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15 August 2019
Cardinal Lawn and Landscape, Inc. and its President both Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Visa FraudRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – William J. Richardet, 64, of Jefferson County, and Cardinal Lawn and Landscape, Inc., of High Ridge, MO, both pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Richardet appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Henry Autrey who accepted his plea and set sentencing for November 12, 2019.
According to court documents, from January 2012 until December 2017, Richardet knowingly caused Cardinal Lawn and Landscape, Inc. (Cardinal) to submit false and fraudulent claims and statements on both Form 9142s (submitted to Department of Labor) and Form I-129s (submitted to Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services) related to Cardinal’s application to receive H-2B Non-Immigrant workers. On these forms, Cardinal and Richardet fraudulently represented that they would seasonally employ foreign workers to provide landscaping and grounds keeping labor exclusively for Cardinal. These statements were falsely made as Richardet intended to lease, and did lease, a number of the foreign workers to various other companies for profit. Over the course of the conspiracy, Cardinal and Richardet leased 74 H-2B Non-Immigrant workers to seven different companies.
“William Richardet and his company, Cardinal Lawn & Landscape, submitted false documents to the U.S. Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to perpetrate a scheme by illegally subcontracting foreign workers he sponsored for H2-B visas. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who defraud worker visa programs for their own personal gain,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Richardet faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Cardinal faces a maximum fine of $500,000 and 5 years probation. In determining the actual sentence, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provides recommended sentencing ranges.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Bateman is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Busby man sentenced to prison for sexually abusing minorRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Busby man who admitting having sex with a minor on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in 2017 was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and to five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Romer Jesse Jaure, 28, pleaded guilty in April to sexual abuse of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said Jaure had sex with a minor in September 2017 at his residence after he and the victim had been drinking and smoking marijuana. The victim told Jaure no but he ignored her. The victim was between the ages of 12 and 16 at the time.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced for Possession of Butyryl FentanylRead 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 Myles Scales, 28, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth T. Molisani, who handled the case, stated that on November 14, 2017, two Buffalo Police Officers observed a blue 2013 Dodge Avenger park in the vicinity of 1310 Broadway for a few minutes before leaving. Approximately 20 minutes later, the officers observed the same vehicle park again near 1310 Broadway, where it once again remained for a few minutes before departing.
The officers followed the vehicle to the intersection of Broadway and Miller Avenue, at which time the defendant jumped out of the front passenger door of the vehicle and shuffled through traffic to the sidewalk. The officers got out of their vehicle and approached Scales who placed his right hand into the pocket of his hoodie. Concerned that the defendant was reaching for a weapon, one the officers took the defendant’s hand and pulled it from the pocket. Scales was clutching a large plastic bag. Inside the bag were nine bundles which contained 81 white and blue-checkered glassine envelopes of butyryl fentanyl.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Committing A Bomb HoaxRead 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 James Timpanaro, 55, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to false information and hoaxes. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel L. Violanti and Brendan T. Cullinane, who are handling the case, stated that on October 26, 2018, the defendant placed an apparent explosive device near the front door of the Buffalo Police Department station house on South Park Avenue in Buffalo. He then placed a second similar-type device in the back of the same police station. Both devices had all the features of a homemade explosive-type bomb, with protruding wires wrapped around a pipe-like instrument. The devices were safely secured by the Erie County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad, the ATF, and the FBI, but were later determined to be “clear of hazard.”
The following day, on October 27, 2018, Timpanaro placed another apparent explosive device near the front of the United States Postal Service, also on South Park Avenue in Buffalo. Once again, the device appeared to be a bomb, with protruding wires wrapped around a pipe-like instrument, with screws and nails. This device also contained a note stating, “RESIST COMMUNISM, THE POLICE STATE AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.” This device was also safely secured and determined to be “clear of hazard.”
On November 2, 2018, the FBI and Buffalo Police executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Richfield Avenue residence. Investigators seized materials consistent with fake bombs, including broom stick handles, shavings, wires, and other materials. Timpanaro was subsequently arrested and charged by criminal complaint.
Later on November 2, 2018, the defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr., who ordered Timpanaro to complete an inpatient psychiatric and alcohol evaluation at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. Between January 26 and January 27, 2019, the defendant failed to comply with Judge Schroeder’s order to abide by all rules and directives of the inpatient treatment program, when he left the facility. Timpanaro was quickly apprehended by the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina; and the U.S. Probation Department, under the director of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Birmingham Psychologist Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding State Medicaid Agency of $1.5 Million by Filing False Claims for CounselingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM— A one-count information filed yesterday in U.S. District Court charges a Birmingham psychologist with defrauding the Alabama Medicaid Agency by filing false claims for counseling services that were not provided, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-OIG Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
SHARON D. WALTZ, 50, operated Capstone Medical Resources in a number of locations around Alabama, with its primary office in Birmingham. Among other services, Waltz provided individual and group counseling sessions for at-risk youth. The information charges that many of the services billed to the Alabama Medicaid Agency were never performed. Waltz has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud Medicaid of at least $1.5 million. Waltz has also agreed to pay restitution to Medicaid in the amount of $1.5 million.
“The greed of this defendant deprived mental health care to many at-risk young people in Alabama, with the focus on profit rather than the efficacy of care,” Town said. “The costs are not just monetary, but have social and health impacts on the entire Northern District. This prosecution, and this investigation, demonstrates what is possible when federal and state law enforcement agencies work together.”
“This defendant was entrusted to provide essential mental health care for young people who were at risk, and to provide these services through an agency with scarce resources for vulnerable Alabamians who are truly in need,” said Attorney General Marshall. “Her actions demonstrate a callous abuse of this trust and a fraud of staggering proportions against the Alabama Medicaid Agency and the taxpayers of our state. Thankfully, the vigilance of this agency served to protect public funds from further misuse and she has been held to account and punished for her crimes.”
“Stealing tax payer dollars meant for vital community services will not be tolerated,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The OIG will continue to work with our partners at the Alabama Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to ensure that fraud schemes such as these are identified and the perpetrators punished.”
An investigation was initiated by the Program Integrity Division of the Alabama Medicaid Agency after an audit showed that Waltz’s billings to the Medicaid Agency had increased from $99,000 in 2015 to more than $2.2 million in 2017. The Program Integrity Division referred its findings to the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after Waltz submitted falsified records during the Program Integrity audit.
A subsequent investigation was conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Office of Investigations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. This investigation determined that the majority of claims submitted by Capstone during 2016 through 2018 were fraudulent and that Waltz submitted and directed her employees to submit claims for counseling services that never occurred, and in some instances for individuals—including family members and friends of employees—who never received services at all.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG, the Alabama Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Program Integrity Division of the Alabama Medicaid Agency, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward and Assistant Attorney General Bruce Lieberman, working as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, are prosecuting.
Attorney Licensed in New Jersey and New York Charged with Marijuana OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manish Patel, 33, of Granite Bay, appeared today in federal court on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute marijuana plants and tetrahydrocannabinols contained in hashish oil, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Patel is a licensed attorney in New Jersey (admitted in 2015) and New York (admitted in 2017). The complaint alleges that Patel conspired to transport marijuana and concentrated cannabis oil across the country using his private airplane, a Learjet. In May and June 2019, law enforcement in California executed search warrants that resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,400 pounds of marijuana contraband and $400,000 in cash.
