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Thursday 22 August 2019
Proprietors of Ridin’ High Skate Shop Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THCRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that John Van Hazinga and Samantha Steady were arraigned today in federal court after having been indicted by the grand jury for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both Schedule I drugs, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Van Hazinga was also charged with multiple counts of distribution of marijuana and THC. Van Hazinga and Steady were both arrested this morning, and were arraigned before the United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy this afternoon in Burlington. Defendant Steady was released on conditions. Van Hazinga was ordered detained pending a detention hearing which will be held next week.
According to court records, Van Hazinga and Steady own and manage the business Ridin’ High, located at the corner of Pearl and Battery Streets in Burlington, Vermont. An investigation began after witnesses reported that individuals at Ridin’ High had sold marijuana to teenagers. Further, during the course of the investigation, Burlington Police Officers responded to Ridin’ High for multiple reports of disturbances, including altercations and violence associated with the sale of marijuana at the business. On multiple occasions over the course of the conspiracy, Van Hazinga sold marijuana over-the-counter to an undercover officer. The investigation also revealed that Steady manufactured THC-infused edible products, which were also sold at the business. This summer, law enforcement discovered that Van Hazinga and Steady were growing marijuana at their residence in Underhill, Vermont, and linked the couple to a rural camp in Keene, New York. On July 24, 2019, federal search warrants were obtained for the Ridin’ High business, the Underhill residence, the camp in Keene, New York, and an email address that Steady utilized for taking orders of THC-infused edible products. The premises search warrants were executed on August 6, 2019, and resulted in the seizure of more than 50 marijuana plants, over 5 kilograms of marijuana, numerous edibles suspected of being infused with THC, and approximately $67,000 of United States Currency.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of twenty years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. The actual sentence however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the investigative efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). She stated: “Through this collaboration by federal and local law enforcement, we once again send the message that open and notorious trafficking of marijuana will not be tolerated. Those who deal this drug and have prior criminal records, those who deal it to children or in their presence, those who engage in violence while dealing it, those who deal it for high profit, and those who deal it in areas of high commercial foot-traffic should expect to receive heightened attention from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Defendant Van Hazinga is represented by Paul Volk, Esq. Defendant Steady is represented by Timothy Fair, Esq.
Prince George’s County Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Yul Hildon Reddock, age 40, of Cheverly Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get illegal guns out of the hands of felons and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Yul Reddock used a gun, and now faces 15 years of federal time, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his guilty plea, on January 31, 2018, a Prince George’s County Police Corporal was in the area of Matthew Henson Avenue and Muncy Road in Landover, Maryland when he heard four or five gunshots nearby, then saw a blue four-door sedan being followed by a black pick-up truck. The sedan was being driven by Reddock. As Reddock sped by the Corporal’s unmarked vehicle, which was also a black pick-up truck, the Corporal was able to see that the rear window of the sedan had been shot out. The Corporal began to follow the sedan and shortly thereafter saw Reddock pointing a gun from the sedan in his direction and heard two additional shots.
Back-up marked police vehicles took over the pursuit. Reddock lost control of the sedan while attempting to exit onto Pennsylvania Avenue from southbound Interstate 495. Reddock was arrested and law enforcement recovered from his car a .22-caliber long rifle pistol loaded with eight .22-caliber cartridges; three fired cartridge casings; and one .22-caliber cartridge found on the floor of the vehicle. Reddock had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
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 and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan, Jr. and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Prison for Long-Running Conspiracy to Bring Marijuana from the West Coast to Western PA College CampusesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ (60 months’) imprisonment, a fine of $1,500 and four years supervised release on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Christopher Schanck, age 36.
According to information presented to the court, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies conducted a multi-year investigation of the marijuana trafficking conspiracy of Schanck and his co-conspirators. From 2012 through 2017, Schanck and his co-conspirators arranged for marijuana to be supplied from the West Coast and mailed to the Pittsburgh area through the United States Postal Service. Schanck and his co-conspirators would then distribute the marijuana in the Western District of Pennsylvania, primarily on college campuses, such as Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During the operation of the conspiracy, Schanck conspired to distribute from 100 to 400 kilograms of marijuana. He also conspired to launder proceeds from marijuana trafficking.
Chris Schanck’s codefendant and brother, Ryan Schanck, was previously sentenced to 71 months in prison.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone stated that the sentence was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Indiana Borough Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Schanck. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Pine Bluff Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing White Powder to Senator’s OfficeRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK – A Pine Bluff man pleaded guilty today to mailing white powder to United States Senator Tom Cotton’s office. Henry Goodloe, 77, entered his guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On November 7, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Goodloe for mailing a threat to injure the addressee, and for conveying false information related to possessing biological weapons. Thursday, Goodloe pleaded guilty to one count of conveying false information about possessing a biological weapon.
In August 2018, Goodloe mailed a letter to Senator Cotton’s Washington, D.C., office. The letter’s return address was Goodloe’s home address. The letter, which contained the statement "maybe this will get your attention," contained a white powdery substance. A Senate mail facility intercepted the letter, and a hazardous material response team later determined that the substance was unbleached flour and starch.
Judge Baker will sentence Goodloe at a later date. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Little Rock Field Office, announced today’s guilty plea. Goodloe’s crime is punishable by not more than five years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Owner of Three Construction Companies Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud a Customer of More Than $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ivan Victor Thrane, age 65, of Dickerson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud a company of more than $1.7 million.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, Thrane was the owner and president of three construction companies operating in Dickerson and Beltsville, Maryland (“the Thrane companies”). Thrane admitted that between August 2015 and January 2017, he conspired with the project manager at Victim Company 1, to defraud Victim Company 1 by submitting fraudulent payment requests for work purportedly performed by the Thrane companies. In fact, the Thrane companies had not performed all of the work indicated on the payment requests and, in some cases, had not performed any work on projects for which Thrane was requesting payment.
Specifically, Thrane and his co-conspirator, among other things, caused the Thrane companies to submit payment requests to Victim Company 1. The co-conspirator prepared the payment requests, which he e-mailed to Thrane. Thrane, or another individual at Thrane’s request, signed the payment requests on behalf of the Thrane companies. Thrane then e-mailed the signed payment requests to the co-conspirator, who, as Victim Company 1’s project manager and project executive, approved the payment requests, causing Victim Company 1 to pay the Thrane companies. Once payment was received from Victim Company 1, Thrane funneled a portion of those payments to his co-conspirator, typically by writing checks from his personal bank account or from the Thrane companies.
After Victim Company 1 discovered the overbilling by the Thrane companies in December 2016, Thrane and his co-conspirator attempted to conceal the scheme to defraud. For example, on December 28, 2016, Thrane and his co-conspirator sent each other e-mails, which they had previously discussed. Specifically, Thrane sent an e-mail to his co-conspirator and copying other employees from Victim Company 1, which read in part, “…please allow me to review our records with my accountant. My accountant is off this week. . . . Please rest assured that if there have been any overpayment to us by [Victim Company 1], we will return the overpayment immediately.” In fact, the Thrane companies did not have an accountant.
Victim Company 1 eventually initiated civil litigation against Thrane and his co-conspirator. Thrane and the co-conspirator coordinated their defense and falsely claimed that an employee of Victim Company 1 authorized the overbilling in order to obtain funds to purchase Victim Company 1. In fact, that employee did not even start working at Victim Company 1 until after Thrane and his co-conspirator had begun their fraud scheme and that employee did not authorize Thrane or Thrane companies to submit inflated payment requests.
From approximately September 2015 to December 2016, Victim Company 1 paid the Thrane companies approximately $3,294,675.34 as a result of payment requests submitted as part of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud. Upon receipt of these payments from Victim Company 1, Thrane issued approximately 34 kickback payments, totaling approximately $1,740,330 in checks written to his co-conspirator. On January 3, 2017, after discovering the fraud scheme, Victim Company 1 reversed or voided payments totaling approximately $741,525 to the Thrane companies. Thrane admits that the actual and intended loss attributable to him as a result of the scheme is between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.
As part of his plea agreement, Thrane is required to forfeit and pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses still outstanding, which is at least $988,805.
Thrane faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2020.
In a separate indictment, Rakesh Kaushal, age 66, of Rockville, Maryland is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the scheme. No trial date has been set and Kaushal remains detained. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Collins and Gregory Bernstein, who are prosecuting the case.
