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Thursday 20 June 2019
Child porn conviction sends Helena man to prison for 10 yearsRead the Press Release
HELENA—A Helena man who admitted receiving child pornography was sentenced today to 121 months in prison and to a lifetime of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
William Sears Stebbins, 63, pleaded guilty in April to receipt of child porn.
Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell presided. Judge Lovell also ordered Stebbins to pay $21,000 restitution and to forfeit a tablet.
The case began in September 2018 when agents from the Helena Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force got a CyberTipline report from Google that a user had uploaded child porn files, prosecution court records said. Google also provided information that Stebbins was the user of the email account.
An investigation found that the email account had about 6,000 child porn images and that Stebbins, who had worked in Bozeman, had recently moved to Helena to live with a relative. A search of the relative’s home found that Stebbins was in a camper in the yard. Agents seized a tablet found in the camper, and a search of the tablet determined that it contained about 900 images child porn. Stebbins admitted to investigators that the email account was his.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Helena Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
David Vogelpohl, age 21, from Vista, California, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Vogelpohl admitted that, in 2018, he persuaded, induced, or enticed a female under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Vogelpohl remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Vogelpohl faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $5,100 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Mason City Police Department, the North Platte, Nebraska, Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 18-3053.
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Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-Hire and Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
Leon Campbell, a citizen of Jamaica, pled guilty yesterday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to murder-for-hire conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. When sentenced, Campbell faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million. The plea took place before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.
“Leon Campbell showed total disregard for human life, seeking to have a hired gun kill someone he suspected of being a federal informant,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The commendable work by our law enforcement partners prevented a murder from taking place.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshal Service, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.
According to court filings and facts presented at Campbell’s guilty plea and co-defendant Ronald Williams’ trial last year, on April 26, 2013, DEA agents followed Campbell as he was making a delivery of marijuana to a customer in Brooklyn. Campbell spotted the agents and fled, suspecting his customer was an informant who had provided information to federal law enforcement. On April 30, 2013, Campbell called Williams and offered to pay him $5,000 to kill the suspected informant. Williams agreed to commit the murder and chose a gang member to carry out the contract. Subsequently, when Campbell told Williams that he would personally kill the suspected informant but needed an alibi, Williams responded that it would be better to pay someone else to do the job and “get it right.” The murder was not carried out.
Williams was convicted in January 2018 of all counts, including murder-for-hire conspiracy, following a two-week trial before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Reilly and Hiral D. Mehta are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:LEON CAMPBELL (also known as “Country”)
Age: 41
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-419 (LDH)
Bridgeport Resident Charged with Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Overdose Death of Trumbull ManRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a grand jury in Hartford has returned a four-count indictment charging JOHN MATTHEWS, also known as “Jay” and “Gotti,” 34, and DEANDRA BLOSCHICHAK, also known as “Tash” and “Tosh,” 19, both of Bridgeport, with fentanyl distribution offenses.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
The indictment was returned on June 12, 2019, and was unsealed yesterday after Bloschichak was arrested. Matthews is currently in state custody on related charges.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, on November 1, 2018, a 35-year-old man in Trumbull died of a drug overdose. The Connecticut Medical Examiner subsequently determined the victim’s death was caused by acute fentanyl intoxication. The investigation revealed that Matthews sold the victim the fentanyl that caused the victim’s death.
It is further alleged that Matthews and Bloschichak conspired to distribute fentanyl between September and November 2018.
The indictment charges Matthews and Bloschichak with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and heroin, and each with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. These charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
The indictment also charges Matthews with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of another person. If convicted of this charge, Matthews faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
“As alleged, John Matthews sold the fentanyl that caused the death of a Trumbull man last November,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “In 2018, more than 1,000 Connecticut residents died by drug overdose, and fentanyl was a contributing substance in the vast majority of those overdoses. Drug dealers who continue to profit from the deadly opioid trade are warned: When a toxicology report clearly determines the substance that caused an overdose death, and the investigation reveals the indisputable source of that substance, our Office is prepared to charge this very serious, 20-year mandatory minimum offense.”
“Fentanyl is causing great damage to our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “Those who distribute fentanyl are endangering the safety of the citizens of Connecticut. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, county and state law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Trumbull Police Department and Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Michael Gustafson.
Brewer Man Sentenced to Three Years for Lying to a Federal Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Floyd Chase, 49, of Brewer, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee. He pled guilty on November 26, 2018.
According to court records, in late February 2018, Brewer police seized a .380 caliber handgun, crack and heroin while executing a narcotics trafficking search warrant at his residence. A trace of the firearm revealed that it had been purchased about ten days earlier at an area firearms dealer. The ensuing investigation revealed that the defendant and at least two others agreed to lie to the dealer about who was the actual purchaser of the firearm, when, in fact, it was the defendant.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Brewer Police Department, with assistance provided by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements Concerning South Boston School ShootingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national pleaded guilty today in connection with sending a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that threatened an armed attack on a South Boston school in 2018.
Clebio P. De Lima, 43, a Brazilian national previously residing in Quincy, pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal authorities. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2019.
In February 2018, USCIS’ Boston Office received an unsigned letter handwritten in Portuguese stating that an individual identified by the name of “Mario” was going to carry out an attack at a South Boston school. The letter stated that Mario had purchased two firearms and that he was looking to buy more. The letter concluded by stating, “I invite you to take action, I trust in you. Thank you for the great security of this country.”
Following an investigation, it was determined that the allegations in the letter were false, and that De Lima sent the letter to USCIS hoping that the federal government would arrest his ex-wife’s boyfriend. During a subsequent interview with federal law enforcement agents in September 2018, De Lima falsely denied any knowledge about the unsigned letter sent to USCIS.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the FBI Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney George P. Varghese of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Beverly Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Threatening Letters and White Powder to an Online Dating WebsiteRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Beverly man pleaded guilty today to sending nine letters, one of which contained a white powder the defendant described as anthrax and another containing a red substance he described as blood infected with the AIDS virus, to the online dating website OkCupid.com.
Liam MacLeod, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications and two counts of conveying false information and hoaxes. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Sept. 18, 2019.
Between September and December 2017, OkCupid’s corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, received nine mailings containing either threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. All of the mailings were addressed to OkCupid’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
On or about Sept. 12, 2017, MacLeod mailed an envelope addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas containing a suspicious white powder, along with a handwritten letter with the following text:
Greetings from Beverly
Ban me will ya
Welcome to the wonderful world of ANTHRAX
Expect a package within the next couple of days
It won’t be ticking but it should be interesting!
MacLeod mailed another envelope on or about Sept. 14, 2017 addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas containing a typewritten letter with the following message, amongst other text:
How’d you like what I sent you? Aww, go take a powder. Oh, the things I have in store for you! I can go on like this for years. How long can you last?
Incidentally, my father was an angel: That’s Hell’s
Angel to you. You see, we have some pull. Take for
example your vehicles. We now know who owns
what, and where each of you parks his.
Hmm, think of the possibilities!
A third envelope was sent by MacLeod on or about Sept. 20, 2017 to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas. The envelope and the single piece of white paper it contained each had significant red-brown staining consistent with blood. The next day, MacLeod mailed another letter addressed to OkCupid’s CEO containing a typewritten letter wherein MacLeod indicated that the red-brown staining on the previous letter was blood infected with the AIDS virus.
Between Oct. 4, 2017 and Dec. 21, 2017, MacLeod mailed five additional envelopes addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas, each containing threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. Each of these mailings generated a response by federal law enforcement in order to rule out the presence of active biological or chemical agents. Laboratory testing later confirmed that the substances contained in the envelopes, including the white powdery substance, did not contain hazardous materials.
The charge of false information and hoaxes provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of mailing threatening communications provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and David W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Beverly Police Department. OkCupid and its parent company has been fully cooperative with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Benton Pharmacist Sentenced for Theft of Drugs, Carrying Firearm in Kentucky and Idaho Under Domestic Violence OrderRead the Press Release
PADUCAH, Ky. – United States District Court Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell sentenced Kyle W. Humphrey to two years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for stealing pre-retail prescription medications, mislabeling prescription medication in order to defraud or mislead, and wrongful use of health information; the defendant was also a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman. Humphrey was also ordered to pay restitution of $21,216.94 to the three victim pharmacies in Kentucky, Illinois, and Idaho.
“Western Kentucky families and patients are safer today because of this outcome,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “I am grateful for the professionalism and mission-focus of the FDA, Calloway County Sheriff’s Office, and ATF throughout this investigation and successful prosecution.”
“Healthcare professionals who disrupt the FDA-regulated supply chain for prescription drugs put the health of all consumers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who abuse the trust of U.S. consumers and patients.”
Humphrey, 34, plead guilty to the charges on March 27, 2019.
According to a plea agreement, On August 9, 2017, the Calloway County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at Humphrey's residence, seizing various quantities of prescription-only restricted drugs (pre-retail medical products). Seized drugs include Eliquis® (apixaban); Strattera® (atomoxetine HCl);ProAir® HF A (albuterol sulfate); Farxiga® (dapagliflozin); Cefprozil; Tamiflu®; Duloxetine;Aripiprazole; Ergocalciferol; Levofloxacin; Bystolic® (nebivolol); Xarelto® (rivaroxaban); Clindamycin Palmitate HCL; Mylan® Norethindrone tablets; Camila® Norethindrone tablets; Testosterone Gel tubes; and Testosterone Cypionate. These substances are prescription medicines regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Humphrey was at all relevant times a pharmacist working at various pharmacies in the area. He stole these drugs from the pharmacies and concealed them at his residence.
