space programs, both parts required an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, prior to being sent out of the United States. Notwithstanding the licensing requirement, the Department of Commerce has a policy of denial to export these types of electronic components to the People’s Republic of China.
Between December 2016 and January 2018, Li, who resided in China, used multiple aliases to contact individuals in the United States, including representatives of United States-based private companies, to try to obtain the electronic components. Additionally, Li and his coconspirators agreed to pay a “risk fee” to illegally export the electronic components to China. In furtherance of his request, Li wired money from a bank account in China to a bank account in Arizona. Li was arrested in September 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport, as Li attempted to travel from China to Arizona to meet with one of the undercover agents.
The investigation in this case was conducted by HSI and DCIS. The prosecution was handled by Todd M. Allison and David Pimsner, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix, with assistance from Scott Claffee, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice National Security Division.
Canadian seafood wholesaler, and owner, plead guilty to illegally importing fish into U.SRead the Press Release
Seattle – Seven Seas Fish Company, Ltd of Richmond, BC Canada, and a company owner JOHN HERAS, 78, of Delta, B.C, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to importation of previously refused food. The company and HERAS admit that between October 2014 and August 2015, they imported more than 9,000 pounds of potentially adulterated fish into the U.S. The fish had previously been refused entry into the U.S., because the FDA judged samples of the fish too decomposed and putrid. Seven Seas has agreed to pay a $150,000 fine. HERAS could face to up to a year in prison when sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler on February 7, 2020.
According to records filed in the case, in June 2014, Seven Seas purchased 12,100 pounds of frozen corvina, a white fish similar to sea bass. The fish was purchased for $36,375 from a seafood company in Mexico. Seven Seas attempted to have the fish imported into the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. However, when Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Safety Officers examined the fish, they determined that one third of the samples from the shipment were more than 20 percent spoiled. The shipment was refused entry to the U.S. However, Seven Seas arranged for the fish to be lawfully shipped through the U.S. to its plant in Richmond, BC, claiming that the product would be distributed in Canada.
After the fish arrived in B.C., HERAS cooked and ate some of the fish and claimed he found nothing wrong with it. Despite his knowledge that the fish had been refused entry to the U.S., HERAS encouraged others within Seven Seas to sell the fish to customers in Washington State and elsewhere. Some 9,020 pounds of the fish was imported into the U.S. without the required notice to the Secretary of Health and Human services.
The FDA has not found any illness linked to those who consumed the fish.
Importation of previously refused food is punishable by up to a year in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a probationary sentence for HERAS, but the ultimate sentence will be determined by Magistrate Judge Theiler based on the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigation, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
Camden Man Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization has admitted his role in distributing significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
William Carrillo, 44, of Camden, pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover Carrillo’s role in the operations of a drug-trafficking organization based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden.
The count to which Carrillo pleaded guilty carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Wysocki; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Four other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, and Waldemar Garcia – previously have pleaded guilty in this case. Charges remain pending against 14 other defendants; they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Megan J. Davies Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey
California man sentenced to more than 15 years in Missoula meth trafficking investigationRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A California man who admitted conspiring to bring methamphetamine to Missoula for distribution was sentenced today to 15 years and 10 months in prison and to five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Justin Michael Allen, 33, of Glendora, CA, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The prosecution said in court records that in January, the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that an individual on state probation was involved in distributing meth. Task force officers worked with the probationer as a confidential informant and learned that Allen was coming to Missoula to bring the informant meth. Officers arrested Allen on Feb. 11 when he entered a store in Missoula. Allen told the officers to check his jacket pocket, and they found a 9mm pistol. Officers served a warrant on the vehicle Allen used to travel to Montana and seized three packages that were determined to contain 1,204 grams, or about 2.6 pounds, of pure meth. That quantity of meth is the equivalent of about 9,422 doses. Two other persons who traveled with Allen also were arrested.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula HIDTA.
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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Bolivar Man Found Guilty of Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – After a two-day trial, a federal jury has found Pierre Woods, 38, of Bolivar, TN, guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on February 20, 2019, officers of the Bolivar, Tennessee, Police Department were called to a motel. Woods’ pregnant girlfriend informed officers that Woods had marijuana in the motel room and a gun in his car. She also said that she had been physically abused. Officers located marijuana in the room.
Woods had driven the car to work but was not present in the car when officers arrived at his workplace. The officers obtained a search warrant to search the vehicle. When asked, Woods told them he did not have the keys to the vehicle, and that his mother had them. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a Kel-Tec 9mm pistol. The jury found Woods, who was already a convicted felon, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. This is Woods’ second conviction in this district for this offense.
