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3 October 2019
9 Indicted for Firearms, Drug and Robbery Offenses in Rocky Mount, NCRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announces the federal indictments of nine defendants from Rocky Mount, North Carolina on charges that include firearm, drug, and robbery offenses. All defendants are currently in the custody of law enforcement.
A federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina returned Indictments against the following individuals for the listed offenses:
- Kelvin Jermaine Davis, 43, of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm)
- Joshua Lamont Deloach, 31 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm)
- Calvin Grant, 40 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm)
- Brandon Shane Reams, 40 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm; possession of a stolen firearm)
- Cecil Terrance Reams, 40 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm; possession of a stolen firearm)
- Darrell Demetrius Whitehead, 33 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm)
- Terrence Rosario Wilson, 39 of Rocky Mount, NC (Felon in possession of a firearm)
- Aramis Wiggins, 40, of Rocky Mount, NC (Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine)
- Emmanuel Marquise Morris, 25 of Rocky Mount, NC (Interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during robbery)
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “For the last 18 months the United States Attorney’s Office has been working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement as we ‘Take Back North Carolina’ from drug traffickers and violent criminals all across the Eastern District. In the Rocky Mount area we have had strong support and outstanding cooperation among our law enforcement partners. These arrests are the results of that cooperation and are just the next step in our ongoing effort to reduce the crime rate in and around Rocky Mount. We look forward to presenting the cases against these defendants in federal court in short order.”
“I would like to cite the hard work of all the law enforcement agencies that contributed their efforts in this initiative to make the residents of Rocky Mount feel safe,” said Chief George Robinson of the Rocky Mount Police Department. “The successful round up of these violent offenders is an example of outstanding team work with our partners in the ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney's Office, and the District Attorneys Office, as well as U.S. Probation, Rocky Mount Probation and the NC DPS Special Operations.”
If convicted, Davis, Deloach, Grant, Whitehead and Wilson, would face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted, Brandon Reams and Cecil Reams would face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted, Morris would face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted, Wiggins would face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Rocky Mount Police Department, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, United States Probation Office and United States Marshals Service conducted the investigations in these matters.
20 Defendants Charged with Crimes, Including Racketeering, Extortion, LoansharkingRead the Press Release
Three indictments were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn variously charging 20 defendants with racketeering, extortion, loansharking, stalking, attempted sports bribery and related offenses. Among those charged with racketeering were Joseph Amato, an alleged captain in the Colombo organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (“the Colombo family”); Daniel Capaldo and Thomas Scorcia, alleged Colombo family members; and Joseph Amato, Jr. and Anthony Silvestro, alleged Colombo family associates. An additional alleged Colombo family member, Vincent Scura, was also indicted. The indictments relate to the defendants’ charged criminal activities in Staten Island and elsewhere since January 2014.
The defendants were arrested this morning, and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
As alleged in the indictments and the government’s detention letters, the investigation began in November 2016 when a GPS tracking device was found concealed on an MTA bus. Amato had earlier obtained the device to surveil his then-girlfriend and boasted about the resources at his disposal to keep her under close surveillance. In one email, Amato stated, “This is my island. Not yours. I have eyes all over[.]” In another email, Amato stated, ‘I’m a MANS MAN!!!” His then-girlfriend discovered the device on her vehicle and removed it, and it was subsequently attached to and recovered from the MTA bus at a depot n Staten Island. Thereafter, the government obtained court-authorization to intercept communications over various cellular telephones used by the defendants.
As detailed in the government’s court filings, Amato and members of his crew used violence and threats of violence to earn illegal proceeds and solidify the crew’s reputation and standing. On one occasion, an individual confronted Amato Jr. for insulting a woman in a bar. Amato Jr. told the individual to back off, and threatened, “Do you know who my father is?” The following day, the individual was lured to a location where Amato, Amato Jr. and other members of Amato’s crew brutally beat the victim, leaving him bloodied and in need of staples in his scalp. On other occasions, court-authorized intercepts captured: (1) Scorcia boasting, “I told the guy sit in the car, and the kid had the tears,” (2) Silvestro advising Scorcia, “[Y]ou send him a smack. If he raises his hand back to you, we beat the bricks off him, that’s it” and (3) following the commission of one of the charged crimes of violence, Amato Jr. described the crime and the victim’s reaction, “[W]e abused him so bad. Yo I had, bro, me and Pap (Silvestro), bro, had him shaking bro. He was in tears, he was crying.”
The court-authorized wiretaps also captured the defendants’ scheme to fix an NCAA college basketball game. To further the scheme, defendant Benjamin Bifalco offered members of a college basketball team thousands of dollars to intentionally lose the game.
Two firearms, two stun guns, a canister of purported tear gas and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency were recovered during court-authorized searches of residences of Amato and Scorcia.
“The mafia is not the criminal threat it once was, but we remain vigilant and will vigorously investigate and prosecute members and associates who engage in violence and extortion to intimidate victims and enrich themselves and their crime family,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force for its assistance during the investigation.
“One of the stunning things revealed in this investigation, it seems members of the mafia families that were once almost romanticized by Hollywood and pop culture, have resorted to acting like playground bullies. As alleged, they are still up to their old extortion and bribery schemes, and terrorizing their victims, but they are also still getting caught. The FBI New York Joint Organized Crime Task Force wants to send a clear message to members of the families in our communities who continue to operate, we will do all we can to stop a true resurgence from ever happening,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“The successful outcome of this investigation shows our continued efforts to target and hold responsible organized criminal syndicates,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “I thank our investigators and law enforcement counterparts whose cooperation was vital to bringing these individuals to justice.”
The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geddes and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-442 (S-1)(ILG)
JOSEPH AMATO
Age: 60
Colts Neck, New JerseyJOSEPH AMATO, JR.
Age: 26
Staten Island, New YorkJOHN CAHILL
Age: 27
Staten Island, New YorkDANIEL CAPALDO (also known as “The Wig” and “Shrek”)
Age: 54
Staten Island, New YorkPRIMO CASSARINO
Age: 31
Staten Island, New YorkCHRISTOPHER COFFARO
Age: 21
Staten Island, New YorkJOHN DUNN
Age: 30
Staten Island, New YorkPHILIP LOMBARDO
Age: 61
Staten Island, New YorkJOSEPH MARRA (also known as “Joe Fish”)
Age: 58
Brooklyn, New YorkALBERT MASTERJOSEPH
Age: 57
Brooklyn, New YorkDOMINICK RICIGLIANO (also known as “The Lion”)
Age: 30
Staten Island, New YorkTHOMAS SCORCIA
Age: 52
Staten Island, New YorkVINCENT SCURA (also known as “Vinny Linen”)
Age: 58
Staten Island, New YorkANTHONY SILVESTRO (also known as “Bugz”)
Age: 28
Staten Island, New YorkKRENAR SUKA
Age: 26
Staten Island, New YorkJOHN TUCCIARONE
Age: 39
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-443 (CBA)
ANTHONY BOSCO
Age: 26
Staten Island, New YorkNICHOLAS BOSCO
Age: 30
Staten Island, New YorkJOSEPH BOSCO
Age: 55
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-444 (ARR)
BENJAMIN BIFALCO
Age: 25
Staten Island, New York13 indicted for drug distribution operation in Ohio CountyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Thirteen people from West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania were arrested and charged with multiple drug counts involving the distribution of cocaine base, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
The men and woman are charged in a 23-count indictment involving a drug conspiracy in Ohio County and elsewhere from September 2018 to June 2019. Those named in the indictment are:
• Duane Green, also known as “Rick,” age 34, of Columbus, Ohio
• Herman Clemons, Jr., age 50, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Keith Frazier, also known as “KK,” age 43, of Columbus, Ohio
• Charles Cesar Ansley, also known as “Mike,” age 39, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Benjamin John Woodring, afge 27, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Brandon Woodring, age 24, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Albert Lee Brooks, also known as “b,” age 47, of New Castle, Pennsylvania
• Damen Lavel Pollard, also known as “Skills,” age 48, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Kayla Lallathin, also known as “Cat,” age 28, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Audie Fry, also known as “Ott,” age 62, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Mustafa Ali Vaughn, also known as “Moose” and “Fargo,” age 37, of Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Paula Blake, age 43, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Terri Lea Blankenship, age 54, of Wheeling, West VirginiaThe defendants are accused of selling crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, many times near public housing complex Luau Manor in Wheeling.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
13 Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Crack Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Donald Halmy, Chief of the Peekskill Police Department, and Thomas Gleason, Commissioner of the Westchester County Police Department, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment and Complaint collectively charging 13 defendants with narcotics distribution offenses in and around Westchester County, New York. The defendants, WENDELL JONES, JESSE DABBS, JASON BOGAN, BYRON MOUNTAIN, SARAH GILLON, DOROTHY MCALLISTER, a/k/a “Dot,” GUSTAVO GONZALEZ, a/k/a “Tavo,” KEVIN HERBIN, WILLIE SIMS, a/k/a “Black,” MAURICE ELLIS, ISAAC MALLORY, a/k/a “Face,” HAKIM ANDERSON, a/k/a “Hak,” and RAHMEL GARRAWAY, a/k/a “Major,” were presented in White Plains federal court this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants trafficked crack cocaine, an addicting and potentially deadly product that devastates communities throughout the Southern District of New York. Thanks to the FBI, the Peekskill Police Department, and the Westchester County Police Department, the defendants are in custody and facing federal criminal charges.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Long before the opioid epidemic started in this country, crack cocaine was destroying lives. It persists as a preferred drug for many of these violent groups to sell, which means our FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force is going after those dealers and their pushers. I want to thank the local law enforcement agencies for the work they put into this investigation because their partnerships are vital to getting rid of the violence these criminals bring to these communities.”
