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Friday 23 August 2019
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 Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Aug. 19 was:
Benjamin Ira Badbear, 34, of Billings, and Carrie Marie Rinesmith, 39, of Billings. Badbear is charged with possession of a stolen firearm, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Rinesmith is charged with possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Badbear and Rinesmith face a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Both are detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-92.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston on Aug. 20 and pleading not guilty was:
Timothy Blackman, 27, of Browning, on charges of sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Blackman faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Blackman was released pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-52.
Appearing on Aug. 21 and pleading not guilty was:
Henry James Daychild, Jr., 41, of Box Elder, on charges of strangulation and domestic abuse by habitual offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Daychild faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Daychild was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-61.
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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Illegal Alien from Mexico Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry After RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Jose Guadalupe Perez-Velasquez, 29, an illegal from Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to “time served,” effectively 121 days in federal prison, and one year of supervised release, for the crime of unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Scott Sutterfield, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New Orleans.
Upon release from his federal prison sentence, Guadalupe Perez-Velasquez will remain in the administrative detention custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement. He will face removal proceedings to remove him from the United States back to his home nation of Mexico. As a result of this felony conviction, if Perez-Velasquez were to unlawfully return to the United States, he could face up to ten years in federal prison. Further, if he were to unlawfully return again to the United States during his 1-year term of supervised release, he could face separate penalties consecutive to imprisonment from additional prosecution.
On March 25, 2019, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office notified ICE that Perez-Velasquez had been arrested for misdemeanor offenses of domestic disturbance of family and false information to law enforcement. Harrison County officials said Perez-Velasquez had confessed to being an illegal alien from Mexico. Perez-Velasquez was arrested by ICE and transported to the Gulfport ICE Office.
Further investigation revealed that Perez-Velasquez was originally removed from the United States to his home nation of Mexico on November 2, 2009. Subsequently, Perez-Velasquez illegally reentered the United States and was removed again. On August 16, 2010, he was encountered by ICE officials near Milledgeville, Georgia, and was again removed to Mexico on September 4, 2010.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for this case.
Illegal Alien Who Used Another Person’s Name and Social Security Number Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who used another person’s Social Security number to get a job was sentenced August 22, 2019, to four months in federal prison.
Bonifacio Martin-Martin, age 20, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 10, 2019, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.
At the guilty plea, Martin-Martin admitted that on July 12, 2018, he used someone else’s name and social security number on employment forms and state and federal tax forms when applying for work in Lime Springs, Iowa. Martin-Martin worked under that person’s name until he was arrested by immigration officials after he was charged with public intoxication in Postville, Iowa, on April 6, 2019. The public intoxication charge was later dismissed after federal charges were filed.
Martin-Martin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Martin-Martin was sentenced to 120 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martin-Martin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2021. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Illegal Alien Residing in Sacramento Convicted of Aggravated Identity Theft, Passport Fraud, and Voting by an AlienRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury returned a verdict today against Gustavo Araujo Lerma, 64, finding him guilty of one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of passport fraud, and five counts of voting by an alien, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lerma was born in Mexico in 1955. In the early 1990s he acquired and began fraudulently using the identity of a United States citizen named Hiram Velez. Lerma used the Velez identity to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports and to vote in federal elections.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to ensuring that those who perpetrate passport fraud face punitive consequences for their criminal actions,” said Matthew Perlman, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) San Francisco Field Office. “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting the American homeland.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine T. Lydon and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
Lerma is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Nov. 26. Lerma faces a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft to be served consecutively to any other term, a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for passport fraud, and a maximum of one year in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of voting by an alien. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Possession of Counterfeit or Unauthorized Access DevicesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Duniesky Vizcay De La Cruz a/k/a Vizcay Delacruz Duniesky, 34, an illegal alien from Cuba, pled guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to knowingly possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Shawn Wolfe, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service in Mississippi.
On December 6, 2017, the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Interstate I-10 in Jackson County. Duniesky Vizcay De La Cruz, a passenger in the car, was found to be in possession of approximately 528 “Vanilla MasterCard” pre-paid gift cards in his luggage. An inventory determined the value of the gift cards, purchased with victims’ money, was $89,900. The investigation revealed that the 528 gift cards had been purchased at wholesale club stores in Georgia and Florida a few days prior to this traffic stop in Mississippi.
Vizcay De La Cruz was charged on March 5, 2019 in a federal criminal indictment. He pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on August 21, 2019. He will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in Gulfport, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by United States Secret Service, with assistance from the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Husband and Wife Charged for Theft of Military PropertyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that a Federal grand jury in Greenville has returned a three count indictment charging MORRIS COOPER, age 62 of Fayetteville, with bribery and theft of government property.
According to the indictment, COOPER was a purchasing agent assigned to the Operations and Maintenance Division, Directorate of Public Works (DPW), at Fort Bragg, NC and entrusted to purchase HVAC parts for DPW’s HVAC maintenance section. He was named in an indictment filed on August 20, 2019, charging him with stealing government money and conspiracy to do so, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 641, and, as a public official, receiving bribes in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2). His wife, BEVERLEY COOPER, age 52 of Fayetteville, is also charged with conspiring to steal government property and aiding and abetting COOPER to do so. The indictment charges that COOPER used his position as purchasing agent at DPW, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, to receive cash and gifts from vendors for both he and his wife, BEVERLEY COOPER, in return for steering contracts for supplies to those vendors. Additionally, he at times inflated the prices for items under those contracts beyond market price, increasing both the profits to the vendor and the cash payment made to COOPER and/or his wife. The indictment alleges gross proceeds to COOPER of at least $978,279.00.
“Those who hold government positions with access to the public fisc must act with even greater conviction and accountability than if the monies were their own funds,” said United States Attorney Higdon. “For the public fisc is exactly that–the monies of each member of the public.”
If convicted, COOPER would face up to a maximum term of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine as to each of the three counts, and a term of up to three years supervised release following any term of imprisonment. BEVERLEY COOPER would face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine as to each of the two counts, and a term of up to three years supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Investigation of this case is being conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Human trafficker sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor from TexasRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Tyrone Larry Smith, 40, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced Thursday by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to serve 50 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor female from Texas. Smith pleaded guilty on March 7, 2019.
Tyrone Smith began communicating with a 14-year-old female from Texas over an internet-based “dating service” in June of 2015. Using internet communications, he convinced her to travel to Shreveport, making representations that he wanted to start a relationship with her. She agreed and took a bus to Shreveport. When she encountered Smith, he informed her that she would be engaging in prostitution, and implied that there would be consequences if she did not cooperate. Smith posted advertisements on the website Backpage.com using photographs of the victim in various stages of undress, with descriptions of her services, to advertise the victim’s prostitution. He listed his number on the page for customers to call, and he coached the victim on what prices to charge and how to question customers to ensure they were not undercover police officers. If she resisted, Smith used force and physical violence to force her into prostitution. At one point, the victim told Smith she wanted to return home. In response, the defendant struck her in the face and told her that she would continue to engage in prostitution. Smith kept all of the money from the acts of prostitution.
During an undercover online investigation, authorities made contact with the victim via the internet and phone claiming to be a customer soliciting sex. They later arrived at a local hotel and arrested Smith.
The FBI and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
Honduran Man Sentenced to 15 Months for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that SANTOS EVELIO NOLAZCO, age 48, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on Thursday, August 22, 2019, following his guilty plea to a one-count indictment, which charged him with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a). He pled guilty on June 13, 2019.
According to the indictment, EVELIO NOLAZCO was previously removed from the United States on August 17, 2016. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on March 28, 2019 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to a term of 15 months in federal prison. It was noted in open court at the sentencing hearing that EVELIO NOLAZCO had been previously deported five times from the United States.
EVELIO NOLAZCO faced a maximum term of imprisonment of 2 years, a fine of $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
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High Ranking Gang Member Receives More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON — United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today United States District James C. Dever sentenced ANTWINE “Big World” LUCAS, 37, of New Hanover County to 188 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On March 21, 2019, LUCAS pled guilty to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and distribution of a quantity of heroin.
LUCAS’ residence on North 5th Street served as a base of operation for members of the Nine Trey Sect of the United Blood Nation in Wilmington, North Carolina. The home was used to distribute heroin and store firearms. According to law enforcement, the gang was not only involved in the distribution of heroin, but also acts of violence.
The FBI used a Title III wiretap on the phone of another member of this organization to assist in the investigation of this gang.
On August 21, 2018, wire intercepts provided law enforcement with information about the potential for acts of violence associated with this gang. Law enforcement was able to stop a car that had left the area of LUCAS’ residence. A gang member fled the car and discarded two handguns while being pursued by law enforcement. That person is awaiting sentencing on federal charges. Another passenger had a stolen hand gun on his person.
On August 29, 2018, LUCAS sold a quantity of heroin to someone acting at the direction of law enforcement from his residence.
On August 31, 2018, a federal search warrant was served at the residence. LUCAS and another high ranking gang member were arrested. Law enforcement found a handgun and fentanyl during the search of the home and surrounding area.
