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4 October 2019
Lee County Offenders Collect More Than 78 Years in Federal Prison Sentences for Firearm, Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Since the beginning of 2019, federal judges have sentenced defendants with charges originating in Lee County, North Carolina, to an aggregate total of 942 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
In the most recent case, LEO VISTOR PERCELL, JR., age 43, of Sanford, North Carolina, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge N. Carlton Tilley, Jr. to 70 months imprisonment. PERCELL was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. PERCELL pleaded guilty on July 10, 2019 to distributing fentanyl. Court records show that in March 2017, PERCELL sold seven grams of fentanyl, which he represented to be heroin, to an informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sanford Police Department.
“Our state and local law enforcement partners are working hand in hand with federal prosecutors and agents to improve public safety in Sanford and Lee County,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “We will continue working together to implement data-driven Project Safe Neighborhood strategies to reduce violent crime by focusing on gun violators and other criminals in the area.”
Today’s sentencing is the most recent event in a series of cases resulting from a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement intended to reduce violent and gun-related crime in Sanford and Lee County. At least 12 defendants from the area, including LEO PERCELL, have been sentenced for firearm or drug offenses in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in 2019. Several others have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced before the end of the year. The cases from Sanford/Lee County which have been or are set for sentencing include the following:
• Jamar Lacobly Alston, 32, of Broadway, NC – pleaded guilty 8/1/19 to felon in possession of ammunition; sentencing scheduled for 11/7/19;
• Joshua Tajhai Brewington, 25, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 8/8/19 to felon in possession of a firearm; sentencing scheduled for 10/28/19;
• Christopher Clamon Bridges, 31, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 10/5/18 to felon in possession of ammunition; sentenced 1/29/19 to 18 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release;
• Robert Bernard Fox, II, 19, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 7/8/19 to receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment; sentenced 9/27/19 to 20 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release;
• Jimanda Dwayne Gibbs, 43, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 8/16/19 to felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced 8/16/19 to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release;
• Maurice Danjuan Gill, 44, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 3/7/19 to distribution of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; sentenced 6/21/19 to 117 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release;
• Randy Ross Hunter, 41, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 3/7/19 to felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced 6/21/19 to 180 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release;
• Travon Emmanuel Jones, 28, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 10/5/18 to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; sentenced 4/25/19 to 75 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release;
• Dennis Minter, 36, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 3/7/19 to distribution of cocaine base; sentenced 6/20/19 to 182 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release;
• Everette Lee Petty, 55, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 8/20/19 to possession of cocaine base; sentenced 9/6/19 to 120 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release;
• Tiyon Nathan Turner, 22, of Sanford -- pleaded guilty 8/9/18 to felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana; sentenced 2/11/19 to 130 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.
An additional defendant, DONTEZ LEVERT PERCELL, 28, of Sanford, was indicted April 29, 2019, on one count of distribution of heroin. That charge is still pending, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by admissible evidence in a court of law.
Each of these cases was investigated by one or more of these agencies: the Sanford Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rob A.J. Lang, Tanner L. Kroeger, Anand P. Ramaswamy, JoAnna M. McFadden, and Nicole R. DuPré of the Middle District of North Carolina.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Las Vegas Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A 56-year-old Las Vegas man convicted of possessing over 600 images of child sexual abuse was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Following a one-day bench trial in April 2019, Gilbert Davila Jr. was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of the offense, Davila had been previously convicted in California of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor and Lewd Acts Upon a Child Under 14.
According to court documents and facts presented during the bench trial, in August and October 2017, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from an online email service provider in reference to possible child pornography uploaded by a user. The report was sent to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, who in turn obtained a search warrant for information regarding the user who had uploaded the child pornography. The search warrant revealed that the user account contained more than 600 images depicting child sexual exploitation and child abuse. A search warrant was also executed at Davila’s home. Davila was interviewed after execution of the warrant and explained that he had been looking at child pornography for approximately four to five years. He also stated that he performed a factory reset on his phone on the way to the interview to delete all images and videos of child pornography saved to his phone, and that he threw the phone battery and SIM card out of the car window.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elham Roohani prosecuted the case.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, you are urged to make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.org.
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 and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Las Vegas Man Admits Guilt in Counterfeit Credit Card Scheme that Resulted in $382K Loss in One MonthRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Yoandy Pou Torres, 38, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Pou Torres used counterfeit credit cards encoded with stolen bank account information to purchase MasterCard gift cards at Sam’s Club stores in the Pittsburgh area, as well as in Florida and California. During the month of December 2017, Pou Torres and his codefendant, Hector Podio Gutierrez, using an encoding device, created counterfeit credit cards, and then used the cards to make fraudulent gift card purchases totaling more than $382,000 at various Sam’s Club locations.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for January 28, 2020, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pou Torres remains in custody pending sentencing. Podio Gutierrez is pending trial. The pair was arrested by West Mifflin Police at the Sam’s Club in West Mifflin, PA.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pou Torres.
Laredoan Admits to Transporting 71 AliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Laredo has entered a guilty plea to conspiring to transport aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On July 8, John Bryan Meredith drove a tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol Checkpoint on Highway 83 near Laredo. Soon after, a K-9 alerted to the presence of concealed humans and/or narcotics within the trailer. At secondary inspection, the K-9 alerted again.
Authorities then removed a seal and opened the rear doors of the trailer which revealed several people, all determined to be in the United States illegally. Those included a total of 71 subjects - 36 Mexicans, 21 Guatemalans, six Salvadorans, five Hondurans and three Brazilians - two of whom were unaccompanied juveniles. In addition, law enforcement also recovered a total of $7,300 hidden inside the gearshift box as well as eight additional seals and seven cellular telephones in the sleeper area of the truck.
Meredith claimed a friend had asked him to drive a tractor-trailer with a load of transmissions to Uvalde, where another driver would meet him. Meredith also stated his friend had already placed the seal on the trailer by the time he arrived.
However, further investigation revealed Meredith had bought the tractor himself and rented the trailer. The investigation revealed he had driven the same tractor and trailer past the Highway 83 checkpoint seven times between May 21, and July 8.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia-Marmolejo will impose sentencing Jan. 27, 2020. At that time, Meredith faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Teams up with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys to Launch Public Service Announcement to Raise Awareness about Fraud Schemes Targeting Older AmericansRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today unveiled a new public service announcement (PSA) created in collaboration with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys.
In announcing the launch of the video and accompanying social media campaign, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division issued the following statement:
“Fraudsters are targeting and stealing billions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans every year. In order to fight this epidemic, Americans must report fraud schemes and spread the word among their families and friends. I want to thank AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and the Oak Ridge Boys for working with us to fight this critical issue. Through increased awareness and reporting, the Department of Justice can continue to take swift action to end the victimization of vulnerable elderly Americans across the country.”
“Americans are targeted by fraudsters from all over the world,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “The scams run by con artists can wreck the financial security of retired Americans. A threat to one’s hard earned savings is a threat to one’s liberty. I am proud to stand with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys to educate and empower elder Americans to defend themselves against fraudsters.”
“Helping people spot the signs of a scam is key to helping them avoid becoming victims,” said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs, AARP. “And encouraging people to report scam attempts and victimization will help others know what to look for, and it will help the good guys in their efforts to go after the bad guys.”
“The Oak Ridge Boys are honored to bring awareness to elder fraud and abuse. For too long people have taken advantage of our senior citizens, and we are teaming up with the Department of Justice and the AARP Fraud Watch Network to help you and your loved ones stay safe from scammers,” said Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys.
"So happy to see the Department of Justice and AARP stepping up to address this problem of elder fraud abuse. We are honored to be stepping up with you. Everyone is susceptible via phone or online, but the elderly are often the targets and victims of identity thieves and scammers. The Oak Ridge Boys are honored to lend our name and image to this worthy cause,” said Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys.
If you or a family member, friend, or colleague have been a victim of a fraud scheme, please report to www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
View the PSA here.
Justice Department Teams up with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys to Launch Public Service Announcement to Raise Awareness about Fraud Schemes Targeting Older AmericansRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today unveiled a new public service announcement (PSA) created in collaboration with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys.
In announcing the launch of the video and accompanying social media campaign, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division issued the following statement:
“Fraudsters are targeting and stealing billions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans every year. In order to fight this epidemic, Americans must report fraud schemes and spread the word among their families and friends. I want to thank AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and the Oak Ridge Boys for working with us to fight this critical issue. Through increased awareness and reporting, the Department of Justice can continue to take swift action to end the victimization of vulnerable elderly Americans across the country.”
