Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 23 July 2019
Brecksville man charged with fraud conspiracy for stealing products from another company, relabeling them and selling the product to health care providersRead the Press Release
A Brecksville man was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he and another man conspired to steal products from another company, relabel them and sell the product under false pretenses to various health care providers.
Ryan H. Tennebar, 38, was the Director of Operations at Healthcare Essentials Inc. (HEI), an Ohio company that primarily distributed negative pressure therapy systems, also known as wound care vacuums, which promote wound healing by delivering negative pressure to patients’ wounds.
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) was a corporation whose parent company was based in Texas. KCI developed, manufactured, and distributed proprietary wound care vacuums. KCI maintained exclusive rights for sale and distribution of its wound care vacuums to its customers, which typically included nursing homes, hospitals and rehabilitation centers.
According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court:
Tennebar conspired with a person identified as co-conspirator number one, who worked for KCI at a facility in El Paso. Tennebar communicated with the conspirator between 2013 and 2016 to request KCI wound vacuums, which were illegally taken from KCI facilities, nursing homes, hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The conspirator continued to fraudulently acquire KCI wound care vacuums even after he was terminated as a KCI employee in 2014.
Tennebar and the conspirator fraudulently relabeled the KCI products with HEI labels. The original KCI serial numbers were often obliterated.
Tennebar then falsely represented to HEI’s prospective customers that HEI was an authorized distributor of KCI wound care vacuums.
Tennebar sent the conspirator approximately $619,000 between 2013 and 2016 for stolen wound care vacuums. The actions of Tennebar, the conspirator and others resulted in a loss to KCI of approximately $4.2 million, according to the information.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Patton and Matthew B. Kall following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Biddeford Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Joshua Kaufman, 33, of Biddeford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on January 23, 2019.
Court records reveal that on February 21, 2018, law enforcement seized approximately 170 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of cocaine from a package shipped from Texas to the defendant. Later that same day, law enforcement agents searched a vehicle under the control of the defendant and seized more methamphetamine. The seized drugs were intended for distribution in Southern Maine.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI; the Portland, South Portland and Lewiston Police Departments; the York County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Berkeley County woman indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cassandra Elaine Riggs, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Riggs, age 30, is charged with one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.” Riggs, who is prohibited from having a firearm or ammunition because of previous felony convictions, is accused of having a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle and 20 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition in October 2018 in Berkeley County.
Riggs faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Probation Office investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Akron man indicted for having a loaded handgun, methamphetamine, carfentanil and crack cocaineRead the Press Release
An Akron man was indicted in federal court of firearms and drug charges for having a loaded handgun, methamphetamine, carfentanil and crack cocaine.
Justin Horton, 25, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and three counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Horton possessed methamphetamine, carfentanil and crack cocaine on March 7, according to the indictment.
He also possessed a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun and ammunition on March 7. He was prohibited from having a firearm because of previous convictions for discharging a firearm into a habitation or school, as well as burglary, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and Ohio State Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Monday 22 July 2019
Wilburton Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Danny Joe Patrick, age 51, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Felon In Possession Of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about April 5, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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 Dean Burris represented the United States.
Wetzel County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Lemasters, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Lemasters, age 55, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Lemasters, who is prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 9mm caliber pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition in Wetzel County in October 2018.
Lemasters is facing up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, West Virginia State Police, and the Paden City Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
United States and Tennessee File Suit Against Comprehensive Pain Specialists and Principal Physician OwnersRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 22, 2019 - The United States and Tennessee today filed a consolidated complaint in intervention alleging violations of the False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act by Anesthesia Services Associates, PLLC, d/b/a Comprehensive Pain Specialists (CPS), announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III. The complaint also names as defendants Dr. Peter B. Kroll, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee; Dr. Steven R. Dickerson, of Nashville; and Dr. Gilberto A. Carrero, of Nashville, three of the principal owners of CPS, as well as John Davis, of Franklin, Tennessee, the former CEO, who was convicted by a jury in April of this year of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute; and Russell S. Smith, a chiropractor from Cleveland, Tennessee. The complaint also states claims for violation of the Federal Priority Statute and common law claims, including unjust enrichment and fraud.
As set forth in detail in the complaint, beginning in 2011 under the direction of John Davis, CPS instituted policies to maximize profits through medically unnecessary and excessive testing, including a standing order to automatically conduct quantitative drug testing, specimen validity testing, genetic blood testing and psychological testing on virtually all patients, without regard to individual patient risks or need. In July 2012, CPS began operating its own testing facility in Franklin, Tennessee. To ensure more revenue was generated, CPS required providers to send all urine specimens and blood work to its lab for testing. The reimbursement rate for lab testing is nearly five times the rate of on-site testing.
In addition, John Davis was aware that CPS had submitted false claims and received over $130,000 for non-reimbursable acupuncture, including for services rendered by the physician owner defendants. Yet, Davis made the decision not to refund the overpayment to Medicare.
The physician owners, Drs. Dickerson, Kroll, and Carrero, knew about each of these unlawful practices, as they personally engaged in the submission of false claims relating to this conduct.
John Davis also engaged in a practice of upcoding, altering the claims submitted by providers to maximize the amount of reimbursement from the government.
The complaint also alleges separately that Dr. Peter Kroll was responsible for submitting claims to the United States falsely indicating that he was the Rendering Provider. In one particularly egregious example of this fraudulent conduct, Dr. Kroll caused over 2,500 claims to be submitted to Medicare, for which CPS was paid almost $350,000 for procedures and testing on patients during a period of time when Dr. Kroll was out of the country on vacation. As a result of this conduct, Medicare has revoked Dr. Kroll’s billing privileges.
Despite the governments’ investigation, CPS continued to submit false claims until 2018, when it began the process of dissolution. The governments allege that the scheme defrauded Medicare and TennCare of at least $25 million, and the United States and Tennessee are seeking to recover treble damages, plus penalties for the thousands of false claims submitted, pursuant to the False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act.
The governments began investigating the wrongdoing alleged in today’s complaint in response to lawsuits filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, which allow private citizens with knowledge of false claims to bring civil suits on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara F. Sweet represents the United States, and Assistant Attorney General Philip Bangle represents Tennessee.
The claims alleged by the United States and Tennessee are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The lawsuit is captioned United States and the State of Tennessee ex. Rel. Suzanne Alt, et al. v. Anesthesia Services Associates, PLLC, et al., Case No. 3:16-cv-00549 (M.D. Tenn.).
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Union Township Man Charged with Running $400 Million Unlicensed Check Cashing OperationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union Township, New Jersey, resident with businesses in Newark will appear in court today on charges that he operated a massive unlicensed check cashing operation that cashed over $400 million in checks, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Fernando Q. Martins, 40, of Union, is charged by complaint with one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was arrested on Friday, July 19, 2019, and had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court. Martins is expected to appear before Judge Hammer at 12:30 p.m. today for a bail hearing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since at least 2015, Martins, despite holding no license, operated a scheme in which he cashed checks, mostly from customers in the construction and building trades, for a fee. In total, Martins and those working for him cashed over $400 million in checks. In addition to cashing checks for his customers, Martins also facilitated the scheme by allowing customers to write checks to businesses he controlled. In exchange for their fees, Martins’ customers could avoid the cash being reported on Currency Transaction Reports. This facilitated the customers’ ability to pay off-the-books employees and laborers in cash and avoid payroll and income taxes.
The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of the greater of (1) twice the gross financial gain derived from the offense, (2) twice the loss caused by the offense, or (3) $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur in Newark, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark with the investigation leading to the charge against Martins.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: Chester Keller, Esq.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Partner with Cumberland County Council on Older Adults to Promote Elder Justice InitiativeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is promoting the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) throughout the Cumberland County area. On July 22, 2019, the Eastern District partnered with the Cumberland County Council on Older Adults to conduct outreach to approximately 600 seniors in the area to raise awareness about DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative and provide facts about elder abuse. Elder abuse includes physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment, and financial abuse.
