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Friday 19 July 2019
Convicted Sex Offender Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Greenfield man was charged in federal court in Springfield yesterday with sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child pornography.
Charles Fox, 44, was indicted on one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of receipt of child pornography. Fox was arrested on June 26, 2019, and charged by criminal complaint.
It is alleged that Fox induced a minor in the Philippines to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of that conduct. According to court documents, Fox induced the minor through Facebook messenger and also received the pornographic images through Facebook messenger. Fox paid for the images through Western Union payments sent to the Philippines.
The charges of sexual exploitation of children and attempted sexual exploitation of a child provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and up to 50 in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. 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 Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office 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.
Convicted Felon, with Lengthy Criminal History, Is Guilty on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
MACON – A federal jury has found a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history guilty for an illegal gun possession charge, said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. Ronnie Lee Hughes, 39, of Griffin, Georgia was found guilty on one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The jury returned the guilty verdict Wednesday, July 17, 2019, following a day-long trial before the Honorable Marc Treadwell. The federal government has filed a notice of sentencing enhancement due to the defendant’s eight prior convictions (see below) and, therefore, the defendant faces a minimum 15 years imprisonment up to life in prison, five years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Mr. Hughes will be sentenced on October 22, 2019.
According to facts presented at trial, a Confidential Informant (CI) told Lamar County deputies that Mr. Hughes, a convicted felon on parole, was selling guns. Lamar County deputies worked with the CI to set up a meeting on August 31, 2016, with the intent of the CI to arrange a purchase of the guns from Mr. Hughes. Hughes thought the buyer would be an associate of the CI, and Hughes would pay the CI a commission for arranging the sale. In one conversation between the CI and Mr. Hughes, the defendant warned that the buyer arranged by the CI “better not be a cop” because he was a convicted felon and it was illegal for him to sell guns. At the appointed time and place for the sale, Lamar County deputies met Mr. Hughes and took him into custody, seizing four weapons and ammunition. Mr. Hughes has eight prior felony state convictions beginning in 1999, including four separate Entering Auto convictions, three separate Burglary convictions, and one Theft by Taking conviction. His past crimes occurred in Upson, Laurens, Pike and Monroe counties, all charged in Superior Court. Mr. Hughes last conviction was in Monroe County Superior Court in December 2008 for Burglary. Mr. Hughes was on parole when he was taken into custody by Lamar County deputies on August 31, 2016.
“We are making it a priority in Middle Georgia to get guns out of the hands of dangerous felons,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “To all convicted felons: DO NOT POSSESS A GUN. Law enforcement will find you and our office will prosecute you. The unlawful possession of guns by convicted felons leads to violence in the streets. Getting guns out of the hands of convicted felons is a proven strategy to reduce violence in communities. I want to thank the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and ATF for their hard work in this case.”
This prosecution is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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 case was investigated by the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Keyes and Paul McCommon are prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Controller Sentenced for Embezzling $550,000 from Providence Small BusinessRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The controller for a high-technology electronics manufacturer in Providence that has been in business for nearly 90 years was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison and ordered to pay back more than a half-million dollars she embezzled from the small business.
Jill Martinho, 43, of Swansea, Mass., who was employed by Walco Electric Company for approximately 13 years beginning in 2005, was also ordered to pay the IRS more than $185,000 in back taxes, having failed to claim the embezzled funds on her tax returns.
Martinho pleaded guilty on April 1, 2019, to wire fraud and willfully making a false tax return.
According to information presented to the Court, Martinho was entrusted by the owner of Walco Electric to manage all of the company’s finances, including signing company checks, managing bank accounts, borrowing on the company’s line of credit, payroll, and creating monthly financial statements.
Ms. Martinho was also authorized to purchase supplies necessary for the company with the use of personal credit cards. She perpetrated the fraud by obtaining reimbursement twice for some purchases and by obtaining reimbursement for completely fictitious expenses.
From May 2015 through February 2018, although Martinho was entitled to reimbursements from the company totaling approximately $459,224, based on her fraudulent claims, including the use of fraudulently created card statements, she received approximately $1,017,295 from the company, causing the company a loss of approximately $557,974.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith ordered Martinho to serve 33 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release. Martinho was ordered to pay $557,974 in restitution to her former employer, of which $100,000 has already been reimbursed, and $185,466 owed to the IRS.
Martinho’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Stephen Marks.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the United States Secret Service.
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Chicago Man Sentenced to 28 Months’ Imprisonment for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Pedro Hernandez, age 35, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on July 17, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 28 months’ imprisonment for participating in a conspiracy that transported heroin from Chicago to Carbon County and elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin. Hernandez admitted to acting as a courier for a Chicago-based heroin trafficking organization that shipped drugs to Pennsylvania during 2010 through 2015.
During the course of the investigation, thirteen defendants were charged and convicted, and more than 10 kilograms of heroin was seized by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and members of the Pennsylvania State Police. Members of the drug ring also distributed other drugs during the course of the conspiracy, including cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and fentanyl.
Other members of the drug ring, which operated in Chicago and various locations in Pennsylvania, including Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, were sentenced by Judge Mariani as follows:
- Juan Mendez-Lazaro -156 months’ imprisonment;
- Romualdo Hermosillo - Avendano - 120 months’ imprisonment;
- Ramon Baez - 96 months’ imprisonment;
- Donald Patnelli, Jr. - 75 months’ imprisonment;
- Jose Hernandez-Tirado - 72 months’ imprisonment;
- Luis Linarez - 66 months’ imprisonment;
- Gilberto Bautista-Ocampo - 48 months’ imprisonment;
- Arnando Diaz-DeJesus - 37 months’ imprisonment;
- Richard Carvajal - 28 months’ imprisonment;
- Maria Pina - 11 months’ imprisonment;
- Stephen Krpata - 10 months’ imprisonment; and
- Stephen Nordmark - 6 months’ imprisonment.
The matter was investigated by DEA, HSI, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Charlotte Man Sentenced to Nine Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Robert Pantori, Jr., 51, of Charlotte, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. to 108 months in prison on child pornography charges. Judge Conrad also ordered Pantori to serve twenty years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender following his release from prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 27, 2017, law enforcement became aware that Pantori was using a peer to peer program to transport child pornography from his computer to another user’s computer via the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pantori’s residence, seizing his computer, and other electronic devices. A forensic examination of those devices revealed that Pantori possessed numerous images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including children as young as four.
In July 2018, Pantori pleaded guilty to transportation and possession of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of this case.
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Judge Conrad also sentenced today Patrick Hinson, 34, of Dallas, N.C. to 97 months in prison, followed by twenty years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography. Hinson was also ordered to register as a sex offender upon completion of his sentence.
According to court records, for more than a decade, Hinson used several peer to peer programs to search for and download child pornography. Court records show that on or about December 19, 2015, Hinson knowingly used a peer to peer program to receive a child pornography video on his computer via the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hinson’s residence, seizing his computer. A forensic examination of those devices revealed that Hinson possessed numerous images and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
In August 2018, Hinson pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cortney Randall, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, handled both prosecutions.
Both cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood mars060hals 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.
Businessman Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Tax Fraud and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ashburn businessman pleaded guilty today to employment tax fraud and illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, Lawrence Robert Gazdick, Jr., 54, operated his audio visual equipment rental business under multiple names, including National Technology Rentals, NTL Technology Leasing Services, AV Rental Solutions, and others from 2013 through 2018. During this time, Gazdick withheld payroll taxes from his employees’ paychecks, but failed to file payroll tax returns and failed to pay over the withheld funds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In total, Gazdick failed to pay over the IRS approximately $5.35 million of payroll taxes. Additionally, Gazdick admitted to possessing a firearm recovered from his business office, despite the fact that he was previously convicted of a felony.
As part of the plea agreement, Gazdick agreed to pay over $200,000 in restitution for premiums he failed to pay for health insurance provided to his employees.
Gazdick pleaded guilty to willful failure to collect, account for, and pay over taxes; and unlawfully possessing a firearm. He faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment on the tax offense and ten years of imprisonment on the firearm offense when sentenced on October 18. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richard E. Zuckerman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charles Dayoub, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar K. Walker and Trial Attorney Kimberly Shartar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-200.
Bronx Man Charged with 2018 ShootingRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging RAKIM BROWN, a/k/a “Ra,” with the January 28, 2018, shooting of a woman in connection with a drug conspiracy, resulting in injuries to her face and leg. BROWN will be presented and arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Working with the NYPD and our other law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking and the violence that so often accompanies it. The indictment of Rakim Brown for a drug-related shooting demonstrates that link between drugs and guns.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “The NYPD and its law enforcement partners pursue – unrelentingly and with precision – those who carry guns and those who traffic illegal drugs. I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors who worked to obtain today’s indictment. Their work helps make our city safer.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Between 2016 up to and including 2018, RAKIM BROWN, a/k/a “Ra,” was involved in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Between April 2017 up to and including 2018, BROWN used, carried, and discharged a firearm during and in furtherance of that drug conspiracy, including on January 28, 2018, when, in connection with a dispute with a rival drug crew, he shot at a woman and caused injuries to her face and leg.
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BROWN, 24, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of using and carrying a firearm, which was brandished and discharged, in connection with the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bronx Brothers Charged with 2018 ShootingRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging ANTONIO MORA, a/k/a “Chucky,” and BRIAN MORA, a/k/a “Dottie,” with the September 17, 2018, shooting of a rival drug dealer in connection with a drug conspiracy, after pulling his daughter from his hands. ANTONIO MORA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. BRIAN MORA is already in federal custody. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Antonio and Brian Mora dealt heroin and crack cocaine in the Bronx. During a dispute with a rival drug crew, the defendants allegedly ripped the victim’s daughter out of his arms before shooting him. Thanks to our partners at the NYPD, the defendants now face federal charges for their brazen and callous crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated: “This case illustrates the extreme violence that too often accompanies gang activity and the drug trade, and why we must be vigilant in keeping our communities safe. I want to thank the law enforcement professionals whose hard work and dedication secured these federal indictments.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Between 2016 and 2018, ANTONIO MORA and BRIAN MORA were involved in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. During that same time period, ANTONIO MORA and BRIAN MORA used, carried, and discharged a firearm during and in furtherance of that drug conspiracy, including on September 17, 2018, when, in connection with a dispute with a rival drug crew, they shot a man after they pulled his daughter from his arms.