“Americans are targeted by fraudsters from all over the world,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “The scams run by con artists can wreck the financial security of retired Americans. A threat to one’s hard earned savings is a threat to one’s liberty. I am proud to stand with AARP and the Oak Ridge Boys to educate and empower elder Americans to defend themselves against fraudsters.”
“Helping people spot the signs of a scam is key to helping them avoid becoming victims,” said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs, AARP. “And encouraging people to report scam attempts and victimization will help others know what to look for, and it will help the good guys in their efforts to go after the bad guys.”
“The Oak Ridge Boys are honored to bring awareness to elder fraud and abuse. For too long people have taken advantage of our senior citizens, and we are teaming up with the Department of Justice and the AARP Fraud Watch Network to help you and your loved ones stay safe from scammers,” said Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys.
"So happy to see the Department of Justice and AARP stepping up to address this problem of elder fraud abuse. We are honored to be stepping up with you. Everyone is susceptible via phone or online, but the elderly are often the targets and victims of identity thieves and scammers. The Oak Ridge Boys are honored to lend our name and image to this worthy cause,” said Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys.
If you or a family member, friend, or colleague have been a victim of a fraud scheme, please report to www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
View the PSA here.
Johnstown Man Sentenced to 60 Months on Heroin and Fentanyl ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Victor M. Diaz, age 30, of Johnstown, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, for possessing and intending to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and City of Amsterdam Police Chief Gregory J. Culick.
On March 7, 2019, DEA agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal warrant at Diaz’s Johnstown residence. They found him home, alone, and sitting near a suitcase containing 1,740 small glassine bags. The bags contained a total of approximately 89 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. Additionally, law enforcement found, in a plastic container, an additional 53.5 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl. In pleading guilty, Diaz admitted that he intended to sell these drugs.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Amsterdam Police Department, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Gloversville Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Oct. 3 was:
Susan Kaytlin Scott, 52, of Shelby, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction and transfer of a handgun to a juvenile. If convicted of the serious crime, Scott faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Scott was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Toole County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-69.
Dylan Jace Arrow Top Knot, 19, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Arrow Top Knot faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Arrow Top Knot was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-67.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 1 was:
Bradley Scott Lane, 37, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lane faces a minimum mandatory five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Lane was released pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Missoula Police Department investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-39.
Adrian Hernandez Altamirano, aka Candelario Hernandez Altamirano, 42, of Mexico, on charges of illegal re-entry. If convicted of the most serious crime, Altamirano faces a maximum two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Altamirano was detained pending further proceedings. The Bozeman Police Department and Department of Homeland Security investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-22.
Gerald Allen Hiler, 47, of Helena, and Morgan Victor Pitsch, 25, of Helena, on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, robbery affecting commerce and brandishing firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hiler and Pitsch face a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Hiler and Pitsch were detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and the Missouri River Drug Task Force investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 19-6.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Independence Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Bradley Edward Vader, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Vader to pay a $25,000 fine.
Vader, who pleaded guilty on May 1, 2019, was actively sharing videos of child pornography over the internet through a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Vader admitted that he had accessed Russian websites and peer-to-peer programs to acquire child pornography. He burned many of these child pornography video files to approximately 61 DVDs.
According to court documents, Vader amassed a voluminous collection of child pornography over the last decade. A search of his home yielded a computer, hard drive, jump drives, and 61 DVDs containing child pornography, some created as far back as April 2007. Of these 61 DVDs, the file lengths ranged from 53 minutes to over four hours. These files included videos of children as young as eight years old being sexually abused.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Illinois Man Sentenced for Stealing Uber Driver's CarRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Robert W. Rives, 37, of New Baden, IL, was sentenced to 82 months in prison for carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Rives appeared today before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.
According to the plea agreement, on October 3, 2018 in the City of St. Louis, Rives was a passenger in a Chevy Impala vehicle which had immediately turned in front of a Mitsubishi vehicle and stopped. Rives exited the passenger side and approached the driver of the Mitsubishi vehicle who was driving for UBER Eats making a delivery. He produced a firearm and demanded the driver to give him his vehicle. The victim complied and Rives then entered the victim’s Mitsubishi and drove off following the Impala. Numerous items in the stolen car included a Rock River AR-15 rifle and two handguns.
Later that day, Rives was arrested in the same type of vehicle he had stolen and officers recovered the AR-15 rifle and handguns.
The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
Husband and wife charged with tax evasionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two people have been charged with aiding and abetting each another in the evasion of $3.5 million in diverted corporate income, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with acting IRS – Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Ramsey Covington.
Asim Lodhi and wife Naila Lodhi are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan today.
The indictment, returned Sept. 10, alleges the Lodhis owned and operated U. S. Loss Prevention Inc. and Vanguard Detective & Security Agency, Inc. The company provided contract security services for commercial clients in the Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan areas. The indictment alleges from during 2008 through 2011, the couple diverted and cashed approximately $3.5 million in client fee checks through two local check cashing services. The checks should have been deposited directly into the corporate bank accounts and disclosed to their accountants as taxable sales, according to the charges.
When necessary, Asim and Naila Lodhi allegedly later deposited approximately $2.5 million in proceeds of the check cashing activity into their personal and corporate accounts to pay corporate and living expenses. However, they described these delayed cash deposits to their accountants as non-taxable loans from friends rather than taxable sales according to the indictment. .
The charges allege that when their corporate and personal tax returns came under investigation in 2013, the Lodhis hired new accountants. These people then allegedly proposed amendments that would have converted the “loan deposits” made to the corporate accounts into taxable sales, profits and dividends. However, the defendants did not reveal approximately $1 million in diverted cash that was not deposited to any account and remained a secret, according to the charges.
The indictment further alleges the deception continued into 2014 when they made misleading statements to the IRS.
If convicted, Asim and Naila Lodhi face a maximum of five years in federal prison on each count as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
IRS-CI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Sledge Jr. is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Houston Man Pleads Guilty for Leading Interstate Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On Wednesday, October 2, 2019, Jody Tremayne Wafer, 30, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty for organizing and leading a conspiracy to traffic marijuana grown in Portland to Texas.
According to court documents, drug proceeds, in the form of bulk U.S. currency, were returned to Oregon via U.S. mail and passenger luggage on commercial airlines. As part of this investigation, federal authorities have seized approximately 11,000 marijuana plants, 546 pounds of processed marijuana, more than $2.8 million in cash, 51 firearms, 26 vehicles, trailers, pieces of heavy equipment, a yacht, and three houses used as marijuana grow sites, all since August 2017.
Wafer pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute marijuana, maintaining drug-involved premises and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Conspiring to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute marijuana and maintaining drug involved premises carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and a lifetime of supervised release. Using or carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of seven years, a $250,000 fine and five years’ supervised release.
Wafer will be sentenced on January 8, 2010 before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Jones.
As part of his plea agreement, Wafer has agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property used to facilitate his crimes identified by the government prior to sentencing.
Co-defendants Trent Lamar Knight, 31, and Brittany Lesanta Kizzee, 29, also of Houston; Paul Eugene Thomas, 39, and Raleigh Dragon Lau, 33, both of Portland; and Cole William Griffiths, 31, of Hood River, Oregon have all pleaded guilty on related charges. Knight and Kizzee with be sentenced on October 22, 2019 and January 7, 2020, respectively; Lau and Thomas will be sentenced on December 10 and 18, 2019, respectively; and Griffiths will be sentenced on November 20, 2019.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the department’s strategy for reducing the availability of drugs in the U.S. OCDETF was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack on drug trafficking by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Hazelwood Man Sentenced for Robbing Florissant Subway at GunpointRead the Press Release
St. Louis - Alonzo Payne, 37, of Hazelwood, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison by United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. The sentence follows Payne’s July 3, 2019 guilty plea to one count of Interfering with Commerce by Threats or Violence and one count of Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The charges stemmed from a December 21, 2018 robbery of a Subway restaurant in Florissant, Missouri.
According to court documents, Payne entered the Subway restaurant in Grandview Plaza in Florissant and asked to be directed to the restroom. Instead of entering the restroom, Payne entered an “employees only” food preparation area and brandished a handgun, demanding cash. Two employees, 17 and 18 years old, complied with his demands and emptied the cash register. One of the two managed to enable the video camera on his/her cellular telephone and captured a recording of the incident. After Payne fled with an undetermined amount of cash, the employees called 911 and the Subway’s manager. Florissant Police arrived and reviewed the recording. The Subway manager recognized the voice on the recording as belonging to “Lonnie,” the boyfriend of a former Subway employee.
