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26 August 2019
Van Zandt County Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking in East TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 55-year-old Canton, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. DeSarno.
Andrew Mark Harris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.
According to information presented in court, on July 14, 2018, Harris was stopped for a traffic violation in Van Zandt County, Texas, and found to be in possession of 1.4 grams of methamphetamine. During the investigation, Harris admitted to being responsible for the distribution of between 50 and 200 grams of methamphetamine. Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 22, 2019 and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.
Under federal statutes, Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft's Statement on Fatal Shooting of Illinois State Trooper Nick HopkinsRead the Press Release
Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, issued this statement following the death of Illinois State Trooper Nick Hopkins:
“We were deeply saddened to learn that Trooper Nick Hopkins will not survive the senseless act of violence he suffered in the line of duty earlier this morning. The entire federal law enforcement community stands as one today to mourn his passing. Our hearts go out to his family and all those who are grieving his loss. We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable, cowardly act that took his life.”
“Trooper Hopkins was a dedicated officer who served our community with honor, bravery, and fidelity. He leaves behind an enduring legacy that will live on in the lives he touched; in the work that the courageous men and women of the Illinois State Police continue to perform; and in a community that is safer because of his devoted service. His loss underscores the real dangers that are routinely faced by those who protect and serve us each and every day. Their work is truly heroic, and we are forever in their debt.”
Three Defendants Indicted for Transnational Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging Kamal Zafar, Jamal Zafar and Armughanul Asar with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money in furtherance of their fraudulent scheme directed at thousands of individuals in the United States. The defendants were arrested this morning in the Eastern District of New York, and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Kenneth Jackson, Commissioner, Garden City Police Department (GCPD), announced the charges.
As alleged in the indictment, between January 2018 and September 2018, the defendants, together with co-conspirators operating from call centers in India, targeted victims in the United States, and falsely claimed to be employees of the IRS, the Social Security Administration or the Drug Enforcement Administration. The victims were informed that they owed a sum of money to the United States government or one of its agencies and that they would be arrested if the debts were not promptly paid. After victims wired payments to bank accounts that the defendants had opened in the names of inactive and shell corporations to receive the fraud proceeds, the funds were withdrawn and laundered through additional bank accounts. The scheme is estimated to have netted over $2 million from victims across the United States.
“The defendants’ transnational fraud scheme utilized callers falsely claiming to be federal employees and threatening arrest to extract payment from their victims,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will continue working tirelessly to hold accountable scam artists who perpetrate telephone frauds.”
“These defendants remotely used ruthless scare tactics and threatened innocent citizens including the elderly, widows, and professionals under the guise of having to pay off unfounded financial obligations to the U.S. government for their own personal gain,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Larsen. “IRS-CI will continue to apprehend those who victimize the public while posing as government officials both abroad and here at home.”
“The victimization of American taxpayers by individuals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees is a serious crime,” stated TIGTA Inspector General George. “I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the New York City Police Department and the Garden City Police Department on their outstanding efforts resulting in this indictment.”
“These indictments reflect the lengths that criminals will go in order to fraudulently separate honest people from their hard earned money,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “I congratulate the NYPD detectives, our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their hard work in dismantling this illegal operation.”
“This case is an excellent example of collaboration and cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies, which included federal, city and local authorities in the arrest of the participants of a major scheme to defraud numerous victims throughout the United States,” stated GCPD Commissioner Jackson.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’ Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Diane Leonardo are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
KAMAL ZAFAR
Age: 51
South Huntington, New YorkJAMAL ZAFAR
Age: 48
Huntington, New YorkARMUGHANUL ASAR
Age: 68
College Point, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-385 (SJF)
Tankship Owner and Operator and Senior Officers Convicted of Violations for Air PollutionRead the Press Release
The owner and operator will pay a total criminal fine of $3,000,000.00
ST. CROIX – U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that IONIAN SHIPPING & TRADING CORP., LILY SHIPPING LTD., STAMATIOS ALEKIDIS, ATHANASIOS PITTAS and REY ESPULGAR have been convicted and sentenced for various pollution, recordkeeping, and obstruction of justice crimes on the Motor Tanker (“M/T”) Ocean Princess in St. Croix, U.S.V.I. The defendants’ conduct included using fuel that exceeded the maximum allowable sulfur concentration in the U.S. Caribbean Emission Control Area (“U.S. Caribbean ECA”) and efforts to deceive U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about the source of the fuel being used aboard the M/T Ocean Princess.
The M/T Ocean Princess was owned by LILY SHIPPING LTD. and operated by IONIAN SHIPPING & TRADING CORP., both Greece-domiciled companies. The vessel was engaged in transporting petroleum products throughout the Caribbean including from Limetree Terminals, St. Croix, U.S.V.I. The commercial manager of the vessel would authorize the Master of the vessel, STAMATIOS ALEKIDIS, to transfer petroleum cargo from the cargo tanks into the vessel’s fuel tanks, known as bunker tanks. As the owner and operator of the vessel, LILY SHIPPING LTD. and IONIAN SHIPPING & TRADING CORP. were further responsible for ensuring the vessel used fuel that complied with the U.S. Caribbean ECA standards.
While vessels are operating within the U.S. Caribbean ECA, they must not use fuel that exceeds 0.10% sulfur by weight in order to help protect air quality. Between January 3, 2017, and July 10, 2018, the M/T Ocean Princess entered into, and operated within, the U.S. Caribbean ECA using fuel that contained excessive sulfur on twenty-six separate occasions. The fuel was petroleum cargo that had been transferred to the fuel tanks as authorized by the vessel’s commercial manager. Once notification was received from Master STAMATIOS ALEKIDIS, Chief Officer REY ESPULGAR coordinated with Chief Engineer ATHANASIOS PITTAS to make the transfers from the cargo tanks to the bunker tanks. REY ESPULGAR then falsified the Oil Record Book, Part II, by failing to record that cargo had been transferred to the bunker tanks. ATHANASIOS PITTAS also falsified the Oil Record Book, Part I, by falsely recording that the fuel in the bunker tank originated from a shore-side company in St. Martin, F.W.I. Additionally, ATHANASIOS PITTAS created fictitious Bunker Delivery Notes that claimed the fuel in the bunkers came from the same shore-side company in St. Martin, F.W.I. Between March 2, 2016, and February 6, 2018, nineteen separate fictitious Bunker Delivery Notes were created on and kept aboard the vessel.
U.S. Coast Guard inspectors boarded the M/T Ocean Princess on July 10, 2018, to conduct an inspection. During the inspection, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered that the vessel was using fuel with an excessive sulfur content. Chief Officer REY ESPULGAR instructed some of the lower-ranking crewmembers to lie to the U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about where the fuel came from and to say the ship took on fuel in St. Martin, F.W.I., when in fact it did not.
“Protection of our unique environment and air quality are important priorities of federal law enforcement and prosecutors in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said U.S. Attorney Shappert. “These convictions underscore our commitment to holding violators accountable while defending precious natural resources. I am deeply grateful for the way that the federal partners worked together during this investigation to ensure that Justice is served.”
“Ocean going vessels emit hazardous air pollutants or air toxics that are associated with adverse health effects impacting populations living near ports and coastlines,” said Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in the Virgin Islands. “EPA, along with its law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring the shipping industry continues to comply with laws designed to protect air quality.”
“The results announced today send a strong message to anyone who seeks to take shortcuts and intentionally pollute our environment, and I couldn’t be prouder of the Coast Guard’s Resident Inspection Office in St. Croix and Sector San Juan marine inspectors who first identified the issue as well as our Coast Guard Investigative Service agents who worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency in San Juan to investigate this case,” said Rear Adm. Peter Brown, Commander Coast Guard District Seven. “We will continue to work with our Department of Justice and environmental protection partners to hold accountable any who put profit above the protection of our waters, beaches, and the air above them for future generations.”
IONIAN SHIPPING & TRADING CORP. and LILY SHIPPING LTD. will each pay a fine of $1,500,000.00, be placed on four years of probation, and implement an Environmental Compliance Plan. STAMATIOS ALEKIDIS, ATHANASIOS PITTAS, and REY ESPULGAR were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered not to return to the United States on a ship during that time. REY ESPULGAR was also fined $3,000.00.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Chisholm and Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth Nelson prosecuted the case.
Statement of United States Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. Regarding Resolution of Criminal and Civil Forfeiture Cases Against Dr. Sreekrishna M. Cheruvu, M.D.Read the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051United States Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office has executed a Non-Prosecution and Compliance Agreement dismissing all criminal charges against Dr. Sreekrishna M. Cheruvu, M.D., and entered into a stipulation resolving a civil disagreement over the correct CPT codes to bill for services rendered by T3 Medical, Dr. Cheruvu’s medical practice.