Peekskill Police Chief Donald Halmy said: “We have all seen the devastating effects that drugs have played in destroying individuals, families, and even communities. We are committed to using every resource, from the local level to the federal level, to make sure that those responsible for this blight are apprehended and sentenced appropriately. We commend all those involved who put in countless hours to help make Peekskill a better place to live today.”
Westchester County Police Commissioner Thomas Gleason said: “The Westchester County Department of Public Safety remains committed to working with federal and local law enforcement to combat the distribution and sale of illegal narcotics in our county. I am grateful to all of the law enforcement personnel and agencies that played a part in this successful investigation.”
As alleged in the Indictment and Complaint unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
From at least November 2018 until September 2019, WENDELL JONES, JESSE DABBS, JASON BOGAN, BYRON MOUNTAIN, SARAH GILLON, DOROTHY MCALLISTER, GUSTAVO GONZALEZ, and KEVIN HERBIN conspired to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine. In addition, from at least March 2019 until September 2019, WILLIE SIMS, MAURICE ELLIS, ISAAC MALLORY, HAKIM ANDERSON, and RAHMEL GARRAWAY conspired to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine.
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Conspiring to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Conspiring to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the Peekskill Police Department, and the Westchester County Police Department. The Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force comprises Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, ATF, New York State Police, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DAs Office, NYPD, Yonkers PD, Mount Vernon PD, Peekskill PD, Greenburgh PD, and New Rochelle PD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Jim Ligtenberg and Shiva Logarajah are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Indictment and Complaint and the descriptions of the Indictment and Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
10 Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation That Dismantled Texas-to-Chicago Drug PipelineRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Federal law enforcement seized more than 14 kilograms of cocaine and 15 firearms as part of an investigation that dismantled a Texas-to-Chicago narcotics pipeline and resulted in charges against ten defendants.
During the investigation, dubbed “Operation Grapevine,” authorities shut down a drug stash house in a lakefront condominium in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago. In addition to the cocaine and guns, law enforcement seized approximately $215,000 in cash, and gold and diamond jewelry with an estimated value of more than $30,000.
Arrests of the defendants were recently carried out in Illinois and Texas.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Marshals Service, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Illinois State Police. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Guzman, Katherine Neff Welsh and Brian Kerwin.
The probe was led by the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), with support from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The programs partner with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Chicago, DARRIN PULPHUS, 50, of Tinley Park, is the leader of a drug trafficking organization that obtained and distributed at least 23 kilograms of cocaine in the Chicago area in a three-month period earlier this year. Pulphus obtained the drugs at least twice a month from a Texas-based supplier, CURTIS POPE, 40, of Houston, Texas, the complaint states. Pope allegedly transported the cocaine from Texas in a semi-trailer truck. Another Texas resident, SHAWN TURNER, 37, of Houston, Texas, helped facilitate the shipments, often flying from Houston to Chicago to assist Pulphus, the complaint states.
Once in the Chicago area, Pope delivered the drugs to Pulphus or other members of his crew at a truck yard in south suburban Riverdale, according to the complaint. Pulphus then allegedly worked with various distributors to sell the drugs in the Chicago area. The complaint charges four alleged distributors: DAVID BOWDEN, 51, DESHAWN WALLS, 34, DARRELL WILLIAMS, 45, and LAWRENCE JOHNSON, 38, all of Chicago. Law enforcement seized a handgun and more than 900 grams of cocaine from Johnson after he obtained narcotics from Pulphus in April 2019, the complaint states.
The complaint also charges two alleged wholesale customers of Pulphus’s organization: ROME PERKINS, 60, and EDWARD HUMPHREY, 53, both of Chicago. The tenth defendant, RICHARD HOWARD, 50, of Chicago, allegedly conspired with Pulphus in the distribution of cocaine.
All of the defendants have made initial appearances in federal court. Johnson and Walls remain detained in federal custody, while Pulphus, Pope, Bowden, Williams, Howard, Humphrey, Turner and Perkins were ordered released on bond.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only accusations and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
2 October 2019
Worcester Man Sentenced for Role in Multi-Kilogram Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring responsible for smuggling over 20 kilograms of cocaine into central Massachusetts.
Japhet Garcia, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to three and a half years in prison and two years of supervised release. Garcia previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.
In December 2017, Garcia was captured on postal facility surveillance footage, with co-conspirator Jose Gonzalez, attempting to retrieve a package sent from Puerto Rico that had been found to contain three kilograms of cocaine. That month, agents also recovered over $70,000 in cash from Garcia’s luggage as he attempted to board a flight to Puerto Rico.
In January 2018, wiretaps and surveillance revealed Garcia’s participation in the attempted smuggling of six kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico, using a U.S. Postal employee to retrieve the packages of cocaine. As the scheme unfolded, agents seized one of the packages (found to contain three kilograms of cocaine) and allowed the second to be delivered to the conspiracy members under continuing electronic and physical surveillance. After observing the postal employee deliver the suspect package to a member of the conspiracy, authorities arrested Garcia and the co-conspirators. The second package was seized, and was found to contain another three kilograms of cocaine. Over $40,000 in cash and drug ledgers documenting the sale of well over 20 kilograms of cocaine were also seized during a search of Garcia’s residence and an adjacent apartment.
Garcia is the second of four defendants charged to be sentenced in this investigation. Jose Gonzalez was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2019, to 10 years in prison. Co-defendant Deibby Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1, 2019, and co-defendant Erick Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8, 2019. Another alleged member of the conspiracy, Caroline Cartagena, faces state charges.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Joseph Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Leicester Interim Police Chief Kenneth Antanavica made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Woman Sentenced to Prison for Committing 2 Bank Robberies in BridgeportRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JENNIFER KELLNER, 29, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing two bank robberies in Bridgeport in 2017.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 15, 2017, Kellner entered the Chase Bank at 723 Boston Avenue in Bridgeport, handed the teller a brown paper bag and a note demanding money. She told the teller not to do anything “stupid” because “there were a lot of people here and small children.” The teller placed $1,987 in the bag and handed it to Kellner, who then exited the bank.
On August 23, 2017, Kellner also robbed approximately $1,000 from the Chase Bank located at 2125 Main Street in Bridgeport, and threatened to shoot the teller if the teller pushed any buttons in an effort to alert law enforcement.
Kellner was arrested on related state charges on August 27, 2017. On April 8, 2019, she pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
Kellner, who is released on bond and residing in a drug treatment facility, is required to report to prison on January 6, 2020.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
West Bank Resident Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID TRAN, age 32, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today by the Honorable Jane Triche Milazzo for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
According to the court records, TRAN had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to manufacture, possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 100 grams or more of heroin. TRAN also admitted that he possessed large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute them and that he was manufacturing large quantities of marijuana.
The case resulted from a lengthy Title III wire intercept investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in which TRAN and his co-conspirators were captured discussing heroin sales, as well as the construction of a large indoor marijuana grow in Bridge City. The calls led the DEA agents to search a warehouse and adjacent residence in Bridge City. During the search, the agents found a large marijuana grow that contained approximately 700 plants in varying stages of growth and equipment sufficient to grow many thousand more plants. Significant work and expense had been put into remodeling the warehouse, including thousands of dollars in lights, cooling systems, and ventilation. The agents also discovered a safe containing a cornucopia of other drugs, including 1,396.2 grams of methamphetamine; 990 grams of MDMA (ecstasy); and 1,175.9 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that is fueling the tremendous rise in overdose deaths.
Judge Milazzo sentenced TRAN to 121 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, where federal probation officers will monitor his behavior.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Several other law enforcement agencies, including Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Kenner Police Department, assisted in the search of the warehouse in Bridge City. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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Waynesboro Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Sadie Bradley, 66, of Waynesboro, Mississippi, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 15 months in federal prison, follow by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Resident Agent in Charge Marvin Mauldin of the Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration. Bradley was further directed to pay $197, 216.11 in restitution to the Social Security Administration,
From October 2008 through October 2017, Bradley received a total of $197,216.11 in funds belonging to the United States by receiving Title XVI Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) benefits to which she knew she was not entitled. In 1966, Bradley was issued a social security number under the name Sadie McCornell, and began receiving SSI benefit payments in 1974. In 1976, Bradley fraudulently applied for and was issued a second social security number under the name Sadie McConn, later changing her name to Sadie Bradley. In 2008, Bradley applied for and began receiving SSI benefit payments under her second social security number, while still receiving SSI benefit payments under her first social security number. In doing so, Bradley knowingly concealed and misrepresented her identity, income, resources, marital status, and living arrangements to the Social Security Administration in order to receive SSI benefit payments under both social security numbers.
On September 19, 2018, Bradley was charged in a federal criminal indictment with theft of government funds. She pled guilty before Judge Starrett on June 12, 2019.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Paul Fortenberry.
Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Offenses Stemming from Counterfeit Check Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONELL BONILLA, 25, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to charges related to his operation of a counterfeit check bank fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2017 and January 2019, Bonilla and others obtained access to bank accounts by recruiting individuals through social media and persuading the individuals to share their account information, including debit cards and associated PIN numbers. The account holders were paid for providing access to their bank accounts. Bonilla and his co-conspirators misrepresented to the account holders that U.S. Postal Service money orders or authentic checks would be deposited into their accounts. After Bonilla and his co-conspirators had access to the accounts, they deposited counterfeit checks into those accounts, and withdrew money from the accounts before the banks discovered the checks to be counterfeit.
