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Friday 12 July 2019
Arsonist Convicted of Burning Conway Apartment Complex Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—David Hartsell, who admitted to starting the fire that ultimately destroyed the Germantown Apartment Complex in Conway and injured multiple people, will serve 15 years in prison after being sentenced on Thursday.
United States District Court Judge D.P. Marshall Jr., sentenced Hartsell, 52, of Conway, to 180 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $378,541 in restitution. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Stephen Bridgmon, Acting Resident Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) announced the sentence.
Hartsell set the fire, which destroyed the 12-unit apartment complex, on February 27, 2017. A federal grand jury indicted Hartsell on two counts—malicious destruction of property by mean of fire, with injury, and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence—on July 11, 2017. He pleaded guilty to Count 1, the arson charge, on March 7, 2019.
“This 15-year sentence demonstrates the seriousness of the defendant’s actions,” stated U.S. Attorney Hiland. “Hartsell’s reckless behavior placed innocent people, including several small children, in the path of a raging fire. He also permanently displaced numerous families from their homes. This senseless destruction will not be tolerated.”
An ATF investigation concluded that the fire began in Hartsell’s own apartment in the Germantown complex. Hartsell used a flammable liquid to start the fire. After the fire was extinguished, the Conway Fire Department located what appeared to be two “Molotov cocktails,” or containers with incendiary liquid with wicks attached, in Hartsell’s apartment.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, ATF Special Agent Warren Newman (who is also a trained medic) testified about the significant danger the fire posed to the Germantown occupants, as well as the serious injuries sustained by some of the residents. According to Newman, the fire started around 4 a.m., when most of the occupants were asleep. It spread from Hartsell’s apartment to other apartments rapidly, and quickly engulfed one whole side of the complex. The residents on the second (top) floor had only one means of getting down—a staircase which was engulfed in flame. Because of this, residents had to jump from the second floor.
SA Newman stated that he conducted interviews with multiple people, including one individual who had to break out a window and tie bedsheets together to get down. That tenant’s adult dog and five newborn puppies died in the fire. Another family on the second floor had to jump from their window. One woman fractured five vertebrae in the fall. Her husband then had to drop their young children out the window to people waiting to catch them below.The most serious injury occurred when an upstairs tenant who had no other means of escape from his apartment had to run through his front door and a wall of flame and jump from the balcony. According to SA Newman, this individual suffered significant burns over most of his body, and suffered a serious heart injury from the impact of the fall. He required hospitalization for more than a year, and SA Newman stated he still suffers from his injuries.
The ATF, including the agency’s National Response Team, and Conway Fire Department and Conway Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens prosecuted the case.
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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/edarTwitter:
@EDARNEWSArrests by U.S. Marshals Task Force Continue Commitment to "All in Leon"Read the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Ongoing efforts by the U.S. Marshals Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) have produced numerous arrests in Leon County following the recent launch of a multi-agency strike force, including three in the past week of individuals sought in cases that involved stolen weapons and other weapons charges, kidnapping, aggravated assault against law enforcement, auto theft, and probation violations. The arrests by United States Marshals, working in conjunction with the Leon County Sheriff's Office under the ALLinLEON initiative, were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Marshals arrested Torrieo Monte Johnson on July 3, 2019, at a family member’s residence in Tallahassee. During the arrest, Task Force members seized a semi-automatic Taurus handgun and rifle. Johnson was wanted by the Thomasville Police Department after fleeing a June 26 traffic stop during which Thomasville Police located two stolen rifles, including an AR15, and a 9mm handgun in Johnson’s vehicle. Johnson was charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm (x3) and Grand Theft Firearm. He awaits extradition back to the State of Georgia on his felony charges.
Six days later, on July 9, Task Force members arrested 20-year-old Etavious Janquis Milton in Tallahassee. Milton was wanted by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) for a kidnapping that occurred on June 27, after Milton fled on foot from LCSO patrol deputies during a routine traffic stop on Crawfordville Highway and stole a car with an elderly woman inside it, finally abandoning the car and its passenger on the outskirts of Quincy. LCSO detectives charged Milton with Kidnapping, Aggravated.
Assault on Law Enforcement, Flee/Elude, Grand Theft of Vehicle, and Resisting Officer with Violence. Milton was also wanted on charges of Violation of Probation stemming from earlier charges of Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Burglary, and Grand Theft Motor Vehicle.
Federal task force members also responded that day to a request for assistance from the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) for help in apprehending Jontavius Monroe, who was being sought by TPD investigators for Violation of Pretrial Conditions for a May 12 incident in which Monroe was arrested for Firing a Weapon in Public, Possession of Weapon by a Convicted Felon, Grand Theft of Firearm, and Possession of Marijuana. Monroe was also charged with Resisting Arrest without Violence.
The Tallahassee Division of the FRFTF consists of state and local law enforcement officers from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County State Attorney’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. These officers are sworn in as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals and, working alongside U.S. Marshals, target the most violent offenders in the Tallahassee area.
Federal, state, and local authorities last month launched a concerted effort to crack down on violent crime under LCSO’s ALLinLEON umbrella. That initiative has also engaged community volunteers to regularly take at-risk youth to places of worship, activated Neighborhood Crime Watch programs, and conducted other activities to target neighborhoods that are perennial hotspots for violence. The effort also aims to help connect individuals who are reentering the community from incarceration with education, job skills and substance abuse treatment.
All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 available 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
An Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 17 1/2 years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and EscapeRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on July 11, 2019, Chief United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Lonnie Alonzo Howard, age 48, of Bismarck, North Dakota, on charges of Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by a convicted felon, and Escape. Judge Hovland sentenced Howard to serve 17 1/2 years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. On April 11, 2019, a federal jury found Howard guilty on both counts.
The case arose from an investigation in Mandan, North Dakota, that led the police to execute a search warrant in 2015 at a residence in Bismarck, where Howard was staying. In Howard’s bedroom, police found a 9mm handgun and loaded magazine in a toy basket. They also located two rounds of 9mm ammunition in a drawer in the bedroom, and 150 rounds of 9mm and 20-gauge ammunition in a backpack in the bedroom.
While Howard was awaiting trial, he absconded from a halfway house placement. He was a fugitive for approximately 11 months and on April 14, 2018, was stopped on I-94 near the Bismarck State Street exit. Howard struggled with the officer and damaged a Good Samaritan’s vehicle as he fled the scene. He escaped, but was apprehended in Bismarck 9 days later. For that incident, Howard was convicted in Burleigh County District Court of reckless endangerment, simple assault on a peace officer, and false information to law enforcement.
“The 17 years this defendant will spend in federal prison creates one of our favorite statistics in law enforcement: the crimes that will not occur up ahead as a result of the defendant being removed from the streets. Armed robbery, serious drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, escape and resisting officers attempting to apprehend him, serious criminal history and conduct by Mr. Howard,” said United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley. “He earned his lengthy federal prison sentence, and the interests of public safety and justice have been upheld in this case.”
Judge Hovland designated Howard an Armed Career Criminal under Federal law, due to prior felony convictions for armed robbery in Wisconsin and two serious drug offenses in Burleigh County, North Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; North Dakota Parole and Probation; Mandan Police Department; Bismarck Police Department; Metro Area Narcotics Task Force; and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department
This Case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek# # #
Ayudando Guardians’ President and Chief Financial Officer Plead Guilty to Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, Identity Theft, and Money Laundering Charges as Part of Multi-Million Dollar Financial SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sharon A. Moore, 64, and Susan K. Harris, 72, of Albuquerque, N.M. pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy and other financial crimes committed in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Albuquerque that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship, and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to charges previously filed against them in a superseding indictment returned on December 5, 2017. Moore pleaded guilty on July 9 and Harris pleaded guilty on July 11. In their plea agreements, Moore and Harris admitted to conspiracy, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to their plea agreement, Moore acted as chief financial officer of Ayudando and Susan Harris acted as president. They engaged in a pattern of sophisticated criminal conduct from November 2006 to July 2017. This included unlawfully transferring money from client accounts to a comingled account without any client-based justification. They wrote and endorsed numerous checks, often of more than $10,000, from these comingled accounts to themselves, family members, cash, and other parties where payment would benefit their families. Moore also tried to conceal her criminal activity in reports to the Veterans Administration for fiduciary clients. She falsified bank statements and annual reports to disguise the theft of money from client accounts.
Moore and Harris are currently out of custody pending sentencing. Each faces a mandatory term of two years imprisonment at sentencing. Moore could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison under the terms of her plea agreement, while Harris’ plea agreement does not place an upper limit to the length of imprisonment possible at sentencing. They have also agreed to forfeit assets and funds derived from their offenses and to pay restitution to the victims.
The superseding indictment also charged Harris’s husband, William S. Harris, 58, and her son, Craig M. Young, 53. William Harris pleaded guilty on June 25, 2019, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit money laundering. Young is scheduled to go to trial September 23, 2019. Charges in an indictment are merely allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Albuquerque offices of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation, which resulted in the charges in the indictment, and are leading the continuing investigation. The Complex Assets Unit and the Albuquerque office of the USMS, the Criminal Investigations Division of the VA Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the SSA Office of Inspector General are assisting in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe are prosecuting the case.
