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Monday 17 June 2019
Member of New Haven Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on June 14, 2019, SAMUEL CRUZ, 41, of New Haven, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and cocaine.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department into a New Haven-based drug trafficking organization that acquired and distributed heroin and cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions between December 2017 and March 2018, Cruz was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap obtaining heroin and cocaine from another member of the conspiracy. He then distributed the drugs to his own customers.
On April 19, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Cruz and 18 other individuals with narcotics trafficking offenses. Cruz has been detained since his arrest on April 25, 2019. On March 14, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 500 grams of heroin, more than 300 grams of fentanyl, more than one kilogram of cocaine, three firearms, over $90,000 in cash, vehicles, jewelry and precious metals.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The Connecticut Department of Correction, Milford Police Department and East Haven Police Department have assisted the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
Marshall County man admits to methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth R. Beckner, of Moundsville, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beckner, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Beckner admitted to distributing methamphetamine in Marshall County and elsewhere from July 2018 to January 2019.
Beckner faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Manchester Man Indicted on Armed Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Guillermo Garcia Esquivel, 36, of Manchester, was indicted in federal court for committing six armed robberies, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
The charges resulted from an investigation into a string of armed robberies of convenience stores in Manchester, New Hampshire. The defendant is charged with committing six separate armed robberies at various Manchester convenience stores between January 5, 2019, and February 24, 2019.
The defendant has been ordered detained. A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the Manchester Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.
“I’m very pleased to finally be able to announce we have been working with the US Attorney’s Office regarding the rash of armed robberies in our city,” Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said. "Manchester Patrol Officers and Detectives have worked diligently to investigate numerous robberies over several months. As an agency, it is frustrating to initially withhold information, but there is a risk of compromising an investigation. Our goal is to always put solid cases together that result in successful prosecutions. We will always do everything we possibly can to keep our community safe.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding State and Local GovernmentsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Ohio man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud state and local governments of millions of dollars.
According to court documents, Robert Mutua Muli, 59, of Carrollton, conspired with others to defraud state and local governments by fraudulently pretending to be legitimate government vendors. Using sham email addresses, the conspirators sent government entities bogus vendor payment information that caused government entities to make large payments to bank accounts controlled by Muli. Muli then quickly transferred the fraudulently obtained funds to himself and to his co-conspirators, some of whom were located in Kenya. During the conspiracy, Muli intended to steal over $2 million from the victim government entities.
For example, on Aug. 6, 2018, Victim 1, a Virginia county government that had an agreement with Dell Marketing LP (Dell) to purchase computer hardware for its public schools, received an email from an account falsely claiming to be a Dell employee. The fraudulent email account was very similar to a Dell employee’s true email address and contained revised banking information for Dell. The revised banking information changed payment information to an account controlled by Muli. As a result, between Aug. 8 and Sept. 10, 2018, Victim 1 sent 28 payments totaling approximately $1.3 million for public school computing needs to an account controlled by Muli, which Muli later distributed among himself and his co-conspirators. In addition to Victim 1, during the scheme Muli and his co-conspirators defrauded the City of Detroit, City of Philadelphia, and State of Vermont.
Muli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on October 4. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charles Dayoub, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-186.
Man from Cochiti Pueblo Sentenced to 37 Days in Prison for Violating Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Wayne Martin, 47, of Cochiti Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 37 days in prison for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by shooting and killing at least two dozen protected birds and selling them to an undercover federal agent.
Martin previously pleaded guilty to this offense on January 5, 2017. According to court documents, he admitted to killing robins, hummingbirds, hawks, and other species. He then failed to appear in court for his original sentencing hearing and stayed away for 21 months before agents arrested him.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña prosecuted the case.
Logan County Man Indicted on Child Exploitation, Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An initial trial date has been set for Aug. 6, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough for Jason Fulmer, 33, of the 1200 block of Lake View Dr., Lincoln, Ill., who has been indicted on child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges. Fulmer was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his release on conditions.
A six-count indictment alleges that on three occasions, in January and February 2017, Fulmer persuaded a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to send the images using a computer, and that Fulmer received images of child pornography on three occasions in 2016 and 2017.