Through this scheme, Bonilla and his co-conspirators defrauded at least 12 banks of a total of approximately $240,000.
Bonilla pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on January 9, 2020.
Bonilla has been detained since his arrest on January 9, 2019.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Walnut Creek Woman Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Mail Theft Conspiracy Targeting San Francisco Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO/SAN JOSE/OAKLAND – Jesslyn Felix was sentenced today to 28 months in prison, and ordered to pay restitution for her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming from a mail theft scheme, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and United States Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez. The Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge, handed down the sentence.
Felix, 35, of Walnut Creek, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on May 29, 2019. According to her plea agreement, Felix admitted that she and her co-defendant, Tyler Goforth, 35, also of Walnut Creek, traveled repeatedly to the Beacon Apartment Complex, a large apartment building in San Francisco, to steal mail from Beacon residents. The defendants visited the Beacon more than a dozen times between August 2017 and February 2018. Felix and Goforth would enter one of the mailrooms at the Beacon, force open mailboxes, and then steal mail. They then used personal information and documents found in the stolen mail to steal money from Beacon residents, which they spent for personal gain. Specifically, Felix and Goforth activated credit and debit cards in the victims’ names, stole checks and gift cards, accessed bank accounts belonging to Beacon residents, and stole photo identifications which they then used to carry out their scheme to steal money. In total, Felix and Goforth stole mail from more than 80 residents of the Beacon and stole more than $40,000 from them.
Mr. Goforth was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy on August 14, 2019, to 27 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution.
A federal grand jury indicted Felix and Goforth on January 15, 2019. The 14-count indictment charged each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; five counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343; six counts of theft of mail, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1708; one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1028A; and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer five or more documents or authentication features, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1028(a)(3). Felix and Goforth both pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on May 29, 2019.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesney ordered Felix to serve a three-year period of supervised release to begin at the completion of the prison term. Felix has been in custody since May 1, 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Two men admit to selling cocaine in Home Depot parking lotRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A local man and a Mexican national have pleaded guilty for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute 42.5 kilograms of cocaine in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Frederico Hernandez, 26, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Miguel Angel Cruz-Recio, 41, Laredo, admitted that on June 7, they conducted a drug transaction in a Laredo Home Depot parking lot involving 5.5 kilograms of cocaine.
Hernandez has left the scene but authorities attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Cruz-Recio was driving. That ultimately led to a brief police chase that ended as he crashed his vehicle into a telephone pole. He attempted to flee on foot, but was soon captured.
Authorities later discovered an additional 37 kilograms of cocaine and a handgun at his residence.
Law enforcement later apprehended Hernandez as he attempted to apply for entry into Laredo from Mexico at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge.
U.S. District Court Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the plea today and set sentencing for Feb. 3, 2020. At that time, both men face up to life in prison.
They have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Harrison is prosecuting the case.
Two Women Charged with Offenses Related to Pipeline AttacksRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On September 19, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging defendants, Jessica Rae Reznicek and Ruby Katherine Montoya, with one count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility, four counts of use of fire in the commission of a felony, and four counts of malicious use of fire, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Montoya was recently arrested in the District of Arizona and detained pending court proceedings to determine her appearance in the Southern District of Iowa. Reznicek appeared in Des Moines on October 1, 2019 and was conditionally released pending trial. Trial is currently scheduled for December 2, 2019, before United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.
According to Count 1 of the Indictment, from at least as early as 2016 and continuing in 2017, in the Southern District of Iowa and elsewhere, Reznicek and Montoya conspired to knowingly and willfully damage and attempt to damage the property of an energy facility involved in the transmission and distribution of fuel, or another form or source of energy, in an amount exceeding or which would have exceeded $100,000, and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of a function of an energy facility.
Counts 2 through 9 of the Indictment allege specific instances of damage or attempts to damage portions of the Dakota Access Pipeline in the Southern District of Iowa by Reznicek and Montoya on various dates in 2017.
The public is reminded that an Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless they are proven guilty.
If they are convicted of Count 1, conspiracy to damage an energy facility, Reznicek and Montoya face up to 20 years imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, or both such fine and imprisonment.
If they are convicted of Counts 2, 4, 6 and/or 8, use of fire in the commission of a felony, Reznicek and Montoya face a mandatory minimum 10 years imprisonment to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on Count 1. For each second or subsequent conviction of Counts 2, 4, 6 and/or 8, Reznicek and Montoya face a mandatory minimum 20 years imprisonment to be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on Count 1.
If they are convicted of Counts 3, 5, 7 and/or 9, malicious use of fire, Reznicek and Montoya face a mandatory minimum 5 years imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, or both such fine and imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Two Inmates at FCI Morgantown sentenced for contrabandRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Joe Pruitt and John Joseph Kopp, both inmates at FCI Morgantown in Morgantown, West Virginia, were sentenced today for possession of contraband, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Pruitt, age 27, and Kopp, age 44, each pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Prohibited Object (Narcotic).” Pruitt and Kopp admitted to having suboxone inside FCI Morgantown in December 2018. Pruitt and Kopp were then each sentenced to 12 months incarceration to be served consecutively to any sentence he is currently serving.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons Special Investigation Services investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Two Former Jacksonville City Council Members Convicted of Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury today found Katrina Brown (39, Jacksonville) and Reginald Brown (57, Jacksonville) guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aiding and abetting mail and wire fraud, and aiding and abetting money laundering. The jury also found Katrina Brown guilty of attempted bank fraud and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution, and Reginald Brown guilty of failure to file an income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service for tax year 2014. Each bank fraud or false statement offense carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. Each conspiracy and aiding and abetting mail and wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. The money laundering offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and the income tax charge carries a penalty of up to a year in prison.
Sentencings are scheduled for January 27, 2020. At sentencing, the United States intends to seek forfeiture from the defendants of at least $754,613.10, which is alleged to be traceable to the offenses.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in late 2013, Katrina Brown was the principal for two businesses (Basic Products, LLC and CoWealth, LLC), which in 2011 obtained a loan in the amount of $2,652,000 from the Small Business Administration (SBA), and a loan of $380,000, and a grant of approximately $260,000 from the City of Jacksonville (COJ), to fund a small business that specialized in the manufacturing, bottling, and selling of barbecue sauce. As a member of the Jacksonville City Council, Reginald Brown was knowledgeable of City Ordinance 2011-290-E, which authorized the COJ loan and grant – proceeds of which he and Katrina Brown would later obtain by fraud.
Katrina Brown’s family had been in the barbecue business in Jacksonville for many years. The $3.2 million in financing was intended to fund an expansion of Basic Products and help create permanent manufacturing jobs in Northwest Jacksonville. Each time Katrina Brown sought money for Basic Products from BizCapital, the SBA-approved lender, she submitted a Loan Reimbursement Form that included the purported business expenses for which Basic Products sought reimbursement.
In late 2013, when the barbecue business was not meeting financial projections, Katrina Brown assisted Jacksonville City Councilman Reginald Brown in incorporating two businesses (A Plus Training and Consultants, LLC and RB Packaging, LLC) with the Florida Division of Corporations. A Plus Training and RB Packaging, however, never performed any legitimate business. Instead of properly notifying BizCapital that Basic Products was in financial distress, Katrina Brown worked with Reginald Brown to submit fake invoices from A Plus Training and RB Packaging to the SBA lender, BizCapital, claiming that the businesses performed work for Basic Products, when they businesses did not.
BizCapital sent checks, at times larger than $60,000, to RB Packaging and A Plus Training, which, on paper, were headquartered at Reginald Brown’s home and his mother’s home, respectively. Reginald Brown deposited those checks into the bank accounts for A Plus Training and RB Packaging, then withdrew a significant portion of the money and provided it to Katrina Brown, who either kept the cash or laundered the money by depositing it back into the Basic Products bank account so that she could control the funds. During this time, from late 2013 to early 2015, Reginald Brown, A Plus Training, and RB Packaging served as a conduit to receive $264,419.04 in proceeds from the SBA loan and the COJ grant, then funneled at least $166,500 back to Basic Products. Reginald Brown kept money not provided to Katrina Brown, despite performing no legitimate work or services for Basic Products, and used the majority of the money for personal expenses. Reginald Brown never filed a tax return for tax year 2014, the period of these primary occurrences, and failed to disclose to the IRS that he had received tens of thousands of dollars from the SBA.
In December 2014, BizCapital sent all loan draw information to the City of Jacksonville, which included the numerous fraudulent A Plus Training and RB Packaging invoices. The loan draw information, including the fraudulently induced payments to A Plus Training and RB Packaging, was relied upon by the COJ before it wired $210,549.99 in taxpayer-funded grant money to BizCapital for the intended use of Basic Products. Before the money was sent to BizCapital, neither Katrina Brown nor Reginald Brown informed BizCapital or the city that Basic Products had fraudulently obtained loan payments to Reginald Brown’s shell companies (A Plus Training and RB Packaging).
After BizCapital informed Katrina Brown that the SBA loan was in default status in January 2015, she then attempted to obtain two bank loans in 2015 and 2016 by submitting doctored and false bank statements to loan brokers, seeking loans from WebBank to infuse cash into her and her family’s businesses. Instead of providing the actual bank statements of the businesses, Katrina Brown falsified the businesses’ bank statements in an attempt to make it appear to the lender that the businesses were credit worthy, when in fact they were not.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tysen Duva and Michael J. Coolican.