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Orangeburg Man with History of Violence Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keycon Deonte Keitt, age 32, of Orangeburg, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following the term of imprisonment, Keitt will remain on federal supervised release for an additional three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented in court established that on March 5, 2018, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety were conducting a property check at the Econolodge on John C. Calhoun Drive when they noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside a vehicle. The driver gave consent to search the vehicle and Keitt was seen reaching around the back seat. When officers ordered him to stop reaching and to exit the vehicle, a Taurus 9mm pistol was recovered from the area where Keitt was sitting, and Keitt admitted to ownership of the loaded 9mm pistol. An additional loaded magazine was recovered from inside Keitt’s right pant leg.
Keitt entered a guilty plea and did not contest an enhanced sentence based on his multiple prior felony convictions and because the firearm was used in connection with another felony conviction, possession of methamphetamine.
In handing down the maximum sentence provided by the statute, United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs, of Columbia, considered evidence from a pre-sentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office and an affidavit of ATF Special Agent Richard Brown that indicated Keitt had a history of firearm-related violence and threats. According to the report and affidavit, over a 14-year period Keitt was involved in nine incidents involving a shooting or a threatened shooting, including incidents in which four victims were shot and at least 10 victims were threatened with a shooting. The report and affidavit also indicated Keitt was involved in four shootings or threatened shootings in 2018 involving women and children.
The U.S. Probation Report also indicated Keitt had operated under multiple aliases, social security numbers, and birth dates.
Federal law prohibits Keitt from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon multiple prior state convictions: a 2004 burglary conviction; a 2005 possession of a stolen vehicle conviction; a 2006 conviction for threatening the life of a public official, where he threatened a local police officer with retaliation for an arrest; 2006 convictions for breaking into vehicles and possession of a stolen vehicle; a 2007 assault conviction related to a shooting in Orangeburg; two 2008 convictions for pointing and presenting a firearm; and 2008 convictions for criminal domestic violence, assault and battery, and malicious injury to private property for an incident where he struck and then threatened to shoot two women before breaking a window out of one victim’s vehicle; a 2008 conviction for malicious injury to private property; and two 2011 convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for an incident where he shot two victims and was sentenced to seven years in state prison. Keitt was released from state prison in August 2018 and arrested for firearm-related violence and threats in the Spring of 2019.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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No Federal Charges to be Sought in Death of Henny ScottRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not seek federal charges in the death of Henny Scott, a 14-year-old Lame Deer girl whose body was found on Dec. 28, 2018 on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. After a thorough investigation by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs, the office has determined it cannot prove any federal crime was committed.
Henny Scott was last seen on Dec. 8, 2018 when she walked away from a residence in the Muddy Creek area west of Lame Deer. Her body was found 200 yards from the residence. A forensic examination determined Henny Scott died of hypothermia and that the manner of death was accidental. The forensic examination did not find any significant trauma or preexisting disease. In addition, the investigation determined that when Scott was last seen alive, she was wearing light-weight clothing in below-freezing temperatures. The forensic examination also showed that alcohol use was a significant condition of her death.
As in all cases under its consideration, the responsibility of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is to determine whether a federal crime has been committed and whether it can prove all elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the office cannot prove any federal crime was committed when Henny Scott walked away from the residence.
“This case has been a priority of this office, the FBI and BIA. Henny Scott’s death has deeply affected her family and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and has drawn significant public concern. We send our sympathies to Ms. Scott’s family and to the entire tribal community,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
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Newberg Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening School Shooting at California CollegeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Vasiliy V. Barbiyeru, Jr., 24, of Newberg, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to one count of transmitting a threatening interstate communication.
According to court documents, on October 7, 2017, Barbiyeru sent a threatening email to several individuals and groups at Deep Springs College in Big Pine, California where he had been denied admission. Barbiyeru had previously sent threatening emails to the college’s president and other associated persons.
On March 1, 2019, Barbiyeru was charged with first degree disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in Clackamas County Circuit Court after making similar threats of violence to Lake Oswego High School. Barbiyeru was arrested a short time later by the Lake Oswego Police Department. His state charges are still pending.
Barbiyeru faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on November 18, 2019 before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael W. Mosman.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Newberg and McMinnville Police Departments and is being prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JASON PICK, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 to a one-count bill of information for wire fraud announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced before the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon on December 5, 2019.
According to court documents, PICK was employed as an accountant for Company A between August 2016 and June 2018. Part of PICK’s duties was handling the credit card accounts of Company A. Without authorization, PICK used Company A’s credit cards for his own personal expenses. In total, PICK stole approximately $140,791.21 from Company A.
If convicted, PICK faces 20 years of imprisonment, (3) three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Supervisor, General Crimes.
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Mother of Seven Sentenced for Multiple Meth TripsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old Waco woman has received a significant sentence following her conviction of methamphetamine distribution, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jackeline Hortencia Ramirez pleaded guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute 5.34 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. sentenced her to serve 150 months in federal prison. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the number of drug trafficking trips Ramirez made, the damage methamphetamine causes on both sides of the border and the payments she received.
At the hearing, Ramirez asked the court for leniency given she is a mother of seven children, the youngest of which is four years old.
On June 26, 2018, Ramirez entered the United States through the port of entry in Brownsville driving a Nissan Maxima with two of her minor children. During inspection, authorities discovered the nearly six kilograms of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
The investigation revealed Ramirez had previously made approximately five trips to Waco and Houston to deliver drugs and return the drug proceeds for delivery in Matamoros. She received between $4000-6000 for each trip she made.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Assault at Federal Medical CenterRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Brandon Terelle Ewing, age 35, of St. Louis, was sentenced yesterday, to 40 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for an assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Judge Caldwell also ordered Ewing to pay $12,599.48 in restitution to the victim’s family.
Ewing previously admitted that, on January 18, 2018, at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, he slapped the victim and used his forearm to push the victim backwards, causing the victim to hit his head on the bed railing. Ewing also admitted that, as a result of this conduct, the victim required medical treatment for a closed head injury, which caused the victim to fall into a coma, and ultimately resulted in the victim’s death. Ewing pleaded guilty to the charge in April of 2019.
Under federal law, Ewing must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI (Louisville Division), jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron L. Walker, Jr. and Kyle M. Melloan.
Minnesota Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to Almost 3 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Bobby Joseph Stallworth, 59, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to 35 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Stallworth was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
On October 9, 2017, Stallworth was found in possession of a firearm in Jackson, after law enforcement intervened in a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend. Stallworth had previously been convicted of approximately twenty felony offenses out of Escambia County, Florida over the past thirty years, most of which involved theft or forgery.
On April 3, 2019, Stallworth was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on May 16, 2019.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Minnesota Man Found Guilty on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Frank Edward Adams, a/k/a Tank Adams, age 45, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance as a result of a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota.
The conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, or up to life in federal prison, and/or a $10,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2018.
The jury found that from December 1, 2015 until November 14, 2018, Adams had knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance, on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota.
Evidence at trial established that Adams was the nucleus of a large drug trafficking conspiracy that involved well over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Adams, of St. Paul, Minnesota, supplied large quantities of methamphetamine several times a month to the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota. Adams employed several dealers on both reservations. Evidence at trial included audio calls, correspondence, drug ledgers, text messages and methamphetamine recovered during a traffic stop and a separate search of a residence.
“This Defendant specifically targeted Native American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We are gratified by the jury’s verdict in this case and thank law enforcement officers for their combined efforts on behalf of all South Dakotans to help expose this methamphetamine epidemic.”
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Pierre Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges and Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for November 18, 2019. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison.
Jesus Felipe-Urbano, age 25, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in West Dundee, Illinois, received the prison term after an April 11, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Felipe-Urbano admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in January 2011 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Felipe-Urbano was deported after being convicted in Tama County, Iowa, in December 2010 of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI).
Felipe-Urbano also has an OWI conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in February 2019 based on an arrest in January 2015. Felipe-Urbano was convicted in Cook County, Illinois in May 2016 on traffic charges and driving without a license where he provided law enforcement a false name upon his arrest. The Cook County arrest and conviction occurred while Felipe-Urbano was a fugitive from justice after being released on the January 2015 Black Hawk County OWI charge and then failed to appear for court. Felipe-Urbano was found by immigration agents in January 2019 at the Black Hawk County Jail after he was arrested for failing to appear for court on the 2015 OWI charge.
