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4 October 2019
York Man Charged with Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Adrian Moye, age 28, of York, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 2, 2019, and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Moye with possession of a SCCY CPX-2 9mm firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, in York County between July 20, 2019 and August 20, 2019.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the York City Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy 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.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty in this case for possessing a firearm or ammunition after being convicted of a felony offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Woman Sentenced to Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A woman formerly from McLean was sentenced today to more than four years in prison for stealing the identity of a woman from Alexandria, who had been her housemate.
According to court documents, Sau Hoong Lee, 66 years old, is a native of Malaysia. Since first entering the United States at least 18 years ago, she has accumulated numerous convictions related to identity theft. Preying on other women with whom she either lived or ingratiated herself, Lee resided in this country under a series of assumed identities. Each of Lee’s identity theft schemes was built on the prior scheme’s foundation, as Lee would often introduce herself to her newest victim under the assumed name of her last victim.
In 2012, using the name of Cindy Tran (a housemate of Lee and a victim of the Lee’s earlier identity theft in California), Lee met and befriended Cindy Lin, and then stole her driver's license. Between 2014 and 2017, Lee used the identity of “Cindy Lin” to raise funds, travel around the country, and engage in various businesses, including multiple EIGC subsidiaries. Under the identity of Cindy Lin, Lee raised funds and engaged in negotiations in 2016 to purchase a controlling interest in Monumental Sports, owner of the Washington Wizards.
Using the identity of Cindy Lin, Lee convinced individuals including YD, WH, and Alan Perez, to borrow money to purchase nine Porsche and six Ferrari automobiles in their names (with purchase prices totaling more than $2 million), but for her use, in return for her promise to give them money in excess of the vehicle payments.
In June 2014, Lee was stopped for speeding in McLean, in a 2013 Ferrari, registered to WH. In September 2014, she was stopped for speeding on the Dulles Toll Road in a 2014 Porsche, registered to YD. In July 2015, she was stopped by Maryland State Police in Talbot County, while driving a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo, registered to WH. In November 2015, she was stopped by Fairfax County Police on the Dulles Toll Road, while driving a 2016 Ferrari, registered to WH. During each of the traffic stops, Lee provided to the police the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
In June 2016, Lee was stopped by an officer of the Sheriff’s Office in Brunswick County, while driving a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo registered to Alan Perez. During the traffic stop, Lee provided the police officer the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
According to Perez's letter to the Court, he was close friends with Lee and even lived with her. Perez told the Court that she reduced him and his family to financial ruin by convincing him and his parents to give her money for various activities, investments, sign over properties and buy exotic cars.
In 2017, FBI agents executed a warrant on Lee’s $14,000/month rental apartment in Los Angeles, and found there the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
Upon her release from a California state prison in 2006, after conviction for an identity fraud offense, Lee was turned over to custody of federal immigration authorities. To avoid removal from the United States, Lee requested asylum. Under the name Sau Hoong Lee, and on the basis of an application which claimed that she had never used any other name, Lee was granted deferral of removal from the United States.
According to evidence received from the government of Malaysia, a 66-year-old woman by the name of Sau Hoong Lee reported to Malaysian authorities that her identity was being used by a woman in America. Today, Lee admitted in Court that she was born Siew Im Cheah in 1959, and started using the name Sau Hoong Lee about 20 years ago.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Attias prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-62.
Wilmington Gang Member Receives 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced JACQUEZ HILL, 21, of Wilmington North Carolina to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
HILL was named in an eleven-count indictment filed on February 13, 2019, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, eight-counts of distribution of heroin and one-count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. On June 11, 2019, HILL pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, distribution of a quantity of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
Between October 2017 and April 2018, the Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made ten controlled purchases of heroin from HILL at various locations in Wilmington, North Carolina. During this period of time, HILL was wearing an ankle monitor related to North Carolina State Court convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. HILL discharged the firearm during a prior drug deal.
On January 17, 2019, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and members of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office received information that Taveon Nixon was the passenger in a car driven by HILL. Nixon had an outstanding federal arrest warrant. Law enforcement attempted to stop the car at a gas station in New Hanover County in order to arrest Nixon. HILL struck a law enforcement car while Nixon fled on foot. HILL was removed from the car and placed under arrest. Nixon was arrested on federal charges following a foot chase. Raquel Adams, a back seat passenger, was found in possession of a quantity of heroin and United States Currency. Law enforcement found an additional 250 heroin bindles and $2,500 in the car. Nixon was sentenced in federal court last week and received a 10-year prison sentence. More Here Adams was sentenced yesterday and received 37months in federal prison.
On February 19, 2019, agents with ATF and the Wilmington Police Department attempted to arrest HILL near his apartment in the Mayfaire area of Wilmington. HILL observed the officers and fled at a high rate of speed. Agents were able to apprehend HILL later that evening. Following HILL’S arrest, law enforcement found an additional quantity of heroin that HILL had hidden.
These cases are part of an FBI-led Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation named “Dodge Ball.” This operation is focused on members of the Nine Trey sect of the United Blood Nation, a violent gang in Wilmington, North Carolina involved in the distribution of heroin, possession of firearms and associated violence. This is a joint investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (Gang Unit), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wilmington Police Department, and New Hanover Sheriff’s Office. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and ATF utilize resources from federal, state, and local law enforcement in order to efficiently and effectively target and combat criminal gangs and drug trafficking organizations operating in coastal southern North Carolina. A key component of federal task force’s success involves the use of task force officers from local law enforcement who have direct knowledge of the criminal gang activity in their areas.
These cases are also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Webster Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Thomas Ingrassia, 31, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that investigators discovered the defendant sharing child pornography on a peer-to-peer file sharing network. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ingrassia’s residence and seized his electronic devices. A forensic analysis recovered 125 images and 18 videos containing child pornography, some of which depicted violence and the sexual abuse minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2020, before Judge Geraci.
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Wallingford Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging ERIC RUNDSTROM, 45, of Wallingford, with two counts of receipt and possession of child pornography.
As alleged in court documents, an FBI investigation revealed that Rundstrom had accessed an online website to connect with others interested in collecting and sharing images and videos of child pornography, and he would exchange emails with others. Investigators discovered a link to an online file hosting account associated with Rundstrom where hundreds of images and videos of child pornography had been stored, including images of adult males sexually abusing prepubescent females.
The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Rundstrom was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 14, 2019, and is released on a $25,000 bond.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
W. Stephen Muldrow Takes Oath as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Today, The Honorable W. Stephen Muldrow took the oath of office as the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. In a private ceremony at the United States District Courthouse in Hato Rey, The Honorable Gustavo Gelpí administered the oath of office. While no public comments were made during the ceremony, United States Attorney Muldrow issued the following statement:
I would like to begin my term as United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico by stating that I am both excited and honored to have been selected to lead this highly regarded office, which is filled with many talented and hard-working people.
I would like to thank President Donald J. Trump for appointing me and giving me the privilege of serving as United States Attorney. I also thank the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate. Finally, I am grateful for the support of Attorney General William P. Barr and Congresswoman and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón.
My priorities as United States Attorney, first and foremost, will be to follow the strategic goals established by the United States Department of Justice, which include: Enhancing National Security and Countering the Threat of Terrorism; Securing the Borders and Enhancing Immigration Enforcement and Adjudication; Reducing Violent Crime and Promoting Public Safety; and Promoting the Rule of Law, Integrity, and Good Government.
As for our district’s priorities, I will emphasize investigations and prosecutions focusing on public corruption, large-scale drug trafficking, and violent crime. We will work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to accomplish these priorities on behalf everyone who resides in Puerto Rico.
As I begin my work as the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, I would be remiss if I did not first recognize my predecessor, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, for her years of dedicated service to the people of Puerto Rico and the United States of America. During my first tour here in Puerto Rico from 1995 until 2001, and afterwards following her remarkable work from Florida, I can attest that Rosa Emilia has shown great leadership and commitment to protecting the people of this wonderful island. I thank her, and wish her nothing but the best.