After several days of searching, Florissant Police located Payne at his girlfriend’s residence in Hazelwood. Payne left the residence in a vehicle, at which time Florissant Police conducted a traffic stop. Payne was sitting on a handgun at the time of the stop. Payne was on parole to the State of Missouri for burglary at the time he committed his crimes.
Following today’s sentence, United States Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen stated, “Mr. Payne is a dangerous repeat offender who continues to illegally possess firearms and victimize other citizens. We will continue to work with our important local partners like the Florissant Police Department to prosecute aggressively any person who commits a violent crime, particularly one involving a firearm.”
Florissant Police Chief Timothy Fagan commended the Subway employees who provided crucial evidence during the investigation. “Importantly, these young employees did not resist Mr. Payne and complied with his demands. At the same time, they had the presence of mind to secure vital evidence that assisted greatly in identifying Mr. Payne as a suspect. Law enforcement depends upon the continued cooperation of citizens like these two young people in our efforts to locate and arrest violent offenders.”
This case was investigated by the Florissant Police Department.
Harrison County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie Allen Butcher, of Shinnston, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Butcher, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Stolen Firearm.” Butcher admitted to having a stolen .45 caliber pistol in June 2018 in Lewis County.
Butcher faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Fugitive extradited from Mexico to the United States to face federal racketeering charges allegedly involving Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gangRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Angel DeLeon, 41, a Mexican national, made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico today after being extradited from Mexico on a racketeering charge involving alleged violent criminal conduct by the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang.
DeLeon was one of 30 defendants charged in an indictment and two superseding indictments alleging the defendants violated federal racketeering and other laws by committing various crimes as members, prospects, and associates of SNM, a racketeering enterprise. According to these indictments, SNM is a powerful and violent prison gang formed soon after a deadly riot at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in 1980. SNM has allegedly controlled drug distribution and other illegal activities within the New Mexico prison system and engaged in street-level narcotics trafficking.
In particular, a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 9, 2017, accused DeLeon and four co-defendants of allegedly participated in the murder of a person identified as “F.C.” for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positions with SNM.
DeLeon is currently in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled to be scheduled for next week. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the charged offense. An indictment is only an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. All of the other defendants charged in the indictments have either proceeded to trial or pleaded guilty.
The Albuquerque Division of the FBI investigated this case with the New Mexico Corrections Department and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
Fraudsters Sentenced for Standby Letters of Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Michigan man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in running an advanced fee scheme involving phony Standby Letters of Credit supposedly issued by European banks. His co-defendant, also from Michigan, was sentenced to a lesser term.
According to court documents, Samuel John Abraham, 62, of Novi, and Kenneth Ross Thomas, 52, of Westland, conspired to defraud individuals and businesses desperate for credit by promising to arrange substantial lines of credit from European banks. In exchange for an up-front deposit of approximately $150,000 into an escrow account, Abraham, operating as Advanced Funding Group, using aliases such as “J. Samuel Ibrahim” and “Jamal S. Ibrahim,” and also posing as an attorney calling himself “John Wynn,” claimed that he could “lease” for clients a Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC) from a European Bank in the “face amount” of approximately $100 million. Of this large sum, clients were promised they could simply keep approximately $20 million as a “non-recourse loan.” A supposed “monetizer” would then use the remainder of the funds over the course of the year-long lease of the SBLC in order to engage in lucrative overseas trades (also known as “platform trading”), which would supposedly generate profits sufficient to repay the entire SBLC.
As part of the scheme, clients were directed to wire money to Escrow Agent Kenneth Thomas of “K. Thomas and Company Escrow Services.” In reality, the money was wired to the personal checking account of Kenneth Thomas, who was not an escrow agent, and who acted as Abraham’s chauffeur. Thomas promptly provided most of the money to Abraham. According to the Superseding Indictment, Abraham then spent large sums of the money gambling at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, and on vehicles and a condominium. According to the Superseding Indictment, Abraham took in approximately $1.2 million in proceeds from the fraud. Victims resided in Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Alaska, New York, South Dakota, Peru, Australia, and other locations.
Standby Letters of Credit, as marketed by the defendants, do not exist and have long been the subject of public service announcements by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Abraham has a prior federal conviction and also a permanent injunction entered against him by the SEC for operating the same scheme.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant Russell L. Carlberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen 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-111.
Former online brokerage employee sentenced to prison for wire fraudRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former Washington State football player who had brief stints with two NFL teams was sentenced today to one year in prison for his kickback scheme that defrauded his employer of $1.5 million. AUGUSTINE OLOBIA, 49, of Hurst, Texas, pleaded guilty in April 2019 to wire fraud, admitting he took kickbacks for falsifying data on account referrals while he was employed at ShareBuilder. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik told him, “You made a severe mistake… You were taking too much pride in things that didn’t matter.”
According to records filed in the case, OLOBIA worked at ShareBuilder in Seattle from 1999 to 2013. OLOBIA was responsible for managing the third-party vendors who advertised ShareBuilder’s services. Those vendors were paid on a “bounty system.” For example, ShareBuilder paid Tega Creative $40-$55 per account that was opened after a customer opened a brokerage account at ShareBuilder as a result of Tega Creative’s marketing efforts. OLOBIA manipulated data in ShareBuilder’s computer system to vastly inflate the number of account openings attributable to Tega Creative’s marketing. Then he approved invoices issued by Tega Creative that were based on the inflated numbers. For example in 2007, Tega Creative was credited with about 2,000 account openings. In 2008, as a result of the fraud, Tega Creative was credited with 10,000 account openings. OLOBIA was secretly paid about one-third of the gross monthly payment from ShareBuilder to Tega Creative. The loss to ShareBuilder’s owner, Capital One, is estimated at more than $1.5 million.
The scheme was uncovered when OLOBIA left ShareBuilder and other employees tried to reconcile the number of accounts attributed to Tega Creative.
In asking for the prison sentence, prosecutors noted that OLOBIA had a fortunate upbringing as a child in Nigeria, and later as a member of the Nigerian Olympic team. He was a recruited athlete at a university in Houston and later as a football player at WSU. He graduated with a degree in business administration and held a number of good jobs. Despite those advantages, OLOBIA engaged in a fraud that lasted about five years and cost his employer $1.5 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Lasnik ordered OLOBIA to forfeit $500,000 – the amount he gained from the scheme. Restitution will be determined at a hearing on December 6, 2019.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion.
Former Salesman Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims in the Sale of Worthless StockRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that VLADIMIR ZISKIND pled guilty to participating in a scheme to target elderly persons to solicit purchases of stock in a series of valueless companies through a variety of lies and misrepresentations. ZISKIND pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Vladimir Ziskind callously preyed on elderly victims, cold-calling them with a time-sensitive offer to purchase an ‘IPO’ of a company that was ‘doing great.’ In reality, the companies for which Ziskand purported to be selling IPOs were under his control, and there was zero legitimate investment opportunity for his victims. Ziskand has admitted to his scheme, which netted over $2 million, and now faces a prison term for his lies.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, the Indictment, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:[1]
For several years, ZISKIND and his co-defendants operated a fraudulent scheme in which a salesman named “Mike Palmer” would call elderly persons on the phone and offer them what he claimed was a time-sensitive opportunity to buy stock in certain companies. In fact, there was no “Mike Palmer,” and the salesman was actually ZISKIND or co-defendant Kevin Weinzoff, who were taking turns using the fake alias. The purported time-sensitive investment opportunity was also fabricated by the defendants, as the companies in which they solicited investments were actually companies under their control. In one intercepted phone call conversation, ZISKIND described to co-defendant Keith Orlean, the chief executive officer of the company, his strategy for a successful investor sales pitch as: “You ram it down their fucking throat.” In another intercepted call between ZISKIND and Orlean, upon learning that a particular victim investor died, ZISKIND remarked: “I knew I should have pulled the last $10,000 out of him.”
The most recent version of the defendants’ phony sales pitch included false representations about an impending initial public offering, or “IPO,” for their company, Digital Donations Technologies, Inc. For example, in April 2018, ZISKIND assured a victim investor that “our company is doing great,” that the company had an offer for an IPO valued at approximately $300 million, and that Orlean was considering a private sale of the company for more than $1.5 billion. In truth, however, the defendants knew that the company had little or no actual commercial value and that no such IPO or sale was taking place.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) estimates that since April 2014, the defendants have convinced more than approximately 50 elderly persons to purchase stock in companies controlled by one or more of the defendants based on false representations. The defendants appear to have solicited more than $2 million in stock purchases from victims.