Three Years of Illegally Buying and Possessing 28 Guns Leads to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Drug UserRead the Press Release
A user of meth and marijuana who illegally purchased and possessed 28 guns between August 2015 and August 2018 was sentenced October 1, 2019, to more than three years in federal prison.
Nathan Fisher, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 12, 2019, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Fisher admitted he purchased a handgun on August 3, 2018. He further admitted that at the time he bought and possessed this gun, he was an unlawful user of both methamphetamine and marijuana.
Further information at sentencing showed that the gun Fisher purchased on August 3, 2018, was the 28th gun he had purchased since August 2015. During this three-year period, Fisher was regularly using both meth and marijuana. Each time Fisher purchased a gun, he filled out a form. On that form, he lied each time, telling the seller of the guns that he was not an unlawful user of drugs.
Additionally, Fisher purchased at least six guns for other people, a practice commonly referred to as “straw purchasing.” Each time he did so, Fisher also lied on the form he had to complete, indicating he was the ultimate purchaser of the gun. Of the 28 guns Fisher purchased, nine have been recovered. Eight of those nine were found by law enforcement in the possession of someone other than Fisher. The whereabouts of the remaining 19 guns Fisher purchased are unknown.
Fisher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. In sentencing Fisher, the Judge noted that Fisher’s crime was very serious. The Judge especially noted that Fisher was likely buying guns to give to others who could not legally purchase or own guns, such as convicted felons. The Judge also noted that Fisher used drugs, possessed ammunition, and failed to comply with numerous Court orders while awaiting trial.
Fisher was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Fisher is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-119.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Three Kentucky Residents Indicted for $4 Million Warranty Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three Kentucky residents with ten counts of fraud and identity theft relating to a scheme to defraud a major car company of more than $4 million, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
According to the indictment, James Pinson, 44, Gary Conn, 56, and, Tammy Newsome, 53, of Kentucky organized and participated in a scheme to misuse a car company’s warranty extension program that offered to repurchase certain trucks for 150% of their value, so long as those trucks were owned by individual customers rather than a dealership. Participants in the scheme bought the trucks at wholesale prices at auction through Pinson’s car dealership, Big Blue Motor Sales of Louisa, Kentucky. They then obtained hundreds of copies of Kentucky and West Virginia residents’ driver’s licenses, fraudulently titled the trucks in the name of those residents, and induced the car company to repurchase the trucks at 150% of value.
According to the indictment, the indicted defendants ran 350 trucks through the scheme between 2013 and 2015, causing approximately $4.3 million in losses to the car company. Newsome is also charged with aggravated identity theft. Frank Russo, 68, of North Carolina and Kevin Fluharty, 58, of West Virginia have already been indicted for their role in the same scheme.
If convicted, the three defendants face up to 30 years in prison.
“This is the second indictment setting forth very serious allegations of a long-term warranty fraud scheme,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Five individuals have now been charged in connection with the alleged fraud scheme that resulted in $4 million in losses.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad is handling the prosecution.
The indictment can be found here.
Please note: An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Third Former Tennessee Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty Following Assault of InmateRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Carl Spurlin Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to a federal offense and admitted concealing other correctional officers’ assault of an inmate while Spurlin was serving as a correctional officer with the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
"The Department of Justice will not tolerate this egregious behavior," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Division will vigorously prosecute all those who have violated the civil rights of others."
"Correctional officers must abide by and adhere to the same laws they take an oath to uphold and enforce. Instead of serving and protecting the public, this officer actively participated to conceal the use of physical force by other officers to violate the civil rights of an individual. As a result, he will now be held accountable, vividly illustrating that no one is above the law," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.
"When correctional officers abuse their authority and harm inmates, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system as a whole," said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the FBI. "This plea should send a clear message that the FBI takes these allegations seriously, and will vigorously investigate these kinds of cases, and those who violate the public's trust will be held accountable."
With his guilty plea, Spurlin admitted that, on February 1, 2019, he and several other correctional officers at the Northwest County Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, entered the cell of R.T., an inmate in the mental health unit. R.T. had been identified as a suicide risk and he was bleeding when the officers entered his cell. After the correctional officers entered the cell, R.T. swung his bloody hand towards the officers nearest him, flinging blood in their direction.
A correctional officer looked in the direction of the surveillance camera in the cell and said, "violate the camera." When Spurlin did not make a move to do so, the officer repeated the command. Spurlin looked at a supervisory officer standing nearby, and when the supervisory officer did not contradict the officer who had spoken, Spurlin covered the camera with his hand. Spurlin then watched three correctional officers repeatedly punch R.T. in the head and body. According to Spurlin, the officers struck R.T. "like a piñata."
While the three officers repeatedly punched R.T., another correctional officer came to the cell with paper towels. The officer handed wet paper towels to Spurlin and he used them to cover the camera. The assault by the officers continued while Spurlin covered the surveillance camera.
With today’s guilty plea, Spurlin admitted that he violated 18 U.S.C. § 4 by knowing of a federal felony, failing to notify authorities of the felony, and taking an affirmative step to conceal the felony. The maximum penalty for this offense is three years of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for January 15, 2020.
In related cases, former Correctional Officer Nathaniel Griffin entered a guilty plea in federal court on August 15, 2019, and former Correctional Officer Tanner Penwell entered a guilty plea in federal court on September 5, 2019. With their guilty pleas, both defendants admitted that they assaulted R.T. on February 1, 2019.
This case is being investigated by the Memphis Division of the FBI with the support of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
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Third Former Tennessee Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty Following Assault of InmateRead the Press Release
Carl Spurlin Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to a federal offense and admitted concealing other correctional officers’ assault of an inmate while Spurlin was serving as a correctional officer with the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate this egregious behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will vigorously prosecute all those who have violated the civil rights of others.”
"Correctional officers must abide by and adhere to the same laws they take an oath to uphold and enforce. Instead of serving and protecting the public, this officer actively participated to conceal the use of physical force by other officers to violate the civil rights of an individual. As a result, he will now be held accountable, vividly illustrating that no one is above the law," said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.
“When correctional officers abuse their authority and harm inmates, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system as a whole,” said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the FBI. “This plea should send a clear message that the FBI takes these allegations seriously, and will vigorously investigate these kinds of cases, and those who violate the public's trust will be held accountable.”
With his guilty plea, Spurlin admitted that, on Feb. 1, 2019, he and several other correctional officers at the Northwest County Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, entered the cell of R.T., an inmate in the mental health unit. R.T. had been identified as a suicide risk and he was bleeding when the officers entered his cell. After the correctional officers entered the cell, R.T. swung his bloody hand towards the officers nearest him, flinging blood in their direction.
A correctional officer looked in the direction of the surveillance camera in the cell and said, “violate the camera.” When Spurlin did not make a move to do so, the officer repeated the command. Spurlin looked at a supervisory officer standing nearby, and when the supervisory officer did not contradict the officer who had spoken, Spurlin covered the camera with his hand. Spurlin then watched three correctional officers repeatedly punch R.T. in the head and body. According to Spurlin, the officers struck R.T. “like a piñata.”
While the three officers repeatedly punched R.T., another correctional officer came to the cell with paper towels. The officer handed wet paper towels to Spurlin and he used them to cover the camera. The assault by the officers continued while Spurlin covered the surveillance camera.
With today’s guilty plea, Spurlin admitted that he violated 18 U.S.C. § 4 by knowing of a federal felony, failing to notify authorities of the felony, and taking an affirmative step to conceal the felony. The maximum penalty for this offense is three years of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for Jan. 15, 2020.
In related cases, former Correctional Officer Nathaniel Griffin entered a guilty plea in federal court on Aug. 15, 2019, and former Correctional Officer Tanner Penwell entered a guilty plea in federal court on Sept. 5, 2019. With their guilty pleas, both defendants admitted that they assaulted R.T. on Feb. 1, 2019.
This case is being investigated by the Memphis Division of the FBI with the support of the Tennessee Department of Corrections, and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
Texas couple indicted in Georgia for $4 million false invoicing schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – April and James Thompson have been indicted for defrauding an Atlanta timberland investment company out of more than four million dollars.
“The defendants allegedly stole millions of dollars through a false invoicing scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Employees who take advantage of their positions of trust will be prosecuted when they use their positions to engage in fraud schemes such as this.”
“When a person takes advantage of a company by abusing the position they were entrusted to uphold, the FBI must hold them accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta field office. “We are committed to protecting companies from employees who are driven by personal greed and not the company’s best interests.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: April Thompson worked on behalf of a company named Kingwood Forestry Services (“Kingwood”) that provided services to timber properties in various states. Kingwood was contracted with Forest Investment Associates (“FIA”), an Atlanta-based company that provides timberland investment advisory and management services for institutional timberland investors. At Kingwood, April Thompson managed invoices submitted to FIA and requested payments to contractors.
The indictment alleges that from 2011 through April 2019, April Thompson billed FIA for over $4 million for work that James Thompson had allegedly done on FIA timber properties. However, these invoices were all fraudulent as James Thompson had never been an FIA or Kingwood contractor and never did any work on the timber properties. As a result of these fraudulent invoices, April and James Thompson received over $4 million, which they then used for their own personal benefit.