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W. Stephen Muldrow Juramenta Como Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Hoy, el Honorable W. Stephen Muldrow prestó juramento como Fiscal Federal del Distrito de Puerto Rico. En una ceremonia privada en el Tribunal Federal en Hato Rey, el Honorable Gustavo Gelpí administró el juramento de cargo. El Fiscal Federal Muldrow emitió la siguiente declaración:
Quiero comenzar mi término como Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico expresándoles que me siento emocionado y honrado de haber sido seleccionado para dirigir esta oficina de gran prestigio, donde trabajan personas muy talentosas y trabajadoras.
Quiero agradecerle al presidente Donald J. Trump por nombrarme y darme el privilegio de servir como Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico. También agradezco al Comité Judicial del Senado y al Senado de los Estados Unidos. Finalmente, agradezco el apoyo del Fiscal General William P. Barr y la Congresista y Comisionada Residente Jenniffer González-Colón.
Mis prioridades como Fiscal Federal, en primer lugar, serán seguir los objetivos estratégicos establecidos por el Departamento de Justicia que incluyen: Mejorar la Seguridad Nacional y Contrarrestar la Amenaza del Terrorismo; Asegurar las Fronteras y Mejorar la Aplicación y Adjudicación de Inmigración; Reducir el Crimen Violento y Mejorar la Seguridad Pública; y Promover el Estado de Derecho, la Integridad y el Buen Gobierno.
En cuanto a las prioridades de nuestro Distrito, haré hincapié en las investigaciones y acusaciones enfocadas en la corrupción pública, el tráfico de drogas a gran escala y los delitos violentos. Continuaremos trabajando con las agencias de ley y orden federales, estatales y locales para hacer cumplir la ley y lograr llevar a cabo estas prioridades por el bien y la seguridad de todos los que vivimos en Puerto Rico.
Al comenzar mi trabajo como Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico, sería negligente si no reconociera primero a mi predecesora, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez por sus años de servicio dedicado al pueblo de Puerto Rico y los Estados Unidos. Durante mi primer término aquí en Puerto Rico como fiscal federal auxiliar, del 1995 al 2001, y siguiendo su destacado trabajo desde Florida, puedo dar fe de que Rosa Emilia ha demostrado un gran liderazgo y compromiso para proteger al pueblo de esta maravillosa isla. Le doy las gracias y le deseo lo mejor.
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United States Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement with York County over Polling Place Access for VotersRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced a settlement with York County under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to improve physical accessibility at the county’s polling places for individuals who use wheel chairs and other mobility aids, and for individuals who are blind or have vision impairments.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, during the May 15, 2018 primary election, the United States Attorney’s Office, along with an architect from the Department of Justice, surveyed a portion of the county’s polling place locations. The survey resulted in a finding that many of the county’s polling places contain barriers to access for persons with disabilities. Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by a state or local government in any of its programs or services, including its voting program.
York County is working collaboratively with the United States Attorney’s Office to make all polling places accessible. Under the terms of the agreement, the county will use an evaluation form for each current and prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The settlement requires the county to either relocate inaccessible polling places to new, accessible facilities, or to use temporary measures such as portable ramps, signs, traffic cones and doorbells, where appropriate to ensure accessibility on Election Day.
“The right of individuals to participate in our democratic system of government must not be diminished by barriers and obstacles at polling place locations,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “Every voter with a disability should have full and equal access to polling sites. Under this agreement, voters with disabilities will now be able to cast their ballots in person at their polling places alongside their neighbors.”
This investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler, the civil rights coordinator, with the assistance of the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (Disability Rights Section). Those interested in finding out more about the ADA can access the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
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US Attorney Blader Marks 2nd Anniversary of Revitalization of Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
In the Western District of Wisconsin, the area of emphasis for Project Safe Neighborhoods is the City of Madison and surrounding communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works with the Dane County District Attorney’s Office, the Madison Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, other area law enforcement agencies, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a coordinated and collaborative effort to identify and prosecute the most violent offenders – those who commit violent crimes with firearms and felons found in possession of firearms.
Throughout the past two years, the U.S. Department of Justice has partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s 2018 Crime in the United States Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers. In the City of Madison, shots fired calls between January and August 2019 decreased 32% from the same timeframe in 2018. Robberies and burglaries each decreased 37% in August 2019 from their numbers in August 2018.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“My office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively address violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, we are ensuring that violent offenders are being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law to meet our obligation to make our communities safer.”
Some examples of recent PSN cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office include:
- Jeffrey Parker pleaded guilty yesterday to robbing the Summit Credit Union in Portage, Wisconsin, on August 16, 2019. After the robbery, Parker led law enforcement on a high speed chase into Madison, during which Parker sped through a stoplight, striking and overturning a Federal Express truck. Parker faces 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 17, 2019.
- David A. Kelly was sentenced in May to 54 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kelly brandished a firearm at a group of people, threatening to kill them. Kelly had been convicted in Dane County Circuit Court four days prior to the incident for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and he also has three prior felony drug convictions.
- Jonathan Thompson, Kiefah Marbra, and Robert Minette were convicted of a series of bank robberies that occurred in Madison, Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Fitchburg in January and February 2018. During these bank robberies, the suspects brandished handguns, pointing them at bank employees and customers. Thompson, the ringleader, was sentenced to 22 years, while Marbra was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, and Minette was sentenced to nine years.
The PSN efforts in Madison are complemented by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The SIU works with serial offenders as they re-enter the community. Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, local law enforcement, and faith-based community members hold meetings with recently released offenders. The offenders are offered assistance in finding housing and employment, and they are told that if they commit additional crimes, they will be prosecuted and that the sentencing judge will know they chose not to embrace the services offered to them.
To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr. Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“The Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a cornerstone of our violent crime reduction efforts. Drawing on the strong partnerships among our federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are protecting the public and holding the most violent offenders accountable for their criminal actions,” said United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “We recognize there is still work to be done, and we remain committed to this important public safety initiative.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions across the Eastern District of Kentucky over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
In January 2018, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies created the Fayette County Violent Crime Task Force. The Task Force focuses investigative and prosecutorial resources on those individuals responsible for violent crime and significant drug trafficking in this area, particularly those who commit acts of violence while armed with a firearm and those who commit armed drug trafficking.
“Working in a collaborative way with stakeholders across our community as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program is producing positive results in Lexington,” Chief Lawrence Weathers said. “Patrol officers are building relationships with residents, detectives are coordinating investigations with other law enforcement agencies, and we are developing solid cases with prosecutors. The effectiveness of the Project Safe Neighborhoods model cannot be overstated.”
The Agencies participating in this effort include the ATF, DEA, FBI, Lexington Police Department, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington Community Corrections, the Fayette County Public Schools Law Enforcement Division, the Fayette County Attorney’s Office, the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
“ATF strives to be ‘no better partner’ to other law enforcement agencies,” stated ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Tommy Estevan of the Louisville Field Division. “During the past year, ATF and these agencies investigated illegal sources of crime guns and persons who illegally possessed or used guns to commit violent crimes in the Lexington area. Together, we pursued ‘traffickers and trigger pullers’ with every resource, including new ballistic technology and other crime gun intelligence to disrupt the shooting cycle. ATF remains committed to the continued success of Project Safe Neighborhoods and this comprehensive approach to public safety.”
In response to recent shootings and related criminal activity, law enforcement in Fayette County have worked proactively to identify and apprehend those responsible. Illegally possessing or using a firearm in criminal activity will likely result in a lengthy sentence of imprisonment.
In the past year, our established partnerships have been an integral factor in our PSN prosecutions. Some examples of these prosecutions include:
- Keith A. Jefferson, 26, of Lexington, who was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Read more.
- Gregory Thomopolous, 39, of Lexington, who was an Armed Career Criminal and sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for armed drug trafficking. Read more.
- D’Vonta Middlebrooks, 24, of Lexington, who was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Read more.
Community Partnerships
In addition to enforcement efforts aimed at removing the most violent offenders from our streets, law enforcement personnel have engaged in community outreach and education. Working with the City of Lexington’s ONE LEX initiative, PSN participants have attended community safety days, provided information about community resources available, and served as mentors to school children in Fayette County. Read more about the coordinated efforts to reduce violent crime in Lexington.