Felipe-Urbano sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Felipe-Urbano was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Felipe-Urbano 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 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-2012.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to ten months in federal prison.
Pablo Romero-Mata, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 9, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Romero-Mata admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in November 2015 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ventura-Diaz was found by immigration agents after he was charged in Black Hawk County, Iowa, with assault causing bodily injury, operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, and eluding. On the eluding conviction, defendant led law enforcement on a high speed chase by driving 70 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone and lost control of the vehicle causing it to spin, roll and collide with a house on December 30, 2018. Romero-Mata was convicted of these offenses in Iowa District Court in March 2019.
Romero-Mata also has a conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in March 2019 for providing false identification information to police in February 2018, and a conviction in Jasper County, Iowa, in March 2019 for possession of drug paraphernalia in August 2018. Romero-Mata was also convicted in Texas for possession of a controlled substance in August 2014 and possession of marijuana in April 2015.
Romero-Mata was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams. Ventura-Diaz was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Romero-Mata 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 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-2020.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
McKeesport Man Indicted on Heroin Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal drug-trafficking laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Mark Schofield, Jr., 24, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about May 29, 2018, Mark Schofield, Jr. possessed a quantity of heroin with intent to distribute.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and McKeesport Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mayagüez Man Found Guilty of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of A Minor with the Intent of Committing A Criminal Sexual ActRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – After a four-day jury trial, Rafael Soler-Montalvo was found guilty of attempted sexual enticement of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. United States District Court Chief Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí presided over the trial.
On May 3, 2017 the defendant was indicted for using a text messaging service to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual the defendant believed to be a 13 year-old female to engage in sexual activity, for which the defendant could be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
During the trial, the government’s evidence proved that the defendant sent four photographs of himself including one of his penis to the female “minor.” During the course of the text messages, Soler-Montalvo asked: a) what the “minor” was wearing; b) how long the “minor” could be away from everyone; and c) if the “minor” was looking forward to being with him. Further, he explained in explicit detail the illegal sexual acts he wanted to do to her. In addition, he suggested they meet at a location in Mayagüez, PR and then engage in sexual activity at his house and/or his car.
“This conviction shows our commitment to apprehend and prosecute child predators,” said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “This conviction should send a strong message to other child predators that they cannot hide their criminal acts on the internet.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ginette Milanes. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for December 10.
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Massive International Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy Detailed in Federal Grand Jury Indictment that Charges 80 DefendantsRead the Press Release
IndictmentLOS ANGELES – A 252-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges 80 defendants, most of whom are Nigerian nationals, with participating in a massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes and launder the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network.
The indictment was unsealed after law enforcement authorities this morning arrested 14 defendants across the United States, with 11 of those arrests taking place in the Los Angeles region. Two defendants were already in federal custody on other charges, and one was arrested earlier this week. The remaining defendants are believed to be abroad, with most them located in Nigeria.
The indictment alleges that the 80 defendants and others used various online fraud schemes – including business email compromise (BEC) frauds, romance scams, and schemes targeting the elderly – to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. According to a criminal complaint also unsealed today, co-conspirators based in Nigeria, the United States and other countries contacted the lead defendants in the indictment – Valentine Iro, 31, of Carson, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, of Gardena, both Nigerian citizens – for bank and money-service accounts that could receive funds fraudulently obtained from victims. Once members of the conspiracy convinced victims to send money under false pretenses, Iro and Igbokwe coordinated the receipt of funds and oversaw an extensive money-laundering network, according to the 145-page indictment.
The indictment and criminal complaint allege that Iro and Igbokwe, who were among those arrested this morning, were involved in schemes resulting in the fraudulent transfer of at least $6 million in fraudulently-obtained funds – and the overall conspiracy was responsible for the attempted theft of at least an additional $40 million.
The fraudsters targeted victims in the United States and across the globe, including individuals, small and large businesses, and law firms. Some of the victims of the conspiracy lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fraud schemes, and many were elderly.
“This case is part of our ongoing efforts to protect Americans from fraudulent online schemes and to bring to justice those who prey upon American citizens and businesses,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use BEC schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims. This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators – no matter where they reside – and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the extensive efforts that organized criminal groups will engage in to perpetrate BEC schemes that target American citizens and their hard-earned assets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Billions of dollars are lost annually, and we urge citizens to be aware of these sophisticated financial schemes to protect themselves or their businesses from becoming unsuspecting victims. The FBI is committed to working with our partner agencies worldwide to continue to identify these cyber criminals and to dismantle their networks.”
Iro and Igbokwe essentially were brokers of fraudulent bank accounts. According to the indictment, Iro and Igbokwe collected bank accounts, fielded requests for bank account information, provided that information to co-conspirators around the world, and laundered the money obtained from victims – all of this in exchange for a cut of the money stolen from victims of the various fraud schemes.
If a bank account with a specific business name was required to trick a business-victim into making a payment, Iro and Igbokwe often coordinated with “money mules” to open accounts that could receive funds obtained, according to court documents. In addition to making the fake business name mirror the name of a legitimate company, members of the conspiracy routinely filed fictitious business name statements with the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder’s Office that were presented to banks when the fraudulent accounts were opened.
Once a victim deposited funds into a bank account or a money services account, Iro and Igbokwe allegedly coordinated with others to further launder the funds. Members of the conspiracy sometimes wired funds to other bank accounts under their control; in other cases, they simply withdrew funds as cash or negotiable instruments such as cashier’s checks.
When stolen funds were withdrawn as cash, the defendants frequently used illicit money exchangers to move funds overseas, generally avoiding transferring the funds directly through banking institutions, the indictment alleges. To do this, Iro and Igbokwe coordinated the transfer of a victim’s funds from a fraudulent bank account they controlled to U.S. bank accounts belonging to illicit money exchangers. Those money exchangers, in turn, used a Nigerian banking application to transfer other funds in naira (₦), the currency of Nigeria, from Nigerian bank accounts they controlled to the Nigerian bank accounts specified by Iro and Igbokwe. This method was used to transfer millions of dollars to Nigerian co-conspirators without directly transferring funds overseas. The indictment alleges that Jerry Ikogho, 50, of Carson (who was taken into custody on Sunday), and Adegoke Moses Ogungbe, 34, of Fontana, were among those who served as illicit money exchangers for the conspiracy.
Each of the 80 defendants named in the indictment is charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and aggravated identity theft. A number of the defendants also face substantive fraud and money laundering charges.
Additionally, Iro, Igbokwe, Ikogho, Ogungbe and three other defendants –Izuchukwu Kingsley Umejesi, 30, of Los Angeles, Tityaye Marina Mansbangura, 33, of Palmdale, and Obi Madekwe, 31, of Nigeria – are charged with operating illegal money transmitting businesses. Ogungbe and Mansbangura were also among those arrested this morning, and Umejesi is a fugitive currently being sought by authorities.
Iro, Igbokwe and Chuks Eroha, 39, face additional charges for attempting to destroy their phones when the FBI executed a search warrant in July 2017. Iro also is charged with lying to the FBI in an interview conducted during the search. The complaint alleges that, when the FBI arrived to conduct the court-authorized search at Iro’s apartment in Carson, Iro broke his phone in half, while Igbokwe and Eroha threw phones from a bedroom window of the apartment. While Iro claimed he previously had broken the phone during an argument with his wife, the complaint details how the FBI was able to determine that the phone was operational until seconds after the FBI knocked on Iro’s apartment door to execute the search warrant. Eroha is believed to have fled to Nigeria shortly after the FBI executed the warrant.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint and indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
This investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) provided substantial assistance during the investigation.
Several agencies provided support during today’s takedown or during the investigation, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the California Franchise Tax Board.
Many of the FBI’s Legal Attachés provided assistance throughout this investigation, as did the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, and foreign authorities around the world. In particular, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office thank the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Osnabrück, Germany for their contributions.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Joseph B. Woodring of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
The FBI in 2017 issued a report on the rise of BEC schemes, and published a recap of 2018’s Operation WireWire, which was an international effort to disrupt international BEC scams. An FBI public service announcement that warns of the dangers of BEC schemes encourages businesses to “trust but verify.”