One of the locations searched was a warehouse being used as a concentrated cannabis manufacturing laboratory, from which detectives seized over 980 pounds of processed marijuana and 88.27 pounds of concentrated cannabis. A second location searched was a Granite Bay mansion rented by Patel that contained processed marijuana, items commonly used to manufacture concentrated cannabis, and over $400,000 cash. In August 2018, the DEA interdicted Patel and several associates at an executive airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico and seized $80,000 in cash. When investigators searched the Learjet in June 2019, it contained 181.51 pounds of dried marijuana and 18.41 pounds of concentrated cannabis. The flight plan for the Learjet showed that it was scheduled to fly to Colorado, then Illinois, and then New Jersey.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado District Attorney’s Office, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Khasigian and Vincenza Rabenn are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Patel faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assault sends Crow Agency man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Crow Agency resident Ralph Kenneth Costa was sentenced today to two years in prison and three years of supervised release after he admitted to assault charges for dragging the victim with his vehicle, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Costa, 34, pleaded guilty in April to assault resulting in substantial injury to a dating partner.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said in court records that the assault occurred on July 4, 2017 as Costa and the victim were driving from Dunmore, on the Crow Indian Reservation, to Hardin. Both were intoxicated. During the trip, Costa got angry with the victim and began hitting her in the head. The victim asked Costa to pull over so she could get out. Costa pulled over on a concrete bridge, and as the victim got out, Costa pulled forward, knocking down the victim. Costa then backed up, pulling the victim under the open door and dragging her on the concrete. A witness who was behind Costa’s vehicle took the victim to the hospital. The victim suffered cuts, abrasions and road rash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Child and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Douglas Fountain, age 30, of Colonie, New York, pled guilty today to eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of transportation of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography.
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, Fountain admitted that on eight occasions between July 2017 and July 2018, he used cell phones to create videos and images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of which included Fountain engaging in sexual acts with the minor. Fountain also admitted to sharing some of those images on a foreign, image-sharing website, and to possessing images of child pornography on his laptop computers, including images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of pre-pubescent girls.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2019 in Albany before Senior United States District Judge, Thomas J. McAvoy. Fountain faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison on each of the sexual exploitation counts, between 5 and 20 years in prison on the transportation count, and up to 20 years in prison on each of the possession counts. Fountain also can be sentenced to at least 5 years and up to lifetime post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Giglio Suarez.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
14 August 2019
Willowick man indicted on child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
A Willowick man was indicted on child pornography charges,
Craig A. Gruden, 37, was indicted on one count of receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of possessing child pornography.
Gruden knowingly received and distributed computer files which contained images of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This took place between August and December 2018, according to the indictment.
Gruden, on July 16, 2019, possessed a computer which contained images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the indictment.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danielle K. Angeli following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
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.
Virgin Islands U.S. Attorney’s Office and Project Safe Neighborhoods Sponsor Camp DEFY: VI Youth Meet with the Legislature of the Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI - United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that approximately 50 V.I. youths are attending Camp DEFY (Drug Education for Youth) this week in St. Thomas with plans for Camp DEFY next week on St. Croix. Camp DEFY is supported by the United States Attorney’s Office through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative and through Weed and Seed. Additional funding is also provided through the PR/VI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) partnership. Camp DEFY trainers and facilitators are provided by the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) and the Virgin Islands National Guard.
Camp DEFY has two phases, In Phase 1, youths attend a one-week residential camp. Over the course of the week, the participants learn important skills such as setting goals, avoiding violent conflicts, and refusing drugs offered by a friend. Camp DEFY uses a variety of activities to develop the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Students are taught in a classroom setting the following topics: substance abuse prevention; self-esteem; setting goals; developing healthy, positive relationships; conflict resolution; citizenship; gang awareness; de-glamorization and hygiene; nutrition, safety, and first aid. Every session of Camp DEFY is designed to foster positive values and a healthy drug-free lifestyle.
"Camp DEFY is a prime example of how federal and territorial law enforcement, community leaders, and concerned citizens are working together to provide recreational opportunities for young Virgin Islanders, delivered with a positive message of hope and empowerment. At Camp DEFY, our young people spend time with role models and caring adults, who encourage them to set goals, dream big, and resist the negative influences of gangs, drugs, and violence," U.S. Attorney Shappert said. "Camp DEFY is a vital part of the PSN prevention initiative in the Territory. While law enforcement and prosecutors work to take violent offenders off the streets, we also collaborate with members of this community who care deeply about the well-being of our children. Today’s trip to the Legislature in St. Thomas provided our young people with an opportunity to see democracy in action and to celebrate their commitment to a drug-free, gang-free future."
In particular, Shappert singled out Jaqueline Freeman, Director of the VIPD Crime Prevention Bureau and Chair of the USVI PSN Law Enforcement Planning Commission for her work in the organization of Campy DEFY. "Director Freeman does an amazing job for VIPD and this community," Shappert said. "We are grateful for her leadership and for the assistance provided by all of our PSN partners and Camp DEFY supporters."
Violent Mexican national sentenced for illegally re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Sadat Alvarez-Sanchez, a Mexican national, has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States after having previously been deported.
“This office continues to collaborate closely with our federal partners to identify and prosecute violent criminals who disregard our immigration laws and unlawfully re-enter the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.
“This case is another example of the important work that the women and men of ICE do daily to keep our communities safe,” said ICE Atlanta Field Office Director Sean Gallagher.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charge, and other information presented in court: Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encountered Alvarez-Sanchez on September 24, 2018, in Hall County, Georgia. At the time, Alvarez-Sanchez was being held at the Hall County Detention Center following his arrest on felony drug charges. ERO officers performed a background check and determined that Alvarez-Sanchez had recently been deported from the United States on April 12, 2018.
Alvarez-Sanchez’s previous deportation resulted from convictions for violent felony offenses in North Carolina, including 2005 convictions for attempted first degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and first degree kidnapping and a 2012 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to seriously injure.
Alvarez-Sanchez, 40, of Veracruz, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Story to two years, six months in federal prison. He will be deported after completing his sentence. Alvarez-Sanchez pleaded guilty on March 25, 2019, to illegally re-entering the United States.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Radics prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Venezuelan National Indicted in ATM "Jackpotting" CaseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Venezuelan national was arraigned in federal court today for allegedly hacking into several ATM machines at a casino in Primm causing the machines to dispense large amounts of cash similar to a jackpot, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
“Our office is committed to investigating and prosecuting all cybercriminals – including computer hackers who illegally ‘jackpot’ ATM machines in Nevada – as they attempt to come up with new ways to circumvent cybersecurity systems,” said United States Attorney Trutanich.
Jesus Ernesto Reyes Garcia, aka “Abraham Meza Cardenas,” 42, was indicted by a Grand Jury on August 6, 2019, with six counts of computer fraud. Reyes Garcia was arrested in California on a federal complaint and appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach. A jury trial is scheduled for October 7, 2019, before United States District Judge James C. Mahan.
According to court documents, in March 2019, the United States Secret Service was contacted regarding tampering with ATM machines in the Primm, Nevada area. It was reported there was a discrepancy between the amount of money requested and the amount actually dispensed. This is an indication of ATM “jackpotting” or a “Man-in-the-Middle” attack. ATM jackpotting refers to the use of malware to exploit the vulnerabilities in ATM machines that result in the machines dispensing more cash than authorized. ATM Man-in-the-Middle attacks refer to the use of a device being inserted into the ATM to effectively tricking the ATM into dispensing cash.
As alleged, from February 18, 2019 to March 3, 2019, Reyes Garcia and others were observed on surveillance video placing an unknown device behind various ATM machines located in the Primm Valley Resort Chevron. While at the ATM, Reyes Garcia allegedly used stolen and fraudulent credit cards to withdraw cash. Each time a $20 withdrawal was requested, $800 or $1,000 would be dispensed. As alleged, Reyes Garcia conducted a total of approximately 150 transactions and fraudulently withdrew a total of about $125,000 in cash.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Chiou.
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U.S. Department of Justice Celebrates the Asset Recovery UnitRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - There are a multitude of duties performed by the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Southern District of Indiana (SDIN) that gain consistent recognition. The Asset Recovery Unit continually works to collect federal debts and forfeit assets related to criminal activity. Each USAO employee in the Asset Recovery Unit works toward one primary objective: to use their best efforts to divest criminals of their property and return the proceeds to victims of crime.
"I am proud of the members of the Asset Recovery Unit for performing great work and for their continued efforts, which have resulted in the large collection of funds and other assets generated from criminal activity," said United States Attorney, Josh Minkler. "The Asset Recovery Unit does important work in making victims of crime whole again."