* * *
ZISKIND, 51, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
ZISKIND is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Broderick on January 16, 2020, at 2:30 p.m.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Boone and Andrew Thomas are in charge of the case.
[1] As for the defendants who have pled not guilty, the description of the charges set forth herein constitute only allegations.
Former New Haven City Employee Sentenced to 9 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling $100KRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL LION, 65, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to nine months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $100,000 from the City of New Haven. Judge Hall also fined Lion $7500 and ordered him to perform 300 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lion was employed by the City of New Haven for approximately 40 years, most recently in the city’s accounting department. New Haven had a policy where employees can be paid in advance if they are about to take approved vacation leave. As part of his employment, Lion had access to the city’s payroll system.
From approximately 2002 to June 2018, Lion periodically accessed the city’s financial accounting software to issue vacation paychecks to himself. He then deleted the computer entries for the checks, which caused the payroll system to issue his regular paycheck, as well. Through this scheme, Lion stole $102,947.44 from the City of New Haven.
Judge Hall ordered Lion to make full restitution.
Lion retired from the City of New Haven in March 2019.
On May 22, 2019, Lion pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Lion, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 4, 2019.
This investigation was conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, U.S. Secret Service and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Former Holmes County Clerk of Court Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury in Tallahassee returned an indictment charging former
Holmes County, Florida, Clerk of Court, Kyle Martin Hudson, 39, of Westville, Florida, with wire fraud. The indictment was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern
District of Florida.“A public office at all levels of government is a sacred public trust and anyone who breaches or betrays that trust will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “As the people expect and deserve leaders who do their jobs with honesty and integrity, we will vigorously pursue and prosecute those few who commit crimes and place their self-interest above the public interest.”
The indictment alleges that, between October 2017 and August 2018, Hudson, while employed as the elected Clerk of Court for Holmes County, Florida, fraudulently obtained more than
$6,800 in taxpayer funds through the submission of fraudulent travel reimbursement claims.Hudson will be arraigned in federal court on the charges on October 7, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. before
United States Magistrate Judge Michael Frank at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.Hudson faces the following potential penalty: • Wire Fraud: a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant
United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.This case arose from an extensive investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Trust Unit, a comprehensive anti-corruption initiative designed to target and hold accountable elected, appointed, and employed public officials who abuse the sacred trust placed in them by citizens.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern
District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.Former Federal Agent Convicted of Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Heesch (619) 546-9442 and Andrew P. Young (619) 546-7981
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 4, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Johnny Martin, a former supervisor in the Department of Homeland Security, was convicted by a federal jury today of lying to the FBI about providing confidential information from law enforcement databases to outsiders. The information was used by fraudsters who duped more than 100 victims out of millions of dollars with false promises of green cards.
During the investigation, the FBI uncovered confidential government information in the email inbox of Hardev Panesar. Panesar and his associate, Rafael Hastie, posed as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents and conned immigrants into paying exorbitant fees for the promise of green cards they would never see. Panesar and Hastie were able to convince victims they were bona fide federal agents in part by presenting them with confidential information obtained from law enforcement databases.
The FBI suspected that Martin, who at the time was a supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, was the source of this confidential information. When FBI agents interviewed Martin in June 2017, he denied sending Hastie the confidential government information.
After the interview, the FBI discovered that – contrary to his denials – Martin had personally extracted the information from law enforcement databases, and had emailed this information directly to the Hastie. The FBI confirmed that the information - which included personally identifiable information, immigration and criminal history - was used by Panesar and Hastie in an attempt to defraud the victims in the immigration fraud scheme. There is no evidence that Martin knew that Hastie was using the information he provided as part of their scam.
After a three-day trial and 11 hours of deliberation, the jury found that despite his denials, Martin lied to the FBI about sending that information to Hastie.
“This immigration scam was successful, in part, because a government official betrayed his badge and then lied about it,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “No one, including members of the law enforcement community, is above the law.” Brewer praised the FBI and prosecutors Andrew Young and Megan Heesch for their hard work on the case.
“No matter your role, status, or position in the community, it is a federal crime to lie to the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brunner. “Lying to an FBI agent as part of an investigation is not only fundamentally wrong but could place lives in danger and frustrate the administration of justice. Mr. Martin knew better and today he was held accountable.”
“Law enforcement officials are held to the highest standard and integrity is at the core of those standards,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego. “As in this case, we are fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure violators are held accountable.”
Martin’s case is related to a separate immigration fraud case pending against Panesar, Hastie and Gurdev Singh (Case No. 17CR1371-GPC).
Panesar pleaded guilty in February and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9 at 1 p.m. before Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel; Hastie pleaded guilty in October 2018 and was sentenced to 46 months in custody and was ordered to pay $942,310 in restitution; Gurdev Singh pleaded guilty in June 2018 and was sentenced to 27 months in custody and ordered to pay $392,850 in restitution.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 18CR2835-GPC
Johnny Martin Age: 60 Chula Vista, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Making a False Statement to a Federal Agent, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001
Maximum Penalties: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations
Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility
Five Defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Large Quantities of Oxycodone throughout KentuckyRead the Press Release
Lexington, Ky- Five defendants, who previously admitted to conspiring to distribute thousands of oxycodone pills throughout Richmond, Kentucky and surrounding areas, were sentenced this week.
U.S. District Court Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced, Malik Chapman, Douglas Mayfield, Ryan Jones, Victoria Grimes, and Alyssa Parrish to 84 months, 40 months, 40 months, 18 months, and 18 months respectively. Four other defendants involved in the case, Patsy Wardle, Shannon Allen, Bianca Pennington, and Robert May, were previously sentenced in August to 148 months, 72 months, 41 months, and 40 months, respectively.
According to plea agreements and trial evidence, Malik Chapman, Shannon Allen, Bianca Pennington, Patsy Wardle, and others, worked together to distribute oxycodone throughout Richmond, Kentucky and surrounding areas. Chapman, assisted by Grimes and Parrish, was responsible for transporting oxycodone pills from Detroit, Michigan to Richmond, Kentucky, where Allen and Pennington would further distribute the pills to local drug dealers, like Wardle, May, Mayfield, and Jones. Wardle also acted a source of supply for Allen at times.
Under federal law, the defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
“The distribution of opioids, such as oxycodone pills, remains a significant issue in central Kentucky, particularly in Madison County,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold opioid traffickers, like these defendants, accountable for their criminal conduct. I commend the hard work and cooperation of federal, state, and local law enforcement in dismantling a significant, multi-state drug trafficking operation that was responsible for the distribution of thousands of oxycodone pills in Madison County and elsewhere in our region.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Daniel D. Dodds, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Commissioner Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police; Chief James Ebert, Richmond Police Department; Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Department; and Chief David Gregory, Berea Police Department jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, Richmond Police Department, and Appalachian HIDTA Madison County Drug task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Tanner Bradley and Paco Villalobos.
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 PSN program was reinvigorated 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.
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Federal Prosecutors in Northern District of Florida Secured Convictions in Separate Cases of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida this week secured convictions in two separate trials involving child exploitation, including charges of production of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor. The guilty verdicts, from trials in
Tallahassee and Gainesville, were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the
Northern District of Florida.“I am extremely proud of the Assistant United States Attorneys whose efforts made sure these two criminals receive severe and just punishment under the law,” said Keefe.
After a two-day trial, a Tallahassee jury convicted Brennon Kyle Holley, 41, of Pensacola, of attempted enticement of a minor. Holley came to the attention of law enforcement after he placed a
Craigslist.com advertisement seeking sex that said “age, relationship doesn’t matter.” A law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old Panama City girl named “Rhea” responded to the ad, and
Holley then engaged in sexually explicit phone and text conversations with Rhea. He also sent sexually explicit photographs in an attempt to entice and persuade her to engage in sexual activity with him. After four days of communication, and believing Rhea’s parents were out of town, Holley
“convinced” the girl to let him come to her house when he got off work in Pensacola in order to engage in sexual activity. Holley began the trip, but never arrived because his car broke down near
Fort Walton Beach.Holley faces a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 13 at 1:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Aine Ahmed.In the second case, Joseph Donald Roberts, 43, of Branford, Florida, was convicted of production, receipt, and possession of child pornography in the U.S. District Court in
Gainesville.After a two-day trial, the jury convicted Roberts of using file sharing software to receive and share videos of child pornography. The trial jury made a special finding that the images included children younger than 12 years of age. In addition, Roberts was convicted of using his cell phone to create pornographic videos of a minor child.