LUCAS had been released from prison in June 2018. According to law enforcement, upon returning from prison, LUCAS occupied a position of leadership in the gang.
This case is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The investigation is focused on members of the Nine Trey sect of the United Blood Nation, a violent gang with members in Wilmington, North Carolina involved in the distribution of heroin, possession of firearms and associated violence.
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 investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Street Task Force, the Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Offices. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Greenville Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Remario Revonte Austin, age 37, of Greenville, was convicted following a jury trial in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented by the Government during the trial established that on March 22, 2017, a Greenville Police Department Officer stopped the car Austin was driving for a traffic violation. During the stop, the officer located a suspected controlled substance in Austin’s pocket and then conducted a search of the car Austin was driving. Recovered from the glove compartment was a loaded .40 caliber pistol. Laboratory analysis found that Austin’s DNA was located on the trigger of the firearm.
Federal law prohibits Austin from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions, including a prior federal conviction for drug conspiracy and prior state convictions for unlawful possession of a pistol, possession of a pistol with an obliterated serial number, possession of a weapon, assault and battery, and criminal domestic violence.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of Spartanburg presided over the trial and will sentence Austin after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office is prosecuting the case.
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Former probation officer sentenced to federal prison for extorting a paroleeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Tyrique F. Williams, a former officer with Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision, has been sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribe payments from a parolee in exchange for allowing a parolee to avoid wearing an ankle monitor, taking polygraph examinations, and attending treatment classes.
“The citizens of Georgia deserve better than Tyrique Williams,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Someone re-entering society has plenty of obstacles to overcome, but a shakedown by his parole officer is not one they expect. Public servants are expected to possess the utmost integrity. Williams dishonored the thousands of law enforcement officers in Georgia who serve honorably.”
“It is sadly ironic that a sworn parole officer’s extortion scheme was uncovered by a convicted offender who was trying to follow the rules of his parole,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI makes it a priority to investigate anyone who violates their sworn duty for greed and reminds everyone that Williams is not representative of every hard working sworn officer who upholds their oath every day.”
“The vast majority of the men and women in law enforcement serve our communities with honor and integrity. Williams betrayed those values and preyed upon the citizens he was sworn to protect. The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office stands ready with its law enforcement partners to seek out those who betray the public’s trust and bring them to justice,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“Mr. Williams’ conduct is unacceptable and in no way reflects the values that we stand on at DCS. There is no allowance for any misconduct or illegal activity within our Department. When informed of the allegations, DCS immediately suspended Williams from the performance of his duties pending the outcome of the investigation, and Williams subsequently resigned from employment with DCS. Williams’ actions are in no way representative of the more than 2,000 DCS employees who exhibit the highest degree of dedication, integrity, and professionalism in service to Georgia’s public safety each and every day,” said Brian Tukes, Director of External Affairs for the Georgia Department of Community Supervision.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: the Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision is responsible for the probation and parole supervision of over 200,000 adult felony offenders and certain juvenile offenders.
In the fall of 2014, Williams started working as a probation officer with the Department of Community Supervision. From 2016 to 2018, the Department of Community Supervision managed a parolee (“Parolee”), who had previously served 14 years in prison. While on parole, the Parolee completed a number of courses and treatment classes and the Parolee never incurred a parole violation. Nevertheless, once Williams became responsible for the supervision of the Parolee, Williams told the Parolee that additional conditions and restrictions would be placed on the Parolee.
On April 19, 2018, Williams visited the Parolee’s residence and displayed a hand written note reading in substance: ‘$3,000, no polygraph, no ankle bracelet, no supervision fee, yes or no?’ After reading the note, the Parolee told Williams that he would pay him the $3,000. The Parolee then contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and reported Williams’ extortionate demand.
On April 27, 2018, in a meeting recorded by the FBI, the Parolee met with Williams at the Georgia Department of Community Supervision in Decatur, Georgia. During the meeting, Williams led the Parolee to a secluded area of the building, where the Parolee paid Williams $1,000 in cash. Williams told the Parolee that in exchange for a second $3,500 bribe payment, Williams would not require the Parolee to wear an ankle monitor or submit to a polygraph examination.
On May 4, 2018, in a meeting recorded by the FBI, the Parolee met with Williams at a fast food restaurant in Stone Mountain, Georgia. In the bathroom of the fast food restaurant, the Parolee paid Williams $3,500 in cash.
Notably, after the Parolee paid the two bribe payments, Williams did not make the Parolee take a polygraph examination, wear an ankle bracelet, or attend any additional treatment classes.
On May 21, 2019, Tyrique F. Williams, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of Extortion under the Color of Official Right. For his crime, Williams was sentenced to one year, and one day in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, and the Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Leanne M. Marek prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Service Provider at the San Angelo, Texas, State Supported Living Center Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Assaulting ResidentRead the Press Release
Tesa Keith, 38, a former direct service provider at the San Angelo State Supported Living Center in San Angelo, Texas, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for violating the civil rights of K.B., a resident at the facility, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, and FBI Dallas Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno.
“The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the defenseless in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of civil rights abuses.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of unwarranted brutality against our District’s most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
“Our most vulnerable citizens have the right to expect the highest level of care from those charged with keeping them safe. What Ms. Keith did is reprehensible and today’s sentence clearly demonstrates the FBI is committed to justice for the victims of violence targeting defenseless individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge DeSarno. “The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to diligently work to identify and investigate any type of federal crimes targeting those who are dependent on others for their daily care.”
According to court documents filed in connection with the plea, Keith was working on June 13, 2017, as a Direct Service Provider at the San Angelo State Supported Living Center, a state-run facility. K.B. was a resident of the facility. Keith admitted to kicking K.B. in the face without legal justification and for the purpose of punishing her. Keith’s assault on K.B. resulted in bodily injury to K.B.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office and San Angelo Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden of the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Rose E. Gibson and Kate Hill of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Former DMV Motor Vehicle Representative Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes to Alter Records in DMV DatabaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Gilliam, 51, of Sherman Oaks, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bribery, to commit identity fraud, and to commit unauthorized access of a computer, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gilliam worked at the Hollywood DMV starting in October 2006. Between January 2011 and July 2017, Gilliam was a Motor Vehicle Representative at the DMV’s Hollywood office where he processed driver’s licenses. Gilliam admitted that between April 2016 and July 2017, he had received money in exchange for accessing the DMV’s database to alter records to result in a passing score for written examinations for individuals who had not taken or passed the examinations. Based on evidence obtained through the investigation, Gilliam was responsible for the issuance of at least 57 fraudulent licenses and permits.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne L. Rust prosecuted the case.
Federal Way Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Prepare False Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A 52-year-old Federal Way, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and $13,141 in restitution for eight counts of aiding and assisting in preparing false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. LINA PASTARS ran a tax preparation business out of her home and collected higher fees from customers by falsely inflating their deductions, so that her clients received a bigger refund. PASTARS was convicted February 28, 2019, following a four–day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said PASTARS’ clients were primarily immigrants with little knowledge of the tax system and limited language skills. “That population is most vulnerable,” the Chief Judge said “They were left to flounder by themselves when the IRS came knocking at their door.”
According to testimony at trial and records filed in the case, the investigation of PASTARS began in 2015, when the IRS audited one of her clients whose 2012 tax return claimed more than $30,000 in unreimbursed business expenses. The clients claimed PASTARS had claimed the deductions without their knowledge. The IRS Scheme Development Center then began a review of returns prepared by PASTARS between 2012 and 2014 and discovered the returns had unreimbursed employee business expenses that far exceeded the average claims in the Puget Sound region. The statistical analysis revealed PASTARS claimed unreimbursed business expenses for clients that were three to four times the average claim.
On two different occasions in March and April 2015, undercover IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) agents went to PASTARS posing as clients for tax preparation. Both were very clear that they had no employee business expenses. They told PASTARS that all their expenses were reimbursed by their employers. Nevertheless, PASTARS claimed thousands of dollars in unreimbursed expenses so that the returns showed a refund. She increased the fee that she charged each undercover agent saying “If I do deduction I charge more.” Undercover audio and video of these exchanges were admitted into evidence and played for the jury.
As PASTARS deductions and promised refunds grew, so did her business. Most of her customers paid in cash – making her profit from the scheme difficult to trace. But based on those customers who paid by check or via an online payment system she went from 159 returns prepared in 2012 to 366 prepared in 2015. Over those same years, her trackable income from tax prep increased ten-fold from $6,500 in 2012 to $65,470 in 2015. Those figures do not account for clients who paid in cash.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seungjae Lee and Michael Dion.
Federal Agent Impersonator ConvictedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 32-year-old resident of Cypress has entered guilty pleas to possession of a machine gun and impersonating a federal officer, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Mitchell Shoemaker admitted he represented himself to be an agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in order to gain access to a law enforcement only shooting range.
“The close working relationship between DSS, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office resulted in this conviction before Shoemaker could potentially harm the security of our country,” said DSS Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McGallicher. “This was a great success by all of the agencies involved.”
