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23 August 2019
Bank Manager is Sentenced for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court TONY MCELVEEN, SR., was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, to 51 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of Supervised Release. He was also sentenced to pay full restitution and ordered to forfeit $107,390. On May 30, 2019, MCELVEEN pled guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
According to the investigation, MCELVEEN used his position as BB&T branch manager, in Rowland, North Carolina, to steal the personal identifiers of two elderly customers to fraudulently obtain loans and credit cards in their names. The loan proceeds and credit cards were used for his personal benefit to pay for, among other things, rental cars, a home security system and hotel rooms in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition, MCELVEEN closed a $50,000 certificate of deposit owned by one of the elderly victims, without her knowledge, and used most of the proceeds to make a large payment toward his delinquent residential mortgage.
MCELVEEN attempted to conceal his criminal activity through the use of his position as pastor for the Greater Faith World Outreach Church, in Florence, South Carolina. MCELVEEN deposited some of the fraudulently obtained proceeds into the Church’s operating account and used his signatory authority on that account to withdraw funds for his personal benefit. Additionally, he opened a BB&T account in the Church’s name through which he similarly laundered fraud proceeds. MCELVEEN even made it appear that one of the initial loan withdrawals for $28,500 was a charitable donation made by one of the elderly victims to the Church’s building fund.
Mr. Higdon commented: “This defendant took advantage of vulnerable, elderly individuals by abusing his position of trust as a Pastor. His crime is simply despicable! And it’s happening all too often across our country. We must remain vigilant and help our older citizens remain aware of those targeting them as fraud victims.”
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative is designed to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect financial fraud and scams that target our nations’ seniors. For more information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse, please visit the Elder Justice Website at: elderjustice.gov.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Susan Menzer represented the government.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing a Minor to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Antonio Wright, age 42, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and for two counts of production of child pornography. Chief Judge Bredar also ordered that upon his release from prison, Wright will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
Wright admitted that he used an online social network to induce the victim, Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and to produce images of that conduct. According to his plea agreement, Wright has known the victim since 2009, when Jane Doe was four years old, and lived with Jane Doe’s family intermittently until the Spring of 2017. According to evidence presented at today’s hearing, Wright began sexually abusing the victim when she was 11 years old.
Beginning in at least August 2017, Wright and the victim, who was living with a foster family in Baltimore, began communicating by text messages, audio messages, and images, using an online social network. The messages frequently included Wright’s declarations of love for Jane Doe and Wright also told Jane Doe that they should eventually get married. Jane Doe was approximately 13 years old at this time. Wright instructed the victim not to tell others that she has “an older man for a boyfriend,” and that he would get in trouble if anyone found out.
On January 4, 2018, Wright spent time with Jane Doe at his residence when Baltimore City schools were closed due to snow. That afternoon, Jane Doe’s foster mother noticed that Jane Doe did not come home when she expected her. When she was unable to locate Jane Doe, she found the tablet that Jane Doe was using to communicate with Wright and observed the sexually explicit chats and images. After Wright brought Jane Doe home that afternoon, her foster mother filed a report with the Maryland Department of Human Services, who referred the case to Child Protective Services for investigation. As part of the investigation, Jane Doe’s tablet and social media accounts were searched, and sexually explicit photos, texts, messages, and voice messages were located.
According to evidence presented at today’s hearing, Wright sexually abused the victim from the time she was 11 years old until January 4, 2018. Wright admitted to federal investigators that he had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the victim, that Wright had asked the victim to send him sexually explicit images of herself—which she did, and that Wright sent the victim sexually explicit images of himself. In addition, there was evidence presented that the victim disclosed to authorities that Wright sexually molested her at his house on January 4, 2018. Wright subsequently admitted to sexually abusing the victim on that day.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Matthew Maddox, who prosecuted the federal case.
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Bakersfield West Side Crip Member Convicted of Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Aug. 9, after a five-day jury trial, Jarvis Thomas, 34, of Bakersfield, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between Sept. 27, 2017, and Sept. 11, 2018, Thomas conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield and North Dakota.
According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of West Side Crips (WSC), a local criminal street gang, were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder. Since that time, all the defendants in federal custody except for Thomas have pleaded guilty to charged offenses. On Jan. 11, 2018, a superseding indictment charged Thomas, a West Side Crip member also known as “Big Mice.” On April 4, 2019, a second superseding indictment charged Thomas and a co-conspirator.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Thomas Newman are prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Nov. 4. Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Auto Transport Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Falsifying DOT Records, Bank Fraud, ID Theft, Tax Evasion,Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The owner of an East Providence automobile transport company Thursday admitted to a federal court judge that he falsified U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) records and continued to operate a fleet of auto transport trucks after having been cited for, among other things, allowing drivers to operate without a current or properly classified license; failing to maintain certifications that drivers were medically able to drive and failing to implement a driver alcohol or controlled substances testing program; and allowing drivers to exceed the maximum number of hours of driving allowed under the law.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Michael Chaves, 39, owner of CAT Inc., also admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than $400,000 from various financial institutions; that he utilized another person’s personal identifying information to continue to illegally operate his auto hauling business after being ordered to shut down by the FMCSA for safety violations; and that he took numerous evasive steps to avoid paying personal income taxes to the IRS.
Chaves pleaded guilty to a ten-count information charging him with falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, five-counts of bank fraud, two-counts of wire fraud, and tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the Region II U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General Douglas Shoemaker.
In addition to admitting to operating a scheme whereby he attempted to influence and impede FMCSA investigations and administrative compliance reviews by falsifying U.S. DOT records, Chaves admitted to operating various schemes to fraudulently obtain loans and funds from several banks and credit unions. Chaves admitted to fraudulently obtaining loans from at least six different financial institutions totaling $332,000, by providing fraudulent earning statements, tax returns, motor vehicle purchase contracts, and Department of Motor Vehicle documents.
Chaves also admitted to employing a fraudulent check scheme by submitting 15 fraudulent checks he created to an automobile seller’s bank account from which he obtained $64,453 and that he allegedly caused the fraudulent wire transfer between financial institutions of $72,864.28.
Chaves also admitted that he took several steps to evade income taxes by, among other things, commingling business and personal expenses; using a check casher to divert third-party income; creating fraudulent third-party checks and cashing them using a check casher, rather than a bank; and maintaining approximately 15 different bank accounts using at least 5 different company names.
Chaves is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on November 25, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the East Providence Police Department and the National Crime Insurance Bureau.
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Australian National Headed to Prison for Money Laundering through BitcoinRead the Press Release
DENVER – United States Attorney Jason Dunn announces that Emilio Testa, age 32, an Australian residing in Boulder, Colorado, will now be going to prison after being sentenced for money laundering with Bitcoin. United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Testa to serve one year and a day in prison, followed by twelve months on supervised release.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement as well as facts presented at yesterday's sentencing, beginning in approximately April 2016, Testa was in contact with undercover agents about the need to convert U.S. dollars into Bitcoin because he preferred not to use banks or deal with taxes. On two occasions in 2016, the defendant and undercover agents conducted money exchanges. Testa and the undercover agents remained in contact throughout 2016 and 2017. Subsequently in March 2018, Testa contacted an undercover agent about selling Bitcoin for U.S. dollars. During this meeting, Testa agreed to exchange Bitcoin for cash from narcotics proceeds. He completed a second such transaction in May 2018, while understanding that the transaction would conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership or control of money he believed to be the proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
“Trying to hide criminal proceeds in Bitcoin? We’re going to find you,” said United States Attorney Jason Dunn. “Working in tandem with our federal partners, our prosecutors are leading the fight against cryptocurrency crimes.”
“Criminals may be sophisticated enough to use cryptocurrency but they’re not smart enough to stay out of jail, as this conviction shows,” said Steven Cagen, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Denver. “Our agents will continue to shine a light on criminals who use the dark web and Bitcoin to try and conceal their illegal activity.”
"Investigating cyber-enabled schemes is a top priority for IRS-CI and our Special Agents are experts in conducting complex financial investigations, including those committed on the ‘dark web’ with virtual currency,” said Acting IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kevin Caramucci. “This sentence shows those choosing to conduct illegal activities, including laundering narcotics proceeds, on the dark web are not hidden from law enforcement’s radar.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hetal J. Doshi.
CASE NO. 19-cr-00199-RM
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22 August 2019
Woman Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A woman who had more than a pound of methamphetamine in her home with three minor children was sentenced on August 21, 2019, to ten years in prison.
Dara Briann Redmond, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 25, 2019 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Redmond admitted she sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions. Police later searched Redmond’s home, where her three minor children also lived. During the search, officers located over pound of methamphetamine.
Redmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Redmond was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Redmond is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Linn County Sheriff’s Department, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-cr-14.
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Wagner Man Sentenced to 35 years for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child was sentenced on August 19, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jeremy Aungie, age 33, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on each count to run concurrently, 5 years of supervised release on each count to run concurrently, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Aungie was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2018. He was found guilty as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls on June 6, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from Aungie's repeated sexual abuse of a juvenile female from the time she was 8 years old until she was 13 years old. The sexual abuse was often accompanied by physical abuse such as hitting, slapping, pulling of hair, and choking.
This case was investigated by Yankton Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Aungie was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Rivers Man Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 20, 2019, a federal indictment was issued against Clint J. Blaha (age: 37) of Two River, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Clint J. Blaha possessed in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine (also known as “crystal”) with the intent to distribute the controlled substance. If convicted of the charges alleged, Blaha faces a mandatory ten year prison sentence and up to a life sentence. Blaha will be arraigned in federal court in Green Bay on Monday, August 26, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County MEG Unit with the assistance of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Two Mexican Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
Two men who illegally returned to the United States after being deported were sentenced today to federal prison. Both men were arrested by immigration agents following a traffic stop for speeding in Bremer County, Iowa.
Alfredo Noe Puente-Chavez, age 34, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 18, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Puente-Chavez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in March 2013, July 2017, and August 2017 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Evidence in the cases shows that Puente-Chavez was arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 13, 2017, and was deported on July 14, 2017. Puente-Chavez was again arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 16, 2017, and was deported again on August 15, 2017. Puente-Chavez has prior misdemeanor convictions in March 2013 and July 2017 for illegal entry into the United States. Puente-Chavez was also deported to Mexico in October 2010.
Mauricio Rodriguez-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 27, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Rodriguez-Hernandez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States on April 28, 2019, and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Rodriguez-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States on May 10, 2019, and was arrested five days later on May 15, 2019, by immigration agents in Bremer County.
Both men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.
Puente-Chavez was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Puente-Chavez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Rodriguez-Hernandez was sentenced to 87 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Rodriguez-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 19-CR-2039 and 19-CR-2040.
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Two Canadian Nationals Indicted for Bitcoin FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that Karanjit Singh Khatkar, 23, and Jagroop Singh Khatkar, 24, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, have been charged with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft for a scheme to steal bitcoin from an Oregon resident.
Together, Karanjit and Jagroop Khatkar face one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and multiple counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, beginning in October 2017 and continuing until August 2018, the defendants used a Twitter account with the name @HitBTCAssist to trick victims into thinking they were communicating with a customer service representative from HitBTC, a Hong Kong-based online platform used to exchange virtual currency. HitBTC provides its customers with web-based “wallets” to store virtual currency and make transactions.
Using the fraudulent Twitter account, the defendants responded to the Oregon victim’s questions about withdrawing virtual currency from her HitBTC account. The defendants convinced the victim to send information they could use to log on and take over her email, HitBTC and Kraken accounts. Kraken is a U.S.-based online platform that offers services similar to HitBTC.
The defendants initiated transfers of 23.2 bitcoins from the victim’s HitBTC account to Karanjit Khatkar’s Kraken account. Karanjit Khatkar in turn transferred approximately 11.6 in stolen bitcoins to Jagroop Khatkar’s Kraken account. The stolen bitcoins have an estimated present value of approximately $233,220.
On July 18, 2019, Karanjit Khatkar was arrested upon arrival at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following week, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Las Vegas ordered Karanjit Khatkar detained pending transport by the U.S. Marshals to the District of Oregon.
Karanjit Khatkar made his first appearance in the District of Oregon on August 12, 2019. At a hearing on August 20, 2019, he was ordered detained pending a four-day trial scheduled to begin on October 8, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.
Jagroop Singh Khatkar remains at large and is believed to be in Canada.
This case was investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Twenty People Charged in Connection with Monmouth County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Twenty people have been charged for their roles as members, associates, and suppliers of a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monmouth County, New Jersey, area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Nineteen defendants were arrested today and one remains at large. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine or 280 grams or more of crack cocaine (See chart below). The defendants arrested today are scheduled to have their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court.
“As alleged in complaint, the defendants in this organization distributed significant amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine throughout Monmouth County and surrounding municipalities,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “By coordinating closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we continue to work hard to substantially reduce on the drug trade in in our communities in these areas, and across the state.”
“Today's operation is another example of the FBI's dedication to keeping the public safe,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, Newark, said. “We know it is a way of life for drug dealers to pollute their neighborhoods with toxic substances so they can profit. It is the FBI's way of life to use dogged determination to find those who are doing the most damage, get them off the streets, and help our local and federal prosecutors put them out of business so the neighborhoods might recover. Our job is made easier when community members take a stand and report any illegal activity they witness.”
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between April 2019 and August 2019, the defendants and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated primarily in municipalities throughout Monmouth County – including Cliffwood, Keansburg, Matawan, Keyport, Red Bank, Long Branch, Neptune, and Asbury Park, as well as Brick Township in Ocean County – and which sought to profit from the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement officials learned that defendant Damion Helmes obtained regular supplies of cocaine from defendants Derrick Hayes and Dequan Copeland. Helmes then distributed that cocaine, portions of which he converted into crack cocaine, for profit, to other distributors, sub-dealers, and end users throughout Monmouth County. During the wiretap portion of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted numerous communications by and between the conspirators regarding such issues as cocaine quality and availability, pricing, packaging, quantity, and customer satisfaction.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited Special Agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, Jersey Shore Gang and Criminal Organization Task Force (including representatives from the Bradley Beach, Brick, Howell, Toms River, Union Beach and Marlboro police departments, and the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; the Red Bank Police Department, under the direction of Chief Darren McConnell; the Keansburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Pigott; the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig Weber; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni; the Highlands Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Burton; the Holmdel Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Mioduszewski; and the Long Branch Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jason Roebuck, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. U.S. Attorney Carpenito also thanked the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Shaun Golden; the Monmouth County Police Academy, under the direction of Director Thomas Mahon; and the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, under the direction of Warden Donald Sutton; for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
NAME
RESIDENCE
AGE
CHARGE
SENTENCE EXPOSURE
Damion Helmes
Cliffwood, NJ
39
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of Life
Derrick Hayes
Neptune, NJ
37
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Dequan Copeland
Red Bank, NJ
40
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Dawn Stephens
Keansburg, NJ
38
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Shantay Walker
Howell, NJ
42
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
*Keith Logan
Long Branch, NJ
38
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Shamar Dudley
Long Branch, NJ
42
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40 years
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Cassius Williams
Keyport, NJ
26
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Tonya Underwood
Matawan, NJ
46
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Michelle Torrez
Matawan, NJ
44
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Elizabeth Conover
Laurence Harbor, NJ
28
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Curtis Jenkins
Keyport, NJ
36
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Ralph Lee
Keyport, NJ
40
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Jermaine Hicks
Wall, NJ
39
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Skyler Rogers
Cliffwood, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Terry Haupt
Neptune, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Amad Jones
Long Branch, NJ
37
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Eric Yarbrough
Keansburg, NJ
28
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Rondell Hill
Lakewood, NJ
35
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
Minimum of 10 years, maximum of life
Malcolm Gatson
Cliffwood, NJ
43
Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine
Minimum of 5 years, maximum of 40
*denotes at large
Tallahassee Tax Preparer, Ex-Football Player Sentenced for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kenneth Alexander, 46, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of preparing false tax returns, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. Alexander, a former linebacker on Florida State University’s 1993 national championship team, was also ordered to pay $1,057,753.40 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence was announced today by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between 2012 and 2016, Alexander, the sole shareholder of Wizard Business Center tax preparation business in Tallahassee, prepared and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for various individuals. Alexander falsely represented the taxpayers’ Schedule A itemized deductions, Schedule C and E losses, and marital status.
"The integrity of our system of taxation lies at the heart of what we do as a nation, and those who try to defraud the system will pay the price," Keefe said. "The trust of the American people relies on fair administration of our tax laws, and this defendant violated that trust and will now face the consequences."
"Mr. Alexander used his position as a trusted accountant and well-known FSU football player to file false tax returns as part of a complicated scheme involving obtaining false solar power credits and false deductions for his clients," said Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. "Additionally, he represented these clients before the IRS regarding the false returns in furtherance of the scheme. This conduct undermines the credible professionals in the tax community and damages the many individuals who sought his counsel. The prison sentence of 54 months and restitution of more than $1 million underlines the significant consequences of failing to follow the law. The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to hold accountable those unscrupulous tax professionals who attempt to manipulate clients and the tax system."
Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan prosecuted the case following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes IRS Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Treasury Inspector General’s Office for Tax Administration.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Sylacauga Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Child EnticementRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Sylacauga man to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Jerry Wayne Hamilton, Jr., 49, on one-count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Hamilton pled guilty to the charge in May 2019. According to court documents, Hamilton chatted with what he believed to be a 15-year old female on several different dating and chat applications between October 13, 2018 and October 21, 2018. In actuality, Hamilton was communicating with an undercover detective. On October 21, 2018, Hamilton arrived at Barnes and Noble to meet who he thought was the 15-year old female, but instead was met and arrested by the Mountain Brook Police Department.
“This defendant deserves every day of his 120-month sentence in a federal prison because of his reprehensible acts,” Town said. “Our law enforcement will continue to vigilantly monitor the internet using every available method available to us to uncover predators like Hamilton who seek to prey on innocent children. I commend the collaborative efforts of the FBI and the Mountain Book Police Department to bring this defendant to justice, proving once again there is no daylight between our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”
“The FBI and our partners will continue to work diligently to bring individuals like Hamilton to justice and protect our most valuable asset, our children,” Sharp said.
FBI Birmingham Division Child Exploitation Task Force along with Mountain Brook Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted.
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Statement of United States Attorney Mike Stuart on Bureau of Justice Statistics ReportRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Justice Statistics report Immigration, Citizenship, and the Federal Justice System, 1998-2018:
“A remarkable statistic -- 64% of all federal arrests last year were of non-U.S. citizens. It is a significant drain of federal taxpayer funds to prosecute those that are not taxpayers and those who are not citizens of this great country. Non-U.S. citizen arrests are increasing at a dramatic and concerning pace. It is important that within our national borders and within my district that we continue to ensure public safety by ensuring everyone who is here is here legally and legitimately. My office regularly and consistently prosecutes illegal reentry cases and we will continue to do so. I want to thank all of our federal, state and local partners across the nation including the remarkable work by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their courageous work to protect our citizens and the public.”
SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: TANNYR WATKINS, 202-532-3923THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019[email protected]64% OF ALL FEDERAL ARRESTS IN 2018 WERE OF NON-U.S. CITIZENSWASHINGTON—In 2018, 64% of all federal arrests were of non-U.S. citizens, the Bureau of Justice Statistics announced today. In comparison, 37% of all federal arrests in 1998 were of non-U.S. citizens. Federal arrests of non-U.S. citizens more than tripled from 1998 to 2018 (rising 234%), while federal arrests of U.S. citizens rose 10%.
While non-U.S. citizens make up 7% of the U.S. population (per the U.S. Census Bureau for 2017), they accounted for 15% of all federal arrests and 15% of prosecutions in U.S. district court for non-immigration crimes in 2018. Non-U.S. citizens accounted for 24% of all federal drug arrests and 25% of all federal property arrests, including 28% of all federal fraud arrests.
The country of citizenship of persons arrested by federal law enforcement changed notably over time. From 1998 to 2018, Mexican citizens’ share of federal arrests rose from 28% to 40%. Citizens of Central American countries’ share of federal arrests rose from 1% to 20% during the same period, while U.S. citizens’ share of federal arrests fell from 63% to 36%. Federal arrests of Central Americans rose more than 30-fold over two decades, from 1,171 in 1998 to 39,858 in 2018. The number of federal arrests of Mexican citizens (78,062) exceeded the number of federal arrests of U.S. citizens (70,542) in 2018.
From 1998 to 2018, the portion of all federal arrests that took place in the five federal judicial districts along the U.S.-Mexico border (out of 94 judicial districts nationwide) almost doubled, increasing from 33% to 65%. These five judicial districts are the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, the Western District of Texas, and the Southern District of Texas. In 2018, a quarter of all federal drug arrests took place in these five districts. The number of Central Americans arrested in these five districts almost tripled in one year, rising from 13,549 in 2017 to 37,590 in 2018.
Across 20 years, 95% of the increase in federal arrests was due to immigration crimes. From 1998 to 2018, federal immigration arrests increased 5-fold (from 20,942 to 108,667), rising more than 50,000 in one year from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, 90% of suspects arrested for federal immigration crimes were male, while 10% were female. Eighty-five percent of federal arrests of non-U.S. citizens in 2018 were for immigration offenses, and another 5% of arrests were immigration-related.
Of suspects prosecuted in U.S. district court in 2018, 57% were U.S. citizens and 43% were non-U.S. citizens. Almost all (99.7%) of the non-citizens prosecuted in U.S. district court were prosecuted for something other than first-time illegal entry.
The five crime types for which non-U.S. citizens were most likely to be prosecuted in U.S. district court were illegal reentry (72% of prosecutions), drugs (13%), fraud (4.5%), alien smuggling (4%), and misuse of visas (2%). The five crime types for which U.S. citizens were most likely to be prosecuted in U.S. district court were drugs (38% of prosecutions), weapons (21%), fraud (12%), public order (12%), and alien smuggling (6%).
The report Immigration, Citizenship, and the Federal Justice System, 1998-2018 (NCJ 253116), was written by BJS statistician Mark Motivans. The report, related documents and additional information about BJS’s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at www.bjs.gov.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Jeffrey H. Anderson is the director.
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About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Springfield Man Sentenced for Distributing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing crack cocaine.
Alonzo Williams Jr., 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to time served and three years of supervised release, which includes one year of home confinement. In March 2019, Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of crack cocaine. Williams was arrested and charged in August 2018.
Williams admitted that he possessed and distributed crack cocaine to a government witness on Oct. 19, 2017, and Oct. 23, 2017, near his home in Springfield. During the course of the investigation, he sold approximately $1,200 worth of crack cocaine to government witnesses.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Acting Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Hampden and Berkshire County Sheriff’s Departments, and the West Springfield and Chicopee Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Months for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Travis M. Knipp was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for failing to register as a sex offender. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Knipp to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison Knipp will begin a five year term of supervised release. A condition of supervised release requires placement at a halfway house for 180 days.
Knipp was convicted of attempted criminal enticement in Sarpy County in 2016. As a result of this conviction Knipp was required to register as a sex offender for fifteen years. He was previously convicted in Page County, Iowa of failing to register. Knipp then registered as a sex offender living in Iowa. In November 2017, Knipp left his Iowa residence and moved to Nebraska. He failed to register as a sex offender in Nebraska.
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 United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Forty Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former Warwick, R.I., man who repeatedly recorded himself raping an unconscious minor and who possessed one of the largest collections of child pornography ever seized by law enforcement in Rhode Island was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison.
Jordan Monroe, 54, has been detained in federal custody since his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on May 12, 2016, when, during a court-authorized search of his residence, he was found to be in possession of tens of thousands of images and nearly a thousand videos containing child pornography.
According to information presented to the Court, among a fraction of the more than 3.5 million picture files and twenty-four thousand video files located on Monroe’s electronic devices and reviewed by law enforcement during a Project Safe Childhood investigation, more than 36,840 images and 960 videos were discovered to contain child pornography.
Among the videos reviewed are videos created by Monroe of himself repeatedly raping an unconscious minor child. The videos depict at least 19 different rapes, which took place over a period spanning at least 3 years.
Monroe was also found to be in possession of a manifesto for pedophiles titled, “How to Practice Child Love,” created to teach pedophiles how to find, isolate, molest, and rape children and not get caught.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman commented, “The abhorrent conduct of this man and others like him who abuse and exploit children more than justifies the forty years in federal prison the Court sentenced this defendant to serve. Federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to tirelessly work as a team to use every resource available to identify and rescue victims of exploitation and to hold those responsible accountable.”
“Today’s sentence is the result of the coordinated effort of a team of federal, state and local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked closely to ensure that justice was served in this disturbing case. “ said Jason J. Molina, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations. “The evidence unearthed in this investigation showed that this dangerous defendant, through his extensive crimes over many years, had no concern for the harm he repeatedly caused to the many child victims he exploited and victimized. We can only hope that today’s sentence might provide some small measure of justice for the victims who will undoubtedly suffer lifelong damages because of the actions of this depraved threat to our community.”
Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni added, “The Rhode Island State Police will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all child predators that prey on our most precious resource; our children. The State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force are committed to protecting our children and to see that such malign and deviant behavior is stopped and the offenders are held accountable in a court of law.”
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Monroe to 480 months in federal prison to be followed by lifetime federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Rhode Island Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Threatening Massachusetts ProfessorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man agreed to plead guilty today to sending a series of violent and threatening e‑mails to a Massachusetts professor and to a professional school at the university where the professor teaches.