Below are some facts shared with the community about the impact of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation:
- Elder abuse triples the risk of premature death and causes unnecessary illness, injury, and suffering.
- Victims of elder abused are four times more likely to be admitted to a nursing home and three times more likely to be admitted to a hospital.
- Financial exploitation causes large economic losses for businesses, families, elders, and government programs, and increases reliance on federal and state health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
- Older adults with cognitive incapacity suffer significantly greater economic losses than those without such incapacity.
- As a result of providing care for an older adult, some caregivers experience declines in their own physical and mental health.
The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate DOJ’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and scams that target our nation’s seniors by promoting justice for older adults; helping older victims and their families; enhancing state and local efforts through training and resources; and supporting research to improve elder abuse policy and practice.
For more information about DOJ’s efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, please visit the Elder Justice Website at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. You can also contact the Victim Connect Hotline between 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday, at: 1- 855-4VICTIM (1-855-4842846), or contact the Elder Justice Coordinator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina at (919) 856-4530.
Two Plead Guilty in West End Drug CaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Two residents of Pittsburgh, PA, have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising from a wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in Pittsburgh’s West End neighborhood, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jaamiyl Dean, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking before Senior United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton. Tyree Davis, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine before Senior Untied States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. Jaamiyl Dean was intercepted over the wiretap discussing drug transactions. When agents executed a search warrant at Dean’s home and vehicle on June 20, 2018, they recovered, among other things, two firearms, several rounds of ammunition, drug packaging materials, and over $64,000 in cash. Dean has previously been convicted of a felony offense, and was prohibited from possessing the firearms. The wiretap investigation also revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Tyree Davis and his co-conspirators distributed crack cocaine in and around the area of the Greenway Projects.
Judge Walton scheduled sentencing for Jaamiyl Dean for Nov. 8, 2019, at 9 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for Tyree Davis for Nov. 25, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, both defendants will remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to these prosecutions.
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.
Two Men Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison Terms for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
In unrelated cases, a federal judge in Midland sentenced Christopher David Mayhall, 42 of Dublin, TX, and James Vernon Foster, 57 of Abilene, TX, to 20 years and 15 years in federal prison, respectively, for child exploitation offenses, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division.
On July 18, 2019, U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Foster to 15 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Judge Counts also ordered that Foster pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
In February of 2019, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity began chatting online with Foster. The undercover agent indicated that he had access to two minor children, and Foster expressed a sexual interest in the children. Throughout the next few weeks, the conversations between the Agent and Foster became increasingly sexual in nature, and eventually a meet-up was scheduled. On March 21, 2019, Foster arrived in Midland for the purported meeting, expecting to have sexual relations with the children and was arrested by federal agents. Foster pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted enticement of a minor on May 14, 2019.
On July 11, 2019, Judge Counts sentenced Mayhall to 20 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release.
In November of 2018, an FBI agent acting in the same undercover capacity began chatting online with Mayhall. Mayhall also expressed a sexual interest in the children. Throughout the next few weeks, the conversations between the agent and Mayhall became increasingly sexual in nature, and eventually Mayhall asked the agent to take nude photographs of the children and send them to him. Additionally, Mayhall sent the agent a video of a young child being sexually abused. In January 2019, Mayhall was charged with one count of attempted production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the attempted production charge on May 15, 2019.
FBI agents in Midland conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane A. Chriesman prosecuted these cases on behalf of the Government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Twin Sisters Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud, Third Defendant Admits to Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Two identical twin sisters, and one of their sons, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to charges of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud and making a false statement in relation to the Social Security Act, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.
Michele Annette Honaker, 45, and Marilyn Yvette Blankenship, 45, both of Richlands, Va., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud. Chandler Dalton Blankenship, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty today to one misdemeanor count of making a false statement in relation to the Social Security Act.
“Medicaid fraud, including billing for home healthcare services that were not actually provided, is a serious federal crime and one that can result in a prison sentence,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We will continue to work closely with our partners at the Virginia Attorney General’s Office to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations who illegally put profit over patient care and, in so doing, undermine these vital government programs.”
“Rooting out provider fraud helps keep the Medicaid program strong for those Virginians who truly need assistance,” said Attorney General Herring. “Our strong partnerships with state agencies, like the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, and federal partners, like U.S. Attorney Cullen and his team, ensure that our Medicaid dollars are used effectively.”
According to court documents filed during today’s plea hearing, at various times between April 1, 2008 and September 28, 2018, Michele Honaker and Marilyn Blankenship worked as service facilitators under the Virginia Medicaid program. As part of their duties, services facilitators are responsible for conducting home visits and re-assessments, and providing training, for Medicaid recipients. During this same time period, Chandler Blankenship worked for Michele Honaker, his aunt, and Marilyn Blankenship, his mother, and later became a services facilitator himself.
On multiple occasions, Michele Honaker and Marilyn Blankenship billed Virginia Medicaid for routine visits and re-assessment visits on the same date of service for the same recipients, when only one or the other visit actually occurred. Honaker and Marilyn Blankenship also billed for recipient training that never occurred.
In addition, on multiple occasions, all three defendants billed for face-to-face home visits and/or reassessment visits with Medicaid recipients on or after the recipient had died. All three defendants billed for face-to-face home visits that never occurred because the recipients have been moved to a nursing home or were otherwise discharged from services.
The investigation of the case was conducted by Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services. Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Janine M. Myatt and Assistant United States Attorney Lena Busscher are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Three Flint Men Charged in Conspiracy to Rob Sanilac County Marijuana Grow OperationRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging three Flint men with conspiring to rob a Sanilac County marijuana grow operation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. Joining Schneider in the announcement was Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater. Named in the federal indictment are:
PAUL M. DRINKWINE
a.k.a. Pauli D,JUSTIN D. COOPER,
a.k.a. Just, andJOHN C. WILLIAMS,
a.k.a. Jizzle Will,The indictment alleges that on November 19, 2017, the defendants and others travelled from Flint to a residence in Sanilac County in order steal marijuana and marijuana proceeds. The indictment also alleges that the men covered their faces, put on gloves, and brandished firearms as they approached the home. The men forcibly entered the home and shot the homeowner in the leg. The homeowner survived.
Another resident of the home shot and killed two of the intruders.
The indictment further alleges that the men conspired to distribute the marijuana after the robbery, and that they used their firearms during and in relation to the attempted robbery and conspiracy to distribute the marijuana.
“Drugs are a magnet for violence, and all too often that violence is perpetrated with a gun. Our office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target violent criminals who use guns to achieve their selfish ends,” said Schneider.
“This robbery created an extraordinarily dangerous situation, putting the lives of the residents and the lives of the robbers at risk,” said SAC Slater. “Because of the hard work of the FBI and its law enforcement partners, these men will face the consequences of their reckless actions.”
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Genesee County Safe Streets Task Force along with the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory and Sanilac County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by the Flint Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information regarding others involved in this incident may contact the FBI Flint Field Office at 810-239-5775.
Stratford Woman Pleads Guilty to Distribution of SuboxoneRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Roxanne Adjutant, 49, of Stratford, pleaded guilty in federal court to distribution of Suboxone, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 19, 2018, Adjutant sold Suboxone to an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement officers. The sale occurred within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.
Suboxone, a form of the drug buprenorphine, is an opioid and a Schedule III controlled substance. It is frequently prescribed in the treatment of substance use disorders.
Adjutant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2019.
“Drug trafficking endangers the health and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to deter this hazardous activity, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in illegal drug sales.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Colebrook Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s Division of Enforcement & Licensing, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles Rombeau and John S. Davis.
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Stoneham Man Charged with Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoneham man was charged in federal court in Boston today in connection with drug trafficking activities involving fentanyl.