“PSN is not only about vigorous prosecution of violent crime, it also about a commitment to crime prevention, problem solving and community partnerships. We recognize the need for more complex solutions that not only seek positive outcomes for victims, but also strive for long-term solutions for defendants, potential defendants, and the community at large,” said Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Lou Anna Red Corn. “It is my hope, that as our community partnerships grow, we will earn and keep the trust of the communities where crime has the greatest impact.”
Improvements to Community Safety
- For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of national violent crimes decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
- The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.
- According to statistics released earlier this year by the Lexington Police Department, violent crime in Lexington decreased by 13 percent in 2018, compared to 2017. This decrease included declines in homicides (down 21 percent), robberies (down 21 percent), aggravated assaults (down 11 percent), and shootings (down 23 percent). Additionally, shots fired calls decreased by 9 percent. Preliminary data through July 2019 shows a 9.1 percent decrease in Part I crime as compared to year to date in 2018.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey Announces Progress in Making our Communities Safer through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Knoxville, Tenn. – Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of PSN actions in the Eastern District of Tennessee (TNE) over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) collaborates with the police departments of Chattanooga, Knoxville, Morristown, and Johnson City, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, federal law enforcement agencies that include the ATF, FBI, DEA, ICE, U.S. Marshals Service, and District Attorneys General from Hamilton County, Knox County, Washington County, and Hamblen County to reduce violent crime. Based on detailed analysis of violent crime data, these partners work together to prosecute the most violent offenders and disrupt gang violence.
In September of 2018, the USAO, in conjunction with our federal and local partners in Chattanooga, met with the U.S. Marshall Service to bring their Triple Beam initiative to Chattanooga. This initiative involved planning a six-week fugitive round-up from late October through December that targeted violent fugitives who were gang members. This operation was responsible for the arrest of 126 people and seizure of seven firearms during the operation.
https://newschannel9.com/news/local/operation-triple-beam-126-violent-offenders-gang-members-arrested-in-hamilton-county
Community Partnerships
The USAO collaborates with cities to bring together community organizations and faith-based organizations to offer social services to gang members and other potentially violent individuals in an attempt to ease re-entry into society and prevent future violence.
Improvements to Community Safety
- For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
- The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.
- As of September, in 2018 criminal homicides had decreased in Chattanooga by 61% compared to that same period in 2017, including a 53% drop in gang-related homicides.
- From 2017 through 2018, TNE’s firearm cases filed increased from 195 to 257, which is higher than the national average of 187 filed in large districts. Similarly, TNE’s firearm defendants increased from 250 to 355, which is also higher than the 229 average defendants for large districts during that same period of time.
- From 2017 through 2018, TNE’s reported a 32% increase in firearm cases filed as well as a 42% increase in number of firearm defendants.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney David J. Freed Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
FBI Uniform Crime Report Shows 3.9 Drop in Violent Crime in 2018
Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.
“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“In neighborhoods negatively impacted by violent crime across the Middle District of Pennsylvania I hear the same refrain from law abiding citizens: focus your efforts on the violent offenders that are preventing us from enjoying our homes and forcing us to keep our children inside,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “We have heard the call. Targeted enforcement and tough cooperative prosecutions are a proven formula for reducing violent crime. Project Safe Neighborhoods allows us to direct law enforcement assets to the areas of greatest need throughout the District. Our extremely strong cooperative relationships among local, state and federal investigators and prosecutors mean that the right offenders are prosecuted in the right venue for the right crimes. Nothing is more important to us than public safety. PSN proves it.”
As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
The Middle District of Pennsylvania’ strategy for reducing and preventing violent crime in the Middle District focuses on the Harrisburg, York, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport areas. Federal, state and local law enforcement officers joined forces to coordinate their activities in high-crime areas and vigorously enforce the laws, which punish gun offenses, gang activity, drug-related crimes and other acts of violence. These partnerships have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of federal prosecutions against the most violent individuals in our district.
Just this month, Maurice L. Ross, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced to 77 years’ imprisonment for committing armed robbery of a convenience store on three separate occasions in Harrisburg.
Derek Pelker was sentenced in July 2019, to 533 months’ imprisonment for the armed robbery of four banks. Pelker’s co-defendants received sentences that ranged from 132 months’ imprisonment to nine months imprisonment for their involvement in the robberies.
Anthony Johnson was convicted on May 16, 2019, following a two-day jury trial, for Hobbs Act Robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in York. Johnson and his co-conspirator robbed and shot the victim in the head.
In U.S. v. Adrian Ortiz-Diaz, et. al., U.S. v. Kevin Robles, et al. and U.S. v. Jose Miguel Guman Ruiz, et. al., twenty-nine individuals were charged in March 2019 in three separate indictments, for a drug trafficking conspiracy that entailed kilogram quantities of cocaine hydrochloride sent from Puerto Rico through the United States Postal Service to Pennsylvania and being purchased in California and transported to Pennsylvania, which was then distributed to customers in Dauphin, Cumberland, Northumberland and Union Counties.
In December 2018, Tyree Eatmon, a member of the violent York based gang known as “Southside” was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment for his activities that ravaged the York area for over a decade. Eatmon assaulted, kicked and stomped a member of a rival gang. During the altercation, multiple shots were fired striking an innocent bystander in the head, causing permanent damage. Four Southside gang members have received a sentence of life imprisonment for their gang activities.
Community Partnerships
The Middle District of Pennsylvania joined community and law enforcement partners in York as part of the York Group Violence Initiative (GVI). GVI is designed to reduce street group–involved homicide and gun violence. Two call–ins of 17 persons were conducted in 2018. The participants were educated on the effects of gun violence on themselves and on their community. They heard from law enforcement officials and received information from community outreach members who provide mentoring and other services. Several of the participants have contacted the GVI project manager for help with job placement, securing household items, finding temporary living facilities and help with childcare issues.
The Middle District joined with the York City Police Department, the York City Mayor, the York County District Attorney’s Office, the York City Community Street Solders, FBI, DEA, and ATF to participate in a community walk on May 22, 2019 in York. U.S. Attorney Freed acknowledged the work performed by federal, state, and local law enforcement by participating in a community walk and promoting the dialogue between law enforcement and the community. The community walk was meant to demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are committed to working with each other and community organizations and residents to reduce crime in these areas.
Improvements to Community Safety
- For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.
- The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.
- According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2018, violent crime in Pennsylvania decreased from 40,030 events in 2017 to 39,192 events in 2018. According to the report, violent crimes include: Murder and non-negligent manslaughter; Rape; Aggravated assault; and Property crime.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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U.S. Attorney Announces Progress in Making Our Communities Safer Through Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that according to the FBI’s 2018 Crime in the United States Report released this week, the estimated number of violent crimes in the District of South Dakota decreased in 2018 for the first time in five years, dropping 4.9 percent from the 2017 number. Even more significantly, the violent crime rate fell 5.8 percent when compared with the 2017 rate. The 2018 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime in South Dakota was 404.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
This was first decline in the violent crime rate in South Dakota in five years. (See Table 1 below). The most dramatic drop was seen in the category of murders and non-negligent homicides, which declined by 56 percent from 2017 to 2018. (See Table 2 below).
“These numbers are a testament to the tireless efforts and dedication of our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers working to protect us every day,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We must always remember that these men and women cannot do their jobs effectively without the help and support of the general public. Fortunately, we have that here in South Dakota. We are grateful for the tremendous community support shown for law enforcement officers across the state.”
As announced by Attorney General William P. Barr earlier this week, the estimated number of violent crimes in the United States as a whole decreased 3.3 percent from the 2017 number. The national violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate. This was the second consecutive year that violent crime has decreased nationwide.
Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past two years, the department’s United States Attorneys have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Table 1
Table 2
Two Rockford Men Sentenced for Stealing Guns from Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD —A Rockford man was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey to a total of ten years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
KYLAND WILLIS, 21, who was charged in two separate cases, pleaded guilty on June 28, 2019, to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and two counts of stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.
According to a written plea agreement, Willis broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Loves Park on Dec. 15, 2017, and stole approximately eleven firearms. On Dec. 27, 2017, Willis and another individual broke into the store of the same firearms licensee again and stole an additional 13 firearms. Willis and the other individual also attempted to break into the store of a second firearms licensee in Loves Park on Dec. 26, 2017.