On or about April 9, 2017, Humphrey knowingly and unlawfully obtained the personally identifiable health information of "SC" by printing a duplicate prescription label containing the personally identifiable health information of "SC" in furtherance of his duplicate label scheme. After printing this duplicate label, Humphrey affixed this duplicate label to an amber-colored prescription bottle and proceeded to fill this bottle with allopurinol stolen from his employer, Walmart. This conduct was done for personal gain. Sometime after filling this prescription bottle with stolen allopurinol, Humphrey removed a portion of the duplicate label so as to conceal his crime. This conduct caused the allopurinol bottle to be misbranded because the labeling on that prescription bottle was false or misleading. This dispensing was done with the intent to defraud Walmart.
The Benton Walmart pharmacy dispensing logs covering December 2016 and April 2017 indicate that Humphrey was working at the Benton Walmart on December 29, 2016 (the date a prescription was issued to "PB"). On July 17, 2017, HUMPHREY continued to maintain possession of the bottle, with intent to use it for personal gain. "PB" did not give any of her benzonatate to him nor did she ever give him a prescription bottle containing her personally identifiable medical information, nor did she give him permission to possess her personally identifiable medical information outside the scope of his employment.
On August 17, 2017, the Calloway County Family Court issued a Domestic Violence Order restraining Humphrey from further contact with M.R. The Order issued after a hearing of which he received actual notice, and at which he had an opportunity to participate, restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner, and that by its terms explicitly prohibited the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against such intimate partner that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury. On January 2, 2018, when Humphrey was subject to the Order, the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office arrested Humphrey for violation of the order, at which time he was in possession of a Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun.
On August 20, 2018, the District Court of the First Judicial District of the State of Idaho issued an Order restraining Humphrey from further contact with H.B. The Order issued after a hearing of which he received actual notice, and at which he had an opportunity to participate, restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner, and that by its terms explicitly prohibited the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against such intimate partner that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury. On September 18, 2018, when Humphrey was subject to the Order, federal authorities arrested Humphrey, at which time he was in possession of a Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Madison Sewell. The Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations led the investigation with assistance from Calloway County Sherriff’s Department, and the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also assisted in the investigation.
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Arizona Man Charged with Attempted Sex Trafficking of A Child and Attempted Transportation of A Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Robert Frenchie McGriff, 39, of Mesa, Arizona, charging him with attempted sex trafficking and attempted interstate transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity of a minor female in Stanislaus County, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, McGriff traveled by bus from Phoenix, Arizona to Turlock, California in June 2019 with the intent of retrieving a minor female in Turlock and transporting her to work for him as a prostitute.
This case was the product of an extensive investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Stockton Office of Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of either charge, McGriff faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced DIAMOND DAWN HUFFER, 28, of Casper, Wyoming on June 13, 2019 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Huffer was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. She received sixty months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced RYAN CHARLES SPENCER, 36, of Casper, Wyoming on June 13, 2019 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Spencer was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received sixty months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $200.00. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced HARRY THEODORE WETZ, 44, of San Antonio, Texas on June 13, 2019 for felon in possession of a firearm. Wetz was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received fifty-one months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,850.00. The Sheridan Police Department, Sheridan County Sheriff Office, and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
Wednesday 19 June 2019
“John Doe” Arrested for Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Southbridge man whose identity is unknown has been arrested and charged in federal court in Boston with making false statements in an application for a U.S. passport. It is alleged that Doe has used and maintained the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico for 36 years.
John Doe, whose true identity is unknown, was charged with one count of false statement in application of a passport. He will appear in federal court in Boston today at 3:30 p.m.
In January 2018, Doe allegedly submitted an application for a United States passport by representing himself as a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico. He provided the U.S. citizen’s name, place of birth, and Social Security number. The Social Security number Doe provided did not, however, match the individual’s name he was representing as his own.
In support of his passport application, Doe allegedly provided a copy of a birth certificate issued to the victim whose identity he was representing as his own, an expired U.S. passport issued in 1988, an inmate’s identity card issued by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the victim’s name, a Federal Probation Department urinalysis card in the victim’s name, and a letter from a U.S. Probation Officer Assistant indicating that Doe is currently on Federal Supervised Release.
The passport application and documents were sent to the Boston Passport Agency and subsequently referred to the Fraud Prevention Unit. It was then determined that the Social Security number submitted with the application was valid, but did not match the victim’s name Doe used in his application. On further review, it was determined that the Social Security number used on Doe’s previous passport application from 1988 was in fact a fraudulent number that had never been issued by the Social Security Administration.
Further investigation revealed that Doe, who is on lifetime parole, has used four different names, four different dates of birth, and three different Social Security numbers. Doe has an extensive criminal record dating back to the 1970s. At one time, Doe owned an auto body shop in New York that was used to install electronic hidden compartments in cars to conceal cocaine trafficked from Colombia and money.
The passport fraud charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman was sentenced today to approximately 15 years in prison for conspiring with others to commit armed robberies of businesses throughout southeastern Virginia in December 2014.
According to court documents, Aquilla Jones, 29, worked together with several individuals to rob businesses at gun point. Jones and her co-conspirators would drive around southeastern Virginia in an attempt to identify businesses to be robbed. Once the victim business was identified, Jones would drive her co-conspirators to the business and serve as a look-out while others went inside. The co-conspirators who entered the businesses brandished handguns as money was demanded from the employees. Jones participated in the robbery of eight businesses located in Fredericksburg, Newport News, Chesapeake, Yorktown and Virginia Beach.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-27.
Wilmington Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – United States Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika sentenced a Wilmington drug trafficker to 130 months in federal prison for gun and drug offenses committed in Delaware.
According to court documents, Hakim Mowbray, 38, of Wilmington, was arrested in April of 2018 while in possession of a handgun and 60 grams of crack cocaine. This was Mowbray’s third conviction for illegal firearm possession; he was previously convicted of state gun charges in Delaware and federal gun charges in Virginia. After Mowbray’s arrest, law enforcement officials searched his Wilmington home, finding additional powder and crack cocaine, cutting agents, and a press used to repackage kilograms of cocaine.
Commenting on today’s proceedings, U.S. Attorney Weiss noted, “Today’s sentence appropriately reflects the danger that those who use firearms to further their drug sales present to our community. This office will continue to work with the DEA and DSP to investigate and prosecute repeat offenders like Mr. Mowbray.”
Mowbray’s conviction is the result of an investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Wilmington Group 41 and members of the Delaware State Police (“DSP”) Governor’s Task Force. DEA Group 41 is a part of the New Castle County HIDTA, and comprised of the officers from Delaware State Police, Delaware Department of Probation and Parole, New Castle County Police Department, Newark Police Department, Wilmington Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-00069.
Wichita Woman Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Brittany D. Knighton-Harris, 31, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking. In her plea, Knighton-Harris admitted she recruited the girl and made arrangements for her to perform sex acts for money in Wichita and later in Topeka. The defendant posted notices on an adult web site advertising the girl’s services.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Waterbury Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution Charge Stemming from Shelton Overdose InvestigationRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RASHAD JOHNSON, 27, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2016, the Shelton Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a suspected overdose at a Shelton residence. At the residence, medical personnel pronounced a 45-year-old female victim deceased. Investigators collected drug and non-drug evidence, including folds containing suspected heroin, and the victim’s cell phone.
Analysis of the victim’s cell phone revealed numerous contacts, including multiple text messages on March 22, 2016, between the victim and a cell phone number connected to Johnson in which the victim arranged to acquire drugs. Investigators subsequently conducted controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Johnson.
Johnson was arrested on federal criminal complaint on January 11, 2019.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 9, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Johnson is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Shelton, Ansonia and Monroe Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Vermont Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Concord – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Richard Duncan, 41, of Proctor, Vermont, was sentenced to 87 months in prison on Monday for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on August 8, 2018, law enforcement officers encountered Duncan following multiple 911 calls regarding his erratic driving. After leading officers on a high-speed pursuit in his vehicle through Claremont and Newport, New Hampshire, Duncan abandoned his vehicle and continued his flight from law enforcement on foot. A short time later, Duncan was secured and placed under arrest. From Duncan’s vehicle, law enforcement subsequently recovered a Springfield Armory XD handgun, Model XD-9, 9-mm caliber pistol, S/N GM731259, which had a loaded magazine. In addition to the firearm, officers observed numerous glassine bags containing cocaine and additional loaded magazines. At the time of the offense, Duncan was under parole supervision by the State of Vermont for a prior felony conviction.
Duncan previously pleaded guilty on February 28, 2019.
“Armed drug traffickers present a substantial hazard to the general public,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This 87-month sentence should serve as a warning to those who choose to violate federal drug and gun laws. We will not hesitate to bring federal charges against drug traffickers who use firearms when engaging in criminal activity.”