Matthew Haviland, 29, of North Kingstown, R.I., was charged today by Information with one count of stalking and two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. According to the terms of a plea agreement also filed today, the government will recommend to the Court a sentence of 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled. In April 2019, Haviland was charged by criminal complaint.
Over the span of several hours on March 10, 2019, Haviland allegedly sent a Massachusetts professor a string of approximately 28 e-mails containing messages that included such threats as, “I will rip every limb from your body and eat it, piece by piece” and “I will bite through your eyeballs while you’re still alive, and I will laugh while you scream.” The professor to whom Haviland sent the threats—referred to as Victim 1 in the charging documents—has published and spoken in favor of abortion rights, and several of Haviland’s e‑mails made reference to abortion. In two successive e-mails, for example, Haviland allegedly wrote, “You will be held accountable for every f****** baby you murdered through your horrible deception of they are not humans” and “You will have your face ripped off and eaten by me, personally. I will enjoy raping your body after you’re dead. And that will only be the start.”
Haviland also sent several e-mails on March 15, 2019 to a professional school at Victim 1’s university. Those e-mails included the message: “You people are Evil, putrid, and somebody shoudl [sic] BOMB your school for spreading the idea that it’s okay to HATE people because of their race.” A later e-mail to the professional school said only, “You should be Murdered in cold blood.”
Haviland faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, made the announcement today. Boston FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Warwick and North Kingstown (RI) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Pérez‑Daple of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Proprietors of Ridin’ High Skate Shop Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THCRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that John Van Hazinga and Samantha Steady were arraigned today in federal court after having been indicted by the grand jury for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both Schedule I drugs, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. Van Hazinga was also charged with multiple counts of distribution of marijuana and THC. Van Hazinga and Steady were both arrested this morning, and were arraigned before the United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy this afternoon in Burlington. Defendant Steady was released on conditions. Van Hazinga was ordered detained pending a detention hearing which will be held next week.
According to court records, Van Hazinga and Steady own and manage the business Ridin’ High, located at the corner of Pearl and Battery Streets in Burlington, Vermont. An investigation began after witnesses reported that individuals at Ridin’ High had sold marijuana to teenagers. Further, during the course of the investigation, Burlington Police Officers responded to Ridin’ High for multiple reports of disturbances, including altercations and violence associated with the sale of marijuana at the business. On multiple occasions over the course of the conspiracy, Van Hazinga sold marijuana over-the-counter to an undercover officer. The investigation also revealed that Steady manufactured THC-infused edible products, which were also sold at the business. This summer, law enforcement discovered that Van Hazinga and Steady were growing marijuana at their residence in Underhill, Vermont, and linked the couple to a rural camp in Keene, New York. On July 24, 2019, federal search warrants were obtained for the Ridin’ High business, the Underhill residence, the camp in Keene, New York, and an email address that Steady utilized for taking orders of THC-infused edible products. The premises search warrants were executed on August 6, 2019, and resulted in the seizure of more than 50 marijuana plants, over 5 kilograms of marijuana, numerous edibles suspected of being infused with THC, and approximately $67,000 of United States Currency.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of twenty years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. The actual sentence however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the investigative efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). She stated: “Through this collaboration by federal and local law enforcement, we once again send the message that open and notorious trafficking of marijuana will not be tolerated. Those who deal this drug and have prior criminal records, those who deal it to children or in their presence, those who engage in violence while dealing it, those who deal it for high profit, and those who deal it in areas of high commercial foot-traffic should expect to receive heightened attention from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Defendant Van Hazinga is represented by Paul Volk, Esq. Defendant Steady is represented by Timothy Fair, Esq.
Prince George’s County Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Yul Hildon Reddock, age 40, of Cheverly Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get illegal guns out of the hands of felons and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Yul Reddock used a gun, and now faces 15 years of federal time, where there is no parole—ever. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his guilty plea, on January 31, 2018, a Prince George’s County Police Corporal was in the area of Matthew Henson Avenue and Muncy Road in Landover, Maryland when he heard four or five gunshots nearby, then saw a blue four-door sedan being followed by a black pick-up truck. The sedan was being driven by Reddock. As Reddock sped by the Corporal’s unmarked vehicle, which was also a black pick-up truck, the Corporal was able to see that the rear window of the sedan had been shot out. The Corporal began to follow the sedan and shortly thereafter saw Reddock pointing a gun from the sedan in his direction and heard two additional shots.
Back-up marked police vehicles took over the pursuit. Reddock lost control of the sedan while attempting to exit onto Pennsylvania Avenue from southbound Interstate 495. Reddock was arrested and law enforcement recovered from his car a .22-caliber long rifle pistol loaded with eight .22-caliber cartridges; three fired cartridge casings; and one .22-caliber cartridge found on the floor of the vehicle. Reddock had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan, Jr. and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Prison for Long-Running Conspiracy to Bring Marijuana from the West Coast to Western PA College CampusesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ (60 months’) imprisonment, a fine of $1,500 and four years supervised release on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Christopher Schanck, age 36.
According to information presented to the court, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies conducted a multi-year investigation of the marijuana trafficking conspiracy of Schanck and his co-conspirators. From 2012 through 2017, Schanck and his co-conspirators arranged for marijuana to be supplied from the West Coast and mailed to the Pittsburgh area through the United States Postal Service. Schanck and his co-conspirators would then distribute the marijuana in the Western District of Pennsylvania, primarily on college campuses, such as Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During the operation of the conspiracy, Schanck conspired to distribute from 100 to 400 kilograms of marijuana. He also conspired to launder proceeds from marijuana trafficking.
Chris Schanck’s codefendant and brother, Ryan Schanck, was previously sentenced to 71 months in prison.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone stated that the sentence was sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Indiana Borough Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Schanck. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Pine Bluff Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing White Powder to Senator’s OfficeRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK – A Pine Bluff man pleaded guilty today to mailing white powder to United States Senator Tom Cotton’s office. Henry Goodloe, 77, entered his guilty plea earlier today before United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On November 7, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Goodloe for mailing a threat to injure the addressee, and for conveying false information related to possessing biological weapons. Thursday, Goodloe pleaded guilty to one count of conveying false information about possessing a biological weapon.
In August 2018, Goodloe mailed a letter to Senator Cotton’s Washington, D.C., office. The letter’s return address was Goodloe’s home address. The letter, which contained the statement "maybe this will get your attention," contained a white powdery substance. A Senate mail facility intercepted the letter, and a hazardous material response team later determined that the substance was unbleached flour and starch.
Judge Baker will sentence Goodloe at a later date. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Little Rock Field Office, announced today’s guilty plea. Goodloe’s crime is punishable by not more than five years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Owner of Three Construction Companies Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud a Customer of More Than $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ivan Victor Thrane, age 65, of Dickerson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud a company of more than $1.7 million.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, Thrane was the owner and president of three construction companies operating in Dickerson and Beltsville, Maryland (“the Thrane companies”). Thrane admitted that between August 2015 and January 2017, he conspired with the project manager at Victim Company 1, to defraud Victim Company 1 by submitting fraudulent payment requests for work purportedly performed by the Thrane companies. In fact, the Thrane companies had not performed all of the work indicated on the payment requests and, in some cases, had not performed any work on projects for which Thrane was requesting payment.
Specifically, Thrane and his co-conspirator, among other things, caused the Thrane companies to submit payment requests to Victim Company 1. The co-conspirator prepared the payment requests, which he e-mailed to Thrane. Thrane, or another individual at Thrane’s request, signed the payment requests on behalf of the Thrane companies. Thrane then e-mailed the signed payment requests to the co-conspirator, who, as Victim Company 1’s project manager and project executive, approved the payment requests, causing Victim Company 1 to pay the Thrane companies. Once payment was received from Victim Company 1, Thrane funneled a portion of those payments to his co-conspirator, typically by writing checks from his personal bank account or from the Thrane companies.
After Victim Company 1 discovered the overbilling by the Thrane companies in December 2016, Thrane and his co-conspirator attempted to conceal the scheme to defraud. For example, on December 28, 2016, Thrane and his co-conspirator sent each other e-mails, which they had previously discussed. Specifically, Thrane sent an e-mail to his co-conspirator and copying other employees from Victim Company 1, which read in part, “…please allow me to review our records with my accountant. My accountant is off this week. . . . Please rest assured that if there have been any overpayment to us by [Victim Company 1], we will return the overpayment immediately.” In fact, the Thrane companies did not have an accountant.
Victim Company 1 eventually initiated civil litigation against Thrane and his co-conspirator. Thrane and the co-conspirator coordinated their defense and falsely claimed that an employee of Victim Company 1 authorized the overbilling in order to obtain funds to purchase Victim Company 1. In fact, that employee did not even start working at Victim Company 1 until after Thrane and his co-conspirator had begun their fraud scheme and that employee did not authorize Thrane or Thrane companies to submit inflated payment requests.