April Thompson, 41, and James Thompson, 46, both of Maud, Texas were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia, on September 25, 2019, and had their initial appearances on October 1, 2019, in the Eastern District of Texas.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Krepp is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Tahlequah Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jordan Bradley Brown, age 31, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), punishable by not less than 5 and not more than 40 years imprisonment, a fine up to $5,000,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleges that on or about February 27, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Strangulation, assault sends Browning man to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A judge today sentenced a Browning man who admitted to strangling and assaulting a dating partner in two separate attacks on the Blackfeet Reservation to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Ralph Kelly Gallineaux, Sr., 42, pleaded guilty in June to strangulation of a dating partner and to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris also ordered $6,817 restitution for the victim’s burned truck.
The prosecution said in court records that Gallineaux strangled the victim, a dating partner, on April 8 after the two had purchased alcohol and had driven to Durham to drink. On the drive back to Browning the two started arguing. During a three-hour period at Gallineaux’s residence, he assaulted, strangled and attempted to smother the victim. The victim told investigators she thought she was going to die and that Gallineaux told her he was not scared of killing someone. When the assault ended, Gallineaux told the victim to leave his house while holding a lit blow-torch. Gallineaux let the blow-torch go out and threw it outside. Law enforcement recovered the blow-torch in the victim’s truck, which he burned.
The victim ran to the hospital and reported the assault. The victim had bruises and scratches on her back, bruising on her neck and injuries to her ears.
The victim also reported to law enforcement that Gallineaux had assaulted her previously in July 2018, when he punched her multiple times in the face and broke her nose. The victim had called 911 and went to the IHS Hospital in Browning.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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Stilwell Woman Sentenced to 84 Months for Child Neglect in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessica Jean Clark, a/k/a Jessica Jean Kidd, age 38, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment, and 5 years of supervised release for Child Neglect In Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1151, 1153 and Title 21, Oklahoma Statutes, Section 843.5(C). The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
The Indictment alleged that from in or about June 2017, to September 13, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, within Indian Country, the Defendant, Jessica Jean Clark, willfully and maliciously failed and omitted to provide adequate nurturance, hygiene, sanitation, shelter and medical care to J.H. and P.H., and provide special care made necessary by the physical condition of P.H., all while the defendant was responsible for the health, safety and welfare of J.H. and P.H., children under the age of eighteen.
At the Sentencing Hearing, the Government presented evidence that P.H. sustained an injury. As a result of the injury she became sick while in the care of the Defendant and was in need of immediate medical attention. The Defendant failed to obtain medical attention and P.H. died on September 12, 2017. P.H. was only 9-years-old at the time of her death.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “The tragic end to this child’s life was completely unnecessary and fully preventable with obviously needed and readily accessible medical care. The defendant chose to ignore the obvious signs of her daughter’s serious illness and as a result she died needlessly. This should never have happened.”
"The FBI's Oklahoma City Safe Trails Task Force fostered critical collaboration with our tribal law enforcement partners, and together we ensured justice in this tragic case for the young victim," said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect all Americans, especially the most vulnerable in our communities."
Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl said, "It’s a collaborative effort ensuring our Cherokee communities are safer and tribal citizens protected. This investigation was another example of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and our federal partners in the Eastern District of Oklahoma working together to ensure justice was served for a Cherokee child."
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney McAmis and Cherokee Nation’s Special Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Jordan represented the United States.Staten Island Brothers Plead Guilty to Opioid Distribution ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Joseph Calabria pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Last week, on September 23, 2019, his brother, Michael Calabria, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug conspiracies, and Joseph Calabria faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearms offense. Both guilty pleas were entered before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty pleas.
“Using their Staten Island homes as opioid supermarkets, the defendants distributed highly addictive and potentially lethal drugs on a daily basis,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The Eastern District and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to hold drug dealers accountable for contributing to the opioid epidemic, which has caused profound human suffering on Staten Island and elsewhere.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, for its assistance during the investigation.
Beginning in September 2016, with court authorization, law enforcement agents intercepted narcotics-related telephone communications between the defendants and others. In his conversations, Michael Calabria conspired with others to distribute heroin, and then distributed it from his residence. Some of the heroin seized during the investigation contained fentanyl. During Joseph Calabria’s intercepted conversations, he conspired with others to distribute oxycodone, negotiated the purchase of thousands of oxycodone pills and distributed oxycodone pills from his residence.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia N. Washington.
The Defendants:
JOSEPH CALABRIA
Age: 55
Staten Island, New YorkMICHAEL CALABRIA
Age: 51
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-91 (SJ)
Statement of United States Attorney McSwain on Today’s Opinion in the United States v. Safehouse LitigationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain issued the following statement regarding the opinion issued by the district court this afternoon:
“As Deputy Attorney General Rosen explained today, the Department of Justice remains committed to preventing illegal drug injection sites from opening. Today’s opinion is merely the first step in a much longer legal process that will play out. This case is obviously far from over. We look forward to continuing to litigate it, and we are very confident in our legal position.”
Statement from Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen on the United States v. Safehouse RulingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Statement from Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen on the United States v. Safehouse ruling:
“The Department is disappointed in the Court’s ruling and will take all available steps to pursue further judicial review. Any attempt to open illicit drug injection sites in other jurisdictions while this case is pending will continue to be met with immediate action by the Department.”
Smith County Man Guilty in Counterfeit Immigration Documents ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –A 53-year-old Flint, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Jose Luis Marquez Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Oct. 1, 2019 to conspiracy to produce, transfer, and forge false identification documents before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell. Marquez Rodriguez also agreed to the forfeiture of several firearms and ammunition; a computer and three printers; $9602 cash; funds in three bank accounts totaling $21,359.09; and two pieces of real property in Flint, Texas. Marquez Rodriguez has also agreed to a money judgment in the amount of $308,961.09, representing proceeds received from his conduct.
According to information presented in court, beginning in April 2009, Marquez Rodriguez was involved in a conspiracy to produce and sell fictitious U.S. identification documents to others. The false documents included U.S. Social Security cards and Permanent Residence cards. Marquez Rodriguez admitted to being personally responsible for the transfer of over 100 false identification documents as part of this conspiracy. Marquez Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 23, 2019.
Under the federal statute, Marquez Rodriguez faces up to 5 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan R. Jackson and Colleen Bloss.
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Sand Springs Police and IRS Snare Man for False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Sand Springs man pleaded guilty today in federal court for filing a fraudulent tax return which resulted in a $3,800 tax refund, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Kevin Glenn Petty, 54, pleaded guilty to theft of government property before Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell. In the plea agreement, Petty admitted to opening multiple financial accounts in order to receive the direct deposit refunds resulting from fraudulent federal income tax filings.
“Tax refund identity theft is a significant and growing problem. In fact, the IRS has previously identified it as the number one tax fraud scam they see,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Tax refund identity theft can be a financially lethal combination for victims causing delays in their return or problems with future filings.”
In 2017, Petty filed a fraudulent 2016 income tax return using the name of a taxpayer who was unaware of the filing of the false document. The $3,800 tax refund amount was deposited into a Green Dot card account, which funded a Green Dot pre-paid debit account. Petty also filed five additional fraudulent returns, under different names, which were intercepted by the IRS. The six false returns filed by Petty sought a total of $12, 303 in fraudulent refunds.
At the time of his arrest by Sand Springs Police in 2017, Petty was found to be in possession of personal identifying information of multiple individuals. The information in Petty’s possession at the time of his arrest included credit and debit cards in the names of other individuals, as well as a list of names with social security numbers and dates of birth. Another document in Petty’s possession at the time of his arrest also included e-mail addresses and passwords, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and routing and bank account information for other individuals.
Chief Judge Dowdell set sentencing for Jan. 6, 2020.
The Sand Spring Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspector conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. McLoughlin prosecuted the case.
Rochester Man Going to Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Adam Schutz, 36, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that on January 30, 2019, and officer with the New York State Division of Parole Supervision and others conducted a compliance search of the defendant’s parole-approved residence on Myrtle Street in Rochester. During a search of Schutz’s bedroom, parole officers recovered a 9mm handgun loaded with nine rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine; a second firearm magazine loaded with 10 additional rounds of 9mm ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing a quantity of fentanyl; a bag containing approximately 80 individual doses of LSD; a digital scale; a white plastic grocery bag containing five boxes of 9mm cartridges, two handgun holsters; as well as a .40 caliber handgun loaded with nine .40 caliber cartridges in an attached magazine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, and the New York State Division of Parole.
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Rochester Man Convicted by A Federal Jury of Wire Fraud and Identity Theft Going to Prison for 10 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a Emanuel Guobadia, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, who was convicted following a jury trial of wire fraud and identity theft, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Marangola and Richard Resnick, who prosecuted the case, stated that the defendant obtained the personal information of thousands of individuals across the country and used that information to file over 880 fraudulent tax returns. The refunds were transferred through victims’ accounts in Rochester, NY and laundered into the Guobadia’s bank account in Georgia.
In total, the defendant attempted to obtain $2,800,000 in fraudulent tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service denied most of the requests.“People who try to defraud the IRS are cheating all other law-abiding taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “They are committing a crime, and as today’s sentence shows, they are risking serious jail time. Fittingly, once out of jail, they will still owe the taxes and—following interest and possible civil penalties—then some.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, New York Field Office.
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Rochester Felon Sentenced on A Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tyrone Jiggetts, 48, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who handled the case, stated that on May 6, 2019, the defendant possessed a 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun at a gas station at 799 West Main Street in Rochester. In 1991, Jiggetts was convicted of Robbery in the Third Degree, and in 2004, he was convicted of Attempted Grand Larceny in the Third Degree. As a result, the defendant is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito.