“Pursuant to the terms of the non-prosecution and compliance agreement, if Dr. Cheruvu’s medical license is restored, then any reimbursement claims he submits will, for a period of time, be monitored by a medical billing compliance expert agreed to by the parties,” Kennedy stated. “Additionally, the civil forfeiture case is being resolved with the government returning a total of $99,378.17, of the $466,158.33 seized from Dr. Cheruvu, to three different insurance companies he billed.”
In explaining his Office’s willingness to enter into a non-criminal disposition, Kennedy stated, “the crux of this litigation involved a dispute over the propriety of the billing codes used by Dr. Cheruvu in his medical practice. It was never a dispute over the quality of care provided by Dr. Cheruvu. Since the criminal and forfeiture cases were filed in 2014, my Office has continued carefully to collect, review, and evaluate evidence directed toward Dr. Cheruvu’s mens rea in billing as he did. Through that process new evidence came to light and at the end of that review, we determined that a non-criminal disposition was the just result. Remember, we are the Department of Justice, not the Department of Convictions.”
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St. Thomas Man Charged with Bringing Illegal Aliens into the U.S. Territory and Two Charged with Unlawful EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Kalik Aaron, 22, Arkim Clersaint, 20, and Le Shaun Fahie, 23, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller for an advice of rights hearing after being taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations on August 25, 2019. Aaron was charged with Bringing in or Harboring Illegal Aliens, and Clersaint and Fahie were both charged with Improper Entry by an Alien, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. At the conclusion of the hearing, Magistrate Miller released the defendants pending trial.
According to court documents, on Sunday, August 25, 2019, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Customs and Border Security (CBP) Marine Interdiction agents stopped a vessel operated by Aaron after it was observed leaving Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and entered the United States’ waters near St. John with improper lighting. After stopping the vessel, CPB’s Maritime Interdiction agents discovered two aliens and one United States citizen onboard. The aliens were identified as Clersaint and Fahie, both citizens of St. Lucia. Clersaint and Fahie provided the agents with St. Lucian passports, and Aaron provided proof of U.S. citizenship. Aaron, the captain of the vessel, told the agents that all three individuals had departed St. Thomas in the Frydenhoj Lagoon area on the evening of August 25, 2019, onboard the vessel, and traveled to Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, for a few hours before returning to St. John. The point of entry and time of their arrival, however, is not a designated port of entry nor hour of operation for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is being investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia L. Smith.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an information is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Southern Oregon Marijuana Trafficker Charged in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A federal criminal complaint was unsealed today charging a Southern Oregon man and frequent marijuana trafficker with attempting to pay for the murder of an associate.
John Tobe Larson, 68, of Josephine County, Oregon, is charged with using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958.
According to the complaint, beginning in May 2019, the Oregon State Police Southwest Region Marijuana Team (OSP-SWRMJ) learned that Larson was involved in the interstate distribution of marijuana from Southern Oregon throughout the U.S. and smuggling cash back into Oregon via a private plane Larson pilots. As a result, OSP-SWRMJ and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating Larson.
By May of 2019, investigators had learned that Larson was allegedly looking for someone to murder an associate who owed him approximately $75,000 in unpaid debt. In early June, investigators arranged for a special agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), acting in an undercover capacity, to meet with Larson in Grants Pass, Oregon to discuss his plans. Larson told the agent that he “would prefer that the body [of his associate] is never [expletive] found.” Larson went on to explain that he believed the intended victim was “a rat” who had worked with law enforcement in the past.
After further discussion, Larson and the agent agreed to a price of $20,000 for the murder. Before the meeting concluded, Larson told the agent that he was planning a flight on his private plane to deliver marijuana to and bring cash proceeds back from St. Louis, Missouri. Larson indicated that he would use the money he made from his trip to pay the agent a down payment for the planned murder.
On June 27, 2019, Larson met the agent at a hotel room in Grants Pass and delivered a $10,000 cash payment. Larson also provided the agent with the identity, address, phone numbers, and social media account information of the intended victim. He told the agent that he wanted his associate’s body dumped in the ocean where “lice and crabs” would naturally dispose of it and that he wanted a photo of the body going over the side of a boat before paying the remaining $10,000.
On August 21, 2019, Larson was arrested in Rogue River, Oregon. Immediately preceding the arrest, Larson provided the agent with $5,000 and concentrated marijuana after being lead to believe the murder was complete.
Larson made his first appearance in federal court today in Medford. A status conference and detention hearing are scheduled for September 16, 2019.
This case was investigated by the OSP-SWRMJ, DEA and ATF and is being prosecuted by Adam E. Delph and Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
South Florida Doctor Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Omar Perez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division announced that Dr. Rodolfo Gonzalez Garcia, 65, of Weston, Florida pled guilty on August 23, 2019, to conspiring to dispense a controlled substance, Oxycodone, before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman (Case No. 19-cr-20055).
According to the court record, including the agreed upon factual proffers, from November 2016, through and including September 2018, Dr. Rodolfo Gonzalez Garcia, his wife Arlene Gonzalez, 59, also of Weston, Annie Suarez Gonzales, 35, of Chicago, Illinois, and Fidel Marrero-Castellanos, 57, of Hialeah, Florida and others, used West Medical Office, Inc. located in Hialeah (later named West Pines Medical Office) for illicit purposes. During this time period, the defendants agreed to prescribe purported patients that had been brought to the office by patient recruiters, prescriptions for Oxycodone. They also agreed that patient recruiters could merely bring lists containing the names of purported patients directly to West Medical Office, instead of requiring the patients’ presence. In either scenario, the defendants agreed that the patient or patient recruiters would pay West Medical Office a certain cash amount per patient present in the office or per patient name on a list, in exchange for an Oxycodone prescription. Sometimes, these agreements—money for prescriptions—were directly with the purported patient. The defendants knew that these patients were Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and that filling those prescriptions at pharmacies would result in the submission of claims to Medicare and Medicaid for payment of those prescriptions.
The charged co-conspirators had various roles in the conspiracy. Marrero-Castellanos acted as a patient recruiter, bringing lists and paying cash in exchange for a prescription for the names on his list. Marrero-Castellanos took the patients with their prescriptions to pharmacies, including Medicare Part D participating pharmacies, to fill the aforementioned prescriptions. When he got the prescriptions based on just a patient list, he provided the aforementioned prescriptions to pharmacies, including Medicare Part D participating pharmacies. Sometimes, the patients went to the pharmacies on their own. All of the recruited patients gave Marrero-Castellanos their Oxycodone pills. Marrero-Castellanos sold those pills to others. Suarez and Arlene Gonzalez facilitated the exchange of cash for prescriptions, filled out prescriptions, and in certain instances, Arlene Gonzalez signed prescriptions with Dr. Rodolfo Gonzalez Garcia’s name. These activities occurred even when Dr. Rodolfo Gonzalez Garcia was not in the office. To facilitate the conspiracy, Dr. Rodolfo Gonzalez Garcia provided prescriptions for Oxycodone, even though he did not provide patients with a meaningful consultation or examination commensurate with prescribing oxycodone according to national standards and norms, nor those of the State of Florida, for such prescriptions. As a result of the conspiracy, Dr. Gonzalez Garcia unlawfully distributed Oxycodone.
Dr. Gonzalez Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2019, by Judge Altman. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison.
Co-defendants Arlene Gonzalez and Suarez pled guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and are scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2019, and October 25, 2019, respectively. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 5 years in prison. Co-defendant Marrero-Casetellanos previously pled guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25, 2019. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of HHS-OIG, FBI and DEA. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Sallisaw Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Possession of Incendiary BombRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Randall Doyle McGuire, age 39, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Possession Of Unregistered Firearm (Destructive Device-Incendiary Bomb), in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d), 5841 and 5871. The charges arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 16, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly possessed a destructive device – an incendiary bomb – which is a firearm, as defined in Title 26, United States Code, Section 5845, not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Rogersville Business Owner Indicted for $4 Million Fraud Scheme, Failure to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Rogersville, Missouri business owner has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a $4 million scheme to defraud his customers and his failure to pay federal income and employment taxes.
Michael David Dismer, 51, was charged in a 28-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday, Aug. 22. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Dismer’s arrest and initial court appearance.
Dismer has operated at least eight different businesses (most recently, Worldwide Construction, Inc., and Lakeland Marine Builders, LLC, at Stockton, Missouri) that built large boats, barges, and tugboats for customers around the world since 1993. The federal indictment alleges that Dismer engaged in a $4 million scheme to defraud 22 customers of his boat-building businesses from 2013 to 2018.
According to the indictment, Dismer signed contracts with customers and solicited deposits from them. Although Dismer told customers he would use their deposits and payments to build the boats for which they contracted, the indictment says, Dismer instead used a substantial portion of the funds for purposes unrelated to the construction of the customers’ boats. Dismer allegedly spent those funds to purchase of jewelry, lingerie and other clothing, salon services, flowers, firearms, airline and event tickets, a Hawaiian vacation for himself and six young women, private school and university tuition, furniture, improvements to his personal residence, and the purchase of real property.