If convicted, for each count (three counts) of sexual exploitation of a child, Fulmer faces a statutory penalty of a minimum 15 years to 30 years in prison. For receiving child pornography (three counts), the statutory penalty is five to 20 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Yanz. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lincoln Police Department, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Local Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Thaddeus Leo Raymond pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Raymond to 120 months for the methamphetamine offense as well as a 60-month consecutive term for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The total 180-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On July 23, 2018, authorities conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 4700 block of Alameda Street in Corpus Christi. When officers approached, they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked the driver, Allen Sturtz, and the passenger, Raymond, to step out. At that time, Raymond informed the officers that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband. The officers then recovered the loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
During a search of the vehicle, the officers discovered a backpack on the passenger side floorboard that contained a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine. Laboratory analysis confirmed the substance was 99% pure and weighted approximately 414 grams with an estimated street value of $5,000.
On Dec. 17, 2018, Judge Rainey sentenced Sturtz, 27, of Corpus Christi, to a total of 140 months followed by five years of supervised release.
Both have been and remain in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Libyan National Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges in 2012 Attack on U.S. Facilities in BenghaziRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national approximately 48 years old, was found guilty of terrorism charges for his participation in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby CIA Annex in Benghazi.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division., and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
“We will never forget those we lost in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012 – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “And we will not rest in our pursuit of the terrorists who attacked our facilities and killed these four courageous Americans – they must be held accountable for their crimes. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors – and all of their partners in the U.S. government – who are responsible for this important investigation.”
“Mustafa al-Imam was found guilty and will be held accountable for his role in the terrorist attack that destroyed the U.S. Mission in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Four American heroes lost their lives and others were seriously wounded during the attack on two U.S. facilities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States no matter how far we must go or how long it takes.”
“Mustafa Al-Imam has been found guilty for his role in a brutal terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans,” said Assistant Director Michael McGarrity. This case shows the FBI's commitment to bring to justice those who commit acts of terror against the United States and our citizens—no matter how far away those acts take place or how long an investigation may take.”
“Mustafa al-Imam played a significant role in the 2012 Benghazi attack, one that ultimately claimed American lives,” said Assistant Director William F. Sweeney, Jr. “While nothing will ever change the outcome of this horrific event, today’s verdict is a reminder that the safety of Americans—whether at home or abroad, civilian or otherwise—will always be our top priority. If you commit an act of terrorism, we will find you and bring you to justice."
Al-Imam was captured in Libya on October 29, 2017. He was found guilty by jury on June 13, 2019, of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists and maliciously destroying and injuring a dwelling and placing lives in jeopardy. The former charge is punishable by up to a maximum of 15 years in prison, while the latter charge is punishable by up to a maximum of 20 years in prison. The jury failed to reach a verdict on 15 other charged counts, leading the court to declare a mistrial on those counts today, June 17, 2019. The government has not yet announced whether it plans to retry Al-Imam on the remaining counts. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The trial began with opening statements on May 8, 2019, before a jury in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the next four weeks, the government presented testimony from 29 witnesses. The witnesses included those who were wounded in the attack, as well as others who survived the attacks.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided significant assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Cummings and Karen Seifert of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Coleman and Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, detailed Paralegal Specialist Ashley Davis, Intelligence Research Special Dustin Powell, contract Document Management Analyst Michael Watts, Victim-Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant, Tonya Jones, Laverne Perry and Wanda Queen, and Litigation Technology Chief Leif Hickling. Earlier stages of the prosecution were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiLorenzo and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Opher Shweiki and Julieanne Himelstein.
Libyan National Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges in 2012 Attack on U.S. Facilities in BenghaziRead the Press Release
Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national approximately 48 years old, was found guilty of terrorism charges for his participation in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
“We will never forget those we lost in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012 – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “And we will not rest in our pursuit of the terrorists who attacked our facilities and killed these four courageous Americans – they must be held accountable for their crimes. I want to thank the agents, analysts, and prosecutors – and all of their partners in the U.S. government – who are responsible for this important investigation.”
“Mustafa al-Imam was found guilty and will be held accountable for his role in the terrorist attack that destroyed the U.S. Mission in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Four American heroes lost their lives and others were seriously wounded during that attack. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States no matter how far we must go or how long it takes.”
“Mustafa Al-Imam has been found guilty for his role in a brutal terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans,” said Assistant Director McGarrity. “This case shows the FBI's commitment to bring to justice those who commit acts of terror against the United States and our citizens — no matter how far away those acts take place or how long an investigation may take.”