Roberts faces a mandatory minimum 15 years up to 30 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 16 at 2:30 pm at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville. The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by the district’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Coordinator, Assistant
United States Attorney Frank Williams.“This child predator represents the very worst of our society,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special
Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “We hope that this verdict offers another step forward in the healing process for his young victims.”The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Jury Finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the conviction of NORRIS DESHON ANDREWS, 34, for illegally possessing a firearm. The jury found ANDREWS guilty following a ten-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
As proven at trial, on May 15, 2018, police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 25th and Girard Avenue North in Minneapolis. Witnesses described the shooter’s vehicle as an older model blue Chevrolet Tahoe. Officers recovered 13 discharged bullet casings from the scene. A little over an hour later, two individuals were shot and wounded in a parking lot near Plymouth Avenue North. Surveillance footage from a nearby security camera showed the shooter, who was later identified as ANDREWS, driving up to the scene in a blue Tahoe. ANDREWS and another individual got out of the vehicle and had a verbal altercation with several individuals standing on the sidewalk before ANDREWS pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and fired four shots, hitting two victims. ANDREWS then got back in the blue Tahoe and fired two more shots as he fled the scene. Hours later, officers located ANDREWS and took him into custody.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis 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 Jeffrey S. Paulsen and Samantha H. Bates tried the case.
Defendant Information:
NORRIS DESHON ANDREWS, 34
City of residence unknown
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
Federal Jury Convicts Owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. in Austin for Investment and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal jury convicted 49-year-old Charles McAllister, CEO and owner of Bullion Direct, Inc. (BDI), of money laundering and scheming to defraud customers out of millions of dollars, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; and, Texas State Securities Board Commissioner Travis J. Iles.
The jury convicted McAllister of two counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with criminally derived property.
According to evidence presented during the five-day trial, from at least January 2009 through July 2015, McAllister perpetrated a scheme that falsely represented that funds obtained from individual customers would be used to purchase precious metals on behalf of the customer and either shipped directly to the customer or stored in BDI’s vault. Instead of buying the precious metals with the customer’s funds and storing customer metals, McAllister spent customer property on BDI corporate expenses, on other investment activities, and for his own personal use and benefit.
McAllister, who is currently on bond, faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to ten years in federal prison for the money laundering charge. The Court is also considering entering a $16,186,212.56 monetary judgment against McAllister that represents the amount of proceeds obtained directly or indirectly from the defendant’s alleged scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for 9:00am on December 19, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel.
Agents with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas State Securities Board conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Keith Henneke are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Federal & State Charges Announced in Methamphetamine InvestigationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Federal, state, and local officials announced that 16 people have been charged with drug crimes following a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution in the Wausau, Wisconsin area.
The charges were announced today by Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul; Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon; FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes; Wausau Police Chief Benjamin Bliven; Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks; and Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Schneider.
Twelve people have been charged in indictments returned by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2019, as follows:
- Lisa Xiong, 31, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, with three counts of distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chong Chueneng Moua, 51, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chou Xiong, 36, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, seven counts of distributing 5 grams or more; and one count of distributing 50 grams or more;
- Soua Khang, 23, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and three counts of distributing methamphetamine;
- Ya Yang, 31, Wausau, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine;
- John Gates, 49, Hewitt, Wisconsin, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of attempting to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Chai Thao, 34, Wausau, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 50 grams or more;
- Sandy Vang, 49, Wausau, is charged with three counts of distributing methamphetamine, with two counts alleged to involve 5 grams or more;
- Ger Moua, 31, Wausau, is charged with three counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more, and one count alleged to involve 50 grams or more; with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Vang C. Yang, 26, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine;
- Meng Xiong, 26, Wausau, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more; and
- Dao Thao, 39, St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The conspiracy is alleged to have operated from November 2018 to June 2019. The indictment alleges that the amount of methamphetamine in the conspiracy attributable to the conduct of Lisa Xiong is 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and with respect to defendant Chong Chueneng Moua, Soua Khang, and Chou Xiong, the amount of methamphetamine attributable to their conduct is 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
If convicted, Lisa Xiong faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The counts alleging 50 grams or more of methamphetamine carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years is prison. The charges that allege the distribution of a mixture of methamphetamine carry a maximum penalty of 20 years; the drug charges that allege distribution of 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years. Ger Moua faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which federal law mandates be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum of 10 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge.
District Attorney Wetzsteon announced that four people will face state charges in Marathon County, as follows:
- Kai Chang, 28, Wausau, is charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine as a habitual criminality repeater;
- David Castillo-Lopez, 30, Wausau, is charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine as a habitual criminality repeater;
- Mai Xiong, 32, Wausau, is charged with delivery of methamphetamine (10 to 50 grams), as a party to the crime, as a habitual criminality repeater; and;
- Par Y. Her, 61, Wausau, has been charged in Marathon County Case 19CF1033 with delivery of methamphetamine (3 to 10 grams) and delivery of methamphetamine (10 to 50 grams), both as a habitual criminality repeater.
U.S. Attorney Blader said, “As United States Attorney, I want to make it clear to those who choose to distribute these dangerous drugs for profit - you are a priority for law enforcement, and my office will work with our local, state, and federal partners to prosecute you and send you to federal prison. Those who are pouring these substances into Wisconsin from out of state should be on notice that we will use all resources available to us, including the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, to identify you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
The charges announced today are the result of an investigation by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force. The members of the task force include the Marathon and Lincoln County Sheriffs’ Offices, Wausau and Everest Metro Police Departments, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper is handling the prosecution of those facing federal charges. Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Kyle Mayo is handling the prosecution of those facing state charges.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Fake Lawyer Sentenced for Defrauding Members of Immigrant Communities in Northern VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to two years in prison and ordered to pay $332,000 in restitution to 35 victims for posing as a lawyer in order to defraud numerous car accident victims who were members of immigrant communities in Northern Virginia and elsewhere.
According to court documents, Tuan Duc Nguyen, 55, of Garden Grove, falsely held himself out to car accident victims and insurance companies alike as a lawyer for over four years. In the course of his scheme, Nguyen told victims he would represent their interests and they would receive settlement proceeds from insurance companies. But instead of disbursing funds to the victims, Nguyen kept the money for himself. Nguyen carried out the scheme by providing false address information to settling insurance companies so that the victims would not learn of the settlement and by signing documents with false signatures. When victims contacted Nguyen to inquire about the status of their claims, Nguyen often deceived them by stating that negotiations were ongoing when, in fact, the claims had already been settled and Nguyen had stolen the money.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dober and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer 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. 1:18-cr-329.
FBI Crime Statistics Show Reduction in Violent Crime Across WyomingRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Mark A. Klaassen announced today a significant reduction in violent crime affecting Wyoming communities over the past two years. The Uniform Crime Reporting Index for Wyoming, as compiled by the FBI, indicates violent crime in Wyoming dropped approximately 17% between 2016 and 2018. “This decrease in violent crimes is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement across the State of Wyoming. I appreciate their efforts and assistance these partners provide to our federal law enforcement agencies as we continue our Project Safe Neighborhoods program emphasis.” The reduction in Wyoming is consistent with a nationwide decrease in violent crime that has been occurring since 2017.
Law enforcement agencies throughout Wyoming submit reports on offenses, arrests, clearances, and other supplemental information to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. Those reports are processed and a yearly report is sent to the FBI for compilation and analysis. Violent crimes include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. During this two-year period, homicides in Wyoming dropped from 19 in 2016 to 14 in 2018. During the same time aggravated assaults dropped from 952 to 722 and robbery went down from 57 to 43.
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 effective at reducing violent crime. The goal of PSN is for a broad spectrum of stakeholders to 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 with the goal of achieving lasting reductions in crime.
“Throughout the past two years, as part of our PSN efforts, we have been looking for ways to more effectively collaborate and partner with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” said Klaassen
According to FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released this week, the violent crime rate also decreased nationwide 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.”
Eye Doctor Group, Physicians Pay $6.65 Million to Settle Allegations They Submitted Fraudulent Bills to Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Southern California-based ophthalmology group, its former CEO and several of its physicians have paid the United States and California $6.65 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that they defrauded public health care programs by billing for unnecessary eye exams, improperly waiving Medicare co-payments, and violating other regulations, the Justice Department announced today.
Retina Institute of California Medical Group (RIC), is a medical partnership of ophthalmologists who specialize in the treatment of retinal diseases. RIC operates in multiple locations in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. On October 2, the RIC and several other defendants paid the United States $6,353,410 and paid California $296,590 pursuant to a settlement agreement.