On Jan. 3, 2018, Willis, co-defendant MARTAEVIEN Q. STEVENSON, 21, also of Rockford, and a third individual broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Belvidere, and stole 30 firearms. Stevenson admitted to attempting to break into the firearms licensee store a second time on Jan. 8, 2019. Willis, Stevenson and other individuals also attempted to break into the firearms licensee’s store a third time on Jan. 10, 2018.
Stevenson pleaded guilty on May 24, 2019, to conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer. Stevenson was sentenced on Sept. 13, 2019, to four years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The sentencings were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The investigations were conducted by ATF, the Loves Park Police Department, the Belvidere Police Department, and the Rockford Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigations. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
Two Effingham County Area Drug Dealers Sentenced on Methamphetamine Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Maggie L. Matlock, 30, of Mason, Illinois, and Nathan G. Kirkley, 25, of Gays, Illinois, were recently sentenced in federal court on methamphetamine related charges, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United
States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.On October 2, 2019, Matlock was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and fined $200. Matlock had previously pleaded guilty to a one-count federal indictment which charged that from on or about
2017, until on or about December 2018, in Effingham County, the State of Colorado, and elsewhere, Matlock conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (Ice).On September 30, 2019, Kirkley was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment and fined
$200. Kirkley had previously pleaded guilty to a two-count federal indictment. Count 1 charged that from on or about June 2017, until on or about October 2018, in Effingham County, and elsewhere, Kirkley conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (Ice). Count 2 charged that on July 2, 2018, in Effingham County, Kirkley possessed with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.The investigation in this case was conducted by the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department, and the Effingham City Police.
Three Time Federal Felon Sentenced to over Sixteen Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was convicted in federal court for illegally possessing a gun for the third time was sentenced October 3, 2019, to more than sixteen years in federal prison.
Fernaris Braggs, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2019 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Braggs admitted he illegally possessed a handgun on December 23, 2018. On that day, Braggs was in a car involved in a hit-and-run accident. Law enforcement officers learned Braggs was involved and searched the area of the accident for him. The officers found Braggs near a gas station. Braggs saw the officers and ran from them. Officers caught and tackled him. Braggs continued to struggle with the officers. During the struggle, Braggs dropped a loaded handgun onto the ground.
At the time he possessed the handgun, Braggs was a convicted felon. In 2001, he was convicted in federal court of distributing crack cocaine two times and illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. In 2011, approximately two months after he got out of federal prison, Braggs was caught with a gun and marijuana he planned to sell. Braggs was then convicted of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was still on supervised release from that conviction when he possessed the handgun on December 23, 2018.
Braggs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Braggs was sentenced to 195 months’ imprisonment in total. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on the new charge and 60 months in prison for violating his prior supervised release. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Braggs is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-31.
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Three Men Arrested in Connection with Suburban Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Three men have been arrested in connection with a bank robbery in Elmwood Park earlier this week. Law enforcement is also investigating whether the trio committed other recent bank robberies in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
ANDRES ADAME, 34, of Melrose Park, AARON FLORES, 21, of Chicago, and MANUEL MARTINEZ, 23, of Chicago, are charged with one count of bank robbery in connection with the Wednesday heist at U.S. Bank, 7312 W. Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park.
According to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Adame and Martinez were wearing sunglasses and surgical masks when they entered the bank shortly after 2:30 p.m., approached the teller counter and demanded cash. After the tellers complied with the demands, Adame and Martinez left the bank and drove off in a Honda CR-V sport-utility vehicle driven by Flores, the complaint states. Law enforcement pursued the defendants into Chicago, where the defendants’ vehicle collided with another car and came to a stop in a yard near West Altgeld Street and North Neva Avenue, the complaint states. Martinez was arrested at the scene, while Adame and Flores were taken into custody after a foot chase, the complaint states.
Flores and Martinez are scheduled to appear for detention hearings on Oct. 8, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings. Adame’s initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Chicago Police Department, in coordination with the Elmwood Park Police Department.
The complaint and arrests were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of CPD. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung.
The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Superior Resident Sentenced to 6 Years for Methamphetamine CrimeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Brian Kainu, 36, Superior, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to six years in federal prison for possessing of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Kainu pleaded guilty to this charge on June 25, 2019.
In March 2019, law enforcement officers conducted an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Superior. As part of their investigation, officers executed a search warrant at Kainu’s residence on April 4, 2019. During this search, officers found approximately 443 grams of methamphetamine, a cell phone, a digital scale, and drug paraphernalia. After his arrest, Kainu told officers that he started distributing methamphetamine three years ago, and that he sold approximately a pound of methamphetamine a week.
During sentencing, Judge Peterson highlighted the quantity of drugs Kainu possessed and distributed as being an aggravating factor.
The charge against Kainu was the result of an investigation conducted by the Superior Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Northwest Area Crime Unit, and the Lake Superior Drug & Violent Crime Task Force. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma.
Stewartstown Woman Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Oxycodone and VicodinRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Korin Gendreau, 32, of Stewartstown, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to distribution of Oxycodone and Vicodin, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 19, 2018, Gendreau sold Vicodin, also known as Hydrocodone, to an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement officers. On January 11, 2019, Gendreau sold Oxycodone to the same cooperating individual. Gendreau was arrested in April of 2019.
Gendreau is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2020.
“The illegal distribution of prescription painkillers has contributed to the opioid crisis in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who unlawfully sell these powerful prescription drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Colebrook Police Department, the Pittsburg Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s Division of Enforcement and Licensing, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau and John S. Davis.
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Staten Island Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CARL ANDERSON, a state licensed doctor, pled guilty today to writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone. ANDERSON pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox, and will be sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Lorna G. Schofield at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As a physician, Carl Anderson should have been the first line of defense in the ongoing opioid epidemic. Instead, as he admitted in federal court today, in exchange for cash payments, Anderson conspired with others to dispense dangerous and addictive opiates that were being sold on the street. He now faces serious prison time for his actions.”
According to allegations in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Oxycodone is a highly addictive, narcotic opioid that is used to treat severe and chronic pain conditions. Oxycodone prescriptions are in high demand and have significant cash value to drug dealers. In fact, oxycodone tablets can be resold on the street for thousands of dollars. For example, 30-milligram oxycodone tablets have a current street value of approximately $30 each in New York City, with street prices even higher in other parts of the country. A single prescription for 180 30-milligram tablets of oxycodone can net an illicit distributor $5,400 in cash or more.
From at least approximately 2006 until his arrest in October 2018, ANDERSON operated a medical clinic in Staten Island, New York, where he wrote thousands of medically unnecessary oxycodone prescriptions in exchange for cash. ANDERSON prescribed large quantities of oxycodone pills to patients he knew had no legitimate medical need for the medication, including his co-defendant Arthur Grande, who sold the pills on the streets of New York. ANDERSON often held “patient visits” without appointments in the middle of the night – sometimes at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. and sometimes at his home – and required “patients” to pay $150 to $200 per prescription in cash. Many “patients” traveled from long distances, displayed visible signs of addiction to narcotics, or were plainly not taking, and instead were selling, their pills. When ANDERSON was arrested in October 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) found over $200,000 in illicit drug proceeds in his home.
While pleading guilty today, ANDERSON admitted that he “violated [his] duties granted to [him] as a licensed physician,” “willfully turned a blind eye to . . . suspicions,” and participated in a “scheme” that “amounted to . . . diversion” of oxycodone. As part of his guilty plea today, ANDERSON agreed to the forfeiture of $264,164 in drug proceeds that were seized from his home.
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ANDERSON, 58, of Staten Island, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. ANDERSON’s co-defendant, Arthur Grande, pled guilty to the same offense on October 1, 2019. This offense carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad in New York, which comprises agents and officers from the DEA, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, the Town of Orangetown Police Department, the Rockland County Drug Task Force, the Westchester County Police Department, and the New York City Department of Investigation. He also acknowledged the assistance of the Department of Health & Human Services.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos is in charge of the prosecution.
State Department Contracting Officer Convicted of Bribery and Procurement FraudRead the Press Release
A contracting officer with the U.S. Department of State was convicted today of conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud and making false statements.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Zaldy N. Sabino, 60, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was convicted of 13 counts of conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud and making false statements. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 14, 2020.