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ANTONIO MORA, 25, of the Bronx, New York, and BRIAN MORA, 24, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin and one count of using and carrying a firearm, which was brandished and discharged, in connection with the narcotics conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Boston Man Sentenced for Laundering Nearly $500,000 in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for money laundering.
Juan Peguero, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2019, Peguero pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering. Peguero was charged in August 2018 and released on conditions.
On two occasions in 2015, Peguero transferred almost $500,000 worth of drug proceeds - over $398,000 in April and $90,000 in June.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Bonanno Crime Family Captain Sentenced to over 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSEPH SABELLA, a/k/a “Joe Valet,” was sentenced to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein for his role as a captain in the Bonanno Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “As he admitted in open court, Joseph Sabella was an active member of the Bonanno Crime Family who engaged in numerous racketeering acts. He will now spend years in prison for his crimes. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively prosecute members of La Cosa Nostra who intimidate, threaten, and harm members of our community.”
According to the Indictment, documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”), also known as the “Mob” or the “Mafia,” operates through entities known as “Families.” In the New York City area, there are five LCN Families, namely, the Bonanno Family, the Genovese Family, the Luchese Family, the Colombo Family, and the Gambino Family. Members and associates of one La Cosa Nostra family at times work together with other La Cosa Nostra families in jointly undertaken criminal ventures.
The Bonanno Family, like other LCN Families, operates through a group of individuals known as “crews,” each of which is led by a “capo” or “captain.” The crews are composed of “made” members, called “soldiers,” and trusted non-members called “associates.” Above the capos are the highest-ranking members – the boss or acting boss, the underboss, and the consigliere, or counselor – who oversee the Family.
Between 2012 and January 2018, SABELLA acted as soldier and then captain in the Bonanno Family. As a member of the Bonanno Family, SABELLA engaged in numerous racketeering acts, including extortion, fraud, and physical assaults. In particular, SABELLA participated in the long-term extortion of a New York-based demolition company (“Company-1”) that netted the Bonanno Family thousands of dollars a year for nearly three decades. SABELLA also participated in the physical assault of the owner of a strip club (“Victim-1”) and the subsequent extortion of Victim-1 out of his legitimate and illegitimate business interests.
SABELLA, 54, of Monroe, New Jersey, previously pled guilty on February 12, 2019, to conspiracy to commit racketeering. As part of his guilty plea, SABELLA admitted to his involvement in the extortion of Company-1, the extortion of Victim-1, a large-scale, multi-year fraud at a construction site on Staten Island, and the physical assaults on Victim-1 and one of Sabella’s former business partners, all as part of his participation in the Bonanno Family.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jason M. Swergold, Gina Castellano, and Jacob R. Fiddelman are in charge of the prosecution.
Billings meth dealer sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Steven Amundson, a Billings man who admitted selling methamphetamine as part of a larger trafficking conspiracy, was sentenced on Thursday to 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Amundson pleaded guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In April 2018, law enforcement began investing a meth conspiracy that was importing large quantities of meth into the Billings area, the prosecution said in court records. A confidential informant led agents to Amundson, from whom the informant bought ounce quantities of meth on multiple occasions. Agents also bought an ounce of meth from Amundson in a controlled buy. Amundson’s supplier was co-defendant Wilfrido Varelas-Rubio, who repeatedly brought multiple pound quantities of meth to Billings and provided multiple ounces to Amundson for redistribution. In a search of Varelas-Rubio’s hotel room and vehicle in Billings, agents found nearly 4.5 pounds of meth. Varelas-Rubio was convicted in the case and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, EMHIDTA and FBI.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Billings man sentenced to eight years for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident Christopher Robert Hamilton, who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community, was sentenced today to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Hamilton, 39, pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
For about two months beginning in December 2017, Hamilton sold multi-gram quantities of meth on several occasions to an undercover agent as part of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, the prosecution said in court records.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Baltimore Pimp Convicted on Federal Charges of Sex Trafficking of a Child and Using the Internet to Promote a Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Ryan Russell Parks, a/k/a Dinero, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, for two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of using the Internet to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution. The verdict was returned late on July 18, 2019, after a four-day trial.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
“Ryan Parks preyed on vulnerable girls in order to profit by selling them for sex. When an adult profits from sex with a child, that is human trafficking, period,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Through the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force and the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, local, state, and federal law enforcement partners are working with non-profit organizations to help human trafficking victims and prosecute the traffickers. Working to end human trafficking is a priority for the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
According to the evidence presented at his trial, Parks trafficked two vulnerable minor victims—a 16-year-old girl (Girl 1) and a 15-year-old girl (Girl 2)—for commercial sex. According to trial testimony, Parks met Girl 1 online. During their communications Parks learned that she was hungry and had no real place to live, and he offered Girl 1 a place to stay. Parks sent a car to pick up Girl 1, and within a day, he caused advertisements to be posted on a website that marketed commercial sex workers. These advertisements contained photographs and descriptions of Girl 1 and offered Girl 1 for commercial sex acts. Parks stayed with Girl 1 in the motel room, along with another woman he was advertising on the Internet for commercial sex. Parks would leave the room for short periods of time, when men would come to the room to have sex with Girl 1, and he would return to the room shortly after the men left the room. Parks paid for additional advertisements on the website offering Girl 1 for commercial sex on August 1, and August 2, 2017. Girl 1 did not get to keep the money that she was paid by the men who came to the room to have sex with her. One of Girl 1’s customers returned to the room the next day to rescue her, and he took her to live in a different city with his sister.
The evidence also proved that in November 2017, Parks met Girl 2 online, and he learned that she had run away from her foster home. On November 16, 2017, Parks paid a driver through an application on his cell phone to pick up Girl 2 and bring her to his home. Girl 2, who was 15 years old, told Parks that she was 17 years old, in foster care, and was in an unhappy situation. Parks provided Girl 2 with marijuana and had sex with her. He talked to her about making money through prostitution, and he took her to the same motel in Baltimore where Parks had harbored Girl 1. Because she had run away from her foster home without a coat, a purse, or change of clothing, Parks purchased a bra, panties, and condoms for Girl 2. Parks took photographs of Girl 2 and paid for an online advertisement offering Girl 2 for commercial sex using his cell phone. Several of the photos that Parks uploaded to the website were rejected, because they contained nudity and were too explicit. Less revealing photos of Girl 2, wearing the bra and panties purchased by Parks, were accepted and uploaded to the online advertisement. As he had with Girl 1, Parks then set the prices and time limits for the sex acts to be performed on Girl 2, and he instructed her on the process of checking a man for a wire when he came into the motel room. Parks stayed in the motel room with Girl 2 when other men were not present, but he left the room and stood outside in a stairwell when men arrived to have sex with Girl 2. Parks offered Girl 2 for commercial sex from November 16 through November 20, 2017. During this time, over 300 individuals contacted the phone number placed by Parks on the advertisement, to inquire about commercial sex with Girl 2. On November 21, 2017, Girl 2 contacted her foster care social worker, who dispatched police to the motel. According to trial testimony, Parks reviewed Girl 2’s phone while she was in the shower and saw that she had contacted her social worker. Parks became angry, told her to delete information from her phone and to remove the chip from her phone, and then he left the motel. Girl 2 went to the lobby and turned herself in to police.
While law enforcement was investigating the trafficking of the two minor victims, they discovered evidence regarding the extent of Parks’ prostitution business. Evidence at trial proved that from February 25, 2017, through the date that he was arrested on January 10, 2018, Parks paid over $1,000 for approximately 295 commercial sex advertisements placed on the Internet. Parks advertised approximately 27 different women and girls for commercial sex. Parks also paid over $6,000 for hotel rooms in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, during the course of his prostitution enterprise.
As a result of his conviction, Parks will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Parks faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for each of the two counts of sex trafficking a minor; and a maximum of five years in prison for using the Internet to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution. U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston has not yet scheduled a date for sentencing. Parks remains detained.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force (MCETF), created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from 10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Matthew Maddox, who are prosecuting the case.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Nathaniel Hall, 54, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession of firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on April 13, 2018, Memphis Police Officers were patrolling the area of Looney Avenue and Leath Street when they were flagged down by a shooting victim, who told officers that Hall had chased and shot her in the leg. Officers noticed an injury to the victim’s lower right leg. The victim directed officers to a residence at 785 Looney. When officers saw Hall on the balcony of that address, the victim yelled, "That's him."
Officers ordered Hall out of the home and took him into custody. Subsequently, officers recovered an Arminis .38 special caliber revolver that was hidden under a hot water tank in a utility room of the residence. This was determined by investigators to be the same weapon used to shoot the victim.
Hall has previously been convicted on three separate occasions of burglary. He has also has a prior conviction of robbery with a deadly weapon. Because of these previous felony convictions, Hall was determined to be an armed career criminal and subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 months.
On July 19, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Hall to 188 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, Hall was an armed career criminal who continued to commit senseless gun violence despite his prior felony conviction history. There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this sentence is just punishment for such violent victimization of an innocent citizen. Gun Crime is Max Time."
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, 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. In 2017, PSN 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.
The case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Memphis Police Department; and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, who have all joined together to address gun-related crimes through targeted investigations and aggressive prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marques Young prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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American Citizen who became an ISIS Sniper and Trained Other ISIS Members in the Use of Weapons Charged with Providing Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in the Eastern District of New York charging Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Kazakhstan with providing and attempting to provide material support, including training, services and personnel, to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Asainov was detained overseas by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred into FBI custody. Asainov’s initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.