Sentencing for Woods is scheduled for January 14, 2020 before U.S. District Court Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson, where he faces a possible sentence of up to 120 months in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community, and in this case, Woods was a violent domestic abuser who continued to possess a firearm and illegal drugs despite his prior felony conviction history. This is one more recidivist gun-toter that will be removed from the streets, and Bolivar and Hardeman County is safer as a result."
The Bolivar Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case.
This case was prosecuted by the Eastern Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bloomsburg Man Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jace Whitenight, age 25, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 16, 2019, to 84 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for a conspiracy to distribute heroin that occurred from 2015 through 2017.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Whitenight previously pleaded guilty to distributing between 700 grams and 1 kilogram of heroin (which is approximately 35,000 to 50,000 individual doses of heroin) between June 2015 and July 2017. Whitenight received heroin in bulk from a supplier in Philadelphia and then distributed it in the Bloomsburg area.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Bedford Man Sentenced for Selling Crack Cocaine to Bedford VA Medical Center ResidentsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to distribute crack cocaine on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus in Bedford.
Michael Sexton, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to time served (approximately two months) and two years of supervised release. In October 2018, Sexton pleaded guilty to distributing crack cocaine and was subsequently accepted into the Massachusetts District Court sponsored RISE Program.
In January 2017, a cooperating witness reported to law enforcement that Sexton was selling crack cocaine to residents of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford. Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine between Sexton and the cooperating witness on June 29, Aug. 10, Sept. 5 and Sep. 27, 2017.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Sean J. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Shawn Kelly, Chief of Police of the Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Bedford VA Medical Center, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Repeat Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Kenneth Grossman, age 29, of Baltimore Maryland, to 168 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Kenneth Grossman was a leader of a drug organization that brought the deadly combination of guns and drugs to the streets of Baltimore,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Grossman will now serve 14 years in a federal prison far from home, where there is no parole—ever. Please put down the gun. You’ll save a life, maybe even your own.”
According to his plea agreement, from January 2017 until July 2018, Kenneth Grossman conspired to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine as a leader and member of the Young Finesse Kings (YFK), a drug shop that operated primarily in the German Park area of Baltimore City. During the course of the investigation, investigators from the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department obtained authority to intercept wire and electronic communications of members of the YFK drug shop and conducted physical surveillance of the YFK drug shop documenting many instances of Kenneth Grossman directing and coordinating drug shop operations.
On April 11, 2018, investigators intercepted phone calls which led them to believe that Grossman and several co-defendants were going to commit a retaliatory act of violence, after someone shot at co-defendant Knowledge Sharpe’s car. Sharpe contacted Grossman and other co-conspirators to get them to assist with the retaliation. Investigators immediately responded to the area where the conspirators had discussed meeting: Mount Royal Terrace and North Avenue, in the Central District of Baltimore City. While in the vicinity, investigators observed a gold Nissan van occupied by up to six individuals parked near Druid Park Lake, but the van left the area before investigators were able to stop it. A short time later investigators learned that a gun was discharged in the area of 1700 North Carey Street. Investigators checked the location information of Sharpe’s cellular telephone and compared it to time that the discharging occurred. At the time of the discharging, Sharpe’s cellular telephone was at a location in the same block of Carey Street.
Shortly afterwards, investigators located the gold van in the parking lot of the Security Mall in Baltimore. Kenneth Grossman and co-defendants, Knowledge Sharpe, Dana Dunnock, Anthony Whitaker, Quran Smoot, and another individual were subsequently seen exiting the mall and entering the van. Investigators surrounded the vehicle and stopped the van before it could exit the parking spot. Immediately upon opening the front passenger door, investigators observed a firearm on the front passenger floorboard. All occupants were detained and a search of the van showed six firearms within easy reach of all occupants. Specifically, a CM11 assault pistol with a loaded magazine was located on the front passenger-side floorboard (where Sharpe was sitting), a .32-caliber revolver loaded with 6 rounds and a .380-caliber revolver with a loaded magazine were in the rear third row cup holder and on the rear third row seat, respectively (where Grossman and the other individual were sitting), a 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine in the front center console near the driver (where Smoot was sitting), from Whitaker’s waistband area an officer recovered a .40-caliber handgun loaded with 5 rounds, and from Dunnock’s front waistband area an officer recovered a .45-caliber handgun loaded with 10 rounds and attached to a second magazine containing 9 more rounds. There was also a bag containing loose ammunition and a black ski mask located in the van. Black ski masks were also recovered from Grossman, Sharpe, and Whitaker. Kenneth Grossman and his co-conspirators possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. Grossman had previous felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
All nine defendants have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy or for possessing a firearm in the van with Grossman, including; Dana Dunnock, age 21; Knowledge Sharpe, age 19; Quran Smoot, age 21; and Anthony Whitaker, age 24, all of Baltimore. Six defendants, in addition to Kenneth Grossman, have been sentenced including Sharpe who was sentenced to 12½ years in federal prison; Whitaker who was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison; and Dunnock who was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Brandon K. Moore, who are prosecuting the case.