Sabino was indicted in April 2019. According to the indictment, between November 2012 and early 2017, Sabino and the owner of a Turkish construction firm allegedly engaged in a bribery and procurement fraud scheme in which Sabino received at least $239,300 in cash payments from the Turkish owner while Sabino supervised multi-million dollar construction contracts awarded to the Turkish owner’s business partners and while Sabino made over a half million dollars in structured cash deposits into his personal bank accounts. Sabino allegedly concealed his unlawful relationship by, among other things, making false statements on financial disclosure forms and during his background reinvestigation.
The Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, led by Steve A. Linick, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing the Richmond Heights Post Office at GunpointRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Dywane Upchurch, 39, of St. Louis, MO, pleaded guilty to felony charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and assaulting a Postal employee while committing robbery. Upchurch appeared in federal court today before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry who accepted his plea and set his sentencing date for January 16, 2019.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2018, Dywane Upchurch entered the rear door of the U.S. Post Office in Richmond Heights located on Big Bend Boulevard. He was armed with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. Once inside, Upchurch brandished the firearm and forced both employees into a restroom. Upchurch then went to the cash register and stole approximately $8,800 in cash.
On January 17, 2019, Upchurch was taken into custody after United States Postal Inspectors executed an arrest warrant at a residence on Blakemore Place, St. Louis, Missouri. A firearm possessed by Upchurch was seized from the residence.
Upchurch faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm and up to 25 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on the assault count. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is handling the case.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Participating in A Scheme to Defraud Users of A Dating WebsiteRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DAVID JONES was sentenced by United States District Judge Nelson S. Román to 30 months in prison for his participation in a scheme by which he and others fraudulently convinced users of a dating website into believing that they had sent sexually explicit images to underage children and faced criminal prosecution if they did not pay to avoid involvement by law enforcement. JONES previously pled guilty on May 14, 2019.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “David Jones scared his victims into sending him money by fraudulently convincing victims they were in peril of criminal prosecution for child exploitation. In the end, this cruel and temporarily profitable scheme by Jones earned him a prison term and surrender of his ill-gotten gains.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
Beginning in August 2017, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) began identifying various individuals who reported that they had been extorted after using a dating website (the “Website”). In general, each victim reported communicating on the Website with an individual the victim believed was an adult. Then, after the victim received and shared sexually-explicit photos with the person the victim believed was an adult, the victim was contacted by a person who claimed that the victim had communicated with an underage minor and needed to pay the minor’s family to prevent law enforcement involvement. The victims made payments via money transfers through Western Union and Walmart and/or through the purchase of Green Dot MoneyPak cards.
In total, at least 28 victims of the criminal scheme were identified. Together, those victims paid over $40,000 to DAVID JONES and his co-conspirators. The victims were located in numerous states including Florida, Montana, Tennessee, Arizona, and New York. In connection with the scheme, DAVID JONES and his co-conspirators made phone calls from South Carolina to Mahopac, New York.
Mr. Berman praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Department of Corrections - Police Services Unit, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office in connection with this investigation.
Judge Román ordered that the 30-month term of imprisonment run consecutive to the sentence JONES is currently serving in South Carolina. In addition, he imposed a period of supervised release of three years to follow the imprisonment, and ordered forfeiture in the amount of $27,066 and restitution in the amount of $41,459.51.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Six Mexican Nationals Indicted in Timeshare Telemarketing ScamRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – MARTIN ALONSO ACEVES CUSTODIO, a/k/a Robin Birmingham, a/k/a ALA, age 29, LIZA FLANERY FIERRO, a/k/a LIE, age 33, CLAUDIA ELENA ANTILLON ZAHUITA, a/k/a Julie Batista, a/k/a KLA, age 36, SERGIO LEON KURI, a/k/a “LNK, age 38, JESUS ADRIAN LEDESMA BERNAL, a/k/a JSS, age 31, and JULIO CESAR RIVERA ROJAS, a/k/a JCP, age 32, all residents and citizens of Mexico, were indicted October 3, 2019 by a federal grand jury for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The indictment alleges that from at least January 1, 2016, to the present, the above defendants conspired together and with others to commit wire fraud in connection with a telemarketing scheme that targeted and victimized persons in the United States, Canada and South America. As part of the elaborate scheme, the conspirators made unsolicited phone calls to owners of resort timeshare properties to induce them to and pay fees associated with the bogus sale of their property. The defendants misrepresented the existence of a buyer for their timeshare and solicited money from the victims to facilitate the sale. They solicited the timeshare owners to enter into agreements to sell their timeshares and pay for alleged “closing costs” with electronic wire transfers from banking institutions within the United States to Mexican banks. There were no interested buyers, the closings did not occur, and the timeshares were not resold. Instead, the conspirators simply pocketed the advanced fees. Of the U.S. victims, 40 were age 60 and older and the total estimated loss is at least $10,000,000.
The defendants, who are all based in Mexico, operated under the business names Planet Travel and Newport International Investments, and at other times used the following business names: Advance Travel INC, All American Real Estate, American International Investment Group, Bear Claw Travel, Best Investment Services, Champion Properties, Closing Source LLC, Equity Closing Services Group, Global Offshore Services, NSC Holding, Peach Title, Sandia Title, Travel and Acquisitions, Travel Innovations, Travel Plus Acquisitions, Travel Right, and World Travelers, Inc.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of twenty years of incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
This case is the product of an extensive and ongoing investigation by special agents of Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Rivera is prosecuting the case.
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Second defendant arrested in case alleging theft of trade secrets from American aviation companyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – An Italian national was arrested in Marino, Italy on Oct. 2 pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States in a case involving two defendants charged here with conspiring to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.
Alexander Yuryevich Korshunov, 57, and Maurizio Paolo Bianchi, 59, were charged by a criminal complaint on Aug. 21. Korshunov was arrested on Aug. 30 at Naples International Airport in Italy. A federal grand jury in Cincinnati indicted the pair on Sept. 11 with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets, and that indictment was unsealed today.
According to the indictment, Korshunov was an employee of a Russian state-owned company and had previously been a Russian public official whose service included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bianchi was a former director at Avio S.p.A, an Italian aerospace company until 2012. GE Aviation purchased the aerospace business from Avio S.p.A. in 2013 and operates the business as Avio Aero with its headquarters in Turin, Italy. GE Aviation is one of the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers and is headquartered in the Southern District of Ohio.
After leaving Avio S.p.A., Bianchi went to work for a company called Aernova in Forli, Italy.
Korshunov was employed at United Engine Corp (UEC), which included a subsidiary named Aviadvigatel (a branch of the Russian state-owned company), which had been “entity listed” by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2018 for acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Aernova and Aviadvigatel had a contract during the time of the alleged conduct.
It is alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Bianchi – on behalf of Korshunov – recruited current or former employees of Avio Aero to do consulting work related to jet engine accessory gearboxes for Bianchi and Korshunov. An accessory gearbox is a component mechanism used to transfer the power from the jet engine to other airplane power systems.
According to court documents, the employees’ statements of work typically stated that the “the holders of patent and intellectual property obtained as a result of the work are…the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.”
Employees allegedly used trade secrets owned by Avio Aero and GE Aviation to create the technical report. The effort focused on accessory gearboxes made by Avio Aero that provide power to systems such as hydraulic pumps, generators and fuel pumps.
Court documents detail that Korshunov allegedly arranged and paid for employees to meet with him in June 2013 at the Paris Air Show in Le-Bourget, France and in 2014 in Milan, Italy to discuss and revise the technical report.
Conspiring to steal trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin C. Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and the cooperation of GE Aviation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division assisted in the investigation.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Second Defendant Arrested in Case Alleging Theft of Trade Secrets from American Aviation CompanyRead the Press Release
An Italian national was arrested in Marino, Italy, on Oct. 2 pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States in a case involving two defendants charged here with conspiring to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.
Alexander Yuryevich Korshunov, 57, and Maurizio Paolo Bianchi, 59, were charged by a criminal complaint on Aug. 21. Korshunov was arrested on Aug. 30 at Naples International Airport in Italy. A federal grand jury in Cincinnati indicted the pair on Sept. 11 with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets, and that indictment was unsealed today.