Thursday 11 July 2019
Young Brenham Woman Charged with Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 22-year-old Brenham woman is set to appear in federal court following the return of a three-count indictment alleging sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Samantha Sanders, previously in state custody, is expected to make her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan at 10:00 a.m.
The federal indictment was returned June 18, 2019.
Sanders is charged with recruiting, harboring and soliciting three minor victims for commercial sex acts. The victims were under the age of 18 at the time of the sexual encounters, according to the indictment. Sanders is alleged to have benefited financially from her involvement in the trafficking of the minor victims.
If convicted, she faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Coast Guard and sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Lisa Collins are prosecuting the case.
A indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Woman from the United Kingdom Arrested, Charged with Illegal Re-entry After DeportationRead 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 Ebony Danielle Phillips, 38, of the United Kingdom, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry after deportation following conviction of an aggravated felony. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who is handling the case, stated that on July 3, 2019, at approximately 3:20 p.m., the defendant attempted to enter the United States at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry. Phillips was driving a vehicle bearing an Ontario registration but she presented a State of North Carolina driver's license, and stated that she was a citizen of the United States. The defendant was referred for secondary inspection. A subsequent records check determined that her birth place was the United Kingdom.
When asked if she had ever been arrested, Phillips replied “no.” A fingerprint check determined that she was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud in the State of North Carolina in March 2017 and sentenced to nine months in prison. Upon her release from Bureau of Prisons custody, the defendant was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in January 2018, deported in August 2018, and permanently barred form re-entering the United States.
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations, Rose Brophy.
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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Wausau Man Sentenced to 8 Years on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jake K. Jones, 28, Wausau, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to eight years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
On November 18, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped Jones’ vehicle for a traffic violation in Mosinee, Wisconsin. After providing a false name, Jones fled in his vehicle, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Jones crashed his vehicle, then fled on foot. Eventually, Jones was arrested in possession of approximately 420 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The investigation subsequently revealed that Jones originally tried to purchase three pounds of methamphetamine but was only able to obtain one pound, which he intended to distribute in the Wausau area.
This is Jones’ fourth felony drug trafficking offense and Judge Conley remarked that Jones had a troubling history of adjustment under community supervision.
The charge against Jones was the result of an investigation conducted by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, which includes the Marathon & Lincoln County Sheriffs’ Offices, Everest Metro and Wausau Police Departments, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Violent Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEFFREY STOKARSKI, 44, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 216 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing several violent armed robberies in late 2017 and early 2018.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
On December 27, 2017, Stokarski entered the Henny Penny located at 273 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, pushed the sales clerk into the counter and verbally instructed her not to touch or say anything. Stokarski opened the cash register with a screwdriver and stole approximately $289 in cash.
Also on December 27, Stokarski approached a vehicle in the parking lot of the Country Cloverleaf Shell at 237 Route 81 in Killingworth, opened the driver’s door and punched the driver repeatedly in the face while demanding the driver’s wallet. During the robbery, Stokarski took from the driver an electronic cigarette worth approximately $110, a cell phone worth approximately $50, and the driver’s wallet containing approximately $90 in cash and gift cards.
Also on December 27, Stokarski entered the Krauszer’s Food Store located at 459 Madison Road in Durham, placed the store clerk in a headlock, pulled out a knife and placed it on the clerk’s back, dragged the clerk over to the register and then stole approximately $3,264 in cash and store items.
On December 31, 2017, Stokarski again entered the Henny Penny located at 273 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, and demanded cash from the register. The clerk complied and gave Stokarski approximately $161 in cash from the register.
On January 1, 2018, Stokarski’s associate, Stacey Borowy, drove Stokarski to the Citgo Gas Station at 199 West Street in Litchfield. After entering the store, Stokarski grabbed the clerk, pulled out a knife and placed the knife across the clerk’s neck area while demanding that the clerk give up all the money. The clerk complied and provided Stokarski with approximately $2,084 in cash. Stokarski also stole several store items worth approximately $49.
Also on January 1, Stokarski entered the Dunkin Donuts located at 220 Main Street in New Hartford, pulled out a knife, jumped over the counter and while grabbing the clerk, yelled for the clerk to open the registers. The clerk complied and gave Stokarski all of the cash from within the registers.
On January 3, 2018, Borowy drove Stokarski to the Rayon Market located at 214 Edgewood Avenue in New Haven where Stokarski stole $1,400 in cash and a handgun from the clerk at knifepoint. Later that day, Stokarski entered the Cumberland Farms gas station located at 69 Rubber Avenue in Naugatuck, walked behind the counter and demanded money. He then pulled the stolen handgun from his waist area to show the clerk that he had a gun. The clerk complied with Stokarski’s demand and opened the registers. Stokarski then stole approximately $132 in cash and approximately $536 worth of cigarettes and fled in a vehicle driven by Borowy.
On January 6, 2018, Stokarski entered the Food Land grocery store located at 250 South Colon Road in Wallingford, pulled out a knife, dragged the clerk to the register and ultimately stole approximately $2,254 in cash, while injuring the clerk in the process.
Also on January 6, Stokarski and another man entered the Mobil gas station located at 385 Watertown Avenue in Waterbury and approached the register. Stokarski went behind the register, pulled out a knife and told the cashier to get back while Stokarski pried open the register, ultimately stealing approximately $727 in cash and several cartons of cigarettes.
On January 7, 2018, Stokarski entered the Valero Fas Mart gas station located at 384 Main Street in Durham, grabbed the clerk’s arm, and demanded that she open the register. He then pulled out a knife in an attempt to pry open the register himself. The clerk ultimately complied with Stokarski’s demand to open the register and Stokarski removed approximately $130 in cash.
On January 9, 2018, Stokarski entered Food Bag located at 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, approached the register, pulled out a knife and began to pry open the register. He then removed approximately $100 from the register and about $500 in cigarettes.
Stokarski has been detained since his arrest on January 9, 2018. On October 30, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Borowy, 39, of Farmington, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2018, to aiding and abetting an armed robbery. On July 10, 2019, Judge Meyer sentenced her to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Naugatuck, Southington, New Hartford, New Haven, Wallingford and Waterbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Lauren C. Clark.
Venezuelan National Sentenced for Identity Theft and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Venezuelan national was sentenced in federal court in Boston today for identity theft and passport fraud.
Jose Antonio Rojas Marchan, 54, a Venezuelan national who resided in Lawrence until his arrest in September, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Rojas Marchan will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In March 2019, Rojas Marchan pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In November 2014, Rojas Marchan applied for a U.S. passport at a Lawrence Post Office purporting to be a U.S. citizen. On the application, he represented that the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of a Puerto Rican man were his, even though he knew they belonged to someone else. He supported the application with a Puerto Rican birth certificate and Massachusetts driver’s license in the U.S. citizen’s name. His application was flagged for additional review due to indicators of fraud and was ultimately denied. Rojas Marchan used the victim’s identity despite knowing it belonged to another real person. According to court documents, Rojas Marchan also attempted to get the victim removed from the victim’s health insurance plan so that Rojas Marchan could receive medical care under the same identity.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
United States Reaches $1,275,000 Settlement with Power Company for Beaver FireRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States has reached a settlement with the San Miguel Power Association to pay $1,275,000 for damages incurred by the United States in suppressing the Beaver Fire, announced Matt Kirsch, Attorney for the United States, acting under authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515.
The Beaver Fire was a wildland fire that ignited on May 22, 2010, when two cottonwood trees fell across an electrical power line owned and operated by San Miguel Power. The fire burned approximately 2,600 acres of public and National Forest System lands near Norwood, in San Miguel County, Colorado. The United States incurred substantial costs in suppressing the fire.
The settlement resolves the United States’ allegations that the fire was caused by San Miguel Power Association’s failure to properly inspect the area adjacent to its power lines. The United States alleges that the trees that fell across the line were visibly decayed and should have been identified as hazards and removed prior to the ignition of the Beaver Fire. The United States’ position is that the San Miguel Power Association failed to properly train its employees and contractors and failed to put in place an adequate procedure or program to identify decayed trees that pose a fire risk. The San Miguel Power Association denies all liability or wrongdoing for causing the fire.
“Today’s recovery helps offset the financial cost to the public of fire suppression,” said BLM Colorado State Director Jamie Connell. “On behalf of the many firefighters who worked on these and other fires in the West, we appreciate a resolution that benefits the public, the public’s land, and the multiple uses public lands support in Colorado.”
The United States Attorney’s Office acknowledges the cooperation and teamwork demonstrated by governmental entities involved in today’s recovery. Special thanks are extended to the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor, and the Department of Agriculture’s Office of General Counsel.
The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Licht and Katherine Ross of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Denver, Colorado.
U.S. Military Dependent Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Voluntary Manslaughter and Other Charges Stemming from an Assault of Several U.S. Airmen on a Military Base in JapanRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced to prison yesterday in connection with an attack on three U.S. Air Force airmen and resisting military police who attempted to restrain him.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland of the Eastern District of Arkansas and Colonel Kirk B. Stabler of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations made the announcement.
Rodrigo Pineda Gomez, 44, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release by U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. The sentence follows an April 2019 jury verdict finding Gomez guilty of various charges stemming from the assault, including one count of attempted voluntary manslaughter, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault by striking, beating, or wounding, one count of resisting a federal officer and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.