“Mustafa al-Imam played a significant role in the 2012 Benghazi attack, one that ultimately claimed American lives,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “While nothing will ever change the outcome of this horrific event, today’s verdict is a reminder that the safety of Americans — whether at home or abroad, civilian or otherwise — will always be our top priority. If you commit an act of terrorism, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
Al-Imam was captured in Libya on Oct. 29, 2017. He was found guilty of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists and maliciously destroying and injuring a dwelling and placing lives in jeopardy by a jury on June 13, 2019. The former charge is punishable by up to a maximum of 15 years in prison, while the latter charge is punishable by up to a maximum of 20 years in prison. The jury failed to reach a verdict on 15 other charged counts, leading the court to declare a mistrial on June 17, 2019. The government has not yet announced whether it plans to retry Al-Imam on the remaining counts. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The trial began with opening statements on May 8, 2019, before a jury in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the next four weeks, the government presented testimony from 27 witnesses. The witnesses included those who were wounded in the attack, as well as others who survived the attacks.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Cummings and Karen Seifert of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Coleman and Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, detailed Paralegal Specialist Ashley Davis, Intelligence Research Special Dustin Powell, contract Document Management Analyst Michael Watts, Victim-Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant, Tonya Jones, Laverne Perry and Wanda Queen, and Litigation Technology Chief Leif Hickling. Earlier stages of the prosecution were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiLorenzo and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Opher Shweiki and Julieanne Himelstein. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided significant assistance.
Leeds, ND, Man Signs Plea Agreement in an $11 Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase announced that on June 17, 2019, the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota unsealed an Information charging Hunter Brian Hanson, age 22, of Leeds, ND, with Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and a Forfeiture allegation. Additionally, the United States District Court unsealed a Plea Agreement signed by Hanson articulating his intent to plead guilty to these charges.
Under the terms of the Plea Agreement, Hanson has agreed to plead guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering and will admit to a forfeiture allegation for his assets, which are proceeds of the aforementioned crimes. Additionally, Hanson agreed to pay full restitution in the amount of $11,405,134.72. The United States will recommend a sentence within the applicable sentencing guidelines range, recommend that he serve a three-year period of supervised release, and agree not to charge Hanson with any additional federal economic crimes related to his charged scheme to defraud, which occurred prior to the date Hanson signed the Plea Agreement.
The Information and Plea Agreement state, from January 2018 to December 2018, Hanson, executed a scheme to defraud approximately 60 farmers, elevators, or commodity brokers in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Canada. As a result, these approximately 60 farmers, elevators, or brokers suffered a total financial loss of approximately $11,405,134.72. Specifically, Hanson, with intent to defraud, contracted with multiple farmers and grain elevators to obtain grain or other agricultural commodities, obtained these commodities, and either failed to pay the farmers and elevators for these commodities or sent these farmers and elevators non-sufficient funds checks.
Hanson, as part of this scheme to defraud, maintained multiple bank accounts, engaged in check kiting to cover his deposits and withdrawals, laundered money between his bank accounts and other businesses, and often did not have sufficient funds in his bank accounts when he remitted payments to farmers and elevators for money owed on the agricultural commodities purchasing contracts. Moreover, Hanson diverted funds from his grain business accounts to other personal and business accounts. Additionally, Hanson purchased agricultural commodities from farmers and elevators above their per bushel market value and then sold these same commodities below their per bushel market value. Finally, after Hanson failed to pay farmers and elevators for the agricultural commodities he obtained, he sent email communications, to lull farmers, elevators, or brokers into a false sense of security, to postpone inquiries, or to make his transactions between the farmers, elevators, or brokers less suspect.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan O’Konek said, “As is outlined in the Plea Agreement, Hanson operated a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme that victimized dozens of North Dakota and Canadian farmers and businesses. Due to the diligent efforts of state, local, and federal law enforcement, Hanson will be held accountable for his actions. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating white collar crimes and will continue to prosecute those individuals who violate federal law.”
At the present time and until there is a conviction in this case, under the law, Hanson is presumed innocent. Hanson’s arraignment will occur June 18, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in Bismarck and his change of plea will occur on July 30, 2019, at 9:15 a.m., also in Bismarck.