“Working with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime and to keep guns out of the hands of criminals is ATF’s top priority,” said Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Today’s sentencing is another example of the importance of law enforcement partnerships and their effectiveness in protecting the safety and security of communities.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Claremont Police Department, Newport Police Department, and New Hampshire State Police, with valuable assistance provided by the Sullivan County Attorney’s Office and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cam Le.
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Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to Six Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Las Vegas, NV – Luis Ortiz-Menjivar, a 67 year-old El Salvadorian citizen living in Las Vegas, was sentenced today to six years’ incarceration upon his conviction for a felony charge of Deported Alien Found in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, Ortiz had a lengthy criminal history that placed him in the highest possible federal criminal history category for purposes of sentencing. In February 2017, Ortiz was found in Nevada without any valid immigration documents allowing him to be lawfully present in the United States after he had been deported and removed in April 2014 following his conviction for Aggravated Sexual Battery (a felony) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Frayn prosecuted the case.
Two Individuals Plead Guilty in 64 Pound Methamphetamine BustRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced that GONZALO JIMINEZ-PAZ, JR., 22, and REY DAVID LUNA-SANTILLANES, 22, have pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. JIMINEZ-PAZ and LUNA-SANTILLANES were arrested and charged on March 25, 2019. They entered their guilty pleas before Senior Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed in court, beginning in January 2019, JIMINEZ-PAZ and LUNA-SANTILLANES entered into an agreement with each other and other individuals to distribute methamphetamine. On March 23, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET) executed a search warrant at a residence in the downtown area of Minneapolis. During execution of the search warrant, officers recovered approximately 64 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, a large sum of U.S. currency, three pounds of suspected heroin, a bag containing unidentified blue pills and two loaded handguns. The methamphetamine was found inside two suitcases in a bedroom closet, the heroin was hidden inside of a shoebox, and a large amount of cash was located in a kitchen cupboard.
If convicted, JIMINEZ-PAZ and LUNA-SANTILLANES face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, the Ramsey County VCET, the DEA, and the Minnesota State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
GONZALO JIMINEZ-PAZ, JR., 22
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
REY DAVID LUNA-SANTILLANES, 22
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
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Two Assistant United States Attorneys Named Prosecutors of the Year by the Oklahoma Gang Investigators AssociationRead the Press Release
Two Assistant United States Attorneys have been named Prosecutors of the Year by the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association (OGIA), announced Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and Timothy Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. The recipients were announced at the OGIA’s 23rd Annual Gang Conference on Jun. 18, in Tulsa.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis A. Fries and Nicholas J. Patterson were recognized for their extensive prosecutorial work involving members and associates of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood (UAB), a “whites only” prison-based gang with members operating inside and outside of state prisons throughout Oklahoma. Investigations in the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma have resulted in the federal prosecution of dozens of UAB members. Fries’ and Patterson’s efforts demonstrate unwavering commitment to the security of communities across Oklahoma and the administration of justice.
“I am pleased to see Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fries recognized for his exemplary work prosecuting gang cases,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. "From prosecuting white supremacist prison gangs to violent street gangs and international drug trafficking organizations, Dennis has proven himself to be a dedicated public servant and stalwart advocate for justice. We are proud of his efforts to keep Oklahomans safe from organized crime.”
“AUSA Patterson has served the people of Oklahoma well by establishing a strong working relationship with federal, state, and local law enforcement and by prosecuting violent UAB members vigorously,” said U.S. Attorney Downing. “My office will continue to bring criminal cases with hefty sentences against violent gang members to make our entire district safer.”
In the Northern District of Oklahoma, Fries indicted 18 key members and associates of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood for their roles in operating and supporting a racketeering enterprise. The indictment, unsealed in February 2019, alleged that the UAB committed nine overt acts of murder, kidnapping, the trafficking of methamphetamine and firearms, money laundering, assault, and robbery as part of their racketeering enterprise. While in prison, members of the gang’s main council are alleged to have used contraband cell phones to communicate their orders and further their enterprise. Fries worked extensively with investigators from Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation to navigate the complex and considerable processes associated with developing a racketeering prosecution. The lengthy investigation into the UAB’s operations began in 2012, but evidence gathered dates as far back as 2006.
In the Western District of Oklahoma, Patterson has led the successful prosecution of more than 20 UAB members and associates, many of whom had lengthy histories of violent crime. Three of these cases involved guilty verdicts after jury trials. Patterson’s UAB cases have generally involved the illegal possession of firearms and drug distribution; they have resulted in the seizure of more than 70 firearms, including machine guns and silencers, as well as large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In just the past two weeks, for example, Patterson’s work has involved the seizure of approximately four kilograms of methamphetamine. In addition to charging defendants in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Patterson has contributed to community safety in more rural areas by charging UAB defendants in, for example, Woodward, Beckham, and Garfield Counties.
These prosecutions are a part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions.
The Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association was established more than 20 years ago. OGIA has taken the lead in gang training around the state. The association is led by federal, state, and local law enforcement gang experts and educates law enforcement as well community groups on the nature and operations of gangs. The group is also involved in charitable donations to gang intervention and prevention organizations.
Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys Named Prosecutors of the Year by the Oklahoma Gang Investigators AssociationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Two Assistant United States Attorneys have been named Prosecutors of the Year by the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association (OGIA), announced Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The recipients were announced at the OGIA’s 23rd Annual Gang Conference on June 18th in Tulsa.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Dennis Fries were recognized for their extensive prosecutorial work involving members and associates of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood (UAB), a "whites only" prison-based gang with members operating inside and outside of state prisons throughout Oklahoma. Investigations in the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma have resulted in the federal prosecution of dozens of UAB members. Patterson’s and Fries’s efforts demonstrate unwavering commitment to the safety of communities throughout Oklahoma and the administration of justice.
"AUSA Patterson has served the people of Oklahoma well by establishing a strong working relationship with federal, state, and local law enforcement and by prosecuting violent UAB members vigorously," said U.S. Attorney Downing. "My office will continue to bring criminal cases with hefty sentences against violent gang members to make our entire district safer."
"I am pleased to see Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fries recognized for his exemplary work prosecuting gang cases," said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. "From prosecuting white supremacist prison gangs to violent street gangs and international drug trafficking organizations, Dennis has proven himself to be a dedicated public servant and stalwart advocate for justice. We are proud of his efforts to keep Oklahomans safe from organized crime."
In the Western District of Oklahoma, Patterson has led the successful prosecution of more than 20 UAB members and associates, many of whom had lengthy histories of violent crime. Three of these cases involved guilty verdicts after jury trials. Patterson’s UAB cases have generally involved the illegal possession of firearms and drug distribution; they have resulted in the seizure of more than 70 firearms, including machine guns and silencers, as well as large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In just the past two weeks, for example, Patterson’s work has involved the seizure of approximately four kilograms of methamphetamine. In addition to charging defendants in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Patterson has contributed to community safety in more rural areas by charging UAB defendants in, for example, Woodward, Beckham, and Garfield Counties.
In the Northern District of Oklahoma, Fries indicted 18 key members and associates of the UAB for their roles in operating and supporting a racketeering enterprise. The indictment, unsealed in February 2019, alleged that the UAB committed nine overt acts of murder, kidnapping, the trafficking of methamphetamine and firearms, money laundering, assault, and robbery as part of their racketeering enterprise. While in prison, members of the gang’s main council are alleged to have used contraband cell phones to communicate their orders and further their enterprise. Fries worked extensively with investigators from Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigations to navigate the complex and considerable processes associated with developing a racketeering prosecution. The lengthy investigation into the UAB’s operations began in 2012, but evidence gathered dates as far back as 2006.
All of these cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
The Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association was established more than 20 years ago. OGIA has taken the lead in gang training around the state. The association is led by federal, state, and local law enforcement gang experts and educates law enforcement as well community groups on the nature and operations of gangs. The group is also involved in charitable donations to gang intervention and prevention organizations.
Twenty-One Drug Traffickers Associated with Nuestra Familia Arrested on Federal Charges in Kings and Tulare CountiesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — As part of a multi-agency operation, over 50 individuals were arrested in California on federal and state charges in connection with their drug-trafficking activities after investigation into the criminal activities of individuals associated with the Nuestra Familia prison gang. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office, Kings County District Attorney Keith Fagundes, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, Kings County Sheriff David Robinson, and Hanford Police Chief Parker Sever.
The defendants charged federally are:
1) SALVADOR CASTRO, JR., 49, of Pleasant Valley State Prison
2) RAYMOND LOPEZ, 31, of Pleasant Valley State Prison
3) JESSE JUAREZ, 28, of Visalia
4) DANIEL JUAREZ, 27, of Visalia
5) MICHAEL ROCHA, 36, of Visalia
6) ANGEL MONTES, 23, of Visalia
7) RAFAEL LOPEZ, 28, of Visalia
8) MANUEL BARRERA, 24, of Kettleman City
9) MANUEL GARCIA, 33, of Armona
10) JOANN BERNAL, 32, of Armona
11) RAMON AMADOR, 29, of Riverdale
12) RAUL LOPEZ, JR., 48, of Visalia
13) DONAVEN ADKINS, 41, of Hanford
14) RYAN GINES, 39, of Armona
15) DOUG GINES, 48, of Hanford
16) FLORENTINO GUTIERREZ, 37, of Hanford
17) JESUS NUNEZ, 19, of McFarland
18) MARIA NUNEZ, 22, of McFarland
19) LOUIS MOLINA, 48, of Hanford
20) ERNESTO ZIBRAY, 30, of Delano
21) TIFFANY FELLER, 31, of Riverdale.