According to the superseding indictment and evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 31, 2016, on Misawa Air Base in Japan, the defendants, Rodrigo Gomez and his son, Miguel Gomez, assaulted three U.S. Air Force airmen. During the assault, defendant Rodrigo Gomez attempted to kill one of the airmen by attempting to snap his neck and stomping on his head repeatedly while he was on the ground. He subsequently resisted arrest after law enforcement arrived, and then later made a false statement about the incident. Co-defendant Miguel Gomez also assaulted one of the airmen. At the time of the assault, defendant Rodrigo Gomez was the dependent spouse and Miguel Gomez the son of an active duty service member assigned to the base. Their last known U.S. address at the time of indictment was Jacksonville, Arkansas.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Williams of the Eastern District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Community Partners to Sponsor Drug Education/Violence Reduction Partnership Leadership Camp for South Florida YouthRead the Press Release
July 15-20th, 2019
Nova Southeastern University
The United States Attorney's Office Violence Reduction Partnership endeavors to create safer communities for our residents and our youth, by directly addressing gang and violent crime problems in the Southern District of Florida. The district's Drug Education for Youth (D.E.F.Y.)/Violence Reduction Partnership Leadership Camp promotes this goal through an anti-gang, anti-gun, anti-drug, anti-violence, and anti-bullying curriculum which targets at-risk youth ages 9-12 from high-crime, impoverished neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is proud to co-sponsor this invaluable program with the Overtown Youth Center and other community partners.
Since 2004, this week-long, over-night Leadership Camp has provided more than 800 at-risk kids with the tools they need to resist drugs, gangs, violent behavior, and bullying. The D.E.F.Y./Violence Reduction Partnership Leadership Camp's structured curriculum includes educational activities such as drug resistance, gang resistance, conflict resolution, anti-bullying, internet safety and life skills classes. In addition, the Leadership Camp offers the youth swimming lessons and physical fitness training programs that promote a healthy lifestyle, safety, increased self-confidence, mental health and leadership skills. The goal of the Leadership Camp is to have the youth return to their communities with the skills, knowledge and ability to make the right choices and resist violence, gangs and negative peer pressure, while maintaining a healthy and positive way of life.
This year, the D.E.F.Y./Violence Reduction Partnership Leadership Camp will be held July 15-20th, at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. More than 50 youth will be attending the Camp. The participating youth are from areas including, Homestead, Overtown, Goulds, Miami Gardens, Pompano, Lake Worth, and Ft. Pierce.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks Nova Southeastern University, the Overtown Youth Center, City of North Miami Beach, municipal entities, and other local law enforcement entities for their support of this program.
Additional information regarding VRP initiatives is available at [email protected] (link sends e-mail) or by calling (305) 961-9134.
OPEN PRESS: The news media is welcome to attend the D.E.F.Y./Violence Reduction Partnership Leadership Camp. Interested members of the press should contact Special Counsel Sarah Schall at [email protected] to make arrangements to visit the Camp.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues Close Coordination with Jefferson County Commonwealth’s AttorneyRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell Coleman today announced the addition of Kaleb J. Noblett as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Louisville office, another resource in the ongoing effort to maximize collaboration between state and federal law enforcement to address violent crime, drug trafficking, public corruption, and other high priority criminal matters in Jefferson County.
“Louisville families are better-served when its state and federal prosecutors function as one team,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “We are grateful to Mr. Wine for allowing yet another of his capable Assistants, Kaleb Noblett, to offer us his time, talent, and experience.”
Mr. Noblett is the third member of the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office currently working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the role of Special Assistant United States Attorney. He has served with the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office since November of 2015, and previously served as a summer law clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office in 2013. Mr. Noblett serves as the Economic “White Collar” Liaison in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
As Louisville homicides and violent crimes increase in the summer months, the United States Attorney’s Office is aggressively pushing back with a swell of federal resources working alongside state and local law enforcement to police and prosecute the worst offenders in all neighborhoods, in all 53 counties of the Western District of Kentucky. The office is also committed to tackling instances of fraud, abuse and rooting out instances of child exploitation in the district.
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Two men indicted for importing cocaine in Port of Savannah shipmentRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two men have been charged in a four-count federal indictment for the June 2019 shipment of more than 45 pounds of cocaine through the Port of Savannah.
Jimmy Alexander Pujols, a/k/a “El Gallo,” 35, and Fausto Mendez Ramos, a/k/a “Rudy Reyes Polanco,” 40, are charged with Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance, Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Importation of a Controlled Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Conviction on the charges carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
In June, Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Augusta Fire Department, seized packages containing 21.3 kilos of cocaine while serving a federal search warrant at an Augusta warehouse holding a shipping container that had been transported from the Port of Savannah. Pujols and Ramos were taken into custody.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Marcela Mateo.
Two from Toledo indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
Two people from Toledo were indicted on federal firearms charges.
Yaree Moon, 41, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Moon possessed a Taurus .40-caliber pistol and five rounds of ammunition on April 16 despite a previous conviction for robbery, according to the indictment.
Kyle Jackson, 30, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jackson possessed a Bersa .380-caliber pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition on June 14 despite previous convictions for aggravated assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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 was reinvigorated 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 Moon case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Futrell following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Jackson case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Toledo Police Department.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Men Sentenced for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two men convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Dayvon Byrd, age 29, from Watertown, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Joshua Noel Paul, age 38, from Watertown, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, was sentenced to 211 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Byrd was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 13, 2018, and a Superseding Information was filed on November 16, 2011. He pled guilty on December 7, 2018. Paul was indicated by a federal grand jury on March 13, 2018, and a Superseding Indictment was filed on June 12, 2018. He pled guilty on September 14, 2018.
The convictions stem from a methamphetamine conspiracy in and around the Watertown and Sisseton areas from November 23, 2017, through February 28, 2018. The conspiracy involved over 500 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Byrd, and three other co-defendants, Alexis Dumarce, Amos Hall, and Danny Callahan, were selling methamphetamine brought to South Dakota from California by Paul and co-defendant Victor Caperon. Caperon and Paul were found with six pounds of methamphetamine on February 28, 2018, during a traffic stop in Corson County, South Dakota. This methamphetamine was intended for sale in the Watertown and Sisseton areas.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Corson County Sheriff’s Office, Mobridge Police Department, and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Byrd and Paul were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Towson Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –Stephen Bayne Fields, Jr., age 47, of Towson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography by using multiple social media accounts to send and receive video and still images of children engaging, and being used to engage in, sexually explicit conduct via the Internet.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to his plea agreement, between July and September 2018, Fields used four social media accounts under alias names that were variations of a name beginning with the letter “T” and each included images of an adult female by that name as profile photos. “T” was 20 years old at the time and was known personally to Fields, who obtained the profile photos for his alias accounts from a genuine social media account used by “T” in her own name.
Fields admitted that during this time, using the four social media accounts created using “T’s” name and photos, he sent and received child pornography on numerous occasions. For example, as detailed in the plea agreement, while posing as “T” in July 2018, Fields sent messages to other social media users stating that he (or she) lived in Maryland and requesting “young girl pictures.” Between July 24 and September 2018, Fields received at least five videos depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from other social media users. Fields also sent at least three videos and one still image depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other users.
On August 30 and 31, 2018, Fields corresponded through the social media accounts with another user discussing that person’s sexual abuse of a seven-year-old minor female. Fields received two videos from the user depicting an adult male engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent female. Fields also sent the other user a sexually explicit video. During their conversations, Fields asked the user to send him photos or videos of the user sexually abusing the girl.
Law enforcement became aware of Fields’ alias accounts through a series of Cybertipline reports made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Internet Protocol addresses used in August 2018 to access three of these accounts were subscribed by Fields at his residence in Towson. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residences and seized a laptop computer and other electronic devices.
As part of his plea agreement, Fields 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).
Fields faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
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, HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Miles Bailey, age 54, of Queens, New York; Eric Thorne, age 51, of Albany; and James Simmons, age 51, of Albany, were sentenced to prison this week in connection with a conspiracy to use stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office.
Bailey was sentenced today to serve 75 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Thorne and Simmons were each sentenced this week to serve 24 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Bailey was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,916,928; Simmons was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $22,778; and Thorne was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,400 and a fine of $10,000.
Bailey pled guilty to conspiring with Simmons, Thorne and others to defraud the United States, through the IRS, by filing hundreds of false and fraudulent income tax returns using the stolen means of identification of other individuals and obtaining tax refunds to which they were not entitled.
Bailey used his own bank accounts and bank accounts in the name of his business, D.E. Caribe Taxes, to deposit the tax refund checks, after which Bailey withdrew, spent and transferred the money to his co-conspirators for their own purposes. Bailey also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft in connection with his deposits of tax refund checks bearing forged signatures. Simmons pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, and Thorne pled guilty to theft of public money. The conspiracy caused a loss to the IRS of $1,963,991.
Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. presided over the cases and sentenced all three defendants.
This case was investigated by the IRS, the Town of Colonie Police Department, the Town of Niskayuna Police Department, the Albany Police Department, the New York State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Kistler.