Alexis Baez, 52, was charged in an Information with three counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, fentanyl; two counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, more than 40 grams of fentanyl; and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Baez was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested on April 26, 2019. He has been in custody since his arrest.
According to court records, between February and April 2019, Baez engaged in six separate drug sales of fentanyl powder to an undercover law enforcement agent.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn, Stoneham, Milton, and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman on the Death of Robert MorgenthauRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Robert Morgenthau, the legendary U.S. Attorney and Manhattan District Attorney, passed away yesterday just 10 days shy of his 100th birthday. Mr. Morgenthau’s contributions to law enforcement and to the Southern District of New York were extraordinary. Among his many achievements during his tenure as U.S Attorney, Mr. Morgenthau created the Securities Fraud Unit and helped establish the framework for sophisticated, international investigations that still guides our career prosecutors. Whether he was charging landmark public corruption or organized crime cases, Mr. Morgenthau worked tirelessly to instill public confidence in the integrity of the Office.
Mr. Morgenthau remained active and engaged until he passed. Indeed, less than a year ago he was kind enough to join the Office in the repatriation of a Renoir painting stolen by the Nazis during WWII. At that ceremony, which took place at the Robert Morgenthau wing of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Mr. Morgenthau spoke movingly about the importance of bringing some measure of justice, even a half century later, to the victims of the Holocaust and their heirs.
Every day as I enter my office I pass a portrait of Mr. Morgenthau and I am inspired by his lifelong dedication to public service and the law.”
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St. Louis City Man Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
St. Louis MO --- Aaron Mitchell, 30, of St. Louis City, pled guilty today to one count of preparing false tax returns and one count of filing false claims for tax refunds. Mitchell appeared before United States District Judge Audrey F. Fleissig. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2019.
According to court documents, Mitchell admitted that from 2013 through 2015, he prepared approximately 160 federal income tax returns for individuals and electronically filed the returns. He was not registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a return preparer and submitted the returns only in the names of the individuals. Most of the tax returns prepared and filed by Mitchell were false and constituted fraudulent claims for refund.
Mitchell submitted false W-2 information which reflected false employer names as well as false wage and income tax withholding amounts. He often added in bogus claims for education credits---so-called American Opportunity Credits--- by falsely claiming that individuals had upwards of $4,000.00 in expenses attending Forest Park Community College or Meramec Community College. The false tax returns prepared and filed by the Mitchell for the years 2012, 2013 and 2015 caused a tax loss of $99,576.00, which was the amount of refunds paid out by the IRS.
“An integral part of the IRS’s mission involves detecting and catching fraudulent tax refund claims,” said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight tax fraud.”
Mitchell faces up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for preparation of false tax returns and up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for filing false claims for tax refunds. In determining the actual sentence, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provides recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation office in St. Louis. Criminal Chief James Crowe, Jr. is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Scranton Man Charged with Making False Statements in On-Going Public Corruption InvestigationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edward Weidow, Sr., age 65, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged today in a criminal information with making false statements to federal investigators in a public corruption investigation involving former Mayor of Scranton, William Courtright. Weidow is scheduled to appear in federal court in Scranton on July 23, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for his arraignment.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the criminal information alleges that Weidow took cash from vendors and then transferred the cash to former Mayor of Scranton William Courtright. The information further alleges that on January 9, 2019, Weidow was interviewed by the FBI and denied giving cash to Courtright, when in fact on numerous occasions, he had done so.
On July 2, 2019, Courtright entered a guilty plea to an information charging him with various public corruption offenses. The day before the guilty plea, Courtright resigned as Mayor of the City of Scranton.
Courtright’s corrupt activities came to light during a multi-year undercover investigation headed by the FBI. The undercover investigation revealed that the former mayor accepted cash payments from vendors doing business with the city in a pay-to-play scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI and was assisted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Consiglio, Michelle Olshefski and William Houser are prosecuting the case.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Rochester Man Who Took 14 Year Old to New York City Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robert Gonzalez, 42, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to production of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that on December 3, 2018, the Rochester Police Department received a 911 call from a mother regarding her missing daughter, a 14-year-old victim, who had not been seen since December 1, 2018. The mother, who attempted to call the victim’s cell phone several times without success, told police that the victim left the house that day around 1:00 p.m. without her permission. The mother also told officers that she recently discovered that the victim was in an inappropriate sexual relationship with defendant. The mother stated that she caught the defendant kissing the victim in front of her house, and that the victim confessed to the mother that she had been dating Gonzalez and that they had sex numerous times. In addition to further confirming the sexual nature of their relationship, a review of the victim’s social media indicated that she may have travelled to New York City. The defendant’s friend further advised officers that the defendant told him that he took the victim to New York City but would not state exactly where in New York City.
An emergency trace was put on the defendant's cell phone which showed that he was in fact in New York City. An Amber Alert was issued and the FBI and NYPD assisted with the investigation and ultimately apprehended Robert Gonzalez. The defendant was apprehended on December 6, 2018, at the Red Carpet Inn in Brooklyn, NY.
At the time of his arrest, officers seized Gonzalez’s cell phone. A search of the recovered numerous videos, taken between November 12, 2018, and November 19, 2018, of the defendant engaging in sexual activity with the victim.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York Police Department, under the direction of Chief Terence Monahan.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joshua Vandegrift, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Elizabeth A. Wolford to attempted receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office after engaging a minor in sexually explicit conversations via Facebook. Following an extensive investigation, Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered three additional minor victims of Vandegrift. The victims were located and identified by members of the FBI, Corning Office. The victims included a 12 year old female, two 13 year old females, and a 17 year old female. In each of the conversations, the defendant sent the victims sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and attempted to induce the victims to send him nude photographs in return.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Don Hilton; the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Acting Sheriff William A. Schrom; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Corning Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2019, before Judge Wolford.
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Rochester Felon Pleads Guilty to 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, 47, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who is handling 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 plea 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.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Rigby Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possessing Sexually Explicit Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Elizabeth Dawn Evans, 28, of Rigby, Idaho, was sentenced last Friday in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison for possessing sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered that Evans be placed on supervised release for ten years following her prison sentence. Evans pleaded guilty on March 6, 2019.
According to court records, on February 26, 2018, state investigators responded to allegations of child abuse at a residence in Jefferson County, Idaho, where Evans resided. A subsequent investigation discovered that Evans’ boyfriend had produced child pornography using a minor child. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Evans’ electronic devices and discovered images of the sexual abuse taken on her phone. In court, Evans admitted that she took and possessed the images.
At sentencing, Judge Winmill also ordered Evans to forfeit the cell phone used in the commission of the offense. As a result of her conviction, Evans will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls and the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Providence Man Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin, Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Providence man detained in federal custody since his arrest in December 2018 on drug and firearm charges pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to trafficking heroin and fentanyl, and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Antonio Rivera, 26, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin, distribution of fentanyl, and felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kelly D. Brady, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Rivera admitted that on April 27, 2018, he sold an individual nearly 60 grams of heroin for $2,500, and on October 23, 2018, he sold an ATF undercover agent nearly 8.5 grams of fentanyl and a semi-automatic rifle with a high capacity magazine for $1,330.
Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2019.
Distribution of fentanyl and distribution of heroin are punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment followed by up to lifetime supervised release. Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by ATF, the ATF Task Force, and the Providence Police
Department, with the assistance of the Pawtucket Police Department and the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jeffrey R. Cummings, Jr., a/k/a Olivia Harris, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, for federal charges related to the alleged sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor during a period of time when Cummings was required to register as a sex offender. The indictment was returned on July 18, 2019, and unsealed at Cummings’ initial appearance in U.S. District Court on July 19, 2019. At that hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite ordered that Cummings be detained pending a detention hearing on July 23, 2019, at 2:00 p.m.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the seven-count indictment, Cummings was convicted of a sex offense in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2008, and was required to register as a sex offender in Maryland. The indictment alleges that beginning on May 13, 2017, Cummings operated multiple social media accounts using a variety of aliases, including Olivia Harris, to communicate with minor boys, many of whom lived in the Spokane, Washington area. During his communications with the minor boys, Cummings allegedly falsely represented that Olivia Harris was a teenage girl. Using his accounts, the indictment alleges that Cummings coerced and enticed minor boys to send Cummings pictures and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Cummings also sent the boys money and gifts in exchange for them sending him their previously worn socks by mail.