The Asset Recovery Unit is comprised of two units: the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU) and the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). The two units joined forces in 2012 to form the Asset Recovery Unit. Both of these sectors are significant to tax payers because they collect debts owed to the United States government and victims of crime.
The FLU is responsible for collecting civil and criminal debts that are owed to the United States and victims of crime in a timely, aggressive, and effective manner. Cases opened in the FLU remain open years past their initial debt, but that does not stop new cases from being opened. So far in Fiscal Year 2019 (beginning on Oct. 1, 2018 and ending on Sept. 30, 2019) there have been 381 cases opened. Through the Fiscal Year to date the FLU has collected $5,490,559.
The AFU generally handles the forfeiture of all assets related to criminal activity and/or belonging to a criminal defendant. Cases can be either civil or criminal asset forfeiture litigation. So far into the Fiscal Year the AFU’s efforts have resulted in recoveries of $2,444,262.
"With dedication and resolve, those working in the ARU do everything in their power to make sure that offenders do not profit from their crimes and that victims receive the support and assistance they are entitled to," said First Assistant United States Attorney and former Asset Recovery Unit Manager, John Childress.
Two Georgia Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participating in Fraud that Scammed Iowa VictimRead the Press Release
Two Georgia residents who participated as “money mules” in a scheme to defraud victims across the country out of more than $300,000 were each sentenced today to federal prison.
Ikenna Orakwelu, age 33, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Nigeria, and Schylundye Thomas, age 27, both currently living in Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison terms after previous guilty pleas to wire fraud.
In a plea agreement, Orakwelu admitted that from August 2015 through June 2016, he participated in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals across the country. Orakwelu admitted that he or his wife, who he admitted he recruited and directed in the scheme, controlled multiple bank accounts and that other participates of the scheme lied to businesses and individuals to get the victims to transfer money to these bank accounts. In total, more than $150,000 in fraudulent money was wired into Orakwelu’s bank accounts, though some of the money was recovered by authorities.
Thomas did not know Orakwelu but participated in the same scheme to defraud by also controlling bank accounts into which victims of fraud wired money. Victims from Iowa, Utah, Idaho, and other states all wired money into Thomas’s bank accounts. Overall, more than $290,000 was wired into Thomas’s accounts.
Orakwelu and Thomas were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Orakwelu was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $25,000 in restitution the victims of the scheme. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Thomas was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $237,388.12 in restitution the victims of the scheme. She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Orakwelu was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be. Thomas remains in the custody of the United States Marshall.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-cr-1033.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Two Allegan County Men Indicted for Stealing Nearly $300,000 in Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Picture of James Black and Tyler HarrisThe federal grand jury alleges that James Black and Tyler Harris deceived an elderly victim into paying nearly $300,000 in fraudulent home repairs.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that a federal grand jury indicted James Robert Black (a/k/a “Jim Gribble” and “Victor Valentine”) and Tyler Maurice Harris for their scheme to defraud an elderly Holland, Michigan homeowner out of nearly $300,000. Harris was taken into custody and appeared today before federal Magistrate Judge Ellen Carmody. Black’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Black, age 55, and Harris, 24, are charged together in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Harris also faces a separate charge of welfare fraud. The conspiracy charge carries a possible prison term of 20 years. The welfare fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years.
The indictment alleges that Black and Harris defrauded an elderly Holland homeowner of $298,000 through a fraudulent home repair scheme. The homeowner hired Black, who went by the name “Jim Gribble” to do a roof repair. After that, the defendants persuaded the homeowner to pay almost $300,000 for a series of false problems associated with the project, including dangerous working conditions, employee injuries, lawsuits and tax issues.
The investigation into the activities of Black and Harris remains ongoing. Anyone who believes they have dealt with either man and are the victim of fraud should call Homeland Security Investigations at 616-235-3936 or the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 616-808-2034. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Black should call Homeland Security Investigations at 616-235-3936.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is handling this investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey is handling the prosecution.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Trumbull Man Who Illegally Removed Asbestos at New Haven Property is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Tyler C. Amon, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in New England, announced that ALEKS RAKAJ, 46, of Trumbull, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one year of probation and a $9,500 fine for illegally removing asbestos at a New Haven property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aleks Rakaj and his two cousins purchased a commercial property located at 206-220 Wallace Street in New Haven. Prior to purchasing the property, the realtor informed Rakaj and his cousins that the property contained asbestos. Shortly after the purchase was completed, Rakaj and his cousins failed to abide by laws and regulations concerning asbestos removal, resulting in exposure of those who were at the site to the negative health effects of asbestos.
On November 20, 2015, inspectors from the City of New Haven Health Department, conducting an unannounced inspection, discovered the illegal asbestos removal project at 206-220 Wallace Street. The inspection revealed multiple instances of illegal removal of asbestos-containing “air cell” pipe wrap and asbestos-containing “mag block” tank and boiler insulation. The workers failed to abide by legally required safety measures, failed to perform necessary wetting and failed to dispose of the asbestos-containing waste material at appropriate disposal sites. Inspectors also observed and photographed 100-150 standard garbage bags filled with unlabeled, unwetted asbestos-containing material.
On May 22, 2019, Rakaj pleaded guilty to one count of illegal asbestos removal in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Rakaj’s cousins, Rezart Rakaj, of Ansonia, and Kliton Rakaj, of Monroe, previously pleaded guilty to the same offense. On April 1, 2019, they were each sentenced to one year of probation, a fine of $9,500, and 50 hours of community service.
“The illegal removal of asbestos insulation and the associated removal of scrap pipe and boilers from old buildings continues to be a problem throughout the Northeast,” said EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge Amon. “Inhalation of asbestos fibers can result in lung cancer and it therefore poses significant health risks to all exposed. EPA will continue to hold accountable those who commit such offenses.”
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the City of New Haven Health Department and U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and Elena L. Coronado.
Third Rollover Incident in a Week Nets Charges Against Another Laredo ManRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 28-year-old Laredo resident has been detained on charges of transporting an undocumented alien, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Adrian Zavala is the third young Laredoan to face charges in similar incidents that occurred in just one week.
He waived his preliminary examination and detention hearing today and will now remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The criminal complaint alleges that on Aug. 5, law enforcement attempted make a traffic stop for driving on an improved shoulder when prohibited. According to the charges, the vehicle failed to yield and attempted to flee. Law enforcement observed the vehicle veer off the road and roll over several times. Several people were ejected from the vehicle during the crash, according to the charges.
According to the complaint, there were a total of 12 people inside the vehicle, including Zavala. The other 11 were determined to be undocumented aliens, the complaint alleges.
If convicted of transporting an undocumented alien, Zavala faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez is prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that TREVIAN EDWARDS, age 48, of Crosby, Texas, was sentenced today for conspiring to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
EDWARDS pled guilty on March 27, 2019, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced EDWARDS to a term of (10) ten years imprisonment followed by (5) five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement 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.