Dismer also falsely represented the construction status of their projects to customers, the indictment says, in order to receive additional milestone payments and to lull customers into not attempting to obtain the return of their funds.
Dismer allegedly induced 22 customers to pay him more than $4 million for the construction of specific vessels. Among those customers, the indictment says, 14 customers paid Dismer more than $2.5 million and he provided them with inoperable and unseaworthy vessels. Seven of those customers paid Dismer more than $1 million and received nothing in return.
The indictments cite six companies that were allegedly defrauded by Dismer. Among the victims of Dismer’s alleged fraud scheme is Igiugig Village (an unincorporated Native American village in Alaska), which received a $200,000 federal grant to purchase a boat for the economic benefit of its community. On Dec. 22, 2015, the Igiugig Tribal Council contracted with Dismer (doing business as Lakeland Marine Builders) to build a push-style truckable tugboat for $275,000. The council paid Dismer an initial deposit of $96,250. On the same day, Dismer withdrew $70,000 of those funds and used the money to purchase a Stockton boat construction facility, which he had previously lost in foreclosure proceedings. The council paid Dismer an additional $77,375 in April 2016, most of which Dismer allegedly used to pay the outstanding real estate taxes on the Stockton property. The council made two additional payments to Dismer in May 2016. According to the indictment, the council has received nothing in return for the total $242,375 it paid to Dismer.
From 2013 to 2016, the indictment alleges, Dismer filed no federal income tax returns. According to the indictment, Dismer’s gross income exceeded $1 million in 2013 and 2016. Dismer’s gross income was $865,910 in 2014 and $688,770 in 2015.
Dismer also allegedly attempted to evade paying employment taxes for his companies’ employees from 1993 through 2002, and from 2004 through 2007. The indictment alleges that Dismer engaged in a practice known as “pyramiding” – he ceased operating under business names that accumulated unpaid tax assessment, and continued to earn income through new business entities.
According to the indictment, Dismer established at least 32 different accounts at seven different banks; he routinely intermingled business and personal withdrawals and made frequent inter-account transfers.
The federal indictment charges Dismer with 18 counts of wire fraud, five counts of tax evasion, four counts of failure to file a tax return, and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement agents.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
Orange County Man Sentenced to 17½ Years in Federal Prison for Selling Counterfeit Opioid Pills Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Santa Ana man who admitted his role in a scheme that used fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to manufacture and sell counterfeit pharmaceutical pills designed to look like brand-name oxycodone pills was sentenced this morning to 210 months in federal prison.
Wyatt Pasek, 22, who lived in the penthouse of a luxury high-rise in Santa Ana until his arrest last year, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna.
Pasek – who used in the moniker “oxygod” when soliciting customers in online marketplaces, and posted images and videos of himself to social media platforms under the moniker Yung10x – pleaded guilty last November to participating in a narcotics-trafficking conspiracy, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and money laundering.
Pasek “caused highly toxic drugs to be mixed into counterfeit pharmaceuticals at a clandestine laboratory in a highly populated residential and commercial area, the Newport Beach Peninsula, and sold the drugs in massive quantities for approximately one year,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.
According to court documents, Pasek and two co-defendants obtained fentanyl and a similar drug called cyclopropyl fentanyl through internet from Chinese suppliers, used a pill press to make counterfeit pills, and distributed the narcotics through the mails, often arranging sales through a dark-net marketplace. Pasek also sold the counterfeit pills in hand-to-hand transactions.
The other two defendants in this case – Duc Cao, 22, of Orange, and Isaiah Suarez, 23, of Newport Beach – also pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier this year by Judge Selna to 87 months and 37 months in federal prison, respectively.
“The defendants in this case played a direct role in fueling this nation’s opioid crisis,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “The use of powerful drugs such as fentanyl in counterfeit pills intentionally made to look like less-lethal opioids demonstrates a complete disrespect for human life.”
When the three defendants were arrested in April 2018, authorities seized a pill press lab in Suarez’s apartment, along with bags that contained nearly 100,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills, hundreds of bogus Xanax pills, nearly six kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, and bundles of cash.
During a six-month investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Costa Mesa Police Department, authorities recovered blue pills stamped “A 215” that resemble 30 mg. oxycodone pills. In the weeks leading up the arrests in this case, investigators intercepted 20 packages that were being sent to Pasek’s customers.
“Had federal agents not intercepted these packages, they would have resulted in substantial counterfeit opioids containing fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to be distributed to New York, California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Georgia, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Alabama, and Nebraska,” according to the sentencing memo.
Pasek, who has three prior drug-related convictions, apologized during today’s hearing. “I know I have affected countless [people],” he said. “I can’t even imagine how much damage I have done.”
As part of his plea agreement, Pasek agreed to forfeit to the government a number of items seized in relation to his arrest in April 2018: more than $21,000 in cash; jewelry, including a Silver Royal Offshore watch with diamonds, and a gold and diamond Bitcoin necklace; two gold bars seized from his mother’s residence; and thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency/Bitcoin he possessed in his Blockchain wallet.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Costa Mesa Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Sagel of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) Defendants Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Three men prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) were sentenced in federal court in Huntington today, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
“We are prosecuting each and every dealer of deadly opiates like heroin and fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Vigorous enforcement is critically important in our fight against the opioid epidemic and in our efforts to reduce overdose deaths, and our record in this area is tough, tough, tough. Rest assured, we will continue to do our part in this fight.”
In one case, two men from Detroit, Michigan, were sentenced to prison for their role in a federal heroin offense last year. Drevonte Larnielle Patterson, 21, and Christian Vincent Gordon, 22, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison, after both previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Both were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon their release from prison.
Patterson and Gordon previously admitted that on March 15, 2018, officers executed a search warrant at the apartment located at 156 1/2 Sixth Avenue in Huntington. During the search, Patterson and Gordon were found in the bathroom attempting to flush approximately 49 grams of heroin down the toilet. Officers seized the heroin which Patterson and Gordon admitted they intended to distribute. Patterson and Gordon further admitted they distributed heroin from the apartment during the month of March 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecutions.
In a separate case, a Huntington man was sentenced to federal prison for selling fentanyl. Carl Dillow III, 29, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl. Dillow previously admitted that on May 22, 2017, he met a confidential informant at the Adams Landing apartments in Huntington and gave the informant fentanyl in exchange for $70.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigations. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a focused enforcement effort that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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Operation Mountaineer Highway Update: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A New Jersey man pled guilty today for his participation in a drug trafficking operation in Fayette County, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Larry Avery, 37, from New Jersey, and formerly of Beckley, entered his guilty plea to using a communication device to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force, with the support of the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug Task Force, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Fayetteville Police Department, and Oak Hill Police Department.
“500 grams of cocaine,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Once again, law enforcement does a tremendous job in getting illicit drugs off the streets. Operation Mountaineer Highway was a hugely successful effort in keeping a wide variety of illegal drugs out of our central and southern West Virginia communities.”
Avery admitted that on July 7, 2018, he used a communication device, his cell phone, to facilitate the distribution of over 500 grams of cocaine. Avery admitted that a car registered in his name was stopped by the police. Police obtained a search warrant for that car. During a search of the car, officers found over 500 grams of cocaine hidden in a secret electronic compartment commonly referred to as a trap. Avery further admitted that he knew the cocaine was to be distributed in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Avery faces up to 8 years in federal prison and a $500,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on November 15, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Andrew J. Tessman are in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
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Ocala Convicted Felon Gets 30 Months in Federal Prison After Shooting Himself with A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Michael Guell (37, Ocala) to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Guell had pleaded guilty on May 14, 2019.
According to court documents, on November 28, 2018, Guell was admitted to a hospital in Ocala with gunshot wounds. When detectives from the Ocala Police Department arrived at the hospital, Guell told them that he had been robbed at gunpoint and shot by an unknown assailant. Investigating further, police located Guell’s car and saw ammunition and shell casings through the car’s window. When interviewed a second time, Guell admitted that he had been drinking in his car and had accidentally shot himself. A search of Guell’s vehicle revealed a semi-automatic handgun, 26 rounds of ammunition, and multiple shell casings. At the time, Guell had five prior felony convictions, including possession of a controlled substance, theft by taking, and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer. As a convicted felon, Guell is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Northern Nevada Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Writing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A northern Nevada doctor specializing in family medicine was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay a $125,000 fine for overprescribing highly addictive pain pills Oxycodone and Hydrocodone not for a legitimate medical purpose, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy B. DeFrancesca for the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
“Today’s sentencing is a reminder of our unwavering commitment to hold dirty doctors accountable for feeding into the addiction of their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Trutanich. “We will continue to aggressively pursue medical professionals who disregard their oath to do no harm.”