Maryland Man Indicted on Multiple Fraud Counts for Defrauding an Orchard Park Aerospace CompanyRead 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 a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Amir Jahed, a/k/a Amir Jahedmotlagh, 39, of Montgomery Villaga, Maryland, with 12 counts of mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that from 2010 to July 19, 2018, the defendant was an employee of Cobham Mission Systems, a company headquartered in Orchard Park, NY that was engaged in the development, delivery, and support of aerospace and defense technology and systems. Cobham also had an office located in Westminster, Maryland. As part of his employment, Jahed was assigned company credit cards (purchase cards) and was authorized to make certain purchases on behalf of Cobham for its business operations.
The indictment alleges that the defendant used his purchase cards to conduct approximately 600 unauthorized transactions. Jahed claimed that the transactions were purchases of parts for Cobham’s business operations. In truth and in fact, the defendant didn’t purchase any parts for Cobham, rather, he used the purchase cards to direct funds into accounts controlled by him, resulting in a financial loss to Cobham. After Jahed used a purchase card fraudulently to obtain funds, he mailed fraudulent invoices to Cobham headquarters in support of the fraudulent transactions to give the appearance that the purchases were made to support Cobham’s business operations.
The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
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.
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Manhattan Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Christmas Eve MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANK BRIGHT was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for the murder of Amaury Paulino on December 24, 2014. BRIGHT shot and killed Paulino during the course of a gunpoint robbery in the vicinity of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 129th Street in Manhattan. BRIGHT was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, before whom BRIGHT previously pled guilty to a robbery conspiracy offense.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “On Christmas Eve in 2014, Frank Bright shot and killed Amaury Paulino during a robbery. For committing this terrible crime, Frank Bright will now serve 20 years in prison. We thank our partners at the NYPD and the DEA for their outstanding work pursuing justice for Mr. Paulino and for his family.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
On December 24, 2014, BRIGHT and an accomplice robbed Amaury Paulino in the vicinity of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 129th Street in Manhattan. During the course of the robbery, BRIGHT shot and killed Paulino.
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In addition to the prison term, BRIGHT, 32, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Longyear, Justin V. Rodriguez, Jordan L. Estes, Jason A. Richman, and Gina Castellano are in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Israel Perez, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in a seven-defendant narcotics case, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May and September, 2018, Perez conspired with other persons to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl as part of a drug trafficking organization. Investigators made controlled purchases of approximately 250 grams of fentanyl from Perez in Manchester between January and May of 2018.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2019.
Co-defendants Samuel Ramos, Abelino Morales-Padilla, Billy Damuel Maldonado Cancel, Jose Hiram Martinez Rolon, and Karina Reyes previously pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking charges in the same case. .
“Fentanyl traffickers make a lethal substance available for purchase in Manchester and other communities throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The results have been devastating. In order to stop the flow of fentanyl, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest, and prosecute traffickers.”
“Today’s conviction is a positive step in the ongoing battle that we continue fight against the devastation that opioids have on our communities.” said Jason J. Molina Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “HSI and our state and local partners with support from the U.S. Attorney’s office remain strongly committed to the fight against dealers of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that have harmed communities throughout New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.
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Man Convicted of Attempted Gunpoint Robbery of Trolley Car Diner in Northwest PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Keenan Smith, 29, of Philadelphia was convicted today at trial with attempted robbery which interferes with interstate commerce, and using or carrying, and discharging, a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On January 31, 2018, the defendant entered the Trolley Car Diner, located in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, through a side door before the diner opened for business. He waited outside the manager’s office with a gun. When the manager arrived, the defendant pointed the gun at the manager’s head and told him not to move. The manager attempted to disarm the defendant, who shot himself in the hand before fleeing. The defendant sought medical treatment at nearby Roxborough Memorial Hospital, and was later arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department.
“The complete disregard that Smith had for the safety of others is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The manager of this restaurant was simply showing up to do his job, and the defendant laid in wait for him and then put a gun to his head. No one should have to deal with this type of violence at their place of business or in their neighborhood. The streets of Philadelphia are safer now that the defendant has been convicted and will be held accountable for his crimes.”
“Keenan Smith attempted a violent armed robbery, terrorizing his victim at gunpoint,” said Michael T. Harpster. “He is a danger to the public, and today’s conviction ensures he’ll remain off the street for quite some time. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to making this community safer by bringing to justice those willing to engage in violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Whitemarsh Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Stengel.
Man from Lovington Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Tyrone D’Chaunn Nash, 35, of Lovington, N.M. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 87 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Nash previously pleaded guilty to this charge on July 2, 2018. In Nash’s plea agreement, he admitted going to deliver 6 ounces of methamphetamine to another person in Lovington on June 19, 2018. However, before Nash could complete the transaction, a deputy from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office stopped Nash, seized his drugs, and arrested him.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lea County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a national program consisting of nine regions, which operates across federal, state and national boundaries. The various federal agencies within OCDETF work through their respective coordinators and arrive at decisions by consensus. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico is a member district of the Southwest Border Region, which covers Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal Police Department, and is part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region VI Drug Task Force. The HIDTA program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Liverpool Business Owner Sentenced to 60 Months for Money Laundering and Maintaining Drug-Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jayesh Patel, age 49, of Liverpool, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison and a 3-year term of supervised release for engaging in money laundering and maintaining a drug-involved premises, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division. As part of a related civil forfeiture case, Patel agreed to forfeit $931,588.06 in drug proceeds that were seized in cash during search warrants and from bank accounts. Additionally, Patel forfeited 5,150 shares of Solvay Bank stock worth over $200,000.00.
In sentencing the defendant, United States District Judge David N. Hurd said that Patel “became wealthy by exploiting his customers’ addictions.” Patel, co-owner of Munchies convenience store in Solvay, New York, and the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites located near the Syracuse airport, admitted that he sold crack cocaine on a daily basis to drug customers from inside these two businesses. As part of his guilty plea, Patel admitted that he sold crack cocaine to two police informants working with the Syracuse Police Department on 14 separate occasions from inside Munchies. Patel also admitted to laundering drug proceeds utilizing his business account at Solvay Bank.
Law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Munchies, the Econo Lodge, and Patel’s residence and truck, from which were seized large amounts of U.S. currency. Stock and funds held in bank accounts were also seized by IRS-CI. In total, Patel forfeited over $1 million dollars in drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Syracuse Police Department-Special Investigation Division, and the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara Thomson and Michael Perry, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Lenoir, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Jewelry Store RobberyRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Jeramie Lee McSweeney, 39, of Lenoir, N.C., to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for the 2015 robbery of a jewelry store, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. McSweeney was also ordered to pay $176,400 in restitution.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Bill Harrell of the Highlands Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to documents filed with the court and today’s sentencing hearing, on July 2, 2015, McSweeney and his co-conspirator, Gregory Lee Gobble, robbed the Gold-n-Clipper jewelry store located in Highlands, N.C. Court records show that Gobble entered the jewelry store, broke the glass casing, and stole two pieces of jewelry valued at $176,400. According to court records, Gobble and McSweeney were seen fleeing the scene in a vehicle driven by McSweeney. Highlands police officers arrested McSweeney later the same day. According to documents filed with the court and today’s sentencing hearing, McSweeney recruited Gobble to assist in the commission of the robbery.
On February 11, 2019, McSweeney pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery. Gobble, who was arrested in South Carolina on August 2016, was previously sentenced to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the FBI and the Highlands Police Department for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, is in charge of the prosecution..
Leader of Violent East Orange Street Gang Charged with Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An East Orange, New Jersey, man appeared in court today on charges of distribution of phencyclidine and marijuana, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug distribution crime, and the use of a minor to distribute drugs, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tyree Thomas, a/k/a “Hellboy,” 26, is charged by complaint with seven counts of distribution of phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP; one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and phencyclidine; one count of possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine; one count of using a minor to distribute drugs; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case:
Thomas is allegedly the leader of the East Orange set of the Bloods street gang known as the “Sheedside Pirus,” and a high-ranking member of a separate East Orange Bloods set known as the MOB Pirus, both of which primarily operate out of East Orange, Orange and Newark.An investigation conducted over the course of several months by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) included multiple purchases of PCP and marijuana from Thomas by an undercover ATF agent between April and July of 2019.
The counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and PCP are punishable by a maximum of 40 years in prison. The count of employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme is punishable by a maximum of 80 years in prison. The count of distribution of PCP is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by five years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles J. Patterson; officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose; officers of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the N.J. Department of Corrections, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Marcus O. Hicks Esq.; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Orange Police Department under the direction of Director Todd Warren, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Naazneen Khan and Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Charles Alvarez Esq., Bloomfield, New Jersey
Last member of Rapides Parish methamphetamine distribution ring sentencedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Central Louisiana methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced Tuesday to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.
Kevrick Kemar Davis was one of 10 defendants named in an indictment filed June 6, 2017. The defendants conspired to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Central Louisiana from September 2016 to June 2017. A source in the San Diego, California, area mailed more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a source in Louisiana who then distributed it to Davis, the co-defendants and others. The methamphetamine was given to Davis in 1 pound quantities of which he would then sell.
All 10 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced for their part in the conspiracy:
Co-Defendant
Date of Guilty Plea
Sentencing
Ernest Johnson Jr., 40, of Jena, Louisiana
June 7, 2018
December 13, 2018 - 70 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Travis Demond Augustine, 30, of Alexandria, Louisiana
July 25, 2018
January 31, 2019 - 108 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Terry Dion Augustine, 33, of Alexandria, Louisiana
April 12, 2018
January 31, 2019 - 150 months in prison; one year of supervised release.
Allan Jamal Shuler, 38, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 5, 2018
February 8, 2019 - 188 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Jamaal Demon Howard, 31, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 6, 2018
February 8, 2018 – 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Danny Demetric Payne, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 13, 2018
February 8, 2019 - 262 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Eddie Kendricks Jackson, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 300 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Raymond Travon Knox, 40, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 200 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Dewaine Raye Haynes, 44, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
February 23, 2019 – 200 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Kevrick Kemar Davis, 33, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 16, 2018
August 20, 2019 – 90 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
All of the defendants pleaded guilty for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Terry Augustine pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI’s Central Louisiana Safe Streets Gang Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to possessing 300 child pornography images on cell phoneRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Trevor Lee Engle, 22, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Juneau for possessing approximately 300 images of child pornography on a cellular phone.
According to court documents filed during the guilty plea hearing, law enforcement agents detected downloads of digital images of child pornography from a phone at Engle’s home. Agents obtained a search warrant to search the phone on November 7, 2018, and found approximately 300 images of child pornography, which included a video of child pornography stored on the phone’s Tumblr application. At least one of the images depicted a prepubescent minor who had not reached the age of 12. During questioning, Engle admitted to viewing the images online and downloading them to his phone.
Trevor Engle faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, registration as a sex offender and a $250,000 fine. Juneau set the sentencing date for December 2, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen is prosecuting the case.
Kyle Man Sentenced to 25 years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder was sentenced on August 20, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Jamie Shoulders, age 27, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,615.12. Shoulders was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 14, 2017. He pled guilty to Second Degree Murder on March 1, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a homicide that occurred on May 27, 2017, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Throughout the day on May 27, 2017, Jamie Shoulders and Clarence Yellow Hawk, a/k/a “Whodi”, were with Scott Benson. During the mid-afternoon, Yellow Hawk and Shoulders traveled with Benson to meet with Christopher “Chris” Janis and another person. Benson drove his vehicle, Yellow Hawk rode in the front passenger seat, and Shoulders rode in the back seat. Benson parked his vehicle at a driveway approach approximately two miles north of Sharps Corner. Upon arriving, Benson exited the driver’s seat and entered the back seat of the minivan occupied by Chris Janis (driver’s seat) and his passenger. While Benson was in the minivan, Shoulders took a handgun from the car and walked to the minivan’s driver-door window, by Janis. Shoulders shot Chris Janis through the window using the handgun, which broke the glass, and then fired at least one additional shot at him. As shots rang out, Benson and the passenger began fleeing the minivan. Yellow Hawk exited Benson’s vehicle, approached the minivan and picked up the handgun Shoulders dropped, and shot Janis several additional times. Chris Janis died from his multiple gunshot wounds. Yellow Hawk and Shoulders fired at least seven rounds at Janis.
Benson, Yellow Hawk, and Shoulders returned to their vehicle. Benson initially drove south towards Sharps Corner, then around the area before returning to another person’s house, where Yellow Hawk, Shoulders and Benson split up. During the drive, Yellow Hawk threw the firearm out the window, which was later recovered by law enforcement.
Co-defendant Scott Benson was sentenced on May 24, 2018, to 10 years in federal prison. Co-defendant Clarence Yellow Hawk was found guilty of First Degree Murder by a federal jury on May 3, 2019, and awaits sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case.
Shoulders was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Immigrant Charged with Defrauding Hopeful ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
Catholic Diocese employee accused of embezzling fees for immigration assistance
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Monica Karina Mazei, aka Karina Puig, was arrested today on an indictment charging her with wire fraud. Mazei had been employed by the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo’s Immigration Assistance Program, where she helped clients and their relatives apply for visas, work permits, permanent resident status, citizenship, and other relief. As alleged by the grand jury in the indictment, on numerous occasions between 2015 and 2019, she collected fees from certain clients and promised to process their petitions. Instead, she allegedly embezzled their money, and did not send in their paperwork. Mazei immigrated to the United States from Ecuador herself, and became a naturalized citizen in 1999.
The indictment further alleges that Mazei concealed her scheme from the Diocese by not opening files for the clients she was defrauding. In some cases she allegedly deceived clients by requesting blank checks or money orders. She wrote “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” in the payee line of the copies she provided them as proof of payment. She then wrote her own name as payee on the actual instruments, and deposited them in her personal accounts.
“Mazei was given an opportunity to live the American dream herself,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge, “but she cashed in the dreams of others to line her own pockets.”
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. If anyone suspects their own or their family member’s application for immigration relief was denied or affected because of Monica Mazei’s alleged actions, they are asked to call the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip Line at 1-866-DHS- 2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) and TTY for hearing impaired only at (802) 872-6196. The privacy of crime victims is of the utmost importance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will do everything in its power to protect the privacy of anyone who responds to this inquiry.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced for Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Federico Hernandez-Rios, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to time served (13 months in federal custody), followed by immediate deportation to Mexico, for illegally reentering the United States after his prior deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to testimony provided in open court and court filings, Hernandez-Rios had been charged in 2010 in Florida, and pled guilty to, the state felony offense of possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver. Thereafter, in October 2010, immigration authorities deported Hernandez-Rios to Mexico. On August 2, 2018, Brandon police officers made a traffic stop of a vehicle carrying six passengers, all of whom, including the driver, were aliens illegally present in the United States. Hernandez-Rios was one of those passengers, and he was detained by Homeland Security Investigation agents. Hernandez-Rios had not requested or received permission of United States Immigration authorities to reenter the United States, as required by federal law. Reentry by an alien, who had previously been convicted of an aggravated felony before he was deported, is a felony punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment under federal law.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Brandon Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Theodore M. Cooperstein.
Huntsville Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years in Prison for Tampering with Vehicle OdometersRead the Press Release
Huntsville – A federal judge today, sentenced a Huntsville man for tampering with vehicle odometers and bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Holloway.
A federal jury convicted Randy Eugene Greene, 62, in April of 11 counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3 counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Greene to 30 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release and ordered him to pay more than $109,000 in restitution to the victims. The judge also entered a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $28,000.
“Greene violated the trust and confidence placed in him by the consumers and financial institutions,” Town said. “The theft and misuse of funds will not be tolerated by those who operate these type of schemes. They will be charged with federal crimes and will to go federal prison.”
“It is very important that consumers and financial institutions know that the vehicle being purchased from any auto dealership represents the true odometer reading,” Holloway said. “This type of fraud scheme can cause unwitting consumers significant financial hardship in repair bills from a vehicle they believed was in much better condition.”