The investigating agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations; North Dakota State and Local Intelligence Center; McLean County Sheriff’s Office and States Attorney’s Office; and Mountrail County Sheriff’s Office and States Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek is prosecuting the case.Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for A Day of LearningRead the Press Release
BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) Program
Brings Law Enforcement and Communities Together
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – This Wednesday, high school students in Gainesville will have the opportunity to hear directly from three of the area’s top law enforcement officials – including the U.S. Attorney, the Alachua County sheriff, and the Gainesville police chief – as part of a BLAST Program, which offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community to ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with law enforcement officers in a familiar setting.
During the four-hour program at Eastside High School, law enforcement officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations. Members of the media are welcome to attend and photograph/video most demonstrations of the BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) Program demonstrations.
“Sharing these perspectives encourages safe interactions between citizens and officers to improve our community,” said Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, who will be one of the participants in the Gainesville program. “Our communities are safest when residents and law enforcement work as partners, and the BLAST program is an excellent way to replace misgivings and apprehension with familiarity and trust.”
Among those joining Keefe in speaking with the students will be Alachua Sheriff Sadie Darnell and Gainesville Police Chief Tony Jones. Agencies participating in the program include the FBI, ATF, DEA, Florida Highway Patrol, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Media: Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend.
The BLAST Program schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified.)
• Federal Crimes Scenario: Students will evaluate video scenarios and learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
• Domestic Violence Response / K-9 Demonstration: Students will participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. Discussion includes the challenges officers’ face, rights of witnesses and suspects, and benefits of providing information to law enforcement.
This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
• Traffic Stop Simulation: Students and officers engage, alternating the roles of civilians and officers conducting a traffic stop. Discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop.
This session is open to the media, and videography and photography is permitted.
• Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation.
This session is closed to the media. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html
Kenmore Man and Niagara Falls Woman Sentenced for Their Roles in Debt Collection SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Carmelo Collana, 49, of Kenmore, NY, and Debbie Seright, 52, of Niagara Falls, NY, who were each convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in a debt collection scheme, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to serve 12 months and 24 months in prison respectively.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2014 and February 2017, Collana and Seright conspired with others in a debt collection scheme that was spearheaded by co-defendant Joseph Ciffa. Specifically, defendant Collana helped facilitate Ciffa’s debt collection scheme, by opening various corporations and bank accounts which were used to process and transfer victim payments brought in by debt collection agencies operating under various names, including Lakeside Mediations, Lincoln Mediation, Valentine Legal Mediation, First Point Mediation, State Filing and Legal Services and Elite Services. In addition, Collana maintained an account with TLO, an online commercial database, which was used to gather personal information as to individuals, such as address, employer, and date of birth. The defendant provided employees of the debt collection agencies with access to TLO, in order to assist the employees in contacting and collecting from the individuals to whom they placed calls. Collana also at times provided debt files to employees of the various debt collection agencies.
Seright played a management role within Ciffa’s debt collection scheme, in that she oversaw a group of employees who placed fraudulent telephone calls in an attempt to collect money to individuals throughout the United States. The employees utilized fraudulent tactics, including false threats of arrest, false claims that the callers/collectors were attorneys, and false claims as to criminal charges pending against the “debtors.” The defendant and employees also routinely collected on debts which they knew had already been satisfied, and collected money from "debtors" that were characterized as “easy targets” from whom they had already collected payment. "Debtors" were instructed to make payment to the various debt collection businesses through various means, including MoneyGram payments, bank wire transfers, and debit/credit card payments.
Between July 2015 and December 2016, the section of the debt collection operation in which Seright participated collected approximately $1,154,213.
Between February 2015 and December 2016, approximately $788,961 from fraudulent collection activities was deposited into bank accounts opened and used by defendant Collana to funnel fraud proceeds back to Ciffa and his debt collection scheme.
Collana and Seright were charged along with four other codefendants. To date, all six defendants charged, including Joseph Ciffa, have been convicted. Ciffa is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencings are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special-Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin.