Further, the indictment alleges that on December 16 and 29, 2018, as well as January 20, 2019, Cummings, posing as Olivia Harris, communicated with Boy 1, who was approximately 15 years old and resided in Stevens County, Washington. During each of those conversations Cummings, posing as Olivia Harris, allegedly requested Boy 1 to send “her” a sexually explicit photograph or video, which Boy 1 provided. On December 16, 2018, Olivia Harris also sent Boy 1 a picture of a teenage girl purported to be a picture of “herself,” as well as nude images of a pubescent female’s genital area, claiming to be pictures of herself.
If convicted, Cummings faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of 50 years in prison for each of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography; a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for each of three counts of enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for committing these crimes while being required to register as a sex offender.
Anyone who may have information about possible victims or details related to the investigation of Jeffrey R. Cummings, Jr is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 202-636-2220.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and FBI for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Baltimore Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Pensacola Executive Indicted for Conspiring with Foreign Nationals to Ship Technology to IranRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Lawrence Keefe, of the Northern District of Florida, announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pensacola business owner for conspiring to sell and export power generating equipment to a recipient in Iran, and concealing the scheme, as well as having payments routed to him via another foreign country. The five- count indictment alleges that Pensacola resident James P. Meharg, 59, CEO and president of Turbine Resources International, LLC, conspired with citizens of the United Kingdom and Iran to export a large turbine and parts from the United States to an Iranian recipient, in violation of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations as well as federal criminal law.
According to the indictment, Meharg, a citizen of the United States, conspired from October 1, 2017, to June 12, 2019, to violate the embargo by attempting to export a Solar Mars 90 S turbine core engine and parts from the United States, for delivery to an end user in Iran. On April 25, 2018, the indictment alleges, Meharg sent an invoice for $500,000 to a conspirator in the United Kingdom and received two partial payments of $124,950 each, on May 7 and May 24, 2018, at least one of which was routed through a company in Dubai.
“The security of the United States depends on protecting our nation from threats, whether those threats originate with foreign nationals or with American citizens who put their own profits ahead of the national interest,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “For decades, American presidents have declared the government of Iran to be a threat to our national security and thereby imposed sanctions, and this office is deeply committed to protecting the integrity of the United States in all ways.”
Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg, who is a National Security Cyber Specialist, is prosecuting the case following a joint investigation by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Meharg is charged with conspiring to export the turbine and its parts to Iran, submitting false and misleading export information, and defrauding the federal government by deceitfully obstructing the enforcement of laws against the export of goods to Iran. He is also charged with substantive offenses involving exporting items to Iran, filing false Electronic Export Information paperwork, and transporting funds from the United Arab Emirates with the intent to conduct the illegal activity. The defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment each for the charges related to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and money laundering, and he faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment each for the conspiracy and filing false paperwork charges. A trial date has been set for September 3, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Paulding County man indicted for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – Thomas Cwik has been arraigned on federal charges of producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
“Cwik allegedly produced, distributed, and collected images portraying the sexual exploitation and abuse of young children,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “It is imperative that we continue target and prosecute sexual predators who victimize children.”
“Child pornography production is, plainly speaking, the filming of child rape. In this case Mr. Cwik allegedly victimized numerous children,” said HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan. “I want to commend our law enforcement partners, including the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office for a quick multi-agency effort which resulted in Cwik’s arrest. Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating and seeking prosecution of these cases as one the agency’s highest priorities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Federal agents determined that Thomas Cwik allegedly traded child pornography online with another individual in January 2019. Agents executed a search warrant at Cwik’s home in April 2019 and found multiple digital devices containing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. They also discovered that Cwik allegedly engaged in sex acts with a minor child in Cobb County, Georgia and captured his sexual abuse of that child on two videos taken on each instance of abuse.
Thomas Cwik, 31, of Powder Springs, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. Cwik was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 9, 2019. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Anyone with information, or who may have been a victim in this case, please contact the Paulding Sheriff’s Juvenile Investigations Division at 770-445-6105 or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations at 404-346-2831.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Paris Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Paris, Kentucky man admitted in federal court today that he conspired to commit crop insurance fraud.
Keith A. Foley, 49, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the laws of the United States before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Joseph M. Hood.
Foley, an agricultural producer of tobacco in Bourbon and Jessamine Counties, admitted that from approximately 2011 through 2016, he agreed with others to commit crop insurance fraud. In these years, Foley took out Multi-Peril Crop Insurance to cover his tobacco crops, an insurance program funded by the federal government through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation but administered through private insurance providers. Foley admitted that he hid his crop production from the insurance companies, in order to claim that his crop suffered enough damage to trigger federal crop insurance indemnity payments.
Foley also had private insurance policies (called crop-hail policies) covering his tobacco crop. In crop years 2012, 2014, and 2015, Foley admitted to entering into an agreement with his crop adjusters and insurance agent at the time, in order to defraud his insurance companies. To accomplish this, Foley’s coconspirators submitted fabricated documents, to support tobacco crop damage, to Foley’s insurance companies. In exchange, Foley paid his coconspirators a portion of the resulting indemnity payout.
According to the plea agreement, Foley’s conduct caused a loss of approximately $480,000 to the federal government and private insurance companies.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; James Robert Brown, Jr, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Christopher Altemus, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and Willie Skeens, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin M. Roth and Kathryn A. Anderson.
Foley is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2019. He faces up to 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of loss. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
A Raleigh, North Carolina, resident pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Garvey Imhotep conspired with others to file false tax returns for the tax years 2011 through 2014 for clients of Tax Kings, Two Brothers Tax Service, and Taxes Done Right. Imhotep and his co-conspirators filed returns claiming false education expenses and other fraudulent items in order to increase clients’ tax refunds. Imhotep used tax preparer identification numbers, associated with other individuals, in order to conceal his involvement and avoid detection by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Sentencing is scheduled for October 2019. Imhotep faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Higdon commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes and Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Niagara Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge After Officers Find 5 Kilograms of Cocaine in His CarRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jose Garcia-Santiago, 61, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Adler, who is handling the case, stated that in September 2017, the U.S. Postal Service intercepted packages arriving from Puerto Rico and addressed to various residences in Niagara Falls, NY. Postal inspectors seized approximately five kilograms of cocaine that were intended for Santiago and his co-conspirators. One of the packages was addressed directly to the defendant’s home address. Another was addressed to the home of Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez.
Thereafter, beginning on May 8, 2018, investigators intercepted numerous conversations involving the defendant discussing cocaine trafficking and the associated proceeds. Many of those conversations were with co-conspirator Edgar Joel Jimenez-Rodriguez.
On May 26, 2018, the New York State Police stopped the vehicle the defendant was driving. Co-conspirator Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez was a passenger. Troopers seized five kilograms of cocaine from the vehicle.
Edgar Joel Jimenez-Rodriguez has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Charges remain pending against Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata, and the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major Mary Clark.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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New Jersey Man Imprisoned for Trafficking in Canadian MarijuanaRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Jesus Escobar, 34, of Hawthorne, NJ, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to ten months of imprisonment following his guilty plea that he conspired to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that he serve a two-year term of supervised release following completion of his prison term. The court directed Escobar to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 3 to begin serving his sentence.