The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director Mike McGarrity for the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office FBI and Commissioner James P. O’Neill of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
As alleged in the complaint and other court filings, the defendant resided in Brooklyn, New York. In December 2013, the defendant traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, which is a common transit point to obtain entry into Syria. He subsequently entered Syria, joined ISIS, and became a sniper for the terrorist organization. Over time, the defendant rose through the ranks to become an ISIS “emir” in charge of training other ISIS members in the use of weapons. He also attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS.
In March 2015, Asainov asked a confidential informant to send him approximately $2,800 so that he could purchase a scope for his rifle. Asainov subsequently sent the confidential informant two photographs depicting the defendant holding an assault rifle fitted with a scope. He messaged one associate exclaiming, in reference to ISIS, “we are the worst terrorist organization in the world that has ever existed” and stating that he wished to die on the battlefield.
“The United States is committed to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to fight for ISIS,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “As alleged in the court filings, Asainov traveled overseas, joined ISIS, and became a fighter and a sniper for the terrorist organization. He was ultimately detained overseas, turned over to the FBI, and will now face justice in an American courtroom. We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise repatriate and prosecute their own citizens for traveling to support ISIS.”
“The defendant, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Brooklyn, turned his back on the country that took him in and joined ISIS, serving its violent ends in Syria and attempting to recruit others to its cause,” stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Our counterterrorism prosecutors and law enforcement partners will continue working relentlessly to hold accountable those like the defendant who have supported ISIS’s violent agenda.”
“As this case shows, the FBI remains committed to doing our part to ensure that justice is served to those who travel, or attempt to travel, to join and fight with ISIS” said Assistant Director Mike McGarrity. “Combatting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority and we will continue working with our U.S. government partners and foreign law enforcement entities around the world to do so.”
“Some go to great lengths to join groups, such as ISIS, to fight on behalf of terrorist ideologies, and to recruit others to travel in support of their misguided principles,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “As we allege today, Asainov left this country to do just that. He turned his back on the ideals we value, and he’ll now be made to face our justice system head-on.”
“This arrest serves as a warning to anyone anywhere in the world who intends to support or conduct attacks on behalf of terrorist groups against the United States – you will be brought to justice,” said NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “I would like to thank our investigators and law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in taking Mr. Asainov off the battlefield and placing him into American custody.”
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, Saritha Komatireddy, and J. Matthew Haggans are in charge of the prosecution of the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section with assistance from Trial Attorney Jacqueline L. Barkett of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
American Citizen Who Became ISIS Sniper and Weapons Instructor Charged with Providing Material Support to Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Kazakhstan, with providing and attempting to provide material support, including training, services and personnel, to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Asainov was detained overseas by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and transferred into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday. Asainov’s initial appearance is scheduled for today before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Michael McGarrity, Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division, FBI; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office; and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
As alleged in the complaint and other court filings, the defendant is a naturalized U.S. citizen who resided in Brooklyn. In December 2013, Asainov traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, a common transit point to obtain entry into Syria. He subsequently entered Syria, joined ISIS and became a sniper for the terrorist organization. Over time, Asainov rose through the ranks to become an ISIS “emir” in charge of training other ISIS members in the use of weapons. He also attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS.
In March 2015, Asainov asked a confidential informant to send him approximately $2,800 so that he could purchase a scope for his rifle. Asainov subsequently sent the confidential informant two photographs depicting the defendant holding an assault rifle fitted with a scope. He messaged one associate exclaiming, in reference to ISIS, “we are the worst terrorist organization in the world that has ever existed,” and stating that he wished to die on the battlefield.
“The defendant, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Brooklyn, turned his back on the country that took him in and joined ISIS, serving its violent ends in Syria and attempting to recruit others to its cause,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Our counterterrorism prosecutors and law enforcement partners will continue working relentlessly to hold accountable those like the defendant who have supported ISIS’s violent agenda.”
“The United States is committed to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to fight for ISIS,” stated Assistant Attorney General Demers. “As alleged in the court filings, Asainov traveled overseas, joined ISIS, and became a fighter and a sniper for the terrorist organization. He was ultimately detained overseas, turned over to the FBI, and will now face justice in an American courtroom. We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise repatriate and prosecute their own citizens for traveling to support ISIS.”
“As this case shows, the FBI remains committed to doing our part to ensure that justice is served to those who travel, or attempt to travel, to join and fight with ISIS” stated FBI Assistant Director McGarrity. “Combatting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority and we will continue working with our U.S. government partners and foreign law enforcement entities around the world to do so.”
“Some go to great lengths to join groups, such as ISIS, to fight on behalf of terrorist ideologies, and to recruit others to travel in support of their misguided principles. As we allege today, Asainov left this country to do just that. He turned his back on the ideals we value, and he’ll now be made to face our justice system head-on,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“This arrest serves as a warning to anyone anywhere in the world who intends to support or conduct attacks on behalf of terrorist groups against the United States – you will be brought to justice. I would like to thank our investigators and law enforcement partners for their outstanding work in taking Mr. Asainov off the battlefield and placing him into American custody,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, Saritha Komatireddy and J. Matthew Haggans are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jacqueline L. Barkett of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.
The Defendant:
RUSLAN MARATOVICH ASAINOV
Age: 42
Syria and Bay Ridge, BrooklynE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-MJ-606
20-Year Sentence for Granite City Man Who Downloaded Child Pornography, Destroyed EvidenceRead the Press Release
David C. Hogue, 32, of Granite City, Illinois, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography and destroying evidence of his crimes, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel handed down the 240-month sentence, which includes a 10-year term of supervised release. Hogue pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding indictment late last year.
Hogue was initially charged in February 2017 with one count of receiving child pornography after an FBI investigation traced an IP address that was sharing child pornography over the internet back to Hogue’s house. Hogue was released on pretrial supervision with a number of conditions, including the remote monitoring of his internet activity by the U.S. Probation Office. Within two months of his release, the Probation Office observed Hogue downloading and viewing more child pornography videos, and Hogue was rearrested.
A federal search warrant was issued for Hogue’s computer, and a forensic search showed that Hogue was regularly running software programs that erased his hard drive contents, in an attempt to cover up his child pornography downloads. When questioned about specific images and videos he had downloaded and viewed while on bond, Hogue responded, “How could you see that? I deleted all of those files.” Hogue’s bond was revoked and a superseding indictment was filed that added a second count of receiving child pornography and also charged Hogue with obstruction of justice, for destroying evidence while under investigation.
During Hogue’s sentencing hearing, the FBI testified that the computer wiping programs Hogue used were uncommonly sophisticated. The court also heard evidence about certain admissions Hogue made after his arrest – that he had once briefly fondled an 11 year old girl and that he had entertained sexual fantasies involving a young female relative. In imposing sentence, Judge Rosenstengel explained that the 20-year prison term was needed to protect the public, noting that Hogue presented a high risk of reoffending and that she had serious concerns about what might happen if Hogue was ever allowed to be near a child unsupervised.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell prosecuted the case.
Thursday 18 July 2019
“Deadliest Catch” Cast Member Sentenced to 51 Months Imprisonment for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jason King, 43, has been sentenced to 51 months imprisonment on federal charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
The sentencing in this case involved King, a former employee and cast member of the TV series, the "Deadliest Catch," for his possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. King received a sentencing enhancement for also being in possession of over 14 pounds of marijuana. "Deadliest Catch" is a Discovery Channel documentary series chronicling the real-life high-sea adventures of the Alaskan crab fishermen in what is described as the deadliest profession in the world. King appeared as himself as a deckhand on the Cornelia Marie fishing vessel, and is known on the show as Jason "Tennessee" King.
According to information presented in court, on April 20, 2017, officers with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant and felony arrest warrant at the residence of Jason King in Counce, Tennessee. Found during the search were multiple bags of marijuana totaling over 14 pounds hidden under the residence. Also recovered was a fully loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver in the kitchen drawer. Because King had an extensive prior criminal history, he was sentenced to the maximum sentence within the guideline range for these offenses.
On July 16, 2019, United States District Court Chief Judge Thomas Anderson sentenced King to 51 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms in connection with illegal drugs are inherently dangerous individuals. Our outstanding federal, state, and local law enforcement partners were able to catch this outlaw, and his prior criminal record finally caught up with him. This conviction and sentence will remove a repeat offender from the community, and will protect public safety in West Tennessee.
ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson stated, "Reducing the potential for violent crime in this case was critical due to ATF partnering with our local, state and federal partners".
This case was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and ID Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman pleaded guilty today to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from her scheme to steal personal checks from residential mailboxes in Richmond.
According to court documents, Katina Everett, 45, executed a mail theft and bank fraud scheme over approximately a three-month period in late 2018 and early 2019. During that time period, Everett traveled throughout Richmond’s Fan neighborhood, stealing mail from residents’ mailboxes. Everett was looking for personal checks, which she would then alter to reflect her name, or that of an individual acting at Everett’s direction as the payee, as well as an often significantly higher payment amount. Prior to this federal conviction, Everett had already been convicted of more than 20 other felonies, including more than a dozen larceny and fraud convictions.
Everett pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, and faces a mandatory sentence of two years on the aggravated identity theft conviction, and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud conviction, when sentenced on October 21. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-81.