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Tennessee Man Convicted of Defrauding Investors in A Snack Company and A Pet Food CompanyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that yesterday, following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, JOEL MARGULIES was convicted of participating in two schemes to defraud more than 50 investors in the Starship Snacks Corporation and the All American Pet Company of more than $2.8 million. MARGULIES made false and fraudulent representations about, among other things, the status of the companies’ products, guarantees that purportedly backed the investments, and the interest of large multi-national corporations in acquiring the companies. The jury also convicted MARGULIES of illegally transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident. Additionally, today, MARGULIES pled guilty before Judge Rakoff to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “Joel Margulies went to trial in Manhattan federal court to face a slew of charges related to defrauding more than 50 investors by making materially false representations about the snack and pet food companies he helped run. As part of his schemes, Margulies used other people’s identities and created falsified documents that were sent to investors, on the basis of which he and his co-conspirators raised more than $2.8 million. Rather than using those funds for their intended purpose of creating dog food bars and caffeinated candies, the co-conspirators spent the money on real estate in Bel Air, Manhattan, and West Palm beach, as well as on plastic surgery, luxury clothing, and the purchase of a Mercedes. Not only was Margulies convicted unanimously by a Manhattan jury, but he also pled guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine to one of his fraud scheme co-conspirators. Margulies’s criminal conduct was as audacious as it was diverse, and he faces a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
According to the evidence presented during the trial and statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
The All American Pet Company Fraud Scheme
From October 2013 through May 2017, MARGULIES, Lisa Bershan, and a co-conspirator raised more than $575,000 in purported loans for the All American Pet Company (“AAPT”), a penny-stock company that produced, marketed and sold food bars and other products for dogs, based on the following misrepresentations, among others: (a) that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) had accepted an “offer in compromise” from AAPT that significantly reduced the back taxes AAPT owed to the IRS; (b) that Bershan had paid to the IRS the amount of this offer in compromise and had thus absolved AAPT of its outstanding tax liability; (c) that Bershan was the beneficial owner of a bank account containing over $6.9 million; (d) that Bershan would personally guarantee some of the loans; and (e) that Nestlé USA had proposed various business deals with AAPT. Margulies held himself out as AAPT’s Vice President for Marketing and Advertising, but in reality he played a number of roles at the company, including communicating with investors and creating fake documents, such as forged bank account statements and letters, to support AAPT’s misrepresentations to investors.
Although MARGULIES and his co-conspirators had promised investors that they would use the loans to help improve AAPT’s manufacturing and distribution capacities, the conspirators instead used those funds largely for their personal expenses, including the rental of a luxury villa in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles where all three of them lived.
In connection with the AAPT fraud scheme, MARGULIES used the stolen identities of three individuals – an IRS employee, a Nestlé Purina employee, and a Manhattan attorney – to create false and fraudulent letters that were sent to AAPT investors to induce them to make loans to AAPT.
The Starship Snack Corporation Fraud Scheme
From approximately August 2015 through August 2017, MARGULIES, Bershan, and a co-conspirator, Barry Schwartz, raised more than $2.3 million from investors in a company originally called the Awake Company and later renamed Starship Snacks Corporation (“Starship”), which purported to be in the business of developing and manufacturing caffeinated snack products, based on the following misrepresentations, among others: (a) that investments in Starship were guaranteed against losses by Bershan; (b) that Starship was going to be acquired by Monster Beverage (“Monster”) in a one-for-one stock exchange; (c) that Starship was engaged in actual product development and had procured samples of chocolate candies infused with caffeine; (d) that MARGULIES and others at Starship had entered into non-disclosure agreements with Monster that prohibited them from discussing Starship’s purported acquisition by Monster and its purported product development. Margulies’s title at Starship was Senior Vice President; he served as the primary point of contact for investors, to whom he made the aforementioned misrepresentations, and he also created a number of fake documents that were used in connection with the Starship fraud.
After receiving funds from Starship investors, Margulies and his co-conspirators used those funds to maintain their own extravagant lifestyles, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on things like luxury clothing, plastic surgery, interior decorating, the rental of a high-end apartment in New York City, and the down payment for a multi-million dollar house in Florida.
The Illegal Firearm Transfer and Narcotics Distribution of Narcotics
In addition to the fraud and identity theft conduct set forth above, the jury also convicted MARGULIES of illegally transferring a firearm and ammunition from Tennessee to Bershan in New York via commercial courier without being a licensed firearms dealer.
Finally, MARGULIES pled guilty today to a narcotics distribution charge that had been severed from the charges that were the subject of the trial. Specifically, MARGULIES pled guilty to a conspiracy to distribute cocaine that lasted from October 2015 through August 2017, during which MARGULIES sent, and caused to be sent, quantities of cocaine via commercial courier in interstate commerce to Bershan.
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JOEL MARGULIES, 75, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was convicted at trial of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in relation to AAPT; aggravated identity theft; securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud in relation to Starship; and illegally transferring a firearm to an out-of-state resident. Today, he also pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; the conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; the aggravated identity carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively to any punishment; the firearm offense carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and the drug conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the Court.
MARGULIES is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Rakoff on December 16, 2019, at 11:00 a.m.
Lisa Bershan and Barry Schwartz each previously pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Rakoff on October 17, 2019 and October 10, 2019, respectively.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the FBI, and thanked the SEC for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Negar Tekeei and Christine Magdo are in charge of the prosecution.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Carjacking with a Sawed Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – David Jones, 20, St. Louis, MO, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for carjacking. Jones appeared today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie White.
According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, the victim and a friend were sitting in a 2008 Malibu in the 1300 block of Ferguson when Jones and two other individuals approached and told them to get out of the car. Members of the group pointed a short-barreled shotgun and handgun at the victims. The victims complied. The three carjackers jumped in the car and drove off.
An hour after the carjacking, members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted the stolen Malibu. The Malibu drove in a reckless and dangerous manner before spinning out of control. Jones exited the driver’s seat. The two others also fled on foot. Jones discarded a loaded sawed off shotgun as he fled. Jones was taken into custody after a foot chase and a struggle with police officers.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan is handling this case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 10 years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Rodney Grant Sullivan, 55, St. Louis, MO, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography. Sullivan appeared before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.
The investigation was started by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office investigated a complaint that Sullivan was looking at child pornography on a computer and cell phone. Officers located the devices and found child pornography images on the cell phone.
Sometime later, St. Charles County Cyber Crimes Task Force officers assisted in locating Sullivan at his employer’s address in Crestwood, Missouri. At that time, Sullivan had a different cell phone with him and allowed the law enforcement officers to examine it. The officers found additional child pornography images on that phone. Some of the images depicted young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Sullivan, who was previously convicted in 2011 of two counts of sexual misconduct involving a child during, was indicted in federal court for Possession of Child Pornography on September 12, 2018. On May 14, 2019, he pleaded guilty to possessing at least 450 images of child pornography on his cell phone between April 1, 2017, and May 4, 2018. He was sentenced today to 10 years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Charles County Cyber Crimes Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
St. Albans Man Pleads Guilty to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A St. Albans man pled guilty today to a federal gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Gary Scott, 35, entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm before United States District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the St. Albans Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Scott admitted that on April 23, 2019, he was driving a vehicle in St. Albans under the influence of narcotics. St. Albans Police Officers responded to the area where the defendant was driving and located his parked vehicle in a parking lot. Officers eventually located Scott in a nearby alley. Scott admitted to the officers that he had marijuana on his person. During a search of Scott, officers located syringes, marijuana, Alprazolam, heroin, and methamphetamine. Officers detained Scott and transported him back to his vehicle. Upon arriving at the vehicle, Scott informed an officer that he had a firearm in the car and that he knew he was not allowed to possess firearms. Officers recovered a loaded .357 Brazteck revolver in the glove box of the vehicle. Scott had previously been convicted of Attempted First Degree Robbery in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Scott faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 6, 2019. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution.
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South Charleston Meth Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A prolific South Charleston methamphetamine trafficker was sentenced to 12 years in prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Mary Haynes, 38, previously pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
“If you deal meth, we’re going to push for the longest sentences possible. Haynes and her co-defendant will be spending 12 and 14 years in federal prison, respectively,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We’re making our communities safer by putting drug dealers behind bars for as long as possible.”
As established by public court filings and hearings, on April 4, 2017, police investigators used a confidential informant to purchase a quarter ounce of pure methamphetamine from Haynes in South Charleston. Haynes’ co-defendant, Jason Haddox, supplied Haynes with the methamphetamine.
On April 7, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant on the house Haynes and Haddox shared in South Charleston. The investigators found around two ounces of pure methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and thousands of dollars of drug trafficking proceeds throughout the house. Haynes told an investigator on-scene that she had trafficked around 20 ounces of methamphetamine per month in the past.
Haddox was previously sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed both sentences. The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Nitro Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the South Charleston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case. The cases were prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Gabe Wohl and Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman.