The other defendants who participated in the settlement are:
- Dr. Tom S. Chang, of Pasadena;
- Tom S. Chang, M.D., Inc., a Pasadena-based company;
- Dr. Michael A. Samuel, of Arcadia;
- Dr. Michael J. Davis, also of Arcadia;
- Brett Braun, former CEO of Retina Institute of California Medical Group;
- California Eye and Ear Specialists, a Pasadena-based subsidiary of Trilogy Eye Medical Group Inc., a company for whom Chang and Samuel serve as senior executives; and
- San Gabriel Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, a San Gabriel-based company.
Between January 2006 and August 2017, the defendants allegedly violated the False Claims Act by submitting bogus claims to Medicare and Medicaid/Medi-Cal, according to a settlement agreement signed in this case. Medicare reimburses physicians for examining patients, paying more money as the medical exams performed increase in complexity. RIC personnel allegedly improperly billed public health programs by misclassifying simpler exams as being more complex, using billing codes normally used for patients with severe or emergency conditions.
RIC and the other defendants also allegedly waived Medicare co-payments and deductibles without proper documentation of patients’ financial hardship, which was intended to induce referrals. The defendants allegedly also billed Medicare and Medicaid for medical services that weren’t performed, were unnecessary, not documented in the medical record or were not in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
The allegations were made in a whistleblower lawsuit filed in United States District Court by Bobbette A. Smith and Susan C. Rogers, who formerly worked for RIC as administrators, under the qui tam – or whistleblower – provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The United States may intervene in the lawsuit, or, as in this case, the whistleblower may pursue the action. Smith and Rogers will receive a share of the settlement, but that amount has not yet been determined.
The case, which was filed in May 2013 and unsealed in July 2016, was monitored by the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
The claims settled are allegations only and the defendants did not admit liability.
The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Smith and Rogers v. Tom S. Chang, M.D., et al., No. 13-CV-3772-DMG (C.D.Cal.).
Eight people indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Northwest OhioRead the Press Release
Eight people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl pills in Northwest Ohio.
Leonardo Espino, 48, of Holland; Peter Martinez, 29, Tony Nichols, 47, Ramon Ochoa, 43 all of Oregon, Ohio; Thomas Espino, 42, Christopher Faust, 36 all of Toledo; Glendon Patrick, 40 of Fremont, Ohio; and Jose Luis Betancourt-Ponce, 46, of Mexico, are all charged with conspiracy to distribute with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Thomas Espino is also charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
The Espino drug trafficking organization is allegedly responsible for multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine and heroin as well as tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to Northwest Ohio. The group is also believed to have distributed drugs to New York City, Chicago, and North Carolina, according to court documents.
Leonardo Espino is the alleged head of the organization and coordinates directly with a source of supply for drugs in Mexico. Thomas Espino is the principal party responsible for drug distribution and obtaining payments, which are then returns to suppliers in Mexico. Nichols owns Nichols Automotive at 460 East Broadway, which is the group’s primary meeting place. He also distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and large amounts of fentanyl pills to others, according to court documents.
Faust distributed heroin in Toledo and also made wire transfers to pay suppliers in Mexico. Martinez distributed cocaine and fentanyl in the Toledo area. Ochoa transported drugs and cash for members of the organization. Patrick distributed pills for the group and transported heroin and cash, according to court documents.
Prosecutors are seeking to forfeit six firearms and ammunition seized from 1619 Albert Street in Toledo, six firearms and ammunition seized from 2649 Hayden Street in Toledo and one firearm and ammunition seized from 460 East Broadway Street in Toledo as part of the investigation, according to court documents.
“This group is responsible for bringing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl into Northwest Ohio, then shipping the profits back to Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This is occurring at the same time our neighbors continue to die from overdoses. We will continue to do all we can to choke off the supply of these deadly drugs.”
“This is a significant blow to a major drug trafficking organization operating in the Toledo, Ohio area,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin. “These actions make Toledo and the surrounding community safer by taking a significant amount of drugs off the street and bringing criminals with ties to violent drug trafficking organizations to justice.”
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Weldon and Gene Crawford.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eastport Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: An Eastport man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Bangor for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Daniel B. Boone, Sr., 49, to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. Boone pleaded guilty on May 8, 2019.
According to court records, on November 26, 2018, Boone possessed a 12-gauge shotgun in his home and then transferred the shotgun to another individual. Boone was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2012 felony conviction for unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs.
The Eastport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. 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. For more information about PSN, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psn.
East Coast man admits to bringing aliens into USRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old man from Gaithersburg, Maryland, has admitted he conspired to illegally transport more than 30 undocumented aliens for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Ernest Michael Carter pleaded guilty in federal court today.
On June 3, Carter arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35, north of Laredo. He was driving a tractor trailer with Oklahoma plates. Soon after, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics or hidden persons inside the trailer.
Authorities sent him to secondary inspection, at which time they discovered 36 undocumented aliens inside the trailer, more than $45,000 in cash and $4,000 in money orders. Two of them were minors, according to records.
Court documents also indicate that Carter had purchased a vehicle for $10,000 cash in Laredo two days prior. He was unemployed at the time.
Carter has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which will be set for a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. At that time, Carter faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
Dyer County Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Deangelo Liggons, 36, has been sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in March 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information about a group of individuals involved in the distribution of large amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine. Agents utilized confidential sources (CS) and made numerous drug purchases from unindicted co-conspirators.
On March 30, 2018, agents observed the defendant return home. A short time later a CS entered the residence and purchased one quarter ounce of marijuana. These purchases continued for over a year. Agents obtained a search warrant for Liggons’ Facebook account and began arranging to purchase narcotics from Liggons.
On October 29, 2018, a federal search warrant was executed at Liggons’ residence. Liggons was found at the residence in possession of a Canik TP9 9mm semi-automatic firearm, which was loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition. They also found marijuana, a digital scale, a notebook ledger, a box of 9mm ammunition and approximately 48 grams of actual methamphetamine. Agents advised Liggons of his Miranda rights, and Liggons informed the agents that he owned the firearm and was a convicted felon. He further advised agents that he owed the source of the narcotics $5,000, because he was fronted the narcotics and would pay the source when the drugs were sold.
Liggons was held responsible for distributing a total of 320 pounds of marijuana and 48.62 grams of actual methamphetamine.
On October 2, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Liggons to 144 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community, and in this case, Liggons was a drug dealer who continued to possess a firearm and sell poison in our rural community, despite his prior felony conviction history. There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this armed drug dealer will be removed from our streets for 12 years."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dyersburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Duo Sentenced and Ordered to Pay $757,499.06 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Edward Kerr, Jr., 56, of San Pierre, Indiana and Tammy Estrada, 36, of North Judson, Indiana, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon following their pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Edward Kerr Jr. was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
Tammy Estrada was sentenced to 6 months home detention along with 2 years’ supervised release and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Edward Kerr, Jr., Tammy Estrada, and Brenda Kerr participated in a scheme in which United Mobile Care of San Pierre, Indiana, submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for transporting recipients by ambulance to dialysis appointments, when in fact the recipients were ambulatory and ineligible for ambulance transportation under Medicare and Medicaid. Edward Kerr, Jr. admitted he was United Mobile Care’s leader/manager.
Brenda Kerr was sentenced on September 13, 2019, to 2 years’ probation with 12 months of home detention and ordered to pay $757,499.06 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was handled by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Berkowitz.
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Driver Pleads Guilty to Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jaswinder Singh, age 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Utica to knowingly transporting illegal aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
In pleading guilty, Singh, who worked as a driver for a ridesharing company, admitted that on May 20, 2019, he picked up two aliens who had recently crossed into the United States from Canada illegally a few miles from the border in St. Lawrence County. The aliens paid Singh $2,200 after he picked them up. Singh also admitted that he transported several other aliens in exchange for money between January 1, 2019 and May 20, 2019.
The charge to which Singh pled guilty today carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, a special assessment of $5,100, and forfeiture of the $2,200 Singh was paid. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Singh will be sentenced on February 13, 2020, by United States District Judge David N. Hurd.
This case is being investigated by the United States Border Patrol, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Felony Drug Trafficking and Firearm Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Abdul Samuels, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to seven years in prison stemming from drug trafficking and gun possession charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Samuels, Anthony Fields, 45, of Washington, D.C., and Lonnell Tucker, 42, of Temple Hills, Md., were found guilty on March 21, 2019, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Samuels was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Judge Mehta sentenced Samuels on October 2, 2019 to seven years in prison. Following his prison term, Samuels will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In June 2017, ATF began investigating the trafficking of narcotics from the Next Level Cuts barbershop located in the 2400 block of MLK, Jr., Avenue, SE and adjoining property above. Through surveillance, controlled purchases from inside and outside the barbershop, residential search warrants, cellphone searches, arrests, jailhouse calls, pleas, and cooperating witnesses, law enforcement discovered a coordinated drug trafficking operation that was centered at the barbershop and extended into Maryland. The investigation established that drug traffickers used the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location.