On Dec. 18, 2018, Shoemaker presented a fake badge to law enforcement officers at the shooting range in Magnolia. He was found to not have ties to any federal agency and was taken into custody.
At the time of his arrest, Shoemaker was in possession of seven firearms and two silencers. Among them was a machine gun - a F.N. (FN Herstal) PS90, 5.7 caliber rifle – that he was prohibited from possessing.
The investigation revealed Shoemaker had previously represented himself to be a federal law enforcement agent and participated in target practice with a local officer.
Authorities obtained video of Shoemaker firing weapons, including the machine gun. They also found additional videos in which Shoemaker discussed the features of the F.N. PS90 weapon and modifications he made to the firearm. In the video, he pointed out the “giggle switch,” which refers to the selector level to switch the weapon to automatic fire.
U.S. District Court Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 15, 2019. At that time, Shoemaker faces up to 10 years imprisonment for possessing the gun as well as a maximum three years for impersonating a federal officer. Each conviction also carries the possibility of a $250,000 maximum fine.
Shoemaker will remain in custody pending that hearing.
DSS, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Magnolia Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Britni Cooper are prosecuting the case.
Father and Son Indicted on Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 20, 2019, a federal grand jury indictment was issued against Pedro Monarrez, Sr. (age: 68) and Pedro Monarrez , Jr. (age: 38) of El Paso, Texas and the Chicagoland area.
Monarrez Sr. and Monarrez Jr. face charges alleging they conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distributed kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846.
If convicted of all of the charges, both men will face a minimum of ten years to life imprisonment in a federal prison and at least five years of supervised release along with up to a $10 million fine.
This case was investigated by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gail J. Hoffman and Elizabeth M. Monfils.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Executive Union Board Member and Family Members Charged with CorruptionRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Brian Ahakuelo, 58, former Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260 ("Local 1260") based in Honolulu, Hawaii, along with his wife, Marilyn Ahakuelo, 55, and sister-in-law, Jennifer Estencion, 52,were charged yesterday in a 70-count indictment. Charges include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price stated that according to court documents and information presented in court, from June 2011 to May 2016, Brian Ahakuelo, Marilyn Ahakuelo, and Estencion engaged in a conspiracy to divert Local 1260 union funds and property for their own personal use. Brian Ahakuelo hired family members at inflated salaries (some of whom did little or no actual work for the union) and authorized the use of union funds for personal travel, a vehicle, and dining expenditures. When his activities largely depleted the union’s coffers, Brian Ahakuelo, with the help of Marilyn Ahakuelo, Estencion and other union employees, rigged a vote on Resolution 14-07 to increase membership dues. The false election caused members to pay an additional $3.7 million in dues over about eighteen months.
"Our office will aggressively investigate and prosecute corruption in unions – and any other governmental or non-governmental entities – that abuse the trust vested in them by the hard working folks in our communities," stated U.S. Attorney Price. "If your job is to protect the hard-working men and women in our communities, then do that. If you use your position to corruptly line your own pockets or serve other corrupt interests, we will use all of our resources to hold you accountable."
"The State is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who hold positions of trust, and who engage in conduct that violates that trust," said Attorney General Clare E. Connors. "We look forward to continuing to work with our federal partners as this litigation proceeds."
"The alleged acts described in the charging document are troubling and violate the trust of the members of Local 1260," said Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") - Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell. "IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to hold those responsible accountable, particularly when the alleged crimes directly impact the paychecks of hard working electrical workers."
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of five years imprisonment; each wire fraud charge carries a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment; each money laundering charge carries a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment; and each embezzlement charge carries a maximum term of five years imprisonment. The charges in the information are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being jointly investigated by the State of Hawaii Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Labor Office of Labor Management. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Albanese.
D’Iberville Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegal GunRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Anh Viet Quach, 42, of D’Iberville, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. Quach was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, working with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, obtained information that an individual in D’Iberville was selling large quantities of high grade marijuana. Following surveillance, agents approached Quach and obtained a search warrant for his home. They found approximately 42 pounds of high grade marijuana, $7,200 in cash, a currency counter, and a Berretta 9mm handgun. Quach admitted he received 420 pounds of marijuana by mail from California, which he sold for $2,800 per pound. Quach has prior gang-related felony convictions from California.
Quach’s federal sentence will be served consecutive to his sentence in Harrison County Circuit Court on the drug charges.
This case was investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Drug Trafficking Organization Second in Command and Ring Leader's Wife Plead Guilty to Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Josue Cardona-Soto, 38, of Puerto Rico, and Virgen Perez-Jurado, 28, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, over five kilograms of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Higgins and Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who are handling the case, stated that between June 2017 and September 29, 2017, Cardona-Soto assisted Cesar Rivera-Figueroa, a/k/a Fat Boy, the leader of a drug trafficking organization, by making deliveries of bulk quantities of cocaine to mid-level distributors in the organization, collecting drug proceeds from them, and retrieving packages containing bulk quantities of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico in the U.S. mail. Perez-Jurado, the wife of Cesar Rivera-Figueroa, also distributed bulk quantities of cocaine to mid-level distributors, collected payment, stored the organization’s drug proceeds inside her Wiley Street residence, and taught co-conspirators the means and methods of drug-trafficking.
On August 15, 2017, Cardona-Soto was appointed by Rivera-Figueroa as his second-in-command to replace co-defendant Daniel Navarro. Navarro and Rivera-Figueroa had a falling out after the organization suffered some loses as a result of law enforcement seizures of cocaine.
In addition to completing multiple drug transactions locally, Cardona-Soto also made trips to the New York City area, sometimes with Rivera-Figueroa, to pick up bulk quantities of cocaine or make payments for cocaine.
Cardona-Soto and Perez-Jurado were charged along with 10 other defendants. A total of seven defendants have been convicted.
The pleas are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy; and the Erie County Sheriff’s office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
Cardona-Soto and Perez-Jurado are scheduled to be sentenced on January 2 and January 3, 2020, respectively, both before Judge Vilardo.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder while Armed in 2016 Shooting and Solicitation of MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quincy Green a/k/a Wayne Wright, 37, of Washington, D.C. pled guilty today to a charge stemming from an incident in May 2016 in which he shot another man multiple times, causing the victim’s death. Green also pled guilty to another charge, in which he solicited the murder of the girlfriend of a potential witness for the trial of the May 2016 murder, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Green pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed and one count of solicitation of murder. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 17 years. The Honorable Craig Iscoe scheduled sentencing for November 1, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, during the early evening hours of May 19, 2016, in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, S.E., the defendant followed behind the decedent, Dana Hamilton, as he walked down the street. As he approached Mr. Hamilton, the defendant retrieved a firearm from his person and shot the decedent multiple times. The defendant then fled the area.
Members of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene, and Mr. Hamilton was taken to a local hospital, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead a short while later.
Following jury selection in the trial related to Green’s murder of Mr. Hamilton, on November 17, 2018, the Government disclosed the identity and plea and cooperation agreement of a witness expected to testify against the defendant. Upon learning this information. Green wrote a letter to another individual in which he solicited the murder of the cooperating witness’s girlfriend.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Lashone Samuels; Victim Witness Specialist Jennifer Clark; M. Laverne Perry, Lesley Slade, Tanya Via and all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, and William Henderson.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles J. Willoughby, Jr. and Kevin Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty in 2008 Murder of Best FriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Astriane Horton, 37, pled guilty today before the Honorable Danya Dayson in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia to second-degree murder while armed and two counts of obstructing justice, in the killing of his best friend, Deon Coleman, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the government’s evidence, Horton kept a gun behind his grandmother’s house, on Halley Terrace, SE, the location of which was known only to Horton, Coleman, and a mutual friend. When the gun went missing on June 19, 2008, Horton became upset and believed that Coleman had stolen the gun, and in so doing, had disrespected him. At that point, Horton began searching for Deon Coleman, eventually tracking him to Brandywine Street, SW, where Coleman lived.
Shortly before 10pm that night, Astriane Horton arrived at the Coleman’s home and confronted him in the street about the missing gun. After initially appearing to part on good terms, the two men had a brief exchange of words, during which, Horton accused Coleman of taking the gun, and Coleman denied taking it. Horton then reached through the driver’s side window of the car in which Coleman sat, threw punches, then pulled out a gun and fired four close range shots, striking Coleman in the face, neck, back and forearm, injuries from which Deon Coleman would not survive.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, and also expressed appreciation for the assistance of law enforcement in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
They further expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews Yette, Meridith McGarrity, and Kelly Blakeney; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator LaJune Thames; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Budget Analyst Nikiya Burnette, Budget Officer Natalie Hope; Litigation Technology Specialists Paul Howell, and William Henderson; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Vinét Bryant, who investigated and indicted the case and secured the guilty plea.
Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl Resulting in Two Near Fatal Overdoses Leads to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold opioids that resulted in two near-fatal overdoses was sentenced August 22, 2019, to 25 years in federal prison.