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South Bend, Indiana Man SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Jeffrey Stoneburner II, age 38, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after his guilty plea to transportation of child pornography, announced U.S Attorney Kirsch.
Mr. Stoneburner was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the child victims.
According to documents in this case, in August of 2018, Mr. Stoneburner sent thirteen images and videos depicting child pornography to another person through an online chat. Mr. Stoneburner admitted that the images and videos he sent depicted child pornography.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Maciejczyk.
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Shreveport felon sentenced for possessing pistolRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Earl Vinson III, 21, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to serve 20 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He previously pleaded guilty to the federal firearm charge on April 10, 2019.
Shreveport police made contact with Vinson on April 24, 2018, outside a restaurant after receiving a call regarding Vinson being a possible suspect in an automobile burglary. The officers found that Vinson was in possession of a Keltec .380-caliber pistol. Vinson admitted that he knew he was not allowed to have a firearm as a convicted felon. He was convicted on December 18, 2017, in state court for accessory after the fact to armed robbery. Under federal law, it is illegal for felons to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath 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.
Serial Bank Robber Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, announced today that TYRONE THOMAS WOODS pleaded guilty to multiple bank robberies and a firearm charge.
WOODS, age 44, of Greensboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder in federal court in Winston-Salem.
WOODS pleaded guilty to four armed bank robberies, one bank robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The armed bank robberies occurred in the following dates and locations:
• May 21, 2018 – SunTrust Bank, 5705 Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC;
• June 20, 2018 – Fidelity Bank, 1035 Randolph St., Thomasville, NC;
• July 23, 2018 – Piedmont Federal Savings Bank, 505 Pineview Dr., Kernersville, NC; and
• November 2, 2018 – Sharonview Federal Credit Union, 4418 Park Rd., Charlotte, NC.
WOODS also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery occurring on October 2, 2018, at PNC Bank, 823 South Main St., Kernersville, NC.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty on the robbery counts of not more than twenty-five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. On the firearm count, the defendant faces a sentence of not less than seven years, nor more than life, that will run consecutive to the sentence imposed for the bank robberies. The defendant will also be subject to a term of supervised release of up to five years, and may be ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing will occur in Winston-Salem on November 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department, Thomasville Police Department, Kernersville Police Department, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa B. Boggs.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Rayshawn Mullins, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a member of a drug trafficking organization led by co-defendant Jose Casado. Between December 2017 and May 2019, the organization distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine out of drug houses located on Clifford Avenue and Treyer Street in Rochester.
Jose Casado would obtain bulk quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and he and other members of the conspiracy would package the substances to be sold to individual drug users. Drug users would contact Jose Casado directly via cellular phone to order quantities of drugs, and Mullins and others would serve as drug runners, delivering the drugs to the customer. On November 28, 2018, the defendant delivered 30 baggies of cocaine and 30 baggies of fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer.
On March 14, 2019, a search warrant was executed at the Clifford Avenue residence used by the drug trafficking organization. Investigators recovered 18 baggies of fentanyl, nine baggies of powder cocaine and nine baggies of crack cocaine, as well as numerous materials used to package controlled substances, 1,800 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, and 50 shotgun shells.
Mullins is one of seven defendants charged in this case; he is the first to be convicted. Charges remain pending against the remaining six defendants. 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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Portland, Maine Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Portland, Maine tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank of the District of Maine.
According to plea documents and statements made in court, Ashraf Eldeknawey operated a tax return preparation business located inside the Ahram Halal Market in Portland during the years 2015 through 2018. Eldeknawey admitted to willfully preparing a false 2015 tax return for two clients that intentionally included overstated self-employment income in order to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and a fraudulently increased refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Eldeknawey admitted that his preparation of false tax returns caused a loss to the government between $40,000 and $100,000.
Eldeknawey faces up to three years in prison, as well as monetary penalties. As part of the plea, Eldeknawey also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of the loss caused by his conduct.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Frank thanked Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and William Guappone of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case. Zuckerman and Frank also commended IRS Criminal Investigation; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit, who investigated the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the Division’s website.
Penn Hills Woman with Felony Conviction Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing 3 Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Latisha Butler, 29, of Penn Hills, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about May 14, 2018, Butler, an individual with a prior felony conviction for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, did knowingly and unlawfully possess a Smith & Wesson Model M&P-15 Rifle, a Smith & Wesson, Model SD9VE handgun, a Diamondback Model DB9 Handgun, and various types of ammunition. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition..
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2019 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Butler. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided assistance to the investigators.
Opelika Woman Sentenced to 42 months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM –An Opelika woman who stole money from the Talladega County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments was sentenced yesterday, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Andrea Payne, 63, to 42 months for wire fraud. Payne pled guilty in April to one-count of wire fraud.
“Our brave first responders often do more with less, so it is especially aggravating when the public trust is violated not only for the sake of greed but at the ultimate expense of public safety,” Town said. “Payne will repay her debt over the next 42 months which comes as little comfort to the citizens protected by the Talladega County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments and the Association itself.”
“This case should send a message to the citizens of North Alabama, if you choose to violate the public trust and steal tax payer dollars, the FBI and our partners will be right behind you,” Sharp said. “Payne will now spend the next several years behind bars reflecting on her actions. I want to extend my personal thanks to the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office and the Talladega County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case.”
According to the plea agreement, Payne previously served as the Treasurer of the Talladega County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments. Between 2012 and 2018, the Association received quarterly checks from the Talladega County Commission as distributions from the two-cent sales tax revenue. The purpose of the distributions was to provide financial assistance to fifteen volunteer fire departments throughout Talladega County. As the Treasurer, Payne was responsible for receiving the funds from the Talladega County Commission and distributing the funds equally among the fifteen volunteer fire departments within Talladega County. Payne was not authorized to receive any compensation for her role as the elected Treasurer and was not authorized to use the funds for personal use. Payne embezzled funds from the Association by using the funds to pay for her personal credit card. The defendant’s scheme resulted in Payne stealing over $640,000 from the Association.
The FBI investigated the case, along with the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office and the Talladega District Attorney’s Office, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark prosecuted.
North Suburban Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A north suburban man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for distributing thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children.
RONALD FEDER offered to give child pornography to an individual he met online in exchange for what Feder thought would be access to molest the individual’s nephew and niece. During a December 2017 meeting in a coffee shop in Lincolnwood, Feder handed the individual a flash drive containing approximately 453 videos and 7,932 images of child pornography. Unbeknownst to Feder, the individual was an undercover law enforcement officer, and the nephew and niece did not exist. Feder was arrested at the coffee shop and has remained in custody since then.
The online communication and coffee shop meeting occurred while Feder was free on bond in connection with a previous child pornography charge.
Feder, 32, of Skokie, pleaded guilty earlier this year to child pornography charges in both cases. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Tuesday imposed a total sentence of 25 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Brian Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; Leo Lamont, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Resident Agency Great Lakes; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and Josh Kaul, Wisconsin Attorney General. Substantial assistance was provide by the Skokie Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Dixon and Jennifer Maguire.
In the first case against Feder, a grand jury in Chicago indicted him in 2016 for possessing a sexually explicit image of a minor under the age of twelve. The conduct occurred while Feder was working as a civilian employee of the Armed Forces and living overseas. Feder initially pleaded not guilty to that charge and was ordered released on bond in September 2016, with a condition of the release prohibiting him from accessing the internet.
Feder violated the bond condition when he went online and began communicating with the undercover officer. Using the online aliases “Tom Bradly” and “Jack Wayne,” Feder engaged in online and telephone communications with the undercover officer prior to the meeting in the Lincolnwood coffee shop.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Noel Man Charged with Kidnapping Murder Victim's DaughterRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Noel, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with kidnapping the 4-year-old daughter of a woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase last month.
Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, 37, a Somali national, was charged in a criminal complaint filed late Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Mahamed is not in federal custody and is a fugitive from justice.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, the body of Jessica McCormack, of Noel, was discovered on July 29, 2019, near Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Mo., and Noel. The last time McCormack was seen alive, the affidavit says, was when law enforcement officers responded to a call at her home on July 16, 2019. Also present in the residence were Mahamed, who was identified as McCormack’s paramour, and McCormack’s three daughters, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 (four years old), Jane Doe 2 (two years old), and Jane Doe 3 (six months old). Jane Doe 2 is Mahamed’s daughter.
McCormack’s children could not be located after her body was discovered and identified. An Amber Alert was issued for McCormack’s three children, who were located at a residence in Des Moines, Iowa, and taken into state custody on Aug. 8, 2019. According to the affidavit, a woman who formerly worked with Mahamed at the Tyson plant in Noel told law enforcement officers that Mahamed arrived at her Des Moines residence with the children on Aug. 5, 2019. She discovered he had left on Aug. 8, 2019, the affidavit says, when she found a note from Mahamed informing her that he could not care for the children.
Investigators confirmed with the father of McCormack’s oldest child that Mahamed did not have his consent to take Jane Doe 1 outside the state of Missouri. The biological father of Jane Doe 3 cannot be positively identified at this time.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 439 Months for Accessory to Murder, Carjacking, Robbery, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that KWAME FLEMING, age 28, of New Orleans, was sentenced today for one count of accessory to murder through use of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j), two counts of carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119, two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
FLEMING pled guilty on July 30, 2018, to the above-described offenses. According to court documents, FLEMING assisted two individuals who committed a murder on June 1, 2015, in New Orleans, in attempting to hinder and prevent their apprehension, trial, and punishment.
Furthermore, FLEMING took part in two carjackings, during which firearms were brandished.
FLEMING committed a Hobbs Act robbery, during which FLEMING and his co-conspirators stole items from a residence in Mississippi, including marijuana and an assault rifle.
Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced FLEMING on the accessory to commit murder count to 151 months imprisonment as well as (3) three years of supervised release. FLEMING was sentenced on the carjacking counts to 151 months imprisonment as well as (3) three years of supervised release. On the Hobbs Act robbery, FLEMING was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment as well as (3) three years of supervised release. On the two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, FLEMING was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment, to be served consecutively, followed by (3) three years of supervised release. Finally, for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, FLEMING was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, to be served consecutively, as well as (3) three years of supervised release. FLEMING was also sentenced to pay $5,320 in restitution.
“Today’s sentencing signifies a “win”, not only for the dedicated law enforcement personnel responsible for investigating and prosecuting Mr. Fleming, but also for to those personally affected by the crimes, as well as the entire community,” stated U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser. “Violent criminals, intent on victimizing our citizens, will not be tolerated and they will continue to be vigorously pursued by law enforcement in order to be held accountable for their criminal actions.”
“This was a long, complex case, but now justice has been served. We hope this sentencing can help bring closure to the families and friends of those who were needlessly victimized during a violent spree of murder, robberies, and carjackings,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “Agents from ATF New Orleans along with our law enforcement partners were relentless in the pursuit of justice in this case. We will continue to work together to protect the public by removing violent criminals from our communities.”
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the Zachary Police Department, and the Wilkinson County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih and Trial Attorney Joseph K. Wheatley, of the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Department of Justice, are in charge of the prosecution.
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.
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New Haven Doctor Charged with Unlawfully Prescribing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging DR. JENNIFER FARRELL, 37, with 35 counts of distribution of narcotics without a legitimate medical purpose.
As alleged in the indictment, Farrell was a medical resident at Yale New Haven Health (“YNHH”) in the Emergency Department from July 2017 until June 2019. From March 2018 to March 2019, Farrell wrote at least 35 prescriptions for oxycodone for non-legitimate medical purposes outside the scope of her professional practice in the name of at least five individuals. Farrell did not see any of the individuals for any medical purpose at any YNHH facility during the entire period of her residency.
If convicted, Farrell faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
Farrell was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 31, 2019, and is released on a $200,000 bond.
Farrell, who was living in New Haven at the time of her arrest, is currently residing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Group, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
Navajo Man from Smith Lake Sentenced to 18 Years for Federal Aggravated Child Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Galvan L. Betonie, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Smith Lake, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 216 months of imprisonment for his conviction on two aggravated child sexual abuse charges.
Betonie previously pleaded guilty to the two charges on April 18, 2019. In his plea agreement, Betonie admitted committing the crimes in Indian Country in McKinley County, N.M., on Nov. 18, 2016. According to the plea agreement, Betonie sexually abused a child who had not attained the age of twelve years.
The case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Middletown Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Meth, Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EUGENE CARLIN, 59, of Middletown, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Carlin’s Middletown residence and seized approximately 170 grams of d-methamphetamine hydrochloride of very high purity. Carlin subsequently admitted that, for over a year, he worked with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Middletown area.
The investigation further revealed that Carlin he helped clients to prepare and file false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.
In 2007, Carlin was convicted in Hartford federal court of tax evasion, and aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. That matter also involved Carlin helping clients of his tax preparation business to file false returns. In August 2007, Carlin was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, and six months of home confinement. He also agreed to refrain, permanently, from preparing tax returns for other people.
As part of the resolution of this case, Carlin has been ordered to forfeit $100,000, which represents his proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine.
On October 26, 2018, Carlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine, and one count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and Middletown Police Department, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
Meth Trafficker Gets over 20 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A dangerous methamphetamine trafficker was sentenced to 20 years and 6 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Bruce Lee Boardman, 38, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime
“A sentence of over 20 years and Boardman had an extensive history of violence. Since I became United States Attorney, the average length of sentence has more than doubled. We are tough on those involved in drug and gun crimes,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Boardman was a violent meth dealer that earned every year and month of his prison sentence.”
As established by public court filings and hearings, on June 30, 2017, police in Nitro, West Virginia, stopped Boardman for driving his truck erratically. Boardman had a revoked license because of a previous DUI conviction. Due to an odor of marijuana, officers searched Boardman’s truck and found marijuana, almost 50 grams of methamphetamine, and a digital scale. Officers also found two loaded pistols under the driver’s and passenger’s seats.
On December 12, 2017, police investigators used a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Shaine Ray Dingess at a house in Nellis, West Virginia. The informant’s hidden camera captured Boardman inside the home supplying Dingess with approximately a quarter ounce of methamphetamine. During the drug transaction, Boardman was holding a pistol in his hand.
The United States argued that Boardman’s extensive criminal history included many convictions for dangerous and violent crimes, justifying a lengthy sentence.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Gregory McVey and Drew O. Inman prosecuted the case.
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Mercer County Woman Sentenced for Theft of Social Security Income MoneyRead the Press Release
Defendant fraudulently obtained over $77,000 dollars in benefits
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Kimberly Hall was sentenced to federal prison for one year and a day for the felony offense of fraudulently obtaining Social Security income benefits, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Hall, 43, of Bluefield, previously entered a guilty plea on March 21, 2019. She was ordered to pay restitution back to the United States Treasury in the amount of $77,717 and will be placed on supervised release for three years after she discharges her prison sentence. Stuart praised the work of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA-Office of Inspector General (OIG).
“A despicable, heinous, selfish crime. Social Security benefits are critical for so many West Virginia families,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We’re not going to tolerate anyone stealing from this or any other federal benefits program.”
Hall applied for Title II Social Security benefits in 2007 and to be a representative payee for a minor child. These Social Security benefits are based on income and living arrangements and create a duty to report a change in income or living arrangements. From 2011 to 2016, the minor child no longer resided in Hall’s home. Hall did not report this change in living arrangements, which would have lowered the amount of money she was receiving each month. Rather, Hall indicated that the minor child resided at her home when the child no longer resided with her. From August 2011 through September 2016, Hall received $77,717 of Social Security benefits in excess of the amount she was due. On November 9, 2016, Hall gave a false statement to a SSA claims representative concerning the minor child. SSA-OIG investigators investigated the claims and Hall admitted to them that the she had given false statements and that the minor child no longer resided at her home. She also knew that she was receiving money that she was not entitled to receive.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.