According to court documents, in March 2019, various agencies partnered in an investigation into the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. The investigation uncovered that Nuestra Familia was responsible for large-scale trafficking of methamphetamine and other controlled substances, as well as various firearms offenses and other violent crimes.
According to court documents, high-ranking Nuestra Familia members Salvador Castro, Jr. and Raymond Lopez used contraband cell phones from inside Fresno County’s Pleasant Valley State Prison to arrange the transport of illicit narcotics from drug sources in California and Mexico to a stash house in Kings County. From that stash house, gang members outside of the prison coordinated the preparation and delivery of the drugs to distributors throughout Kings and Tulare Counties. The complaint charges several other gang associates, including Angel Montes, Rafael Lopez, Daniel Juarez, Manuel Barrerra, Manuel Garcia, Joann Bernal, Ramon Amador, and Raul Lopez, Jr. with federal drug-distribution crimes.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: "This coordinated law enforcement operation highlights how federal, state, and local law enforcement partners can work together to target gang activities that make our communities unsafe. When we work together in this way, we are more effective in achieving our shared goal of ensuring public safety. We are committed to combatting and reducing violent crime and drug trafficking, both inside and outside of prison walls."
"The fear and violence that criminal street gangs are perpetrating in our communities cannot be tolerated," said Attorney General Becerra. "We will continue to collaborate with our federal and local partners to reduce crime and keep our communities safe."
"The FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs through intelligence-driven investigations, new and longstanding initiatives, and partnerships—state, local, federal, and trans-national," said FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. "Yesterday's effort exemplifies our commitment to working with our partners to reduce the impact of gang violence and crime in the communities we serve."
This case was the product of an investigation by the Kings County Gang Task Force; Agents of the Special Operations Unit – a team of agents from the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the FBI, Kings County District Attorney's Office, and the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations all assisted with the takedown. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Sanchez, Laurel Montoya, and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
All 21 defendants have been arrested. If convicted, they face a range of maximum sentences, including up to life in prison. Several of the defendants also face a range of mandatory minimum sentences ranging from between five to ten 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tuba City Man Sentenced to Prison for Domestic AssaultsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 17, 2019, Kristopher Smith, of Tuba City, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 48 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith’s 48-month prison term is in addition to the 12 months of prison he previously served in tribal custody. Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of Assault of an Intimate Partner or Dating Partner by Strangulation and one count of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner or Dating Partner on February 27, 2019.
Smith assaulted the victim on August 11, 2015, November 22, 2016, and April 24, 2017. During each assault, Smith inflicted substantial or serious bodily injury, and on two of the three occasions, Smith strangled the victim.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Taxi Company Owner Who Filed False Tax Returns is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that WILLIAM SCALZI, 62, of Durham, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first six months of which Scalzi must serve in home confinement, for filing false tax returns. Judge Bolden also ordered Scalzi to pay a $2,500 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Scalzi, the owner of Transportation General, Inc., of West Haven, understated his taxable income by running personal expenses through his company. Scalzi used his company’s credit cards to pay for numerous personal expenses, which were deducted as business expenses on Transportation General’s corporate tax returns. He also did not include these personal expenses as income on his personal tax returns for the 2007 through 2010 tax years.
On February 25, 2019, Scalzi pleaded guilty to one count of subscribing a false tax return.
Scalzi has paid $297,319.31 in restitution to the IRS, which satisfied his criminal and civil tax liabilities for the 2007 through 2010 tax years.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Syrian Man Arrested on Terrorism Charges After Planning Attack on Christian ChurchRead the Press Release
Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was arrested today based on a federal complaint charging him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction in relation to his plan to attack a church in Pittsburgh.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Division.
“Targeting places of worship is beyond the pale, no matter what the motivation,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendant is alleged to have plotted just such an attack of a church in Pittsburgh in the name of ISIS. The National Security Division and our partners will continue our efforts to identify and bring to justice individuals in our country who seek to commit violence on behalf of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this investigation.”
“Our top priority is protecting the citizens of western Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “Every day investigators and prosecutors work tirelessly behind the scenes to disrupt terrorist activity and keep our community safe. While the public does not always see the results of the hard work of these dedicated men and women, this case is a visible demonstration of our commitment to rooting out terrorists and bringing them to justice.”
“Court documents show Mustafa Alowemer planned to attack a church in the name of ISIS, which could have killed or injured many people. Fortunately, his plans were foiled by the full force of the FBI Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said Assistant Director McGarrity. “The FBI takes threats to churches and other religious institutions extremely seriously and will use all our resources to stop potential terrorist attacks against them.”
“We will use every resource available to identify potential violent actors and protect the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is dedicated to identifying and bringing to justice those individuals who provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, promote violent extremism and threaten our national security. The invaluable partnerships the FBI Pittsburgh JTTF has with our federal state and local partners allow us to work tirelessly to protect Americans from terrorism.”
According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh:
The FBI Pittsburgh JTTF investigation of Mustafa Mousab Alowemer (Alowemer) revealed that Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the Church), using a weapon of mass destruction (i.e., an explosive device). According to Alowemer, his motivation to detonate a device at the Church was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts in the name of ISIS. Alowemer also targeted the Church in order to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria.” Alowemer was aware that numerous people in or around the Church could be killed by the explosion.
According to the complaint and information provided to the FBI by the Department of Homeland Security, Alowemer was born in Daraa, Syria, and was admitted to the United States as a refugee on Aug. 1, 2016.
In furtherance of the plot to bomb the Church, in May 2019, Alowemer distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but who was in fact an FBI employee. Alowemer distributed these documents with the intent that the information be used in the assembly of a destructive device and in furtherance of conducting an attack in support of ISIS. In or around June 2019, Alowemer purchased several items with the belief that they were necessary to assemble a destructive device and with the intention that they be used to construct the explosives that would be detonated in the vicinity of the Church.
In planning the attack, Alowemer used multiple social networking and mobile messenger applications to communicate with an individual whom he believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter. During his communications, Alowemer stated his support for ISIS, and his desire to answer the call for jihad or travel to conduct jihad. Alowemer also distributed propaganda materials, offered to provide potential targets in the Pittsburgh area, requested a weapon with a silencer, and recorded a video of himself pledging an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Between April 16 and June 11, Alowemer met four times in person with an FBI Undercover Employee (UCE) and/or an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). At the June 11 meeting with the UCE and CHS, Alowemer provided additional details about the bomb plot and provided the materials he had purchased for construction of the device. Alowemer provided two printed copies of detailed Google satellite maps, which included hand-written markings identifying the Church and routes of arrival and escape. Alowemer also wrote and provided a 10-point handwritten plan (“Confirmation of this operation”) outlining details related to his plot to personally deliver explosives in a backpack. Alowemer expressed a desire to meet one more time to conduct planning and coordination prior to carrying out the attempted bombing in July 2019. That meeting was later scheduled for June 19 in the Pittsburgh area.
A charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)/U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services(USCIS)/Homeland Security Investigations(HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Allegheny County Probation, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, and UPMC Police Security.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
South Texas Woman Pleads Guilty in Attempt to Smuggle Meth Through CheckpointRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Lyford woman has entered a guilty plea to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 26 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On April 17, 2019, Jacqueline Barrera drove a white Mitsubishi Lancer into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol Checkpoint located near Sarita. A search of the vehicle revealed bundles of methamphetamine concealed within speaker boxes in the trunk of the car.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Sept. 12, 2019, before United States District Judge David S. Morales. At that time, Barrera faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
She has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
South Bay Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Francisco Puga Camacho was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and related charges announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge. Puga is the last of seven defendants apprehended and sentenced in connection with the drug distribution scheme.
Puga, 49, of Salinas, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charges on March 6, 2019. The charges stem from an FBI investigation in Monterey County into methamphetamine trafficking networks in and around Salinas. According to court filings, Puga agreed with Horacio Quintana Medina, Joel Quintana Medina, and Jesus Bernal Nunez to distribute methamphetamine to customers. According to Puga’s plea agreement, he conspired to distribute drugs since at least March of 2017. Puga admitted that he was involved in a shipment of drugs intercepted on March 23, 2017. On that date, California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) officers in Salinas pulled over a vehicle for multiple violations of the California Vehicle Code. During the stop and subsequent search of the vehicle, the officers located approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the trunk. Puga admitted that he had contacted his source in Mexico to arrange for the delivery of the methamphetamine and that the methamphetamine found in the trunk was the drugs he was arranging for delivery. Further, Puga admitted that on July 15, 2017, he sold approximately two pounds of methamphetamine to a customer in the garage of his residence. Puga admitted that he contacted his source of supply in Mexico to request the two pounds of methamphetamine and that prior to the transaction, he had multiple telephone conversations with the customer to arrange the deal.