According to the indictment, Korshunov was an employee of a Russian state-owned company and had previously been a Russian public official whose service included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bianchi was a former director at Avio S.p.A, an Italian aerospace company until 2012. GE Aviation purchased the aerospace business from Avio S.p.A. in 2013 and operates the business as Avio Aero with its headquarters in Turin, Italy. GE Aviation is one of the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers and is headquartered in the Southern District of Ohio.
After leaving Avio S.p.A, Bianchi went to work for a company called Aernova in Forli, Italy.
Korshunov was employed at United Engine Corp (UEC), which included a subsidiary named Aviadvigatel (a branch of the Russian state-owned company), which had been “entity listed” by the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2018 for acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Aernova and Aviadvigatel had a contract during the time of the alleged conduct.
It is alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Bianchi – on behalf of Korshunov – recruited current or former employees of Avio Aero to do consulting work related to jet engine accessory gearboxes for Bianchi and Korshunov. An accessory gearbox is a component mechanism used to transfer the power from the jet engine to other airplane power systems.
According to court documents, the employees’ statements of work typically stated that the “the holders of patent and intellectual property obtained as a result of the work are…the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.”
Employees allegedly used trade secrets owned by Avio Aero and GE Aviation to create the technical report. The effort focused on accessory gearboxes made by Avio Aero that provide power to systems such as hydraulic pumps, generators and fuel pumps.
Court documents detail that Korshunov allegedly arranged and paid for employees to meet with him in June 2013 at the Paris Air Show in Le-Bourget, France and in 2014 in Milan, Italy to discuss and revise the technical report.
Conspiring to steal trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin C. Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and the cooperation of GE Aviation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division assisted in the investigation.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Saint Paul Felon Convicted at Trial for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the conviction of MARCUS ANTHONY MATTOX, 25, for illegally possessing a firearm. The jury found MATTOX guilty following a four-day trial before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
As proven at trial, in the early morning hours of September 22, 2018, police officers heard a volley of gunshots in the area of Lexington Avenue and University Avenue in St. Paul, followed by a second volley of gunshots. Thereafter, officers responded to a report of shots fired at an apartment complex on Concordia Avenue. Officers recovered from the apartment complex’s parking lot ten discharged.40-caliber bullet casings and a 9mm firearm. Officers also noticed a fresh blood trail leading from near the front doors of the apartment building through the parking lot. Officers followed the blood trail, and along its path they found a loaded Desert Eagle .50-caliber semiautomatic pistol. The hammer of the firearm was cocked back in the firing position and it had blood on the handgrips, the trigger guard, and the trigger. While officers were investigating the scene, they learned that MATTOX had been taken to Regions Hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds to his face and foot. Officers responded to Regions Hospital and collected MATTOX’s bloody clothing.
As proven at trial, while reviewing the surveillance video from the apartment building, officers observed a male exit the apartment building, wearing clothing that matched MATTOX’s clothing collected from the hospital, approach another male in the parking lot and exchange gunfire with that male before falling to the ground, getting back up and running from the scene along the same path as the trail of blood officers found at the scene. A subsequent DNA analysis confirmed that MATTOX’s blood was on the Desert Eagle .50-caliber pistol.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Saint Paul Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez tried the case.
Defendant Information:
MARCUS ANTHONY MATTOX, a/k/a “Marcus Anthony Maddox,” a/k/a “M-Nutt”, 25
St. Paul, Minn.
Convicted:
- Felon in possession of a firearm - armed career criminal, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Rockford Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD —A Rockford man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on a federal drug conspiracy charge.
TYSHON T. WATSON (also known as "TY"), 24, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Watson pleaded guilty on June 28, 2019, to conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; Dan O’Shea, Chief of the Rockford Police Department; and Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff. The federal investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, which includes the above agencies as well as the Loves Park and Freeport Police Departments. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives also assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
In a written plea agreement, Watson admitted that he worked for a drug-trafficking conspiracy distributing heroin to street-level customers in the Rockford area on a daily basis between May 2017 and November 2, 2017. Watson began selling approximately five grams of heroin per week for the conspiracy, and his heroin sales later increased to approximately ten grams of heroin per day. As part of the conspiracy, Watson and his co-conspirator shared a phone that was used to arrange heroin sales, and they warned each other about potential police surveillance in areas where they were conducting drug trafficking.
On the day of Watson’s arrest in November 2017, Watson possessed 63 baggies of heroin that he intended to distribute to the conspiracy’s street-level customers. Watson at times also distributed heroin to the conspiracy’s larger-quantity customers who were heroin dealers themselves. Watson admitted that the conspiracy distributed or possessed with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Robbing Two Rockford BanksRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to four years in federal prison on one count of armed bank robbery and one count of bank robbery.
DEMONTRION PHILLIPS, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the armed robbery of Alpine Bank, 2642 Charles St. in Rockford, on July 17, 2017, and the robbery of Northwest Bank, 3106 N. Rockton Ave. in Rockford, on June 13, 2017.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of FBI; and Dan O’Shea, Chief of the Rockford Police Department. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes representatives from the FBI; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Loves Park Police Department; Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department; and Rockford Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
According to a written plea agreement, Phillips and another individual robbed the Alpine Bank at approximately 5:48 p.m. During the robbery, Phillips brandished a BB gun, placed a note and a white plastic garbage bag on the counter, and demanded money. While the teller was filling up the bag with money, Phillips took back the note, jumped over the counter and started placing money in the bag. Phillips then went to another teller, began putting money in his bag, then jumped back over the counter and fled the bank. Phillips dropped the BB gun and some of the money as he ran to a waiting vehicle in a nearby parking lot.
Phillips also admitted that he robbed the Northwest Bank. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Phillips provided a teller with a note that indicated he had a gun and wanted money, and he threatened harm. The teller took money out of the teller drawer and placed it on the counter. Phillips then put the money in a brown plastic grocery bag, put the note back in his pocket and left the bank with the money.
In both robberies, Phillips wore a disguise including a fake beard.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., ordered Phillips to pay full restitution.
Rochester Man Convicted of Enticing A Minor Online Going to Prison for 12 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Kaden Sylvester, 24, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of the online enticement of a minor, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison, and 15 years supervised release, by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that in September 2018, the FBI learned that Sylvester was engaged in online chats with other individuals who were actively trading child pornography. During the chats, the defendant distributed child pornography to an undercover FBI Special Agent. Based on this information, a search warrant was executed at Sylvester’s suspected residence. Further investigation revealed that the defendant had also sexually abused a child entrusted to his care, and produced child pornography involving the child.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Alexander Massari, age 53, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 230 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Massari must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Crimes involving child pornography perpetuate the cruel and heartless business of the sexual abuse of children for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This sentence sends a clear message that we will bring to justice those who would victimize innocent children.”
According to his guilty plea, on March 15, 2018, federal investigators executed a federal search warrant for two e-mail accounts associated with Massari after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a Cybertipline Report that one of those accounts had sent or possessed child pornography. The video file associated with the tip contained images documenting the sexual abuse of a prepubescent minor female.
Records obtained as a result of the warrant revealed that in February 2018, Massari exchanged e-mails with individuals requesting child pornography, requested money for the child pornography images, and transmitted videos and images containing child pornography. Investigators also observed e-mails on February 13 and 28, 2018, during which Massari corresponded with another person about exchanging child pornography. During one exchange, Massari wrote “here you go” and the person responded “you got any more.” Massari responded that he did, but that Massari was interested in receiving child pornography in exchange.
On April 11, 2018, a company that provides website hosting services sent a Cybertipline Report to NCMEC for a child pornography violation that occurred on April 10, 2018. The user being reported was a member of Massari’s family, but Massari admitted that he was using the family member’s name and that Massari was the actual user. Although the website had been taken down by the time investigators identified it, the files provided by the web hosting service allowed law enforcement to recreate what the website looked like when it was taken down. FBI investigators viewed the files and at the top of the home page were the words “illegal.cp” and “join now!” The website provided information concerning the prices for different levels of membership that individuals could pay to obtain child pornography files. The home page of the website contained several images of child pornography.
On June 7, 2018, FBI investigators executed a federal search warrant at Massari’s residence and recovered numerous electronic storage devices, including a laptop computer and a computer hard drive. Those devices were examined pursuant to a federal search warrant and investigators recovered more than 600 images of child pornography from Massari’s electronic devices, including images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and sadistic conduct.