The investigation led to a series of arrests beginning in February 2018 which led to the recovery of three firearms from the barbershop and one firearm in a residence, the seizure of more than $7,000 in cash, and without packaging, the seizure of more than 300 grams of PCP, more than 150 grams of heroin, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, boxes of suboxone strips, and more than 100 grams of a cutting agents.
In addition to being convicted of conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl from the barbershop, Samuels was also convicted of narcotics trafficking and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition relating to a search of his residence in Southeast, D.C. on May 10, 2018, where ATF recovered a firearm, ammunition, extensive drug paraphernalia, and crack cocaine.
During the trial, officers from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority testified regarding a separate arrest of Samuels in 2018 in Virginia, in which crack cocaine packaged for distribution was recovered from his vehicle. Samuels’ charges in Virginia for that arrest are still pending and on those charges, he is presumed innocent.
The Defendant was previously convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in D.C. Superior Court, following the shooting of a victim in the neck at the victim’s residence. While serving his sentence for that offense, Samuels was subsequently prosecuted and convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for his role in the murder of a fellow inmate.
On June 13, 2019, Fields was sentenced to 16 years of incarceration to be followed by eight years of supervised release. On June 14, 2019, Tucker was sentenced to five years of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. On September 25, 2019, Artinis Winston, who was a fugitive for approximately nine months, was sentenced to five years of incarceration to be followed by four years of supervised release for his role in the narcotics conspiracy.
Three other defendants – Darryl Smith, 41, of Washington, D.C., James Venable, 47, of Fort Washington, Md., and Lacy Hamilton, 42, of Suitland, Md. – pled guilty earlier to federal charges. Smith managed the barbershop and was sentenced to 80 months in prison relating to his possession of narcotics in the barbershop on February 1, 2018, and for his possession of packaged fentanyl and a loaded firearm following an arrest by MPD in December 2017 outside of the barbershop. Venable, another conspirator, was sentenced to a 37-month prison term following his possession of narcotics and a firearm in both Washington, D.C. during a December 2017 arrest by MPD and at his residence in Maryland on February 1, 2018. Venable also acknowledged selling narcotics to an ATF confidential informant in July 2017. Hamilton was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for selling narcotics outside the barbershop and in Maryland as part of the charged narcotics conspiracy.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Benedict, and Chief Newsham commended the assistance provided by officers and agents of the Prince George’s County Police Department, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for 2016 Murder on Sidewalk in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Becton, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison stemming from a shooting that took place in Southeast Washington in September 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Becton was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed and related firearms offenses by a jury on April 4, 2019, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge Juliet McKenna.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Sept. 15, 2016, the victim, Darnell “Kirk” Peoples, Sr., agreed to help a woman buy drugs. They encountered a group of young men who were playing craps in the 600 block of Mellon Street SE, in front of a neighborhood market. Mr. Peoples made a remark that offended the group, leading to a confrontation with Becton. Mr. Peoples tried to quash the trouble, but Becton pulled out a gun and started counting down. Mr. Peoples unsuccessfully tried to get the gun. Becton shot him two times in front of numerous people and fled the scene. Mr. Peoples, 35, stumbled across the street and collapsed, shot in the neck and the left hip.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrived within minutes and Mr. Peoples managed to mumble before he died that he was shot by “Dre from Trenton Park.” Becton was arrested on Oct. 21, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Stephanie Siegerist, Meridith McGarrity, Alesha Matthews, and Richard Cheatham; Witness Security Specialists Lesley Slade and Tanya Via; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and interns Jeremy Kelly and Madison Jansky.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso and Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendant Sentenced for Role in Omaha-based Methamphetamine Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Stacy Kretchmer, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on October 4, 2019, to 24 months in prison by United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. In addition to her prison term, Stacy Kretchmer will serve two years of supervised release following her release from prison.
On August 24, 2018, as part of a DEA wiretap investigation, investigators intercepted communications that Kretchmer was going to transport methamphetamine on behalf of a drug trafficking organization. Kretchmer was stopped on the way to meet coconspirators and 730 grams of actual methamphetamine were seized.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
D.C. Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies, CarjackingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to nearly 30 years in prison for his participation in three armed robberies and an armed carjacking.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lamont Kortez Gaines, 29, participated in the armed robbery of an Advance America Cash Advance store in Alexandria and two 7-Eleven convenience stores in Arlington. During the robberies, a semi-automatic, submachine-gun style pistol with an extended and loaded magazine was brandished at the businesses’ employees. Additionally, Gaines participated in an armed carjacking in Alexandria. Three of Gaines’ co-conspirators—Andrew Bernard Duncan, 28, Desmar Rashad Gayles, 27, and Anton Durrell Harris, 29, all of Washington, D.C.—previously pleaded guilty to charges of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and each was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of FBI Special Agents, and task force officers from the Arlington County Police, the Alexandria City Police, the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Leesburg Police Department, the Herndon Police Department, the Fairfax City Police, and the Vienna Police, and works in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service. The task force worked cooperatively and extensively with the City of Alexandria Police, Arlington County Police, and the Prince George’s County Police, Maryland, on this investigation. The task force is charged with identifying, investigating, disrupting and bringing to justice the most violent and egregious criminal enterprises and actors impacting the National Capital Region.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Rebeca H. Bellows prosecuted the case.
Alexandria Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during this investigation and prosecution.
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. 1:17-cr-106.
Counterfeit NCAA, NFL Ticket-Seller Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Rakee Russ, 41, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 12 months and one day of incarceration, three years’ supervised release and $420 restitution by United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for his participation in a scheme to sell counterfeit tickets.
Russ pleaded guilty in July 2019 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, and trafficking in counterfeit goods, arising from his role in the sale of counterfeit tickets to sporting events, including the January 2017 Villanova-Virginia NCAA Men’s College Basketball game and the September 2017 Eagles v. Giants NFL game, both in Philadelphia, PA. The counterfeit tickets bore the authentic trademarks that were registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Russ sold the counterfeit tickets at the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field.
“Criminal counterfeiting and piracy are serious, federal crimes,” said First Assistant U. S. Attorney Williams. “When fans spend their hard-earned money on event tickets, they deserve the real deal. This defendant took advantage of unsuspecting fans, and now he will be doing more than a year in federal prison. To anyone else out there who thinks selling counterfeit tickets are not going to be prosecuted federally, take notice. Justice has been served.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joan E. Burnes and Anita Eve.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican citizen was sentenced today to one and a half years in prison for illegally reentering the United States subsequent to removal for an aggravated felony conviction.
“Gonzalez-Granillo committed burglary and a sex offense involving a minor victim, was deported at taxpayer expense, and then illegally returned to the country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His criminal actions have shown a complete disrespect for our nation’s laws and borders. Individuals like Gonzalez-Granillo represent a clear threat to the safety and security of our communities, and as such we will continue to prioritize criminal immigration enforcement cases across the Eastern District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, Marcos Gonzalez-Granillo, 40, originally illegally entered the United States in 1997. In 2002, he was convicted in state court in North Carolina of attempted second-degree rape and first-degree burglary, an aggravated felony. He was removed from the country at taxpayer expense in 2007 after serving his state prison sentence. Gonzalez-Granillo was next encountered by law enforcement authorities in Norfolk in 2019, when he was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender under Virginia law.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Shean and Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-75.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead 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 Sean Humby, 31, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The defendant was previously convicted of sexual abuse of a child and as a result faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in 2008, Humby was convicted of sexually abusing three minors in Monroe County and sentenced to serve 108 months in prison. The defendant was released on parole in 2016. On August 24, 2018, New York State Parole Officers conducted a routine search of Humby’s residence, during which they discovered the defendant with a cellular phone, in violation to his parole conditions. Humby was taken into custody. A forensic analysis determined that the cell phone contained child pornography.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York State Division of Parole, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2019, before Judge Geraci.
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Columbus man admits to role in cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Martenez Strong-Edmondson, Jr., of Columbus, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a cocaine and heroin distribution operation that spanned two states, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Strong-Edmondson, also known as “Bo,” age 21, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base and Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” He admitted to distributing cocaine and cocaine base near Pulaski Playground in September 2018 in Ohio County.