Jason Bates, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after guilty pleas on August 6, 2018, to possessing heroin with intent to distribute it near a protected location and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a guilty plea on March 21, 2019, to distributing heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
In a plea agreement, Bates admitted he distributed at least 110 grams of heroin during two months in 2018. He further admitted that, on March 16, 2018, he sold a customer approximately a quarter gram of heroin for $40. The customer used the heroin and lost consciousness. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the customer unconscious, with pale, cool skin, and breathing only four to six times per minute. First responders administered Narcan to the customer, who regained consciousness and breathing function.
In April 2018, federal officers executed a warrant at Bates’s home. When the officers arrived, Bates threw a baggie containing 32.66 grams of a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl out of a window. Officers also found nearly $2000 in cash, a loaded .40 caliber pistol, digital scales, an empty box for another handgun, and 33 rounds of ammunition. The .40 caliber pistol had been reported stolen after a 2016 home burglary.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that in September 2015, Bates sold another customer approximately a half gram of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl. The customer injected himself and his girlfriend with defendant’s drugs, and both lost consciousness. The girlfriend remained unconscious for a period of hours and eventually her lips began to turn blue and her skin turned pale. The customer drove his girlfriend to a park in Cedar Rapids, propped her up against a tree, called 911, and then waited in the area until first responders arrived before leaving. The girlfriend was admitted to a hospital, and during her hospital stay she suffered multiple seizures and a stroke, which caused potentially permanent problems with her balance and vision.
Bates was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bates was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bates is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Lightfoot and Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00052-LTS-MAR.
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Defendant Who Committed Sexual Assault on Cruise Ship Sentenced to 36 Months in CustodyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 23, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Today in federal court Saul Clemente Monago, 31, of Utah, was sentenced by District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw to 36 months in custody and one year of supervised release for a sexual assault on a cruise ship. Defendant was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The record reflects that on October 11, 2018, the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship was docked in Ensenada, Mexico for a port call. The female victim (J.C.) and her cabin-mates had gone ashore in Ensenada, after which she returned to her room and fell asleep fully clothed on her bed. Shortly thereafter, J.C.’s cabin-mates returned to the cabin, accompanied by Defendant Saul Monago and two other men. Within minutes, everyone but J.C., who remained sleeping on the bed, and Defendant Monago left the cabin, and their departure was captured by a cruise ship security camera in the hallway outside the cabin. Shortly thereafter, J.C. woke up to Defendant, whom she never recalled having seen or met, laying on top of her, with his hand under her shorts and inside her underwear digitally penetrating her vagina with one or more fingers. J.C. pushed Defendant off while screaming, “No! Stop!” and ran into the hallway screaming for help, terrified at what was happening when she awoke. A ship security officer heard the loud commotion and J.C. screaming, “help” and “he is trying to rape me.” He reported to the area and encountered J.C. and a female witness from a nearby cabin outside. Upon entering J.C.’s cabin, the security officer saw Defendant lying on one of the beds, apparently intoxicated. Defendant, who admitted his conduct, was escorted first to the ship’s medical office and then to the Security office.
On October 14, 2018, the Norwegian Pearl docked at the San Diego Port. FBI personnel boarded the ship to investigate the assault and agents interviewed Defendant. In the interview room, Defendant spontaneously admitted his behavior, claiming that he was drunk and not behaving like himself. FBI Agents advised Defendant that he was under arrest, after which Defendant made additional spontaneous statements admitting his inappropriate actions.
The parties jointly recommended the statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 36 months, which will be followed by a one-year term of supervised release.
“As we are all becoming increasingly aware, sexual assaults of this nature can trigger long-term emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. “I hope this sentence brings closure, comfort and a measure of peace to the victim of this egregious act.” U.S. Attorney Brewer commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaclyn Stahl and the team of federal agents and victim service specialists who handled this case “with diligence and sensitivity.”
“This sentence is an important step in obtaining justice for the victim in this case,” said FBI Special Agent In Charge Scott Brunner. “Unfortunately, sexual assaults on cruise ships are one of the leading crimes reported to and investigated by the FBI on the high seas. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminal offenses on the high seas.”
DEFENDANT Case No. 18-CR-4849-DMS
Saul Clemente Monago 31, Utah
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(2)
Maximum Penalty: 36 months custody and 1 year supervised release
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Davie Resident Sentenced to 40 years in Prison for Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexual Acts and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Henry Alvarez Flores, 38, of Davie, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman to 40 years in prison today for enticing three minors to engage in illicit sexual activity and producing child pornography of the sexual acts (Case No. 18cr60240).
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Dale Engle, Chief, Davie Police Department, made the announcement.
Flores previously pled guilty to the indictment which charged three counts of production of child pornography and three counts of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity in violation of, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and 2422(b).
According to court records, including the agreed upon factual proffer, in 2018, Flores began communicating with three children who were eleven and twelve year old boys via Facebook messenger. Flores contacted the minors on social media, pretending to be a young woman. Once the children accepted his “friend request,” Flores would demand that each of the boys engage in sexually explicit conduct and record videos of themselves doing so. Flores directed which sex acts to perform in the videos and offered to send the children Google Play gift cards in exchange for the sexually explicit videos. When one of the children refused to comply, Flores threatened to expose the minor child and his family who were in the country without status.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, including the FBI Miami’s Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Davie Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi L. Anton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Colchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud Offense Stemming from Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VICKI MILLER, 56, of Colchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a fraud offense stemming from an embezzlement scheme.
According to court documents and statements in court today, from approximately June 2017 until August 2018, Miller was employed as a bookkeeper by Greylock Property Group LLC and its owner. Beginning in approximately July 2017, Miller used her access to her employers’ bank accounts to embezzle $413,180 of their money by making withdrawals at ATMs, writing checks to herself, and transferring funds to her own accounts.
Miller pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. As part of her plea agreement, Miller agreed to make full restitution to the victims. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2019.
Since her arrest on February 13, 2019, Miller has been released on a $50,000 bond.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Town of Groton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis.
Child Abuser Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran man who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13, pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States.
“Garcia-Gordillo has repeatedly disregarded our immigration laws, entering the United States illegally on three occasions,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Garcia-Gordillo used his time in America to engage in a pattern of sexual abuse on an innocent child and has demonstrated that he poses a serious threat to our public safety.”
According to court documents, Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo, 38, who was recently residing in Manassas, was twice previously removed from the United States at taxpayer expense in 2007. Sometime thereafter, Garcia-Gordillo reentered the United States without permission to do so. He was found in the United States in February 2017, when he was arrested by Prince William County. In June, Garcia-Gordillo was convicted in Virginia on two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.
“Garcia-Gordillo has demonstrated continuous disregard for our laws,” said Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. “We will not tolerate repeat offenders, and certainly will not tolerate those illegally present who have proven to be a threat to our safety.”
Garcia-Gordillo pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry after removal and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on November 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, 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 Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-134.
Cherry Hill Hillside Gang Member Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Charges, Including the Murder of an Innocent Bystander and Two Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III today sentenced Keenan Lawson, a/k/a BlackFace, age 27, of Baltimore, to 23 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise related to his activities as a member of the violent Hillside gang that operated in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. Lawson admitted to participating in the murder of an innocent bystander, two attempted murders, and the distribution of narcotics.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
“Keenan Lawson and his fellow gang members brought terror and death to Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood with guns and drugs. Federal, state, and local law enforcement are committed to working together to bring to justice those responsible for the most violence in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Lawson was personally responsible for two shootings and for the murder of an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire and now faces 23 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. I urge anyone who’s thinking of following these defendants’ example: Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his plea agreement, Lawson was a member of the Hillside Enterprise, which he knew distributed powder and crack cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana, primarily in the Cherry Hill Shopping Center, in other locations throughout Cherry Hill, and in west and southwest Baltimore City. The members of the Hillside Enterprise used the proceeds of their narcotics sales to purchase firearms, to enrich themselves, and to further the activities of the organization, including narcotics trafficking. Hillside members used residences in and around Cherry Hill to cut and package drugs for distribution, primarily heroin, powder cocaine, and crack. These locations included a house at 453 Roundview Road and an apartment at 2300 Terra Firma Road in Cherry Hill. Only trusted members of the Hillside Enterprise were admitted to these locations while the drugs were being prepared for sale. In an effort to distinguish their narcotics, members used colored topped vials or colored the drugs with food coloring. Lawson admitted that he distributed drugs as a member of Hillside, and on behalf of the gang and is also captured on video in the stash houses on at least 17 occasions between November 2014 and September 2015, preparing controlled substances for distribution.
Members of the Hillside Enterprise routinely carried firearms and committed acts of violence in furtherance of the organization’s activities, including robberies, shootings, beatings, murders, and other violence in order to intimidate others who would interfere with their narcotics trafficking. Acts of violence were also committed to discipline members within the Hillside Enterprise for transgressions, real or perceived, against the conspiracy.
Hillside members and associates have been in a long-running dispute with persons not part of the gang, including Up Da Hill (“UDH”), the Lakebrook Circle Boys, and others. Members and associates of Hillside have routinely engaged in acts of violence, including murder, directed at members of these rival organizations, or persons who happen to be located on territory controlled by these rival organizations. The defendants all knew that these acts of violence, including the homicides, were committed by Hillside members and associates, including murders and shootings. For example, Keenan Lawson admitted that he participated in two shootings of individuals whom he and his fellow Hillside members believed to be rival gang members, as well as the murder of an innocent bystander who was shot in the cross fire.