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Ava Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ava, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing methamphetamine and a firearm.
Rhett I. Scofield, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 29, 2019, Scofield pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Officers with the Douglas County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Scofield’s residence on July 12, 2017. Officers found methamphetamine in a backpack in Scofield’s bedroom. Inside a bedroom safe, they found three more baggies of methamphetamine (two of which were tested, and weighed 72.7 grams) and $5,800. Officers also found a Taurus .380-caliber pistol on the dresser in the bedroom.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Appleton Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Lisa A. Radtke (Age 51), of Appleton, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343) and one count of tax evasion (26 U.S.C. § 7201). Based on her guilty pleas, Radtke faces up to 25 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000, or both. Radtke also agreed to make restitution to her former employer, which was the victim of her fraud, in the amount of $1.3 million, as well as to the Internal Revenue Service for the taxes she failed to pay, plus penalties and interest on those taxes, in the amount of $634,000.
Radtke’s sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2020, also in Green Bay.
According to documents filed in federal court in conjunction with Radtke’s guilty plea, during the period from 2014 until she was fired in October 2018, Radtke used her position at her former employer to carry out a scheme to defraud the business. Radtke made numerous fraudulent entries in her employer’s books and records and issued payments from the business’s bank accounts to herself and for her personal benefit. For example, Radtke repeatedly issued electronic payments from her employer’s bank accounts to pay her personal credit card accounts. Radtke also issued checks from her employer’s bank account that appeared to be payable to legitimate vendors, but were, in fact, deposited to Radtke’s personal bank account.Radtke made additional, fraudulent payments to herself that were included in her payroll, as well as issuing payroll to an account she maintained in her husband’s name despite the fact that her husband was not employed at the company. As a result of her scheme, Radtke stole more than $1.3 million from her employer. Radtke spent the vast majority of the stolen funds on luxury cruises and vacations.
The tax evasion charge is based on Radtke’s failure to report and pay taxes on the stolen money. For the years 2014-2018, these taxes totaled more than $360,000.
This matter was investigated by agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations in conjunction with local law enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew L. Jacobs.
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Anchorage Men Indicted on Gun Violence on School GroundsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Laquinton Tyrone Dashawn Robbins, 27, and John-Rexie Lagman, 22, have been indicted on charges relating to gun violence in Anchorage school zones.
On October 3, 2018, Robbins’s indictment alleges the he possessed and discharged a gun on school grounds. Robbins is alleged to have shot another male in the parking lot of Denali Montessori Elementary School. The altercation began when Robbins dropped off his girlfriend’s daughter at the school and was confronted by the victim. Their argument ended when Robbins allegedly pulled a Sig Sauer .40 caliber handgun from his backpack and shot the victim in the neck. The shooting occurred during school hours, causing the school to go into lockdown.
On July 2, 2019, Lagman’s indictment alleges that he possessed and discharged a gun on school grounds. Lagman is alleged to have shot a 16-year-old male on the grounds of Williwaw Elementary School. Two teenagers involved in a social medial dispute planned to fight at the school, recruiting friends – including Lagman – to join them. The fight became a “melee” when one teen began stabbing others with a screwdriver, including stabbing Lagman. In response Lagman allegedly pulled out a Springfield XD .40-caliber handgun and shot the teen as he was running away.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder stated, “These cases show that firearms on school grounds can endanger the children learning and playing there. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Municipal Prosecutor’s Office, as well as local and federal law enforcement agencies, are committed to enforcing the laws that protect children from gun violence at and around schools.” For more information about state and federal gun laws, visit https://dps.alaska.gov/Statewide/R-I/PermitsLicensing/InAlaska or https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/guide/gun-free-school-zone-notice-atf-p-53101/download; or contact your local law enforcement officials.
If convicted, Robbins and Lagman face a statutory maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. The two separate cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Akron man indicted on firearms and drug chargesRead the Press Release
An Akron man was indicted on firearms and drug charges.
Otis McDay, 44, was indicted on one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine,, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
McDay possessed marijuana, a Glock 9mm pistol and ammunition on August 28, 2019, despite previous felony drug trafficking convictions, according to the indictment.
