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21 August 2019
Chicopee Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in A Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Chicopee man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a cocaine conspiracy.
Carlos Mares Jr., 40, of Chicopee, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Nov. 12, 2019.
Between 2015 and 2016, one of Mares’ co-conspirators, David Cruz, obtained cocaine from sources in Mexico and arranged for the cocaine to be transported to the Springfield area via concealed compartments in a Nissan Juke. Mares then purchased more than 400 grams of cocaine from Cruz with the intent to distribute it. Cruz has pleaded guilty to cocaine and firearms offenses and is awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman.
Because Mares has a prior drug conviction, he faces up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of six years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 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 Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in Boston and the Westfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Canadian National Who Ran ‘Grandparent Scam’ that Swindled U.S. Senior Citizens Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Canadian telemarketer has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for conning American senior citizens out of their money by impersonating their grandchildren over the telephone and asking for financial help to get their purportedly distressed relatives out of trouble in a foreign country.
Kelen Magael Buchan, 27, of Westphal, Nova Scotia, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who noted Buchan’s lead role in the scheme and said he may not have seen a fraud case “so cruel and heartless” in design. In addition to the prison term, Judge Carney ordered Buchan to pay $519,400 in restitution to more than 80 victims.
Buchan pleaded guilty on May 21 to one felony count of wire fraud. Buchan – who has been in federal custody, along with three co-defendants, since they were extradited from Canada in January – admitted in his plea agreement that he and his co-conspirators contacted their elderly U.S. victims by telephone. Buchan and his co-conspirators fraudulently induced their victims to send them money by pretending to be the victim’s grandchild or some other relative who was in distress in a foreign nation, such as Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, or the Dominican Republic.
For example, Buchan, while pretending to be the victim’s grandchild, would say that he had been involved in a car crash and needed money to cover purported automobile accident expenses. On other occasions, Buchan, once again pretending to be the victim’s grandchild, said that he had been arrested and needed his grandparents’ money to be released on bail. Other times, Buchan lied to his victims by telling them that he was a lawyer in contact with their grandchild or other relative. He then would direct the victims to wire money via Western Union or MoneyGram, listing the grandchild, other relative or the name of the purported lawyer as the intended recipient.
When the victims wired the money, Buchan and his co-conspirators converted the funds to cash as quickly as possible before the victims could discover that they had been fooled. On some occasions, Buchan or his co-schemers called the victims again to solicit more money, falsely claiming that additional funds were needed by the grandchild or other relative to fully resolve the problem.
Buchan admitted in his plea agreement that in February 2012 that one of the scheme’s targeted victims was a Camarillo resident.
One of the scheme’s other victims was an 86-year-old man who wired $4,300 at the urgings of an imposter posing as the man’s grandson who claimed to have been involved in an accident in Bolivia, according to court documents. Law enforcement later found the victim’s contact information in Buchan’s residence and the transaction information was recovered from a phone seized from Buchan’s bedroom, court papers state.
A federal grand jury charged Buchan and four Canadian nationals from the Montreal area in July 2013 in a 25-count indictment alleging wire fraud. Agiyl Kamaldin, 32, pleaded guilty on May 23 to one count of wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carney on September 9. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Co-defendants Clifford Kirstein, 29, and Mark El Bernachawy, 33, are scheduled to go to trial in this matter on December 3.
Peter Iacino, 29, also was charged in the indictment and is a fugitive believed to be in Canada.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Federal Trade Commission’s East Central Regional Office in Cleveland provided substantial assistance.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Monica E. Tait and Kimberly D. Jaimez of the Major Frauds Section.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In addition to a nationwide elder fraud sweep earlier this year, the Department has conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California is one of six federal prosecutorial offices participating in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of federal law enforcement and non-governmental organizations to combat international fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors.
Canadensis Man Sentenced to 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Trafficking Highly Pure MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Counterman, age 56, of Canadensis, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment followed by ten years’ supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine, and money laundering. In addition to receiving a 144-month sentence, Counterman forfeited $128,000 to the government, representing proceeds from the sale of the various properties Counterman owned at the time of his arrest.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, in October 2017, a federal search warrant was executed on Counterman’s residence in Canadensis that resulted in the seizure of 142 grams of pure methamphetamine, together with drug distribution paraphernalia. A financial investigation of his drug distribution activities resulted in the discovery of a scheme by which Counterman acquired residential investment properties in and around the Pocono region of Pennsylvania utilizing illegal drug distribution proceeds.
In addition to Counterman, the “Game of Homes” OCDETF investigation resulted in four additional individuals being sentenced by Judge Munley:
- Kelly Brady, age 56, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, sentenced to 55 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute in excess of 1,500 grams of actual methamphetamine;
- Levi Roopchand, age 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada, sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Roopchand is subject to deportation to Trinidad upon completion of his federal sentence;
- Sean Martin, age 38, of Marshals Creek, Pennsylvania, sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine. Judge Munley ordered that Martin’s federal sentence to run consecutively to a Monroe County, Pennsylvania, 16 to 36 month sentence Martin was serving at the time of his conviction; and,
- Michelle Christie, age 56, of Garden Grove, California, sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Bronx Man Sentenced for Importation of Synthetic MarijuanaRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mansoor Ghaleb, age 30, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In pleading guilty, Ghaleb admitted that from September 2016 through June 2017, he conspired with a supplier in China to import at least 8 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids, with the goal of processing the raw chemicals into “spice” or “K2” for distribution in Schenectady. Ghaleb specifically admitted to coordinating the payment of $48,000 to the supplier via multiple electronic funds transfers, and arranging for delivery of the synthetic cannabinoids to various locations in the Capital Region.
This case was investigated by the DEA, HSI, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The Albany Police Department also assisted in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Boothville Man Sentenced in Cocaine-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that defendant JERRELL ENCALADE, age 35, of Boothville, LA, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiring to traffic cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base (“crack”), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846.
U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman sentenced ENCALADE to 90 months’ incarceration as well as 4 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office (PPSO), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Kenner Police Department (KPD), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Houston Police Department (HPD) in their investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon S. Long is in charge of the prosecution.
Boardman man indicted for making threats against federal law enforcement officersRead the Press Release
A Boardman man was indicted in federal court for making threats against federal law enforcement officers.
Justin Olsen, 18, was indicted on one count of threatening to assault and abet others to assault federal law enforcement officers engaged in the performance of official duties and one count of making threatening communications interstate.
Olsen, on June 2, 2019, threatened to shoot every federal agent on sight, according to the indictment.
“Every law enforcement officer takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Anyone who threatens those same law enforcement agents is committing a crime, not engaging in some form of protected speech. When those threats are made, especially where someone possesses the means to act on those threats, we take it seriously and will seek criminal charges.”
"Protecting citizens’ freedom of speech is a main priority for the FBI, but when you call for the killing of federal officers you have crossed the line,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to assess and disrupt threats of physical harm to any citizen. Law enforcement encourages the public to report suspicious online or in person behavior -- see something, say something."
Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said: “This case is a good example of how local and federal law enforcement work together to address threats to the safety of our community. The federal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this matter highlights the serious nature of his actions.”
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Boardman Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bladenboro Man Sentenced to 7 Years’ Imprisonment After Confronting Police with a Semi-Automatic RifleRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Marcus Theodore Hill, 30, of Bladenboro to 84 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. HILL pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 18, 2019.
The evidence established that during the evening of February 22, 2018, state probation officers were conducting a search of a residence with assistance from a Bladen County Sheriff’s Office detective. During that search, the detective had stepped outside to retrieve items from his truck when he heard someone yell, “Hey, who is that.” Looking up, he saw a man’s silhouette under a street lamp. The detective identified himself as law enforcement, and the man, later identified as the defendant MARCUS HILL, pulled an assault rifle style firearm from behind his back. In response, the detective drew his weapon, and HILL turned and ran. The detective and one of the probation officers pursued HILL, who they found crouching with the rifle at a nearby tree line. Hill gave himself up, and officers seized the firearm, a Norinco SKS 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine.
HILL’s federal conviction follows multiple state felony convictions. In total, he has accrued seven felony drug convictions in Virginia and North Carolina, with multiple convictions in each of the years 2014, 2015, and 2016.
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. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted 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.