On September 26, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Puga and seven co-defendants, charging them with their respective roles in the methamphetamine trafficking scheme. All of Puga’s codefendants except one have pleaded guilty to charges as follows:
Name
Age
Charges
Date of Sentencing and Sentence
Horacio Quintana Medina
24
21 U.S.C. § 846- conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
May 29, 2019 and received 68 months of imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.
Joel Quintana Medina
27
21 U.S.C. § 846- conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
May 22, 2019 and received 60 months of imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.
Jesus Bernal Nunez
44
21 U.S.C. § 841-Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
May 29, 2019 and received 60 months of imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.
Nestor Tavarez
46
21 U.S.C. § 843(b)- Use of a communication facility (telephone) to commit felony drug offense
May 15, 2019 and received 42 months of imprisonment, 3 years supervised release
Alejandro Dominguez Hernandez
38
21 U.S.C. § 841-Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
April 24, 2019 and received 68 months of imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.
Ernesto Calderon Ramirez
23
21 U.S.C. § 841-Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
April 3, 2019, 24 months of imprisonment, 4 years supervised release
Oscar Gonzalez Quevedo remains a fugitive. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Koh ordered Puga to serve a 5-year period of supervised release. Judge Koh ordered Puga to surrender to the Bureau of Prison on or before August 14, 2019, to begin serving his prison term.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Backhus is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. This case was investigated and prosecuted by member agencies of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Slidell Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in an Application for a PassportRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DARRYL SANDERS, a/k/a Daryl Saunders (“SANDERS”), age 62, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday to making False Statements in an Application for a Passport, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1542.
According to Count 2 of the Indictment, on March 27, 2018, SANDERS knowingly made false statements in an application for a 2018 U.S. Passport when he falsely claimed his name was Daryl Saunders, with a date of birth of 09/03/XXXX.
SANDERS faces a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment as to each count. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 10, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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Syrian Man Arrested on Terrorism Charges After Planning Attack on Christian ChurchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was arrested today based on a federal complaint charging him with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive, destructive device, or weapon of mass destruction in relation to his plan to attack a church in Pittsburgh.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Division.
“Targeting places of worship is beyond the pale, no matter what the motivation,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendant is alleged to have plotted just such an attack of a church in Pittsburgh in the name of ISIS. The National Security Division and our partners will continue our efforts to identify and bring to justice individuals in our country who seek to commit violence on behalf of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this investigation.”
“Our top priority is protecting the citizens of western Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “Every day investigators and prosecutors work tirelessly behind the scenes to disrupt terrorist activity and keep our community safe. While the public does not always see the results of the hard work of these dedicated men and women, this case is a visible demonstration of our commitment to rooting out terrorists and bringing them to justice.”
“Court documents show Mustafa Alowemer planned to attack a church in the name of ISIS, which could have killed or injured many people. Fortunately, his plans were foiled by the full force of the FBI Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said Assistant Director McGarrity. “The FBI takes threats to churches and other religious institutions extremely seriously and will use all our resources to stop potential terrorist attacks against them.”
“We will use every resource available to identify potential violent actors and protect the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is dedicated to identifying and bringing to justice those individuals who provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, promote violent extremism and threaten our national security. The invaluable partnerships the FBI Pittsburgh JTTF has with our federal state and local partners allow us to work tirelessly to protect Americans from terrorism.”
According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh:
The FBI Pittsburgh JTTF investigation of Mustafa Mousab Alowemer (Alowemer) revealed that Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the Church), using a weapon of mass destruction (i.e., an explosive device). According to Alowemer, his motivation to detonate a device at the Church was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts in the name of ISIS. Alowemer also targeted the Church in order to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria.” Alowemer was aware that numerous people in or around the Church could be killed by the explosion.
According to the complaint and information provided to the FBI by the Department of Homeland Security, Alowemer was born in Daraa, Syria, and was admitted to the United States as a refugee on August 1, 2016.
In furtherance of the plot to bomb the Church, in May 2019, Alowemer distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but who was in fact an FBI employee. Alowemer distributed these documents with the intent that the information be used in the assembly of a destructive device and in furtherance of conducting an attack in support of ISIS. In or around June 2019, Alowemer purchased several items with the belief that they were necessary to assemble a destructive device and with the intention that they be used to construct the explosives that would be detonated in the vicinity of the Church.
In planning the attack, Alowemer used multiple social networking and mobile messenger applications to communicate with an individual whom he believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter. During his communications, Alowemer stated his support for ISIS, and his desire to answer the call for jihad or travel to conduct jihad. Alowemer also distributed propaganda materials, offered to provide potential targets in the Pittsburgh area, requested a weapon with a silencer, and recorded a video of himself pledging an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Between April 16 and June 11, Alowemer met four times in person with an FBI Undercover Employee (UCE) and/or an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). At the June 11 meeting with the UCE and CHS, Alowemer provided additional details about the bomb plot and provided the materials he had purchased for construction of the device. Alowemer provided two printed copies of detailed Google satellite maps, which included hand-written markings identifying the Church and routes of arrival and escape. Alowemer also wrote and provided a 10-point handwritten plan (“Confirmation of this operation”) outlining details related to his plot to personally deliver explosives in a backpack. Alowemer expressed a desire to meet one more time to conduct planning and coordination prior to carrying out the attempted bombing in July 2019. That meeting was later scheduled for June 19 in the Pittsburgh area.
A charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE)/U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services(USCIS)/Homeland Security Investigations(HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Allegheny County Probation, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, and UPMC Police Security.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Related Documents- Criminal Complaint
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Kristen Hodgkins, 30, of Rochester, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning about September 4, 2018, Hodgkins sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer on multiple occasions. On December 20, 2018, agents traveled to a store in Rochester and located Hodgkins in a vehicle driven by another woman. New Hampshire State Police stopped the vehicle and Hodgkins was arrested on outstanding arrest warrants. During a search of Hodgkins’s bags, a police officer located bags containing approximately 146.4 grams of methamphetamine. Hodgkins subsequently admitted that she had purchased multiple ounces of methamphetamine from her source from August or September 2018 until December 20, 2018.
Hodgkins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2019.
“Methamphetamine is a growing threat to communities throughout New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the public from the dangers associated with this drug, we will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to identity and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing this dangerous substance.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and the Rochester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.
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Rochester Man Arrested, Charged with Sealing and Cashing Checks from Residential MailboxesRead 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 Dennis Morgan, 59, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud and mail theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between July 2018 and the present, multiple complaints of mail theft were reported to law enforcement agencies in the Rochester, NY area, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Rochester, Irondequoit, Gates, Brighton, and East Rochester Police Departments. Many complaints involved personal checks being cashed or attempting to do be cashed, that had been placed into residential mailboxes as outgoing mail to be collected by the U.S. Postal Service. The checks had been altered by changing payees and amounts, and were then presented for payment at banks in the area. Approximately $19,127.00 of stolen and fraudulently altered checks have been identified to date.
Specifically, on January 23, 2019, the Irondequoit Police Department received a complaint from a resident (who recently had a check stolen from his mailbox) who observed a white vehicle suspiciously pulled up by his mailbox. The resident confronted the driver of the vehicle, who replied that he was looking for a “temp agency.” As the driver drove away, the resident noted the driver’s New York State license plate number. Between late February and early March 2019, at least five additional incidents were reported involving the reported theft of mail, each involving a white vehicle.
On April 9, 2019, the Brighton Police Department received a report from a resident who stated that he saw someone take mail from his neighbor's mailbox. The resident noted the license plate and took a picture of the vehicle as it drove away. The license plate was the same plate reported in the January 23, 2019 incident.
Subsequent investigation determined that the vehicle belongs to a woman identified as the girlfriend of Dennis Morgan. Investigators also learned that Morgan was arrested or suspected in at least four other incidents involving stolen mail and forged checks.
On March 14, 2019, the Irondequoit Police Department executed a search warrant the girlfriend’s vehicle, at which time a GPS tracker was deployed on the vehicle.
Between March 20 and March 30, 2019, the Irondequoit Police Department received three complaints from residents who placed envelopes containing checks in their mailboxes for pickup by the United States Postal Service. All three checks were stolen out of the mailboxes. A check of the GPS tracker showed the girlfriend’s vehicle at each of the three residences on the same day the check was placed in the mailbox.
On March 28, 2019, the girlfriend transferred her license plate to a different vehicle. On April 17, 2019 the Irondequoit Police Department executed a search warrant on the new vehicle, and deployed another GPS tracker.
On May 31, 2019, a resident filed a complaint with the Irondequoit Police Department indicating that on May 28, 2019, he placed five envelopes containing checks inside his residential mailbox. The next day, one of the checks was cashed at a local financial institution with both the payee and amount payable altered. A check of the GPS tracker again showed that the girlfriend’s vehicle was in the vicinity of both the residence, and the financial institution, on both May 28 and May 29, 2019.
Between March 14 and June 4, 2019, investigators conducted surveillance of Dennis Morgan. During surveillance, the defendant was observed driving both vehicles registered to his girlfriend. On June 3, 2019, an investigator witnessed Morgan remove mail from a mailbox in Irondequoit, and place it inside of his coat pocket.
“The tremendous work done by our partners in local law enforcement in Irondequoit, Rochester, Brighton, and East Rochester really made this case,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “I commend each of those local Departments for their outstanding investigative efforts and for the assistance they provided in helping to ensure that the sanctity of the United States mail is preserved.”