Massari also has a previous 2006 federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Owner of Tampa-Area Medical Marketing Company Sentenced to Prison for DNA Testing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a Tampa, Florida-area medical marketing company was sentenced to 70 months in prison today for his role in a $2.2 million Medicare fraud scheme involving the payment of kickbacks and bribes to fraudulent medical clinics in Miami in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries for expensive genetic tests that were medically unnecessary, and for his role in the illegal structuring of cash withdrawal transactions.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and Assistant Inspector General Omar Perez of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.
U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew of the Middle District of Florida, sentenced David Brock Lovelace, 49, of Land o’ Lakes, Florida, the owner of DBL Management LLC in Land o’ Lakes. After a one-week jury trial in July 2019, Lovelace was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and one count of structuring cash withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Lovelace was paid by a genetic testing laboratory for each DNA swab that Lovelace arranged to be referred to the laboratory. In order to obtain DNA swabs, Lovelace paid illegal cash kickbacks and bribes to medical clinics in Miami in exchange for the referral of DNA swabs that were obtained from Medicare beneficiaries. Lovelace directed the owners of the medical clinics to collect the DNA of all the patients who visited the clinics, regardless of whether the patients actually had any medical need for DNA testing. In turn, the clinics provided food and other inducements to beneficiaries to get them to visit the clinics where their DNA was collected.
The evidence at trial showed that the test results were never provided to the beneficiaries; rather, co-conspirators at the clinics paid doctors and obtained prescriptions for the DNA testing, frequently without any patient interaction.
From November 2013 to May 2014, the evidence at trial showed that Lovelace paid these kickbacks in the form of cash bribes to Miami clinic owners. From May 2014 to November 2014, after his arrest on other health care fraud charges, the evidence showed that Lovelace established shell companies, including Healthcare Marketing Florida of Melbourne, Florida, and recruited others to help him continue the scheme while he was out on pretrial release awaiting trial in his first criminal case.
Lovelace was previously found guilty by a jury in December 2015 of various health care fraud, money laundering and identity theft charges in a case handled by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. He is currently serving 14 years in prison on those charges. The sentence imposed today was ordered to be served consecutively with the 14-year sentence previously imposed.
The FBI and HHS investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Trial Attorney John Michelich and Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $16 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Oneida County Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Angwin, age 29, of Holland Patent, New York, pled guilty today to distributing and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett.
In entering his guilty plea today in United States District Court, Angwin, admitted that he used the Kik Messenger application to distribute child pornography to other Kik users. Agwin also used his iPhone to possess images and videos of child pornography he received via the internet. Execution of search warrants on Angwin’s iPhones revealed that he possessed over 1,500 images and over 150 video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos included depictions of the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby will sentence Angwin on February 6, 2020. He faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison for the distribution charge and up to 20 years in prison on the possession charge, a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. Angwin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by HSI Syracuse with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and 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.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Failure to Pay Withholding and F.I.C.A. TaxesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Rolley D. Bennett, Jr., age 53, of Omaha, Nebraska, to a jail term of 12 months and 1 day for the willful failure to pay withholding and F.I.C.A taxes. There is no parole in the federal system. Once released from prison, Bennett will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Bennett was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $31,576.19 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Bennett, while the controller of Diesel Power Equipment Company, headquartered in Omaha, during the period of 2013 and 2014, failed to pay approximately $879,000 in payroll trust fund taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
Diesel Power was a business that engaged in the distribution and repair of diesel engines, generators, pumps, parts and accessories, primarily to the mining, railroad, industrial equipment, and agricultural irrigation industries. Bennett’s failure to make the payroll trust fund tax payments in 2013 and 2014 resulted in Diesel Power ultimately going out of business. Bennett took steps to willfully conceal the nonpayment of Diesel Power employment taxes including creating cash flow reports, which reported the employment tax liabilities had been paid and creating journal entries in the company’s general ledger, which accrued the employment tax liabilities and their associated payments.
“As the individual who controlled the finances, Mr. Bennett was entrusted to collect and turn over all IRS withholding taxes,” said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Failure to remit those employment taxes resulted in the loss of tax revenue to the government and the possible loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees.”
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.
Ohio woman admits to using juvenile to sell methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alicia J. Evans, of Akron, Ohio, has admitted to a drug distribution charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Evans, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Using a Juvenile to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Evans admitted to using a minor to sell methamphetamine in August 2018 in Marshall County.
Evans faces up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to 21,000,000. 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 Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.
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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Norwalk Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Service MemberRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jeffery Thorpe, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office, today announced that CHRISTOPHER TEIXEIRA, 35, formerly of Darien and currently residing in Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for stealing more than $57,000 from a former U.S. Navy service member.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (“DFAS”) is the agency of the U.S. Department of Defense that administers all payments to U.S. service members. DFAS operates the “MyPay” online portal, through which service members may provide and obtain information related to payments from DFAS.
A U.S. Navy service member (“the victim”) was scheduled to receive a medical severance payment from the Navy in January 2017. The victim provided his MyPay login and password information to Teixeira, who he trusted with certain financial responsibilities. On January 10, 2017, before the victim was to receive the medical severance payment, Teixeira changed the victim’s direct deposit information to a bank account controlled by Teixeira. DFAS then sent the victim’s $57,255.66 medical severance payment to Teixeira’s account. In order to avoid detection, Teixeira logged back into the victim’s MyPay account and reverted the direct deposit instructions back to the victim’s bank account.
Teixeira and the victim communicated after Teixeira stole the medical severance payment. Instead of admitting to the theft, Teixeira told the victim that he would assist in finding the money. When the victim indicated he was in need of funds, Teixeira transferred approximately $6,500 to the victim without telling him that Teixeira had stolen the money.
The investigation revealed that Teixeira also defrauded the Navy Federal Credit Union of $25,736.95 by taking out a personal loan and opening a credit card in the victim’s name.
Teixeira used the stolen funds to pay his own personal expenses, and transferred $25,000 to another individual’s account.
Judge Bryant ordered Teixeira to make full restitution to the victim and the Navy Federal Credit Union.
“Unauthorized access of Department of Defense networks and the victimization of American warfighters present significant risks to U.S. national security and Department of Defense operations, and DCIS special agents will aggressively hunt down and bring cyber criminals to justice,” said Jeffery Thorpe, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office. “This sentencing is the direct result of a joint investigative effort between DCIS and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Criminal Investigations Branch to vigorously investigate individuals who illegally access Department of Defense networks and those that would exploit American warfighters that have served their country. We remain vigilant in our efforts to safeguard the integrity of the Department of Defense and its enterprise of information technology systems.”
On October 17, 2018, Teixeira pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Teixeira, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 8, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
New Orleans Tax Preparer Charged with Filing False IRS ReturnRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DANIELLE FRANKLIN, age 28, and a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on October 3, 2019 by a federal grand jury for assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
As charged in the indictment, FRANKLIN prepared a false tax return in 2014 for a client of Cutting Edge Income Tax, located on Airline Drive in Metairie, Louisiana. As part of the scheme, FRANKLIN allegedly falsified the return by including fraudulent business losses when in fact the customer had zero losses and expenses.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, FRANKLIN faces a maximum sentence of three years, one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine for aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return.
U.S. Attorney Strasser commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Rivera.
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New Hampton Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who distributed and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to over 15 years in federal prison.
William Rolen, age 57, of New Hampton, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 26, 2019, guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Rolen also communicated with an undercover agent and planned to meet with a child and engage in sex acts, but he did not show up for the meetings.
Rolen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Rolen was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. Special assessments of $10,200 were imposed, and Rolen must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Police Department, the New Hampton Police Department, and the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 19-2014.
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Monroe County Resident Charged with Participating in a Romance and Investment Fraud Conspiracy Scheme that Targeted the ElderlyRead the Press Release
KEY WEST - A Monroe County resident was arrested on charges in connection with a romance and investment fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims throughout the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office.