Randy Eugene Greene, d/b/a RJ’s Auto Sales on South Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, was convicted by the jury of 11 counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3 counts of bank fraud. In the 11 counts related to odometer tampering, the offenses occurred between approximately October 1, 2014, and November 2, 2016. The largest discrepancy in the changed odometer reading was approximately 218,678 miles. The average discrepancy in the mileage on the odometers for the various vehicles was 122,046 miles. In the three counts related to Bank Fraud, Greene engaged in a scheme to defraud Redstone Federal Credit Union. The fraud occurred when the credit union financed three of the vehicles on which the odometers had been changed. Greene was served with a notice of forfeiture related to the bank fraud counts, which includes but is not limited to a money judgment in the amount of $28,000.
U.S. Secret Service is investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Russell E. Penfield and R. Leann White prosecuted.
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Horseshoe Bend Woman Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Lois Soito, 60, of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, was indicted August 14, 2019, by a federal grand jury on ten counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. The indictment stems from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department. The investigation was prompted by information uncovered by the Saint Alphonsus Health System.
As alleged in the indictment, Soito worked for the Saint Alphonsus Health System (SAHS) for approximately 22 years. From at least 2005 and continuing until January 2019, it is alleged that Soito defrauded SAHS and controlled at least $1,000,000 in unrecovered forfeitable property. The indictment further alleges that she collected and kept miscellaneous checks intended for SAHS rather than depositing them into the appropriate SAHS account. It is further alleged that Soito fraudulently deposited some of the miscellaneous checks she collected into the Employee Support Team bank account. Then, it is alleged, that Soito wrote Employee Support Team checks payable to herself and deposited them into accounts that she controlled. Soito allegedly wrote the checks to include the amount of miscellaneous checks she fraudulently deposited in the Employee Support Team account. For example, on or about June 22, 2018, it is alleged that Soito deposited an Employee Support Team check in the amount of $21,063.56, into her bank account.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Soito collected the cash from the Festival of Trees, under the guise of depositing it into the proper bank account. The indictment further alleges that instead of depositing the cash in the appropriate account, Soito kept the cash and substituted miscellaneous checks for the deposit.
The maximum punishment for wire fraud is 20 years imprisonment, up to 3 years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran National Is Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Contact with A MinorRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Arlen Flores, 49, a Honduran national and a permanent United States resident living in Cherokee, N.C., was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual contact with a minor. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger presided over the sentencing hearing.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Doug Pheasant of the Cherokee Indian Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, on a date ranging from January to July 2017, Flores sexually abused a minor female victim. The sexual abuse occurred in Swain County and within the boundaries of Indian Country. The female victim, who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was under 12 years old at the time.
On February 22, 2019, Flores pleaded guilty to nonconsensual sexual contact. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
Flores will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon the completion of his federal sentence. If Flores is not deported, or later returns to the United States, he was ordered by Judge Reidinger to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray credited the FBI and CIPD for this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, is in charge of the prosecution.
Hoke County Man Sentenced to Forty Years for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced TIM THACKER, 56, of Raeford, North Carolina, to 480 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
THACKER was named in a two-count Indictment filed on June 26, 2018, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (Count One) and one count of distribution of a of methamphetamine (Count Two). On February 5, 2019, THACKER pled guilty to charges.
In 2017, agents began investigating THACKER based on information that he was a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Fayetteville area and beyond. Agents interviewed witnesses and other individuals who have been convicted of Federal drug trafficking crimes from North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Nevada – all of whom identified THACKER as a large scale, proactive methamphetamine dealer for the previous decade.
As the investigation progressed, THACKER became linked to individuals who were already being prosecuted by Federal Law Enforcement (DEA and ATF) that had not been previously linked to THACKER. Evidence ultimately linked THACKER to multiple drug trafficking operations throughout the United States. These operations ranged in location from Oklahoma, California to the East Coast. THACKER utilized a local, private airport to enhance his own drug trafficking organization and to open Eastern North Carolina to out of state, large scale methamphetamine suppliers.
After THACKER’S arrest for the Federal charges, law enforcement agents uncovered further drug trafficking crimes committed by THACKER even after he was in custody. On multiple occasions, THACKER arranged for methamphetamine to be disguised in various forms and shipped into jail. Once received, THACKER would distribute the methamphetamine to various inmates. Additionally, law enforcement confirmed that THACKER directed the drug trafficking activities of others from inside jail regularly, whether connecting sources of supply of methamphetamine to various individuals within Eastern North Carolina, or customers to drug dealers who worked for THACKER.
Mr. Higdon commented: “Tim Thacker might fairly be called a drug kingpin. And he has now received a kingpins sentence. His sentence reflects the large scale nature of his organization, its vast reach and the level of harm he brought to the people of the Eastern District. We are very pleased to see his criminal activity stopped.”
At sentencing, Judge Dever stated that the scale of THACKER’S operation, the persistence in THACKER’S distribution, and the urgent need to protect the public were just some of the reasons for the sentence imposed.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick County Sherriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Brad Knott represented the United States in this case.
Hazelwood Man Sentenced for Armed Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Jorion Garrett, 21, of Hazelwood, MO, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for three carjacking and two firearms charges. Garrett appeared today before U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry.
According to court documents, on October 28, 2017, near the 5600 block of Enright Avenue, St. Louis, Garrett approached the victim from behind. Garrett pointed a handgun at the victim, took the victim’s car keys, and drove away in the victim’s 2016 Dodge Charger. The Charger was later recovered near Garrett’s residence in Hazelwood, and Garrett’s DNA was located inside the vehicle.
On November 21, 2017, near the 10000 block of Edgefield, St. Louis County, Garrett and another individual pointed a firearm at a victim who had previously parked her vehicle in the driveway of her residence. Garrett told the victim to drop the keys on the seat and go in the house. He and the other individual drove away in the victim’s 2016 Dodge Journey. On December 3, 2017, police found the vehicle parked in the driveway of Garrett’s residence and later located Garrett’s DNA inside the vehicle.
On January 4, 2018, near the 8300 block of Sagewood Lane, Hazelwood, two victims were delivering food to a residence as part of the Meals on Wheels Program. One victim took the meals inside the home while the other remained standing outside near her silver 2014 Jeep. Garrett approached the victim along with another individual who pointed a handgun at the victim and told her to “get back.” Garrett entered the driver’s side of the Jeep and drove away with the other assailant. Garrett later fled from police while driving the Jeep, and after he abandoned it, police recovered a fingerprint and DNA belonging to Garrett from inside the vehicle.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating this case in cooperation with the Hazelwood Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Yemm is handling this case.
Greensboro Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison in Child Pornography CaseRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Greensboro man who pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography was sentenced on August 21, 2019, announced Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
JORDAN CLARK WAGNER, 36, of Greensboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 1, 2019, to one count of receipt of child pornography. He was sentenced by United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay a total of $29,000 in restitution to eight victims.
In 2017, investigators with both the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were pursuing leads indicating that WAGNER was involved in the receipt and distribution of child pornography. In March 2018, investigators with GPD executed a search warrant at WAGNER’s residence. HSI provided assistance. GPD investigators seized multiple devices that contained child pornography, however they were unable to gain access to WAGNER’s locked phone. Ultimately, the phone was sent to North Carolina Crime Lab Digital Evidence Unit where forensic experts were able to access much of the phone’s information. WAGNER’s phone contained 294 images and 167 videos constituting child pornography. Further, investigators learned that WAGNER had used the phone to engage in sexual chats and image transfers with multiple individuals purporting to be minor boys 13, 14, and 15 years of age.
The Greensboro Police Department (GPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are both members of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Iverson.
It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Gang members among drug traffickers sentenced to federal prison in Operation Vanilla GorillaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Members of two criminal street gangs are among five additional defendants sentenced to substantial federal prison terms as prosecutions continue in Operation Vanilla Gorilla.
Andrew Campos, a/k/a “Chubs,” 29, of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 235 months in prison by United States District Judge R. Stan Baker, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Campos was designated as a career criminal and has ties to the Tango Orejon gang, which operates largely in Texas prisons. He pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Campos conspired with others, including affiliates of the Ghost Face Gangsters, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Savannah area. Operation Vanilla Gorilla, which dismantled the drug distribution network, was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation that included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and other state and local law enforcement agencies.
“Operation Vanilla Gorilla was an aggressive strike by law enforcement that continues to pay dividends. More prison sentences are removing more violent criminals from our midst,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “By definition ‘career criminals’ plague law-abiding citizens, and we as prosecutors continue to work relentlessly to sweep them from our streets.”