On April 5, Escobar pled guilty to an information charging that beginning in no later than 2016 and continuing through June 2017, Escobar conspired with others to distribute marijuana that had been smuggled into the United States from Canada. Escobar communicated with his Canadian suppliers using encrypted Blackberry devices. Members of the organization smuggled the marijuana into Vermont on foot. Runners then picked up the drugs and distributed them to customers of the conspiracy, including Escobar. Other customers were in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. In March 2017, an individual who was cooperating with the DEA Task Force participated in a controlled delivery to Escobar in New Jersey. During this exchange, Escobar received a replacement Blackberry from his Canadian suppliers and in exchange Escobar gave the cooperating individual more than $59,000 in cash to pay for previously-delivered marijuana. In his plea agreement, Escobar admitted that he distributed between 20 and 40 kilograms of marijuana.
Escobar is represented by Frank Twarog. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
CONCORD, - Illya Scott, 30, of Nashua, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a stolen firearm, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 6, 2018, Scott was arrested in Nashua, New Hampshire. During a search incident to arrest, Nashua police officers found a Berretta, BU PICO, .380 handgun tucked into the defendant's waistband. Scott admitted to stealing the firearm.
Scott is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2019.
“In order to maintain public safety, it is essential to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit gun-related crimes.”
This matter was investigated by the Nashua Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski.
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Myrtle Beach Drug Boss Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal Prison on Oxycodone Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Leroy Anthony Griffin, 31, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to over 9 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute oxycodone.
Evidence presented to the court showed that this case involved a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in which Griffin, and others at his direction or on his behalf, presented counterfeit and forged prescriptions for oxycodone tablets to various pharmacies in South Carolina and elsewhere. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) seized multiple counterfeit and forged oxycodone prescriptions which were linked to the DTO. DEA and DHEC also interviewed numerous persons who were involved in the DTO and who identified Griffin as the boss, man in charge, and source of supply for oxycodone, at whose direction they filled counterfeit and forged oxycodone prescriptions.
On January 31, 2018, agents and officers executed a federal search warrant at a house in Conway. During execution of the search warrant, agents and officers found Griffin in the house hiding in a closet under a pile of clothes. Agents and officers seized from the house two laptops as well as multiple cell phones containing text messages related to drug distribution, pictures of counterfeit prescriptions, and incoming calls from various pharmacies. Agents linked the phone numbers of the phones seized to phone numbers printed on the counterfeit prescriptions.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of Spartanburg, sentenced Griffin to 110 months in federal prison, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Drug trafficking organizations like the one run by Leroy Griffin are flooding our streets with highly addictive prescription opioids like oxycodone,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “Dismantling these criminal enterprises and prosecuting those who operate them are critical steps toward loosening the grip of the opioid epidemic on our communities. We are grateful to DEA, DHEC, SLED, and the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit for their continued efforts to stop the unlawful diversion and distribution of legitimate prescription drugs.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “The amount of prison time Mr. Griffin received correctly reflects his leadership role as the source of supply for dangerous opioid prescriptions like oxycodone. This sentencing removes yet another dangerous criminal from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to indulge in drug trafficking. DEA, its law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and ultimately prosecute criminals like Mr. Griffin.”
The case was investigated by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and DHEC, assisted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
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Mt. Pleasant Doctor Found Guilty in Federal Court of Opioid Trafficking After Columbia Pharmacy VisitRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Dr. Ronald A. Hargrave, age 60, of Mt. Pleasant, has been convicted of Illegal Distribution of Controlled Substances after a four-day jury trial in federal court in Charleston. Senior United States District Judge Margaret B. Seymour of Charleston presided over the trial and will sentence Hargrave at a later date.
Evidence presented at trial established that Hargrave accompanied a female patient to the Walgreen’s pharmacy on Devine Street in Columbia around 11:30 pm on Saturday, May 2, 2015, to fill a prescription for Xanax. Xanax is a controlled substance. The pharmacist on duty, noticing that the prescription, patient, doctor, and doctor’s office were all out-of-town, questioned the validity of the prescription. Additionally, the pharmacist testified the female patient and Hargrave acted overly familiar, and that she had never seen a doctor join a patient in her pharmacy to present a prescription. She refused to fill it and called SC DHEC the next day to report the activity.
In April 2017, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Investigator Adam Roberson connected the 2015 events to another suspicious after-hours incident involving Hargrave and a female patient. On March 7, 2017, Hargrave had met a different female at the medical clinic in Moncks Corner where he worked. That night, Hargrave had sex with the female at the clinic; in exchange, she received $300 cash and a promise to receive four prescriptions for controlled substances, including Xanax and Oxycodone. Three days later, on March 10, the female presented herself as a patient at the clinic, and Hargrave issued her the painkillers. He was fired within hours.
The seven counts presented by the Government related to these two relationships as well as two other individuals with whom Hargrave established non-medical reasons for writing opioid prescriptions.
“We trust our doctors to first do no harm,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “In recent years, Charleston County has distributed a higher concentration of opioid pain pills than any other county in the nation, and in 2017, the county had more opioid overdose deaths than any other county in the state. As Dr. Hargrave’s guilty verdict shows, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute medical providers who ignore the law—and their ethical obligations—by illegally distributing the deadly drugs fueling this epidemic.”
The maximum penalty Hargrave faces for the Illegal Distribution of Controlled Substances is twenty years in federal prison and/or a fine of $1,000,000.
The case was investigated by Investigator Adam Roberson of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Winston D. Holliday, Jr. and Matthew Austin prosecuted the case.
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Moreno Valley Man Who Led Crew that Robbed at Least 15 AutoZone Stores Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy, Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Moreno Valley man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for leading a crew that committed at least 15 armed robberies of AutoZone stores in the Inland Empire, making off with a total of more than $11,000 in cash.
Daeon Raishawn Cox, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal has scheduled an October 7 sentencing hearing, where Cox, who remains in federal custody, will face a statutory maximum sentence of 27 years and a mandatory minimum of seven years in federal prison.
Cox admitted in his plea agreement that from September 5, 2018 until December 13, 2018, he and his co-conspirators robbed AutoZone stores at gunpoint. On December 5, 2018, Cox robbed an AutoZone store in Redlands hours after his co-conspirator scouted the store and looked for the location of its money safe, according to court documents.
Later that same day, the same co-conspirator dropped off Cox, who was armed with an AR-style assault rifle, at the AutoZone store in Redlands, the plea agreement states. Once inside the store and while the co-conspirator waited outside as the getaway driver, Cox pointed the rifle at the AutoZone employees and forced one of them to give him approximately $1,500 belonging to the store, the plea agreement states.
One of Cox’s co-defendants, Dashon Raymond White, 25, pleaded guilty on July 1 to conspiracy to one count of interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. White faces a statutory maximum sentence of 27 years in federal prison at his September 23 sentencing hearing.
Cox, White and co-defendant Jada Shardae Allen, 19, were caught after an attempted robbery by Cox and White at an AutoZone on December 12, 2018 was interrupted by Fontana police, who had been conducting surveillance at an AutoZone store in that city, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in the case. The suspects led police on a high-speed freeway chase that ended when they crashed and tried to run away. All three suspects were eventually apprehended by officers.
Allen’s trial in this matter is scheduled for October 8.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fontana Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside Police Department, the Hemet Police Department, the Redlands Police Department, the Moreno Valley Police Department, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerry C. Yang of the Riverside Branch Office.
Michigan Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Steal from an Organization Receiving Federal FundsRead the Press Release
A Palm Beach County, Florida, resident pleaded guilty today in Flint, Michigan, to conspiring to steal from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. In May 2018, John Capella also pleaded guilty to conspiring to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in connection with this scheme.
According to court documents, from August 2012 through May 2018, John Capella and his co-defendants, using the company Blue Horseshoe Consulting Inc. (Blue Horseshoe), obtained police reports, stolen from the Detroit Police Department, which contained automobile crash victim information. Capella and his co-conspirators used the stolen information to solicit automobile accident victims for medical and chiropractic services. Capella and his co-conspirators also underreported to the IRS gross receipts they received from Blue Horseshoe operations and the total wages Blue Horseshoe paid to its employees.