Sean Kerwin Bindranauth, 42, of Key West, Florida, was charged in a ten-count indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering, eight counts of money laundering, and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business (Case No. 19-cr-10016-JEM). If convicted, Bindranauth faces a maximum statutory sentence of twenty years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy, twenty years in prison for each money laundering count, five years in prison for unlicensed money transmitting, and a fine up to $500,000 or double the proceeds as to the money laundering conspiracy and a fine of up to $1,000,000 as to each money laundering count of conviction. The total loss amount is more than $900,000. Bindranauth had his initial appearance and arraignment on Sept. 27, 2019, and trial is set for Dec. 9, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Key West.
According to the indictment, from at least as early as February 2018 and continuing through May 2019, Bindranauth was part of a conspiracy that used investment and romance scams to induce victims to money via wire, personal checks, or cash to Bindranauth for a purported investment or promissory payment. Bindranauth would allegedly send the funds out of the United States to Nigeria through Western Union and MoneyGram as well as bank-to-bank transfers. Several of the victims are over 60 years old. Bindranauth and his co-conspirators were given a total of nearly $1 million from over a dozen senior citizens and other victims.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of HSI in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to More than 5 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine in Eau ClaireRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Pheng Yang, 29, St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5½ years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin area between January 2018 and February 2019. On July 12, 2019, Yang pleaded guilty to possessing 500 or more grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Yang was arrested on February 4, 2019, during his attempted delivery of over 900 grams of methamphetamine to an informant in Eau Claire. At the sentencing, Judge Conley noted that notwithstanding the defendant’s lack of criminal history and addiction issues, he made a calculated decision to distribute more than 3 kilograms of methamphetamine into the Eau Claire area, which warranted a significant sentence.
The charge against the defendant was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Central Drug Task Force, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The United States also recognizes the assistance of the Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Office. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald announced the guilty pleas of OTIS RAY MAYS, 26, to charges of wire fraud and receipt of child pornography. MAYS, who was charged in two separate indictments on March 12, 2019, entered his guilty plea on October 3, 2019, before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. A sentencing date for MAYS has not yet been scheduled.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in May of 2017, a husband and wife went to the Hennepin County Government Center to seek advice about how to evict tenants from a rental property they owned. MAYS approached the couple and falsely stated that he was a lawyer and offered to help them with the eviction of tenants. MAYS later told the couple that their son, a college student, had downloaded to his computer videos that had been “pirated.” In exchange for a $305,000 payment to the owner of the rights in those videos, MAYS claimed he could resolve any legal difficulties arising from the allegedly pirated videos. The victim couple, at MAYS’s direction, purchased a $305,000 cashier’s check, payable to a Minneapolis lawyer, who in turn paid MAYS. MAYS also impersonated a lawyer on other occasions, and in total stole more than $340,000 from the victim couple.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on November 20, 2017, and on December 1, 2017, MAYS transferred to his laptop computer a total of nine video files depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
These cases are the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bloomington Police Department, and the Richfield Police Department.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Docherty.
Defendant Information:
OTIS RAY MAYS, 26
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Wire fraud, 1 count
- Receipt of child pornography, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Millstone Man Sentenced to 140 Months for Distribution of Cocaine and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.- A Millstone, Kentucky, man, who previously admitted to distributing cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced Friday to 140 months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier sentenced Charles Perry Jr, 56, for distributing cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm. Perry pleaded guilty June 7, 2019.
Under federal law, Perry must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; and Commissioner Richard Saunders, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna Reed.
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Michigan Man Sentenced for Coercion and Enticement of a Child in East TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 22-year-old Harrison, Michigan man has been sentenced for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Daniel Wayne Little, II, pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019, to coercion and enticement of a child and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
According to information presented in court, over a 10-month period between December 2016 and October 2017, Little pursued an inappropriate relationship with a 10-year-old child. Little used internet applications to find the victim and then sought sexually explicit images and videos from her, demanding specific images and videos and describing the sexual acts that he wanted to engage in with her. Little was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 14, 2018.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tyler Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry following Angelina County Intoxication Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 41-year-old Mexican citizen has been indicted for immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Vicente Gonzalez-Rico was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 2, 2019, charging him with unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to documents filed in court, on Jan. 26, 2017, was arrested for intoxication manslaughter for an incident which occurred on May 30, 2009 in Lufkin, Texas. While processing the defendant, it was discovered that he had previously been deported from the United States in 2005. Gonzalez-Rico was convicted of three counts of intoxication manslaughter in state district court in Lufkin, Texas and sentenced to 18 years in prison on Oct. 17, 2017.
If convicted, Gonzalez-Rico faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security/Enforcement Removal Operations and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke.
It is important to note that an indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Marijuana User Sentenced to over Two Years for Possessing Multiple HandgunsRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed three separate handguns during a one-year period was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Aquarias Tykee Madlock, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Evidence at sentencing showed Madlock possessed a Ruger SR9 9mm handgun in January 2018, a stolen .380 caliber Kel-Tec handgun in April 2018, and a Hi Point JCP .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in November 2018. At the time he possessed these firearms, Madlock was a regular user of marijuana and was also involved in distributing marijuana.
Madlock was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Madlock was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Madlock is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2011.
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Man from Las Cruces, N.M., charged with impersonating deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Aaron Tyler Stroud, 38, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court in Las Cruces on Wednesday on a criminal complaint charging him with impersonating an officer of the United States.
According to the complaint, Stroud allegedly committed the offense in Doña Ana County, N.M., on September 29, 2019. He allegedly approached officers from the Las Cruces Police Department who were responding to a call from dispatch. Stroud allegedly provided the officers with a false name and told them he was a member of the U.S. Marshals Service from the El Paso sector. Stroud allegedly claimed he regularly patrolled the area. He was allegedly wearing a t-shirt with “U.S. Marshal” written on it and carrying a gun, radio, and badge with a six-point star.
Stroud is currently in custody awaiting preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for October 7. He faces up to three years in prison. A criminal complaint is only an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case with the FBI and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Stahl of the Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery on the Omaha Nation Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Manazheega Cleveland, age 20, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 54 months’ imprisonment for an armed robbery of the Pony Express gas station on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation. Cleveland will also be on supervised release for a period of three years when he is released from prison.
When he was 18 years old, Cleveland entered the Pony Express gas station, along with a juvenile who brandished a shotgun at the store clerk, and demanded cash from the register. The store clerk complied and the two were able to get away on foot with just over $1,300. Cleveland will also be required to pay restitution for the stolen amount.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $3 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to embezzling money from his employer, a Virginia business.
According to court documents, Reginald Zayas, 48, of Upper Marlboro, was the Controller at a Virginia-based company. Over the course of almost four years, Zayas embezzled approximately $3.2 million from the company. Zayas embezzled the money by unlawfully transferring funds from the company’s bank account to his own bank account, and he then often transferred the money from his account to others. Zayas used the laundered money to pay for his own personal expenses.
Zayas pleaded guilty to violating the Travel Act and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 31, 2020. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Stam and William Fitzpatrick 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. 1:19-cr-297.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 82 Months for Trafficking Dangerous Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lavonte Harmon, 33, of Lexington, was sentenced Thursday to 80 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute acetylfentanyl, a fentanyl analogue.
In December 2018, Lexington Police officer executed a search warrant on Harmon’s vehicle and residence, seizing 13 grams of acetylfentanyl, 17 grams of cocaine, $4,474 cash, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. In his plea agreement, Harmon admitted that he intended to distribute the drugs and agreed to forfeit the $4,474.
Under federal law, Harmon must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release. Harmon will also have to pay a $1,500 fine, imposed by the court.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Daniel D. Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kiebler.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), a Department of Justice initiative designed to target trafficking of dangerous synthetic opioids.
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Lexington Man Indicted for Committing Series of Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Lexington man was indicted Thursday for robbing several Lexington businesses.
A federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging 54-year-old Jackie B. Love with five counts of robbery.
The indictment alleges that Love robbed five different business around Fayette County on different occasions, from April 19-25, 2019. During these robberies, the indictment alleges Love unlawfully took, or attempted to take, personal property from the store clerk(s) against their will by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury, by taking United States currency from the store when he threatened them with a firearm. Court documents allege that Love was able to take $1,255 collectively. The Lexington Police arrested Love on April 26, 2019.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ATF Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ATF and Lexington Police Department. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
A date for Love to appear in court has not yet been scheduled. He faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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