From approximately September 2015 to December 2016, Victim Company 1 paid the Thrane companies approximately $3,294,675.34 as a result of payment requests submitted as part of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud. Upon receipt of these payments from Victim Company 1, Thrane issued approximately 34 kickback payments, totaling approximately $1,740,330 in checks written to his co-conspirator. On January 3, 2017, after discovering the fraud scheme, Victim Company 1 reversed or voided payments totaling approximately $741,525 to the Thrane companies. Thrane admits that the actual and intended loss attributable to him as a result of the scheme is between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.
As part of his plea agreement, Thrane is required to forfeit and pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses still outstanding, which is at least $988,805.
Thrane faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2020.
In a separate indictment, Rakesh Kaushal, age 66, of Rockville, Maryland is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the scheme. No trial date has been set and Kaushal remains detained. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Collins and Gregory Bernstein, who are prosecuting the case.
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Orangeburg Man with History of Violence Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keycon Deonte Keitt, age 32, of Orangeburg, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following the term of imprisonment, Keitt will remain on federal supervised release for an additional three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented in court established that on March 5, 2018, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety were conducting a property check at the Econolodge on John C. Calhoun Drive when they noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside a vehicle. The driver gave consent to search the vehicle and Keitt was seen reaching around the back seat. When officers ordered him to stop reaching and to exit the vehicle, a Taurus 9mm pistol was recovered from the area where Keitt was sitting, and Keitt admitted to ownership of the loaded 9mm pistol. An additional loaded magazine was recovered from inside Keitt’s right pant leg.
Keitt entered a guilty plea and did not contest an enhanced sentence based on his multiple prior felony convictions and because the firearm was used in connection with another felony conviction, possession of methamphetamine.
In handing down the maximum sentence provided by the statute, United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs, of Columbia, considered evidence from a pre-sentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office and an affidavit of ATF Special Agent Richard Brown that indicated Keitt had a history of firearm-related violence and threats. According to the report and affidavit, over a 14-year period Keitt was involved in nine incidents involving a shooting or a threatened shooting, including incidents in which four victims were shot and at least 10 victims were threatened with a shooting. The report and affidavit also indicated Keitt was involved in four shootings or threatened shootings in 2018 involving women and children.
The U.S. Probation Report also indicated Keitt had operated under multiple aliases, social security numbers, and birth dates.
Federal law prohibits Keitt from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon multiple prior state convictions: a 2004 burglary conviction; a 2005 possession of a stolen vehicle conviction; a 2006 conviction for threatening the life of a public official, where he threatened a local police officer with retaliation for an arrest; 2006 convictions for breaking into vehicles and possession of a stolen vehicle; a 2007 assault conviction related to a shooting in Orangeburg; two 2008 convictions for pointing and presenting a firearm; and 2008 convictions for criminal domestic violence, assault and battery, and malicious injury to private property for an incident where he struck and then threatened to shoot two women before breaking a window out of one victim’s vehicle; a 2008 conviction for malicious injury to private property; and two 2011 convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature for an incident where he shot two victims and was sentenced to seven years in state prison. Keitt was released from state prison in August 2018 and arrested for firearm-related violence and threats in the Spring of 2019.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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No Federal Charges to be Sought in Death of Henny ScottRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not seek federal charges in the death of Henny Scott, a 14-year-old Lame Deer girl whose body was found on Dec. 28, 2018 on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. After a thorough investigation by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs, the office has determined it cannot prove any federal crime was committed.
Henny Scott was last seen on Dec. 8, 2018 when she walked away from a residence in the Muddy Creek area west of Lame Deer. Her body was found 200 yards from the residence. A forensic examination determined Henny Scott died of hypothermia and that the manner of death was accidental. The forensic examination did not find any significant trauma or preexisting disease. In addition, the investigation determined that when Scott was last seen alive, she was wearing light-weight clothing in below-freezing temperatures. The forensic examination also showed that alcohol use was a significant condition of her death.
As in all cases under its consideration, the responsibility of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is to determine whether a federal crime has been committed and whether it can prove all elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the office cannot prove any federal crime was committed when Henny Scott walked away from the residence.
“This case has been a priority of this office, the FBI and BIA. Henny Scott’s death has deeply affected her family and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and has drawn significant public concern. We send our sympathies to Ms. Scott’s family and to the entire tribal community,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
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Newberg Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening School Shooting at California CollegeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Vasiliy V. Barbiyeru, Jr., 24, of Newberg, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to one count of transmitting a threatening interstate communication.
According to court documents, on October 7, 2017, Barbiyeru sent a threatening email to several individuals and groups at Deep Springs College in Big Pine, California where he had been denied admission. Barbiyeru had previously sent threatening emails to the college’s president and other associated persons.
On March 1, 2019, Barbiyeru was charged with first degree disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in Clackamas County Circuit Court after making similar threats of violence to Lake Oswego High School. Barbiyeru was arrested a short time later by the Lake Oswego Police Department. His state charges are still pending.
Barbiyeru faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on November 18, 2019 before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael W. Mosman.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Newberg and McMinnville Police Departments and is being prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JASON PICK, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 to a one-count bill of information for wire fraud announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced before the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon on December 5, 2019.
According to court documents, PICK was employed as an accountant for Company A between August 2016 and June 2018. Part of PICK’s duties was handling the credit card accounts of Company A. Without authorization, PICK used Company A’s credit cards for his own personal expenses. In total, PICK stole approximately $140,791.21 from Company A.
If convicted, PICK faces 20 years of imprisonment, (3) three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Supervisor, General Crimes.
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Mother of Seven Sentenced for Multiple Meth TripsRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old Waco woman has received a significant sentence following her conviction of methamphetamine distribution, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jackeline Hortencia Ramirez pleaded guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute 5.34 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. sentenced her to serve 150 months in federal prison. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the number of drug trafficking trips Ramirez made, the damage methamphetamine causes on both sides of the border and the payments she received.
At the hearing, Ramirez asked the court for leniency given she is a mother of seven children, the youngest of which is four years old.
On June 26, 2018, Ramirez entered the United States through the port of entry in Brownsville driving a Nissan Maxima with two of her minor children. During inspection, authorities discovered the nearly six kilograms of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
The investigation revealed Ramirez had previously made approximately five trips to Waco and Houston to deliver drugs and return the drug proceeds for delivery in Matamoros. She received between $4000-6000 for each trip she made.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Assault at Federal Medical CenterRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Brandon Terelle Ewing, age 35, of St. Louis, was sentenced yesterday, to 40 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for an assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Judge Caldwell also ordered Ewing to pay $12,599.48 in restitution to the victim’s family.
Ewing previously admitted that, on January 18, 2018, at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, he slapped the victim and used his forearm to push the victim backwards, causing the victim to hit his head on the bed railing. Ewing also admitted that, as a result of this conduct, the victim required medical treatment for a closed head injury, which caused the victim to fall into a coma, and ultimately resulted in the victim’s death. Ewing pleaded guilty to the charge in April of 2019.
Under federal law, Ewing must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI (Louisville Division), jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron L. Walker, Jr. and Kyle M. Melloan.
Minnesota Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to Almost 3 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Bobby Joseph Stallworth, 59, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to 35 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Stallworth was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
On October 9, 2017, Stallworth was found in possession of a firearm in Jackson, after law enforcement intervened in a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend. Stallworth had previously been convicted of approximately twenty felony offenses out of Escambia County, Florida over the past thirty years, most of which involved theft or forgery.
On April 3, 2019, Stallworth was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on May 16, 2019.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Minnesota Man Found Guilty on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Frank Edward Adams, a/k/a Tank Adams, age 45, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance as a result of a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota.
The conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, or up to life in federal prison, and/or a $10,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2018.
The jury found that from December 1, 2015 until November 14, 2018, Adams had knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance, on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota.
Evidence at trial established that Adams was the nucleus of a large drug trafficking conspiracy that involved well over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Adams, of St. Paul, Minnesota, supplied large quantities of methamphetamine several times a month to the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations in South Dakota. Adams employed several dealers on both reservations. Evidence at trial included audio calls, correspondence, drug ledgers, text messages and methamphetamine recovered during a traffic stop and a separate search of a residence.
“This Defendant specifically targeted Native American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We are gratified by the jury’s verdict in this case and thank law enforcement officers for their combined efforts on behalf of all South Dakotans to help expose this methamphetamine epidemic.”
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Pierre Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges and Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for November 18, 2019. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison.