That effort has been implemented through 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 in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
Billings man sentenced for drug trafficking, firearmsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident Kevin James Maslen, who admitted trafficking methamphetamine and pain pills along with having firearms, was sentenced today to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Maslen, 56, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
Evidence in the case showed that in June 2017, an undercover agent bought meth, morphine and oxycodone from Maslen on several occasions, the prosecution said in court records. In one of the deals, the agent bought morphine and two firearms from Maslen. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Maslen’s residence in May 2018 and found meth, 83 oxycodone tablets and firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Billings man admits firearms crimes related to drug trafficking on Fort Peck ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Billings man on Tuesday admitted to illegally possessing firearms after he was arrested last year on suspicion of driving under the influence on the Fort Peck Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Gabriel Hazard, 35, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Hazard faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and detained Hazard pending further proceedings. Sentencing is set for Nov. 27, 2019.
The prosecutor said in court documents that law enforcement arrested Hazard for driving while under the influence after a Roosevelt County Sheriff’s deputy saw a vehicle, driven by Hazard, going significantly slower than the speed limit on Highway 2 on the Fort Peck Reservation on Dec. 16, 2018. The deputy interacted with Hazard at the scene and observed that Hazard appeared to be under the influence of meth.
The officer looked into the vehicle and saw a pistol on the back seat, ammunition, a tactical-style vest, the grip of a handgun between the driver’s seat and center console, and a scale on the dash. Hazard had two rounds of ammunition in a pants pocket and a pistol holster on his belt. While Hazard was being booked into jail, an officer found a bag of meth in Hazard’s wallet. Officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found three firearms and ammunition.
The investigation determined Hazard was aware there were three firearms in his vehicle, that he used the guns for protection, and had sold meth on the Fort Belknap and Fort Peck reservations. Because of a prior felony conviction, Hazard was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Peck Tribes law enforcement.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On August 20, 2019, Benjamin Fowlkes, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a convenience store and the armed robbery of a bank.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on November 26, 2018, shortly before 11 p.m., Fowlkes robbed a convenience store located in the 2700 block of West Franklin Street in Baltimore, displaying what appeared to be a silver semiautomatic handgun, but was in fact an air gun. Fowlkes ordered the store employees to open the cash register and give him the cash, which they did. Fowlkes then fled.
The next day, Fowlkes robbed a bank located in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore. Shortly after the bank opened, Fowlkes entered the bank and asked to open an account. Fowlkes was directed to a customer service employee in another part of the bank. Fowlkes pulled a yellow folder from a white mesh laundry bag, asked for a pen, and then wrote a note demanding money, which he passed to the employee. The employee advised that there was no money in the customer service area. Fowlkes took the note back, stated that he had a gun, and drew what appeared to be a silver semiautomatic handgun—but that was in fact an air gun—from the white mesh laundry bag. Fowlkes told the employee, who was on crutches, to get up slowly. The victim employee complied and walked to the teller area of the bank, where two other employees were working, to get the money Fowlkes demanded. Fowlkes followed her there. While in the teller area, Fowlkes again displayed the silver air gun and demanded money, and also demanded one of the tellers’ car keys. One employee handed over the keys to his car—a Hyundai Sonata—and another employee handed Fowlkes the cash from the teller drawers, which Fowlkes placed in the white mesh laundry bag. Fowlkes then escaped in the stolen Hyundai Sonata.
Fowlkes was arrested on November 29, 2018, after a Baltimore Police Officer in the Southwestern District determined that the tags on a Hyundai Sonata driven by Fowlkes had been stolen. When Fowlkes was pulled over, he was wearing the same zip-up hoodie worn during the robberies, and he had $2,021 in cash on him, which was stolen from the bank. A subsequent search warrant executed at his residence resulted in law enforcement recovering the white mesh laundry bag, yellow folder, and demand note used at the bank robbery, mail addressed to the owner of the Hyundai Sonata, which Fowlkes had taken from the stolen car, and the silver air gun used in connection with both robberies.
As part of his plea agreement, Fowlkes will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is at least $7,250.
Fowlkes and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Fowlkes will be sentenced to between 120 months and 235 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 1, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.
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Assault on elderly woman sends Lame Deer man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Lame Deer man who admitted hitting and kicking an elderly woman was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jonathan Mark Limpy, 25, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in April.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
The prosecution said in court records that the assault happened at a Busby residence on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation on Sept. 7, 2018. Limpy had been out drinking with friends and relatives during the day. That night, he argued with a woman and then assaulted another woman, who was elderly, by hitting her in the head and kicking her after she fell to the ground. The victim was transported to Billings Clinic where she ultimately had surgery.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the BIA.
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40 Year-Old Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – United States District Court Chief Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí sentenced Rubén Darío Báez-Aponte from Mayagüez, PR, to 11 years and three months in prison followed by a supervised release term of 20 years for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Báez-Aponte was arrested on October 26, 2018 and pleaded guilty on April 23, 2019.
According to the plea agreement, during the months of May through August of 2018, Báez-Aponte used the Facebook Messenger application to communicate with a 12 year-old male minor to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant requested sexually explicit photos from the male minor, and sent him pictures of his penis. The sexually explicit conduct occurred in at least four times at the defendant’s residence.
“This sentence should serve to reassure the public that we are paying close attention to the well-being of our children, and that we will spare no expense to take child predators off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “All child sexual predators will be held accountable for the unspeakable crimes they commit and the harm they cause to their victims and their families.”
Homeland Security Investigations was responsible for investigation of the case. The criminal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina Caraballo.
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20 August 2019
York Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Fernandino Rodriguez-Colon, age 40, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 15, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to 262 months’ imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rodriguez-Colon distributed and possessed with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base in January 2018, in York. Rodriguez-Colon, a prohibited person, also possessed a stolen Remington .45 caliber pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. After selling heroin and crack cocaine to undercover officers, a search warrant was executed and Rodriguez-Colon was found with 11.75 grams of crack cocaine and 21.57 grams of heroin (which is equivalent to approximately 719 individual doses of heroin).
Judge Rambo also ordered Rodriguez-Colon to forfeit to the United States the firearm he possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the York County Drug Task Force with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Witness Indicted for False Declarations Before a Grand Jury and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has indicted a Washington woman for false declarations before the grand jury and obstruction of justice.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Raymond Duda of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and Chief of Police Carmen Best of the Seattle Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Washington, on Feb. 28, 2018, Shawna Reid, 34, of Everett, Washington, made false material declarations to a federal grand jury when she denied before the federal grand jury that she previously told a Seattle Police Department Detective and FBI Special Agent during an interview on Aug. 23, 2017, that Suspect #1 told her that Suspect #1 bragged about involvement in the murder of a judge or attorney that lives on top of a hill. Reid further denied before the federal grand jury that she previously told the detective and special agent on Aug. 23, 2017, that Suspect #1 bragged that the murder victim was someone of importance like a judge or an attorney general.
According to the indictment, Reid is also charged with obstruction of justice for making false material statements to law enforcement officials on Aug. 25, 2017, and Dec.7, 2017, and then on Feb. 28, 2018, before a federal grand jury. All of the false statements pertained to whether Suspect #1 told Reid about Suspect #1’s involvement in the murder of a lawyer, judge, or attorney general who lived on a hill.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. Section Chief David Jaffe and Trial Attorneys Joseph Wheatley and Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer are prosecuting this case.
U.S. Attorney Recognizes Efforts of DEA Operation Crystal MountainRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Robert M. Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, recognizes and commends the efforts of the DEA, for its Operation Crystal Mountain. Operation Crystal Mountain was a sweeping methamphetamine enforcement action that culminated in several impactful investigations this year. Since January, DEA special agents from the Louisville Field Division, with support from state and local law enforcement agencies across the region, have arrested 235 individuals on federal drug-related charges, seized more than $800,000.00 in cash and 52 firearms, and seized significant quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs. During this same timeframe, DEA assisted its state and local counterparts with the arrest of 140 additional offenders, on state-level drug charges.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug and this enforcement operation demonstrates the hard work of our law enforcement partners, in their efforts to diminish its impact in Southeastern Kentucky and throughout the region,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office remains committed to using all available resources to combat methamphetamine trafficking. Working with the DEA and our state and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prioritize the prosecution of these important cases and work to make our communities safer.”
For more information about the DEA and Operation Crystal Mountain, go to: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2019/08/20/dea-targets-methamphetamine-three-states-operation-crystal-mountain.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan and Federal Task Force Host Event Raising Public Awareness About National Human Trafficking HotlineRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan and the Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force hosted an event today to raise public awareness about the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888). The training reached full capacity with more than 150 attendees.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline connects victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking with services and support. The National Hotline also receives tips about potential situations of sex and labor trafficking and facilitates reporting that information to the Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force in certain cases. Through information received by the National Hotline, law enforcement authorities can connect investigations that span jurisdictions across the country.