United States District Court Judge Matthew F. Leitman scheduled sentencing for Capella for Jan. 15, 2020. Capella faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the two conspiracy counts. Capella also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and William Guappone, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A local man was sentenced to 2o years in federal prison for Hobbs Act robberies and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
On November 15, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a ten-count indictment against Brandon Albonetti, 24, for the robberies and attempted robberies of five CVS stores and one Burger King during the summer of 2018.
According to information presented in court, the robberies occurred in Memphis, between June 21, 2018 and August 14, 2018. In several of these robberies, Albonetti entered the respective stores armed with a pistol, taking cash and other items from the registers and safes. In two robberies, Albonetti displayed a knife as he demanded cash. The defendant robbed the CVS located at 786 North Germantown Parkway twice and the CVS at 5055 Stage Road three times during this time period.
On August 14, 2018, Memphis Police officers quickly responded and apprehended Albonetti as he tried to flee the scene of the CVS on Stage Road, which he had just robbed. The defendant used his vehicle to strike two patrol cars as authorities positioned their vehicles to keep the suspect from escaping.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Business owners have a fundamental right to be safe from armed robbers who terrorize our communities with their lawlessness. The senselessness of gun violence has a long-lasting effect on victims of armed robbery, and we are pleased to achieve justice for the victims in this case. This sentence sends a clear message that there will always be a reckoning, a real and significant consequence, for the commission of violent crimes."
On July 22, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Albonetti to 240 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. The defendant previously pled guilty on February 15, 2019.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force; Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office investigated this case.
This case was prosecuted by the Western Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office on behalf of the government.
Member of Violent “Trained to Go” Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Racketeering and Drug ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Timothy Floyd, a/k/a Tim Rod, age 28, of Baltimore, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a drug distribution conspiracy and a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG). The racketeering conspiracy included eight murders, as well as drug trafficking and witness intimidation. Floyd and his co-defendants were also convicted of a drug distribution conspiracy involving heroin, marijuana, and cocaine. The sentence was imposed on July 19, 2018.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
“Timothy Floyd will now spend 30 years in federal prison for the violence and misery he and his fellow gang members brought to West Baltimore, in the form of murders, shootings, armed robbery, witness intimidation, and drug dealing. Anyone who participates in the criminal enterprise can be held accountable for all crimes committed by fellow gang members,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Hopefully criminals who are not deterred from terrorizing our neighborhoods by the threat of prison can be deterred by the reality of years spent in a federal prison far from home—where there is no parole. Ever.”
According to the evidence presented at their 24-day trial, Floyd and his co-defendants are all members of TTG, a criminal organization that operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore, whose members engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence including murder, armed robbery, and witness intimidation. As part of the conspiracy, each defendant agreed that a conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity for TTG.
The evidence at trial showed that members and associates of TTG sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and worked to defend their exclusive right to control who sold narcotics in TTG territory. Floyd served as one of TTG’s primary distributors of heroin and marijuana, routinely selling “packs” of heroin and gram quantities of marijuana from multiple locations in Sandtown. Typically, a “pack” contained between 25 and 50 gel capsules of heroin. In addition, the evidence proved that between May 20, 2010 and January 9, 2017, Floyd, his co-defendants, and other members of TTG committed acts of violence, including murders, shootings, armed robbery, and witness intimidation. Murders were committed in retaliation for individuals robbing TTG members of drugs and drug proceeds, or while TTG members robbed others of their drugs and drug proceeds, as well as in murder-for-hire schemes. Further, the defendants engaged in witness intimidation through violence or threats of violence, to prevent individuals from cooperating with law enforcement.
The leader of the gang, Montana Barronette, a/k/a Tana, and Tanner, age 23, and his brother, Terrell Sivells, a/k/a Rell, age 27, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to life in prison on February 15 and April 26, 2019, respectively. Co-defendants Brandon Wilson, a/k/a Ali, age 24, and Taurus Tillman, a/k/a Tash, age 30, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to 25 years in prison on March 1 and May 21, 2019, respectively. Two other co-defendants, John Harrison, a/k/a Binkie, age 28, and Linton Broughton, a/k/a Marty, age 25, both from Baltimore, were sentenced to life in prison and to 30 years in prison, respectively, on March 15, 2019. Three other TTG members previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to between five and 25 years in prison.
Dennis Pulley, a/k/a Denmo, age 31, of Baltimore, is the final defendant convicted at the trial who is awaiting sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the racketeering and drug conspiracies.
Another defendant, Roger Taylor, a/k/a Milk, age 28, of Baltimore, a fugitive since July 2017, was arrested on June 30, 2019, and is now awaiting trial. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, which includes FBI special agents and task force officers from the Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments. FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force is responsible for identifying and targeting the most violent gangs in the Baltimore metropolitan area, to address gang violence and the associated homicides in Baltimore. The vision of the program is to use federal racketeering statutes to disrupt and dismantle significant violent criminal threats and criminal enterprises affecting the safety and well-being of our citizens and our communities.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the ATF, the DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano, Daniel C. Gardner, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Hanley formerly of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Member of Violent TTG Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Racketeering and Drug ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Timothy Floyd, aka Tim Rod, 28, of Baltimore, to serve 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a drug distribution conspiracy and a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG). The racketeering conspiracy included eight murders, as well as drug trafficking and witness intimidation. Floyd and his co-defendants were also convicted of a drug distribution conspiracy involving heroin, marijuana, and cocaine. The sentence was imposed on July 19.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Baltimore District Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to the evidence presented at their 24-day trial, Floyd and his co-defendants are all members of TTG, a criminal organization that operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore, whose members engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence including murder, armed robbery, and witness intimidation. As part of the conspiracy, each defendant agreed that a conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity for TTG.
The evidence at trial showed that members and associates of TTG sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and worked to defend their exclusive right to control who sold narcotics in TTG territory. Floyd served as one of TTG’s primary distributors of heroin and marijuana, routinely selling “packs” of heroin and gram quantities of marijuana from multiple locations in Sandtown. Typically, a “pack” contained between 25 and 50 gel capsules of heroin. In addition, the evidence proved that between May 20, 2010 and Jan. 9, 2017, Floyd, his co-defendants, and other members of TTG committed acts of violence, including murders, shootings, armed robbery, and witness intimidation. Murders were committed in retaliation for individuals robbing TTG members of drugs and drug proceeds, or while TTG members robbed others of their drugs and drug proceeds, as well as in murder-for-hire schemes. Further, the defendants engaged in witness intimidation through violence or threats of violence, to prevent individuals from cooperating with law enforcement.
The leader of the gang, Montana Barronette, aka Tana, and Tanner, 23, and his brother, Terrell Sivells, aka Rell, 27, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to life in prison on Feb. 15 and April 26, 2019, respectively. Co-defendants Brandon Wilson, aka Ali, 24, and Taurus Tillman, aka Tash, 30, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to serve 25 years in prison on March 1 and May 21, 2019, respectively. Two other co-defendants, John Harrison, aka Binkie, 28, and Linton Broughton, aka Marty, 25, both from Baltimore, were sentenced to serve life in prison and to 30 years in prison, respectively, on March 15, 2019. Three other TTG members previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to between five and 25 years in prison.
Dennis Pulley, aka Denmo, 31, of Baltimore, is the final defendant convicted at the trial who is awaiting sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the racketeering and drug conspiracies.
Another defendant, Roger Taylor, aka Milk, 28, of Baltimore, a fugitive since July 2017, was arrested on June 30, 2019, and is now awaiting trial. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, which includes FBI special agents and task force officers from the Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments. FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force is responsible for identifying and targeting the most violent gangs in the Baltimore metropolitan area, to address gang violence and the associated homicides in Baltimore. The vision of the program is to use federal racketeering statutes to disrupt and dismantle significant violent criminal threats and criminal enterprises affecting the safety and well-being of our citizens and our communities.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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 investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the ATF, the DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano, Daniel C. Gardner, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Hanley, formerly of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Criminal Division prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
McKeesport Man Sentenced for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Allegheny County has been sentenced in federal court to two-and-a- half years’ (30 months’) imprisonment and six years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Michael Henry, 37, of McKeesport, PA.