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Local Pastor Charged with Coercing Minor FemaleRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The pastor of a Sharonville church has been charged federally with coercing a minor female in a criminal complaint that details interactions with two alleged victims.
Cesar Agusto Guerrero, Jr., 41, of Liberty Township, was charged federally on August 9. The criminal complaint was unsealed today following Guerrero’s initial appearance in federal court at 2:30pm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Sharonville Police Chief Steve Vanover announced the charges.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the Sharonville Police Department received several complaints on August 7 regarding the pastor of Mision Cristiana el Calvario Church and a minor female victim.
Guerrero allegedly contacted the 17-year-old victim through the Facebook Messenger app and told the victim he had dreamt of her dressed in white and walking in a dark place. The victim told the pastor she had been sexually molested in Guatemala.
It is alleged Guerrero told the victim that God was speaking to him and the only way to get out of the dark place was for her to have sexual relations with Guerrero. The pastor allegedly referred to this as a “cleansing process.”
The affidavit details that Guerrero requested a nude video call with the victim as well as photos of her genitalia. He cited several biblical verses while making the request.
Further, it is alleged the victim met with the pastor at the Sharonville church on July 30. At that time, the pastor allegedly said he would “free her mouth” by having the victim perform oral sex on him. The pastor also allegedly raped the victim.
On August 9, officials with the FBI and Sharonville Police received information from a second alleged victim. According to the affidavit, the second victim had been sexually assaulted by the pastor on more than one occasion, beginning when the victim was 14 years old.
Guerrero allegedly told the second victim to show him how she kissed her boyfriend before assaulting her and telling her if she was a child of God she would obey him.
It is also alleged that Guerrero sexually assaulted this second victim on another occasion at his home.
Guerrero was arrested last week on state charges and was transferred to federal custody today.
Coercing a minor is a federal crime punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison.
If you believe you are also a victim in this case, or have relevant information related to Guerrero, please contact the FBI tip line at 513-979-8822.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Sharonville Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Unregistered Sawed Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Hamlin, West Virginia man pled guilty to being in possession of a sawed off shotgun that was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffery Turley admitted that on March 17, 2018, he was in possession of a sawed off shotgun that was not registered.
Turley faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on November 30, 2019.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. United States District Judge Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher R. Arthur is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, 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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Last Defendant Sentenced in a Multi-Defendant Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Nathan Cavin, 38, of St. Louis, MO, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his involvement in a multi-defendant methamphetamine conspiracy in the Eastern District of Missouri. Cavin appeared today before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey.
According to court documents, in April 2017, a multi-pound supplier of methamphetamine was identified, who had several sources of supply for drugs in Oklahoma City and Kansas City. Eleven people were indicted and connected to this conspiracy, which was responsible for at least 40 kilograms of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was transported to the St. Louis area from Oklahoma City and Kansas City between April and August 2017. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately nine kilograms of methamphetamine, 11 guns (including a silencer and a short-barrel rifle) and $148,000 in U.S. currency.
Defendants also sentenced in the conspiracy are as follows:
Eric Broadaway, 49, 120 months in prison;
Keith English, 27, 180 months in prison;
Tommy Hopkins, 37, 144 months in prison;
Brandon Jones, 36, 135 months in prison;
Dione Schwartz, 50, 120 months in prison;
Bryan Warren, 40, 180 months in prison and;
David Wilson, 38, 60 months in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Drug Task Force and the St. Ann Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Koppenaal handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Las Vegas Man Indicted on Federal Extortion ChargeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man was arraigned in federal court today for extorting $100,000 from another person who was visiting Las Vegas, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Fredi Kazimirsky, 27, was arraigned on an indictment that charged him with one count of use of a facility of interstate commerce to promote extortion before United States District Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach. A Grand Jury returned the indictment on August 7, 2019.
According to court documents, Kazimirsky and the victim had an intimate encounter at a hotel room on the Las Vegas Strip. Approximately two months later, he and the victim planned to meet again, but they did not meet each other. On June 27, 2019, Kazimirsky sent text messages to the victim stating he had footage of their prior sexual encounter and he would sell the video to a porn site if the victim did not give him $100,000 in cash. On June 28, 2019, Kazimirsky agreed to meet the victim at a hotel room to receive the extortion money. When he arrived at the hotel, he was taken into custody by law enforcement. During an interview with agents from the FBI, Kazimirsky admitted to sending the text messages to the victim.
A jury trial is scheduled for October 7, 2019, before United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon. If convicted, the maximum penalty is five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Dickinson is prosecuting the case.
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La Grange Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a Federal grand jury in Greenville has returned an eleven-count indictment charging Jeremy Dwight Lane, age 38, of La Grange, North Carolina, with ten counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that beginning at a time unknown and ending on June 12, 2017, LANE received at least ten images containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment further alleges that on June 12, 2017, Lane was found to be in possession of digital media containing images and videos involving minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted of these charges, LANE would face a statutory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years per count. He also would face up to a lifetime of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national initiative, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case for the government.
Kentwood Resident Charged with Stealing Identites as Part of Nationwide Prostitution SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DOMINIQUE ALAINA BERRY, age 30, a resident of Kentwood, Louisiana, was charged today in a two-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and interstate transportation and use of an interstate facility with intent to carry on unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 1343, 1344, and 1952(a)(3), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.
According to the bill of information, BERRY and R.S. met in about early 2013 and soon developed a romantic relationship. Thereafter, BERRY began working for an escort agency under R.S.’s supervision, often engaging in prostitution activities. BERRY and R.S. travelled nationally engaging in their prostitution scheme. BERRY often used the alias “Desiree Knowles.” Thereafter, the enterprise evolved into one that involved meeting individuals online who were interested in companionship, arranging face-to-face interactions with them, and incapacitating them by giving them illegal drugs and prescription medication with neuro-suppressive side effects, including anti-psychotic medications, which the victims unknowingly ingested. BERRY and R.S. would then steal the victims’ valuables. Between at least November 2015 and September 2017, R.S. and BERRY implemented the scheme on not fewer than fifty (50) occasions throughout the United States, including in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. BERRY and R.S. were arrested at a hotel in Sandy Springs, Georgia, on September 13, 2017. When law enforcement authorities found BERRY at the hotel, she was bleeding from her nose, had a swollen lip and puncture consistent with her teeth biting through her lip, and black electrical tape around one of her arms.
According to the bill of information, on about February 24, 2017, BERRY met S.A., a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, through a social media application. After exchanging text messages and phone calls, BERRY and S.A. agreed to meet at S.A.’s apartment. Thereafter, R.S. dropped BERRY off at S.A.’s apartment. While at S.A.’s apartment, BERRY placed drugs designed to incapacitate S.A., including multiple anti-psychotic medications, into S.A.’s beverages without his knowledge or authorization. After S.A. lost consciousness, BERRY told R.S. that S.A. was incapacitated, and R.S. returned to S.A.’s residence. Thereafter, R.S. and one or more conspirators stole S.A.’s valuables, including his wallet, two cellular phones, his keys, and his 2012 Toyota Tacoma truck. On February 25, 2017, BERRY and R.S. used S.A.’s debit card to make multiple purchases in the New Orleans area. Additionally, on February 25, 2017, detectives with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a wellness check at S.A.’s residence and found him to be deceased. Among its findings, toxicology tests found anti-psychotic medications in S.A.’s body and determined them to have contributed to his death.
If you believe you are a victim of these criminal activities, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324), and reference this case.
If convicted, BERRY faces a maximum term of seven (7) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, and Elizabeth Privitera, supervisor of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Keithville convicted felon sentenced to seven years in federal prison for illegal possession of pistolRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Michael Roy Reed, 44, of Keithville, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to serve seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a .380-caliber pistol. Reed previously pleaded guilty on February 12, 2019, to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Shreveport Police received a call on January 23, 2018, from a concerned citizen about a Colt, Model: Mustang XSP, .380-caliber pistol. The caller informed the police that he had received the firearm from Reed as payment for performing work on Reed’s truck. After investigating the matter further, police officers learned that the Mustang Colt pistol was one of seven firearms reported stolen from a pawn shop days earlier and that Reed was a convicted felon.