The prosecution in Operation Vanilla Gorilla resulted in federal prison sentences for other members of this drug trafficking organization in recent days, including:
Brandon Chapman, 26, of Savannah, Ga., was sentenced to 130 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and 120 months in prison for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Rodney Rose, 39, of Hamilton, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine;
Cody Eubanks, 27, of Pembroke, Ga., was sentenced to 90 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; and,
Christopher Hendrix, 40, Savannah, Ga., was sentenced to 72 months in prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Hendrix was a leader of the Ghost Face Gangsters.
All of the defendants were on probation or parole when they committed the offenses, so the federal sentences begin after completion of their sentences for violating state probation or parole. There is no parole in the federal system.
As noted in court, these defendants had a combined total of more than 50 state criminal convictions, including at least 18 felony convictions, and more than 15 prior probation/parole violations. These five defendants were members of a major drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) in the Southern District of Georgia and elsewhere.
“There are some who think joining a gang or gang life is cool; I can assure you it’s not,” said Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Everett Ragan. “Hopefully these individuals will use their time in federal prison to reflect on their poor decisions.”
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. Agencies involved in the investigation included the ATF, the GBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Frank Pennington.
Four Texas Mexican Mafia Members Sentenced for Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – Eric “Big E” Flores, 38, of San Angelo, Texas, and Salomon Martinez, 44, of Eagle Pass, Texas, were sentenced this week, to 110 and 100 months respectively, by United States District Judge Robert E. Wier, for assaulting an inmate with a dangerous weapon. Co-defendants Rodney “Joker” Galindo, 38, of Odessa, Texas, and Michael “Taz” Morin, 52, of Austin, Texas, were sentenced to 300 and 262 months respectively, for attempted murder and possession of a prohibited object in the facility. Judge Wier also ordered Flores and Martinez pay victim restitution in the amount of $3,955.57. Galindo and Morin were ordered to pay victim restitution in the amount of $611,992.
Flores and Martinez were convicted by a federal jury in April of 2019. Galindo and Morin pled guilty in March of 2019. The evidence presented established that the Defendants were members of the MEXIKANEMI, Texas Mexican Mafia, and participated in the attempted murder and assault of two Arizona Mexican Mafia members, within United States Penitentiary (USP) Big Sandy. Both victims were repeatedly stabbed with metal shanks, in a cell block on June 17, 2018. The first victim sustained permanent and life-threatening injuries, including a depressed skull fracture and traumatic brain injury. The second victim sustained serious injuries that included a fractured scapula and significant stab wounds.
Under federal law, the Defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences; and upon their release, they will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Hector Joyner, Warden of USP Big Sandy, jointly made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the USP Big Sandy Special Investigative Services Office. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Jenna E. Reed.
Former Vanguard Employee Sentenced to Four Years for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Scott Capps, 48, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 48 months’ incarceration, three years’ supervised release, restitution of $2,137,580 and forfeiture of $648,600 by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for a fraud scheme perpetrated while he was an employee of Vanguard.
On March 14, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to all counts in an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns. According to the indictment, between 2011 and 2014, Capps was an employee of Vanguard, an investment management group that managed trillions of dollars in assets for account holders throughout the world. The defendant admitted that through his employment he had access to dormant accounts that were due for escheatment, which is the process of turning over abandoned funds to the state.
The defendant stole the passwords of subordinates and used those passwords to access the system used to issue checks; he then submitted requests to have checks issued on certain dormant accounts to a co-conspirator. After depositing the checks into his own account, the co-conspirator issued to Capps checks drawn on one of his accounts. The total amount of the funds that the defendant stole exceeded $2.1 million. To Vanguard’s credit, all individual accounts were made whole after the defendant’s crimes were detected. At the guilty plea hearing, Capps also admitted that for the tax years 2013 and 2014, he had filed false tax returns that failed to report the income from his scheme.
“My office takes white collar offenses like wire fraud, tax fraud and money laundering very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The defendant stole more than two million dollars by abusing his position with his former employer. My Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect innocent individuals and businesses from being victimized by this type of fraud.”
“No matter what the source of income, all income is taxable,” said Guy Ficco, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “Scott Capps failed to report the money he stole and that is a violation of the federal tax laws. Today, justice is served and he is being held accountable for his conduct. The IRS is proud to have shared its hallmark expertise in following the money trail in this and other increasingly sophisticated criminal schemes.”
“Scott Capps saw it as easy money,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Amass millions from dormant accounts, launder those funds, and enjoy. But crime truly doesn’t pay and now he’s being held accountable. We and our law enforcement partners would like to thank Vanguard management for their assistance in this matter. Know that the FBI will never let up on those who risk engaging in financial fraud.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Ignall.
Former Roseville Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley sentenced Erik Hermann Green, 37, of Huntington Beach, formerly of Roseville, to 27 months in prison and ordered him to pay $118,421 in restitution for his participation in a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to evidence presented at a seven–day trial in March, Green was part of a large‑scale scheme to defraud the New Century Mortgage Corporation by submitting false documentation about employment, income and assets, including fraudulent loan applications and other altered bank documents. In October 2006, when Green submitted his fraudulent loan applications to obtain a loan for $820,000, he was a licensed real estate sales person and managed approximately 15 loan officers. As part of the scheme, Green received a check for $100,000 that was funneled through a shell company at the close of escrow. Green used the funds for personal expenses. The jury found him guilty of three counts of wire fraud.
“The defendant lied to mortgage lenders to obtain a substantial amount of money and a new home for himself, while causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to lenders,” said Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This case highlights the ongoing commitment of IRS-CI to hold accountable those involved in these types of crimes.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Miriam R. Hinman prosecuted the case.
Former Hillsborough Resident Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO—Michael James Frew was sentenced to 51 months in prison on wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering charges in connection with a fraudulent real estate investment scheme, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, and Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Kareem Carter. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Vince Chhabria, U.S. District Judge, and included 3 years of supervised release to follow imprisonment, $500 in special assessments, and restitution in an amount to be determined.
According to the plea agreement, Frew, 70, formerly of Hillsborough, Calif., admitted that between 2010 and March of 2014, he solicited investments from numerous individuals on the false premise that he would invest their money in real estate. Frew sometimes claimed the real estate was in foreign countries and usually explained that the areas in which he would invest recently had been struck by a natural disaster. In truth, Frew did not invest his victims’ money in real estate. Instead, he used the money to speculate in the stock market, to make expenditures for personal expenses, and to repay other victim “investors.” Frew admitted that on several occasions he paid some of the money back to investors to make it seem like their investments were legitimate, which lulled his victims into a false sense of security that their money was properly invested. He further admitted he caused losses to his victims of up to $3.5 million.
A federal grand jury indicted Frew on July 26, 2018, charging him with two counts each of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341; and money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. Frew pleaded guilty to all the charges except one count of mail fraud. Judge Chhabria dismissed the remaining charge at sentencing. Judge Chhabria scheduled a hearing to determine issues regarding restitution for October 16, 2019, at 1:30 p.m.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert David Rees is prosecuting the case with assistance from Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS-CI.
Former Cooperstown Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Justin Hobbie, age 41, of Springfield Center, New York, pled guilty today to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Hobbie was a gym and health teacher in Cooperstown, New York, until his arrest in December 2018. In pleading guilty, Hobbie admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced three girls under the age of 16 to masturbate and show him their genitalia by transmitting live depictions of this sexually explicit activity to him. These sexually explicit acts and images were recorded by Hobbie so that he could look at them again.
Hobbie also admitted that he persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the three girls to take and send him pictures of their genitalia. In response to Hobbie’s instructions to do so, the three children took lewd and lascivious pictures of their genitalia for him, and at his request sent those pictures to him using the Kik and Snapchat phone messaging applications.
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy will sentence Hobbie on December 19, 2019. Hobbie faces at least 15 years in prison on each count, with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison per count. The term of imprisonment for each count can run concurrent or consecutive to the term of imprisonment for other counts, at the discretion of the Court. Hobbie will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, following his term of imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Hobbie will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by HSI Albany with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Judge Sentences Methamphetamine Dealer to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Timothy Jason McCoy, 47, of Cherokee, N.C. was sentenced to today to 51 months in prison and four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Doug Pheasant of the Cherokee Indian Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
On June 5, 2018, officers with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) were conducting a driver license checkpoint in Swain County. According to court records, CIPD officers stopped the vehicle McCoy was driving. McCoy’s co-defendant, Patricia Jenkins, was a passenger in the vehicle. Over the course of the traffic stop, CIPD officers found 33 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash. Law enforcement also recovered a loaded pistol and shotgun.