According to information presented to the court, the charges in this case resulted from a wiretap investigation conducted by the FBI and other law enforcement partners. During the investigation, it was learned that Henry, among other things, assisted with the procurement of fentanyl packages from China, as well as provided locations to which the fentanyl was delivered in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution was part of a 12-month investigation by the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force (GPSSTF), which targeted a large scale Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny Counties. The GPSSTF is comprised of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the FBI. The GPSSTF and the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, would like to recognize the significant contributions made to this investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, United States Postal Inspection Service, Cranberry Township Police Department and the New Brighton Police Department.
Maui Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Mark Lipetz, 50, owner and operator of the South Maui Clinic in Kihei, Maui, pleaded guilty today in federal court to two counts of health care fraud and one count of acquiring a controlled substance through misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. Sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2019 before U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi.
According to court documents and information presented in court, between January 2017 and June 2018, Lipetz, a licensed physician, wrote multiple prescriptions for medications using the names and addresses of actual patients. However, Lipetz did not intend to give the medications to the patients whose names appeared on the prescriptions. Instead, Lipetz filled the prescriptions and used the controlled substances for purposes other than the legitimate medical treatment of his patients. Such purposes included giving medications to patients other than those whose names appeared on the prescriptions or creating a stockpile from which he could provide “trial samples” to patients without writing them a prescription. Additionally, between May 2014 and July 2018, Lipetz engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain money from Medicare, Medicaid, Hawaii Medical Services Association, and United Healthcare by submitting more than 200 false claims for reimbursement. Each of the claims indicated that Lipetz had an in-person, face-to-face office visit with a patient, when in fact the office visits never occurred.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its quest to root out fraud in the healthcare industry by working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other law enforcement entities dedicated to protecting patients,” stated U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price for the District of Hawaii. “Our healthcare system relies upon the candor of physicians and other professionals who care for the vulnerable in our communities. Lipetz’s fraudulent behavior unlawfully steered precious funds towards his pockets and away from healthcare providers who serve the most vulnerable in our communities. We will continue to aggressively pursue physicians and other medical practitioners who, unlike the overwhelming majority of their colleagues, choose to violate federal law.”
“The DEA will continue to investigate illicit activity in the medical community,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Callery. “Dr. Lipetz is only one of several ongoing investigations throughout the state of Hawaii to shield our communities from the dangers of the Opioid Crisis that is crippling portions of the mainland. DEA is thankful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its outstanding assistance and partnership in this matter.”
This case was investigated by the DEA and the State of Hawaii Narcotics Enforcement Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Albanese.
Madison Felon Sentenced to 37 Months for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Christopher Tibbs, 29, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 37 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Tibbs pleaded guilty to this offense on April 19, 2019.
On December 8, 2018, Madison police officers responded to a 911 call reporting a man with a gun at Connections Night Club located at 3737 East Washington Avenue in Madison. Officers found Tibbs in the back seat of a vehicle at the scene. The car was ultimately searched and officers found a Taurus .380 caliber pistol and a magazine in the area where Tibbs was sitting.
In sentencing Tibbs at the top of his advisory guideline range, Judge Peterson noted the situation was an inch away from something going really wrong and said his number one job was to make the community safe.
The charge against Tibbs was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Charges for 2016 Murder and Attempted Murder on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Carlos Argueta, also known as “Violento,” “Desorden” and “Dylan,” the former leader of the Freeport Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to racketeering and firearms charges for his participation in the January 15, 2016 attempted murder of a suspected rival gang member outside the Brentwood public library, and the June 3, 2016 murder in Brentwood of Jose Pena, an MS-13 member who was suspected of violating the gang’s rules. The guilty plea was entered before United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco.
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), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, Argueta admitted that while free on bail for shooting a gang rival in broad daylight outside a public library less than six months earlier, he planned and carried out the vicious murder of a fellow gang member on behalf of the MS-13,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, together with the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, will continue working tirelessly to eradicate MS-13 and hold its members accountable for their senseless violence.”
“The twisted code the members and leadership of the MS-13 adhere to doesn't make sense to anyone outside of the gang,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “They brutally take the lives of people because they didn’t follow the rules. There is no world where those thought processes and behaviors are okay. Our FBI Long Island Gang Task Force is doing all it can to root out all the violence this gang has created and bring those responsible to justice.”
“This guilty plea ensures that another member of MS-13 will face up to life in prison for killing a member of his own gang and attempting to murder a suspected rival gang member—two cases that are a reminder of the heinous nature of this transnational gang,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “We applaud the effort of prosecutors to ensure Argueta would be tried as an adult to face the stiffest penalties possible. I would like to thank the Eastern District of New York and our partners on the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force for their continued partnership and commitment in bringing gang members to justice.”
“The guilty plea of defendant and MS-13 member Carlos Argueta should serve as an example of how multi-jurisdictional law enforcement agencies collaborate to bring violent defendants like these to justice,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. “The tireless work of the dedicated men and women of these agencies have made our communities and streets safer, and I would like to congratulate all for a job well done. As we continue our zero tolerance approach toward illegal gangs, this defendant’s blatant disregard for society and life will be met with incarceration.”
As set forth in prior court filings and the defendant’s statements during his guilty plea, Argueta and several other MS-13 members confronted three suspected rival gang members outside a public library in Brentwood on January 15, 2016. Argueta removed a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shot one of the men, identified as John Doe in the superseding indictment, in the torso. Argueta and the other MS-13 members then fled. The wounded victim received medical treatment and survived.
Argueta, Pena and a third MS-13 member were subsequently arrested by Suffolk County Police Officers in connection with the attempted murder of John Doe, and were released on bail. Argueta subsequently demanded to see the other two MS-13 members’ arrest paperwork in connection with the shooting. Argueta then informed other members of the Freeport clique that he suspected that Pena, a member of the Normandie clique of the MS-13, had cooperated with the SCPD. Additionally, members of the MS-13 suspected that Pena was homosexual, which is unacceptable under the rules of the MS-13.
After consulting with MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, Argueta and other MS-13 members agreed to kill Pena and Argueta assigned tasks to other MS-13 gang members, including procuring weapons and a vehicle to be used in the murder. On June 3, 2016, Argueta and other MS-13 members lured Pena into a car, and drove to a secluded wooded area in Brentwood. After walking into the woods, the group attacked Pena, taking turns stabbing and slashing him with knives, and killing him. More than four months thereafter, Pena’s body was found.
On September 20, 2016, Argueta, who was 16 years old at the time of the crimes, was arrested by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, and charged in juvenile informations filed under seal. The government subsequently filed a motion to transfer Argueta to adult status for prosecution, and an evidentiary hearing was held on the transfer motion. On September 7, 2017, Judge Bianco issued a Memorandum and Order granting the government’s motion, and ordered that Argueta be prosecuted as an adult. Argueta appealed, and on December 20, 2018, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Bianco’s decision.
When sentenced, Argueta faces a maximum of life in prison. Upon completion of his sentence, Argueta, an illegal alien from El Salvador, faces deportation from the United States.
Today’s conviction is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent international criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the largest and most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted of federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Rockville Centre Police Department, New York State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Michael T. Keilty are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Carlos Argueta (“Violento,” “Desorden” and “Dylan”)
Age: 20
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-510 (S-2) (JFB)
Local Man Sent to Prison for Aiming Laser Pointer at an AircraftRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 20-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to pointing a green laser light at an Airbus AS350 B2 helicopter while it was in the air, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Bryan Aldana pleaded guilty Monday, April 22, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes handed Aldana a 48-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Aldana’s irresponsible behavior shows he did not give thought to the people flying the aircraft and to the people on the ground. “The world is about responsibilities to other people,” said Hughes.