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions, including home detention.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard V. Tantalo; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief LaRon Singletary; the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark T. Henderson; the East Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steve Clancy; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Port Vue Woman Sentenced to 6 Years for Role in New Jersey to Pittsburgh Heroin PipelineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Port Vue, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of six years (72 months), to be followed by four years of supervised release on her conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Krystle Barretto, age 33.
According to information presented to the court, Barretto, who was intercepted over a Title III wiretap, conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distributed more than 100 grams of heroin. The court was further advised that Barretto arranged for approximately 500 bricks (i.e. 25,000 stamp bags) of heroin to be transported from the Paterson, New Jersey area to the McKeesport area, which was seized by law enforcement officers. In addition, the court was made aware that Barretto had a loaded, Glock 17, 9mm handgun, an additional five bricks of heroin, and a large money counter in the bedroom of her residence in Port Vue.
The investigation, which utilized Title III intercepts from December 2014 through April 2015 of 10 different cellular telephones, surveillance, controlled drug purchases, and other investigative techniques, established the existence of a number of overlapping and interrelated drug distribution networks at work in the afflicted regions, which included Clairton, McKeesport, Port Vue, areas in Washington County, Westmoreland County, and New Jersey.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation led to the prosecution of Barretto. The task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is comprised of members drawn from the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Street Task Force including the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clairton Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Philadelphia Pill Mill Ringleader Sentenced to over Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Derrick Parks, 47, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky. Parks has a prior criminal record, including illegal possession of a firearm.
From March to October 2012, the defendant was the ringleader of a group that conspired to illegally obtain oxycodone pills to sell on the street. Parks secured blank prescription pads from a co-conspirator who worked in a medical office, wrote out false prescriptions for oxycodone, and paid various people to fill the prescriptions in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Parks would then collect all the pills for distribution. During the months that the illegal distribution ring was operating, Parks obtained over 9,500 oxycodone pills.
“My Office is focused on targeting the worst, most dangerous offenders and getting them off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “In this case, a defendant who had previously been convicted of multiple offenses decided to continue to engage in illegal activity – and this time he concocted a scheme that put thousands of pills on the streets of Philadelphia in the midst of the ongoing opioid epidemic. I’m grateful that the Judge imposed a sentence that will keep the defendant out of our community for many years.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role as Brothel LeaderRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his role as the leader of a statewide brothel ring that harbored illegal aliens and transported women across state lines for prostitution, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Juan Fredy Hernandez-Zozaya, 41, of Passaic, New Jersey, was convicted on Jan. 15, 2019, following a one-week trial for conspiracy to commit interstate transport for purposes of prostitution, and conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler presided over the trial and imposed today’s sentence. The 78-month prison term was ordered to run consecutive to a 56-year state sentence Hernandez-Zozaya had previously received for state murder charges, and included a three-year term of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case, evidence at trial, and statements made in court:
From at least March 2011 through September 2014, Hernandez-Zozaya served as the leader of a large-scale prostitution ring that operated throughout New Jersey, including at brothel locations in New Brunswick, Trenton, Orange, Asbury Park, Lakewood, and Bridgeton. Hernandez-Zozaya and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Rojas-Rojas, employed dozens of women and other workers to run the brothels, the large majority of whom were in the country illegally.
The conspiracy also involved at least three murders committed at Hernandez-Zozaya’s behest by “enforcers” for the prostitution business that were hired and managed by Hernandez-Zozaya. One such enforcer, Wilmer Chavez Romero, was previously convicted by a jury of multiple counts of racketeering, assault, firearms offenses, and murder in aid of Hernandez-Zozaya’s enterprise. Chavez Romero was sentenced on March 27, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls to life in prison. Hernandez-Zozaya was himself previously convicted in Cumberland County Superior Court of committing two murders related to the brothel enterprise. In imposing the sentence, Judge Chesler noted these related acts of violence, as well as Hernandez-Zozaya’s “horrendous” conduct in employing and exploiting those women who, as a result of their immigration status, had little choice but to work at the brothels.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, Trenton Police Department, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, and the N.J. State Police Ballistics Lab, for their roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Williams and Melissa Wangenheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Anthony Iacullo Esq., Nutley, New Jersey, and Kelley Sharkey Esq., Brooklyn, New York
Parker Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On June 18, 2019, Mickey Roy Anderson, Sr., 30, of Parker, Ariz., and a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to life in prison, 10 years in prison to run consecutive to his life sentence, and seven years in prison to run concurrent to his life sentence. Anderson was found guilty by a federal jury on March 5, 2019 of first degree murder, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and burglary of a residential structure.
The evidence at trial showed that on Jan. 23, 2014, Anderson walked into the victim’s home, stood a few feet from the victim and shot her in the face. The victim died almost instantly. Anderson was angry with the victim for purchasing drugs from another drug dealer in the community. The victim was also a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the murder happened on the Colorado River Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore and Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
Operation "Money Don't Sleep" Leads to Multiple Arrests in West MemphisRead the Press Release
WEST MEMPHIS—A major arrest operation took place this morning in West Memphis when 22 were arrested as part of a federal drug investigation. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Cody Hiland and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin King of the DEA Little Rock Field Office announced today’s arrests.
Operation “Money Don’t Sleep,” run by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, is an ongoing investigation focused on lowering violent crime that stems from the distribution of illegal drugs. The goal of the operation is to identify and dismantle multiple drug trafficking organizations that distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.
Today’s arrests conclude the second phase of the investigation that was initiated in 2015 by the DEA Little Rock District Office and the West Memphis Police Department. The first phase of “Money Don’t Sleep” previously resulted in the arrests of 50 defendants in July 2017. With those drug traffickers removed, new distributors emerged to fill the void left in the drug market, leading to this morning’s arrests.
Law enforcement began early this morning by searching for over 25 suspects, all of whom were indicted for federal drug trafficking crimes. Thirty-two defendants were indicted in the case, and five of those were already in custody when this morning’s roundup began. In addition to the 22 arrests, authorities seized one firearm this morning. Over a two-year period, investigators seized 1.2 kilograms of actual methamphetamine, 12 firearms, and over $8000 cash. In addition, a search warrant executed prior to today’s arrests resulted in law enforcement seizure of half a pound of methamphetamine, $7500 cash, and a firearm.
“This operation is a perfect example of the continued pressure we will apply to drug distributors,” stated Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “We arrested and prosecuted 50 targets in the first phase of this operation, and today we came back for more. Criminals should not mistake these arrests for a completed operation, because law enforcement will come back as many times as necessary to uphold law and order in West Memphis and the surrounding communities.”
“Drug trafficking is one of the primary drivers of violent crime across the United States, and the city of West Memphis is no exception,” stated DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin King. “This operation focused on those drug dealers who preyed upon the good people in West Memphis and the surrounding counties by selling drugs and committing acts of violence. Drug dealing and violent crime often walk hand in hand, spreading fear and destruction wherever they go, and we in law enforcement have an obligation to put a stop to those who destroy our communities.” King went on to say, “DEA is committed to its partnerships with the other dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers who work in and around this region of Arkansas in our ongoing efforts to make it a safer and better place for our families and children.”
The DEA Little Rock District Office and West Memphis Police Department were assisted by several participating agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Federal Probation; Arkansas State Police; Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office; Arkansas Department of Community Corrections; and the Counter Drug Program of the Arkansas National Guard.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at:
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Omaha Man Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statements to the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Larry L. Boryca, 60, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced Monday to three months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp. After his release from prison, Boryca will serve a 3-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $37,856.10 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. A jury previously found Boryca guilty on March 18, 2019, of three counts of knowingly making false statements and representations of material fact for use by the Social Security Administration in order to receive Social Security Disability Income benefits.
An investigation conducted by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General determined that while receiving Social Security Disability Income benefits, Boryca failed to truthfully report employment and income to the Social Security Administration. Evidence at trial indicated that at various times while receiving Social Security Disability Income benefits, Boryca had worked and received income. When asked about work and income on forms sent to him by the Social Security Administration in 2013 and 2015, Boryca falsely claimed that he had not worked and had not received income.
By failing to truthfully report his work activity and income to the Social Security Administration, Boryca secured continuing Social Security Disability Income payments in the amount of approximately $37,856.10 to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession During Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Winford Lamont Henley, age 45, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Possession Of Firearm In Furtherance Of Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), punishable by not less than 5 years imprisonment to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both; and Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleges that on or about February 12, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States.
The Indictment further alleges that on or about February 12, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Eufaula Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Ohio man admits to cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tajuan Smith., of Canal Winchester, Ohio, has admitted to distributing cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Smith, also known as “Poe,” age 20, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base Within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location.” Smith admitted to selling cocaine near Jensen Playground in Wheeling in June 2018.
Smith faces at least one and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Meet a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
Defendant faces up to 30 years in federal prison and up to life on federal supervised release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald E. Ward, 59, of Logan, Ohio pled guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
“We’re working with our law enforcement partners as hard and as fast as possible to identify and prosecute those who troll the internet to prey on minors,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My intention is to lock up the monsters that prey on our children and families.”