“The accessibility of deadly drugs are a threat to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Rouse. “Each and every day, the FBI and our partners in Nevada are working hard targeting distributors, who illegally contribute to the opioid crisis that continues to devastate communities all over the state of Nevada.”
Dr. Shouping Li, 57, the former Vice Chief of Staff for Humboldt County General Hospital in Winnemucca, Nev., pleaded guilty in February 2019, to distribution of a controlled substance, specifically Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. In addition to the imprisonment, United States District Judge Miranda Du sentenced Dr. Li to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the investigation into Dr. Li, who specialized in family medicine with a concentration in cardiovascular disease, began in March 2018, after the FBI received reports of several deaths related to opioid pain medication overdoses and allegations that Dr. Li may have illicitly been prescribing narcotics not for a legitimate medical purpose. Dr. Li admitted that, between August 2015 and February 2018, he prescribed Oxycodone and Hydrocodone at a high dosage rate to his patients outside the usual course of his professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. He further admitted that several of his patients passed away while he actively attended to them.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, Nevada Department of Public Safety, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, Winnemucca Police Department, Elko Combined Narcotics Unit, Elko Police Department, Elko County Sheriff's Office, and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant United States Attorney Sue Fahami and Assistant Chief Kilby MacFadden from the Department of Justice Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
If you have a tip or information about illegal sales or distribution of prescription opioids, including Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone by doctors and pharmacies, contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit is a program that utilizes data to identify and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic. Since 2017, when the Department of Justice funded a dedicated opioid prosecutor in the District of Nevada, the United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted about 12 opioid-related cases and charged about 24 defendants.
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North Olmsted man sentenced to eight years in prison for trafficking cocaine, MDMA analogue and marijuana, as well as laundering drug profitsRead the Press Release
A North Olmsted man was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, N-Ethylpentylone (an analogue to MDMA or “molly”) and marijuana.
Emad Silmi, 45, was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
Silmi obtained large amounts of cocaine and then sold it to other drug dealers from his business Global Auto Body & Collision at 4317 W. 130th Street. He also obtained large amounts of N-Ethylpentylone – an analogue of “molly” – which he sold other dealers from his Cleveland auto body shop, according to court documents.
Silmi obtained kilograms of cocaine and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana between January 2016 and March 2017, according to court documents.
Silmi also laundered money as part of an effort to hide his drug profits, according to court documents.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burke following an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Cleveland Division of Police, the IRS, and members of the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area personnel.
New York Man Charged with Threats Against the President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jesse Allen Blake, age 24, of Waverly, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2019, with threats against the President of the United States and mailing a threatening communication.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Blake mailed a letter to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. on March 29, 2019, threatening to kill President Trump and blow up the White House, Trump Tower, the Pentagon, and United Nations Headquarters when he was released from prison. At the time he sent the letter, Blake was in custody on state charges at the Bradford County Correctional Facility in Troy, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance from the FBI Task Force, and the Bradford County Correctional Facility. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is a total of 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Multiple Arizona Residents Sentenced to Prison for Using the Dark Web to Distribute Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Throughout the United StatesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Kevin Dean McCoy, 28, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg to 15 years in prison. Silvester Ruelas, 50, of Peoria, Ariz., was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison. Two other co-defendants, Amber Worrell and Peggy Gomez, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years in prison, respectively. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and launder proceeds from drug distribution.
Between 2015 and 2017, the defendants used the vendor name “Iceman21” to advertise and sell heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine on various dark web marketplaces, including AlphaBay, Hansa, and Dream Market. The investigation revealed that the defendants were using the United States Postal Service to ship drugs from the Phoenix metropolitan area to locations throughout the United States. During the investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service seized parcels containing illegal drugs that were en route to Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. To conceal and launder proceeds they generated through drug distribution, the defendants used encrypted technology, sold cryptocurrency through peer-to-peer exchangers, and created bank accounts for non-existent businesses. During the investigation, law enforcement officials seized a Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XL ring, numerous gold, silver, and platinum bars, and an extensive collection of firearms, including a Texas Weapons System AK-47, a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun, and a .50 caliber Bohica sniper rifle.
“Our office is committed to working closely with our agency partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey. “Hiding behind computer keyboards and using our mail system to move their drugs will not shield them from lengthy prison sentences.”
“Drug traffickers using the dark web feel a sense of security with the anonymity to sell their poisons throughout the world,” said Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Arizona. “This investigation clearly demonstrates they aren’t safe, they aren’t anonymous, and they can’t evade justice. DEA and our partners will relentlessly pursue criminals who prey on our citizens, no matter where they are and no matter what means they use to distribute their illicit and deadly products.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has continued to demonstrate a commitment to combating illicit activities spread by online dark web markets,” said Scott Brown, HSI Special Agent in Charge for the Phoenix office. “By joining forces with our law enforcement partners, we are utilizing all tools and authorities to investigate and dismantle narcotics trafficking and financial crimes that plague the internet. As this case demonstrates, there is no safe dark web marketplace beyond our investigative reach.”
“This drug trafficking organization used sophisticated means to sell and distribute dangerous drugs throughout the country. No matter the methods used by criminals, IRS-CI Special Agents have the skills needed to investigate high tech drug and money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr., of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS - Criminal Investigations.
“This investigation once again showcases the excellent collaboration between the United States Postal Inspection Service and other law enforcement agencies. Through these partnerships, we continue working to keep our communities safe from the spread of illegal narcotics purchased through the dark web. We continue to challenge the anonymous nature of the dark web, proving time and again you are never truly anonymous,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge Jessica Wagner of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Scottsdale, Mesa, and Peoria Police Departments, as part of an operation supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that provides supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The case was prosecuted by Matthew Binford and Carolina Escalante, Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Morgan County man sentenced for failing to update sex offender registryRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin David Peters, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for failing to update his sex offender registry, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Peters, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Register” in April 2019. Peters, having previously been convicted of possession of child pornography in Berkeley County Circuit Court, admitted to traveling to Florida without updating his sex offender registration as required by law. The crime occurred from June to September 2018.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Mineral County woman sentenced for role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gypsy Rene Winkler, of Keyser, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 months incarceration for her involvement in a drug distribution conspiracy, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Winkler, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in June 2019. Winkler admitted to distributing methamphetamine fin March 2018 in Hampshire County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The West Virginia State Police, and the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Mineral County man sentenced for methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Dwayne Cosner, of Elk Garden, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cosner, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in April 2019. Cosner admitted to distributing methamphetamine in March 2018 in Mineral County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Michigan man sentenced to more than 16 years for drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Nicholas J. Mathis, of Warren, Michigan, was sentenced today to 195 months incarceration for drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Mathis, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess With the Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Heroin within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime” in May 2019.
Mathis admitted to conspiring with others to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, sometimes near West Fairmont Middle School, in Marion County and elsewhere from the fall of 2018 to January 2019. He also admitted to having a .45 caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol and a .22 caliber rifle during the crimes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Three Rivers Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
McAlester Man Sentenced to 77 Months for Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronnie Lee Faulconer, age 54, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Felon In Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 992(g)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e). The charges arose from an investigation by the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI Safe Trails Task Force.
The Indictment alleges that on or about December 9, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Combatting violent crime is a top Department of Justice priority. The FBI’s Safe Trails Task Force maximizes those efforts by partnering state, local, tribal, and federal agencies together. This investigation and prosecution is a result of the collaborative approach to law enforcement and public service the Task Force utilizes.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
McAlester Man Sentenced to 21 Months for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gary Don Hicks, Sr., age 51, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). The charges arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleges that in on or about January 8, 2019, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Maryland man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Desmon Johnson, of Parkville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 78 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Johnson, age 35, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in April 2019. Johnson, having previously been convicted of a felony, admitted to having five firearms in his possession in September 2016 in Preston County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Preston County Sheriff's Office investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Marshall County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA –Samantha J. Simmons, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Simmons, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in March 2019. Simmons admitted to selling methamphetamine in June 2018 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Marianna Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Marcus Broadway, age 29, was sentenced last week to 100 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, detectives received information that Broadway was distributing methamphetamine in the northwest Arkansas area. As a result of the investigation, Broadway sold detectives methamphetamine during controlled purchases in January 2018. When he was later arrested, he was found to be in possession of a firearm.
Broadway was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2018, and he entered a guilty plea in March 2019.