Willie Somerville Sentenced to Life in Prison Plus 10 Years; Four Other Tipton County Men Sentenced for Roles in 2017 Home Invasion Robbery and Murder of Timothy Edwards in Covington, TNRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Today, three Tipton County men were sentenced for their roles in a 2017 home invasion murder in Covington, TN, and two others pled guilty for their roles in the attempted robbery resulting in death. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, on January 19, 2017, Willie Somerville, 21, Armoni Hall, 21, Eddie Poindexter, 21, Christian Sherrill, 24, and Darrell Owens, 32, participated in the robbery of Timothy Edwards at his home located at 1229 Douglas Street in Covington, Tennessee. They planned to rob him of drugs and drug proceeds. Somerville was armed with a 9 mm pistol and Hall with a twelve-gauge shotgun. Somerville, Hall, and Poindexter went to Edwards’ residence and kicked in the door, while Sherrill and Owens waited nearby in a getaway car. As Hall entered Edwards’ residence, Edwards grabbed him and they struggled over the shotgun. Somerville opened fire with the pistol, killing Edwards and seriously injuring Hall. Edwards’ wife was in the back of the house and called 911. By the time police arrived a few minutes later, Edwards was already dead. Hall was found lying in the street a block away with gunshot injuries.
On December 19, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted the five men for robbery affecting interstate commerce; possession, use and discharge of firearms during a crime of violence; and use of a firearm to cause the death of Timothy Edwards. On March 5, 2019, after a week-long trial, the jury convicted Somerville of all counts, and Poindexter and Sherrill were convicted of the robbery and use of the firearm during the robbery. Hall previously pled guilty to all counts. On April 2, 2019, Hall was sentenced to 190 months along with 3 years supervised release. Owens previously pled guilty to the robbery and firearms offenses. On March 27, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Owens to 96 months followed by 3 years supervised release.
At sentencing, the Court determined that all five defendants had prior adult criminal convictions and/or juvenile delinquent histories. Further, the Court found that Somerville was a member and leader in the Kitchen Crips street gang, and that Hall, Poindexter, and Owens were also members of the Kitchen Crips gang in Covington. During the sentencing hearing for Somerville, Timothy Edwards’ wife, Katrice Edwards made a statement to the Court, calling Somerville an "evil monster" who had no remorse for what he had done, and that Somerville is a "natural born killer" who changed her life forever, and who needs to spend the rest of his life behind bars. The Court also found that after his arrest and trial, Somerville continued to threaten and intimidate cooperating witnesses who gave information and testimony against him.
On July 18, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Somerville to life imprisonment plus ten years; Poindexter was sentenced to 330 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release; and Sherrill was sentenced to 330 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Willie Somerville and his fellow Kitchen Crips gang members have terrorized Covington and Tipton County for years with their brazen violence, robbery crews, trigger-pullers, and general lawlessness. The violent nature of these offenders’ criminal acts underscores the serious threat that this group posed to the community as a whole. Somerville sowed the destructive winds of gang violence, and he shall now reap the whirlwind of a life sentence. The 4 other members of his crew had no regard for human life and no respect for the law, and will now be removed from the Covington community for decades. We commend the outstanding investigative work by our law enforcement partners, and we are pleased that justice has been achieved for the Edwards family."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Covington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Pritchard and Elizabeth Rogers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Wausau Doctor Pleads Guilty to Diverting FentanylRead the Press Release
Madison, Wis. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Thomas Strick, 60, Wausau, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison to five counts of obtaining fentanyl by use of misrepresentation and fraud. Strick faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison. District Judge William Conley scheduled sentencing for October 9, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.
During the time frame of the government’s investigation, Strick was employed as a family practice physician for Aspirus Health Care in Wausau. In this capacity, Strick worked at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and the Aspirus Wausau Family Clinic. The government’s investigation revealed that Strick regularly prescribed fentanyl patches to patients without a medical need. Strick instructed the patients to fill the prescriptions and return the fentanyl patches to him for personal use. The investigation into Strick’s patients’ records revealed over 100 suspected diversions of fentanyl patches between 2011 and 2018.
“The U.S. Department of Justice continues to make prosecution of those who divert or distribute lethally addictive substances such as fentanyl a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold these individuals accountable, especially medical practitioners who violate their oaths.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the value of local and federal law enforcement working alongside prosecutors to hold rogue practitioners accountable for their actions. Every day the men and women of DEA work to improve public health and safety and bring to justice those responsible for the illicit trade and diversion of DEA controlled substances,” remarked Drug Enforcement Administration Associate Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Bell.
The charges against Strick are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wausau Police Department. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Wegner.
Waterbury Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GLENN JAMISON, 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 25 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statement made in court, on January 10, 2018, Jamison possessed a loaded 9mm Ruger LC9 handgun in Waterbury. At the time, he was on state probation and had two outstanding warrants for his arrest.
Jamison’s criminal history includes numerous felony convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Jamison has been detained in state custody since his arrest on January 10, 2018. On April 24, 2019, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Jamison will not receive federal credit for approximately 16 months he served in state custody since his arrest.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Wanblee Man Sentenced for Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Benjamin Sitting Up, Jr., age 33, was sentenced on July 16, 2019, to 3 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sitting Up was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2018. The charge related to Sitting Up electronically sending the minor victim multiple obscene images of adults engaging in sexual acts through Facebook Messenger. Sitting Up also repeatedly propositioned the minor to engage in sexual acts through messages.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Sitting Up was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vicksburg Felon Sentenced to Almost 6 Years in Federal Prison for International Gun Trafficking Conspiracy and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Maurice Taylor, 33, of Vicksburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Kirk Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. Taylor was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
Maurice Taylor carried out a scheme in which he shipped stolen firearms from Mississippi to a co-conspirator in London, England. He prepared two separate packages containing stolen firearms concealed within children’s toys, and mailed the packages to London, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. DNA evidence confirmed that Taylor, who is a convicted felon, was one of the people who handled the firearms. The firearms had been stolen days earlier during a burglary of a pawn shop in Natchez, Mississippi. Taylor texted with his co-conspirator messages and photographs of the guns he would mail, and received back from London confirmation numbers for wired payments for the guns, through a mobile phone application. After the London Metropolitan Police arrested Taylor’s partner, the LMP seized his phone and several firearms from his car. Evidence of the communications and the electronic payments were retrieved from the co-conspirator’s phone.
Taylor pled guilty before Judge Lee on March 28, 2019 to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He has prior felony convictions for burglary and grand larceny in Sharkey County, Mississippi.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the London Metropolitan Police Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore M. Cooperstein and Charles W. Kirkham.
Vacaville Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possessing Methamphetamine for DistributionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christian Henry Dorsch Jr., 50, of Vacaville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to seven years in prison for possessing methamphetamine for distribution, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Dorsch pleaded guilty on January 10, 2019. According to court documents, on September 6, 2018, police stopped Dorsch while he was driving in Fairfield. A search warrant allowed them to search Dorsch, his cars, and his home in Vacaville for evidence of drug-trafficking and firearms. When the officers searched Dorsch’s car, they found approximately one-half pound of methamphetamine in the center console. Later, during an interview, Dorsch said that he intended to sell the narcotics.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, with special assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
Ute Mountain Ute Man Found Guilty of RapeRead the Press Release
DURANGO – Wambli Mills, age 23, of Towaoc, Colorado, was found guilty today of federal sexual assault charges following a four-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn, announced U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. Mills appeared at trial in custody and was remanded at the trial’s conclusion.
Mills was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 11, 2018, for one count of Sexual Abuse of an Incapable Victim and one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse within the exterior boundaries of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation, in Towaoc, Colorado. According to court documents, as well as facts presented during trial, Mills used physical force to sexually assault an intoxicated friend at a relative’s house. The victim escaped and made an immediate report to the police. Law enforcement located Mills hiding in a nearby field with the victim’s leggings wrapped around his neck and the victim’s underwear on his person. DNA testing conducted by the FBI showed the victim’s DNA on the interior of Mills’ underwear.
Mills will be sentenced by Judge Blackburn on October 7, 2019, in Durango, Colorado. Mills faces up to life in prison. He has also been indicted in a separate case for Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer related to an incident from April 8, 2018. That case is pending.
“Sexual violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Our office is committed to prosecuting anyone who commits sexual assault within Indian Country. Wambli Mills thought he could get away with a brutal assault. He was wrong.”
This case was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs with support from the FBI. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Graves, R. Josh Player, and Peter McNeilly.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Partners with AARP and FBI to Promote DOJ’s Elder Justice InitiativeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina partnered with the FBI and AARP to promote the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Iniative by conducting outreach and educating older adults about the latest scams so they do not fall victim. Approximately 2,500 seniors in the Eastern District dialed-in to an interactive telephone town hall to learn about the latest financial scams affecting seniors.
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Iniative aims to combat the financial exploitation of our senior citizens by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid getting ripped off by scammers; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners.
According to statistics collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center victims lost $2.71 billion dollars to fraud in 2018, and victims over the age of 60 lost $649,227.724.
Some examples of financial fraud targeting seniors dicussed during the telephone townhall were:
- Affinity Fraud – in which the scammer pretends to have some connection to the senior or a basis for establishing trust, such as being a member of the same cultural, racial, ethnic, or religious community.
- Prize Scam – also known as “lottery scam” in which the scammer claims you won a prize or lottery money but you have to pay a “processing fee” or taxes before you can claim the prize.
- Grandparent Scam – where the scammer convinces seniors that their grandchild is in trouble and needs money to pay rent, bills, unexpected car repairs, or even money for bail.
- Tech Support Scam – in which seniors may be surfing the internet and a pop-up appears claiming the computer is infected with a virus and is designed to get access to your computer.
- Romance Scam – which scammers start an online romatic relationship and lull victims into believing they need funds for a visit to the U.S. or some other purpose.
Some tips shared with the participants on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam were:
- Don’t share personal information with anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
• Don’t click on pop-up ads or messages.
• Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
• Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger.
• Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or a lucrative business deal.
• If a scammer approaches you, take the time to talk to a friend or family member.
• Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
• Remember, it’s not rude to say, “NO.”
• A good rule of thumb is, if it’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
Robert J. Higdon, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, notes “the elderly are some of the most vurnerable people in our society and we are committed to arming them with the proper knowledge to recognize the signs of financial fraud schemes so they will not become a victim. This is a priority of the Department of Justice and of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.”