On March 1, 2019, McCoy pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jenkins previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and is currently awaiting sentencing.
The DEA and CIPD conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, is in charge of the prosecution.
Fall River Woman Sentenced for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The ex-wife of an MCI-Cedar Junction inmate was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.
Lisa Guillemette, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (5 days) in prison and 30 months supervised release with the condition that she complete 300 hours of community service. In May 2019, Guillemette pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam. In September 2018, she was charged along with her former husband, William Guillemette, 39, and Chad Connors, 42, both inmates at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ) in South Walpole. Guillemette’s former mother-in-law, Margaret Guillemette, 58, of Fall River was also charged
Chad Connors and William Guillemette were inmates housed at MCI-CJ’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). Connors was involved in a romantic relationship with Christine Ramos, a nurse assigned to the DDU. At Connors’ request, Ramos agreed to smuggle contraband, including controlled substances, into MCI-CJ. In order to do this, Ramos opened two P.O. Boxes through a third party. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes and, at William Guillemette’s direction, Lisa and Margaret Guillemette, obtained and sent Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the DDU and delivered them to Connors. Connors and William Guillemette distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment. Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.
Chad Connors previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. William Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to18 months in prison to be served consecutive to the state sentence he is currently serving and three years of supervised release. Margaret Guillemette pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served (five days), two years of supervised release and 200 hours of community service. Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam and was sentenced two years of probation.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Eleven Local Men Arrested in Sex Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted a joint sex trafficking operation during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The operation began on August 2, 2019, and continued through August 8, 2019.
As a result, the following eleven men from western South Dakota were arrested:
Jonathon Andrew Whitney, 32, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Jeric Michael Davis, 28, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Stanley Lee Lumbardy, 68, Spearfish - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Kenneth R Williamson, 51, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Sean Russell Gertsch, 27, Sturgis - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Hugo Ruperto Duque, 39, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Japher Y. Rajab, 41, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Greydon Scott Shangreaux, 23, White River - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Justin Oliver Westby, 45, Wall - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Brennan John Hauk, 40, Rapid City - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Josef Martin Pettit, 23, Piedmont - Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet is 10 years up to life in federal prison; any term of years, not less than 5, up to lifetime supervised release; $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund; and a $5,000 assessment if not indigent.
The charges are merely accusations and all eleven defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The Agencies involved in the operation were SD DCI, HSI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Yankton Police Department.
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to all law enforcement partners involved in the investigations for their efforts and continued cooperation.
Detroit Police Officer Indicted for Taking $15,000 in Cash Bribes from A Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
City of Detroit Police Officer Michael Mosley, 47, of Detroit, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on two counts of bribery for taking $15,000 in cash bribes from a drug trafficker, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Rainer S. Drolshagen, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the indictment, Officer Mosley is a nineteen year veteran of the Detroit Police Department. In April 2019, Mosley was a member of the Police Department’s Major Violators Unit. During an April 3, 2019 search of a drug trafficker’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, Detroit police officers, including Mosley, discovered two kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of cocaine, and six firearms. The drug trafficker then confessed to owning the three kilograms of drugs to Mosley, and the trafficker signed a confession. Subsequent to the April 3 search, Mosley remained in contact with the drug trafficker in an effort to secure the trafficker’s cooperation concerning other criminal activity.
The indictment further alleges that, at a certain point, the drug trafficker offered Officer Mosley a cash bribe of $15,000 in exchange for not pursuing criminal charges based on the three kilogram drug seizure. Officer Mosley agreed to the deal. On May 2, 2019, Officer Mosley collected $10,000 in cash, which the drug dealer had left for Mosley in the backyard of an abandoned house in Detroit. On May 23, Officer Mosley accepted another $5,000 in cash left for him at the abandoned house. In exchange, Officer Mosley gave the trafficker the original copy of the drug trafficker’s signed confession.
Each of the two bribery charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
“Although the vast majority of police officers in Michigan are fully dedicated to protecting the public, sometimes there is an infrequent example of an officer driven by corruption and greed,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “I am thankful to Detroit Chief of Police James Craig for his commitment to combating corruption, so that the rare example of bribery does not overshadow the outstanding work of so many other great police officers.”
“Officer Mosley allegedly engaged in conduct that betrayed the oath he took to faithfully serve the people of Detroit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rainer S. Drolshagen. “His behavior should not take away from the outstanding work done each day by the vast majority of law enforcement professionals at the Detroit Police Department.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Gardey.
An indictment is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
Defendant Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Participating in Conspiracy to Distribute Powder Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone sentenced Douglas Williams, 38, to serve 18 months in prison following his guilty plea on April 24, 2018, to one count of conspiracy.
In connection with the guilty plea, Williams admitted that from in and around April 2016, and continuing thereafter to in and around October 2016, he conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack and 500 grams or more of powder cocaine. During his plea colloquy, the defendant admitted that he obtained powder cocaine from Jack Brown, a co-defendant, which the defendant converted to crack and sold to another member of the conspiracy, Mark Fisher, for further distribution.
The defendant is one of nine co-defendants who were indicted for their roles in the conspiracy on August 1, 2017. To date, all nine defendants have entered guilty pleas, and eight have been sentenced.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and comprises members drawn from the Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Stowe Township Police Department also provided assistance in this investigation. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Convicted murderer and Gangster Disciple found guilty of running drug trafficking ring from inside Georgia prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A convicted murderer serving a life sentence was convicted of leading a major drug trafficking conspiracy from inside a Georgia state prison.
Eugene Markeith Allen, a/k/a “Poncho,” 42, a former Savannah resident, was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams of More of Cocaine, and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana by a jury in U.S. District Court in Savannah, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison.
Also convicted in the trial was co-conspirator Karteau Omar Jenkins, a/k/a “Yay,” 42, of Atlanta, on two counts of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams of More of Cocaine, and one count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Kilograms or More of Marijuana. Sentencing for both Allen and Jenkins will be held at a later date
Allen, while incarcerated at Autry State Prison for a 2006 murder conviction, used smuggled contraband phones to direct Jenkins and other members of the extensive drug trafficking conspiracy that imported marijuana and cocaine from California into Atlanta and throughout the Savannah area.
“This hard-fought conviction represents a major step in the continued prosecution of ruthless drug traffickers and gang members who reached from coast to coast in distributing their poison,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies, however, these traffickers have hit a dead end in the Southern District of Georgia.”
Allen, a leader in the Gangster Disciples street gang, was one of 22 defendants indicted in August 2017 in Operation Five Hole, a multi-agency investigation targeting the drug trafficking organization that hid cash proceeds from drug sales in cotton candy machines for shipment by U.S. Mail and in vehicles with hidden compartments. The operation netted the seizure of pounds of marijuana and kilos of cocaine, along with nearly $400,000 in cash and multiple firearms.
“Not even prison bars could keep this defendant from continuing to commit crimes that threaten our citizens’ safety,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Even while in prison Allen directed his fellow conspirators to prey upon the good people of our communities. The FBI is dedicated to ending their reign of terror no matter where they are.”
“Eugene ‘Poncho’ Allen poisoned and terrorized our community when he lived here and managed to continue to do the same from behind bars,” said Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team Director Everett Ragan. “Thankfully, his time has finally come to an end. This case should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law or too big to be stopped.”
This investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Chatham County Narcotics Unit (CNT), the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham and Effingham County Sheriffs’ Offices, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the premier U.S. Department of Justice program to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.
The cases were prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Assistant District Attorney Noah Abrams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Pennington, with assistance from Litigation Technologist Dean Athanasopoulos.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, James R. Smith, Jr., 39, sold fentanyl to a controlled source on four occasions from two separate residences in Richmond. When law enforcement executed search warrants at Smith’s two residences, they recovered two semi-automatic handguns, nearly $150,000 in U.S. currency, and over 70 grams of narcotics comprised of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-44.