Third Ward Man Heads to Federal Prison for Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of manufacturing/possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Robert Coleman pleaded guilty April 9, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake sentenced Coleman to 70 months for the drug charges. He also received 10 years for the firearms conviction which must be served consecutively. The total 190-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
The investigation revealed Coleman sold gram quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and pills to various customers on a regular basis. Coleman delivered to customers that were in close vicinity to his residence. Authorities also learned Coleman cooked crack cocaine in his home.
Coleman was taken into custody Nov. 6, 2018, after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence. As they entered, Coleman fired a pistol at the door. No one was injured at that time.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennie Basile and John M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
The case is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Provided LE Training on Project Safe Neighborhoods/P3 ProgramRead the Press Release
FLORENCE– Alabama law enforcement officers from seven counties across the Northern District of Alabama attended training in Florence on Wednesday. The training was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on prosecution of cases involving firearms and drugs in federal and state court, constitutional protections concerning search warrants, arrests and trials, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Prosecutor-to Prosecutor Program, or P3.
“It was gratifying to see law enforcement officers from so many different agencies and counties, from all across our district, come together to hear about all of the ways our office is ready, willing and able to prosecute, and remove criminals from our neighborhoods,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Becher.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office provided an update for police officers, sheriffs and district attorneys on individual protections provided by the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and an explanation of P3.
The 4th Amendment guarantees the right of individuals to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The 5th Amendment in criminal cases provides the right to a grand jury, forbids double jeopardy, and protects against self-incrimination. The 6th Amendment protects the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to counsel and the right to an impartial jury. The 6th Amendment also guarantees defendants the right to know the nature of the charges and evidence against them, and who their accusers are.
P3 is a six-step process by which state and federal prosecutors jointly determine whether a criminal case should be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The “P3 Overlay” identifies state and federal criminal statutes with similar elements. Common elements that could trigger federal prosecution include use of a firearm, crossing of state lines, use of phones or internet to commit a crime, or victimizing an institution that is federally regulated or insured, or that receives federal grant funds. P3 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s centerpiece program for fighting violent crime. PSN and P3 both underscore the need to target the worst offenders in the worst areas of crime in order to reduce violence.
ATF provided training on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a national database of digital images of spent bullets, shell casings, and cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons. The ATF manages the system and provides the equipment to crime labs around the country. There are NIBIN machines in many areas in Alabama, to include Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery.
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Texas Judge Convicted of Bribery and ObstructionRead the Press Release
A Texas state district judge has been convicted of bribery and obstruction, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas.
Following a six-day trial, Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado, 65, of Edinburg, Texas, was convicted of one count of Conspiracy; three counts of Federal Program Bribery; three counts of Travel Act Bribery and one count of Obstruction of Justice. Delgado was originally charged in January 2018 by complaint, and then indicted in February 2018. The grand jury issued three superseding indictments.
“Corrupt judges can harm a community’s confidence in our judicial system,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Today’s verdict takes an important step toward restoring that confidence, and affirms that no one – especially not a judge – is above the law.”
“The bribery of a judge may be the worst break of the publics’ trust in government,” said U.S. Attorney Patrick. “Rudy Delgado used his position to enrich himself. He didn’t just tip the scales of justice, he knocked it over with a wad of cash and didn’t look back. Delgado’s actions unfairly tarnish all his former colleagues.”
Delgado is currently a justice in the Thirteenth Court of Appeals for the State of Texas. He was previously the presiding judge for the 93rd District Court for the State of Texas, which has jurisdiction over Texas criminal and civil cases located within Hidalgo County. As a district judge, Delgado conspired with an attorney from January 2008 to November 2016 to accept bribes in exchange for favorable judicial consideration on criminal cases pending in his courtroom.
As part of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Delgado also accepted bribes on three separate occasions in exchange for agreeing to release three of the attorney’s clients on bond in cases pending before his court. The first two bribes totaled approximately $520 in cash and the third bribe, which occurred in January 2018, totaled approximately $5,500 in cash. After Delgado learned of the FBI’s investigation, he also attempted to obstruct justice by contacting the attorney and providing a false story about the payments.
Sentencing has been set for Sept. 25, 2019. Delgado was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Peter Nothstein of the Criminal Divison’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur “Rob” Jones and Robert Guerra are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Prison Inmate Facing Federal Charges for White Powder Mailing HoaxRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 11, 2019 – Jeffery Durance, 36, of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and an inmate of the Tennessee Department of Correction, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury, charging him with mailing a threatening communication and conveying false information while threatening to use a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD), announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The indictment alleges that on September 6, 2018, Durance mailed an envelope containing a white powder to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, Tony Parker. The indictment also alleges that the envelope was sent through the U.S. Mail and contained a threatening letter, which caused a reasonable belief that the powder contained a biological agent or toxin, which would constitute a WMD. The receipt of the envelope at the Tennessee Tower State Office Building in Nashville caused a disruption in services until the powder was determined to be an inert material.
If convicted, Durance faces up to 10 years in prison for mailing a threatening communication and up to five years in prison for threatening to use a WMD.
This case was investigated by the FBI; the Tennessee Highway Patrol; the Tennessee Department of Correction; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; and the Metropolitan Nashville Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine is prosecuting the case.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Tax Preparer Sentenced for Falsifying Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Renell Mace, 36, of Atlanta, GA, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for his role in preparing fraudulent tax returns. Mace appeared today before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh, Jr.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2010 and February 1, 2015, Mace worked as a tax return preparer for two business entities called Mace Property Group, LLC and Simplee Amazing Catering, LLC. Mace filed nearly 100 false tax returns, stating false wages for the purpose of increasing a taxpayer’s Earned Income Tax Credit refund or stating false educational expenses for the purpose of falsely claiming various refundable educational tax credits and the names of his clients. The actual amount paid to Mace and others through this scheme was $342,741.
The Internal Revenue Service – Office of Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Gwen Carroll is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Two Men from McKinley County, N.m., Plead Guilty to Kidnapping in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two men from McKinley County, N.M., have pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque to a charge of kidnapping in Indian Country
A grand jury returned an indictment against Preston John, 24, of Gallup, N.M., and Brandon Largo, 27, of Crownpoint, N.M, on February 13, 2019. The indictment charged them with participating in a kidnapping on the Navajo Nation on September 3, 2018.
According to their plea agreements, these two defendants and a co-defendant, Adrianne Cellicion, were traveling as passengers in an automobile driven by the victim. They ordered the victim to an area behind a building where Largo put a chain around the victim’s neck and choked the victim. Cellicion taped the victim’s hands together. They blindfolded the victim and restrained the victim’s hands and legs. John held the victim’s neck and took the victim’s cell phone. They also tied the victim to a tree with John’s belt before fleeing the scene.
John pleaded guilty on July 5, 2019, and Largo pleaded guilty on July 9, 2019. They are both in custody and face up to life in prison. A jury previously convicted Cellicion of kidnapping and carjacking on June 5, 2019.
The Gallup, N.M., office of the FBI, the Gallup Police Department, and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Murphy and Frederick Mendenhall are prosecuting the case.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill VA Hospital EmployeesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Mark W. Sweeney, age 60, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today in Utica, New York. before United States District Court Judge David N. Hurd, to threatening to kill federal officials employed at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Hospital (VA), announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Jon Godfrey, Chief, Veterans Affairs Police, Syracuse, New York.
As part of his guilty plea, Sweeney admitted that he made a telephone call to the Veterans Crisis Line and during that call made several threatening statements directed to the Syracuse VA Hospital staff, including that he intended to kill multiple people who treated him and had a plan, and the means to do so.
Sweeney faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to three years when he is sentenced on November 7, 2019, by Judge Hurd. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the Veterans Affairs Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian.
St. Louis Man Indicted for the Armed Robbery of the Robinson Jewelry CompanyRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO –Deven Strauther, 28, St. Louis, MO, was indicted today on two felony counts of attempted interfering with commerce by threats of violence and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence stemming from the attempted armed robbery of the Robinson Jewelry Company on Chippewa Street in the City of St. Louis.
According to court documents, on May 25, 2019, Strauther and another individual arrived on the parking lot of Robinson Jewelry in a stolen vehicle. Strauther was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. The lower portion of his face was covered. Strauther attempted to enter the jewelry store.
An off-duty officer working security and the business owner were armed and fired their weapons at Strauther. Strauther was struck by the gunfire. Strauther fired his weapon into the business as he and the other suspect ran, entered the stolen vehicle, and fled from the scene.
Strauther was located approximately 30 minutes after the shooting at an area hospital with two gunshot wounds to his abdomen.
If convicted, the charge of attempted interfering with commerce by threats of violence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed and a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is handling the case.
Charges set forth in the Indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
South Carolina Couple Indicted in Scheme Involving Conspiracy and False Statements to Illegally Obtain a U.S. PassportRead the Press Release
A South Carolina couple was indicted today on charges stemming from their conspiracy to obtain a U.S. passport by falsely claiming they were the parents of a baby from the Philippines and by using false records to apply for a U.S. passport for the baby, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon of the District of South Carolina.