Strong-Edmondson is facing no less than one year and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The investigation was led by the Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department. Those assisting in the arrests are the United States Marshal Service; Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department; and the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Columbia County Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John G. Stroming, age 60, of Stuyvesant, New York, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue ordered that Stroming’s sentence run consecutive to a state term of imprisonment Stroming is serving. Today’s federal sentence should begin in 2027, when Stroming’s state sentence is scheduled to end.
Stroming was convicted in May 2019 following a 2-day jury trial. The evidence at trial showed that Stroming videotaped himself sexually abusing a 19-month-old and that he also possessed child pornography involving other children. At the time of the crimes, Stroming was required to register as a sex offender. He has sex offense convictions including for rape in the second degree (2011) and promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child (1999).
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Shira C. Hoffman.
This case was 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), 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Clarksburg woman admits to her role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michelle Elaine Queen, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in a drug distribution operation, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Queen, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Queen admitted to selling heroin in January 2017 in Harrison County.
Queen faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Charles Edward Harrington Receives 96 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced CHARLES EDWARD HARRINGTON 34, of Wilmington to 96 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
HARRINGTON was named in an indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on February 13, 2019, charging him with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base (crack). On June 11, 2019, HARRINGTON pled guilty to that charge.
On December 22, 2018, investigators assigned to the Mobile Field Force task force with the Wilmington Police Department in Wilmington, North Carolina were patrolling in the area of Rankin Street, Wilmington when they observed HARRINGTON. HARRINGTON had an active warrant for his arrest and law enforcement placed HARRINGTON under arrest. During the course of the arrest, officers discovered a bag of cocaine base (crack) in HARRINGTON’s pocket. HARRINGTON has an extensive history of narcotics related convictions and offenses in New Hanover County.
This case is part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation “Tooth Fairy” with cooperation from the Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. This operation is focused on a drug trafficking organization operating in the New Hanover County area of North Carolina.
This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The FBI, Wilmington Police Department and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Mr. Averitt is a prosecutor with the Prosecutorial District 6 District Attorney’s Office encompassing New Hanover County. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.
Californian Vintner Sentenced to Five Months in Prison in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Californian vintner was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for paying $50,000 to have his daughter’s SAT scores artificially inflated, and agreeing to another $250,000 to have her fraudulently recruited to the University of Southern California (USC) as a water polo player.
Agustin Francisco Huneeus, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and to pay a fine of $100,000. In May 2019, Huneeus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
The government recommended a sentence of 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $95,000.
Beginning in 2017, Huneeus conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to have his daughter’s college entrance exam corrected, thereby fraudulently inflating the score. Over the course of several months, Huneeus took steps to facilitate the scheme, including securing extended time for his daughter to take the SAT, lying to her high school guidance counselors, and arranging for her to take the exam at a test center in West Hollywood that Singer “controlled” through the center’s corrupt administrator. In March 2018, Huneeus’s daughter took the SAT with the help of co-conspirator Mark Riddell, thereby receiving an artificially higher score. The following month, Huneeus made a purported contribution of $50,000 to Singer’s shame charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, to pay for the scheme.
Huneeus was not happy with the results of the fraudulent exam scheme, and considered pursuing it on two more occasions. Ultimately, Huneeus decided to use the college recruitment scheme to guarantee his daughter’s admission to USC. During a call intercepted by a court-authorized wiretap, Singer explained the recruitment scheme in detail and the cost to Huneeus. In September 2018, Singer sent Donna Heinel, the senior athletic director at USC, an email with Huneeus’s daughter’s high school transcript, fraudulent SAT score, a fabricated athletic profile, and a photograph that was intended to appear to be Huneeus’s daughter playing water polo. In November 2018, Heinel emailed Singer a conditional acceptance letter for Huneeus’s daughter stating that she was admitted to USC as a water polo player. Later that month, Huneeus sent a $50,000 check to Heinel purportedly for the “USC Women’s Athletics Board.” Ultimately, Huneeus was arrested before making the final agreed-up payment of $200,000 to Singer.
Co-defendants Felicity Huffman, Devin Sloane, Stephen Semprevivo, and Gordon Caplan were previously sentenced to two weeks, four months, four months, and one month in prison, respectively.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
Bronx Man Sentenced to Life Plus 75 Years in Prison in Connection with Murders of Marvin Harris AndRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES FELTON was sentenced today to life plus 75 years in prison for the June 11, 2016, murder of Marvin Harris, whom FELTON shot 13 times, and the December 11, 2016, murder of Jose Morales, whom FELTON shot in the head. FELTON’s sentence also encompassed his participation in a drug conspiracy and firearms offenses. FELTON was convicted on June 19, 2019, after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “James Felton murdered two people in cold blood and attempted to murder two others. The sentence imposed today is a just punishment for a brutal, unrepentant killer. We thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on this case and for their dedication in bringing Felton to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and evidence at trial:
Between 2010 and 2017, FELTON was a member of a long-running narcotics conspiracy centered around 240 East 175th Street in the Bronx, New York, as well as a criminal enterprise consisting of members of his family and other associates. On June 11, 2016, at the corner of East 175th Street and Monroe Avenue, FELTON shot Marvin Harris 13 times after Harris insulted FELTON and challenged FELTON’s status within the drug territory. Six months later, at the corner of East 175th Street and Weeks Avenue, one block away from the scene of the Harris murder, FELTON shot rival drug dealer Edwin Romero four times, attempted to shoot Romero’s girlfriend, and shot Jose Morales in the head, killing him.
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In addition to the prison term, FELTON, 50, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Matthew Hellman, and Anden Chow are in charge of the prosecution.
Bradley Chiropractor to Serve Nearly Three Years in Prison, Pay $495,000 Restitution for Insurance Billing Fraud, Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid has ordered that Joseph Mayotte, who previously owned and operated Bradley Chiropractic Clinic, in Bradley, Ill., serve 33 months in prison, the sentence recommended by the government, and pay restitution in the amount of $401,000 to Blue Cross Blue Shield and $93,526 to the IRS. The hearing for Mayotte, 72, of Kankakee, Ill., concluded late afternoon on Oct. 3, before Judge Shadid in Peoria. Mayotte was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Dec. 17, 2019, to begin serving his sentence.
Mayotte entered pleas of guilty to the offenses charged on Feb. 11, 2019, as jury selection was beginning for trial. Mayotte admitted that from January 2007 to October 2015, he submitted false billing claims to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance. The false claims were typically made on behalf of patients for whom the clinic had not provided any services or were in excess of the actual services provided. As a result, Blue Cross Blue Shield paid the clinic money to which it was not entitled, which Mayotte then used for his own benefit. In addition, Mayotte admitted that he failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2014.
In addition to Mayotte, the clinic’s former office manager, Constance Leadingham, aka Connie, previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing false income tax returns, and was sentenced on March 1, 2019. Leadingham, of Watseka, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for her role in the fraud scheme. As the clinic’s office manager, Leadingham admitted she submitted false billing claims, then wrote checks payable to herself from the clinic’s checking account in addition to her salary. Leadingham also admitted that in addition to the fraud scheme, she filed false income tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of Inspector General; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass represented the government in the case prosecutions.
Beachwood woman sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing the identities of more than a dozen people and filing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
A Beachwood woman was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for stealing the identities of more than a dozen people and filing false tax returns.
Aesha Johnson, 42, was convicted by a jury earlier this year on all 29 counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She was also ordered to pay $63,708 in restitution.
Her daughter, Brittany Williams, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy. She was sentenced to three years of supervised release and $63,708 in restitution
Williams and Johnson, when she was living in West Virginia, conspired together to use stolen identities to file false tax returns with the IRS, seeking tax refunds. Johnson acquired many of these identities through a previous criminal fraud scheme, according to the indictment.
Johnson and Williams used an address associated with the family on East 142nd Street in Cleveland as the address of record for many of the false tax returns. They often communicated with each other using a code that referred to the victims using numbers 1 through 31, and created and used fictitious email accounts in the names of the victims to communicate with the IRS, according to the indictment
Williams filed the false tax returns online, obtained prepaid debit cards in the names of the identity-theft victims and requested the IRS deposit the refunds onto those cards. Williams then withdraw cash or made purchases with the cards, according to the indictment.
“This pair stole people’s identities then used it to steal from taxpayers,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “The community is safer with Ms. Johnson behind bars.”
“This sentence is a small victory for the many American taxpayers who have been victims of stolen identity refund fraud schemes,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “The defendants demonstrated a blatant disregard for the integrity of the United States tax system and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS-CI will continue to do our part in protecting the sanctity and integrity of the tax system and those individuals whose identities were stolen."
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Cronin and Justin Seabury Gould following an investigation by the IRS.