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Repeat Federal Offender Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Jonas A. Windham, 37, of Laurel, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Windham was previously convicted of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm in the Southern District of Mississippi in 2013 and was sentenced to serve 78 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was still on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest for the current offense. On June 18, 2019, Windham was found in possession of two firearms during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
Windham will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on January 9, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Laurel Police Department investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Red Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Assault of A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of TIMOTHY JAMES LAJEUNESSE, 28, for assaulting a minor on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. LAJEUNESSE, who was indicted on May 21, 2019, pleaded guilty today before Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5, 2020.
According to LAJEUNESSE’s guilty plea, in the early morning hours of January 13, 2019, after a night of drinking, LAJEUNESSE returned to his residence on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. LAJEUNESSE initially went to sleep, but upon waking up, he grabbed a minor, who was also sleeping in the residence, and attempted to strangle her. In the course of the assault he punched and kicked her. As a result of the assault, the minor sustained a large bruise on her forehead, smaller bruises throughout the rest of her body, and marks on her neck that are consistent with attempted strangulation.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Department of Public Safety and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Angela M. Munoz-Kaphing is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
TIMOTHY JAMES LAJEUNESSE, 28
Red Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
- Assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, 1 count
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Prolific Wholesale Fentanyl Distributor Convicted After Trial on Federal Charges for a Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Related Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Paul Alexander, a/k/a David Paul Hayes and Shorty, age 47, of Hanover, Maryland, on five federal charges including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances—specifically fentanyl, possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The jury returned its verdict in the evening on Monday, October 1, 2019.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“More people die of opioid overdoses than murder in Maryland, while drug dealers spend their profits on luxury cars and jewelry,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Fentanyl dealers, like Paul Alexander, sell death and despair, and dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution. We’re also targeting drug dealers who use guns and increase the risk of gun violence in Maryland. Working together with our local, state, and federal partners, we are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland.”
According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, from April 2018 through January 2019, Paul Alexander distributed large amounts of fentanyl in and around the Baltimore area. An 11-month investigation by DEA into Alexander’s drug trafficking activities resulted in the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl—enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people—and over $4 million in cash from Alexander’s car and apartments on January 2, 2019.
The evidence showed that Alexander distributed fentanyl on several occasions to a Baltimore County drug trafficker in 2018. In addition, he was observed conducting narcotics-related transactions with another drug dealer, and surveillance video at his apartment complex revealed that Alexander used several vehicles to store and deliver drugs. The evidence proved that Alexander utilized vehicles and residences in the names of relatives and associates in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation.
Witnesses testified that the DEA and Anne Arundel County police executed search warrants on January 2, 2019, at two apartments associated with Alexander. Law enforcement testified that they recovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine that contained 24 rounds of ammunition, multiple bags filled with over $4 million in cash, jewelry, and narcotics distribution paraphernalia.
The government also seeks the forfeiture of more than $4 million in cash seized during the investigation, three luxury vehicles, seven Rolex watches, two Cartier bracelets with diamonds, a diamond tennis bracelet, and two designer bags.
Alexander faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for the conspiracy; a maximum of life in prison for each of two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; life in prison for possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking; and ten years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for January 3, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner, who tried this Organized Crime Druge Enforcement Task Force case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin, who handled pre-trial litigation.
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Philadelphia Tax Preparer Convicted of Preparing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Philadelphia tax return preparer pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return before the United States District Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania yesterday, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwaim for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“Tax return preparers, who take advantage of their clients and the tax system to file false tax returns and line their own pockets with refund money, will be prosecuted and held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman.
“When our tax laws are ignored, especially to this extent, we all lose,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The defendant not only violated the tax laws, but also he victimized individuals who simply wanted to do the right thing and pay their taxes. This sentence should send a message to anyone who thinks he can flout the law: the federal government will investigate and prosecute you.”
“Mr. Coumbassa blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “He used a variety of methods to cheat the government, including falsifying information on tax returns to generate larger refunds for his clients. We owe it to every American taxpayer to use all lawful means to identify and prosecute unscrupulous tax returns preparers like Mr. Coumbassa.”
Abdoulaye Coumbassa (Coumbassa) owned and operated Abbi Tax Services and Accounting (Abbi Tax). From at least 2012 to 2015, Coumbassa prepared and filed fraudulent U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns Forms 1040 (“Forms 1040”) and related forms and schedules on behalf of his clients with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The indictment alleged that Coumbassa falsified clients’ returns by, among other things, attaching false Schedules C to the clients’ Forms 1040. These Schedules C falsely claimed that the client had a business that lost money, which loss was used to offset taxable income and therefore inflate the refunds or create a refund rather than tax due and owing. The defendant agreed in his plea agreement that a reasonable estimate of the total tax loss exceeded $2 million.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2020, before United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick. Coumbassa faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked a special agent of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben, and Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
A Philadelphia tax return preparer pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return before the United States District Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania yesterday, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwaim for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“Tax return preparers, who take advantage of their clients and the tax system to file false tax returns and line their own pockets with refund money, will be prosecuted and held accountable for their criminal conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman.
“When our tax laws are ignored, especially to this extent, we all lose,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The defendant not only violated the tax laws, but also he victimized individuals who simply wanted to do the right thing and pay their taxes. This sentence should send a message to anyone who thinks he can flout the law: the federal government will investigate and prosecute you.”
“Mr. Coumbassa blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “He used a variety of methods to cheat the government, including falsifying information on tax returns to generate larger refunds for his clients. We owe it to every American taxpayer to use all lawful means to identify and prosecute unscrupulous tax returns preparers like Mr. Coumbassa.”
Abdoulaye Coumbassa (Coumbassa) owned and operated Abbi Tax Services and Accounting (Abbi Tax). From at least 2012 to 2015, Coumbassa prepared and filed fraudulent U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns Forms 1040 (“Forms 1040”) and related forms and schedules on behalf of his clients with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The indictment alleged that Coumbassa falsified clients’ returns by, among other things, attaching false Schedules C to the clients’ Forms 1040. These Schedules C falsely claimed that the client had a business that lost money, which loss was used to offset taxable income and therefore inflate the refunds or create a refund rather than tax due and owing. The defendant agreed in his plea agreement that a reasonable estimate of the total tax loss exceeded $2 million.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2020, before United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick. Coumbassa faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked a special agent of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben, and Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Pawtucket Man Arraigned on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man was ordered detained in federal custody today, arraigned on a federal indictment charging him with robbing banks this past summer in Providence and Pawtucket.
It is alleged in an indictment that Christopher S. Oladapo 28, robbed a Providence branch of Citizens Bank on July 27, 2019, and that he robbed a Citizens Bank branch in Pawtucket on August 31, 2019.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that in each of the robberies Oladapo presented threatening notes to bank tellers demanding cash. It is alleged that he made off with $3,268 from the bank in Providence and that he made off with $2,031 from the bank in Pawtucket.
Oladapo was arraigned today on two counts of bank robbery before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and ordered detained, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., and Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Sandra R. Hebert.
The bank robberies were investigated by the Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI.
Panama National Pleads Guilty ToRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that FELIX ANTONIO SANCHEZ-GOMEZ, age 54, a citizen of the Republic of Panama pleaded guilty on September 26, 2019 to possession of fraudulent immigration documents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 1546(a).
According to the bill of information, FELIX ANTONIO SANCHEZ-GOMEZ possessed a counterfeit Permanent Resident card.
FELIX ANTONIO SANCHEZ-GOMEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, two years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter set sentencing for November 12, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
Osceola, Indiana Man Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Lonnie Painter, age 57, of Osceola, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Mr. Painter was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, between June of 2018 and November of 2018, Mr. Painter admitted that he possessed two loaded 9mm pistols that were purchased by his late wife. The pistols were discovered when Mr. Painter’s vehicles were repossessed by a Michigan bail bondsman. Mr. Painter was convicted previously of Second Degree Murder in Tennessee and Attempted Murder in LaPorte, Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Schultz.
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North Carolina Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Star, North Carolina, medical doctor was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for evading the payment of his income taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney R. Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, from May 2012 to December 2015, Dr. David Russell, 66, took several actions to evade payment of federal income taxes, interest, and penalties he accrued over six previous tax years. Russell ignored a duly-issued Internal Revenue Service (IRS) summons to appear before an IRS collections officer with his pertinent financial records. After the IRS sought and received a court order compelling Russell to comply with the summons, he provided minimal information and omitted records related to any financial accounts and assets he may have had. Russell also hid his assets from the IRS by depositing his paychecks on a reloadable debit card and having wages issued in the name of a company he controlled rather than directly to himself. He also used a business to pay personal expenses. In addition to evading the payment of these taxes, Dr. Russell failed to timely pay the taxes due for the years 2013 through 2015.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Conrad ordered Dr. Russell to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine. Restitution will be ordered at a later date.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and United States Attorney Murray thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider and Assistant Chief Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
North Braddock Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of North Braddock, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Robert Dillard, 46, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, between March 30, 2018, and April 4, 2018, Dillard conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for February 18, 2020. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dillard.