The Federal South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Miami-Dade Police Department, and International Rescue Committee, works to increase public awareness, identify victims, ensure that survivors receive assistance, and prosecute traffickers. The Task Force is composed of federal agencies including, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (specifically, its Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force), State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Department of Labor. Several other state and local law enforcement entities in South Florida are supportive task force members. Additionally, the Task Force collaborates with non-law enforcement entities, including the Florida Department of Children and Families, service providers, victim advocates, faith-based organizations, academic representatives and community members. Presently, the Task Force includes more than 300 non-law enforcement members.
“Partnerships and collaboration are vital to our fight against human trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “We cannot rescue victims, provide services to survivors, or successfully prosecute traffickers without our expanded partnerships and ongoing collaboration.”
Since being appointed as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2018, Ariana Fajardo Orshan has continued to make human trafficking cases a priority for the Office. She currently serves on the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Human Trafficking. Recently, she expanded the Special Prosecution’s Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Section has helped to oversee the district’s Human Trafficking and Project Safe Childhood Programs (PSC), and the Office’s Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) Program, while prosecuting cases involving victims of violent crimes (resulting in death or serious bodily injury), human trafficking, child exploitation, and other criminal offenses. As a native of Miami and concerned citizen, U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan is committed to raising public awareness and promoting community outreach – in order to help us all to combat human trafficking.
Since the beginning of 2019, the Task Force has participated in more than 100 human trafficking community outreach events. Audiences include grade school, university, and college students, teachers, professors, medical professionals, faith-based organizations, immigration and labor attorneys, federal, state, and local government employees, as well as hotel and motel employees. These efforts come in advance of Miami Super Bowl 54 in February. In preparation for the event, the Task Force will continue its efforts to expand partnerships, collaboration, training of state, local, and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors, and community outreach.
For example, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Task Force will be hosting a Human Trafficking Symposium at Nova Southeastern University on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. The program is free and will provide advanced human trafficking training and resources for victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, medical professionals, and the local community. To register for the symposium visit https://nsuinfo.nova.edu/chcs/human-trafficking-symposium/.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the entire Task Force is fully committed to utilizing a victim-centered approach to rescuing victims and aggressively prosecuting traffickers. Since January of 2019, the International Rescue Committee has provided services to survivors in more than 30 cases of human trafficking. “We will continue to pursue and hold traffickers accountable for exploiting victims for labor or sexual services; modern-day slavery cannot be tolerated in our community,” stated Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. From 2013 through April 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has prosecuted 69 offenders in 48 human trafficking cases, including labor and sex trafficking. These cases collectively involved the victimization of more than 75 survivors of human trafficking. This Fiscal Year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has charged 9 human trafficking cases against 12 defendants in federal court, an increase from Fiscal Year 2018. Presently, 5 human trafficking cases are charged federally in Miami.
“We cannot do this work alone; we also rely on the members of our diverse community to continue to raise public awareness and report suspected trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “So please, spread the word about how to report human trafficking and help victims to come out of the shadows, where they can be seen and set free.”
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
U.S. Attorney Alme to attend tribal consultation on violence against womenRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme will join U.S. Department of Justice officials in New Buffalo, Mich., this week for a two-day consultation with tribal leaders on violence against women.
The meeting will be held on Aug. 21 and 22 at the Silver Creek Event Center Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich.
The gathering of federal and tribal officials is for the 14th annual Government-to-Government consultation to solicit recommendations from tribal leaders on enhancing safety and strengthening federal law enforcement efforts to the crimes of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native women. There also will be consultation on administering funds and programs for tribal governments established by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation.
“I look forward to hearing from tribal leaders on how we can improve safety for American Indian women and reduce the violence they experience. Eighty four percent, or more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women, have experienced violence in their lifetime, the National Institute of Justice reports. We must work together to address solve this chronic problem through law enforcement responses and federal support of prevention and victim services programs,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
U.S. Attorney Alme is vice chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.
Participants will include the U.S. Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services and Interior, along with tribal leaders of federally-recognized Indian Tribes.
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Telemarketer Sentenced to Prison in Connection with $10 Million International Fraudulent Sweepstakes SchemeRead the Press Release
A telemarketer was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today for his role in a $10 million telemarketing scheme that defrauded primarily elderly victims in the United States from call centers in Costa Rica.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U. S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray of the Western District of North Carolina, Inspector in Charge David M. McGinnis of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Charlotte Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
Carlin Woods, 35, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina. Woods pleaded guilty on May 15, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Woods worked in a call center in Costa Rica in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as employees of U.S. government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. Customs and Boder Protection and the IRS, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, Woods and his co-conspirators fraudulently told victims that they needed to make up-front payments for a “refundable insurance fee” before collecting their supposed prize. The members of the conspiracy used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which made it appear that they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other places in the United States.
Woods arranged for victims to transmit payments to Costa Rica or through people in the United States who collected money from victims and forwarded the payment to Woods and others in Costa Rica, he admitted.
At sentencing it was determined that Woods and his co-conspirators stole more than $1.5 million from victims.
This case was investigated by USPIS, the IRS and the FBI, with assistance from the FTC and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Bowne and Jennifer Farer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina provided substantial assistance with this matter.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past March the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 260 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
Tazewell County Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for Using Facebook to Solicit, Receive Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Tazewell county man, Eric Ingram, 31, of Washington, Ill., was sentenced today to more than 13 years (160 months) in prison for receiving child pornography using Facebook. In sentencing Ingram, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm also ordered that Ingram remain on supervised release for eight years following his release from incarceration. Ingram will be required to register as a sex offender.
On Dec. 4, 2018, Ingram pleaded guilty to the charge. According to court documents, on Oct. 4, 2018, law enforcement officers with the Washington Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Ingram’s residence in Washington, Ill., and seized various items of electronic media.
According to court records, in September 2018, Facebook, Inc. notified Washington Police Department officials of messages between Ingram and a 15-year-old minor child that contained sexually explicit conduct. Facebook provided information that Ingram appeared to be soliciting the content from the minor victim. Furthermore, it appeared that Ingram lived in close proximity to the minor victim and had used Facebook Messenger to discuss meeting the minor in person. The minor victim was interviewed and confirmed that Ingram requested she perform sexually explicit conduct and take visual depictions of that conduct to send to him on Facebook.
Ingram has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on these charges on Oct. 4, 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Washington Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sussex County Man Charged with Unlawfully Possessing ArsenalRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, has been charged with possessing an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, along with white supremacist and racist propaganda, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Joseph Rubino, 57, of Lafayette Township, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Rubino will appear in Newark federal court at a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 24, 2019, following a motor vehicle accident, officers with the N.J. State Police observed numerous weapons and ammunition inside Rubino’s crashed vehicle. After executing court-authorized warrants to search Rubino’s vehicle and residence, law enforcement recovered from Rubino’s car and house the following:
- Intratec Arms Model TEC-DC9 semi-automatic assault handgun;
- Cobray Arms Mac-11 9mm semi-automatic assault pistol with a high-capacity magazine;
- Keltec CMR30 .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle loaded with 16 .22 caliber hollow-point cartridges;
- High Standard Derringer .22 caliber double-barrel handgun;
- Polymer 80 9mm semi-automatic handgun;
- Ithaca M-66 20-gauge single shotgun;
- Remington Model 700 .223 caliber bold action rifle with scope;
- Thompson Center .50 caliber muzzle-loading rifle with scope;
- Remington Model 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge pump shotgun;
- New England Firearms 20-gauge single shot shotgun;
- Remington Model 760 .300 Savage pump rifle;
- Glenfield Mod 60 .22 LR caliber semi-automatic rifle;
- Two sawed-off double-barrel shotgun barrels;
- Several high-capacity magazines;
- Numerous silencers;
- An assault rifle scope;
- A grenade launcher;
- A ballistics vest; and
- Numerous additional ammunition of various calibers.
In addition to the firearms and ammunition, law enforcement recovered approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine, seven kilograms of marijuana, and 200 marijuana vape cartridges from Rubino’s house.
Rubino was also in possession of a box containing clothing and bumper stickers with “SS Bolts,” which are common white supremacist and neo-Nazi symbols, as well as a document entitled “N****r Owner’s Manual,” containing racist material and purporting to be an instruction manual for owning a slave.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson in Newark with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Richard T. Burke, and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Francis A. Koch for their assistance.
The count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute is punishable by a maximum of 40 years in prison; the count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison; and the count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is punishable by a maximum of life in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty for His Involvement in a CarjackingRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Antonio Ball, 21, St. Louis, MO, pleaded guilty to one felony count of carjacking and one felony count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime. Ball appeared today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White who accepted his plea and set his sentencing date for November 20, 2019.