This case was investigated by the 4th Judicial Drug Task Force and the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney David A. Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition of Kosovar Man for Securities Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ruth M. Mendonça, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the extradition of YMER SHAHINI in connection with alleged securities fraud offenses relating to a scheme to defraud shareholders of a publicly traded company and the investing public. SHAHINI was taken into custody by Kosovar authorities in Pristina, Kosovo, on June 11, 2019, and extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and the Republic of Kosovo, which went into effect on June 13, 2019. SHAHINI arrived in the United States on Friday, August 23, 2019, was presented that same day before United States Magistrate Gabriel W. Gorenstein, and was ordered detained. An arraignment and initial conference are scheduled before United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel on September 10, 2019, at 11:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Ymer Shahini played a vital role in a multimillion-dollar fraud, knowingly serving as a straw man to conceal beneficial ownership of stock. Now, with the invaluable assistance of the Kosovo Ministry of Justice and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Shahini is in the U.S. and facing justice in federal court in our District.”
Acting Postal Inspector-in-Charge Ruth M. Mendonça said: “Mr. Shahini’s extradition to the United States is a testament to the collaboration amongst the international law enforcement community. Mr. Shahini’s alleged participation in this investment fraud scheme was uncovered and now he faces the same fate of his co-conspirators.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Ymer Shahini allegedly assisted others in a scheme to manipulate the stock of a publicly traded company, thereby defrauding shareholders and the public. Now, Shahini will finally face justice for his allegedly deliberate acts.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
From 2009 to 2011, YMER SHAHINI, along with co-defendants Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Derek Galanis, Gary Hirst, and Gavin Hamels, engaged in a scheme to defraud the shareholders of a publicly traded company called Gerova Financial Group, Ltd. (“Gerova”), and the investing public, by obtaining secret control over millions of shares of Gerova stock and then manipulating the market for the stock as the defendants caused their secretly held shares to be sold. As part of the scheme, the defendants fraudulently generated demand for Gerova stock by bribing investment advisers to purchase for client accounts the Gerova stock that was sold by the defendants, thereby enabling the defendants to cash out from the scheme and make millions in illegal profits.
As a part of the scheme to defraud, Jason Galanis obtained such control over Gerova so as to be able to cause Gerova to enter into transactions of his design, and for his benefit, including the issuance of Gerova stock. Jason Galanis obtained this control without identifying himself as an officer or director of Gerova to avoid the SEC-imposed bar that prohibited him from holding such positions at publicly traded companies. Among other means and methods, Jason Galanis, with the assistance of Gary Hirst, caused more than five million shares of Gerova stock, which represented nearly half the company’s shares held by public investors, and which were intended for Jason Galanis’s ultimate benefit, to be issued to and held in the name of YMER SHAHINI, who knowingly served as a foreign nominee for Jason Galanis. SHAHINI, Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Derek Galanis, and Hirst understood that the purpose of the stock grant to SHAHINI was to disguise Jason Galanis’s ownership interest in the stock, and to evade the SEC’s regulations for issuing unregistered shares of stock.
At the same time, and as a further part of the scheme to defraud, John Galanis and Derek Galanis, among others, with the knowledge and approval of YMER SHAHINI and Jason Galanis, opened and managed brokerage accounts in the name of SHAHINI (the “SHAHINI Accounts”), effected the sale of Gerova stock from the SHAHINI Accounts, and received and concealed the proceeds, knowing that this activity was designed to conceal from the investing public Jason Galanis’s ownership of and control over the Gerova stock.
Jason Galanis also fraudulently induced investment advisers, including Gavin Hamels and others, to purchase shares of Gerova stock in the investment advisers’ client accounts by offering compensation and/or other benefits to the respective investment adviser. By causing the purchase of Gerova stock at the time, quantity, and/or price of their choosing, Jason Galanis was able to, among other things, effectuate the sale of large quantities of Gerova stock from the SHAHINI Accounts that Jason Galanis controlled while artificially maintaining the price of Gerova stock through coordinated match trading. Such coordinated trading served to manipulate the market for Gerova stock and deceive the investing public. As a result, Jason Galanis and his co-conspirators reaped nearly $20 million in profits.
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The Indictment charges SHAHINI, 49, a citizen of Kosovo, in four counts: (1) conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, (2) securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, (3) conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and (4) wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
The cases against YMER SHAHINI’s co-defendants have all been resolved, as follows:
Jason Galanis pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and one count of investment adviser fraud, and received a term of imprisonment of 135 months.
John Galanis pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud, and received a term of imprisonment of 72 months.
Derek Galanis pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud, and received a term of imprisonment of 72 months.
Gary Hirst was found guilty by a jury after a 3-week trial of one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of wire fraud, and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 78 months.
Gavin Hamels pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and one count of investment adviser fraud, and received a sentence of time served.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance. With respect to the extradition, Mr. Berman also thanked the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kosovo Ministry of Justice.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Blais, Rebecca Mermelstein, and Elizabeth Espinosa are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations 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 description of the Indictment set forth below, with respect to Ymer Shahini, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
MS-13 Defendant Pleads Guilty to Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in the MS-13 racketeering case pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today and accepted responsibility for his involvement in a homicide.
Erasmo Humberto Lima-Martinez, 32, of Columbus, pleaded guilty today to one count of murder in aid of racketeering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Rebecca Adducci, Detroit Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
Lima-Martinez, also known as “Tun Tun,” is one of 23 individuals charged in a second superseding indictment in February 2018 who are alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus.
The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses and immigration-related violations.
The second superseding indictment alleges that the defendants committed a host of overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy, including: 1) the December 2006 murder of Jose Mendez, a confidential informant, in Perry County; 2) the November 2008 murder of Ramon Ramos on Lockbourne Road in Columbus; 3) the mid-2015 murder of Carlos Serrano-Ramos, a suspected rival gang member, near Innis Road in Columbus; 4) the November 2015 murder of Wilson Villeda near Innis Road in Columbus; and 5) the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival gang member, on Melroy Avenue in Columbus.
As part of his plea, Lima-Martinez accepted responsibility for his role in the Wilson Villeda homicide in 2015. Villeda was a 17-year-old high school student at the time of his murder, and had been deemed to be affiliated with a rival gang. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador authorized Villeda’s murder, and in November 2015, MS-13 members took Villeda to Innis Park, where they attacked and killed him with a machete and other bladed weapons before burying his body in a shallow grave in the woods in the park.
Lima-Martinez also took part in drug trafficking cocaine, marijuana and heroin on behalf of the criminal enterprise.
Lima-Martinez faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, ICE, Columbus Division of Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Martinez and Jessica H. Kim, who are prosecuting the case.
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Leader of Bronx Drug Distribution Organization Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MIGUEL RAMIREZ was sentenced today to 218 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. RAMIREZ pled guilty on October 22, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Miguel Ramirez led a violent street gang in the Bronx for years, supervising its day-to-day sales of heroin and crack cocaine. Now, Ramirez will spend more than 18 years in prison for his ‘leadership’ skills.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, and statements made in court filings and during court proceedings:
Between approximately 2014 and 2017, RAMIREZ was one of the leaders of a violent drug trafficking organization that controlled the distribution of large amounts of crack cocaine and heroin in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. RAMIREZ managed all aspects of the organization, from obtaining supply and arranging for the preparation of drugs for resale, to the supervision of individuals who conducted hand-to-hand sales of narcotics. RAMIREZ possessed firearms and ammunition, and also engaged in violence and directed others to commit violence, in connection with the drug trafficking organization.
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In addition to his prison sentence, RAMIREZ, 30, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the excellent work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Berman also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Krissoff is in charge of the prosecution.
Kansas Man Admits He Crashed Car into Cabela’s to Steal GunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to crashing a car into a Cabela’s store in hopes of stealing guns, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Kyle Mendez, 30, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal guns from a licensed firearms dealer and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In his plea, Mendez admitted he crashed a car into an exterior door of a Cabela’s store in Kansas City, Kan. He and co-defendant Brenda Tosh, 27, Kansas City, Kan., took rifles from a firearms section and loaded them into a shopping cart. When police arrived, Mendez fled from the store while police arrested Tosh.
Mendez admitted he had a .45-caliber Taurus handgun in his car during the break-in. He was prohibited from having a gun because of a prior felony conviction.
Mendez is set for sentencing Nov. 26. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of four years in prison.
Co-defendant Tosh pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 30.
McAllister commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
Jury Convicts Self-Proclaimed "Professor of Pot"Read the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — After a four-day trial, a jury convicted Daniel Dario Trevino, age 47, of Lansing, Michigan, on ten federal marijuana trafficking-related charges. The federal charges and convictions resulted from Trevino’s operation of marijuana dispensaries across the state of Michigan.
Trevino was the owner of Hydro World, a marijuana dispensary that operated with storefronts in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Mount Pleasant, and Flint between 2010 and 2017. Trevino’s Hydro World operated far outside the boundaries of not only federal law but also the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Trevino had prior drug felony convictions involving cocaine and marijuana. As a previously convicted drug felon, Trevino was only qualified to be a patient under state law, which allowed him under state law (but not federal law) to cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for his own use. Instead, Trevino cultivated thousands of marijuana plants and sold hundreds of kilograms of marijuana, generating sales of at least $2.9 million.