On June 23, 2018, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) agents were flying a the helicopter on routine law enforcement patrol. At approximately 9:00 p.m., they were headed in the northwest direction along highway US-290 when agents observed a flash of green light coming from the left side of the aircraft. At the time, they were at approximately 1000 feet elevation and traveling at a speed of 70-80 knots.
The pilot reversed the aircraft back to the southeast direction and was illuminated again by the green laser, which was powerful enough to light up the entire cockpit. The light caused a glare in the pilot’s eyes and obstructed his vision, forcing him to turn his head and maneuver the Airbus away from it. The pilot also had to close and shield his eyes from the flashing green laser inside the cockpit.
The investigation led to the source of the light at a business near the intersection of Hollister and Pitner Roads in Houston. Aldema was soon identified with the help of the Houston Police Department (HPD) and the store’s security cameras.
Video recordings show Aldana aiming a green laser up in the sky several times and a green laser pointer at the helicopter while sitting in a chair next to a silver sedan. He was also seen placing the green laser device through the opening of the silver sedan window on to the backseat.
Officers seized the laser and submitted it to a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist to be examined. The scientist concluded the laser pointer is a Class IIIB laser system and produced a “laser beam” which could result in serious and possibly permanent retinal damage.
Previously released on bond, Aldana appeared before Judge Hughes June 28, 2019, at which time the court found he had violated the terms of his release and ordered Aldana into custody. He will remain there pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, HPD and DPS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Porto is prosecuting the case.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
The Defendant qualified as an Armed Career Criminal
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gregory Thomopolous, 39, of Lexington, was sentenced today to 262 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Joseph M. Hood, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In May 2018, officers with the Lexington Police Department, arrested Thomopolous for an outstanding warrant. During a search of his vehicle officers located approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of fentanyl, and a .357 revolver. Thomopolous admitted to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thomopolous also admitted that he possessed the firearm for protection during drug deals. At the time of his arrest, Thomopolous was on parole for other charges. Thomopolous has seven prior felony convictions, including drug trafficking. Based on his criminal history, Thomopolous was found to be an Armed Career Criminal.
Under federal law, Thompolous must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 5 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Lead Defendant in MS-13 Racketeering Case Admits to Five Murders, Agrees to Serve Life in Prison with No Chance of ReleaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two men, including the lead defendant, have agreed to plead guilty in the MS-13 racketeering case to multiple murders and serve life in prison. Two others have agreed to plead guilty and potentially serve 35-40 years in prison.
Martin Neftali Aguilar-Rivera (a/k/a Momia), 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this morning before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. to conspiring to commit racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering. Aguilar-Rivera accepted responsibility for participating in five murders. As a part of his plea, all parties in his case have recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of release.
Likewise, a plea agreement was filed this morning for Jose Bonilla-Mejia (a/k/a Espia), 30, of Santa Maria, Calif. Bonilla-Mejia is offering to accept responsibility for his role in the murders of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, Wilson Villeda and Salvador Martinez-Diaz and serve life in prison without the possibility of release. His plea agreement will be considered by Chief Judge Sargus at a future hearing.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the pleas offered.
In February 2018, 23 individuals were charged in a second superseding indictment and alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a suspected confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
The murders often involved defendants using weapons like machetes, knives and hammers to attack and beat their victims to death. In two of the charged murders, the victims were stabbed and slashed with bladed weapons before being buried in a nearby park.
Plea agreements were also filed today for two other defendants in this case, Jose Manuel Romero-Parada (a/k/a Russo), 24, of Columbus, and Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos (a/k/a Danger), 28, of Columbus. Both Romero-Parada and Gonzalez-Campos have agreed to plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and accept responsibility for taking part in multiple homicides and other gang-related crimes, including drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. The parties have recommended a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison for these defendants. Chief Judge Sargus will consider those plea agreements at future hearings.
At future hearings, Chief Judge Sargus will consider the recommended terms of imprisonment and determine the ultimate sentences to impose.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Latham Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Send Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brendan Chandler, age 35, of Latham, New York, admitted today to sending images of his erect penis to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Chandler admitted that on April 17, 2018, he used the Kik phone messaging application to send photos of his penis to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but who was actually a New York State Police Investigator acting in an undercover capacity. Chandler was arrested that same day in a parking lot in Latham, where, he admitted, he believed he was going to pick up the girl in his car so that they could have sex.
As part of his plea agreement, Chandler agreed to serve a 100-month prison sentence, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy will impose sentence on November 14, 2019.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police Troop G Computer Crimes Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Kouts Woman Indicted for Willful Failure to Pay Federal Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Kathy L. Lynch, age 61, of Kouts, Indiana, was indicted on nine counts of willful failure to pay federal payroll taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
The Indictment alleged that Lynch has owned and operated two health care clinics, Kouts Health Care, Inc. and its predecessor company Kouts Family Health Care, Inc. since January 1999. As alleged in the Indictment, between January 1999 and September 2015, Lynch withheld payroll taxes (i.e., federal income taxes and Medicare and Social Security contribution taxes) from her employees’ paychecks but failed to submit over $500,000 of the withheld taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. During this time, the Indictment alleges that Lynch used her company’s bank account to pay personal expenses such as mortgage and car payments, while failing to pay her federal payroll tax obligations.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “This indictment should send a strong message to those attempting to cheat the tax system. We always will partner with the IRS to focus on egregious tax violations in this District.”
“The failure to pay over withheld taxes from their employees is a serious allegation. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to track down those who collect these taxes and use the funds for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan of the Chicago Field Office."
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
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Keshena Man Indicted for Firearm Offense and Domestic Violence on the Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 16, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in a firearms offense on the Menominee Indian Reservation. In addition, the grand jury returned a one-count indictment against the same man allegedly involved in domestic violence against a woman on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Both indictments named Jeremy Nunway (age: 39) of Keshena.
The first indictment charged Nunway with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). If convicted of this charge, Nunway faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the first indictment, on or about October 9, 2018, the defendant possessed an SKS semiautomatic rifle at a location in the Menominee Indian Reservation at the time the defendant was prohibited from possession of firearms.
This firearms offense is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
The second indictment charges Nunway with Domestic Assault by Strangulation in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(8). If convicted of this charge, Nunway faces a maximum of ten years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the second indictment, on or about April 17, 2019, the defendant strangled a woman with whom he had a dating relationship on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department investigated both cases, Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation of the Domestic Assault charge. Both cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Man to 5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ (60 months’) imprisonment and four years’ supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Adrian Jordan, 29.
According to information presented to the court, the charges in this case resulted from a wiretap investigation conducted by the FBI and other law enforcement partners. During the investigation, the defendant was intercepted over a wiretapped phone discussing drug transactions. Furthermore, in connection with the investigation, fentanyl was recovered from the defendant on both December 16, 2016 and February 24, 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution was part of a 12-month investigation by the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force (GPSSTF), which targeted a large scale Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny Counties. The GPSSTF is comprised of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the FBI. The GPSSTF and the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, would like to recognize the significant contributions made to this investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, United States Postal Inspection Service, Cranberry Township Police Department and the New Brighton Police Department.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew Slaughter, 37, Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. This sentence will run consecutively to an eight-year sentence the defendant was already serving for repeated sexual assault of a minor, and will be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Slaughter pleaded guilty to this charge on April 19, 2019.
In 2002, Slaughter was convicted of repeated sexual assault of a child. He was on extended supervision for that offense when he committed his federal offense. In addition to possessing child pornography, he had contact with several minors, asking them to send him explicit pictures.
Judge Peterson called the defendant a “dangerous predator” and ordered the defendant’s federal sentence to run consecutively to his state sentence because the defendant exploited his victims’ vulnerabilities for his own sexual satisfaction.
The charge against Slaughter was the result of the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Noblesville (Indiana) Police Department. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.