Reed was convicted in Ouachita Parish on July 8, 2013, for illegal possession of stolen things, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Reed was indicted September 27, 2018. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Allison D. Bushnell 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.
Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man was convicted of a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Shyqwon Carter, 21, of Charleston, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Charleston Police Department and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“Marijuana, meth, guns and cash,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “If you are distributing illegal drugs, whether it’s marijuana, meth, heroin, or any other controlled substance, we will prosecute you.”
Carter resided with family in Charleston, West Virginia. On May 17, 2018, MDENT detectives arrived at this residence to execute an arrest warrant issued by Kanawha County Circuit Court for Carter’s arrest. Detectives were given permission to search the home by a family member. Officers recovered two loaded .40 caliber Glock handguns, one of which was stolen, over 100 grams of marijuana, several baggies of marijuana, methamphetamine, and digital scales. Over $4,000 cash was found in Carter’s pants pocket. Detectives believed there to be additional marijuana in the area and ultimately obtained a search warrant for an abandoned vehicle outside of Carter’s home. Inside the car, detectives seized additional marijuana, two more loaded firearms, and ammunition. In all, MDENT officers recovered over 10 pounds of marijuana that Carter intended for distribution.
Carter is facing up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on November 12, 2019. Assistant United States Attorney L. Alexander Hamner is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.
SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Justice Department Commends Federal Communications Commission on its Important Step Toward Approving the T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction and Divestiture to DishRead the Press Release
Chairman Ajit Pai of the Federal Communications Commission announced today that his office has circulated a draft order approving the combination of T-Mobile and Sprint along with the divestiture of Sprint’s prepaid business to Dish Network Corp. Just as the Department determined last month, the FCC’s draft order concludes that the merger and divestiture should move forward. As the FCC explained, the circulation of the draft order means that the matter is now ready for consideration by the full Commission.
“I commend the FCC on passing this important milestone toward approval of the merger and divestiture, and congratulate them on completing their thorough review and analysis,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are now one step closer to strengthening competition for high-quality 5G networks that will benefit American consumers nationwide.”
The Department’s Antitrust Division, along with the offices of five state Attorneys General (Plaintiff States), filed a civil antitrust lawsuit on July 26 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the Department and the Plaintiff States filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the Department’s and the Plaintiff States’ competitive concerns. The participating state Attorneys General offices represent Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, T-Mobile and Sprint must divest Sprint’s prepaid business, including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint prepaid, to Dish Network Corp., a Colorado-based satellite television provider. The proposed settlement also provides for the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish. Additionally, T-Mobile and Sprint must make available to Dish at least 20,000 cell sites and hundreds of retail locations. T-Mobile must also provide Dish with robust access to the T-Mobile network for a period of seven years while Dish builds out its own 5G network.
T-Mobile US Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. In 2018, T-Mobile posted revenues of more than $43 billion. Deutsche Telekom AG, a German corporation headquartered in Bonn, Germany, is the controlling shareholder of T-Mobile US Inc.
Sprint Corporation is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. In 2018, its posted revenue was over $32 billion. Sprint is controlled by SoftBank Group Corp., a Japanese Corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Jury convicts Billings man of meth trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A jury on Wednesday convicted Billings resident Charles Eugene Venditti of methamphetamine trafficking crimes, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The trial began on Monday.
The jury found Venditti, 42, guilty of all five counts in an indictment, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and three counts of distribution.
Venditti faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen set sentencing for Jan. 14, 2020. Venditti is detained.
“Mr. Venditti’s conviction sends the message that those who sell meth will be held responsible for pushing this poison in the community. I want to commend the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the prosecution team for their work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that law enforcement received information in May 2018 that Venditti was distributing meth. Law enforcement worked with a confidential informant to make three monitored meth buys from Venditti. Two of the buys occurred at Venditti’s tattoo business at 145 Grand Ave., and one occurred in Venditti’s vehicle. Each purchase was for an ounce of meth for $800.
Law enforcement served search warrants in June 2018 on Venditti’s residence and tattoo business and on another person’s residence. The search found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth at Venditti’s residence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Godfrey and Colin Rubich 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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Jury Convicts Three Men of Trafficking Nearly $17 Million Dollars of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 14, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Three defendants were convicted by a federal jury on charges stemming from their efforts to traffic approximately 734 kilograms (1614 pounds) of cocaine -- worth nearly $17 million dollars -- on the high seas. The verdict came yesterday afternoon after a 10-day trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California before the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino.
At trial, the United States proved that on May 24, 2017, a United States Maritime Patrol Aircraft spotted a suspicious vessel alongside multiple packages of suspected floating contraband in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 364 nautical miles south of Chiapas, Mexico. The patrol aircraft notified the nearby the United States Coast Guard Cutter WAESCHE, which launched two small boats to intercept the vessel. The United States Coast Guard found Defendants aboard a vessel approximately 50 yards away from 15 bales of cocaine. The United States Coast Guard detained the defendants, recovered the cocaine, and transported them to the United States.
“This verdict is a result of the dedication of our law enforcement partners at the Coast Guard and DEA as well as the excellent trial advocacy of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis DiGiacco, Victor Pablo White, and Nicole Bredariol,” said U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. “Stopping dangerous drugs before they reach our shores is a key priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and we will continue to target these maritime smuggling routes to protect the citizens of our district.”
“These smugglers have been brought to justice thanks to the dedication of the cutter Waesche’s officers and crew,” said Rear Adm. Peter W. Gautier, Eleventh Coast Guard District Commander. “This seizure adds to the thousands of kilograms of deadly narcotics seized at sea every month through the efforts of the Coast Guard, our partner agencies, and partner nations. Together we will continue our determined fight against narcotics trafficking and the criminal networks that threaten our country.”
“We may not have a wall at sea, but we do have an elite group of DEA Agents working from South America, Central America and Mexico to protect the land, sea and air borders in San Diego and Imperial Counties,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “Utilizing all tools available, DEA merges actionable intelligence with the capabilities of other agencies to unleash the Coast Guard’s fury to stop drugs from getting to the United States. One Team, One Goal – to keep Americans safe and free from the scourge of illegal drugs.”
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
The defendants will be sentenced on November 15, 2019 before the United States District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
DEFENDANT Case No. 17-CR-1585-JLS
Jorge Ivan Cobena-Laje (41)
Jose Manuel Murillo-Pivaque (33)
Diomedes Valverde-Magla (65)
CHARGES
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel - 46 U.S.C. §§ 70503 and 70503(b)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $10,000,000 fine
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel
46 U.S.C. § 70503
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $10,000,000 fine
AGENCIES
U.S. Coast Guard
Drug Enforcement Administration
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Taskforce (OCDETF)
Hudson Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Crack Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – William “Whoody” Morrison, age 32, of Hudson, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for his involvement in a crack cocaine distribution ring that operated in Columbia County. Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy ordered that the sentence run consecutive to a 36-month term of imprisonment Morrison is serving for violating supervised release conditions imposed as part of a 2011 federal drug conviction.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent of the New York State Police; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Chief L. Edward Moore of the Hudson Police Department.
As part of his guilty plea, Morrison admitted that between August and December 2017, he was involved in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in Columbia County. The defendant further admitted that members of the conspiracy made weekly trips to New York City where they purchased hundreds of grams of powder cocaine, returned it to Hudson, converted it to crack cocaine, and then sold it to customers. The defendant admitted that the organization sold at least 464 grams of crack cocaine between August and December 2017.
Judge McAvoy also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release, to begin after Morrison’s release from prison.
This case was investigated by the New York State Police’s Special Investigations Unit in Albany, the FBI, and the Hudson Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Joshua R. Rosenthal.