Nineteen Hillside gang members have pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy. Of those, 18 defendants, including Keenan Lawson, have been sentenced to between 10 and 30 years in federal prison.
According to the ATF, a reward of $10,000 is available for information leading to the arrest of the final defendant in this case, fugitive Deaven Raeshawn Cherry, a/k/a Gotti, age 32, of Baltimore, who is charged federally with drug and racketeering conspiracies, including murders. Cherry is actively being sought by ATF Baltimore Special Agents and the U.S. Marshals Service. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Law enforcement believes that Cherry is likely still in the counties near Baltimore City, if not within the city itself. Anyone with information should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS, [email protected], text “ATFBAL” to 63975, or contact ATF via the mobile reportit® app.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison on Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced to 84 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jackie Harper, 27, of Charleston, previously pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Another convicted felon with a gun dealing meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And another conviction with a significant prison sentence. We will continue to prosecute gun-toting drug dealers to the fullest extent of the law.”
Harper sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on the following dates: August 21, 2018, August 28, 2018, August 30, 2018, September 10, 2018, September 11, 2018, and September 13, 2018. Harper sold a total of 174.6 grams of methamphetamine for approximately $3,000. On September 19, 2018, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) executed a search warrant and seized a gun on Harper. Harper knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his prior felony conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for malicious assault.
MDENT and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Arthur handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Role in Robbery and CarjackingRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who participated in an armed carjacking of a young woman near Kirkwood College on October 22, 2017, and planned and participated in a robbery of a Sprint phone store in Cedar Rapids using the stolen car the following day, was sentenced August 22, 2019, to serve twelve years in federal prison.
Gage Rupp, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with commerce by threats and violence (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of, Hobbs Act robbery.
Evidence at sentencing showed Rupp had a long history of criminal activity in Cedar Rapids. His criminal history included prior convictions for drug possession, attempted burglary, twice assaulting a pregnant girlfriend, and interference with official acts. Other evidence showed Rupp had been implicated in, or present at, at least thirteen incidents where gunshots had been fired in the five years prior to the crimes in this case. Evidence also showed that Rupp was an active dealer of marijuana in the fall of 2017, and was involved in a fraudulent scheme to pay outstanding bills of his friends and associates, in exchange for being paid half the cost of the bill. The scheme involved the apparent use of stolen credit cards or unauthorized access to bank accounts belonging to others.
Rupp was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. In sentencing Rupp, Judge Strand found that the nature and circumstances of the offenses were “hugely aggravating.” Further, Judge Strand noted Rupp has been a “menace,” a “drain on society,” and has been a “thug.” Judge Strand noted Rupp had many chances in the past to conform his conduct to the law. He rejected Rupp’s plea for a “second chance,” noting it would be more like a “fifth chance.” Judge Stand told Rupp there was “no excuse” for his conduct and said, “it’s time to pay the price.”
Rupp was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rupp is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Murphy and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-cr-00015-LTS.
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Carrollwood Man Sentenced for $8 Million Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Larry A. Carr (84, Tampa) to four years in federal prison for the sale of unregistered securities. The court also ordered Carr to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his victim-investors.
Carr had pleaded guilty on May 9, 2019.
According to court documents, Carr served as the president and/or sole operator of Cita Trust N.A., Inc., Cita Trust Company, N.A., Cita Trust Company, Ltd., and Cita Trust Company, A.G. (collectively, “Cita Trust”). One or more of the Cita Trust entities operated in Florida while others purported to be trusts or firms in Switzerland.
In 2015, Carr sold unregistered securities in the form of Cita Trust Investment Notes to a victim-investor. The victim-investor used the proceeds of her late husband’s life insurance policy to invest $400,000 with Cita Trust. Carr told the victim-investor that $100,000 was deposited into a money market account earning 1.77% interest, and that the remaining $300,000 was invested in a two-year Cita Trust Investment Note that earned 4.77% interest. Later in 2015, the victim-investor used proceeds from the sale of a building related to her late husband’s business to invest an additional $350,000. The victim-investor gave Carr a check, which he deposited into a bank account in the name of Cita Trust. Carr claimed that the entire $350,000 was invested in an 18-month Cita Trust Investment Note that earned 4.77% interest.
In fact, Carr did not invest the victim-investor’s funds. Rather, he used the funds to make purported interest payments to earlier victim-investors, to pay his employees’ salaries, and to pay for personal expenses, including the lease payment for his luxury car, country club expenses, credit card bills, and a tithe to his church.
The Cita Trust Investment Notes constituted securities, which were required to be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Knowing that the notes were not registered with the SEC and not exempt from registration, Carr willfully sold them to the public, including to this victim-investor. His fraud scheme resulted in losses to multiple victim-investors in the total amount of at least $8.174 million.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.
Buffalo Man Admits to Selling Fentanyl That Led to the Deaths of Five PeopleRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robert Moore, 41, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to distribution of fentanyl causing death. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000 fine. Pursuant to the plea agreement between the parties, Moore faces between 20 and 22½ years imprisonment when he is sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that between February 2015 and March 16, 2017, the defendant worked with his brother Reese Moore, Kevin Abernathy, Joshua Levine, and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs. Robert Moore used cell phones to schedule meetings in and around Buffalo where he personally distributed quantities of heroin and fentanyl. When the defendant was not available, he sent co-defendants Reese Moore and Kevin Abernathy to sell the heroin and fentanyl to customers. Joshua Levine was a customer of Robert Moore who used the heroin and fentanyl, but also re-distributed quantities for profit to other users.
Robert Moore pleaded guilty to selling the heroin and fentanyl that caused the death of one individual, but he also admitted to selling the heroin and fentanyl that led to the overdose deaths of four other individuals.
• On May 15, 2015, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to another individual who used the heroin and fentanyl with J.J., and J.J. died as a result of ingesting the heroin and fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On March 12, 2016, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to others, who provided it to S.S. S.S. used the heroin and fentanyl and died as a result of using the heroin and fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On March 15, 2016, defendant Moore distributed fentanyl to others, who provided it to J.P. J.P. used the fentanyl and died as a result of using the fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On January 8, 2017, defendant Moore distributed fentanyl to another person, who provided it to C.G. C.G. used the fentanyl and died as a result of using the fentanyl defendant Moore supplied.
• On February 18, 2017, defendant Moore distributed heroin and fentanyl to Joshua Levine who distributed a quantity of the heroin and fentanyl to B.G. B.G. used the heroin and fentanyl and died as a result of using the heroin and fentanyl supplied by defendant Moore and Joshua Levine.On November 27, 2015, Robert Moore’s vehicle was stopped by Buffalo Police. Officers seized 15 bags of heroin and seven bags of butyryl and $1000 in U.S. currency.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers from the Amherst, Lancaster, and the Buffalo Police Departments, and the New York State Police and DEA, conducted 11 controlled purchases of fentanyl and butyryl fentanyl from Robert Moore.
Robert Moore was arrested on March 16, 2017, at which time law enforcement officers searched his residence on Glenwood Drive in Williamsville, NY. Investigators seized 202 bags of fentanyl and numerous cellular telephones, including the cell phone Kevin Abernathy used to make sales of heroin and fentanyl to Robert Moore's customers. The search also resulted in the seizure of items the defendant obtained as a result of his heroin and fentanyl distribution activities, including assorted valuable pieces of jewelry and a 2009 Audi S5 Quattro.
Reese Moore and Kevin Abernathy were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Charges remain pending against Joshua Levin. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
“Stated simply, by his plea today, the defendant admitted to being responsible for the deaths of five members of our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “While today’s plea and the lengthy prison sentence, which is sure to follow, will never bring back those who died as a result of taking the drugs they got from Robert Moore, today’s plea should serve as a warning to those who remain out on the streets peddling this poison. The United States Attorney’s Office, together with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, will work together tirelessly to find you, to build a case against you, and to hold you accountable for your actions. We do it in order to protect lives, to bring some measure of closure and justice to those who have lost a loved one to a drug overdose, and finally, to send the message that in the eyes of the law enforcement community here in Western New York–all lives matter.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John C. Askey; the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Major Mary Clark, and Lieutenant Kevin Reyes; the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief William J. Karn, Jr.; the Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Squad, under the direction of Commissioner Byron C. Lockwood; the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Interim Police Chief Steve Preisch; the Depew Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Miller; the Niagara County Sherriff’s Office and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Voutour; the Erie County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 3, 2020, before Judge Vilardo.