Trevino’s Hydro World also provided a delivery service, where customers could call Hydro World in either Lansing or Jackson and have marijuana delivered to them at a place of their choosing. Trevino also leased space at his storefronts for other growers to sell marijuana, effectively creating a marijuana farmers’ market. Trevino’s storefronts and grow locations were searched by law enforcement at least sixteen times between 2010 and 2016. Despite having ample notice that what he was doing was illegal, Trevino always resumed his operations shortly after each search.
“Marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. “Although Trevino has long claimed that what he was doing was legal under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he was not even close to being legal and made a mockery of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act in the process. Trevino had ample opportunity to realize the illegal nature of his business under both federal and state law, given the number of times his operations were searched. He would not stop. Perhaps he will get a better understanding of the law behind bars,” stated Birge.
Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. As such, it is illegal for any purpose under federal law. Due to the quantity of marijuana Trevino dealt, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney will sentence him later this year. Trevino’s closest associates at Hydro World, Dolores Lopez, Daniel Corbin, and Daniel Bachelder, pled guilty before trial and have already been sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Daniel T. McGraw tried the case. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tri-County Metro Narcotics Team (TCM), Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (KANET), Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET), Lansing Police Department and Flint Police Department.
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Johnstown Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to two years (24 months) in prison and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Michael Flemmings-Smith, 30.
According to information presented to the court, from Mar. 6, 2018, through Apr. 2, 2018, Flemmings-Smith and a co-defendant conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl. On Mar. 12, 2018, Flemmings-Smith and a co-defendant distributed a quantity of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base; and on Apr. 2, 2018, Flemmings-Smith possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base. Cocaine base is commonly known as "crack."
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Flemmings-Smith.
Iowa Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – United States Attorney Mark Krickbaum announced on August 22, 2019, Robert Milton Kimber II, age 46, was sentenced by United States District Senior Judge James E. Gritzner for Possession of Child Pornography. Kimber was sentenced to 189 months in prison to be followed by a term of supervised release of seven years. Kimber was ordered to pay $2,000 to each victim seeking restitution.
The investigation began in 2018 when multiple online service providers sent the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children multiple Cyber Tip Line reports indicating Kimber was sending child pornography to other persons using the internet. A subsequent law enforcement investigation showed in early 2018 Kimber sent and received child pornography on multiple internet platforms and engaged in a sexually explicit chat online with a person who indicated she was only 13 years old. Kimber solicited and received a sexually explicit picture from that person. Later in 2018, police seized a cellular phone that stored videos and images of child pornography from the defendant. Kimber is a registered sex offender since his conviction in the Iowa District Court for Polk County in 1993 for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.
This case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, West Des Moines Police Department, and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Individual Arrested for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – United States Magistrate Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll authorized a criminal complaint against Christopher Quiñones-Prieto charging him with unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to thank the PR Police Department, prosecutors Mario Rivera, Miguel García, and their supervisor Jorge Carrión, from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, District of Carolina, for their prompt response and efforts during this investigation. The FBI is in charge of the investigation.
According to the information contained in the affidavit, during the evening of August 24, 2019, in Jardines de Canovanas, Canovanas, PR at the intersection of 185/ Autonomía Road and Pepita Albandoz Road, there was a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting. The shootout occurred in front of a local business. Video camera surveillance footage retrieved from the business shows Vehicle 1 driving northbound on 185/ Autonomía Road and Vehicle 2 following close behind it. Vehicle 2 stopped in front of the local business, at which point a male, later identified as Christopher Quiñones-Prieto, got out of Vehicle 2 holding a pistol. Quiñones-Prieto appeared to be under gunfire. Quiñones-Prieto struggled but managed to point his pistol in the direction of where the previous gunfire had come from and discharged his weapon, which was fully automatic.
After the shooting ceased, Quiñones-Prieto was seen limping away, heading north on 185/ Autonomia Road. Later on, he was taken to the Centro Médico emergency room in San Juan, PR, and was treated for a gunshot wound to the right thigh/femur. Quiñones-Prieto was then released under stable condition.
Quiñones-Prieto recorded a video and posted it to his Instagram account. In the video Quiñones-Prieto stated, “Se van a quedar con las ganas cabrones. Los voy a reventar.” (“You’re going to have to wait motherfuckers. I’m going to blow you up.”). While stating the above, Quiñones-Prieto pointed his camera towards his pelvis, which was severely wounded.
This arrest is part of the Trigger Puller Initiative, the Carolina Strike Force, and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief, Gang Unit, and Assistant US Attorney Corinne Cordero. If convicted, the defendant could face up to 10 years in prison. A criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Houston Heroin Distributor Convicted after Taking over Family Drug Trafficking BusinessRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Victor Manuel Morales-Moreno pleaded guilty Oct. 2, 2018, admitting to conspiring to distribute heroin to street level dealers and users for more than two years.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen handed Morales-Moreno a 210-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the prison term. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Moreno was the leader of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and heroin imported from Mexico.
Morales had relocated to Houston from California to take over a heroin trafficking ring following the arrests and incarceration of his relatives Jose Herrera-Alvarado and Pedro Herrera-Alvarado. The Herrera-Alvarado brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and were later sentenced to life in federal prison.
Erasto Aguirre-Suarez, 52, a Mexican national, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He admitted he moved to Texas with Morales-Moreno to assist him in the daily operations of the heroin business. A third co-defendant, Valentin Anthony Cardenas, 35, of Houston, previously entered his plea possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Aguirre-Suarez and Cardenas previously received respective terms of 114 and 84 months.
They all have 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 and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey N. MacDonald is prosecuting the case.
Holyoke Man Sentenced for Making Machine GunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for making a machine gun.
Edward V. Laboursoliere, 51, of Holyoke, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 27 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. In March 2019, Laboursoliere pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly possessing an unregistered firearm, one count of possessing a firearm unidentified by a serial number, and one count of making a firearm, in violation of the National Firearms Act. Laboursoliere was arrested on April 8, 2018, and has been in custody since.
On April 8, 2018, law enforcement responded to Laboursoliere’s home after his wife reported that he had been storing hazardous materials in the home. A short-barrel rifle machine gun, 17 other guns, half of which Laboursoliere admitted to making, a partially-constructed pipe bomb, and stockpiles of ammunition and explosives were recovered in the home.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Chief Manuel Febo of the Holyoke Police Department; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office.
Grant County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cody Swick, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 25 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Swick, age 34, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in April 2019. Swick, having been previously convicted of domestic battery, admitted to having a .22 caliber revolver in October 2018 in Grant County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grain Valley Man Sentenced for Child Pornography, Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grain Valley, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for traveling to North Dakota for illicit sex with a 14-year-old child, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer, while he was under investigation for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Andy Earl Crook, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Crook to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On April 25, 2019, Crook pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The investigation began when FBI agents in Washington executed a search warrant at a residence in that state on Feb. 21, 2018. A review of the suspect’s electronic devices indicated that he had exchanged images and videos of child pornography with others via the internet, including Crook.
On April 5, 2018, Google, Inc. submitted two separate incident reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline reporting that Crook had uploaded and stored possible child pornography images in Google Photos online. An FBI agent, acting in an undercover capacity, communicated with Crook via Kik Messenger. Crook sent images and a video of child pornography to the undercover agent.
On May 4, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Crook’s residence and seized his electronic devices. On Crook’s cell phone, investigators found numerous sexually explicit photos of Crook, 190 images and 13 videos of child pornography (including infants and toddlers), and chat conversations involving child exploitation.
Following the search and seizure, and his interview with an FBI agent, Crook contacted an undercover law enforcement officer in North Dakota, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, on Sept. 1, 2018. Crook’s communication with the undercover officer, via Facebook Messenger and Kik Messenger, became increasingly sexually graphic.
Crook made plans to travel to North Dakota to meet the person whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl, so they could engage in illegal sexual conduct. Crook rented a vehicle and drove to North Dakota for a planned meeting on Sept. 22, 2018. When Crook arrived for the meeting, he was arrested. Officers found multiple sex toys and wine coolers in his vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Fugitive in "Card Cracking" Scheme Arrested in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The final person sought in connection with an alleged bank fraud scheme where members of an alleged conspiracy created and deposited approximately a million dollars worth of bogus checks in banks in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has been arrested in California.
Edmilson Rodriques, 20, of Providence, named in a federal indictment along with six others returned in Providence in April 2019, was found sleeping in a vehicle in a Culver City, California, hotel parking lot on August 19. Inside the vehicle, Culver City Police allegedly located an assortment of driver’s licenses, social security numbers, credit cards, and checks in the name of several individuals other than Rodriguez or the other individual also found inside the vehicle with Rodrigues.
Rodrigues is one of six individuals named in an indictment who are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. A seventh individual is charged with conspiracy to commit bank.