The indictment alleges that in 2014, Gerald Vincent Locker Jr., 46, a former member of the United States Marine Corps, and Stephanie Jean Locker, 42, both of Huger, South Carolina, were stationed in Japan. While in Japan, the couple attempted to circumvent legal adoption processes by asserting that a baby from the Philippines was their own natural born child. Presenting a number of falsified documents to a U.S. Consular Officer, Stephanie Jean Locker applied for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and in support of her application for a passport for the child, falsely attested that while in the Philippines on vacation, she learned she was pregnant five days before the baby was born.
The matter was presented to the Grand Jury on July 10, 2019. The indictment was returned on July 11, 2019, charging both defendants with one count of conspiracy and Stephanie Jean Locker with one count of making false statements in an application for a passport.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating this case. Trial Attorneys Danielle Hickman and Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Secor of the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
South Bay Veteran Indicted for Alleged Impersonation of Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury indicted Alexander Taylor on charges of impersonating a federal officer and possession of a counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen.
The indictment, filed earlier today, describes an incident on Christmas Eve of 2018 during which Taylor, 49, of San Jose, pulled over a driver and falsely stated he was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. Taylor allegedly showed the driver a fake DEA badge and stated he intended to issue the driver a traffic citation. Additional documents filed in the case contain allegations that suggest Taylor may be the person behind other bogus traffic stops. For example, an affidavit filed in the case states that in November of 2018, a person fitting Taylor’s description was driving a dark colored Volkswagen Jetta with red and blue lights. The person in the Jetta pulled over a tow truck on Highway 17 in Los Gatos that was on its way to assist the California Highway Patrol to remove a car from the scene of an accident. On that occasion, the person fitting Taylor’s description demanded to see the driver’s license and then asked the driver, “Do you want to die today?” Similarly, on February 27, 2019, someone in a dark-colored Jetta flashed red and blue lights to pull over a driver on Highway 85 near Interstate 280. Soon after the car pulled over, the Jetta veered back into traffic without speaking to the driver. A witness stated that the driver of the Jetta appeared to be laughing.
The indictment filed today charges Taylor with one count of false impersonation of a federal officer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912, and one count of possession of a counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 506(a)(3). Taylor was arrested on March 2, 2019, and remains in federal custody. Taylor is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on July 12, 2019, at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia K DeMarchi.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and Taylor, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted of the impersonation charge, Taylor faces a maximum statutory sentence of 3 years in prison and a fine in the amount of $250,000. If convicted of the impersonation charge, Taylor faces a maximum statutory sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine in the amount of $250,000. The court also may order an additional term of supervised release, fines or other assessments, and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Backhus is prosecuting the case with assistance from Elise Etter. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.
Six KCMO Employees Indicted for $58,000 Overtime Pay FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Six employees of the Kansas City, Missouri, public works department have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a nearly three-year, $58,000 overtime fraud conspiracy.
Prentis M. Rayford, 36, Eric McKamey, 47, Paul Myers, 61, Edward Lee Ellingburg, 47, Kenneth Gethers, 33, and Julio Prospero, 49, all of Kansas City, Missouri, were charged in a 13-count indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 26, 2019. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of the defendants.
All of the defendants, who have an initial court appearance at 3:30 p.m. today, were employees of the city of Kansas City, Mo., in the Public Works Sign Division. The federal indictment alleges they participated in a conspiracy from January 2013 to Nov. 30, 2016, to receive more than $58,000 in overtime pay as a result of material false and fraudulent representations.
Among their responsibilities, these city employees replaced and repaired traffic signs that were missing or damaged. Certain signs, like stop signs, yield signs, one-way signs, and do not enter signs, are considered essential signs. The public can report a problem with an essential sign by calling the traffic operations dispatch or the 311 Action Center. When those reports are made after hours or on weekends, the city’s Public Works Sign Division calls in employees who are willing to work overtime. When an employee is called back after regular working hours or on the weekend, a minimum overtime of four hours is earned, regardless of how long it takes to resolve the issue. Overtime pay is time-and-a-half of the employee’s usual pay.
The federal indictment alleges that conspirators called in damaged signs after hours, called in signs that were not damaged, and had friends and relatives call in reportedly damaged signs, all in order to generate callouts for themselves and other employees. Conspirators allegedly submitted timesheets and work orders for callouts stating that they went to the location of the damaged sign and fixed it, when in fact they did not. They also allegedly submitted timesheets and work orders for callouts when signs were actually damaged, but were not fixed until the following normal work day. Ellingburg, Prospero, McKamey, and Rayford allegedly acquired a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone application, which disguised their phone number when they called the 311 Action Center.
According to the indictment, a supervisor at the Public Works Sign Division suspected in the summer of 2016 that employees were fraudulently creating and claiming overtime for callouts which were unnecessary or even false. Management arranged to be contacted when calls regarding downed signs were made to the 311 Action Center or traffic operations dispatch. Employees or their relatives often made the calls regarding downed signs themselves, the indictment says. Managers would go to the scene, usually before the employee, and photograph the sign. Often all the signs were up. Occasionally, a sign was down but was not repaired until the following workday. Managers tracked the GPS on work trucks, the indictment says, and often found that the trucks did not go to the location of the supposedly downed sign. Sometimes GPS indicated the trucks went to the location but either did not stop or did not stop long enough to repair a sign.
The internal investigation lasted from Aug. 23, 2016, to Nov. 13, 2016. During that time, approximately 75 percent of all callouts were found to be fraudulent. The city then reported its findings to the FBI for further investigation.
In addition to the conspiracy, the defendants are charged in a dozen counts of wire fraud related to auto-deposited paychecks that included fraudulent overtime payments. Rayford, McKamey, and Gethers are each charged in three counts of wire fraud. Myer, Ellingburg, and Prospero are each charged in one count of wire fraud. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government approximately $58,000 received in connection with the alleged offenses.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
San Joaquin County Biodiesel Firm Sentenced to Probation, Fines for Clean Water Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On July 8, 2019, United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced the corporation known as American Biodiesel, Inc. for violations of the Clean Water Act, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
American Biodiesel, Inc., registered in San Joaquin County as Community Fuels, manufactured biodiesel fuel on property leased from the Port of Stockton.
According to court documents, American Biodiesel, Inc. admitted to allowing the discharge of industrial wastewater into the City of Stockton sewer system in violation of Stockton permitting regulations and the federal Clean Water Act. American Biodiesel, Inc. also admitted to tampering with monitoring devices and methods designed to detect such violations. Specifically, employees tampered with pH recordings and flow meters for the purpose of underreporting acid and pollutant levels and volumes that would have exceeded the figures allowed under the City’s regulations.
Judge Mueller imposed a three-year term of probation on American Biodiesel, Inc., including various reporting and monitoring conditions. Judge Mueller also fined American Biodiesel, Inc. $401,000 and ordered restitution to the Port of Stockton and the City of Stockton in the amount of $256,206. Judge Mueller further ordered the company to develop and implement an effective compliance and ethics program, which will be submitted to the court for review.
The indictment in the case also charges Christopher Young, 41, of El Dorado Hills, with conspiracy, 12 counts of tampering with monitoring equipment, two counts of unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, one count of false statements, and one count of witness tampering. Christopher Young was the Director of Operations at the Stockton plant. The same indictment charges his brother Jeremiah Young, 38, of El Dorado, with conspiracy, eight counts of tampering with monitoring equipment, and two counts of unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater. Jeremiah Young was Assistant Operator for Community Fuels from 2014 to 2016. The Youngs’ cases remain pending before the court. The charges are only allegations; each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department, San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department, Port of Stockton, and California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel Wong, Philip A. Scarborough, and Paul Hemesath are prosecuting the case.
R.I. Man Charged with Enticement, International Travel to Engage in Illicit Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man was arrested today on charges he allegedly travelled to Canada to engage in illicit sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl he enticed online during a series of exchanges of messages and pornographic images.
Herbert J. Rodas, 22, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on a federal criminal complaint charging him with transferring obscene material to a minor, enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, and travelling in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to engage on illicit sexual activity.
According to court documents, in June 2019, the Winnipeg Police Service contacted the ICAC Task Force and HSI in Providence to report the sexual assault of a 13-year-old female. According to information developed by Winnipeg Police, Rodas allegedly travelled from the United States to Canada to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim after more than two months of online communications between the two.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Rodas and the victim met online and began communicating with one another in January 2019 using several social media applications. Within 10-15 minutes of the initial communication, the talk turned sexual and, after repeated requests by Rodas, the victim performed a sex act.
It is alleged that as the communications continued, at Rodas’ request, on multiple occasions the victim sent Rodas images of herself in various stages of undress, to include fully nude photos. Rodas sent the victim several sexually explicit and graphic images of himself. Some of the messages sent by Rodas using Snapchat contained user’s information, to include Rodas’ home address.
It is alleged in court documents that on April 25, Rodas flew to Canada and rented a hotel room in his name, for which he paid cash. Over the next three days, Rodas met with the victim on several occasions and engaged in illicit sexual activity with her. The victim provided physical evidence to the Winnipeg Police she said was connected to the first sexual encounter.