According to the plea agreement, on May 19, 2018, the victim stopped at the Elite Market on North Broadway in a rental vehicle. Ball approached the victim with a handgun and demanded the car keys. When the victim complied, Ball and two other males jumped into the vehicle and drove off. Ball was later arrested by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Carjacking carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime carries a penalty of not less than 7 years nor more than life and a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case.
South Jersey Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits ProgramsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kristie Masucci, 37, of Cedar Run, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are supposed to be specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
From January 2015 through February 2016, Masucci served as a recruiter in the conspiracy and persuaded individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy, identified in the information as the “Compounding Pharmacy.” The conspirators learned that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply.
The conspirators also learned that some New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, had insurance coverage for these particular compound medications. An entity referred to in the information as the “Pharmacy Benefits Administrator” provided pharmacy benefit management services for the State Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified state and local government employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified local education employees, retirees, and eligible dependents. The Pharmacy Benefits Administrator would pay prescription drug claims and then bill the State of New Jersey for the amounts paid.
Masucci and conspirators working under her recruited public employees and other individuals covered by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator to fraudulently obtain compounded medications from the Compounding Pharmacy without any evaluation by a medical professional that they were medically necessary. In return, the pharmacy paid one of Masucci’s conspirators a percentage of each prescription filled and paid by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator, which was then distributed to Masucci and other members of the conspiracy.
Masucci’s conspirators would then cause the prescriptions to be signed by a doctor who never evaluated whether the patients had a medical necessity for the compounded medication. The prescriptions were then faxed to the Compounding Pharmacy, which filled the prescriptions and billed the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator.
According to the information, the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator paid the Compounding Pharmacy more than $50 million for compounded medications mailed to individuals in New Jersey, including $1.8 million for prescriptions submitted by Masucci and her cohorts. Masucci received $388,608 for her role in the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Masucci to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Division of Pensions and Financial Transactions in the State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Division Chief Eileen Schlindwein Den Bleyker, for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk Jr. and Christina Hud of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel: Amy Luria Esq., Roseland, New Jersey
Sextortion Warning from U.S. Attorney, Georgia's Internet Crimes Against Children DirectorRead the Press Release
MACON – As Georgia children begin a new school year and some take on new social media habits, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Charles “Charlie” Peeler, and the Special Agent in Charge of Georgia’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Debbie Garner, are warning parents and educators about sextortion, a growing cyber-crime against children. Sextortion is when an adult predator coerces or entices a child to produce a sexually explicit image and send it over the internet. The predator will often use that image to extort the child to produce more sexually explicit images under threats of sending that image to friends and parents. The young victims often report feeling that there was no way out and that they were going to get into trouble.
In May, a convicted, registered sex offender living in Oregon was sentenced to 210-months in federal prison in the Middle District of Georgia for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor after posing as a teenager and sextorting a 15-year old girl living on Fort Benning, a military installation in Columbus, Georgia. The defendant, Colby Ray Cochran, 24, also admitted to interacting with other children online across the country, requesting nude photos from them and threatening to expose their nude images if they refused to send more. At the time of his offense, Mr. Cochran was on probation for a sex crime, was active on the sex offender registry and was prohibited from possessing and using internet-capable devices. You can read more about this case, and how the victim’s mother discovered the threats against her child and reported it to law enforcement, by visiting https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/210-months-prison-sentence-oregon-sex-offender-caught-luring-threatening-young-columbus.
“Sextortion is a rapidly growing, insidious cyber-crime targeting children. Parents are the first line of defense against these predators,” said U.S. Attorney Charlie Peeler. “I promise that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will do its part and prosecute child predators to the fullest extent of the law. But, we need parents and guardians to educate themselves and the children in their care about the threats online, take the proper precautions to protect their families, and report suspected crimes to the authorities. Sextortion causes grave and lasting harm to young victims. Together, we can protect vulnerable children from evil, manipulative predators.”
“Those who sextort often manipulate and subsequently continually taunt vulnerable child victims, sometimes for years. It is one of the most disturbing and monstrous crimes we investigate,” said Debbie Garner, the Special Agent in Charge of ICAC. “The actions of someone who sextorts a child can often trigger a range of negative outcomes for and emotions in that child including hopelessness, fear, and severe anxiety and depression. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to work aggressively to find and stop those that prey on our children in this manner.”
The Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force suggests several best practices for parents when it comes to a child’s online use and access:
- Teach your child not to friend or follow anyone on social media they do not personally know.
- Teach your child not to talk to anyone online that they do not personally know.
- Know what your child is doing online and educate yourself. If your child has an Instagram or Snapchat account, then you, the parent, need an Instagram or Snapchat account and you must know how to use these accounts. Be educated about what your child is doing online, who they are following, and who they are talking to on social media.
If you suspect your child is in trouble online, talk to your child. Then, report inappropriate or illegal contact to local law enforcement. Parents can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at www.missingkids.com or 1-800-THE-LOST. The Georgia-based incident reports will be directed to investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). There is no stereotypical predator. Many children are victimized be people they know, even online. Teach children to trust their instincts. Parents and guardians can learn more by visiting www.thorn.org/sextortion and www.netsmartz.org.
Child crime prosecutions in the Middle District of Georgia are part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Sex Offender Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – An El Salvadoran national, who was previously convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a minor, was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
“Moran-Arevalo has shown total disregard our country’s laws and borders,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Previously, Moran-Arevalo sexually abused a minor victim while he was evading deportation, then quickly reentered the United States illegally and committed more crimes that put the safety of our communities at risk.”
According to court documents, Ubaldo Adonay Moran-Arevalo, 37, was found in the United States illegally in 2005 and placed into removal proceedings. After Moran-Arevelo failed to show up to the hearing, the immigration judge issued an order of removal. For approximately three years, Moran-Arevalo evaded deportation. While the removal order was pending, he sexually abused a 12-year-old who shared a residence with him.
“ICE continues to prioritize the arrest and removal of those with no lawful claim to the United States who also pose serious public safety threats,” said Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. “In this case, a child was not even safe in her own home because, not once but twice, an individual illegally entered the United States to further violate our laws and continue his dangerous criminal behavior.”
Moran-Arevalo was not caught, however, until several months later when the victim discovered him hiding under her bed after she had showered and changed for school. She reported his conduct to her middle school guidance counselors, who contacted the police. Federal authorities found him after he was arrested, charged, and convicted of an aggravated felony for aggravated sexual battery of a victim less than 13 years old. Moran-Arevalo served only a year in jail and received a five-year probation sentence. He was removed at taxpayer expense in 2009 after finishing his jail sentence.
Within a year of his removal and while on probation, Moran-Arevalo illegally reentered the United States, eventually returning to live at the residence where he had sexually abused the minor victim. Although the victim and her family had moved out, there were multiple other children living in the residence.
Federal authorities found Moran-Arevalo again in 2018, after he had been arrested and charged for driving while intoxicated and driving without a license. He was convicted of those charges shortly before entering federal custody.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-165.
Seventeen people indicted for conspiracy to bring kilogram quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana from California to Northeast OhioRead the Press Release
Seventeen people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to bring large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana from California to the Cleveland area and sell the drugs here.
Named in the 30-count indictment are: Brandon Fletcher, 35, of Warrensville Heights; Edgar Arturo Sanchez, 27, of Paramount, California; Stephon Carter, 34, of Cleveland; Donnie Palmer, 34, of Cleveland Heights; Kevin Philmon, 37, of Cleveland; Wayne Nix, 27, of Warrensville Heights; Robert Hawes, 46, of Bedford; Antonn Melton, 37, of Maple Heights; Kevin Williams, 34, of Euclid; Robert Pollard, 29, of Lithonia, Georgia; Freddie Murphy, 33, of Cleveland; Eric Armstrong, 58, of South Euclid; Jamill McDonald, 37, of Cleveland Heights; Steven Bouyer, 52, of Cleveland; Darcell Jackson, 32, of Euclid; Lonnie Jordan, 29, of Maple Heights, and DeWitt Chisholm, 38, of Warrensville Heights.
“At a time when a record number of our neighbors were dying from drug overdoses, this organization allegedly brought in large amounts of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from California and sold it all over Northeast Ohio,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Some members of the conspiracy used rifles and other firearms to protect their products while others laundered tens of thousands of dollars in drug money.”
"Illegal drug activity brings danger to our communities - it will not be tolerated," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. "Collaborative law enforcement efforts will continue to identify and disrupt drug trafficking organizations bringing violence to our streets."
“Working together with our law enforcement partners throughout Northeast Ohio, along with the US Attorney‘s Office, we are able to conduct large scale operations and get amazing results,” said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams. “This latest indictment of multiple suspects only cements these collaborative efforts as imperative to effective policing today.”