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.
U.S. Attorney, Federal Law Enforcement to Announce Charges Against Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company & Its ExecutivesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a pharmaceutical distributor, two of its former officials and two pharmacists with conspiring to distribute millions of painkiller pills in an indictment returned here yesterday. Defendants were arrested by federal agents this morning.
The briefing will be held:
TODAY: THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019
WHEN: 2:30 P.M.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office
Library
221 E. 4th Street, Fourth Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
WHO: U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman
Kathy Federico, Diversion Program Manager, DEA
Mauricio Jimenez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA
Verne Waldow, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, HHS-OIG
Room available beginning at 2:15 P.M. No TV lighting will be available. ID will be required for entrance at Security on the fourth floor.
# # #
U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest and Money Laundering Charges Against Dark Web Narcotics TraffickerRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced the arrest and unsealing of a complaint charging HUGH BRIAN HANEY with money laundering, derived from the proceeds of his narcotics trafficking on the Dark Web site known as “Silk Road,” where illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services were regularly bought and sold by the site’s vendors and customers. HANEY was arrested this morning near Columbus, Ohio, and was presented before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Ohio.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Working side by side with our law enforcement partners, our Office has shut down Silk Road, the secret online marketplace for illegal drugs, hacking services, and a whole host of other criminal activity. As alleged, Hugh Haney used Silk Road as a means to sell drugs to people all over the world. Then he allegedly laundered his profits – more than $19 million – through cryptocurrency. Today’s arrest should be a warning to dealers peddling their drugs on the dark web that they cannot remain anonymous forever, especially when attempting to legitimize their illicit proceeds.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “In 2013, Silk Road was put out of business, and as a result of that, cyber criminals sought ways to continue their criminal activities and more importantly launder their illicit digital currency. Haney was allegedly one of those criminals who was still holding on to a stash of cyber gold. HSI special agents employed blockchain analytics to uncover and seize bitcoins valued at $19 million and usher Haney out of the dark web shadows to face justice in the Southern District of New York.”
As alleged in the Complaint to be unsealed today[1]:
Silk Road was designed to be an online criminal marketplace outside the reach of law enforcement or governmental regulation. All transactions on Silk Road could be completed only through use of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. During its two-and-a-half years in operation, Silk Road was used by several thousand drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to more than 100,000 buyers, and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars derived from these unlawful transactions. All told, the site generated sales revenue totaling more than approximately 9.5 million Bitcoins.
One prominent narcotics vendor on Silk Road was called “Pharmville.” The operators of Pharmville supplied a dedicated community of individuals who often traded illicit narcotics. Agents and officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration made multiple controlled purchases of narcotics, including oxycontin, from Pharmville in 2011 and 2012. Pursuant to a judicially authorized search of HANEY’s house in Ohio in 2018, agents with HSI found evidence that HANEY was a high-ranking member or administrator of Pharmville, involved in large-scale narcotics trafficking on Silk Road.
Because Silk Road’s payment system essentially involved a Bitcoin “bank” internal to the site, every user had to hold an account in order to conduct transactions on the site. Vendors seeking to sell items, including narcotics, on Silk Road each had a Silk Road Bitcoin address, or multiple addresses, associated with the user’s Silk Road account. Once a transaction was complete, a vendor who had been paid by another user through the transfer of the user’s Bitcoins could then withdraw Bitcoins from the vendor’s Silk Road Bitcoin address by sending them to a different Bitcoin address, outside Silk Road, such as the Bitcoin addresses the vendor personally controlled.
In 2017 and 2018, HANEY transferred Bitcoins representing narcotics proceeds he had earned through his control of Pharmville from Silk Road to an account held at a company involved in the exchange of Bitcoins and other digital currency (“Company-1”). In correspondence with Company-1, HANEY claimed falsely that the source of these Bitcoins was his own “mining” of Bitcoins – which is the process by which new Bitcoins are created cryptographically – and from “individuals [he] met online,” while in truth and in fact, the Bitcoins were derived from transfers from Silk Road. After HANEY transferred the Bitcoins to cash worth more than $19 million through Company-1, HSI seized the money pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant from a custodial account at a bank (“Bank-1”) that was located in the Southern District of New York.
* * *
HANEY, 60, of Columbus, Ohio, is charged with one count of concealment money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of engaging in a financial transaction in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel L. Raymond and Tara M. La Morte are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
_____________________
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two from Northeast Ohio indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
Two people from Northeast Ohio were indicted on firearms charges.
Demann Wilson, 30, of Elyria, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Wilson possessed fentanyl and an American Arms 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition on July 11. Wilson was prohibited from having the firearm because of previous convictions for drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Cortezes Diming, 49, of Cleveland, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Diming possessed a loaded RG Industries .22-caliber pistol on March 13, despite previous convictions for felonious assault, attempted felonious assault, burglary and other crimes, according to the indictment.
The Wilson case was investigated by the FBI and Elyria Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Kolansky. The Diming case was investigated by the ATF and the Cleveland Division of Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Kane.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges, False Representation of Social Security Number, and Document FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Greenville has returned indictments charging JORGE ALBERTO NATIVI, age 29, of Guatemala, with illegal reentry of a deported alien.
Additionally, the grand jury returned an indictment charging SEBASTIAN CORONEL-LEON, age 29, of Mexico, with illegal reentry of a deported alien, false representation of social security number and document fraud.
If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, NATIVI, previously deported and found in Granville County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
CORONEL-LEON, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, if convicted, would face a maximum imprisonment term of 17 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
Tucson Man Convicted of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Christopher James Preston, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child by a federal jury in Tucson. The case was tried before U.S. District Judge James A. Soto on July 10-16, 2019. The defendant is being held in custody pending sentencing, which is currently set before Judge Soto on September 26, 2019.
The evidence at trial showed that in the summer of 1998, Preston sexually abused the 10-year-old victim at Preston’s home in Tucson, in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation. At the time, Preston was the victim’s coach in the Thornydale Little League. Preston is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
A conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child carries a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
Three New York Men Charged with Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Andre Muller, 48; Robert Holland, 39; and Hector Munoz, 57, all of New York, New York, were arrested in New York this week and charged by indictment in Maine with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. Munoz was also charged with attempted Hobbs Act robbery.
The indictment alleges that in July 2016, the defendants and others conspired to steal controlled substances from a residence in Rangeley, Maine. Munoz and an unnamed conspirator entered the residence armed with knives and a baseball bat.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police, and the Rangeley Police Department, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
Syrian Man Indicted on Terrorism Charges After Planning Attack on Christian ChurchRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A federal grand jury on July 17 returned a three-count indictment (the Indictment) against Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in connection with his planned attack on a Christian church in Pittsburgh, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. The Indictment charges Alowemer with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction.
Alowemer was initially arrested on a Complaint on June 19, 2019, and appeared before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Reed Eddy. Alowemer was ordered detained and has been in federal custody since his arrest.
As alleged in the Indictment and complaint:
The FBI Pittsburgh JTTF investigation of Alowemer revealed that Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the Church), using a weapon of mass destruction (i.e., an explosive device). According to Alowemer, his motivation to detonate a device at the Church was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts in the name of ISIS. Alowemer also targeted the Church in order to "take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria." Alowemer was aware that numerous people in the proximity of the Church could be killed by the explosion.
According to the complaint, Alowemer was born in Daraa, Syria, and has resided in the United States since August 2016.
In furtherance of the plot to bomb the Church, in May 2019, Alowemer distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but who was in fact an FBI employee. Alowemer distributed these documents with the intent that the information be used in the assembly of a destructive device and in furtherance of conducting an attack in support of ISIS. In or around June 2019, Alowemer purchased several items with the belief that they were necessary to assemble a destructive device and with the
intention that they be used to construct the explosives that would be detonated in the vicinity of the Church.
Between April 16 and June 11, Alowemer met four times in person with an FBI Undercover Employee (UCE) and/or an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). At the June 11 meeting with the UCE and CHS, Alowemer provided additional details about the bomb plot and provided the materials, including boxes of nails, he had purchased for construction of the device. Alowemer provided two printed copies of detailed Google satellite maps, which included hand-written markings identifying the Church and routes of arrival and escape. Alowemer also wrote and provided a 10-point handwritten plan ("Confirmation of this operation") outlining details related to his plot to personally deliver explosives in a backpack. Alowemer expressed a desire to meet one more time to conduct planning and coordination prior to carrying out the attempted bombing in July 2019. That meeting was later scheduled for June 19 in the Pittsburgh area, at which time Alowemer was arrested.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, each count has a 20-year maximum term of imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)/U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services(USCIS)/Homeland Security Investigations(HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Allegheny County Probation, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, and UPMC Police Security.
The case is being prosecuted by the Western District of Pennsylvania’s National Security Coordinator Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song, with assistance from Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Statesville Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Possessing A Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – United States Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Curtis Lee Rucker, Jr. 36, of Statesville, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a stolen firearm, with which he assaulted a female victim. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over Rucker’s sentencing.
Vince Pallozzi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief David W. Addison of the Statesville Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, plea documents and statements made in court, on June 30, 2018, in the early hours of the morning, the Statesville Police Department received a 9-1-1 call for a domestic disturbance at the Times Gas Station, located at 1205 E. Garner Bagnal Blvd. in Statesville. Court records show that the caller told the 9-1-1 operator that a male was assaulting a female with a firearm. Officers arrived at the scene and observed an individual, later identified as Rucker, matching the caller’s description. Officers arrested Rucker, and located nearby a firearm, loaded with two rounds of ammunition.