According to the indictment and information presented to the Court, it is alleged that the members of the conspiracy solicited individuals with access to legitimate business and public agency checks to photograph the checks and send them to a counterfeiter. The information was used to create counterfeit checks. It is alleged that members of the conspiracy then solicited others via social media, often times college students, to allow the bogus checks to be deposited into their bank accounts. Using ATM cards belonging to the account holders, either members of the conspiracy or, at times the actual account holders, under the supervision of members of the conspiracy, would attempt to withdraw cash from the accounts prior to the bank determining that the deposited checks were counterfeit.
It is alleged that over the past six years, members of the conspiracy created and deposited approximately a million dollars worth of bogus checks in banks in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The other six individuals named in the indictment were previously arrested and arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence. Rodrigues is detained in federal custody following an appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He will be returned to Rhode Island by the U.S. Marshals Service and arraigned at a later date in U.S. District Court in Providence.
The arrest of Rodrigues is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Joseph W. Cronin, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
This investigation was initiated by the Providence Police Department’s Detective Bureau, Financial Crimes Unit. They sought the assistance of federal law enforcement and the case was then investigated jointly by U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman thanks the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, Rhode Island State Police, and the Warwick and North Providence Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Former hospital director of security indicted for federal fraud and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Russell Richardson, the former Director of Security for DeKalb Medical Center, has been charged with stealing firearms meant for security personnel and then illegally selling those guns for profit.
“Richardson’s alleged sale of illegally attained weapons is troubling,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He abused his position of authority to enrich himself, and now faces justice.”
“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice. This is an excellent example of such an investigation,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, ATF Atlanta Field Division.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Between 2016 and June of 2018, while employed as the Director of Security for DeKalb Medical Center, Inc. (“DeKalb Medical Center”), Richardson used his position to fraudulently order numerous firearms from a local federal firearms licensee and then caused the resulting invoices to be submitted to the hospital for payment. DeKalb Medical Center paid the invoices, but never received the firearms. In all, Richardson diverted approximately 93 firearms to his own use, including selling them for profit.
Richardson also misused a hospital issued purchase card for personal gain. Even though the purchase card was solely for gas purchases and maintenance of hospital vehicles, Richardson allegedly charged approximately $45,000 for repairs and services performed on his personal vehicles using a mechanic shop located in South Carolina. The mechanic shop subsequently issued refunds directly to Richardson totaling approximately $20,000. Instead of returning the funds to the hospital, Richardson allegedly kept the money.
Russell Richardson, 43, of Dallas, North Carolina, has been indicted on 15 counts of mail fraud, one count of dealing firearms without a license, and three counts of unlawfully selling firearms to out of state residents. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from DeKalb Medical Center, now doing business as Emory Decatur Hospital.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracia King is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former contract security guard at ATF facility sentenced to 14 years for stealing and selling firearmsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Lee Yates, a former contract security guard at a U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) facility, was sentenced today to 168 months incarceration for stealing firearms from the government, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
“The theft and illegal distribution of firearms presents a clear and present danger to the public. The defendant’s conduct was not only audacious, it was and remains extraordinarily dangerous. The court’s sentence sends a clear and unequivocal message. Importantly, many of the stolen items remain unrecovered, and we encourage the public across the country to report any material information to the ATF or other law enforcement agencies,” said Powell.
Yates, age 52, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm” and one count of “Theft of Government Property” in April 2019. Yates was a contract employee at the ATF’s National Disposal Branch in Martinsburg, West Virginia. From 2016 to early 2019, Yates stole thousands of firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition. Yates sold much of the property to others across the country. The crimes caused ATF to issue more than 1200 referrals across all 25 ATF field divisions in 49 of the 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. To date, ATF has recovered 4,625 pieces of the stolen firearms and parts, including 4,000 firearms parts, 3,000 of which of were slides, and at least 15 rifles, 80 handguns, including ATF duty weapons, 10 to 15 AR-style lower receivers, and four machine guns.ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict commented, “Mr. Yates was in a position of trust and his egregious behavior not only betrayed his coworkers at the destruction facility, but put the public at risk in exchange for his financial gain. Insiders can pose a significant threat to any organization and ATF is no exception. We urge the public to come forward with information leading to the recovery of any additional items he stole.”
The judge also ordered a money judgment in the amount of $300,000.
Yates was taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Anyone with information regarding the location of these firearms, firearms parts, ammunition and/or persons who unknowingly purchased one or more of these items should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS, email [email protected]; through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips; or through the ReportIt ® app, www.reportit.com, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Former NFL Player Charged with Illegal Firearms After Being Tasered While Resisting ArrestRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City Chiefs football player, who was tasered twice while struggling with officers and resisting arrest, was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms.
Saousoalii P. Siavii, Jr., also known as “Junior,” 40, of Independence, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with three counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms. Siavii remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Siavii, an unlawful user of illegal drugs, has been arrested on three occasions in which he was in possession of both illegal drugs and loaded firearms. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is an unlawful drug user to be in possession of any firearms or ammunition.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Siavii was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 24. Independence, Missouri, police officers responded to parking lot on U.S. 40 Highway, where a witness said he located his friend’s stolen 2017 Jeep Wrangler Sport. The witness told police he saw a man later identified as Siavii getting out of the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Officers contacted Siavii, the affidavit says, who disregarded their commands, and an officer deployed his Taser on Siavvi. Siavvi, who is six feet, five inches tall and weighs approximately 330 pounds, fell to the ground and officers attempted to gain control as he began to actively resist arrest. Siavii began pushing himself up off the ground, at which time a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol fell directly in front of him within his reach. An officer drew his duty weapon and put it to Siavii’s back, due to him not being under physical control, while another officer grabbed Siavii’s firearm and threw it several feet away. Officers continued to fight with Siavii, the affidavit says, while giving him commands to stop resisting and to place his hands behind his back. An officer deployed his Taser on Siavii again with little effect. Siavii was able to get on top of the officer, who was on the ground at this point. Another officer was eventually able to put Siavii in a neck restraint and render him unconscious long enough to handcuff him. Siavii continued to resist even after being handcuffed.
Officers searched Siavii’s backpack and found additional ammunition, 5.2 grams of methamphetamine, 12.2 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
In addition to the Aug. 24 incident, today’s complaint cites two more incidents in which Siavii was arrested while in possession of illegal drugs and firearms.
On Aug. 4, 2019, Independence police officers were dispatched to the area of 24 Highway and Jennings on a stolen auto report. A 2019 Chevrolet Silverado had been stolen in Sugar Creek, Missouri, and was being tracked by On-Star to the parking lot of the Great Western Motel. When officers arrived, Siavii was walking away from the stolen vehicle, the affidavit says, and fled on foot when he saw the officers. Officers attempted to take Siavii into custody, but he resisted and fought with officers. Siavii was lying on his stomach and constantly reached towards his waistband. After a prolonged struggle with Siavii, officers were able to take him into custody. When officers rolled him to his side, a loaded Sturm Ruger handgun was located underneath him. Officers searched Siavii and found 4.4 grams of methamphetamine. Officers searched the stolen Silverado and found a Cobra Enterprises .32-caliber handgun and drug paraphernalia.
On April 7, 2019, Independence police officers attempted a traffic stop in the area of 24 Highway and Lee’s Summit Road on a silver Ford Fusion for an improperly registered license plate. The vehicle, driven by Siavii, had been observed at a known drug house. Siavii failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, Siavii’s vehicle reached speeds up to 101 m.p.h. Siavii’s vehicle eventually left the roadway on Maywood Avenue and he was seen running northbound; he was located by officers and taken into custody. Officers found a loaded Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun in the front cup holder of the vehicle. Also found in the vehicle was 3.8 grams of marijuana, two baggies that contained a total of .6 grams of methamphetamine, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.
The complaint also cites two earlier incidents in which Siavii was in possession of illegal drugs when he was stopped by police officers. Siavii was arrested on Jan. 17, 2019, following a traffic stop. According to the affidavit, when he got out of his vehicle, he pulled away from officers, causing the officers to take him to the ground where he continued to resist. Officers searched him and found a Xanax pill; they also found a prescription bottle that belonged to another person and contained more pills and marijuana. Siavii also was arrested on April 21, 2018, for driving under the influence. According to the affidavit, he was in possession of a straw that contained cocaine residue.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Former Chesapeake Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for CorruptionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former Chesapeake Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right.
According to court documents, Jenis Leroy Plummer, Jr., 34, of Norfolk, used his official position as Chesapeake Sheriff’s Deputy to smuggle heroin, cocaine, cell phones, e-cigarettes and other contraband into the Chesapeake City Jail. In exchange, conspirators gave Plummer over $6,500 in cash. From July 2017 through January 2019, Plummer knowingly and intentionally conspired with an inmate in the Chesapeake City Jail to engage in this scheme. On numerous occasions throughout the conspiracy, Plummer contacted the inmate’s girlfriend and arranged to meet her at various locations in Hampton Roads to pick up the contraband. At these meetings, the inmate’s girlfriend gave Plummer the illicit contraband in blue latex gloves. Plummer then smuggled the contraband into the jail and delivered the items to the inmate.