McDay possessed cocaine and multiple rounds of ammunition on September 10, 2019, despite previous felony drug trafficking convictions, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, 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 investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, Akron Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Accomplice to Robbery of United States Postal Letter Carrier ConvictedRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a federal jury trial, Wendy Thomas, 39, has been convicted for robbery of mail, money or other property of the United States and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on November 21, 2016, at approximately 12:50 p.m., U.S. Postal Inspectors responded to the robbery of a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier in the area of 890 Baltic Street. The gunman approached the letter carrier and pointed a semi-automatic handgun as she was placing her mail satchel in her postal truck.
The suspect asked for cash or checks that were in the vehicle. He then went through the mail and took several envelopes and packages. As the suspect was leaving, he threatened the letter carrier and told her "to stay back, don’t move until I leave or I am going to blow your damn head off." The gunman fled in a blue 2005 Toyota Matrix. Investigators later determined that Wendy Thomas was the getaway driver and that Jamal Cherry was the gunman.
The robbery was captured by a nearby home surveillance video camera. Surveillance video footage depicts Cherry exiting the Toyota Matrix to rob the letter carrier. The video then showed Thomas slide from the passenger side of the vehicle to the driver's side to ready herself for Cherry's return. When Cherry completed the robbery, Thomas sped off from the scene in the Toyota Matrix. During an interview with U.S. Postal Inspectors, Thomas admitted to being on the scene and driving Cherry away from robbery.
On September 15, 2017, Cherry pled guilty to the armed robberies of two U.S. Postal Service letter carriers and received a sentence of 13 years in federal prison.
Sentencing for Thomas is scheduled for January 16, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. On count one, Thomas faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. On count two, Thomas faces a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, which must be consecutive to count one, followed by 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This office takes very seriously our duty to protect the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the sanctity and security of the U.S.Mail. Armed robberies are brazen and disturbing acts of violence that terrorize our community, and must be met with significant consequences. These dangerous offenders have sown violence and greed, and as a result of this guilty verdict, they will now reap the full measure of consequences for their criminal conduct."
"One of the core tasks of the Postal Inspection Service is the safety and well-being of United States Postal Service employees. We are very pleased with the jury's verdict and hope this result deters others from similar types of crime," said David McGinnis, Inspector-In-Charge of the Charlotte Division.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
17 October 2019
Wilmington Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting False Statements in Connection with a Conspiracy to Commit Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, MARLILYN GODSHALL, age 61, of Wilmington, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting fraudulent statements. Additionally, United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. sentenced GODSHALL to 12 months of probation.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiated an inquiry into GODSHALL based on a fraudulent marriage between her daughter, Melissa Godshall, a United States citizen, and Levan Lomtatidze, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia. A lead suggested that Melissa Godshall was married to Lomtatidze but also shared an address with her real boyfriend, Robert Kennerley.
During the course of this investigation, HSI agents discovered that Melissa Godshall and Kennerley were panhandling for money on the side of the road in Granville County, North Carolina, when Tojiddin Rahimov, a naturalized United States citizen from Tajikistan, approached them and asked Melissa Godshall if she would be willing to marry a foreign-born national for money. Melissa Godshall agreed to engage in the marriage to Lomtatidze in exchange for $12,000, housing, and a vehicle. Lomtatidze and Melissa Godshall got married in Granville County, North Carolina. Kennerley and another individual witnessed the marriage ceremony.
HSI agents confirmed that Lomtatidze, Melissa Godshall and Kennerley entered into a rental agreement for a house located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lomtatidze, as part of the payment for the sham marriage, paid for the rent. Thereafter, Godshall and Lomtatidze submitted fraudulent applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requesting Lomtatidze’s adjustment of status as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) in the United States. Lomtatidze and Melissa Godshall were interviewed at the USCIS office in Durham, North Carolina. Both attested under oath they were married in good faith. Because of the interview, USCIS approved the request and Lomtatidze was granted “conditional” resident status in the United States.
On September 18, 2017, GODSHALL prepared a statement in support of Lomtatizde’s application for “unconditional” permanent residence. GODSHALL purported the marriage to be legitimate while knowing the marriage was entered into for the purpose of evading the application of immigration laws.
Later, Lomtatidze and Melissa Godshall submitted to USCIS the application requesting Lomtatidze’s removal of conditions on his resident status, including GODSHALL’s statement in support of the petition, attesting Lomtatidze and Melissa Godshall were still married in good faith.
On August 27, 2019, Lomtatidze was sentenced for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. He was also ordered deported from the United States. On the same date, Melissa Godshall was sentenced to four months in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.
On June 19, 2019 and July 11, 2019, Kennerely and Rahimov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. They are presently awaiting sentencing.
The Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina led by Homeland Security Investigations and the USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security investigated the case.