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Branch man sentenced to 86 months in federal prison for drug, firearm chargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Yancy Todd Sonnier, 54, of Branch, Louisiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to serve 86 months in federal prison for drug and firearm charges. Sonnier pleaded guilty on January 18, 2019, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
A Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop April 17, 2018, on Sonnier’s vehicle and found approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine that was subsequently tested at 90% purity, a loaded Taurus Millennium G2 .40-caliber semi-automatic firearm and 2.5 grams of fentanyl. Sonnier is a convicted felon and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The DEA, ATF, FBI and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Bank Manager is Sentenced for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court TONY MCELVEEN, SR., was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, to 51 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of Supervised Release. He was also sentenced to pay full restitution and ordered to forfeit $107,390. On May 30, 2019, MCELVEEN pled guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
According to the investigation, MCELVEEN used his position as BB&T branch manager, in Rowland, North Carolina, to steal the personal identifiers of two elderly customers to fraudulently obtain loans and credit cards in their names. The loan proceeds and credit cards were used for his personal benefit to pay for, among other things, rental cars, a home security system and hotel rooms in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition, MCELVEEN closed a $50,000 certificate of deposit owned by one of the elderly victims, without her knowledge, and used most of the proceeds to make a large payment toward his delinquent residential mortgage.
MCELVEEN attempted to conceal his criminal activity through the use of his position as pastor for the Greater Faith World Outreach Church, in Florence, South Carolina. MCELVEEN deposited some of the fraudulently obtained proceeds into the Church’s operating account and used his signatory authority on that account to withdraw funds for his personal benefit. Additionally, he opened a BB&T account in the Church’s name through which he similarly laundered fraud proceeds. MCELVEEN even made it appear that one of the initial loan withdrawals for $28,500 was a charitable donation made by one of the elderly victims to the Church’s building fund.
Mr. Higdon commented: “This defendant took advantage of vulnerable, elderly individuals by abusing his position of trust as a Pastor. His crime is simply despicable! And it’s happening all too often across our country. We must remain vigilant and help our older citizens remain aware of those targeting them as fraud victims.”
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative is designed to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect financial fraud and scams that target our nations’ seniors. For more information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, please visit the Elder Justice Website at: elderjustice.gov.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Susan Menzer represented the government.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Antonio Wright, age 42, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and for two counts of production of child pornography. Chief Judge Bredar also ordered that upon his release from prison, Wright will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
Wright admitted that he used an online social network to induce the victim, Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce images of that conduct. According to his plea agreement, Wright has known the victim since 2009, when Jane Doe was four years old, and lived with Jane Doe’s family intermittently until the Spring of 2017. According to evidence presented at today’s hearing, Wright began sexually abusing the victim when she was 11 years old.
Beginning in at least August 2017, Wright and the victim, who was living with a foster family in Baltimore, began communicating by text messages, audio messages, and images, using an online social network. The messages frequently included Wright’s declarations of love for Jane Doe and Wright also told Jane Doe that they should eventually get married. Jane Doe was approximately 13 years old at this time. Wright instructed the victim not to tell others that she has “an older man for a boyfriend,” and that he would get in trouble if anyone found out.
On January 4, 2018, Wright spent time with Jane Doe at his residence when Baltimore City schools were closed due to snow. That afternoon, Jane Doe’s foster mother noticed that Jane Doe did not come home when she expected her. When she was unable to locate Jane Doe, she found the tablet that Jane Doe was using to communicate with Wright and observed the sexually explicit chats and images. After Wright brought Jane Doe home that afternoon, her foster mother filed a report with the Maryland Department of Human Services, who referred the case to Child Protective Services for investigation. As part of the investigation, Jane Doe’s tablet and social media accounts were searched, and sexually explicit photos, texts, messages, and voice messages were located.
According to evidence presented at today’s hearing, Wright sexually abused the victim from the time she was 11 years old until January 4, 2018. Wright admitted to federal investigators that he had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the victim, that Wright had asked the victim to send him sexually explicit images of herself—which she did, and that Wright sent the victim sexually explicit images of himself. In addition, there was evidence presented that the victim disclosed to authorities that Wright sexually molested her at his house on January 4, 2018. Wright subsequently admitted to sexually abusing the victim on that day.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Matthew Maddox, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Bakersfield West Side Crip Member Convicted of Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Aug. 9, after a five-day jury trial, Jarvis Thomas, 34, of Bakersfield, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between Sept. 27, 2017, and Sept. 11, 2018, Thomas conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield and North Dakota.
According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of West Side Crips (WSC), a local criminal street gang, were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder. Since that time, all the defendants in federal custody except for Thomas have pleaded guilty to charged offenses. On Jan. 11, 2018, a superseding indictment charged Thomas, a West Side Crip member also known as “Big Mice.” On April 4, 2019, a second superseding indictment charged Thomas and a co-conspirator.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Thomas Newman are prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Nov. 4. Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Auto Transport Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Falsifying DOT Records, Bank Fraud, ID Theft, Tax Evasion,Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The owner of an East Providence automobile transport company Thursday admitted to a federal court judge that he falsified U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) records and continued to operate a fleet of auto transport trucks after having been cited for, among other things, allowing drivers to operate without a current or properly classified license; failing to maintain certifications that drivers were medically able to drive and failing to implement a driver alcohol or controlled substances testing program; and allowing drivers to exceed the maximum number of hours of driving allowed under the law.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Michael Chaves, 39, owner of CAT Inc., also admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than $400,000 from various financial institutions; that he utilized another person’s personal identifying information to continue to illegally operate his auto hauling business after being ordered to shut down by the FMCSA for safety violations; and that he took numerous evasive steps to avoid paying personal income taxes to the IRS.
Chaves pleaded guilty to a ten-count information charging him with falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, five-counts of bank fraud, two-counts of wire fraud, and tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the Region II U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General Douglas Shoemaker.
In addition to admitting to operating a scheme whereby he attempted to influence and impede FMCSA investigations and administrative compliance reviews by falsifying U.S. DOT records, Chaves admitted to operating various schemes to fraudulently obtain loans and funds from several banks and credit unions. Chaves admitted to fraudulently obtaining loans from at least six different financial institutions totaling $332,000, by providing fraudulent earning statements, tax returns, motor vehicle purchase contracts, and Department of Motor Vehicle documents.
Chaves also admitted to employing a fraudulent check scheme by submitting 15 fraudulent checks he created to an automobile seller’s bank account from which he obtained $64,453 and that he allegedly caused the fraudulent wire transfer between financial institutions of $72,864.28.
Chaves also admitted that he took several steps to evade income taxes by, among other things, commingling business and personal expenses; using a check casher to divert third-party income; creating fraudulent third-party checks and cashing them using a check casher, rather than a bank; and maintaining approximately 15 different bank accounts using at least 5 different company names.
Chaves is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on November 25, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the East Providence Police Department and the National Crime Insurance Bureau.
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Australian National Headed to Prison for Money Laundering through BitcoinRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason Dunn announces that Emilio Testa, age 32, an Australian residing in Boulder, Colorado, will now be going to prison after being sentenced for money laundering with Bitcoin. United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Testa to serve one year and a day in prison, followed by twelve months on supervised release.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement as well as facts presented at yesterday's sentencing, beginning in approximately April 2016, Testa was in contact with undercover agents about the need to convert U.S. dollars into Bitcoin because he preferred not to use banks or deal with taxes. On two occasions in 2016, the defendant and undercover agents conducted money exchanges. Testa and the undercover agents remained in contact throughout 2016 and 2017. Subsequently in March 2018, Testa contacted an undercover agent about selling Bitcoin for U.S. dollars. During this meeting, Testa agreed to exchange Bitcoin for cash from narcotics proceeds. He completed a second such transaction in May 2018, while understanding that the transaction would conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership or control of money he believed to be the proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
“Trying to hide criminal proceeds in Bitcoin? We’re going to find you,” said United States Attorney Jason Dunn. “Working in tandem with our federal partners, our prosecutors are leading the fight against cryptocurrency crimes.”
“Criminals may be sophisticated enough to use cryptocurrency but they’re not smart enough to stay out of jail, as this conviction shows,” said Steven Cagen, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Denver. “Our agents will continue to shine a light on criminals who use the dark web and Bitcoin to try and conceal their illegal activity.”
"Investigating cyber-enabled schemes is a top priority for IRS-CI and our Special Agents are experts in conducting complex financial investigations, including those committed on the ‘dark web’ with virtual currency,” said Acting IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kevin Caramucci. “This sentence shows those choosing to conduct illegal activities, including laundering narcotics proceeds, on the dark web are not hidden from law enforcement’s radar.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hetal J. Doshi.
CASE NO. 19-cr-00199-RM
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Thursday 22 August 2019
Woman Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A woman who had more than a pound of methamphetamine in her home with three minor children was sentenced on August 21, 2019, to ten years in prison.
Dara Briann Redmond, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 25, 2019 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Redmond admitted she sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions. Police later searched Redmond’s home, where her three minor children also lived. During the search, officers located over pound of methamphetamine.
Redmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Redmond was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Redmond is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Linn County Sheriff’s Department, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-cr-14.
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Wagner Man Sentenced to 35 years for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child was sentenced on August 19, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jeremy Aungie, age 33, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on each count to run concurrently, 5 years of supervised release on each count to run concurrently, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Aungie was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2018. He was found guilty as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls on June 6, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from Aungie's repeated sexual abuse of a juvenile female from the time she was 8 years old until she was 13 years old. The sexual abuse was often accompanied by physical abuse such as hitting, slapping, pulling of hair, and choking.