Rodas was arrested today by HSI agents and members of the ICAC Task Force during a court-authorized search of his Pawtucket residence, at which time law enforcement seized, among other items, Rodas’ passport, an airline boarding pass from Toronto to Boston for Rodas’ return trip from Canada, a Super 8 Motel receipt, and several electronic devices.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni announce the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint in this matter.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rodas was released to home confinement with electronic monitoring and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Transferring obscene material to a minor is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of 5 years supervised release. Enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 10 years – to life, lifetime supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and a court-imposed special assessment of $5,000. Travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment, lifetime supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and a court-imposed special assessment of $5,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Property Preservationist Pleads Guilty in $10 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Former East Greenwich, R.I. businesswoman Monique N. Brady, 44, whose company, MNB, specialized in preserving the condition of foreclosed homes for resale, today admitted to utilizing her business and business contacts, often times family members, friends, and business associates, to operate a $10.3 million dollar Ponzi scheme.
Brady admitted to the Court that she fraudulently represented to potential investors that her company had secured contracts to perform large scale rehabilitation projects on foreclosed properties in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. She represented to investors that payments ranging from approximately $20,000 to $80,000 were needed to pay subcontractors to perform the work.
In reality, MNB was hired by banks to perform menial tasks such as mowing grass, changing locks, winterizing properties, boiler or electrical inspections, and snow removal. The majority of projects secured by MNB were for less than $1,000. Many were for as little as $25 dollars to a few hundred dollars.
Brady often solicited and received multiple investments for the same property. To make potential investors believe she had secured contracts for large scale rehabilitation projects, Brady provided fraudulent emails purporting to be from a national property rehabilitation company claiming Brady had been approved to rehabilitate a property. Brady included in the emails fraudulent itemizations of work to be performed. Brady also included, without permission, the identity of an actual employee of the national property rehabilitation company in an attempt to make the emails appear authentic.
Records indicate that of the 171 properties for which Brady solicited and received funds from investors for rehabilitation projects, 98 were for properties her company was never hired to preserve, on which absolutely no work was performed.
In return for their investment, thirty-one investors were promised a return of fifty percent of the profit realized on the project they invested in. Many investors realized little or no return on their investment. By the time the scheme ended after its discovery in the summer of 2018, twenty-two individuals had lost approximately $4.78M to Brady.
Brady admitted that among those defrauded were close friends in the East Greenwich community, a close friend from childhood, a close friend from law school, her step-brother, and an older woman who was essentially a nanny to her children. Other victims included three Warwick firefighters and an elderly man with Alzheimer’s disease.
Brady also admitted to attempting to obstruct an Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation when, after being told by IRS investigators she was under investigation, she asked investors to delete or destroy all email correspondence, texts, and documents relating to their investments in MNB rehabilitation projects.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Monique N. Brady pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstructing an IRS investigation, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman for the District of Rhode Island, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Kristina O'Connell, and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Brady, who remains detained in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2019. Wire fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years in prison, up to 5 years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross profit/loss. Obstructing an IRS investigation is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 3 years in prison, 1 year supervised release, and a fine of $5,000. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by statutory penalties of a 2-year mandatory sentence consecutive to any other sentence imposed in this matter and 1 year of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee Vilker of the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Christopher O’Donnell of the Tax Division.
The matter was investigated by agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
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Portsmouth Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man pleaded guilty today for his role in a violent racketeering conspiracy and other related firearm charges.
According to court documents, Timothy Sawyer-House, aka “Trouble”, 28, was a member of a Portsmouth-based “line” of the Nine Trey Gangsters (NTG), a gang affiliated with the United Blood Nation. In March 2014, Sawyer-House was in a vehicle with a fellow gang member who opened fire and murdered 23-year old Portsmouth resident, Delante Eley.
As a member of the NTG, Sawyer-House also sold narcotics and firearms on multiple occasions to a confidential informant who was working for the FBI.
Sawyer-House pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Sawyer-House faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum term of life in prison when he is sentenced on October 23. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Billy Club. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and Angela Greene, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler, Andrew C. Bosse, and Joseph E. DePadilla are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-36.
Pittsburgh Twins Sentenced to 13 Years and 16 Years for Running Heroin and Fentanyl Ring that Resulted in Numerous OverdosesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – Two former residents of Pittsburgh, PA were sentenced today for running a heroin and fentanyl ring that resulted in numerous fatal and non- fatal overdoses, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
On July 3, 2019 Senior United States District Judge Arthur Schwab imposed the sentence of 13 years (156 months) on Greg Reed, 28, on counts of Conspiracy To Possess With The Intent To Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl and 100 Grams or More of Heroin, Possession With The Intent To Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl, and Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises. Greg Reed also accepted responsibility for causing the non-fatal overdose of victim, C.B. C.B. was revived by Narcan after ingesting narcotics supplied by Greg Reed. On July 11, 2019, Judge Schwab imposed the sentence of 16 years (192 months) on Greg Reed’s twin brother, Brad Reed, 28, on counts of Conspiracy To Possess With The Intent To Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl and 100 Grams or More of Heroin, Possession With The Intent To Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl, Distribution of Fentanyl, Destruction or Removal of Evidence, and Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises. Brad Reed also accepted responsibility for causing the non-fatal overdose of victim, J.M. J.M. was revived by Narcan after ingesting narcotics supplied by Brad Reed.
According to information presented to the court, Brad and Greg Reed, Justin McBride, Richard Ruby, and Antoinette McBride operated a family run heroin and fentanyl ring in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County from 2014 – 2017. Brad and Greg Reed ran the operation out of a residence on Lytle Street in Pittsburgh while Justin McBride and Antoinette McBride utilized a location in Munhall, PA, and Richard Ruby at a location on Glenwood Avenue in Pittsburgh. Utilizing these locations and others, members of this drug trafficking ring sold to hundreds of drug customers in Allegheny County. Ultimately, the ring was responsible for causing two fatal drug overdoses and three non-fatal drug overdoses.
Co-defendant Richard Ruby was previously sentenced to 151 months on a separate, but related indictment and a concurrent five-year sentence on this Indictment. Co-defendant Antoinette McBride was sentenced to time served of one year and two months and three years of supervised release. Justin McBride has pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing on July 18, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Lanni and Heidi Grogan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police – Narcotics and Vice Division, and West Mifflin Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the guilty pleas and sentences in this case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, Stowe-Rox Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Owner of S&D Gun and Knife Show Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, before United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr., SHERWOOD WATSON CARAWAY, 62, of Merritt, North Carolina pled guilty to illegally possessing firearms and ammunition while being a felon.
During the defendant’s guilty plea hearing, the Government summarized the evidence supporting the defendant’s guilty plea. CARAWAY had been convicted in federal court in 2005 of unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license. Despite his status as a felon, CARAWAY continued to possess firearms and ammunition at his house. On September 2, 2017, officers with the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for CARAWAY’s residence and discovered nine firearms and dozens of boxes of ammunition. Another 33 firearms were seized from CARAWAY’s daughter’s house nearby.
This case is part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. For more information about this initiative click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc
At sentencing, the defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Orlando Woman Sentenced for Making and Using Falsified Documents in Passport ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Erika Margarita Cordova (41, Orlando) to 8 months in federal prison for making and using false documents in passport applications. She had pleaded guilty on March 21, 2019.
According to court documents, Cordova and her co-defendant, Manuel Domingo Santana, conspired to make a fraudulent document in support of a passport application for one of Cordova’s children. Because the child was a minor, Cordova was required to present a notarized form from the child’s father, confirming his consent to the passport application. Instead of obtaining a consent form from the father, Cordova and Santana made the form appear to have been signed by the father. Santana also recruited an unidentified individual to pose as the father before a notary, so that the form could be notarized before Cordova submitted it with her child’s passport application. Cordova then submitted that form in support of a passport application for her child, without actually having received permission from the child’s father. In total, Cordova made and used false documents in support of passport applications on three separate occasions, for two different children.
In addition, according to evidence presented at sentencing, Cordova tampered with a witness by urging the witness to destroy potential evidence and provide false information to law enforcement.
Santana pleaded guilty on March 21, 2019, and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment on June 7, 2019.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and the Department of Homeland Security’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
Northern Nevada Task Force Receives National Recognition for "Dirty Doctor" ProsecutionRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – The northern Nevada Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) received the 2018 Multi-Agency Exploitation of Opioid Strategic Initiatives national award at a presentation held today by the Department of Justice’s OCDETF Regional Board at the United States District Court in Reno.
The Department of Justice’s prestigious national award recognized more than 50 agents, officers, investigators, and prosecutors from local, state, and federal agencies involved in the investigation of a prescription drug ring. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Raging Bully,” resulted in the indictment of Dr. Robert Gene Rand, a Nevada-licensed physician, and eight others involved in a conspiracy to possess and distribute controlled substances, including oxycodone. Dr. Rand was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally prescribing oxycodone. Rand’s illegal prescriptions resulted in the death of at least one patient.
“Today’s ceremony is bittersweet. We celebrate law enforcement’s incredible investigative work to stem the tide of northern Nevada’s opioid crisis, but we also honor our friends, family, and neighbors who have fallen victim to addiction created by the epidemic,” said United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich. “I congratulate task force members for their dedication to ridding our streets of dangerous and addictive prescription opioids, and to the community for its prevention efforts.”