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KC Man Convicted of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in a bench trial today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Carl D. Edwards, 38, was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Edwards was in possession of a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun on Feb. 24, 2018. Kansas City police officers were dispatched that afternoon in response to a 9-1-1 call reporting a man high on PCP trying to get into a residence. Officers found Edwards lying in the driveway. The loaded handgun was tucked in his waistband.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Edwards has prior felony convictions for armed bank robbery, assault on a law enforcement officer, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Edwards is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Five Additional Broadcast Television Companies, Including One National Sales Representative Firm, in Ongoing Information Sharing InvestigationRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached settlements with CBS Corporation (CBS), Cox Enterprises Inc. (Cox), The E.W. Scripps Company (Scripps), Fox Corporation (Fox), and TEGNA Inc. (TEGNA) to resolve a Department lawsuit brought as part of its ongoing investigation into exchanges of competitively sensitive information in the broadcast television industry.
All five companies are alleged to have engaged in unlawful information sharing among their owned broadcast television stations. Cox also owns Cox Reps, one of two large “Rep Firms” in the industry that assist broadcast stations in sales to national advertisers. The Rep Firms are alleged to have participated in the unlawful information sharing conduct.
“The Antitrust Division’s efforts to protect competition in the television broadcast industry continue with today’s settlements that will stop the unlawful exchange of competitively sensitive information among rival broadcasters and their sales rep firms,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Vigorous competition among broadcast stations allows American businesses across the country to obtain competitive advertising rates. The unlawful sharing of information reduced that competition and thereby harmed businesses that rely on competitive rates to best serve their customers.”
The Department filed a second amended complaint today in the case United States v. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., et al., adding CBS, Cox, Scripps, Fox, and TEGNA as defendants. At the same time, the Department filed proposed settlements with CBS, Cox, Scripps, Fox, and TEGNA that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the complaint. The Department filed its original complaint in the case on Nov. 13, 2018, along with proposed settlements with six other television broadcasting companies. On Dec. 13, 2018, the Department filed an amended complaint and a proposed settlement with a seventh television broadcasting company. The court entered final judgment against all seven of those defendants on May 22, 2019.
According to the amended complaint, CBS, Cox, Scripps, Fox, and TEGNA agreed with other entities in many metropolitan areas across the United States to exchange revenue pacing information, and also engaged in the exchange of other forms of non-public sales information in certain metropolitan areas. The complaint further alleges that Cox Reps also facilitated and participated in this exchange of pacing information by its broadcast-station clients that operated in the same metropolitan areas. Pacing compares a broadcast station’s revenues booked for a certain time period to the revenues booked in the same point in the previous year. Pacing indicates how each station is performing versus the rest of the market and provides insight into each station’s remaining spot advertising for the period.
By exchanging pacing information, the five new defendants and other broadcasters were better able to anticipate whether their competitors were likely to raise, maintain, or lower spot advertising prices, which in turn helped inform their stations’ own pricing strategies and negotiations with advertisers. As a result, the information exchanges harmed the competitive price-setting process in markets for the sale of spot advertisements.
The Department recognizes and commends each of these new defendants for their cooperation with the Antitrust Division in bringing these issues to settlement. In particular, Fox assisted in the expeditious resolution of the Division’s investigation, even though Fox’s relevant conduct of which the Division is currently aware appears to have occurred before Fox’s spin-off from the recently merged Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox.
The proposed settlements with CBS, Cox, Scripps, Fox, and TEGNA prohibit the direct or indirect sharing of such competitively sensitive information. Additionally, the Department’s proposed settlement with Cox requires that Cox Reps implements firewalls in markets where it represents more than one broadcast station. The Department has determined that these provisions would resolve the antitrust concerns raised as a result of the defendants’ alleged conduct. The proposed settlements further require these five defendants to adopt rigorous antitrust compliance and reporting measures to prevent similar anticompetitive conduct in the future. The settlements have a seven-year term, and they will continue to apply to stations currently owned by CBS, Cox, Scripps, Fox, and TEGNA even if those stations are acquired by another company. Finally, the settlements require that the five defendants cooperate in the Department’s ongoing investigation.
CBS is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in New York, New York. It owns or operates 28 television stations across 18 markets and had revenues in excess of $14.5 billion in 2018.
Cox is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. It owns or operates 14 television stations across 10 markets, owns Cox Reps, and had an estimated $20 billion in revenues in 2018.
Scripps is an Ohio corporation with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. It owns or operates 60 television stations across 42 markets, and had over $917 million in revenues in 2018.
Fox is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in New York, New York. Fox owns or operates 17 television stations across 17 markets. Fox is a corporate entity that was formed after The Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox and spun-out certain former 21st Century Fox assets, including its broadcast station assets. The television segment of 21st Century Fox had over $5 billion in revenues in 2017.