According to the indictment:
Fletcher received kilogram shipments of cocaine, heroin and marijuana from California, from Sanchez and other suppliers. Fletcher arranged for the drugs to be transported to the Cleveland area via domestic shipping carriers.
Carter, at Fletcher’s direction, collected the drug shipments and then delivered the cocaine, heroin and marijuana to Fletcher’s customers, including Nix, Philmon, Hawes, Pollard, Williams and others.
Nix received ounce quantities of cocaine from Melton, and redistributed cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to Chisholm, Murphy, Armstrong, McDonald, Bouyer, Jackson, Jordan and others. Those people then resold the drugs to customers in Northeast Ohio.
Nix is also charged with maintaining a drug premises for using residence on Berrimore Lane in Warrensville Heights to store, process and sell cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs. Additionally, Nix is charged with being a felon on possession of a firearm for having a Taurus 9 mm and ammunition despite several prior drug convictions.
Philmon is charged with maintaining a drug premises for using his residence at the Colony Apartments on Van Aken Boulevard in Cleveland to store, process and sell powder and crack cocaine. He is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Philmon had an Eagle Arms M-15 and ammunition at his apartment despite previous drug convictions.
Carter collected drug proceeds at Fletcher’s direction, and, along with Palmer, stored the money.
Fletcher and Carter charged with conspiracy to launder money. Carter, at Fletcher’s direction, met with California-based members of the drug trafficking organization and provided tens of thousands of dollars worth of drug proceeds. He also mailed them drug proceeds, sometimes concealed in musical instruments.
This conspiracy took place between August 2016 through November 2017, according to the indictment.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of 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.
The case was investigated by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force (NOLETF) and SouthEast Area Law Enforcement Narcotics Task Force, a collaboration of police departments including Bedford, Bedford Heights, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Solon, Oakwood and Walton Hills.
The NOLETF is a long standing multi-agency task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the police departments of Broadview Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Euclid, Independence, North Royalton, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiatives. HIDTA supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Sweeney.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Serial Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Scamming Elderly Victims Out of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Fraudulent Payment SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL PIZARRO, a/k/a “Eric Miller,” pled guilty today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein to defrauding individuals (the “Victims”) by representing to them that they had qualified for a government grant, which could be accessed only upon the payment of an up-front refundable application fee. In actuality, the government grant did not exist and none of the Victims had been approved for such a grant. PIZARRO continued to perpetrate this scheme even after he was arrested and released on bail.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted in court, Michael Pizarro preyed on elderly victims and others by charging them up-front fees to get government grant money that was fictitious. In fact, there were no ‘grants’ and the ‘registration fee’ Pizarro charged his victims was just money he stole from them.”
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, the information, and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Beginning in at least February 2017 through July 25, 2019, PIZARRO called the Victims, many of whom were more than 70 years old, and told them that his name was “Eric Miller” and he was calling on behalf of a company called “National Grants.” PIZARRO informed the Victims that they had been approved for a government grant, which was being held in escrow at an account with the “Word Bank” in Washington, D.C. Before the funds could be released, however, the Victims would have to pay a registration fee. In fact, none of the Victims had been approved for a grant, the grants did not exist, and no Victim ever received any funds.
In April 2018, PIZARRO was charged in New York Supreme Court in connection with his involvement with National Grants from October 2015 through January 2017. PIZARRO pled guilty in December 2018 and was awaiting sentencing when he was arrested in connection with this scheme on May 2, 2019. After he was released on bail, PIZARRO continued to seek contact information for additional Victims in furtherance of the scheme. In total, not including the conduct charged in New York Supreme Court, PIZARRO defrauded the Victims out of approximately $270,000.
PIZARRO, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud while on pre-trial release. That offense carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. PIZARRO is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Paul A. Crotty on December 20, 2019.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher and Benet J. Kearney are in charge of the prosecution.
If you believe you have been a victim of the scheme described above, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900, or [email protected]. You may also report it to Detective Christopher Bastos at 917-480-7167 or [email protected].
San Francisco Regional Center Owner Charged in $110 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - A federal grand jury in Oakland indicted Thomas Henderson, Kexing Hu (a/k/a Peter Hu), and Cooper Lee on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud for their respective roles in a scheme to defraud investors in a jobs creation program administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent in Charge Matthew Perlman; U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King; and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
The multi-count indictment, unsealed today, alleges that Henderson, 70, of Oakland; Hu, 40, of Ningbo, China; and Lee, 42, formerly of Oakland, conspired to misappropriate investor funds, to lie to foreign investors about the use of their funds, and to make false statements to USCIS in connection with the Employment-Based Immigration, Fifth Preference Category Program, referred to as the EB-5 visa program. The indictment also alleges that Henderson fraudulently abused the EB-5 visa program and jeopardized the creation of over 2,000 jobs in Oakland and surrounding areas.
According to the indictment, Henderson was the founder and owner of the San Francisco Regional Center, LLC (SFRC), which he used to solicit investments from foreign investors through the EB-5 visa program. From 2011 to 2017, Henderson and Hu raised more than $110 million from more than 200 foreign investors, with each of the investors believing they were paying capital to fund one of seven EB-5 businesses sponsored by SFRC. Henderson, assisted by Hu and Lee, allegedly improperly diverted funds raised for one business and used them for other purposes. The indictment also alleges that Henderson diverted more than $17 million of $21 million raised for one of the projects and spent it in part on earlier money-losing projects. Henderson also allegedly made false statements and submitted false documents to the USCIS, falsely stating investor funds would be used for the start-up and operation of the EB-5 projects described in business plans.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to protecting the integrity of all U.S. visas,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Perlman of the DSS San Francisco Field Office. “Together, with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, DSS was able to stop prominent local businessmen from further exploiting the U.S. visa process, and bilking foreign investors for illegal profit.”
"The FBI is committed to assisting our local partners in protecting the integrity of our visa processes," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. "Businesses seeking to exploit these processes should know that we are vigilant and that we will work to bring them to justice."
“This case serves as a clear warning to all criminals who seek to profit off of the United States’ legal immigration system. We will locate, arrest, and aid in their prosecution in order to recoup any and all illicit gains,” said Tatum King, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations for San Francisco and Northern California. “Besides posing a significant threat to national security and public safety, immigration benefit fraud and related schemes seriously rob immigrants who are deserving of these benefits while deterring investors who genuinely want to assist them.”
USCIS administers the EB-5 program. Under the program, foreign nationals may obtain permanent United States residency, commonly known as a Green Card, by investing in qualifying American businesses and creating jobs for U.S. citizens and residents. To receive a two-year grant of conditional permanent residency status, foreign investors must meet certain requirements for an entry visa, comply with program requirements and make an investment of a minimum of $1 million, or $500,000 if the investment is made in certain areas of high unemployment. After two years, the foreign investor can petition for permanent residency. The granting of permanent legal residency for the foreign investor and immediate family is dependent, in part, on the creation of at least 10 jobs for United States citizens and residents through the business funded by the investment.
In this case, Henderson and Hu are charged with 12 counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and Lee is charged with six counts of wire fraud. Henderson, Hu, and Lee are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Henderson is also charged with one count of making a false statement to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), and one count of false writings to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(3).
Henderson and Lee were arrested this morning. Henderson was arrested in Oakland, Calif., and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu. He is scheduled to appear October 1, 2019, before the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, U.S. District Judge for a status conference. Lee was arrested in Laguna Beach, Calif. The date he will appear on the charges in the Northern District of California has not yet been set. Hu has not been arrested.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants, including Henderson, Hu, and Lee, are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine (or twice the gross gain or loss) for each wire fraud count and the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count. The defendants face a maximum of five years in prison for each conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States count and false statements or writings count. Further, additional fines, forfeitures, and restitution may be ordered; 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 United States Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sarah Lamparelli and Patricia Mahoney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s representative to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), overseen by the HSI, with the participation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DBFTF is a multi-agency task force that coordinates investigations into fraudulent immigration documents. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security also assisted with the investigation. Additional assistance was provided by the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Sacaton man Sentenced to Prison for Habitual Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Lawrence Stanley Coops, 34, of Sacaton, Ariz., a was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to two and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Coops previously pleaded guilty to Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender.
On August 18, 2018, Coops assaulted the victim after having previously been convicted of assault against a spouse or intimate partner. Coops and the victim are both members of the Gila River Indian Community.
The investigation was conducted by the Gila River Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Raynette Logan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Rockford Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming Laser Pointer at AircraftRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft.