According to court records, officers spoke with two witnesses at the gas station who identified Rucker as the individual possessing the firearm. The witnesses stated that Rucker assaulted the female victim with the firearm, and that during the assault the magazine fell from the firearm. Rucker reinserted the magazine into the firearm and proceeded to chase the victim. Rucker eventually discarded the firearm where it was later located by law enforcement. Surveillance video from the gas station shows Rucker exiting a vehicle at the gas station, assaulting the victim, striking her in the head with his firearm, and causing her to fall on the ground. Once on the ground, Rucker pointed the firearm in the victim’s direction, and proceeded to kick and chase the victim around the vehicle, with the firearm pointed in her direction. Law enforcement later determined that the seized firearm was a black Ruger LCP .380 handgun, which had been reported as stolen.
In February 2019, Rucker pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Rucker, who was convicted in 2015 for felon in possession of a firearm in State court, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Rucker has been in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the ATF and the Statesville Police Department for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
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 emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Aggravated Assault on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Myron Cornelius Wilson, Jr., 27, of St. Louis, was sentenced today to a term of 120 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey. In March 2019, Wilson pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault on a federal law enforcement officer and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2018, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Most Violent Offenders Unit (along with detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department) executed a search warrant in the 4100 block of Camellia in the City of St. Louis. Upon arrival at the residence, investigators observed a number of individuals seated in or near the porch area. As investigators arrived, the individuals scattered, with a number of them retreating into the residence. When FBI Task Force Officers and Special Agents approached wearing tactical vests clearly identifying them as “POLICE,” Myron Wilson, Jr. fled towards the rear entrance of the residence. Wilson then pointed a handgun at FBI personnel. FBI agents and task force officers defended themselves and others by discharging their weapons, striking Wilson and ending the threat he posed.
Wilson appeared in court in a wheelchair. He is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of this incident. Information presented at sentencing revealed that Wilson had also been shot by police in 2010 after he refused multiple commands to drop a weapon he was holding.
United States Attorney Jeff Jensen reiterated his commitment to combatting violent crime by stating, “Myron Wilson is a dangerous felon who has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to carry guns and to use those guns against law enforcement officers and others. His conduct left agents with no choice but to protect themselves and the community.”
“From a young age, Myron Wilson repeatedly engaged in violent encounters with law enforcement demonstrating his blatant disregard for the law,” said Alicia Corder, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI St. Louis Division. “Today he was held accountable for his actions.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
South Lake Tahoe Man Charged in Firearms and Narcotics CrimesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Christopher Louis Wadstein, 31, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in May 2018, burglars stole several firearms from a car parked outside a hotel in South Lake Tahoe. Not long after the theft, officers received information that the firearms were in Wadstein’s possession. Officers were able to locate a car Wadstein had rented and searched it, finding a backpack with five handguns and ammunition in it. The firearms were later confirmed to have been among those stolen from the car outside the hotel. Following his arrest, Wadstein later admitted to having received the guns and ammunition, and to stashing them in his car. Wadstein has two prior state felony convictions for endangering public safety while fleeing from the police, and one felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Because of these convictions, Wadstein is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Wadstein was charged in El Dorado County Superior Court for his possession of the firearms, but fled before his preliminary hearing. The court issued a bench warrant for his failure to appear.
In May 2019, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department received information that Wadstein had returned to Northern California. On May 21, 2019, officers were able to locate his vehicle within Sacramento County and attempted to make a traffic stop. Instead, Wadstein fled, leading police on a high speed pursuit, during which Wadstein collided with numerous other drivers, drove the wrong way down several streets, exceeded 100 mph on surface roads, and tried to ram law enforcement vehicles. One collision caused Wadstein’s vehicle to catch fire and he was forced to abandon it, fleeing on foot. As he ran, he scattered a bag of methamphetamine he was carrying. Ultimately, he was unable to escape police on foot and surrendered. Officers later recovered approximately 335 grams of methamphetamine from the ground where Wadstein had discarded it.
This case is the product of an investigation by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the Bismarck Police Department, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Conolly is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Wadstein faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute count, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Seafood Processor Pleads Guilty to Selling Foreign Crab Meat Falsely Labeled as Blue Crab from U.S.Read the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Poquson man pleaded guilty today to his participation in a lucrative conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and falsely labelling millions of dollars-worth of foreign crab meat as “Product of USA”.
“As I stated when his father was convicted, the Caseys conspired to replace Atlantic Blue Crab with crab meat from Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Central and South America,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Casey falsely labeled nearly 400,000 pounds of crab meat with a retail value in the millions of dollars. This fraud causes real financial harm to the fragile, maritime economies here in the region, and threatens to tarnish the good name of the watermen and women who have worked this estuary for generations. We are committed to working with our federal and state partners to ensure compliance with the Lacey Act, and to enforce our nation’s environmental laws that are in place to protect consumers from similar fraud schemes.”
According to court documents, Michael P. Casey, 42, was the Vice President for Marketing and Operations of Casey’s Seafood Inc., a wholesale processor of crab meat and other seafood. He pleaded guilty to conspiring with James R. Casey and others to substitute foreign crab meat for Atlantic blue crab. James Casey, the owner and President of Casey’s Seafood, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January to a 48-month term of imprisonment.
“By illegally mislabeling hundreds of thousands of pounds of crab meat, the defendant intentionally undermined the local crab processing industry – defrauding customers and, in turn, damaging the public’s trust in an industry that is important to the local economy," said Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mr. Casey’s actions are an affront to those who play by the rules when selling blue crab, and The Department will continue to work closely with its partners to prosecute criminals who flout the rule of law.”
As part of the plea, Michael Casey admitted to knowing that Casey’s Seafood employees were directed to unpack foreign crab meat from containers and re-package that meat into containers bearing the company name and which were labeled “Product of USA.” falsely labeling more than 183 tons of crab meat, which was then sold to grocery stores and independent retailers. Casey also admitted to aiding and abetting James Casey in selling at least 367,765 pounds of crab meat falsely labeled “Product of USA,” with a total wholesale value of approximately $4,324,916.
“Seafood fraud undermines the economic viability of U.S. and global fisheries, deceives consumers, and threatens the health of those who consume tainted or misidentified seafood products,” said James Landon, Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement. “This case is a great example of investigative cooperation by state and federal law enforcement to strengthen seafood fraud detection and safeguard the industry and consumers.”
A significant decline in Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) harvests that began in 2010 made it increasingly expensive to purchase live Atlantic blue crab and increasingly difficult to profit from the labor-intensive process of picking meat from live-harvested blue crab. As part of his guilty plea, Casey admitted that, because of this decline, he and the company could not and did not process sufficient quantities of Atlantic blue crab to meet customer demands. To make up the shortfall, the co-conspirators used foreign crab meat to fulfill customer orders. During the periods when the company did not process blue crab—which sometimes lasted three months—the co-conspirators purchased crab meat (not live crabs) from Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and other foreign locales.
“U.S. consumers expect the origin of their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers attempt to deceive the public about their product’s origins, they put the public’s health at risk by introducing seafood of unknown origin,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Office. “When sellers are deceptive about their products’ origins, they deprive the public of important information about their purchasing decisions. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above fair dealing.”
The crab meat from Indonesia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam included meat from Portunus pelagicus, Portunus haanii, and Ovalipes punctatus, which are all Indo-West Pacific species of crab that do not live in the continental waters of the United States. The company also purchased crab meat (not live crabs) from Central American sources, which did include Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, but also included other species such as Callinectes bocourti, Callinectes bellicosis, Callinectes toxotes, and Callinectes arcuatus.
As part of the guilty plea, Casey further admitted that beginning at least as early as 2010, and continuing through June 17, 2015, he was aware that company employees had been directed to unpack foreign crab meat from suppliers’ containers, comingle it with domestic blue crab and/or other types of crab, and re-pack that crab meat into Casey’s Seafood containers, all of which were labeled “Product of USA”.
As part of the plea, Casey admitted that part of the conspiracy was to purchase discounted foreign crab meat, some of which was referred to as “distressed” because it was approaching or beyond its posted “best used by” dates. Casey admitted to knowing that company employees “re-conditioned” the “distressed” crab meat by re-pasteurizing it, and then packaging the “re-conditioned” meat into the company’s containers, which were labeled and sold as blue crab and “Product of USA.” Casey also was aware that employees placed labels with “Product of USA” on containers that concealed labels marked as “Product of China” and “Product of Brazil”.
Casey pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on November 14. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Virginia Marine Police, and the Department of Justice to detect, deter, and prosecute those engaged in the false labeling of crab meat.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Division, Logan Gregory, Special Agent in Charge for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement’s Northeast Division, Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Trial Attorney Gary Donner of the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-67.
Seafood Processor Pleads Guilty to Selling Foreign Crab Meat Falsely Labeled as Blue Crab from USARead the Press Release
Michael P. Casey of Poquoson, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Newport News, Virginia, on charges stemming from his participation in a lucrative conspiracy to falsely label millions of dollars-worth of foreign crab meat as “Product of USA.”
“By illegally mislabeling hundreds of thousands of pounds of crab meat, the defendant intentionally undermined the local crab processing industry – defrauding customers and, in turn, damaging the public’s trust in an industry that is important to the local economy,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mr. Casey’s actions are an affront to those who play by the rules when selling blue crab, and The Department will continue to work closely with its partners to prosecute criminals who flout the rule of law.”
“As I stated when his father was convicted, the Caseys conspired to replace Atlantic Blue Crab with crab meat from Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Central and South America,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Casey falsely labeled nearly 400,000 pounds of crab meat with a retail value in the millions of dollars. This fraud causes real financial harm to the fragile, maritime economies here in the region, and threatens to tarnish the good name of the watermen and women who have worked this estuary for generations. We are committed to working with our federal and state partners to ensure compliance with the Lacey Act, and to enforce our nation’s environmental laws that are in place to protect consumers from similar fraud schemes.”
“Seafood fraud undermines the economic viability of U.S. and global fisheries, deceives consumers, and threatens the health of those who consume tainted or misidentified seafood products,” said James Landon, Director of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement. “This case is a great example of investigative cooperation by state and federal law enforcement to strengthen seafood fraud detection and safeguard the industry and consumers.”