Jesus Felipe-Urbano, age 25, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in West Dundee, Illinois, received the prison term after an April 11, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Felipe-Urbano admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in January 2011 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Felipe-Urbano was deported after being convicted in Tama County, Iowa, in December 2010 of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI).
Felipe-Urbano also has an OWI conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in February 2019 based on an arrest in January 2015. Felipe-Urbano was convicted in Cook County, Illinois in May 2016 on traffic charges and driving without a license where he provided law enforcement a false name upon his arrest. The Cook County arrest and conviction occurred while Felipe-Urbano was a fugitive from justice after being released on the January 2015 Black Hawk County OWI charge and then failed to appear for court. Felipe-Urbano was found by immigration agents in January 2019 at the Black Hawk County Jail after he was arrested for failing to appear for court on the 2015 OWI charge.
Felipe-Urbano sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Felipe-Urbano was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Felipe-Urbano is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2012.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to ten months in federal prison.
Pablo Romero-Mata, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 9, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Romero-Mata admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in November 2015 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ventura-Diaz was found by immigration agents after he was charged in Black Hawk County, Iowa, with assault causing bodily injury, operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, and eluding. On the eluding conviction, defendant led law enforcement on a high speed chase by driving 70 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone and lost control of the vehicle causing it to spin, roll and collide with a house on December 30, 2018. Romero-Mata was convicted of these offenses in Iowa District Court in March 2019.
Romero-Mata also has a conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in March 2019 for providing false identification information to police in February 2018, and a conviction in Jasper County, Iowa, in March 2019 for possession of drug paraphernalia in August 2018. Romero-Mata was also convicted in Texas for possession of a controlled substance in August 2014 and possession of marijuana in April 2015.
Romero-Mata was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams. Ventura-Diaz was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Romero-Mata is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2020.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
McKeesport Man Indicted on Heroin Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal drug-trafficking laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Mark Schofield, Jr., 24, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about May 29, 2018, Mark Schofield, Jr. possessed a quantity of heroin with intent to distribute.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and McKeesport Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mayagüez Man Found Guilty of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of A Minor with the Intent of Committing A Criminal Sexual ActRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – After a four-day jury trial, Rafael Soler-Montalvo was found guilty of attempted sexual enticement of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. United States District Court Chief Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí presided over the trial.
On May 3, 2017 the defendant was indicted for using a text messaging service to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual the defendant believed to be a 13 year-old female to engage in sexual activity, for which the defendant could be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
During the trial, the government’s evidence proved that the defendant sent four photographs of himself including one of his penis to the female “minor.” During the course of the text messages, Soler-Montalvo asked: a) what the “minor” was wearing; b) how long the “minor” could be away from everyone; and c) if the “minor” was looking forward to being with him. Further, he explained in explicit detail the illegal sexual acts he wanted to do to her. In addition, he suggested they meet at a location in Mayagüez, PR and then engage in sexual activity at his house and/or his car.
“This conviction shows our commitment to apprehend and prosecute child predators,” said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “This conviction should send a strong message to other child predators that they cannot hide their criminal acts on the internet.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ginette Milanes. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for December 10.
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Massive International Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy Detailed in Federal Grand Jury Indictment that Charges 80 DefendantsRead the Press Release
IndictmentLOS ANGELES – A 252-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges 80 defendants, most of whom are Nigerian nationals, with participating in a massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes and launder the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network.
The indictment was unsealed after law enforcement authorities this morning arrested 14 defendants across the United States, with 11 of those arrests taking place in the Los Angeles region. Two defendants were already in federal custody on other charges, and one was arrested earlier this week. The remaining defendants are believed to be abroad, with most them located in Nigeria.
The indictment alleges that the 80 defendants and others used various online fraud schemes – including business email compromise (BEC) frauds, romance scams, and schemes targeting the elderly – to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. According to a criminal complaint also unsealed today, co-conspirators based in Nigeria, the United States and other countries contacted the lead defendants in the indictment – Valentine Iro, 31, of Carson, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, of Gardena, both Nigerian citizens – for bank and money-service accounts that could receive funds fraudulently obtained from victims. Once members of the conspiracy convinced victims to send money under false pretenses, Iro and Igbokwe coordinated the receipt of funds and oversaw an extensive money-laundering network, according to the 145-page indictment.
The indictment and criminal complaint allege that Iro and Igbokwe, who were among those arrested this morning, were involved in schemes resulting in the fraudulent transfer of at least $6 million in fraudulently-obtained funds – and the overall conspiracy was responsible for the attempted theft of at least an additional $40 million.
The fraudsters targeted victims in the United States and across the globe, including individuals, small and large businesses, and law firms. Some of the victims of the conspiracy lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fraud schemes, and many were elderly.
“This case is part of our ongoing efforts to protect Americans from fraudulent online schemes and to bring to justice those who prey upon American citizens and businesses,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use BEC schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims. This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators – no matter where they reside – and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the extensive efforts that organized criminal groups will engage in to perpetrate BEC schemes that target American citizens and their hard-earned assets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Billions of dollars are lost annually, and we urge citizens to be aware of these sophisticated financial schemes to protect themselves or their businesses from becoming unsuspecting victims. The FBI is committed to working with our partner agencies worldwide to continue to identify these cyber criminals and to dismantle their networks.”
Iro and Igbokwe essentially were brokers of fraudulent bank accounts. According to the indictment, Iro and Igbokwe collected bank accounts, fielded requests for bank account information, provided that information to co-conspirators around the world, and laundered the money obtained from victims – all of this in exchange for a cut of the money stolen from victims of the various fraud schemes.
If a bank account with a specific business name was required to trick a business-victim into making a payment, Iro and Igbokwe often coordinated with “money mules” to open accounts that could receive funds obtained, according to court documents. In addition to making the fake business name mirror the name of a legitimate company, members of the conspiracy routinely filed fictitious business name statements with the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder’s Office that were presented to banks when the fraudulent accounts were opened.
Once a victim deposited funds into a bank account or a money services account, Iro and Igbokwe allegedly coordinated with others to further launder the funds. Members of the conspiracy sometimes wired funds to other bank accounts under their control; in other cases, they simply withdrew funds as cash or negotiable instruments such as cashier’s checks.
When stolen funds were withdrawn as cash, the defendants frequently used illicit money exchangers to move funds overseas, generally avoiding transferring the funds directly through banking institutions, the indictment alleges. To do this, Iro and Igbokwe coordinated the transfer of a victim’s funds from a fraudulent bank account they controlled to U.S. bank accounts belonging to illicit money exchangers. Those money exchangers, in turn, used a Nigerian banking application to transfer other funds in naira (₦), the currency of Nigeria, from Nigerian bank accounts they controlled to the Nigerian bank accounts specified by Iro and Igbokwe. This method was used to transfer millions of dollars to Nigerian co-conspirators without directly transferring funds overseas. The indictment alleges that Jerry Ikogho, 50, of Carson (who was taken into custody on Sunday), and Adegoke Moses Ogungbe, 34, of Fontana, were among those who served as illicit money exchangers for the conspiracy.
Each of the 80 defendants named in the indictment is charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and aggravated identity theft. A number of the defendants also face substantive fraud and money laundering charges.
Additionally, Iro, Igbokwe, Ikogho, Ogungbe and three other defendants –Izuchukwu Kingsley Umejesi, 30, of Los Angeles, Tityaye Marina Mansbangura, 33, of Palmdale, and Obi Madekwe, 31, of Nigeria – are charged with operating illegal money transmitting businesses. Ogungbe and Mansbangura were also among those arrested this morning, and Umejesi is a fugitive currently being sought by authorities.
Iro, Igbokwe and Chuks Eroha, 39, face additional charges for attempting to destroy their phones when the FBI executed a search warrant in July 2017. Iro also is charged with lying to the FBI in an interview conducted during the search. The complaint alleges that, when the FBI arrived to conduct the court-authorized search at Iro’s apartment in Carson, Iro broke his phone in half, while Igbokwe and Eroha threw phones from a bedroom window of the apartment. While Iro claimed he previously had broken the phone during an argument with his wife, the complaint details how the FBI was able to determine that the phone was operational until seconds after the FBI knocked on Iro’s apartment door to execute the search warrant. Eroha is believed to have fled to Nigeria shortly after the FBI executed the warrant.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint and indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
This investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) provided substantial assistance during the investigation.
Several agencies provided support during today’s takedown or during the investigation, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the California Franchise Tax Board.