“The success achieved on the Rand case is due in large part to the collaboration between DEA and our law enforcement partners,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel Neill. “This alliance, coupled with a resolve to do everything we can to attack the opioid epidemic, resulted in a significant impact on the illicit prescription drug supply in the Reno area.”
“We are honored and appreciative of this award recognizing the dedicated effort of federal, state and local law agencies in their campaign against opioid abuse. Our work does not end here, it merely continues until all neighborhoods across Nevada are safe.” said Aaron C. Rouse, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Las Vegas Division.
The investigation was led by the DEA and FBI with significant assistance by the IRS-Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Enforcement; Reno Police Department; Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Carson City Sheriff’s Office; Nevada Department of Corrections; Nevada Gaming Control; Nevada Department of Public Safety; Lyon County Sheriff’s Office; the State of Nevada Division of Welfare, Office of Investigations and Recovery; and the Susanville, California Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Keller prosecuted the case with assistance by Branch Chief Sue Fahami, Assistant United States Attorney Tony Lopez, and former Assistant United States Attorneys Carla Baldwin Carry and Shannon Bryant.
The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the U.S. Attorney General’s national drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. There are nine OCDETF Regions throughout the nation.
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North Port Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin, Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew today sentenced Ashanti Roundtree (44, North Port) to 40 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Due to his prior convictions for armed robbery and firearms and narcotics offenses, he qualified for an increased penalty as an Armed Career Criminal.
A federal jury found Roundtree guilty on April 4, 2019.
According to testimony presented at trial, from an unknown date through October 2014, and continuing through February 26, 2015, Roundtree directed the illegal narcotics distribution activities at a “trap house” located at 200 Granada Boulevard, in North Port, Florida. Roundtree supplied drugs to the residents of the house, who then sold the drugs to others on Roundtree’s behalf, purchased the drugs for their own use, or used them (with the promise of paying Roundtree later). Along with supplying the residents with heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, spice, marijuana, and a variety of prescription pills for sale or personal consumption, Roundtree supervised the sale of the drugs, including setting their price and the hours of sale. He also collected the proceeds from the various drug transactions and participated in drug transactions by either selling drugs directly to customers or giving the drugs in exchange for sexual favors.
During the illegal activities, Roundtree used violence, fear, and intimidation to maintain his position as leader of the conspiracy. While at the trap house, he commonly carried a firearm for protection. Additionally, co-conspirators and others witnessed Roundtree pistol-whip an individual with the gun, and point it at others. As a previously convicted felon, Roundtree is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
On February 26, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the trap house and recovered a loaded firearm. Forensic testing confirmed Roundtree’s DNA on the firearm and ammunition magazine. Agents also recovered an assortment of controlled substances, including heroin, marijuana, cocaine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia.
“This sentencing represents ATF’s expertise in firearms investigations and is an example of how our law enforcement partnerships solve these unnecessary crimes that negatively impact the lives of the citizens that reside in the neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael C. Baggé-Hernández and Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues Attack on Transnational Criminal Organizations in “Operation Hard Copy”Read the Press Release
Providence, Rhode Island, Woman Sentenced to Four Years Imprisonment for Transnational Crimes, including Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on July 10, 2019, Chief United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Melinda Bulgin, of Providence, Rhode Island, on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud or Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud, and Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in connection with her participation in a transnational criminal advance fee telemarketing (“lottery”) fraud. Judge Hovland sentenced Bulgin to serve four years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, a payment of $333,251.00 restitution, and $1,500 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. On September 14, 2018, a federal jury found Bulgin guilty on 15 criminal counts.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation of Bulgin and others that resulted in the extradition of 14 Jamaican nationals and successful prosecution of 31 defendants in North Dakota. The FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and a host of state and local authorities throughout the United States have assisted in the investigation, along with the Jamaican Constabulary Force, Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing Task Force, and other U.S. and international authorities.
Bulgin was found guilty of conspiring with Sanjay Williams and others. A federal jury in North Dakota found Williams guilty of similar charges in 2015. Williams was sentenced to serve 20 years imprisonment following his conviction. He was the first Jamaican national tried and convicted in the United States for selling lead lists for use in international cyber-fraud schemes. Lead lists or “client” lists consist of the names, telephone numbers, and personal information of potential victims. Such lists are compiled by brokers and sold to scammers. Lead lists are created by wholesalers who send out bogus mass mailings, purporting to be sweepstakes entries. Consumers, thinking the mailings are legitimate, pay to enter the non-existent sweepstakes. The list wholesalers pocket the entry fee and then sell the prospective victims’ contact information to scammers for as much as $10 per name. These scammers target victims over the age of 55 and would sometimes threaten the safety of the victims and their families.
Over 100 known victims of the conspiracy were personally identified, with reported losses totaling over $6 million. The FBI identified and interviewed known victims of the conspiracy in 31 states and 97 cities across the United States. Thousands more victims were located, whose losses were not personally identified. Individual victims lost as little as $199 and as much as $850,000. Nationwide, the number of victims targeted by scammers is likely in the millions, with estimates of annual losses in excess of $1 billion.
United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley said, “The defendant stands convicted for her very significant role in a conspiracy that involved over 30 criminal defendants, crossed international borders, targeted elderly and other victims, led one victim to commit suicide, and gutted savings accounts for so many victims who had worked a lifetime to provide for their retirements. After speaking with one of the defendant’s victims today, it underscored how deeply damaging these crimes remain for the victims and their families. The United States fought for a sentence that would reflect the severity of these complex financial crimes. Judge Hovland saw things differently and significantly departed downward with the sentence. While that part of this defendant’s penalty is out of our hands, the Department of Justice will continue to fight for every dollar of restitution we can secure for every victim of this fraudulent ring of financial predators.”
“I want to compliment the outstanding work of FBI Special Agent Frank Gasper and the team of investigators he led, and the remarkable prosecutors who have seen this case through to its end,” Wrigley stated.
The investigation was begun and led by Special Agent Frank Gasper of the North Dakota office of the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service in Florida, with assistance from many other federal and state law enforcement agencies, as well as Jamaican law enforcement agencies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Patrick Thomas, Jonathan O’Konek, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase, and former Assistant U. S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Leila Babaeva.
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Newly Unsealed Federal Indictment Charges Software Engineer with Theft of Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A software engineer at a suburban Chicago locomotive manufacturer stole proprietary information from the company and took it to China, according to an indictment unsealed this week in federal court in Chicago.
XUDONG YAO, also known as “William Yao,” 57, is charged with nine counts of theft of trade secrets. Yao is currently at large. He is believed to be residing in China.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Flanagan.
According to the indictment, Yao began working for the suburban Chicago manufacturer in August 2014. Within two weeks, Yao downloaded more than 3,000 unique electronic files containing proprietary and trade secret information relating to the system that operates the manufacturer’s locomotives, the indictment states. Over the next six months, Yao downloaded numerous other electronic files containing proprietary and trade secret information, including technical documents and software source code, the indictment states. During that time, Yao allegedly sought, negotiated, and accepted employment with a business in China that provided automotive telematics service systems.
The suburban Chicago manufacturer terminated Yao in February 2015 for reasons unrelated to the alleged theft, which at that time had not been discovered. Shortly thereafter, Yao made copies of the stolen trade secret information, the indictment states. He allegedly traveled to China in July 2015 and began working for the Chinese company.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Yao traveled from China to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, according to the indictment. At the time, he had in his possession the stolen trade secret information, including nine complete copies of the suburban Chicago company’s control system source code and the systems specifications that explained how the code worked, the indictment states. Yao returned to China at some point thereafter.
The indictment was returned in December 2017 and ordered unsealed Wednesday.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Theft of trade secrets is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Newly Unsealed Federal Indictment Charges Software Engineer with Taking Stolen Trade Secrets to ChinaRead the Press Release
A software engineer at a suburban Chicago locomotive manufacturer stole proprietary information from the company and took it to China, according to an indictment unsealed this week in federal court in Chicago.
Xudong Yao, also known as “William Yao,” 57, is charged with nine counts of theft of trade secrets. Yao is currently at large and believed to be residing in China.
The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois and Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey S. Sallet of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Flanagan of the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the indictment, Yao began working for the suburban Chicago manufacturer in August 2014. Within two weeks of being hired, Yao downloaded more than 3,000 unique electronic files containing proprietary and trade secret information relating to the system that operates the manufacturer’s locomotives, the indictment states. During the next six months, Yao downloaded numerous other electronic files containing proprietary and trade secret information, including technical documents and software source code, the indictment states. During the time of this illicit downloading of trade secrets, Yao allegedly simultaneously sought, negotiated, and accepted employment with a business in China that provided automotive telematics service systems.
The suburban Chicago manufacturer terminated Yao in February 2015 for reasons unrelated to the alleged theft, which at that time had not been discovered. Shortly thereafter, according to the indictment, Yao made copies of the stolen trade secret information and then traveled to China in July 2015 and began working for the Chinese company.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Yao traveled from China to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, according to the indictment. At the time, he had in his possession the stolen trade secret information, including nine complete copies of the suburban Chicago company’s control system source code and the systems specifications that explained how the code worked, the indictment states. Yao returned to China at some point thereafter.