TEGNA is a Delaware corporation with headquarters in McLean, Virginia. It owns or operates 49 television stations in 41 markets, and had $2.2 billion in revenues in 2018.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlements, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlements within 60 days of their publication to Owen Kendler, Chief, Media, Entertainment, and Professional Services Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the final judgments upon a finding that they serve the public interest.
Judge Sentences McKean Man to 7 Years in Prison for Possessing Pornographic Images and Movies of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of McKean, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months in jail and 8 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Nathan Mark Williams, 37.
According to information presented to the court, Williams distributed, received and possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Harrison County man sentenced for role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Solomon Cottrill, of Salem, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cottrill, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in March 2019. Cottrill admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2017 in Harrison County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Harrison County man sentenced for role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Donald Hickman, Jr., of Reynoldsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hickman, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in March 2017. Hickman admitted to selling methamphetamine in January 2018 in Harrison County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Haitian National Pleads Guilty to Running Visa Fraud Scheme Involving More Than 100 Fraudulent Visa ApplicationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that EMMANUEL PRIVA, age 38, a citizen of Haiti, pleaded guilty Thursday, June 13, 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and to two counts of visa fraud. PRIVA admitted that from 2013 to 2018, he attempted to fraudulently obtain visas for more than 100 aliens, some of whom succeeded in obtaining visas to travel to the United States.
PRIVA ran the scheme from his home in Harvey, Louisiana, and other locations. In exchange for money, PRIVA agreed to assist Haitian nationals in fraudulently obtaining visitor visas to travel to the United States. After receiving payment from the Haitian nationals, PRIVA submitted online visa applications containing false information, created false documents to support the applications, and coached the aliens on how to deceive consular officers at interviews for the visas. The scheme was focused on making it appear that the Haitian nationals intended to temporarily visit, as opposed to illegally immigrating to the United States.
At sentencing, which is scheduled for October 3, 2019, PRIVA faces maximum terms of imprisonment of (10) ten years for each visa fraud conviction and (5) five years for the conspiracy conviction, supervised release of up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Criminal Fraud Investigations and Overseas Criminal Investigations Divisions, in jointly investigating this matter, with support from its New Orleans Resident Office. U.S. Attorney Strasser also thanked the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate and the Haitian National Police’s Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (Central Directorate of the Judicial Police) for their assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison.
Gumersindo Ventura-Diaz, age 31, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 22, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Ventura-Diaz admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in November 2012 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ventura-Diaz was found by immigration agents in March 2019 after he was charged in Floyd County, Iowa, with driving without a license.
Ventura-Diaz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams. Ventura-Diaz was sentenced to 71 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ventura-Diaz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2019.
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Granite Bay Man Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Product Substitution Fraud on Federal Government AgenciesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced Jim A. Meron, 54, of Granite Bay, today to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release on two counts of wire fraud arising out of a government-procurement fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. As part of the sentence, the Court ordered Meron to pay restitution of $1,622,729.13 to dozens of victims. The Court also entered a final order forfeiting more than $1.7 million in assets seized during the investigation of Meron’s crimes.
According to court documents, between May 2011 and July 2017, Meron used two office supply businesses he operated to defraud federal government agencies out of as much as $3.5 million, in thousands of transactions, by substituting and delivering cheaper, generic versions of expensive, name-brand products his customers ordered, and pocketing the price difference.
Meron’s companies, WOW Imaging Products LLC and Time Enterprises LLC, contracted to sell office supplies to federal agencies through two web-based government sales portals, GSA Advantage, operated by the General Services Administration, and DOD EMall, operated by the Department of Defense. After Meron received payments for the premium products his customers ordered, he obtained compatible products from his suppliers that cost him a fraction of what his customer paid for the brand-name products they ordered. Meron then substituted and delivered those cheaper products for the more expensive products his customers ordered, and retained the difference in cost. Over time, Meron extended his substitution scheme to nearly all orders for those name-brand products, and never intended to deliver what his customers ordered.