Many of the FBI’s Legal Attachés provided assistance throughout this investigation, as did the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, and foreign authorities around the world. In particular, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office thank the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Osnabrück, Germany for their contributions.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Joseph B. Woodring of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
The FBI in 2017 issued a report on the rise of BEC schemes, and published a recap of 2018’s Operation WireWire, which was an international effort to disrupt international BEC scams. An FBI public service announcement that warns of the dangers of BEC schemes encourages businesses to “trust but verify.”
Maryland Man Indicted on Multiple Fraud Counts for Defrauding an Orchard Park Aerospace CompanyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Amir Jahed, a/k/a Amir Jahedmotlagh, 39, of Montgomery Villaga, Maryland, with 12 counts of mail fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that from 2010 to July 19, 2018, the defendant was an employee of Cobham Mission Systems, a company headquartered in Orchard Park, NY that was engaged in the development, delivery, and support of aerospace and defense technology and systems. Cobham also had an office located in Westminster, Maryland. As part of his employment, Jahed was assigned company credit cards (purchase cards) and was authorized to make certain purchases on behalf of Cobham for its business operations.
The indictment alleges that the defendant used his purchase cards to conduct approximately 600 unauthorized transactions. Jahed claimed that the transactions were purchases of parts for Cobham’s business operations. In truth and in fact, the defendant didn’t purchase any parts for Cobham, rather, he used the purchase cards to direct funds into accounts controlled by him, resulting in a financial loss to Cobham. After Jahed used a purchase card fraudulently to obtain funds, he mailed fraudulent invoices to Cobham headquarters in support of the fraudulent transactions to give the appearance that the purchases were made to support Cobham’s business operations.
The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Manhattan Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Christmas Eve MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANK BRIGHT was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for the murder of Amaury Paulino on December 24, 2014. BRIGHT shot and killed Paulino during the course of a gunpoint robbery in the vicinity of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 129th Street in Manhattan. BRIGHT was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, before whom BRIGHT previously pled guilty to a robbery conspiracy offense.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “On Christmas Eve in 2014, Frank Bright shot and killed Amaury Paulino during a robbery. For committing this terrible crime, Frank Bright will now serve 20 years in prison. We thank our partners at the NYPD and the DEA for their outstanding work pursuing justice for Mr. Paulino and for his family.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
On December 24, 2014, BRIGHT and an accomplice robbed Amaury Paulino in the vicinity of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 129th Street in Manhattan. During the course of the robbery, BRIGHT shot and killed Paulino.
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In addition to the prison term, BRIGHT, 32, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Longyear, Justin V. Rodriguez, Jordan L. Estes, Jason A. Richman, and Gina Castellano are in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Israel Perez, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in a seven-defendant narcotics case, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May and September, 2018, Perez conspired with other persons to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl as part of a drug trafficking organization. Investigators made controlled purchases of approximately 250 grams of fentanyl from Perez in Manchester between January and May of 2018.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2019.
Co-defendants Samuel Ramos, Abelino Morales-Padilla, Billy Damuel Maldonado Cancel, Jose Hiram Martinez Rolon, and Karina Reyes previously pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking charges in the same case. .
“Fentanyl traffickers make a lethal substance available for purchase in Manchester and other communities throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The results have been devastating. In order to stop the flow of fentanyl, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest, and prosecute traffickers.”
“Today’s conviction is a positive step in the ongoing battle that we continue fight against the devastation that opioids have on our communities.” said Jason J. Molina Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “HSI and our state and local partners with support from the U.S. Attorney’s office remain strongly committed to the fight against dealers of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that have harmed communities throughout New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.
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Man Convicted of Attempted Gunpoint Robbery of Trolley Car Diner in Northwest PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Keenan Smith, 29, of Philadelphia was convicted today at trial with attempted robbery which interferes with interstate commerce, and using or carrying, and discharging, a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On January 31, 2018, the defendant entered the Trolley Car Diner, located in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, through a side door before the diner opened for business. He waited outside the manager’s office with a gun. When the manager arrived, the defendant pointed the gun at the manager’s head and told him not to move. The manager attempted to disarm the defendant, who shot himself in the hand before fleeing. The defendant sought medical treatment at nearby Roxborough Memorial Hospital, and was later arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department.
“The complete disregard that Smith had for the safety of others is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The manager of this restaurant was simply showing up to do his job, and the defendant laid in wait for him and then put a gun to his head. No one should have to deal with this type of violence at their place of business or in their neighborhood. The streets of Philadelphia are safer now that the defendant has been convicted and will be held accountable for his crimes.”
“Keenan Smith attempted a violent armed robbery, terrorizing his victim at gunpoint,” said Michael T. Harpster. “He is a danger to the public, and today’s conviction ensures he’ll remain off the street for quite some time. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to making this community safer by bringing to justice those willing to engage in violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Whitemarsh Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Stengel.
Man from Lovington Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Tyrone D’Chaunn Nash, 35, of Lovington, N.M. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 87 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Nash previously pleaded guilty to this charge on July 2, 2018. In Nash’s plea agreement, he admitted going to deliver 6 ounces of methamphetamine to another person in Lovington on June 19, 2018. However, before Nash could complete the transaction, a deputy from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office stopped Nash, seized his drugs, and arrested him.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lea County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a national program consisting of nine regions, which operates across federal, state and national boundaries. The various federal agencies within OCDETF work through their respective coordinators and arrive at decisions by consensus. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico is a member district of the Southwest Border Region, which covers Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal Police Department, and is part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region VI Drug Task Force. The HIDTA program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Liverpool Business Owner Sentenced to 60 Months for Money Laundering and Maintaining Drug-Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jayesh Patel, age 49, of Liverpool, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison and a 3-year term of supervised release for engaging in money laundering and maintaining a drug-involved premises, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division. As part of a related civil forfeiture case, Patel agreed to forfeit $931,588.06 in drug proceeds that were seized in cash during search warrants and from bank accounts. Additionally, Patel forfeited 5,150 shares of Solvay Bank stock worth over $200,000.00.
In sentencing the defendant, United States District Judge David N. Hurd said that Patel “became wealthy by exploiting his customers’ addictions.” Patel, co-owner of Munchies convenience store in Solvay, New York, and the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites located near the Syracuse airport, admitted that he sold crack cocaine on a daily basis to drug customers from inside these two businesses. As part of his guilty plea, Patel admitted that he sold crack cocaine to two police informants working with the Syracuse Police Department on 14 separate occasions from inside Munchies. Patel also admitted to laundering drug proceeds utilizing his business account at Solvay Bank.
Law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Munchies, the Econo Lodge, and Patel’s residence and truck, from which were seized large amounts of U.S. currency. Stock and funds held in bank accounts were also seized by IRS-CI. In total, Patel forfeited over $1 million dollars in drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Syracuse Police Department-Special Investigation Division, and the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara Thomson and Michael Perry, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Lenoir, N.C. Man Is Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Jewelry Store RobberyRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Jeramie Lee McSweeney, 39, of Lenoir, N.C., to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for the 2015 robbery of a jewelry store, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. McSweeney was also ordered to pay $176,400 in restitution.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Bill Harrell of the Highlands Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to documents filed with the court and today’s sentencing hearing, on July 2, 2015, McSweeney and his co-conspirator, Gregory Lee Gobble, robbed the Gold-n-Clipper jewelry store located in Highlands, N.C. Court records show that Gobble entered the jewelry store, broke the glass casing, and stole two pieces of jewelry valued at $176,400. According to court records, Gobble and McSweeney were seen fleeing the scene in a vehicle driven by McSweeney. Highlands police officers arrested McSweeney later the same day. According to documents filed with the court and today’s sentencing hearing, McSweeney recruited Gobble to assist in the commission of the robbery.
On February 11, 2019, McSweeney pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery. Gobble, who was arrested in South Carolina on August 2016, was previously sentenced to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the FBI and the Highlands Police Department for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, is in charge of the prosecution..
Leader of Violent East Orange Street Gang Charged with Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An East Orange, New Jersey, man appeared in court today on charges of distribution of phencyclidine and marijuana, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug distribution crime, and the use of a minor to distribute drugs, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tyree Thomas, a/k/a “Hellboy,” 26, is charged by complaint with seven counts of distribution of phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP; one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and phencyclidine; one count of possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine; one count of using a minor to distribute drugs; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case: Thomas is allegedly the leader of the East Orange set of the Bloods street gang known as the “Sheedside Pirus,” and a high-ranking member of a separate East Orange Bloods set known as the MOB Pirus, both of which primarily operate out of East Orange, Orange and Newark.
An investigation conducted over the course of several months by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) included multiple purchases of PCP and marijuana from Thomas by an undercover ATF agent between April and July of 2019.
The counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and PCP are punishable by a maximum of 40 years in prison. The count of employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme is punishable by a maximum of 80 years in prison. The count of distribution of PCP is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by five years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles J. Patterson; officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose; officers of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis Bindi; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the N.J. Department of Corrections, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Marcus O. Hicks Esq.; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Orange Police Department under the direction of Director Todd Warren, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Naazneen Khan and Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Charles Alvarez Esq., Bloomfield, New Jersey
Last member of Rapides Parish methamphetamine distribution ring sentencedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Central Louisiana methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced Tuesday to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.
Kevrick Kemar Davis was one of 10 defendants named in an indictment filed June 6, 2017. The defendants conspired to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Central Louisiana from September 2016 to June 2017. A source in the San Diego, California, area mailed more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a source in Louisiana who then distributed it to Davis, the co-defendants and others. The methamphetamine was given to Davis in 1 pound quantities of which he would then sell.
All 10 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced for their part in the conspiracy:
Co-Defendant
Date of Guilty Plea
Sentencing
Ernest Johnson Jr., 40, of Jena, Louisiana
June 7, 2018
December 13, 2018 - 70 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Travis Demond Augustine, 30, of Alexandria, Louisiana
July 25, 2018
January 31, 2019 - 108 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Terry Dion Augustine, 33, of Alexandria, Louisiana
April 12, 2018
January 31, 2019 - 150 months in prison; one year of supervised release.
Allan Jamal Shuler, 38, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 5, 2018
February 8, 2019 - 188 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Jamaal Demon Howard, 31, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 6, 2018
February 8, 2018 – 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Danny Demetric Payne, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 13, 2018
February 8, 2019 - 262 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Eddie Kendricks Jackson, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 300 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Raymond Travon Knox, 40, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
January 9, 2019 - 200 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Dewaine Raye Haynes, 44, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 21, 2018
February 23, 2019 – 200 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Kevrick Kemar Davis, 33, of Alexandria, Louisiana
November 16, 2018
August 20, 2019 – 90 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
All of the defendants pleaded guilty for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Terry Augustine pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI’s Central Louisiana Safe Streets Gang Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to possessing 300 child pornography images on cell phoneRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Trevor Lee Engle, 22, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Juneau for possessing approximately 300 images of child pornography on a cellular phone.
According to court documents filed during the guilty plea hearing, law enforcement agents detected downloads of digital images of child pornography from a phone at Engle’s home. Agents obtained a search warrant to search the phone on November 7, 2018, and found approximately 300 images of child pornography, which included a video of child pornography stored on the phone’s Tumblr application. At least one of the images depicted a prepubescent minor who had not reached the age of 12. During questioning, Engle admitted to viewing the images online and downloading them to his phone.
Trevor Engle faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, registration as a sex offender and a $250,000 fine. Juneau set the sentencing date for December 2, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen is prosecuting the case.
Kyle Man Sentenced to 25 years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder was sentenced on August 20, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Jamie Shoulders, age 27, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,615.12. Shoulders was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 14, 2017. He pled guilty to Second Degree Murder on March 1, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from a homicide that occurred on May 27, 2017, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Throughout the day on May 27, 2017, Jamie Shoulders and Clarence Yellow Hawk, a/k/a “Whodi”, were with Scott Benson. During the mid-afternoon, Yellow Hawk and Shoulders traveled with Benson to meet with Christopher “Chris” Janis and another person. Benson drove his vehicle, Yellow Hawk rode in the front passenger seat, and Shoulders rode in the back seat. Benson parked his vehicle at a driveway approach approximately two miles north of Sharps Corner. Upon arriving, Benson exited the driver’s seat and entered the back seat of the minivan occupied by Chris Janis (driver’s seat) and his passenger. While Benson was in the minivan, Shoulders took a handgun from the car and walked to the minivan’s driver-door window, by Janis. Shoulders shot Chris Janis through the window using the handgun, which broke the glass, and then fired at least one additional shot at him. As shots rang out, Benson and the passenger began fleeing the minivan. Yellow Hawk exited Benson’s vehicle, approached the minivan and picked up the handgun Shoulders dropped, and shot Janis several additional times. Chris Janis died from his multiple gunshot wounds. Yellow Hawk and Shoulders fired at least seven rounds at Janis.
Benson, Yellow Hawk, and Shoulders returned to their vehicle. Benson initially drove south towards Sharps Corner, then around the area before returning to another person’s house, where Yellow Hawk, Shoulders and Benson split up. During the drive, Yellow Hawk threw the firearm out the window, which was later recovered by law enforcement.
Co-defendant Scott Benson was sentenced on May 24, 2018, to 10 years in federal prison. Co-defendant Clarence Yellow Hawk was found guilty of First Degree Murder by a federal jury on May 3, 2019, and awaits sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case.
Shoulders was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Immigrant Charged with Defrauding Hopeful ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
Catholic Diocese employee accused of embezzling fees for immigration assistance
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Monica Karina Mazei, aka Karina Puig, was arrested today on an indictment charging her with wire fraud. Mazei had been employed by the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo’s Immigration Assistance Program, where she helped clients and their relatives apply for visas, work permits, permanent resident status, citizenship, and other relief. As alleged by the grand jury in the indictment, on numerous occasions between 2015 and 2019, she collected fees from certain clients and promised to process their petitions. Instead, she allegedly embezzled their money, and did not send in their paperwork. Mazei immigrated to the United States from Ecuador herself, and became a naturalized citizen in 1999.
The indictment further alleges that Mazei concealed her scheme from the Diocese by not opening files for the clients she was defrauding. In some cases she allegedly deceived clients by requesting blank checks or money orders. She wrote “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” in the payee line of the copies she provided them as proof of payment. She then wrote her own name as payee on the actual instruments, and deposited them in her personal accounts.
“Mazei was given an opportunity to live the American dream herself,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge, “but she cashed in the dreams of others to line her own pockets.”
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. If anyone suspects their own or their family member’s application for immigration relief was denied or affected because of Monica Mazei’s alleged actions, they are asked to call the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip Line at 1-866-DHS- 2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) and TTY for hearing impaired only at (802) 872-6196. The privacy of crime victims is of the utmost importance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will do everything in its power to protect the privacy of anyone who responds to this inquiry.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
END
Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced for Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Federico Hernandez-Rios, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to time served (13 months in federal custody), followed by immediate deportation to Mexico, for illegally reentering the United States after his prior deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to testimony provided in open court and court filings, Hernandez-Rios had been charged in 2010 in Florida, and pled guilty to, the state felony offense of possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver. Thereafter, in October 2010, immigration authorities deported Hernandez-Rios to Mexico. On August 2, 2018, Brandon police officers made a traffic stop of a vehicle carrying six passengers, all of whom, including the driver, were aliens illegally present in the United States. Hernandez-Rios was one of those passengers, and he was detained by Homeland Security Investigation agents. Hernandez-Rios had not requested or received permission of United States Immigration authorities to reenter the United States, as required by federal law. Reentry by an alien, who had previously been convicted of an aggravated felony before he was deported, is a felony punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment under federal law.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Brandon Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Theodore M. Cooperstein.
Huntsville Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years in Prison for Tampering with Vehicle OdometersRead the Press Release
Huntsville – A federal judge today, sentenced a Huntsville man for tampering with vehicle odometers and bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Holloway.
A federal jury convicted Randy Eugene Greene, 62, in April of 11 counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3 counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Greene to 30 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release and ordered him to pay more than $109,000 in restitution to the victims. The judge also entered a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $28,000.
“Greene violated the trust and confidence placed in him by the consumers and financial institutions,” Town said. “The theft and misuse of funds will not be tolerated by those who operate these type of schemes. They will be charged with federal crimes and will to go federal prison.”
“It is very important that consumers and financial institutions know that the vehicle being purchased from any auto dealership represents the true odometer reading,” Holloway said. “This type of fraud scheme can cause unwitting consumers significant financial hardship in repair bills from a vehicle they believed was in much better condition.”
Randy Eugene Greene, d/b/a RJ’s Auto Sales on South Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, was convicted by the jury of 11 counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3 counts of bank fraud. In the 11 counts related to odometer tampering, the offenses occurred between approximately October 1, 2014, and November 2, 2016. The largest discrepancy in the changed odometer reading was approximately 218,678 miles. The average discrepancy in the mileage on the odometers for the various vehicles was 122,046 miles. In the three counts related to Bank Fraud, Greene engaged in a scheme to defraud Redstone Federal Credit Union. The fraud occurred when the credit union financed three of the vehicles on which the odometers had been changed. Greene was served with a notice of forfeiture related to the bank fraud counts, which includes but is not limited to a money judgment in the amount of $28,000.
U.S. Secret Service is investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Russell E. Penfield and R. Leann White prosecuted.
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