This case was investigated by Yankton Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Aungie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Rivers Man Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 20, 2019, a federal indictment was issued against Clint J. Blaha (age: 37) of Two River, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Clint J. Blaha possessed in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine (also known as “crystal”) with the intent to distribute the controlled substance. If convicted of the charges alleged, Blaha faces a mandatory ten year prison sentence and up to a life sentence. Blaha will be arraigned in federal court in Green Bay on Monday, August 26, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County MEG Unit with the assistance of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Two Mexican Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
Two men who illegally returned to the United States after being deported were sentenced today to federal prison. Both men were arrested by immigration agents following a traffic stop for speeding in Bremer County, Iowa.
Alfredo Noe Puente-Chavez, age 34, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 18, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Puente-Chavez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in March 2013, July 2017, and August 2017 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Evidence in the cases shows that Puente-Chavez was arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 13, 2017, and was deported on July 14, 2017. Puente-Chavez was again arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 16, 2017, and was deported again on August 15, 2017. Puente-Chavez has prior misdemeanor convictions in March 2013 and July 2017 for illegal entry into the United States. Puente-Chavez was also deported to Mexico in October 2010.
Mauricio Rodriguez-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 27, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Rodriguez-Hernandez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States on April 28, 2019, and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Rodriguez-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States on May 10, 2019, and was arrested five days later on May 15, 2019, by immigration agents in Bremer County.
Both men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.
Puente-Chavez was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Puente-Chavez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Rodriguez-Hernandez was sentenced to 87 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Rodriguez-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 19-CR-2039 and 19-CR-2040.
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Two Canadian Nationals Indicted for Bitcoin FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that Karanjit Singh Khatkar, 23, and Jagroop Singh Khatkar, 24, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, have been charged with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft for a scheme to steal bitcoin from an Oregon resident.
Together, Karanjit and Jagroop Khatkar face one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and multiple counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, beginning in October 2017 and continuing until August 2018, the defendants used a Twitter account with the name @HitBTCAssist to trick victims into thinking they were communicating with a customer service representative from HitBTC, a Hong Kong-based online platform used to exchange virtual currency. HitBTC provides its customers with web-based “wallets” to store virtual currency and make transactions.
Using the fraudulent Twitter account, the defendants responded to the Oregon victim’s questions about withdrawing virtual currency from her HitBTC account. The defendants convinced the victim to send information they could use to log on and take over her email, HitBTC and Kraken accounts. Kraken is a U.S.-based online platform that offers services similar to HitBTC.
The defendants initiated transfers of 23.2 bitcoins from the victim’s HitBTC account to Karanjit Khatkar’s Kraken account. Karanjit Khatkar in turn transferred approximately 11.6 in stolen bitcoins to Jagroop Khatkar’s Kraken account. The stolen bitcoins have an estimated present value of approximately $233,220.
On July 18, 2019, Karanjit Khatkar was arrested upon arrival at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following week, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Las Vegas ordered Karanjit Khatkar detained pending transport by the U.S. Marshals to the District of Oregon.
Karanjit Khatkar made his first appearance in the District of Oregon on August 12, 2019. At a hearing on August 20, 2019, he was ordered detained pending a four-day trial scheduled to begin on October 8, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.
Jagroop Singh Khatkar remains at large and is believed to be in Canada.
This case was investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Twenty People Charged in Connection with Monmouth County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Twenty people have been charged for their roles as members, associates, and suppliers of a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monmouth County, New Jersey, area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Nineteen defendants were arrested today and one remains at large. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine or 280 grams or more of crack cocaine (See chart below). The defendants arrested today are scheduled to have their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court.
“As alleged in complaint, the defendants in this organization distributed significant amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine throughout Monmouth County and surrounding municipalities,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “By coordinating closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we continue to work hard to substantially reduce on the drug trade in in our communities in these areas, and across the state.”
“Today's operation is another example of the FBI's dedication to keeping the public safe,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, Newark, said. “We know it is a way of life for drug dealers to pollute their neighborhoods with toxic substances so they can profit. It is the FBI's way of life to use dogged determination to find those who are doing the most damage, get them off the streets, and help our local and federal prosecutors put them out of business so the neighborhoods might recover. Our job is made easier when community members take a stand and report any illegal activity they witness.”
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between April 2019 and August 2019, the defendants and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated primarily in municipalities throughout Monmouth County – including Cliffwood, Keansburg, Matawan, Keyport, Red Bank, Long Branch, Neptune, and Asbury Park, as well as Brick Township in Ocean County – and which sought to profit from the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement officials learned that defendant Damion Helmes obtained regular supplies of cocaine from defendants Derrick Hayes and Dequan Copeland. Helmes then distributed that cocaine, portions of which he converted into crack cocaine, for profit, to other distributors, sub-dealers, and end users throughout Monmouth County. During the wiretap portion of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted numerous communications by and between the conspirators regarding such issues as cocaine quality and availability, pricing, packaging, quantity, and customer satisfaction.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited Special Agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, Jersey Shore Gang and Criminal Organization Task Force (including representatives from the Bradley Beach, Brick, Howell, Toms River, Union Beach and Marlboro police departments, and the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; the Red Bank Police Department, under the direction of Chief Darren McConnell; the Keansburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Pigott; the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig Weber; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni; the Highlands Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Burton; the Holmdel Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Mioduszewski; and the Long Branch Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jason Roebuck, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. U.S. Attorney Carpenito also thanked the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Shaun Golden; the Monmouth County Police Academy, under the direction of Director Thomas Mahon; and the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, under the direction of Warden Donald Sutton; for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
NAME
RESIDENCE
AGE
CHARGE
SENTENCE EXPOSURE
Damion Helmes
Cliffwood, NJ
39
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of Life
Derrick Hayes
Neptune, NJ
37
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Dequan Copeland
Red Bank, NJ
40
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Dawn Stephens
Keansburg, NJ
38
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Shantay Walker
Howell, NJ
42
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
*Keith Logan
Long Branch, NJ
38
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Shamar Dudley
Long Branch, NJ
42
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Cassius Williams
Keyport, NJ
26
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Tonya Underwood
Matawan, NJ
46
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Michelle Torrez
Matawan, NJ
44
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Elizabeth Conover
Laurence Harbor, NJ
28
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Curtis Jenkins
Keyport, NJ
36
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Ralph Lee
Keyport, NJ
40
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Jermaine Hicks
Wall, NJ
39
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Skyler Rogers
Cliffwood, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Terry Haupt
Neptune, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Amad Jones
Long Branch, NJ
37
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Eric Yarbrough
Keansburg, NJ
28
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Rondell Hill
Lakewood, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Malcolm Gatson
Cliffwood, NJ
43
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
*denotes at large
Tallahassee Tax Preparer, Ex-Football Player Sentenced for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kenneth Alexander, 46, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of preparing false tax returns, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. Alexander, a former linebacker on Florida State University’s 1993 national championship team, was also ordered to pay $1,057,753.40 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence was announced today by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between 2012 and 2016, Alexander, the sole shareholder of Wizard Business Center tax preparation business in Tallahassee, prepared and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for various individuals. Alexander falsely represented the taxpayers’ Schedule A itemized deductions, Schedule C and E losses, and marital status.
"The integrity of our system of taxation lies at the heart of what we do as a nation, and those who try to defraud the system will pay the price," Keefe said. "The trust of the American people relies on fair administration of our tax laws, and this defendant violated that trust and will now face the consequences."
"Mr. Alexander used his position as a trusted accountant and well-known FSU football player to file false tax returns as part of a complicated scheme involving obtaining false solar power credits and false deductions for his clients," said Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. "Additionally, he represented these clients before the IRS regarding the false returns in furtherance of the scheme. This conduct undermines the credible professionals in the tax community and damages the many individuals who sought his counsel. The prison sentence of 54 months and restitution of more than $1 million underlines the significant consequences of failing to follow the law. The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to hold accountable those unscrupulous tax professionals who attempt to manipulate clients and the tax system."
Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan prosecuted the case following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes IRS Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Treasury Inspector General’s Office for Tax Administration.
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
Sylacauga Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Child EnticementRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Sylacauga man to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Jerry Wayne Hamilton, Jr., 49, on one-count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Hamilton pled guilty to the charge in May 2019. According to court documents, Hamilton chatted with what he believed to be a 15-year old female on several different dating and chat applications between October 13, 2018 and October 21, 2018. In actuality, Hamilton was communicating with an undercover detective. On October 21, 2018, Hamilton arrived at Barnes and Noble to meet who he thought was the 15-year old female, but instead was met and arrested by the Mountain Brook Police Department.