Nigerian National Appears on Charges Relating to Computer Hacking Scheme That Targeted Government EmployeesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Nigerian national extradited from Canada will appear in court today for his alleged role in a scheme that defrauded vendors of office products valued at nearly $1 million by “phishing” e-mail login information from government employees, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Olumide Ogunremi, a/k/a “Tony Williams,” was charged by indictment on Sept. 28, 2018, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was extradited to the District of New Jersey on Sept. 26, 2019, and appeared today before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court, where he pleaded not guilty and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2013 through December 2013, Ogunremi and other conspirators perpetrated a computer hacking and theft scheme targeting United States government agencies’ email systems and Government Services Administration (GSA) vendors. The ring employed “phishing” attacks, which used fraudulent e-mails and websites that mimicked the legitimate e-mails and web pages of U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Unwitting employees of those agencies visited the fake web pages and provided their e-mail account usernames and passwords.
Ogunremi and his conspirators used these stolen credentials to access the employees’ e-mail accounts in order to place fraudulent orders for office products, typically printer toner cartridges, from vendors who were authorized to do business with U.S. government agencies. Ogunremi and his conspirators directed the vendors to ship the fraudulent orders to individuals in New Jersey and elsewhere to be repackaged and ultimately shipped to other locations overseas, which were controlled by Ogunremi and his conspirators. Once the orders were received in Nigeria, Ogunremi and his conspirators sold the toner cartridges to another individual on the black market for profit.
On June 10, 2014, Abiodun Adejohn, a/k/a “James Williams,” 30, of Nigeria, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and was later sentenced to three years in prison.
The wire fraud conspiracy carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito praised special agents of the EPA-OIG, under the direction of Thomas Muskett; General Services Administration OIG, under the direction of SAC Jamie Willemin; Department of Commerce OIG, under the direction of SAC Duane Townsend; Department of Defense Cyber Field Office, under the direction of SAC Jeffery Thorpe; and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to Ogunremi’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sophie E. Reiter, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: John McGovern Esq., Newark
Nevada Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Las Vegas, Nevada, tax return preparer pleaded guilty yesterday to multiple tax crimes, which caused a total tax loss of more than $3.4 million, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Michael A. Sandoval pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to documents filed with the court, Sandoval provided payroll and tax preparation services for individuals and companies through his Las Vegas business Nevada Financial Solutions Inc. (NFS). Sandoval used NFS to commit multiple tax crimes. First, when two of his clients provided NFS with $471,178 in payments to be forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as money due for their quarterly employment taxes, Sandoval did not provide those payments to the IRS, but instead spent the funds for his personal benefit. Second, Sandoval filed and caused the filing of false individual income tax returns for a substantial number of clients by reporting fraudulent deductions, including false Schedule C business losses and charitable contribution and state and local tax deductions. These fraudulent deductions caused a tax loss of over $2.8 million. Lastly, Sandoval fraudulently understated his income from NFS on his individual income tax returns for the years 2010 through 2017, causing an additional tax loss of $100,138. In total, Sandoval caused a tax loss totaling $3,425,654.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2020. Sandoval faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge and three years in prison for each of the false tax return charges. Sandoval also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Nevada Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - A Las Vegas, Nevada, tax return preparer pleaded guilty yesterday to multiple tax crimes, which caused a total tax loss of more than $3.4 million, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Michael A. Sandoval pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to documents filed with the court, Sandoval provided payroll and tax preparation services for individuals and companies through his Las Vegas business Nevada Financial Solutions Inc. (NFS). Sandoval used NFS to commit multiple tax crimes. First, when two of his clients provided NFS with $471,178 in payments to be forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as money due for their quarterly employment taxes, Sandoval did not provide those payments to the IRS, but instead spent the funds for his personal benefit. Second, Sandoval filed and caused the filing of false individual income tax returns for a substantial number of clients by reporting fraudulent deductions, including false Schedule C business losses and charitable contribution and state and local tax deductions. These fraudulent deductions caused a tax loss of over $2.8 million. Lastly, Sandoval fraudulently understated his income from NFS on his individual income tax returns for the years 2010 through 2017, causing an additional tax loss of $100,138. In total, Sandoval caused a tax loss totaling $3,425,654.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2020. Sandoval faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge and three years in prison for each of the false tax return charges. Sandoval also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Thomas W. Flynn and Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
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Nearly a dozen drug traffickers off the streets and headed to prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A total of 12 area drug traffickers and money launderers have received their sentences following their convictions related to a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
All had previously pleaded guilty for their varying roles in the scheme. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo imposed the sentences over the course of the last three days.
Today, Judge Marmolejo ordered Elias Medina Ugarte, 27, Austin, to serve 120 months in federal prison for coordinating the receipt and distribution of marijuana.
Earlier this week, Laredoans Federico Hernandez, 36, Juan Ciprian Ruiz, 41, Peter Moreno, 26, Joe Alfredo Fuentes, 35, and Janie Guadalupe Lucio, 41, were ordered to serve 70, 60, 60, 50 and 16 months, respectively, while Marisa Guadalupe Deleon, 40, received a probated sentence with six months home confinement. Moreno had been on supervised release for an unrelated alien smuggling charge and received an additional 12 months for the revocation of that term, six of which are to be served consecutively to his other sentence.
Mexican nationals Leodan Martinez, 35, and Pedro Lomeli, 34, were ordered to serve a total of 36 and 120 months in federal prison and are expected to face deportation proceedings following their sentences.
David Gonzalez, 37, received an 18-month term of imprisonment after the court denied his purported acceptance of responsibility, finding he had tested positive for cocaine use while on bond.
Finally, Leticia Rocha Pruneda, 60, and her daughter Ruby Pruneda, 34, both also from Laredo, received three years of probation and 18 months in prison, respectively. The daughter had recruited her mother to launder drug proceeds.
As part of their respective sentences, most of the defendants received a money judgment or forfeiture in varying amounts up to $40,000.
The co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana by means of tractor-trailers and other vehicles and used various U.S. bank accounts to transfer drug proceeds from distribution cities to Laredo. They were able to launder the drug proceeds by investing in businesses, real estate and vehicles in a manner to conceal and disguise the nature, ownership, control and source of their illicit funds.
The Prunedas spent more than $10,000 in drug proceeds or conducted transactions in a manner to conceal or disguise the source of drug proceeds. Gonzalez, Hernandez and Moreno acted as couriers willing to transport narcotics from Laredo to Austin, Dallas and elsewhere, while Lomeli and Ruiz were stash house operators in Laredo. The others assisted in scouting or transporting narcotics and/or drug proceeds.
With exception of Fuentes, Pruneda and Lucio, the defendants will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The organizers or leaders of the organization are scheduled for sentencing later this year.
Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation dubbed Platinum Plus.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graciela Lindberg is prosecuting the case.
Nashville Man Facing Federal Firearms Charges After Child Suffers Gunshot Wound to the HeadRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 2, 2019 – Kedrick Ross, 27, of Nashville, Tennessee, was charged today with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A criminal complaint unsealed today alleges that Ross, a convicted felon, on separate occasions, was in possession of three stolen firearms and also possessed illegal drugs including marijuana, Xanax, methamphetamine, and MDMA as well as items associated with the packaging and sale of drugs.
Ross was arrested earlier today by ATF agents and Metro Nashville Police Youth Services Division detectives after appearing in Davidson County Criminal Court on other charges. He will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later this afternoon.
The charges are the result of an investigation that began on September 9, 2019, after Ross’s three-year-son suffered a gunshot wound to the head while at a relative’s house in Nashville. The investigation determined that Ross, his girlfriend and child had stayed at a relative’s house on the previous evening and they found their son with a gunshot wound to the head the following day, after being startled by the sound of a “bang.” After the child was transported to the hospital, detectives from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) interviewed the relative who told them that after the child was shot, Ross picked up the gun, placed it in a purse, and put in in her car parked in the driveway.
Further investigation revealed that at the time of this incident, Ross was under state indictment for other offenses, and out on bond, including a December 2018 incident in which he was arrested by MNPD officers on drug possession and distribution charges and possessing a stolen Glock .40 caliber handgun. Before being arrested, Ross was observed by MNPD officers conducting a drug transaction on Rosa Parks Boulevard. After two attempts to pull him over, officers stopped Ross’s vehicle but he refused to exit the car and made several reaching movements under the seat. Officers removed Ross from the car and recovered three quart jars containing marijuana, five plastic baggies of marijuana, electronic scales, and a bottle containing an assortment of pills, including Xanax and methamphetamine. A Glock .40 caliber handgun loaded with 14 rounds was recovered from between the driver seat and center console and 14 Xanax bars were found in Ross’ jacket pocket.
The firearm recovered from this incident had been reported stolen in September 2018 from a vehicle parked at a residence in Ashland City, Tennessee. This firearm has been linked to two subsequent shooting incidents, including a damaged property incident on Whites Creek Pike in Nashville on October 16, 2018, and an aggravated assault in Madison, Tennessee, in November 2018. These incidents remain under investigation.
While on bond for the charges listed above, on May 29, 2019, Ross was arrested by MNPD officers after fleeing from them in the area of 25th Avenue North, a part of the Cumberland View Apartments and commonly referred to as “Dodge City.” During this incident, officers with the Juvenile Crimes Task Force saw a vehicle, illegally parked in a handicap-designated space. As officers approached the vehicle, Ross exited the driver’s seat and fled on foot. After a foot pursuit, a TASER was deployed in order to subdue Ross. After being apprehended, two loaded Glock semi-automatic handguns were recovered from Ross’s vehicle, along with marijuana, MDMA, and several items associated with drug distribution. Each of these firearms had previously been reported stolen in separate incidents. One was forcibly taken from an individual as he walked along Charles E. Davis Boulevard in June 2018 and the other was stolen from a vehicle parked at a residence in Nashville in July 2018.