BRENTON WELLS, 45, admitted in a written plea agreement that on Dec. 6, 2018, while standing in the backyard of a residence in Rockford, he knowingly aimed his laser pointer at an aircraft flying over the residence. Wells also admitted that he continued to aim his laser pointer at the aircraft for a period of time even as the aircraft moved through the sky over the residence.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 10, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Wells faces a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI, and Dan O’Shea, Rockford Chief of Police. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
Repeat Troy Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Gary McKay, age 43, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to serve 10 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for possessing child pornography for a second time.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea to three counts of possession of child pornography, McKay admitted that on August 14, 2017, while on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography, he possessed three electronic devices containing more than 2,500 images of minors, including prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. McKay previously served 30 months in prison for his prior possession conviction and was seven years into a ten-year term of supervised release at the time he committed this new offense.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd sentenced McKay to 10 years in prison and lifetime supervised release on each of the possession of child pornography counts to run concurrently (at the same time). Judge Hurd also sentenced McKay to 5 years imprisonment for violating his terms of supervised release, to run concurrently to the other sentences.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of New York and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Bellis and Alicia Giglio Suarez.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Nearly 40 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the sentencing of ZACHARY JAMES WITRY, 29, to 472 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. WITRY, who pleaded guilty on April 17, 2019, was sentenced yesterday before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in United States District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. When announcing the sentence, Judge Brasel commented that Mr. Witry’s goal was to meet teenage girls and to rape them. She further expressed concern with his escalating criminal conduct, his inability to comply with previous court supervision for similar child exploitation offenses, and the manipulative tactics that he used to get what he wanted from the minor victims.
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald stated, “The defendant, a registered sex offender, has a history of preying on young victims. I thank the Court for recognizing his extreme danger to our children and sentencing him accordingly.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, WITRY used various social media platforms such as SnapChat and MeetMe to created fake accounts and profiles, including posing as a 15-year-old boy, to make contact with teenage girls ranging from 13 to 17 years old. WITRY engaged in extensive grooming of his victims and solicited multiple sexually explicit videos and photographs from minor girls. In a two month period in March and April 2017, WITRY made contact with over 210 minor girls with the goal of obtaining sexually explicit images. WITRY met three of the minors in person and sexually assaulted each of them. WITRY exchanged approximately 1,665 text messages with one of the minors and, prior to soliciting sexually explicit photographs from her, WITRY told the minor that he loved her, wanted to marry her, and have children with her.
WITRY has two previous state court convictions for solicitation of a child, one in Sherburne County in 2012, and one in Wright County in 2015.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Shakopee Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz-Kaphing and Alexander D. Chiquoine prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
ZACHARY JAMES WITRY, 29
Buffalo, Minn.
Convicted:
- Child pornography, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 472 months in prison
- Lifetime of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Registered Sex Offender Goes Back to Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A registered sex offender from Lawrence was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay $5,000 to the fund established by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.
Benjamin Grace, 32, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In his plea, he admitted he was identified during an FBI investigation of a service on the internet that was involved in the production, advertisement and distribution of child pornography. After executing a search warrant at his home in Lawrence, FBI agents interviewed him at his workplace in Overland Park. He admitted viewing child pornography, including images of children as young as five years old.
At the time, Grace was listed on a Kansas Bureau of Investigation web site because of a 2008 felony conviction in Johnson County on a charge of electronic sexual solicitation of a child.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan for their work on the case.
Prison sentence for leader of drug trafficking conspiracy wraps up major investigationRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA – The lead defendant in a major south Georgia drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison, representing the final defendant to be sentenced from the now-dismantled drug trafficking ring.
John Eugene Overcash, a/k/a “Cowboy,” 53, of Brunswick, Ga., was sentenced to 128 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Overcash pled guilty to Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine and an Amount of Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He also was sentenced to 120 months to be served concurrently on the firearms charge, and after completion of his sentence will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The court also ordered Overcash to forfeit $60,207 in cash seized during the investigation, along with two vehicles and multiple firearms and ammunition.
“Through vigorous investigation and relentless prosecution, Overcash and his criminal cohorts will no longer be pumping poison into our communities,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “The same fate awaits any others who are tempted to follow in their footsteps: A prison cell is available for them, too.”
Overcash was the lead defendant among two dozen indicted on federal and state charges in spring of 2018 in the takedown of a large-scale drug-trafficking operation centered around Glynn and McIntosh counties. The investigation, which led to the seizure of kilograms of cocaine, more than 30 pounds of marijuana, crack cocaine, more than $60,000 in cash and dozens of firearms, was coordinated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Other defendants convicted and sentenced in the operation include:
Edrin Temple, a/k/a “Pete McCiver,” 40, of Darien, Ga., sentenced to 130 months in prison for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Temple will begin serving his federal sentence after release from state prison for state charges and for violating probation.
Kenneth Leon Bradley, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 112 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances, including 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, a quantity of crack cocaine and a quantity of marijuana;
Anthony Bernard Lewis, a/k/a “Amp,” 47, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;
Jeremy McIntyre, 38, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;
Richard Carter, 58, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana;
Darrius Merrell, 39, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine;
Keneil King, 26, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. After completion of his sentence, King will be referred to Immigrations and Custom Enforcement for deportation.
Troy Crosby, 50, of Hortense, Ga., sentenced to 38 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for Distribution of Cocaine;
Jessica Tabateau, 32, of Orlando, Fla., sentenced to three years of probation for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent and to Distribute Cocaine;
Amy Manson, 38, of Hortense, Ga., sentenced to time served for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;
Joseph Simmons, a/k/a “Bug,” 49, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;
Tommy Murray, 51, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 12 months plus one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime;
Clifton Foster, 65, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime; and,
Marcus Mungin, 34, of Brunswick, Ga., sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Crime.
Additional defendants in the operation were prosecuted on state charges.
“This case is the product of a concerted collaborative effort on the part of ATF and its local partners to target, investigate, and eliminate the perpetrators of violent crime.” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. “These sentences will ensure the incarceration of dangerous criminals and contribute to the restoration of order and peace around Glynn and Mcintosh Counties.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Josephson and E. Greg Gilluly Jr. prosecuted these cases for the United States.
Precious Metals Trader Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Spoofing ChargesRead the Press Release
A former precious metals trader at the London, Singapore and New York offices of a U.S. bank (Bank A) pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and spoofing charges, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
Christian Trunz, 34, of London, England, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to engage in spoofing and one count of spoofing. Today’s pleas were accepted by U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2020. Trunz resigned from his position as an Executive Director at Bank A earlier today.
According to admissions made as part of his plea and other statements made in court, between approximately July 2007 and August 2016, Trunz placed thousands of orders that he did not intend to execute for gold, silver, platinum and palladium futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (NYMEX) and Commodity Exchange Inc. (COMEX), which are commodities exchanges operated by CME Group Inc. Trunz learned to spoof from more senior traders, and spoofed with the knowledge and consent of his supervisors.
This case is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s New York Field Office. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement provided assistance in this case. Trial Attorneys Avi Perry and Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Trunz is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Robbing Two Banks on the Same DayRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating the federal robbery laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count indictment named Jaymar Henderson, age 58, formerly of Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on July 2, 2019, Henderson robbed the PNC Bank, located at 225 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, of $121.00. On the same day, Henderson also robbed the Citizens Bank, located at 6112 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, of $1,400.00.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both, at each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Czarnecki is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Conspiracy, Robbery and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of robbery, conspiracy, and firearms violations, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Deon Reese, age 44, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about March 23, 2017, Reese, and individuals known and unknown to the grand jury, agreed to rob the victim of controlled substances and money. During the robbery, Reese discharged a firearm. Reese was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions.
The law provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years up to life in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Philadelphia Man Sentenced 17+ Years for Manufacturing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Michael Walpole, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment (17 ½ years) and 15 years’ supervised release by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond on child exploitation charges.
In May 2018, the defendant forced the five-year old victim to take off her pants and underwear. The defendant took off his own pants, placed his penis on the victim’s naked buttocks, and photographed this abuse. On April 2, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography.
“The nature of this defendant’s crime is horrifying and the negative impact on the victim and her family can never be fully understood or appreciated, which is why my Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute these dangerous predators,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.
“Those who sexually exploit children do serious lasting harm,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Walpole involved a child victim in his own depraved fantasy and documented it. He’ll now be held accountable for his actions, locked away where he can’t victimize any more kids.”
This case were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meaghan A. Flannery.