“U.S. consumers expect the origin of their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers attempt to deceive the public about their product’s origins, they put the public’s health at risk by introducing seafood of unknown origin,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Office. “When sellers are deceptive about their products’ origins, they deprive the public of important information about their purchasing decisions. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above fair dealing.”
Casey was the Vice President for Marketing and Operations of Casey’s Seafood Inc., a wholesale processor of crab meat and other seafood. He pleaded guilty to conspiring with James R. Casey and others to substitute foreign crab meat for Atlantic blue crab. James Casey, the owner and President of Casey’s Seafood, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January to a 48-month term of imprisonment.
As part of the plea, Michael Casey admitted to knowing that Casey’s Seafood employees were directed to unpack foreign crab meat from containers and re-package that meat into containers bearing the company name and which were labeled “Product of USA.” falsely labeling more than 183 tons of crab meat, which was then sold to grocery stores and independent retailers. Casey also admitted to aiding and abetting James Casey in selling at least 367,765 pounds of crab meat falsely labeled “Product of USA,” with a total wholesale value of approximately $4,324,916.
A significant decline in Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) harvests that began in 2010 made it increasingly expensive to purchase live Atlantic blue crab and increasingly difficult to profit from the labor-intensive process of picking meat from live-harvested blue crab. As part of his guilty plea, Casey admitted that, because of this decline, he and the company could not and did not process sufficient quantities of Atlantic blue crab to meet customer demands. To make up the shortfall, the co-conspirators used foreign crab meat to fulfill customer orders. During the periods when the company did not process blue crab—which sometimes lasted three months—the co-conspirators purchased crab meat (not live crabs) from Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and other foreign locales.
The crab meat from Indonesia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam included meat from Portunus pelagicus, Portunus haanii, and Ovalipes punctatus, which are all Indo-West Pacific species of crab that do not live in the continental waters of the United States. The company also purchased crab meat (not live crabs) from Central American sources, which did include Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, but also included other species such as Callinectes bocourti, Callinectes bellicosis, Callinectes toxotes, and Callinectes arcuatus.
As part of the guilty plea, Casey further admitted that beginning at least as early as 2010, and continuing through June 17, 2015, he was aware that company employees had been directed to unpack foreign crab meat from suppliers’ containers, comingle it with domestic blue crab and/or other types of crab, and re-pack that crab meat into Casey’s Seafood containers, all of which were labeled “Product of USA.”
As part of the plea, Casey admitted that part of the conspiracy was to purchase discounted foreign crab meat, some of which was referred to as “distressed” because it was approaching or beyond its posted “best used by” dates. Casey admitted to knowing that company employees “re-conditioned” the “distressed” crab meat by re-pasteurizing it, and then packaging the “re-conditioned” meat into the company’s containers, which were labeled and sold as blue crab and “Product of USA.” Casey also was aware that employees placed labels with “Product of USA” on containers that concealed labels marked as “Product of China” and “Product of Brazil.”
This case was part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Investigations, the Virginia Marine Police, and the Department of Justice to detect, deter, and prosecute those engaged in the false labeling of crab meat.
The guilty plea took place before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller in Newport News. Sentencing will take place on Nov. 14, 2019. The maximum sentence for conspiracy to falsely label crab meat is five years in prison and a fine of up to half the gross gain of the offense.
The investigation is continuing. This prosecution is being handled by the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Hurt and Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner.
San Jose Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE– Michael Anthony Lamb pleaded guilty in federal court today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Rayfield Roundtree. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge.
According to his plea agreement, Lamb, 28, of San Jose, admitted that on February 6, 2018, he was drinking beer out of a beer can while sitting on a planter box on a VTA light rail platform in San Jose when he noticed two law enforcement officers approaching him. Lamb saw one of the officers wave at him and ask him to approach. Instead, Lamb picked up his backpack and ran. Lamb admitted that he ran because he knew he would get in trouble were he to be arrested. Specifically, Lamb knew he was a convicted felon who was not entitled to possess a firearm and still he had in his possession a loaded 9mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol with seven full-metal jacket 9mm ammunition rounds in the magazine. He also had in his possession approximately four grams of cocaine and a jar containing approximately 53 grams of marijuana buds. While running away, Lamb heard the officers order him to stop. Instead of stopping, Lamb continued to run, threw the loaded gun into some nearby bushes, and threw his backpack aside. Shortly thereafter, an officer arrested Lamb. Also, his firearm and backpack were recovered.
On June 27, 2019, Lamb was charged by information with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Lamb pleaded guilty to the charge.
Lamb has been in custody since March 11, 2019. Judge Koh scheduled his sentencing hearing for January 15, 2020. Lamb faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, Judge Koh also may order that defendant serve an additional period of supervised release of up to three years. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Nedrow is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
School Bus Driver Who Endangered 25 Navajo Children by Driving While Intoxicated Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Duane Aaron Skeet, 49, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Chichiltah, NM, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, NM for his conviction on a felony child abuse charge. Skeet was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by a year of supervised release for endangering the lives and health of 25 Navajo children who were under his care while he was operating a school bus under the influence of alcohol.
Skeet previously pleaded guilty to this child abuse offense on March 26, 2019. In his plea agreement, Skeet admitted that on the afternoon of Sept. 24, 2018, while he was employed as a school bus driver by the Bureau of Indian Education, he consumed alcohol before arriving for work at the Chi Chi Tah Jones Ranch School, which is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Skeet acknowledged that he was intoxicated as he drove away from the school in a school bus with 25 Navajo children, ranging from five to 12 years in age, on board.
According to court records, due to Skeet’s intoxicated state, the school bus swerved from side to side on the roadway. Skeet continued driving the school bus in a damaged condition after hitting an embankment; almost flipped the bus while taking a sharp turn at a high rate of speed; and almost drove off a bridge near a canyon. At times, children were thrown back and forth inside of the bus, although none suffered bodily harm. Skeet’s bus route lasted almost 1 hour and covered approximately twenty-five miles with eight stops along at which children were dropped off, fortunately without injury.
The Window Rock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Cowen prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sent to Prison for Trafficking AgainRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston man has been ordered to prison following his second conviction related to sex trafficking of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Ronnie Presley, originally from Wichita, Kansas, pleaded guilty March 14, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett considered Presley’s criminal history, his actions as they related to the exploitation of the minor victim as well as his personal history. The court then imposed a 270-month sentence to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. He will again be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In handing down the lengthy sentence, Judge Bennett noted that while Presley did not perpetrate acts of violence upon the minor victim, her sexual exploitation constituted repeated acts of violence. The court commented that this victim is somebody’s daughter, sister and granddaughter and should not have been caused to engage in commercial sex for anyone’s benefit.
Presley was previously convicted Oct. 4, 2012, of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, coercion and enticement, and transportation as part of Operation Total Exposure. He was later sentenced to 96 months in prison.
While on supervised release for those offenses, a federal grand jury indicted him in 2017 for similar offenses. Once released from prison for the 2012 conviction, Presley had violated his supervised release and was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment.
While serving that sentence, Presley continued to cause a minor female to engage in commercial sex. Via jail calls and communications with third parties, Presley continued to control the minor victim. In one particular instance, the minor went to the detention facility where Presley was incarcerated and added money to his commissary account.
Presley has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Coast Guard and sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly A. Leo prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Enters Guilty Plea in “Sextortion” CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of DYLAN MATTHEW DELING, a/k/a “Jason Keens,” a/k/a “Dylan Nash,” 20, to one count of production of child pornography and one count of extortion. DELING entered his guilty plea today before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Young people are faced with online threats and abuse unlike ever before. Sadly, law enforcement is seeing an increase in these types of cases– the sly tactics, the coercion, the threats, are all tools employed by online predators such as Mr. Deling,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “Our stance is aggressive when it comes to the investigation and prosecution of these cases and we will remain proactive in our efforts to build awareness around the issue of sextortion.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between October 2017 and August 2, 2018, DELING used multiple social media and chat platforms, including Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Kik, and Skype, as well as text messages to carry out his sextortion scheme. Sextortion is the act of extorting sexually explicit images and videos from a victim by threatening to reveal a victim’s sexually explicit chats, images, or videos, or through threats of harm to the victim or the victim’s loved ones. In the course of his scheme, DELING sextorted more than 40 minor girls whom he knew to be or believed were between 11 and 17 years old.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, DELING, using multiple usernames and accounts, employed several different techniques to attempt to and to obtain child pornography from minor girls. One technique DELING used was offering compliments and expressions of affection to the minor girls to persuade them into creating sexually explicit images of themselves. In many instances, DELING threatened to and actually did disseminate sexually explicit images of the girls to their friends and family if the girls refused to provide him with sexually explicit images. In other instances, DELING threatened to send his associates to rape, kidnap, injure, or kill the girls or their loved ones. To underscore his threats, DELING sent screenshots of maps of the girls’ residences, family members’ contact information, and other identifying information to the girls, as well as posting the information online. In at least one instance, DELING obtained sexually explicit images through a friend of one of the girls.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, in coordination with multiple state and local law enforcement agencies inside and outside of Minnesota.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E Dugi.
Defendant Information:
DYLAN MATTHEW DELING, a/k/a “Jason Keens,” a/k/a “Dylan Nash,” 20
Fairmont, Minn.
Convicted:
- Production of child pornography, 1 count
- Interstate communication with intent to extort, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Running Drug Trafficking Ring and Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Resulting in Two Deaths and One Non-Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A former resident of Pittsburgh, PA was sentenced to 23 years (276 months) in prison and six years of supervised release for violating federal narcotics laws, including three charges of distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur Schwab imposed the sentence on Justin McBride, 27, on counts of Conspiracy To Possess With The Intent To Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl and 100 Grams or More of Heroin, Possession With The Intent To Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl, Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises, and Distribution of Fentanyl resulting in the death of victim E.B. McBride previously, as part of the plea, accepted responsibility for distribution resulting in the death of victim T.B. and the serious bodily injury overdose of victim J.B.