“This defendant deserves every day of his 120-month sentence in a federal prison because of his reprehensible acts,” Town said. “Our law enforcement will continue to vigilantly monitor the internet using every available method available to us to uncover predators like Hamilton who seek to prey on innocent children. I commend the collaborative efforts of the FBI and the Mountain Book Police Department to bring this defendant to justice, proving once again there is no daylight between our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”
“The FBI and our partners will continue to work diligently to bring individuals like Hamilton to justice and protect our most valuable asset, our children,” Sharp said.
FBI Birmingham Division Child Exploitation Task Force along with Mountain Brook Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted.
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Statement of United States Attorney Mike Stuart on Bureau of Justice Statistics ReportRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Immigration, Citizenship, and the Federal Justice System, 1998-2018:
“A remarkable statistic -- 64% of all federal arrests last year were of non-U.S. citizens. It is a significant drain of federal taxpayer funds to prosecute those that are not taxpayers and those who are not citizens of this great country. Non-U.S. citizen arrests are increasing at a dramatic and concerning pace. It is important that within our national borders and within my district that we continue to ensure public safety by ensuring everyone who is here is here legally and legitimately. My office regularly and consistently prosecutes illegal reentry cases and we will continue to do so. I want to thank all of our federal, state and local partners across the nation including the remarkable work by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their courageous work to protect our citizens and the public.”
SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: TANNYR WATKINS, 202-532-3923THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019[email protected]64% OF ALL FEDERAL ARRESTS IN 2018 WERE OF NON-U.S. CITIZENSWASHINGTON—In 2018, 64% of all federal arrests were of non-U.S. citizens, the Bureau of Justice Statistics announced today. In comparison, 37% of all federal arrests in 1998 were of non-U.S. citizens. Federal arrests of non-U.S. citizens more than tripled from 1998 to 2018 (rising 234%), while federal arrests of U.S. citizens rose 10%.
While non-U.S. citizens make up 7% of the U.S. population (per the U.S. Census Bureau for 2017), they accounted for 15% of all federal arrests and 15% of prosecutions in U.S. district court for non-immigration crimes in 2018. Non-U.S. citizens accounted for 24% of all federal drug arrests and 25% of all federal property arrests, including 28% of all federal fraud arrests.
The country of citizenship of persons arrested by federal law enforcement changed notably over time. From 1998 to 2018, Mexican citizens’ share of federal arrests rose from 28% to 40%. Citizens of Central American countries’ share of federal arrests rose from 1% to 20% during the same period, while U.S. citizens’ share of federal arrests fell from 63% to 36%. Federal arrests of Central Americans rose more than 30-fold over two decades, from 1,171 in 1998 to 39,858 in 2018. The number of federal arrests of Mexican citizens (78,062) exceeded the number of federal arrests of U.S. citizens (70,542) in 2018.
From 1998 to 2018, the portion of all federal arrests that took place in the five federal judicial districts along the U.S.-Mexico border (out of 94 judicial districts nationwide) almost doubled, increasing from 33% to 65%. These five judicial districts are the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, the Western District of Texas, and the Southern District of Texas. In 2018, a quarter of all federal drug arrests took place in these five districts. The number of Central Americans arrested in these five districts almost tripled in one year, rising from 13,549 in 2017 to 37,590 in 2018.
Across 20 years, 95% of the increase in federal arrests was due to immigration crimes. From 1998 to 2018, federal immigration arrests increased 5-fold (from 20,942 to 108,667), rising more than 50,000 in one year from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, 90% of suspects arrested for federal immigration crimes were male, while 10% were female. Eighty-five percent of federal arrests of non-U.S. citizens in 2018 were for immigration offenses, and another 5% of arrests were immigration-related.
Of suspects prosecuted in U.S. district court in 2018, 57% were U.S. citizens and 43% were non-U.S. citizens. Almost all (99.7%) of the non-citizens prosecuted in U.S. district court were prosecuted for something other than first-time illegal entry.
The five crime types for which non-U.S. citizens were most likely to be prosecuted in U.S. district court were illegal reentry (72% of prosecutions), drugs (13%), fraud (4.5%), alien smuggling (4%), and misuse of visas (2%). The five crime types for which U.S. citizens were most likely to be prosecuted in U.S. district court were drugs (38% of prosecutions), weapons (21%), fraud (12%), public order (12%), and alien smuggling (6%).
The report Immigration, Citizenship, and the Federal Justice System, 1998-2018 (NCJ 253116), was written by BJS statistician Mark Motivans. The report, related documents and additional information about BJS’s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at www.bjs.gov.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Jeffrey H. Anderson is the director.
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About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Springfield Man Sentenced for Distributing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing crack cocaine.
Alonzo Williams Jr., 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to time served and three years of supervised release, which includes one year of home confinement. In March 2019, Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of crack cocaine. Williams was arrested and charged in August 2018.
Williams admitted that he possessed and distributed crack cocaine to a government witness on Oct. 19, 2017, and Oct. 23, 2017, near his home in Springfield. During the course of the investigation, he sold approximately $1,200 worth of crack cocaine to government witnesses.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Acting Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Hampden and Berkshire County Sheriff’s Departments, and the West Springfield and Chicopee Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is 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.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Months for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Travis M. Knipp was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for failing to register as a sex offender. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Knipp to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison Knipp will begin a five year term of supervised release. A condition of supervised release requires placement at a halfway house for 180 days.
Knipp was convicted of attempted criminal enticement in Sarpy County in 2016. As a result of this conviction Knipp was required to register as a sex offender for fifteen years. He was previously convicted in Page County, Iowa of failing to register. Knipp then registered as a sex offender living in Iowa. In November 2017, Knipp left his Iowa residence and moved to Nebraska. He failed to register as a sex offender in Nebraska.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Forty Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former Warwick, R.I., man who repeatedly recorded himself raping an unconscious minor and who possessed one of the largest collections of child pornography ever seized by law enforcement in Rhode Island was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison.
Jordan Monroe, 54, has been detained in federal custody since his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on May 12, 2016, when, during a court-authorized search of his residence, he was found to be in possession of tens of thousands of images and nearly a thousand videos containing child pornography.
According to information presented to the Court, among a fraction of the more than 3.5 million picture files and twenty-four thousand video files located on Monroe’s electronic devices and reviewed by law enforcement during a Project Safe Childhood investigation, more than 36,840 images and 960 videos were discovered to contain child pornography.
Among the videos reviewed are videos created by Monroe of himself repeatedly raping an unconscious minor child. The videos depict at least 19 different rapes, which took place over a period spanning at least 3 years.
Monroe was also found to be in possession of a manifesto for pedophiles titled, “How to Practice Child Love,” created to teach pedophiles how to find, isolate, molest, and rape children and not get caught.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “The abhorrent conduct of this man and others like him who abuse and exploit children more than justifies the forty years in federal prison the Court sentenced this defendant to serve. Federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to tirelessly work as a team to use every resource available to identify and rescue victims of exploitation and to hold those responsible accountable.”
“Today’s sentence is the result of the coordinated effort of a team of federal, state and local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked closely to ensure that justice was served in this disturbing case. “ said Jason J. Molina, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations. “The evidence unearthed in this investigation showed that this dangerous defendant, through his extensive crimes over many years, had no concern for the harm he repeatedly caused to the many child victims he exploited and victimized. We can only hope that today’s sentence might provide some small measure of justice for the victims who will undoubtedly suffer lifelong damages because of the actions of this depraved threat to our community.”
Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni added, “The Rhode Island State Police will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all child predators that prey on our most precious resource; our children. The State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force are committed to protecting our children and to see that such malign and deviant behavior is stopped and the offenders are held accountable in a court of law.”
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Monroe to 480 months in federal prison to be followed by lifetime federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Rhode Island Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Threatening Massachusetts ProfessorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man agreed to plead guilty today to sending a series of violent and threatening e‑mails to a Massachusetts professor and to a professional school at the university where the professor teaches.
Matthew Haviland, 29, of North Kingstown, R.I., was charged today by Information with one count of stalking and two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. According to the terms of a plea agreement also filed today, the government will recommend to the Court a sentence of 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled. In April 2019, Haviland was charged by criminal complaint.
Over the span of several hours on March 10, 2019, Haviland allegedly sent a Massachusetts professor a string of approximately 28 e-mails containing messages that included such threats as, “I will rip every limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece” and “I will bite through your eyeballs while you’re still alive, and I will laugh while you scream.” The professor to whom Haviland sent the threats—referred to as Victim 1 in the charging documents—has published and spoken in favor of abortion rights, and several of Haviland’s e‑mails made reference to abortion. In two successive e-mails, for example, Haviland allegedly wrote, “You will be held accountable for every f****** baby you murdered through your horrible deception of they are not humans” and “You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally. I will enjoy raping your body after you’re dead. And that will only be the start.”
Haviland also sent several e-mails on March 15, 2019 to a professional school at Victim 1’s university. Those e-mails included the message: “You people are Evil, putrid, and somebody shoudl [sic] BOMB your school for spreading the idea that it’s okay to HATE people because of their race.” A later e-mail to the professional school said only, “You should be Murdered in cold blood.”
Haviland faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, made the announcement today. Boston FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Warwick and North Kingstown (RI) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez‑Daple of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.