Pharmacy Owner Sentenced for Health Care Fraud and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Rehan A. Rana, 46, of Ellisville, MO, was sentenced on Friday, August 16, 2019 to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100.000 fine, restitution in the amount of $751,787 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $526,285 to the Medicare Program. Rana appeared before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2012, Rana and others associated with Allegiance Medical Services, a medical testing laboratory, paid illegal kickbacks to doctors and marketers in exchange for blood and urine specimens that they sent or referred to the lab. Allegiance Medical Services concealed the illegal kickbacks from Medicare and Medicaid, which would not paid for tests of specimens obtained by the payment of illegal kickbacks.
For the tax years 2013, 2014, and 2015, Rana, the owner of St. Louis Hills Pharmacy, filed false tax returns, indicating that he had taxable distributions from his pharmacy of only $300,000 in 2013, $150,000 in 2014, and $217,500 in 2015, when he actually had received $1,993,600 in 2013, $1,328,924 in 2014, and $1,253,372 in 2015.
“IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to investigating individuals who use their businesses as personal piggy banks,” said Steven Slazinik, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “We all pay when others swindle the government. Tax fraud of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserves to be punished.”
The Internal Revenue Service – Office of Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the FBI, and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy McMurtry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Owner of Frederick Payroll Processing Business Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud and Tax Charges Related to a Fraud Scheme with Losses of More Than $1.6 MillionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – David Richison, age 64, of Frederick, Maryland, who owned and operated a payroll processing business, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of wire fraud and aiding in the filing of a false tax return, in connection with a fraud scheme in which he took funds from his clients’ tax escrow account and used them to pay his own personal expenses.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, Richison owned and operated a Frederick-based payroll processing business, Period Financial, doing business as Period Payroll. Period Payroll provided payroll processing and payroll tax payment services to businesses in Maryland and Virginia, using special software specifically designed by Richison. In addition to printing paychecks for client employees, Period Payroll was responsible for calculating the employment taxes owed to federal and state taxing authorities by the client companies and those companies’ employees, as well as preparing and filing the client companies’ employment tax returns.
Period Payroll clients entrusted Richison with the authority to remove funds directly from their bank accounts to pay their federal and state taxes, as well as to pay fees to Period Payroll. Richison’s practice was to send the clients a copy of the tax return to be filed and an accounting of the funds to be removed from their accounts and subsequently paid over. Funds removed from client accounts were placed into an escrow account, which Richison used to make electronic payments to the IRS, generating a unique number for each wire sent on behalf of a client.
Richison admitted that from at least 2012 through 2014, the tax forms prepared and filed by Richison on behalf of Period Payroll clients properly reported the amount of taxes owed, but a corresponding amount of tax deposits was not made with the IRS. Richison began taking money from the client escrow fund to pay for his own personal and business-related expenses, such as legal fees, rather than paying those funds to the IRS, as he represented to his clients.
For example, in July 2012, Richison transferred $53,000 from the client escrow account to his personal attorney to pay legal fees. Over the course of 2013 and 2014, the frequency with which Richison failed to pay over client funds to the IRS increased. When clients received notices from the IRS that their employment taxes had not been paid, Richison provided false explanations for the missed payments and falsely promised to make the payments and cover the penalties and interest. To further conceal the scheme, Richison used one client’s escrowed funds to pay another client’s debt, penalties, and interest, without informing either client that he was doing so. In addition, Richison sent e-mails to clients falsely stating that he had made payments to the IRS on their behalf and provided as proof the wire numbers of transfers that he had made on behalf of other clients. Between approximately February 2013 and December 2014, Richison used approximately $598,365 of client escrow funds to make payments to the IRS to cover the penalties and interest his clients had accrued in order to conceal the fraud and continue to deceive his clients into thinking that Period Payroll was solvent.
By the end of 2014, there were insufficient funds in the client escrow account to cover the mounting debts and Richison closed Period Payroll. By that time, the difference between the amount taken from clients and reported to have been paid to the IRS per the tax returns filed on behalf of clients, and the actual payments made as required by those returns totaled at least $1,622,481.56.
As part of his plea agreement, Richison will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is agreed to be at least $1,609,561.59.
Richison faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and a maximum of three years in federal prison for aiding in the filing of a false tax return. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for November 26, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney, who is prosecuting the case.
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Owner of Connecticut Meat Supplier Admits Fabricating E. Coli Test ResultsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Administrator Carmen Rottenberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, announced that MEMET BEQIRI, also known as Matt Beqiri, 32, of Tolland, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a charge related to his meat processing business’s falsification of numerous E. coli test results.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Beqiri is the owner and general manager of New England Meat Packing, LLC, located in Stafford Springs, a federally inspected business engaged in the slaughtering, processing, selling and transporting of meat and meat food products for human consumption. Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) approved Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for New England Meat Packing, the company is required to perform one generic E. coli carcass swab for every 300 animals slaughtered and to periodically collect ground beef samples for E. coli testing.
Between November 3, 2016 and September 9, 2017, Beqiri authorized the preparation and submission in the company’s Lab Sample Report binder, which the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) reviews, a total of 36 documents relating to 52 separate carcass swabs and ground beef samples on behalf of New England Meat Packing. The 36 documents were each on the letterhead of a certified laboratory that tests food product samples to ensure safety and wholesomeness and signed by the laboratory director. The documents stated that the required E. coli testing of samples submitted by New England Meat Packing had been conducted and completed, and that all 52 samples tested negative for E. coli. In fact, none of the 52 carcass swabs and samples had been submitted or tested by the identified laboratory, or any other laboratory, and the 36 documents were fraudulently prepared using laboratory letterhead obtained from previous testing that New England Meat Packing had conducted with that laboratory.
During the investigation of this matter, Beqiri admitted to an investigator with USDA’s FSIS that the documents were fraudulent, and that his business did not collect and submit the samples to the certified laboratory because he did not correlate the potential impact on food safety with his sampling program and wanted to create the appearance he was compliant with all USDA HACCP testing requirements.
There have been no known instances of illnesses reported by anyone who consumed the meat in any of the states where the meat was distributed.
“After this defendant’s fraudulent conduct was uncovered, he admitted to an investigator that he ignored the USDA’s meat testing requirements because he considered the process to be an inconvenience and a nuisance,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “Such reckless conduct seriously endangers public safety and will be prosecuted.”
“FSIS investigators are on the job protecting public health every day,” said Carmen Rottenberg, FSIS Administrator. “Our work is critical to protect American families and the food supply, and we will not tolerate blatant disregard for food safety laws.”
Beqiri pleaded guilty to one count of making and using a false document and aiding and abetting, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on November 12, 2019. Beqiri is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
The plea agreement filed today in association with Beqiri’s guilty plea does not address potential civil administrative consequences for New England Meat Packing’s failure to test the meat it distributed.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Office of Investigations, Enforcement and Audit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
North Las Vegas Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas man who was convicted of a federal child pornography charge was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Richard Lee Saterstad, 41, was convicted in March 2019, of receiving and distributing child pornography. Saterstad has multiple prior felony convictions for non-exploitation offenses. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the bench trial and sentencing hearing.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the two-day trial, from November 23, 2013 to March 6, 2014, Saterstad received and distributed sexually explicit videos and images containing children over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. In March 2014, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and found 14 different electronic devices belonging to Saterstad. A forensic examination of the seized items revealed over 3,500 images and almost 1000 videos of child pornography. Multiple images and videos contained bondage, bestiality, and infant/toddler victims.
The case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Schiff, Christopher Burton, and Elham Roohani.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to 92 Months for Firearm and Drug Offenses, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that QIYON REED, also known as “Quiyon Reed” and “Gutter,” 36, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and drug offenses, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2013, Reed was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin. He was released from federal prison on October 27, 2017.
On September 12, 2018, New Haven police officers executed a state search warrant at Reed’s New Haven residence and seized a loaded Heritage Manufacturing Stealth C-2000 nine-millimeter, semi-automatic handgun; a loaded Smith & Wesson MP9 Shield nine-millimeter, semi-automatic handgun; a box of .45 caliber ammunition; approximately one gram of cocaine packaged for distribution, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution.
In addition to his prior federal conviction, Reed’s criminal history includes state convictions for possession and sale of narcotics and for carrying a dangerous weapon.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Reed has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on September 12, 2018.
On May 23, 2019, Reed pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Marc H. Silverman.
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.
Monroe man found with 7 kilograms of marijuana and 3 loaded firearms sentenced to 6 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Robert E. Robinson, 45, of Monroe, was sentenced Monday to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He previously pleaded guilty to the federal charges on February 20, 2019.
Law enforcement agents with the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit obtained a search warrant on October 4, 2017, for Robinson’s residence following two undercover buys of marijuana from him. The search yielded more than 7 kilograms of marijuana as well as marijuana butter, marijuana cookies, digital scales and a marijuana grinder. Officers also found three loaded firearms, to include a Rock Island Armory revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition, an Anderson pistol, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and a Smith & Wesson pistol, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. More than 500 rounds of various caliber ammunition were recovered from the residence.