Ward admitted that beginning in January 2019 he began communicating via a social media application and text message with a minor he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in Parkersburg, West Virginia. On February 13, 2019, Ward traveled from Ohio to Parkersburg in order to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity, including oral sex. Only then did Ward discover that the minor was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.
Ward faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 11, 2019. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia States Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Parkersburg Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Officer Accused of Bilking East St. Louis Police Department with Fraudulent Overtime RequestsRead the Press Release
An East St. Louis police officer is under federal indictment for allegedly taking thousands of dollars in fake overtime pay, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Mario H. Fennoy, 48, of Lebanon, Illinois, has been charged by a federal grand jury with fraudulently obtaining overtime compensation from the East St. Louis Police Department for nearly a year.
Fennoy allegedly began submitting false claims for overtime pay in 2017, while he was employed as a patrol sergeant. According to the indictment, Fennoy was actually at home, spending extended periods of time at a secondary residence, when he was supposedly out working the streets. The indictment further alleges that Fennoy falsely cleared calls and reported responding to dispatches when, in fact, he never left the house. From April 2017 to March 2018, Fennoy is accused of submitting over 50 bogus requests for overtime pay, totaling more than 200 hours. He is accused of using the fraud to significantly boost his earnings. The charge alleges that in 2017 Fennoy received a base salary of $69,382, but after overtime, he received more than $205,000 in total wages.
"Every day, many dedicated police officers report to work in East St. Louis, one of the most impoverished and dangerous jurisdictions in the country, to protect and serve the people who live there," U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said. "Due to serious understaffing, many of them work considerable overtime hours trying to improve the safety of this community. We strongly support the men and women in law enforcement who work in these difficult circumstances. But at the same time, the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to serve its critical role preserving the public trust by holding law enforcement accountable when necessary."
Fraudulently obtaining money from an organization that receives federal funds, like the East St. Louis Police Department, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is mandatory.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of agents with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation, and the Illinois State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicions of public corruption to the Southern Illinois Public Corruption Task Force Tip Line at (618) 589-7373.
Ocean County Man Admits Producing Images of Sexual Abuse of Children and Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Plea Agreements Call for Total Sentence of 30 to 40 Years in Prison
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted producing images of himself sexually abusing young children, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Sebastien Attar, 35, of Brick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Separately, Attar also pleaded guilty before Judge Sheridan to a superseding indictment charging him with one count of advertising child pornography.
According to documents filed in the case and statements filed in court:
Beginning in mid-2017, federal law enforcement began investigating individuals participating in a private chat messaging group dedicated to the discussion and dissemination of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The private chat group was named “Taboo Train 2.0,” and law enforcement identified Attar as a member of that group, operating with the account identifier “Seb Seb.” The investigation revealed that on multiple occasions and in response to requests from other users, Attar, operating as “Seb Seb,” shared with the “Taboo Train 2.0” chat group images depicting sexual acts between adults and very young children.
In March 2018, in connection with the investigation of the “Taboo Train 2.0” chat group, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Attar’s Brick, New Jersey residence, and seized a number of electronic devices and electronic storage media. In July 2018, a grand jury sitting in the Northern District of Georgia returned a superseding indictment charging Attar and others with advertising child pornography.
In January 2019, during a forensic review of the electronic media seized pursuant to the search of Attar’s residence, law enforcement discovered graphic images in which an individual – later identified as Attar – had photographed himself engaged in sexual acts with two extremely young children, estimated to be less than one month old and less than six months old, respectively, at the time the images were produced. Upon discovery of these images, Attar promptly was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of New Jersey, leading to the two-count information filed today. As part of today’s resolution, the superseding indictment filed in the Northern District of Georgia against Attar was formally transferred to the District of New Jersey so that Attar could plead guilty to that charge in conjunction with his guilty plea to the information filed in this district.
The statutes under which Attar pleaded guilty each carry a statutory mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison, a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. If accepted by the Court at the time of sentencing, the parties’ plea agreements would result in Attar serving a stipulated total sentence between 30 and 40 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI-Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and special agents of the FBI-Atlanta Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge J.C. Hacker, with the investigations leading to today’s guilty pleas. Carpenito also thanked prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, under the direction of U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Brendan Day of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Defense counsel: David Jay Glassman Esq., Marlton, New Jersey
Northwood Woman Sentenced to 43 Months for Her Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Victoria Duford, 27, formerly of Northwood, was sentenced on Tuesday to 43 months in prison for participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2016 through April 2017, Duford purchased large amounts of methamphetamine from her co-conspirator Katrina Jones. In addition, on at least six occasions during the same time period, Duford received postal packages containing large quantities of methamphetamine on behalf of Jones at addresses in New Hampshire. Duford would bring the packages to Jones, who would often give Duford a portion of the methamphetamine as payment.
Jones pleaded guilty to several counts of drug trafficking, including two counts of distributing methamphetamine. She was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison on August 18, 2018.
Duford had previously pleaded guilty on July 10, 2018.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that has been appearing in New Hampshire with alarming frequency,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This drug can cause terrible harm to those who use it. In order to deter dealers, we will coordinate with all of our law enforcement partners to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate those who sell methamphetamine.”
“DEA is committed to bring to justice those that distribute methamphetamine,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Ms. Duford accountable for her crimes but serves as a warning that DEA and its local, state and federal partners will do everything in our power to keep this highly addictive drug off the streets of New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the N.H. Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, and the DEA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.
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North Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Rashaun Allen Judge, 33, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 13, 2016, North Charleston Police Department officers approached Judge while he was seated in his vehicle. The defendant provided officers his driver’s license and admitted to possessing marijuana in his pocket. Shortly thereafter, he fled the scene on foot. Officers searched his vehicle and located 5.55 grams of cocaine, 2.97 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded Charter Arms .38 Special handgun in the panel of the driver’s side door.
This is Judge’s third firearm conviction. Judge was convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in 2010 and was sentenced to three years in federal prison. While on bond for a separate state firearms charge, Judge was arrested on the underlying gun charge, which was later adopted by federal authorities. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston sentenced Judge to 120 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the North Charleston Police Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local 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 Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that GERARD HARRISON, age 31, of New Orleans, pled guilty to violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act and the federal Gun Control Act.
On June 13, 2019, HARRISON pled guilty to a two-count bill of information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one hundred grams or more of heroin and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, federal agents intercepted wiretapped calls involving HARRISON and surveilled him as he conducted drug transactions. Law enforcement agents also executed a search warrant at HARRISON’s home, and recovered an assault rifle, a large capacity magazine, and bags of heroin.
For his violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, HARRISON faces a minimum term of five years and a maximum term of forty years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, not less than four years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. Additionally, for his violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, HARRISON faces a consecutive sentence of not less than five years imprisonment up to life imprisonment, not less than 5 years of supervised release, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Court Judge Ashe set sentencing for September 19, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Maria M. Carboni are in charge of the prosecution.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Guns and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD LUGO, 38, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2018, Lugo possessed a 9mm Kel-Tec Model P-11 pistol, an AR-style pistol with no serial number, and more than 100 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Lugo’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut and New York for firearm, weapon, drug, larceny and possession of stolen property offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Lugo has been detained since December 20, 2018. On March 21, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, New Haven Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret E. Maigret and Sarah P. Karwan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Michigan Doctor Sentenced to Prison for His Role in Scheme to Unlawfully Distribute OpioidsRead the Press Release
A Detroit-area doctor was sentenced to 60 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to unlawfully distribute more than 23,000 pills of oxycodone.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Detroit Division, Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Plancon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Detroit Division and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Alex Kafi, M.D., 70, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts of the Eastern District of Michigan. Kafi pleaded guilty in August 2018 to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
“Betraying his duties as a licensed physician, Alex Kafi, accepted cash in exchange for writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for addictive opioids as part of a scheme that flooded Michigan with thousands of doses of oxycodone,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Holding corrupt doctors accountable is critical to our ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic nationwide and the Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue medical professionals like Alex Kafi.”
“Today’s opioid epidemic is fueled, in part, by the greed of certain doctors who knowingly prescribe legitimate pain medications to individuals for no legitimate medical purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Schneider. “Dr. Kafi’s action contributed to Michigan’s opioid crisis for the sole purpose of lining his pockets. We will continue to use every means available to investigate and prosecute these cases.”
“We are committed to investigating medical professionals who use their position to illegally distribute opioids like common drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Slater. “The FBI is unwaveringly committed to working alongside our Strike Force Partners to fight the opioid epidemic and to ensure the deadly practice of over-prescribing highly addictive drugs does not continue unchecked.”
“Today’s sentencing is a reminder of DEA’s determination to bring medical professionals who betray the trust of their community to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Plancon. “The DEA, through regulation and enforcement, will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to identify, investigate, and prosecute licensed Physicians, like Dr. Kafi, who use their medical profession and position to conceal the unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription drugs.”
“Ensuring the appropriate prescribing of opioid medications is essential to protect the health and safety of patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Pugh III. “When physicians act recklessly and in furtherance of their own greed, they only exacerbate the opioid epidemic. The OIG has made combatting the opioid crisis a top enforcement priority and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who act illegally and put patients’ health and safety at risk.”