The indictment was returned in December 2017 and ordered unsealed Wednesday.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Theft of trade secrets is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
New Haven Man Who Illegally Possessed Ammunition is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONNELL ROGERS, 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to approximately 17 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing ammunition.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 11, 2018, New Haven Police detectives encountered Rogers and another individual sitting in a car in a parking lot in New Haven. One of the detectives observed through the car window a marijuana cigarette and a clear plastic bag containing marijuana. Rogers was asked to exit the car and was detained in handcuffs. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Glock 21, .45 caliber firearm with an altered serial number. When the detectives found the firearm, Rogers, who was still handcuffed, began to run. He was quickly apprehended, and a search of his person revealed a .45 caliber round in his pants pocket and a quantity of crack cocaine concealed in his underwear.
Rogers’ criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm, larceny and risk of injury offenses.
Rogers has been detained since his arrest. On April 17, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
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 neighborhoods safer for everyone.
New Bedford Man Charged with Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with heroin distribution.
Ramon Serrano, 41, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. He is currently in state custody and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 23, 2019.
According to court documents, on or about Feb. 20, 2019, Serrano was found in New Bedford in possession of over 100 grams of heroin.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of heroin provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and no greater than 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
NDTX Round-up July 11, 2019Read the Press Release
Indictment – Staci West League
On July 9, a federal grand jury indicted Staci West League, 48, for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. League allegedly entered the bank concealing a firearm and demanded large bills. Within minutes, Irving Police reported that League was in the police department with the intention of turning herself in for the bank robbery she just committed. This case was investigated by the Violent Crimes Task Force within the FBI-Dallas Division and prosecuted by AUSA Shane Read.
Indictment – Tracie Turner and Justin Wheeler
On July 9, Turner, 55, and Wheeler, 35, were charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds. The pair allegedly conspired to take advantage of the SSI disability benefits available when Wheeler began working full-time and was no longer eligible for disability benefits, but did not report this. Wheeler’s disability checks were deposited into Turners account, and Wheeler opted out of his employer’s health insurance to use Medicaid for his health insurance. They are also charged with theft of government funds and aiding and abetting. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Danielle Renee Jones and investigated by Jeffery Green with the Social Security Administration. If convicted, the defendants will face a maximum sentence of 6-12 months.
Sentencing – Alvin Tedvorick Hayes
On July 8, Hayes, 33, was sentenced to 147 months in prison following his conviction of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He possessed seven guns in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. The Desoto Police Department responded to multiple shooting calls, where they found a man whose trail of blood led to Hayes residence. After obtaining a search warrant, the authorities discovered 223 grams of a substance containing a designer drug, seven pounds of marijuana. This case was prosecuted by AUSA John Boyle.
Indictment – Orfilia Sanchez Benitez and Osbaldo Rangel
Benitez, 26, and Rangel, 33, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Benitez and Rangel allegedly planned to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance and 100 grams or more of a substance containing heroin. The pair are also charged with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, the defendant face life sentences. This case was prosecuted by AUSA John Kull and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Strike Force One.
Indictment – Martin Alberto Cardoza-Cavazos
On July 9, Cardoza-Cavazos, 45, was charged as an illegal alien in possession of 6 firearms. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Cathy Richardson and investigated by Special Agent Rick Parker of Homeland Security Investigations and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. If convicted, the defendant will face a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Middleton Bar Owners Plead Guilty to Tax Charge for Not Reporting Cash Skim from Gambling MachinesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dudley Hellenbrand, 67, and Cherie Hellenbrand, 45, both of Middleton, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin to filing a false 2017 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 with the IRS, that underreported their adjusted gross income.
According to the information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Hellenbrands owned and operated Middleton Sports Bowl (MSB), in Middleton, Wisconsin since 1997. The defendants contracted with a video gambling machine (“VGM”) vendor to have VGMs placed at MSB. The defendants split the profits generated by the VGMs with the vendor, with the defendants most recently receiving 75% of the VGM profits, and the vendor receiving the remaining 25%. According to the information, the defendants were required to report as income on their state and federal income tax returns, their share of the VGM profits, and pay income taxes on these profits. The VGM vendor was required to report on their state and federal income tax returns, their share of the VGM profits, and pay income taxes on these profits. The VGM vendor was also required to report 100% of the VGM gross receipts on their state sales tax returns, and pay sales taxes on the gross receipts.
At today’s plea hearing, both defendants admitted that they skimmed the VGM cash receipts and did not report the skimmed receipts on their state and federal income tax returns. The tax loss from the skim for both state and federal income taxes for the years 2010-2017 totaled $268,852.04.
The government proffered at today’s hearing that the investigation involved an IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent working as an undercover agent and posing as a buyer of MSB, which had been listed for sale by the defendants in late 2017. According to the government, the undercover agent met with the defendants and the VGM vendors at MSB on May 31, 2018. At that meeting, the defendants admitted to the undercover agent that they skimmed the cash receipts from the VGMs and did not report the skim on their tax returns. The defendants told the undercover agent they stored the skimmed VGM cash receipts at a safe in their home and used the cash to pay for various things, including a car, spending money for vacation, $40,000 in landscaping, and cash wages to some of their employees. One of the VGM vendors told the undercover agent that he prepared false collection tickets that underreported the true gross receipts and profits generated from the VGMs, and stated “you got to steal in this business or you ain’t going to make any money.”
Sentencing for both defendants is set for October 3, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson at the U.S. Courthouse in Madison.
The charges against these defendants are the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Office of Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Stalking Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the sentencing of SHAWN KELLY THOMASON, 39, to 45 months in prison for engaging in repeated interstate stalking. THOMASON, who pleaded guilty on March 20, 2019, was sentenced before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, THOMASON devised a plan to digitally stalk, harm, and abduct his ex-girlfriend. THOMASON handwrote lists that he titled “Tactics” and “Preparations,” which included items such as gloves, cable ties, cuffs, stun guns, pistol, and knife. At least four times between October 30 and December 7, 2018, THOMASON drove from his home in Hazel Park, Michigan, to the home where the victim was living in Mankato, Minnesota. During each of these visits THOMASON stalked the victim. THOMASON attached GPS trackers to the victim’s vehicle, recorded her daily travel to and from her home, and surveilled her at her place of employment. THOMASON’s conduct was discovered on December 6, 2018, when he made contact with the victim in Mankato and was arrested the following day.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Mankato Department of Public Safety, and the St. Peter Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Polachek and Katharine T. Buzicky prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
SHAWN KELLY THOMASON, 39
Hazel Park, Mich.
Convicted:
- Interstate stalking, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 45 months in prison
- Three years of supervised release
- Restitution amount to be determined
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Mexican Nationals Indicted for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Stanislaus CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Antonio Ochoa Mejia, (“Mejia”), 48, Ramon Ortega (“Ortega”), 33, and Jorge Armando Gonzalez Martinez (“Martinez”), 38, all Mexican nationals, charging them with conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney McGregor Scott announced.
According to court documents, on April 18, 2019, Mejia and Ortega sold one kilogram of methamphetamine for $4,500 during an undercover transaction in Empire, CA. On May 14, 2019, Mejia sold two kilograms of methamphetamine for $9,000 during an undercover transaction in Ceres. On May 30, 2019, Mejia and Martinez were arrested in Ceres after attempting to deliver 10 kilograms of methamphetamine during an undercover transaction.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of ten years imprisonment, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Maurice resident pleads guilty in federal court for lying on firearm purchase formRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Alex Joseph Suire, 25, of Maurice, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced.
According to the guilty plea, Suire attempted to purchase a Smith & Wesson SD9VE, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol on January 25, 2019, at a Lafayette sporting goods store. In order to purchase the firearm, he was required to fill out an ATF Form 4473 in order to complete a background check. Suire answered “no” to the question which asks the applicant to report pending felony charges. At the time, he was aware that he had been charged with a variety of felony offenses in state court, which included home invasion, simple battery, domestic abuse battery, simple assault, intimidating witnesses and simple burglary.
Suire faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for November 7, 2019.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Martinsburg man admits to drug traffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Levar Glenwood Crawford, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Crawford, age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.” Crawford admitted to working with another to distribute cocaine base in November 2018 in Berkeley County.
Crawford is facing not less than five and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marshfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $115,000 in Federal WagesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Marshfield, Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing more than $115,000 from the federal government by claiming wages for work she never performed.
Kathleen Miner, 64, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to an information that charges her with theft of government property.
Miner worked as a contractor for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), an office within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is responsible for leading the United States’ response to natural and man-made disasters overseas. The OFDA deploys Disaster Assistance Response Teams to coordinate an on-ground response to assist with disasters and disaster relief efforts in foreign countries.
Macfadden is a company that provides staff contractors, such as Miner, for the OFDA. Miner was hired by Macfadden as a contractor employee on Oct. 26, 2006. She was deployed outside the United States on a Disaster Assistance Response Team until February 2017. After returning to the United States, Miner continued claiming that she was working from home on matters specifically related to OFDA tasks. Due to Miner’s false timesheets, she received money from USAID in the form of wages that would not have been otherwise provided, resulting in Miner stealing approximately $115,647.
By pleading guilty today, Miner admitted she submitted timesheets that claimed 1,533 hours and was paid $115,647 from March 1, 2017, to Jan. 31, 2018, for work that she never performed.
Under federal statutes, Miner is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).