The ATF and the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted 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.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Making Multiple Straw Purchases of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Douglas DeHaven, age 35, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 15, 2019, by U.S. District Court Senior Judge James M. Munley, to serve 18 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release for making false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers in connection with the purchase of firearms.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, DeHaven, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to providing false information regarding the straw purchases of 14 firearms between January 5, 2018 and February 11, 2018. Two of the firearms were purchased from Bella Mia Jewels in Tannersville; nine of the firearms were purchased from Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters, in Brodheadsville; and, three of the firearms were purchased from Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters, in Stroudsburg.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
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Mobile County Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Darrell Eugene Johnson on August 15, 2019 to 262 months confinement for conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 14, 2019, after two days of hearing testimony from approximately 12 witnesses and reviewing documentary evidence, a federal jury convicted the defendant of the above offenses. Evidence in the case included a search warrant of Johnson’s home on May 16, 2017, where Mobile County Street Enforcement Narcotics Team (MCSENT) officers recovered multiple bags of pure methamphetamine totaling almost an ounce, packaged for resale, in the living room and bedroom of the home. Officers also found a .410 gauge Turkish-made shotgun in the home which the defendant falsely claimed belonged to an ex-girlfriend.
In a completely separate investigation on March 10, 2017, Johnson was stopped by a State Trooper east of Montgomery heading north on I-85. He had a small amount of methamphetamine in his vehicle but also had $8,000 in US currency. Johnson was with a girlfriend – the same girlfriend who was with him during the May 2017 search warrant in Mobile. Johnson’s girlfriend testified at trial that the sole reason she and Johnson were headed from Mobile to the Atlanta area was to have an affair since they were both married at the time. But text messages in Johnson’s phone showed that Johnson was travelling to the Atlanta, Georgia area to purchase methamphetamine.
The United States also introduced four separate other traffic stops/vehicle accident investigations in Mobile County, some dating back to 2012, in which Johnson was found in possession of methamphetamine and/or a methamphetamine active “cook.” The case was prosecuted by George F. May, Deputy Criminal Chief and Luis F. Peral, Lead OCDETF Attorney. Approximately twelve separate Special Agents and officers testified in the trial including agents/officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Mobile Police Department and the Prichard Police Department, as well as four separate forensic scientists from the US Customs and Border Protection Laboratory and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Mobile and Auburn, Alabama.
Medina Husband and Wife Arrested, Charged with Selling CocaineRead 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 Anthony Allee, and Tashira Allee, both of Medina, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 22, 2019, a search warrant was executed at the defendants’ residence on Ridge Road in Medina. Investigators seized 11 firearms, numerous articles of property reported as stolen, marijuana, pills believed to be controlled substances, ammunition, scales, bags, and other items of evidence including Tashira Allee's cell phone. The firearms included a Taurus Judge pistol that had been reported stolen in the Town of Tonawanda.
Investigators also searched a barn located behind the main house. Inside, a safe was located. Within the safe, officers recovered prescription pill bottles containing pills, and a loaded Colt .45 ACP pistol. Also seized from the barn were digital scales with white powder residue, plastic bags, ammunition, an SKS rifle and magazine, a Ruger model 10-22 carbine, and marijuana.
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Anthony Allee was detained. Tashira Allee was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Randy Bower, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
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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Maryland Man Arrested for Making Multiple Threats to Injure and Kill HispanicsRead the Press Release
Eric Lin, 35, of Clarksburg, Maryland, was arrested on Friday, August 16, 2019, in Seattle, Washington, after being charged with Making Threatening Communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c) via a criminal complaint filed in Miami. Lin made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Seattle.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
According to allegations in the complaint, between May 30, 2019, and August 13, 2019, Eric Lin made multiple threatening communications via Facebook to injure and kill a South Florida resident and to kill all Hispanics in Miami and other places.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the City of Miami Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria K. Medetis.
A complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Man Taken into Custody after Being Charged with Illegally Exporting Prohibited Manufacturing Equipment to IranRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities have arrested a resident of Iran who is charged in a scheme to ship prohibited items from the United States to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and U.S. sanctions imposed on the nation.
Mehdi Hashemi, who sometimes used the name “Eddie Hashemi,” 46, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran who previously resided in Los Angeles, is charged in a 21-count indictment that was unsealed Monday afternoon.
Hashemi allegedly participated in a conspiracy to illegally export to Iran computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which are used to process raw materials, such as metals, to precise standards. The CNC machines at issue in this case are export-controlled for nuclear non-proliferation and anti-terrorism reasons.
After being taken into custody on Sunday after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Turkey, Hashemi was arraigned on the indictment late Monday afternoon. He entered not guilty pleas, was ordered held without bond, and a trial date was scheduled for October 15.
The indictment outlines a scheme in which Hashemi purchased CNC machines and related equipment from suppliers in the United States and Canada, made arrangements to ship the machines to the United Arab Emirates under false and forged invoices and packing lists, and then arranged to forward the machines from the UAE to Iran. Hashemi purchased the machines on behalf of a Tehran-based company identified in the indictment as “Company A,” an outfit that claimed to manufacture textiles, medical and automotive components, and spare parts.
The indictment outlines illegal shipments of CNC machines and related equipment to the UAE and alleges that Hashemi knew and intended for them to be forwarded to Iran. The indictment also alleges that Hashemi attempted to export CNC machines on several occasions, including two attempts through the Port of Long Beach.
Hashemi also is charged with making false statements to federal authorities in 2018 when he lied about his activities, his knowledge of federal export laws and his intention to send the CNC machines to Iran.
The indictment charges Hashemi with conspiring to violate IEEPA, violating IEEPA, smuggling, money laundering, unlawful export information activities, and making false statements.
A second defendant charged in the indictment – Feroz Khan, of the United Arab Emirates, who allegedly helped to ship CNC machines from the UAE to Iran – is a fugitive.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If he were to be convicted of the 21 charges in the indictment, Hashemi would face a statutory maximum penalty of 320 years in federal prison.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, which has received significant assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George E. Pence IV of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Wisconsin & Kentucky BusinessesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis Tarver, 54, Spring Grove, Minnesota, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud. The wire fraud charge stems from Tarver’s embezzlement from Rapid Die and Molding Company (“RDM”) in Cassville, Wisconsin, and its sister company Hawley Products in Paducah, Kentucky.
Tarver began working for RDM and was eventually promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for RDM and Hawley Products (“the companies”). As the CFO, Tarver was responsible for handling all financial matters for the companies, including, but not limited to, disbursing payments, depositing and transferring funds, and balancing bank accounts. In this role, Tarver had access to and utilized a variety of financial accounts belonging to the companies, including bank accounts, commercial credit accounts, and PayPal.
The government’s investigation revealed that from 2006 until January 2018, Tarver devised and participated in a scheme to embezzle money from the companies. Tarver embezzled money from the companies in a variety of ways, including: 1) using the companies’ credit cards to make personal purchases; 2) using the companies’ checks for personal purchases; 3) issuing the companies’ checks to himself; 4) transferring the companies’ funds to his personal bank accounts using PayPal; and 5) direct transfers from the companies’ bank accounts to his personal bank accounts. For example, on November 30, 2015, Tarver transferred $9,200 from RDM’s PayPal account to his personal PayPal account. Tarver subsequently transferred the $9,200 to his personal account at Navy Federal Credit Union.
The government’s investigation revealed that Tarver used the embezzled funds for a variety of personal expenditures, including home improvements, recreational vehicles, travel, and dining. Tarver also provided the embezzled funds directly to other people as gifts or loans. In total, Tarver embezzled approximately $1,023,000 from the companies.
U.S. District Judge James Peterson scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Tarver faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cassville Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Mail carrier charged with stealing reward certificates on his route in MentorRead the Press Release
A mail carrier from Painesville was charged with stealing reward certificates from the mail.
Keith Ludrowsky, 55, was charged via criminal information with one count of one count of theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to the information:
Ludrowsky, while on his mail route, identified mail in his care that contained Dick’s Sporting Goods rewards certificates. This mail was intended to be delivered to residents on defendant’s route in Mentor. These certificates provided $10, $20, or $50 in store credit for use with online purchases of sporting goods equipment and apparel from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Ludrowsky, between June 2018 and May 2019, stole and used approximately 61 rewards certificates totaling approximately $690. He completed 11 online transactions with stolen rewards certificates to purchase sporting goods and equipment. All merchandise was mailed to Ludrowsky’s residence.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.
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 information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.