In addition to these charges, Ross had previously been convicted of felonies in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances with intent to sell.
If convicted, Ross faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Ross is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Michigan man admits to drug distribution chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Andrew Thomas, of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted to a drug distribution charge, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Thomas, also known as “Bud,” age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone.” Thomas admitted to selling oxycodone in Monongalia County in September 2015.
Thomas faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation. The Task Force consists of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, Morgantown Police Department, the Star City Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia University Police Department, the Granville Police Department, and the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Mexican man admits smuggling large amount of cocaine across US borderRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican national has admitted to importing 12 kilograms of cocaine via the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge in Laredo, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On June 29, Pedro Moreno-Garcia applied for admission into the country driving a 2010 pickup truck. During the x-ray inspection, officers noticed anomalies within the vehicle’s side door pillars. Immediately thereafter, a service detection dog alerted to the vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the truck and discovered 12 bundles of cocaine wrapped in black tape.
The drugs weighed a total of 12 kilograms with a value of $384,000.
Today, Moreno-Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, admitting he knew there were narcotics in his vehicle and expected to be paid for transporting them.
U.S. District Court Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date, yet to be determined. At that time, Moreno-Garcia faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine. He has been in custody since his arrests he will remain pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans is prosecuting
Members of “Mike’s Candyshop” Drug Delivery Service Charged with Distributing Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Ray Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging ARIEL TAVAREZ, a/k/a “A,” a/k/a “Mike,” CHRISTIAN BAEZ, LUIS MESON, a/k/a “Sito,” GREGORIS MARTINEZ, a/k/a “Greg,” KEVIN GRULLON, a/k/a “Kev,” a/k/a “JB,” and JOIFFREY URENA, a/k/a “Jeff,” a/k/a “Jay,” with conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine through an on-demand drug delivery service called “Mike’s Candyshop.” All six defendants were arrested today and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox in Manhattan federal court this afternoon. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants operated a covert on-demand delivery service for the distribution of highly addictive and dangerous drugs. Allegedly, even after they realized the potency of the drugs they were distributing and selling, the defendants continued to sell their poison. Today’s arrests are part of our continued commitment, along with our law enforcement partners, to stop the flow of heroin and cocaine onto the streets of New York City. Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, Mike’s Candyshop is no longer open for business.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “The NYPD’s efforts to rid New York City streets of drug traffickers are greatly strengthened by our close partnerships with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Anyone who deals in illegal narcotics must understand that the nation’s best investigators will stop at nothing to fight crime and keep safe all the people we serve.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said: “Those arrested today are alleged to have operated an on-demand drug distribution network known as ‘Mike’s Candyshop.’ This illicit enterprise allegedly allowed people to order heroin and cocaine to their doorstep simply by calling the business phone number with the same convenience as if they were ordering a pizza. At least one overdose death is allegedly linked to this drug trafficking organization. HSI’s coordination and information sharing with its partners at the NYPD, DEA and CBP have proven to be effective strategies in investigating drug trafficking organizations. We know that we must continue to combat the trafficking and distribution of these dangerous narcotics in the hope of preventing future overdose deaths.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan said: “Traffickers take note, it is our job to investigate and arrest drug suppliers whose business leads to drug addiction, overdoses, and death. This case gives new meaning to the term ‘candy’ and gave investigators a look into alleged drug delivery services in New York. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI, and NYPD will continue to identify alleged drug suppliers at all levels.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment,[1] and statements made in Court:
The defendants were members of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that engaged in a drug delivery service, which identified itself as “Mike’s Candyshop.” The DTO delivered heroin and cocaine on demand to customers in New York City, and distributed numerous kilograms of heroin and cocaine throughout the course of the conspiracy. Mike’s Candyshop generally operated seven days per week, from approximately 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., with the exception of major holidays such as Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and Labor Day. Customers of the DTO placed delivery orders via text message to a centralized phone number (the “Candyshop Number”). The operator of the Candyshop Number was usually TAVAREZ, a/k/a “A,” a/k/a “Mike,” one of the charged defendants and the leader of the DTO. Using the Candyshop Number, TAVAREZ accepted customer orders and subsequently arranged for a courier working for the DTO to deliver the narcotics to the customer, usually within hours of the customer texting his or her order to the Candyshop Number. Certain of the DTO members, including BAEZ, MESON, GRULLON, and URENA, served as couriers for the DTO, and regularly delivered and sold narcotics to the DTO’s customers in hand-to-hand drug transactions coordinated through the Candyshop Number. MARTINEZ managed the DTO’s day-to-day supply of drugs and cash proceeds.
The DTO stored heroin, cocaine, and cash from drug sales in various stash locations maintained by the DTO, including in Brooklyn, New York. In an effort to avoid law enforcement detection, the DTO sold only to customers who had been referred by existing customers, periodically changed the Candyshop Number, used coded language to discuss narcotics, and delivered narcotics directly to customers at locations specified by the customer.
As a means of marketing its cocaine, and to ensure that the DTO’s customers knew the cocaine provided by the couriers belonged to the DTO, the DTO sold its cocaine in vials sealed with different colored tops. On or about December 16, 2018, a customer of the DTO (“Victim‑1”) died of a drug overdose in Manhattan, New York. At the scene of the overdose death, law enforcement officers recovered empty vials with colored tops, and a glassine next to a powder mixture containing, among other substances, heroin and cocaine, along with Victim-1’s cellphone. Victim-1’s cellphone contained text messages showing that Victim-1 had ordered narcotics from the Candyshop Number on numerous occasions, including the day before Victim-1’s death.
* * *
BAEZ, 33, MESON, 31, MARTINEZ, 34, GRULLON, 25, and URENA, 27, each of New York, New York, and TAVAREZ, 38, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, are each charged with one count of conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, the DEA, and the NYPD. He also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Aline R. Flodr, Mollie Bracewell, and Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Member of Newark’s ‘Famous Boyz’ Street Gang Admits Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charges; Five Members Charged in 21-Count Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – One of 17 defendants arrested in connection with a Newark street gang known as the “Famous Boyz” today admitted distributing narcotics as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ibn Saadiq, a/k/a “Zero,” 22, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. He is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in the case so far.
On Sept. 30, 2019, a grand jury returned a 21-count superseding indictment charging Patricio Hernandez; Jonathan Hernandez; Jonathan Garcia, a/k/a “Bebo;” Javon Holmes, a/k/a “J-Dot;” and John Mosley, a/k/a “Breezy,” a/k/a “Brazy,” as follows:
Count(s)
Charge
Defendant(s)
1
Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine
Mosley; Holmes; P. Hernandez; J. Hernandez; Garcia
2
Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin
Mosley; Holmes
3
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base
Mosley; Holmes
4
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base
Mosley
5-9
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin
Mosley
10
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin
Holmes
11
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base
Holmes
12
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin
Holmes
13
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base
Holmes
14
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base
Holmes
15
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base
Holmes
16
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin
Mosley; Holmes
17
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base
Mosley; Holmes
18
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin
Mosley; Holmes
19
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base
Mosley; Holmes
20
Distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base
J. Hernandez; Garcia
21
Maintaining premises for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, and using a controlled substance
J. Hernandez; Garcia
The charges in the superseding indictment and previous criminal complaint remain pending, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In October 2018, Saadiq and 16 other members of a violent drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Newark were charged by criminal complaint after a lengthy wiretap investigation with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and/or heroin. The defendants are members and associates of the Famous Boyz – a subset of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang – which dealt significant quantities of heroin and crack-cocaine, primarily in the area of South 18th Street and 15th Avenue, in Newark. The gang often referred to this area as the “8 Block,” “18th,” or simply by reference to the number “8”.
The six defendants who previously pleaded guilty before Judge Arleo are:
Quaheem Bethea, a/k/a “Troub,” 20; Angelo West, a/k/a “Come Up,” 21; David Lamar, a/k/a “Brazy Ru,”27; Malik Minor, a/k/a “YK,” 22; Omar Jones, a/k/a “Torch” 20; and Robert Dorrah, a/k/a “Cash Out,” 21, all of Newark.
The heroin and crack cocaine conspiracy counts carry a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to the charges and today’s guilty plea.
He also thanked the DEA, under the direction of SAC Susan A. Gibson; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini; and the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gary Marshuetz.
This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.
The government is represented by Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Mary E. Toscano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Saadiq: James Patton Esq., Livingston, New Jersey
Bethea: Kathleen M. Theurer Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
West: Michael V. Calabro Esq., Newark
Lamar: Michael P. Koribanics Esq., Newark
Minor: Andrew Olesnycky Esq., Westfield, New Jersey
Jones: David B. Glazer Esq., Livingston, New Jersey
Dorrah: John Whipple Esq., Morristown, New JerseyMaryland men admit to fentanyl distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sven Artez Alston and James Lamont Brinkley, both of Baltimore, Maryland, have admitted to distributing fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Alston, age 30, and Brinkley, age 32, each pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Both men were found in a motel in Spring Mills, West Virginia, in November 2018 with 30 grams of fentanyl, 39 grams of a synthetic opiate known as U47700, and a cutting agent, as well as digital scales and plastic baggies. The amount of fentanyl seized was enough to kill more than 10,000 people. Other drugs were also found in the room, along with $9,600 in cash.
Alston and Brinkley each face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy D. Helman and Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The FBI; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Charles Town Police Department; and the Ranson Police Department investigated. The United States Marshals assisted.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.