As part of his guilty plea, Kafi admitted that from 2013 through May 2017, he engaged in a scheme in which he wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone in exchange for cash. Kafi wrote these fraudulent prescriptions often without ever meeting or communicating with the patient. Instead, Kafi conspired with patient recruiters who provided him with lists of patients, along with $300 per prescription of oxycodone, he admitted. Kafi admitted the scheme involved approximately 693,000 mg of oxycodone. He agreed to forfeit $617,208.00, representing proceeds of his criminal activity.
Kafi’s co-defendant Danielle Smith was sentenced by Judge Roberts to serve 32 months in prison on Feb. 7. Additional co-defendant Cheryl Ozoh awaits sentencing. Smith and Ozoh each also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
The FBI, DEA and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorney Steven Scott of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Memphis Goodwill Industries, Inc. will pay $150,000 to the United States for claims that were in violation of the Federal False Claims ActRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Memphis Goodwill Industries, Inc. will pay $150,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that it submitted claims that falsely certified compliance with regulations involving contracts it had entered into for services rendered to the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the General Services Administration pursuant to the AbilityOne Program.
To qualify for contracts administered by the AbilityOne Commission, Goodwill was required by federal regulation to employ disabled individuals for 75% of its direct labor hours. To maintain compliance, Goodwill was required to submit annual certifications certifying such compliance. The allegations were that Goodwill certified to the federal government that its direct labor hour’s figures were true and accurate when in fact the direct labor hours actually worked by disabled individuals were much lower.
The False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, provides the United States with a cause of action against any person or entity that knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval.
“Protection of the United States Treasury against fraud, waste, and abuse is a top priority of this office and the Department of Justice. False claims that defraud federal government agencies compromise and harm their respective abilities to employ disabled individuals in our communities, and must be exposed. We are pleased to recover these funds for the fraud perpetrated against the United States, and hope that this settlement amount will send a significant deterrent message to other dishonest contractors,” said D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney.
"Organizations that contract with the federal government under the AbilityOne program are expected to fulfill the promises they make to the taxpayer and the disabled individuals the program is intended to employ." said Carol F. Ochoa, Inspector General for GSA.
“Fraud on the AbilityOne program harms inclusion of workers in the program as well as law-abiding AbilityOne contractors,” said Thomas Lehrich, Inspector General of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. “We are committed to preserving the integrity of the AbilityOne program. Working with DOJ and our partners, the Office of Inspector General will continue to protect the confidence and public trust in the largest employment program in the nation of blind and significantly disabled workers.”
Michael J. Missal, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, stated, “This settlement sends a clear message to individuals and businesses that we will work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and expose false claims that compromise the integrity of programs designed to benefit veterans and their families.”
This investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General for the United States AbilityOne Commission, the Office of Inspector General for the General Services Administration, the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stuart J. Canale, Western District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorney Jennifer Chorpening, United States Department of Justice Civil Division, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mail Thief Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Violating the Terms of his Supervised Release by Stealing More MailRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - Following a hearing for alleged violations of supervised release conditions, Senior United States District Judge Donetta Ambrose sentenced Tyrone Mobley, age 52, previously convicted of theft of U.S. mail on December 19, 2016, to 21 months’ incarceration with 11 months of supervised release to follow.
According to information provided to the court, Mr. Mobley violated his conditions of supervised release, including continued theft of mail in March and May, 2019 in the Shadyside and East End sections of Pittsburgh. Mr. Mobley was taken into U.S. Marshal’s custody following the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Scott W. Brady commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the City of Pittsburgh Police.
Lowell Man Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Lowell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a masked and armed bank robbery.
Jason M. Nobles, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In January 2019, Nobles pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. Nobles is currently in federal custody.
On Feb. 26, 2018, a masked individual, later identified as Nobles, entered a branch of the Santander Bank in Swansea, approached a teller’s station, brandished what appeared to be a black semi-automatic pistol, pointed the pistol at the bank’s tellers and demanded cash. Throughout the robbery, Nobles pointed the weapon at the tellers ordering them to hurry up and threatening to shoot them. The tellers handed Nobles cash from their drawers, and Nobles fled the bank. A post robbery audit determined that Nobles stole approximately $15,000.
Bank employees witnessed Nobles depart the bank, run to a neighboring parking lot, and leave the area in a gray Toyota SUV, which had been reported stolen from Rhode Island earlier in the day. The employees were able to provide law enforcement with a vehicle description and the physical description of the robber. A high-speed chase ensued and local law enforcement officers, across multiple towns, worked together to locate the Toyota SUV, stop it, and detain the driver - Nobles - who matched the description of the robber given by the bank’s employees. Later, when law enforcement executed a search of the vehicle, they found a large sum of money and a black Sig Sauer semi-automatic pellet gun.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn; Swansea Police Chief George Arruda; and Rehoboth Police Chief James J. Trombetta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Louisiana Couple and Their Business Plead Guilty to Operating Sham Medical Reimbursement Account Program that Defrauded the IRS and Program Participants Out of over $48 MillionRead the Press Release
A Covington, Louisiana, couple and their company pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to create, market and operate a fraudulent medical reimbursement program that defrauded the IRS and program participants out of over $48 million.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Steve Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s (DOL-OIG) Dallas Regional Office and Regional Director James Purcell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Kansas City Regional Office made the announcement.
Denis Joachim, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; Donna Joachim, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; and The Total Financial Group, Inc. (TTFG) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements and representations in connection with a multiple employer welfare arrangement and five counts of making false statements and representations in connection with a multiple employer welfare arrangement. All the pleas took place before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier of the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 30, 2019, and were unsealed yesterday. Sentencings have been scheduled for Sept. 5, 2019, before Judge Barbier. As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants have agreed to forfeit assets previously seized with a collective value of approximately $6.3 million. Additionally, the defendants acknowledged a potential loss to the victims totaling more than $48 million and agreed to repay restitution for the amount of loss.
According to admissions made as part of the guilty pleas, TTFG was a Louisiana business incorporated by Denis Joachim and Donna Joachim with the Louisiana Secretary of State that was most recently located at 406 N. Florida Street in Covington. TTFG and its owners created and marketed a medical reimbursement account program called “Classic 105,” which operated from about 2012 until January 2017. Classic 105 claimed to be a multiple employer welfare arrangement that was marketed to employers as a supplemental benefits plan for their employees to reimburse for medical expenses such as co-pays and deductibles; participants in Classic 105 were required to have a primary health insurance plan unrelated to and in addition to Classic 105.
According to the defendants’ admissions, Classic 105 claimed to be comprised of several components: a tax-exempt contribution of between $1,000 and $1,600 per month made by an employee (which reduced the employee’s taxable income), a loan from a financial institution back to the employee to make up for the contribution, an insurance policy payable to the lender at the employee’s death to repay the loan and fees paid by the employee and the employer directly to TTFG. TTFG told prospective employer-clients that participants would never have to make out-of-pocket payments to repay the loan and that as a result of the tax savings, most participants would receive an increase in their net take home pay. TTFG also told prospective employer-clients that the contributions would be stored in a unique account for each employee-participant and that any money not used by the end of each calendar year would revert to TTFG. TTFG also charged employee-participants a fee of between $150 and $250 per month and the employer a fee of five percent of each employee’s contribution amount. At its peak, over 350 employer-clients and 4,400 employee-participants nationwide were enrolled in TTFG’s Classic 105 program. In total, TTFG took in not less than at least $25,543,340.70 in fees from the employer-clients and employee-participants, the defendants admitted.
According to the defendants’ admissions, TTFG never obtained a single loan or insurance policy for the Classic 105 program, and participants never made any actual contributions. Rather, TTFG arranged for the contribution, loan and insurance policy to appear as a series of “paper transactions” that, in effect, did nothing more than reduce participants’ taxable wages and employers’ FICA payments improperly, without their knowledge of the impropriety. Consequently, TTFG and the Joachims admittedly caused the underpayment of at least $23,343,442.70 in federal FICA taxes, as well as the underreporting and underpayment of personal federal income taxes, federal unemployment taxes and state unemployment taxes—amounts for which the employer-clients and employee-participants may be individually responsible. It also exposed participants to other adverse financial consequences, including fees and penalties on the unpaid tax and ineligibility from certain government programs, including unemployment payments and reduced Social Security payments, the defendants admitted.
In truth, the only money actually paid to TTFG were the fees, which the Joachims used to make numerous personal expenses, including the purchase of a 26-foot boat, a 2016 Grand Design Solitude recreational trailer, a Chevrolet Corvette, a Jeep Wrangler, a Dodge Ram truck, a Mercedes-Benz CL 550 automobile, a GMC Yukon XL Denali, multiple CAN-AM Maverick 1000R off-road vehicles, jet skis, their 13,000 square foot Covington residence, real property located adjacent to their Covington residence, two residences located in Madisonville, Louisiana, 40 acres of property in Bush, Louisiana, and 125 acres of property in Spring City, Tennessee, the defendants admitted.
This case was investigated by the IRS-CI, the FBI, the DOL-OIG and the Employee Benefits Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg and Maria Carboni of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Senior Trial Attorney Rebecca Pyne of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Labor-Management Racketeering Unit also provided assistance with the prosecution.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.