According to information presented to the court, Brad and Greg Reed, Justin McBride, Richard Ruby, and Antoinette McBride operated a family-run heroin and fentanyl ring in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County from 2014 – 2017. Brad and Greg Reed ran the operation out of a home on Lytle Street in Pittsburgh while Justin McBride and Antoinette McBride utilized a location in Munhall, PA, and Richard Ruby at a residence on Glenwood Avenue in Pittsburgh. Utilizing these locations and others, members of this drug trafficking ring sold to hundreds of drug customers in Allegheny County. On October 4, 2016, Justin McBride distributed fentanyl to victim, E.B. who later died of acute fentanyl toxicity. On January 30, 2017, Justin McBride distributed a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to victim T.B. who later died of a combined drug toxicity of heroin and fentanyl. Pittsburgh Police Narcotics and Vice detectives were able to use victim T.B.’s phone in order to set up an undercover purchase of narcotics from Justin McBride. On January 31, Justin McBride was arrested attempting to deliver heroin and fentanyl to an undercover Pittsburgh Police Narcotics and Vice detective. On July 8, 2017, Justin McBride delivered fentanyl to victim J.B. who overdosed on the fentanyl, but was revived by EMS personnel using Narcan.
Co-defendant Richard Ruby was previously sentenced to 12½ years on a separate, but related indictment and a concurrent five-year sentence on this Indictment. Co-defendant Antoinette McBride was sentenced to time-served of one year and two months and three years of supervised release. Co-defendants Greg and Brad Reed were previously sentenced to 13 years and 16 years and three years of supervised release, respectively. Justin McBride’s sentence is believed to be the longest sentence imposed in the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution of heroin or fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni and Heidi Grogan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police – Narcotics and Vice Division, and West Mifflin Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the guilty pleas and sentences in this case. The FBI Opioid Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, Sto-Rox Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Pharmaceutical Distributor & Executives, Pharmacists Charged with Unlawfully Distributing PainkillersRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged a pharmaceutical distributor, two of its former officials and two pharmacists with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in an indictment returned here yesterday.
Four individuals have been charged, including Miami-Luken’s former president and compliance officer and two West Virginia pharmacists.
Those charged include:
- Anthony Rattini, 71, of Colorado Springs, Colo., the former president of Miami-Luken;
- James Barclay, 72, of Springboro, Ohio, the former compliance officer of Miami-Luken;
- Devonna Miller-West, 49, of Oceana, W.Va., a pharmacist who owned and operated Westside Pharmacy in Oceana, Wva.; and
- Samuel “Randy” Ballengee, 54, of Lovely, Ky., a pharmacist who owned and operated Tug Valley Pharmacy in Williamson, Wva.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Keith Martin, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General announced the charges.
Miami-Luken supplied pharmaceuticals to more than 200 pharmacies in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee.
From 2008 until 2015, the company generated more than $173 million in consolidated sales per year. More than 70 percent of the profits came from wholesale distribution.
According to the indictment, Rattini, Barclay and Miami-Luken sought to enrich themselves by distributing millions of painkillers to doctors and pharmacies in rural Appalachia, where the opioid epidemic was at its peak.
The distributor and its officials allegedly continued to distribute millions of pills to Westside, Tug Valley and other pharmacies even after being advised by the DEA of their responsibilities as a wholesaler to ensure drugs were not being diverted and to report suspicious orders.
It is alleged they filled suspicious orders placed by Miller-West, Ballengee and others.
For example, Rattini, Barclay and Miami-Luken allegedly ignored obvious signs of abuse by distributing more than 2.3 million oxycodone pills and 2.6 hydrocodone pills to Miller-West’s pharmacy in a town of approximately 1,394 people.
Ballengee’s pharmacy allegedly received more than 120,000 painkiller pills from Miami-Luken in one month. From 2008 through 2014, Miami-Luken distributed more than 6 million hydrocodone pills to Tug Valley Pharmacy.
The wholesaler allegedly provided another 2.2 million pills from 2012 through 2014 to another pharmacy that had been cut off from other wholesalers.
From 2008 through 2011, Miami-Luken allegedly distributed more than 3.7 million hydrocodone pills to a pharmacy in Kermit, W.Va., a town of 400 people.
Each of the defendants and Miami-Luken, Inc. is charged with conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the DEA and HHS-OIG, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Oakley and Maritsa A. Flaherty, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Penn Hills Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Role in Multi-District Drug Distribution NetworkRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 years (180 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Angelo Massie, 41, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around September 2016, Massie conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The indictments from August 2016 were the result of an investigation, which utilized Title III wiretap intercepts and other investigative techniques that established the existence of several overlapping and interrelated drug distribution networks with tentacles in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern District of Michigan, and the District of the Virgin Islands. The FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force’s focus began in early 2015 on a drug trafficking organization operating on Pittsburgh’s North Side and thereafter they were able to track drug suppliers beyond the borders of their own district and across the Caribbean Sea.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team – Narcotics, Firearms, & Violent Crime Task Force, as well as the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Organized Crime Section – Western Regional Office contributed significantly to the investigation, which resulted in the instant sentence.
This case grew out of a federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation that resulted in several federal indictments in August of 2016. The OCDETF task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is comprised of members drawn from the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force including the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and the Allegheny County Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by FBI San Juan, Puerto Rico (St. Thomas Resident Agency, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Numerous other FBI field offices, including Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and Atlanta, in addition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, also assisted with this investigation. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Ontario Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Two Aliens into the United States in LewistonRead 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 Mary Ann Langridge, 63, of Toronto, Ontario, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to attempted transportation within the United States of an illegal alien for private financial gain. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on May 21, 2019, Rosa Guadelupe Lopez-Gonsalez, a Mexican citizen, and Leonardo Jiminez-De La Rosa, a Dominican Republic citizen, entered the United States at a boat dock in Lewiston, NY, without authorization and in violation of the law. Langridge met Lopez-Gonsalez and Jiminez-De La Rosa at the boat dock and attempted to transport the two aliens to the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, NY via automobile. The defendant participated in this offense in exchange for $500.00 United States currency.
Rosa Guadelupe Lopez-Gonsalez and Leonardo Jiminez-De La Rosa are facing immigration proceedings.
The plea is the result of plea is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Josh Barrett.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2019, before Judge Vilardo.
Oakland Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possessing Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Giovonni Gaines was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent In Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge.
Gaines, 23, of Oakland, pleaded guilty to the charge on April 4, 2019. According to his plea agreement, weeks before July 23, 2018, Gaines bought an explosive device from somebody in his neighborhood. The device was comprised of a metallic substance capped at both ends, was one inch in diameter, was six inches long, and contained an explosive charge. On July 23, 2018, he traveled by bicycle with the device in a backpack to a protest near the 1900 block of Broadway in Oakland. There were approximately 1000 people and dozens of law enforcement officers present. Gaines saw officers from the Oakland Police Department clashing with some protesters and took the device out of his backpack. He lit the device and handed it to a juvenile near him. Gaines admitted he instructed the juvenile to throw the device toward law enforcement officers to create a distraction and disrupt the officers’ efforts to maintain a peaceful protest. The juvenile threw the device and it exploded. Gaines acknowledged that he heard the blast and later learned the explosion injured approximately ten officers and caused damage to Oakland Police Department property.
On December 21, 2018, Gaines was charged by Information with one count of possessing an unregistered firearm, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d). Gaines pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered the defendant to surrender on a date in September to begin serving his prison term.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco and investigated by the FBI.
Nine men indicted on federal charges in child sex trafficking stingRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: Nine men snared in a child sex trafficking sting have been indicted on federal charges.
Operation Do You Know Your Neighbor, coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in late March, targeted adults who were seeking children for indecent purposes, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“It’s always troubling that there are adults who seek to prey on underage children for their own gratification,” Christine said. “Anyone with such disturbing proclivities should be reminded that our law enforcement agencies are diligent in their efforts to find them and prevent the exploitation of innocent children.”
Those indicted on federal charges in the sting include:
Daven Jones, 29, of Jacksonville, is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity; and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;
John Torrance, 35, of Naples, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity; and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;
Joshua Weaver, 34, of St. Marys, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement, and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Matter to a Minor;
Dylan Wescott, 27, of Orange Park, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity;
Charles Barreras, 48, of Kingsland, Ga., charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;
Matthew Coffey, 37, of Brunswick, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;
Alvaro Hernandez, 35, of Bristol, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement;
Marquise Little, 22, of Kingsland, Ga., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement; and,
Trevor Rountree, 28, of Orange Park, Fla., is charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement.
Charges in the indictments carry possible penalties of 10 years to life in prison.
“The success of this operation comes from the strong partnership NCIS shares with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office,” said NCIS Southeast Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt Lascell. “We are dedicated to combating child sexual crimes that endanger Department of the Navy families and the citizens of Georgia.”
Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor said, “The investigation conducted by federal, state and local agencies is an example of how a cooperative effort by law enforcement protects the youth from those who attempt to prey upon the children of our communities.“
Indictments contain only charges. All defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The sting was set up by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the GBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for the purpose of identifying adults who were seeking out children for indecent purposes. Other agencies participating in the investigation included the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, the Kingsland Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Savannah Police Department.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela Mateo and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that CHARLES BROWN, age 30, of New Orleans, was sentenced on Thursday, July 11, 2019 for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, CHARLES BROWN had another individual purchase a firearm for him from the Jefferson Gun Outlet on or about July 27, 2018. That same day, BROWN was stopped in a vehicle while he was in possession of that firearm. BROWN was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony conviction.
U.S. District Court Judge Vitter sentenced BROWN to 30 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni.
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