In exchange for using his official position, numerous individuals connected to the inmate paid Plummer with cash, via CashApp, and via PayPal. On one occasion, law enforcement observed the inmate’s girlfriend drop a black sock containing contraband at an arranged meeting location in a cul-de-sac on Horse Run Drive in Chesapeake. Law enforcement recovered the black sock and replaced the suspected bags of narcotics with two bags of fake narcotics and returned the black sock to its original location. Thereafter, law enforcement observed Plummer travel to the cul-de-sac and retrieve the black sock containing contraband that included the fake narcotics. After being approached by law enforcement, Plummer, and his conspirators, separately admitted their involvement in the conspiracy.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O’Boyle and Joseph E. Depadilla prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-25.
Former Cameron High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Using Hidden Camera to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Cameron, Missouri, high school teacher pleaded guilty in federal court today to secretly recording pornographic videos of a teenage victim in his bathroom, and admitted to secretly recording pornographic videos of two other teenage victims.
William Derek Williams, 39, of Cameron, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to producing child pornography. Williams formerly was a high school language arts teacher and more recently a part-time high school multimedia teacher at the time of the alleged offense.
During his guilty plea, Williams admitted that he secretly filmed three different victims over a five-year period from January 2013 to September 2018 while they were in the basement bathroom of his residence. A then-15-year-old victim discovered a hidden camera, designed to look like a cell phone charger plug, on Sept. 6, 2018. The victim opened the device and retrieved a micro SD card, which he inserted into his cell phone in order to view its contents. The card included a secretly-recorded video of the victim.
The child victim turned the device over to investigators. On Sept. 8, 2018, investigators with the Clinton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence and seized a laptop computer and an SD card. Each of those devices contained pornographic videos of two more teenage victims who were secretly recorded in the basement bathroom. The laptop contained five distinct videos produced on five different days of a then-16-year-old victim. The laptop and the SD card contained several pornographic videos of a third victim who was then between 14 and 16 years old.
Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Clinton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Federal Superseding Indictment Charges Former Athletic Trainer Intern with Enticement, Production of Child Pornography, Cyberstalking, and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
STATESVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has returned a 21-count superseding indictment against Frank Darrell Cromwell, 23, of Boone, N.C., charging him with enticement of a minor, production of child pornography, communicating threats, cyberstalking, and related offenses.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte, and Chief Dana Crawford of the Boone Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
“This individual allegedly tried to gain access to children by obtaining employment in places where he could embed himself with underage boys, including a high school, a summer camp, a middle school, and a behavioral healthcare facility. Protecting our children from predators is one of our highest priorities. I urge parents to have a conversation with their children about the dangers of online communications and social media, where predators can use fake names and profiles to weave a heinous web of lies to lure young and innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.
According to allegations contained in the charging documents, including a previously filed criminal complaint, as early as March 2018, Cromwell used a cell phone app and other means to contact and entice minor male victims to produce and send to Cromwell sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Court documents further allege that Cromwell misled the minors to believe that he was a female, by, among other things, using female names and images to entice the minors to produce and send to him child pornography, and to engage in sexual activity. To date, law enforcement have identified 10 victims. Cromwell met some of the victims through his Appalachian State University internship as an athletic trainer at Watauga High School.
As the superseding indictment alleges, Cromwell used the following names online and on social media to contact the young victims: “Savannah,” “princesssav222,” “lickmeup5020,” “Sav,” “frankie5020,” “Lauren,” “Sydney,” “Sarah,” “Lily,” “Kaylee,” and “Stephanie.”
If you believe that you or someone you know may have been a victim or have information related to the conduct referenced this case please contact the Boone Police Department at (828) 268-6938.
The specific charges against Cromwell are: nine counts of production of child pornography, which carry a minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison per count; four counts of distribution and receipt/attempted receipt of child pornography which carry a minimum of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count; three counts of enticement of a minor, which carry a minimum penalty of 10 years and maximum penalty of life in prison per count; two counts of cyberstalking which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison per count; interstate communication of threats which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison; advertising of child pornography which carries a minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison; and one count of possession of child pornography which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each of these counts also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 per count.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray credited ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Boone Police Department for their investigation which led to federal charges.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily Wasserman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to 6 More Months in Prison for Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, Pa. pleaded guilty in federal court in Johnstown to a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, and immediately following, was sentenced to six months in prison, consecutive to the current prison term he is serving, and three years’ supervised release, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Christopher D. Rarick, 40, pleaded guilty to the indictment before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on February 16, 2017, Rarick possessed a quantity of Buprenorphine.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Correctional Institution, Special Investigative Staff, for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Rarick.
Ex-Chairman for Christian Science Church in Los Angeles Arrested on Indictment Alleging $11.5 Million Bank and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former chairman of the board for the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, of Los Angeles was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with fraud for stealing more than $11 million in church money and using it to purchase a home, a membership at Disneyland’s exclusive dining club, and other personal expenses.
Charles Thomas Sebesta, 54, of Huntington Beach, is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Sebesta has been charged with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Sebesta was hired in 2001 as the church’s facilities manager and ultimately joined the church in 2005 and served as its local chairman. In this capacity, he had control over the church’s financial assets and operations, including at least five of its bank accounts, the indictment states.
From at least August 2006 through December 2016, Sebesta allegedly caused the church to make checks and other payments to fictitious companies for which he had opened bank accounts, as well as to accounts in his own name and in the names of his family members. To further conceal these payments, Sebesta allegedly forged a church member’s signature on numerous checks drawn against the church’s bank accounts.
In the fall of 2008, Sebesta oversaw the sale of church property in Hollywood for approximately $12.8 million, and he siphoned a significant majority of the proceeds for his personal use, including purchasing a home with $2,019,000 in cashier’s checks drawn from church bank accounts, the indictment alleges. Sebesta falsely recorded his thefts in church records as “donations,” as well as environmental remediation and other payments to fictitious companies which Sebesta named so that they appeared legitimate, the indictment states.
In June 2010, Sebesta allegedly used stolen church funds to purchase a membership at Club 33, Disneyland’s exclusive dining club, where he hosted high-profile entertainment companies, including professional sports teams, and their employees.
In 2009 and 2010, Sebesta allegedly wired $1.86 million and $309,622 in church money toward his own personal tax accounts in order to generate overpayment refunds to himself from the U.S. Treasury and the California Franchise Tax Board, respectively.
Among other concealments and deceptions, the indictment also alleges that Sebesta deceived fellow church members and others by creating fictitious email accounts, including in the name of a prominent real estate executive, whom Sebesta impersonated to further his scheme.
In total, Sebesta stole at least $11,438,213 of church assets and also stole $34,032 from a private high school that also employed him, according to the indictment.
If convicted of all charges, Sebesta would face a statutory maximum sentence of more than 250 years in federal prison.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Shooting Man Outside His DoorstepRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Blocker, 18, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday August 23, 2019 for a shooting that killed a man as he stepped out his doorstep to walk to the store, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Blocker pled guilty in April 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second degree murder while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna Beck. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, around 4 p.m., on Monday September 24, 2018, the victim, a 24-year-old- man, who had just finished basic training in the U.S. Army, was walking to the store with a 17-year-old relative. Just steps outside of their doorstep, Blocker shot four times at the young men – striking the victim in the chest. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead a short while later.
Blocker was arrested on October 2, 2018, after being caught with an illegal firearm in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Victim Witness Specialist Jennifer Clark.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fentanyl in HuntingtonRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man pled guilty to selling fentanyl in Huntington last year, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Mashal Franchuit Thomas, 25, pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl in federal court in Huntington.
“Thomas admitted to distributing up to 400 grams of heroin and fentanyl in Huntington over a period of almost three years,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Another Detroit drug dealer responsible for wreaking havoc on our people. There’s no doubt that the City of Huntington and surrounding area are much safer as a result of this conviction.”
Thomas admitted that on February 8, 2018, an informant contacted him to purchase heroin. Thomas agreed to meet the informant in the area of 14th Street West in Huntington and, when the informant arrived, Thomas distributed what was purported to be 5 grams of heroin. After forensic testing, the substance distributed by Thomas was discovered to actually be fentanyl, a powerful opiate painkiller.
Thomas further admitted that he was involved in distributing heroin and fentanyl in the Huntington area between July of 2015 and March of 2018, and that he was responsible for the distribution of up to 400 grams of heroin and fentanyl in Huntington during that period.
Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on November 25, 2019.
The Huntington Police Department conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a focused enforcement effort that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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