This case is the product of an investigation by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys André M. Espinosa and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Georgia Woman Arrested, Charged for Her Role in Romance SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nicole Dibba, a/k/a Nicole Fountain, 32, of Marietta, Georgia, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in May 2018, Victim 1 began communicating online, via Instagram, with a person purporting to be Richard Edvin. Edvin is an identity used by an unknown member of the conspiracy to engage in romantic and intimate online and telephonic relationships with potential victims. After the initial online contact via Instagram, Edvin communicated with Victim 1 via text messages and phone calls. The relationship eventually became intense with the two communicating on an almost daily basis between May and November 2018. Edvin created a false background story for himself in order to manipulate Victim 1 and to gain Victim 1’s trust. He told Victim 1 that he was located in Oregon but that he was going to be traveling out of the country for approximately two months to bring an oil rig off the coast of China back online.
In a further attempt to gain the trust of Victim 1, while purportedly on the oil rig, Edvin gave Victim 1 online access to a Suisse Bank account and had Victim 1 move money around from this account. Victim 1 did access the bank account and moved money as directed by Edvin. Since the account contained a substantial amount of money, Victim 1 was led to believe that Edvin and Victim 1 shared a relationship of mutual trust.
Edvin explained to Victim 1 that he wanted to meet Victim1 but that he was unable to travel until the oil rig was up and running. Edvin further told Victim 1 that the oil rig had expensive repair issues that required immediate attention. Edvin began asking Victim 1 for money to assist him with purchasing equipment to fix the oil rig. Edvin assured Victim 1 that he would repay Victim 1 upon his return to the United States.
On December 27, 2017, the defendant Nicole Dibba, aka Nicole Fountain, opened a bank account at SunTrust Bank in the name of Stoich Investments, LLC. The defendant was the only authorized signatory on the account. On June 19, 2018, Victim 1, at the direction of Edvin, wire transferred $40,000 from Victim 1’s account at M&T Bank in the state of New York to the bank account controlled by defendant at SunTrust Bank. Between December 27, 2017, and November 30, 2018, more than $723,000 was deposited into the SunTrust Bank account. The investigation has determined that the vast majority of the deposits were from individuals, or entities associated with individuals, who were the victims of a romance fraud scheme or other similar schemes to defraud. The defendant has withdrawn in excess of $232,000 in cash from that account.In addition to the $40,000 wire to Stoich Investments, LLC, Victim 1, again at the direction of Edvin, also conducted six additional wire transfers totaling $176,500 to accounts at Bank of America and Wells Fargo, both located in Georgia, and four accounts at First City Bank, located in Nigeria.
In total, Victim 1 sent seven wire transfers between June 6 and August 29, 2018, totaling $216,500. In addition to the seven wire transfers, between June 6 and November 13, 2018, Edvin persuaded and directed Victim 1 to send funds and goods such as iTunes gift cards, a computer, speakers, headphones, and an Apple watch, all valued at more than $34,000, to members of the conspiracy. The total loss to Victim 1 was more than $250,000.
“This sort of online deception destroys not only victim’s hearts but their wallets,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “In our increasingly screen-addicted world, I see these sorts of scams proliferating in the future. People need to recognize that in the virtual world things are not always as they appear. A good rule of thumb to begin with might simply be to insist on meeting someone in-person before you agree to give that person your money—or your heart.”
Dibba made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Gaithersburg MS-13 Associate Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping Conspiracy, in Connection with the Murder of an Individual he Believed to be a Rival Gang MemberRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Jose Israel Melendez-Rivera, a/k/a “Liar,” age 21, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, today to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to kidnap.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Baltimore Office; Acting Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city of region. Cliques of MS-13 often work together cooperatively with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. MS-13’s creed is based on one of its mottos, “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” which translates to, “kill, steal, rape, control.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
Prospective members who sought to join MS-13 were required to complete an initiation process. Individuals who associated with and were friends of the gang were called “paisas.” Individuals who did favors and other acts for the gang were called “paros.” Persons being observed by the gang for potential membership were called “observations,” and individuals who had advanced to the final level before being “jumped in” were called “chequeos,” or “cheqs.” To become a full member of MS-13 or a “homeboy,” prospective members were required to complete an initiation process, often referred to as being “jumped in,” during which other MS-13 members would beat the new member, usually until a gang member finished counting aloud to the number 13
According to Melendez-Rivera’s plea agreement, he illegally entered the United States in 2014 from El Salvador, where he held the rank of observation in MS-13. Initially, Melendez-Rivera did not participate in gang activities when he arrived in the United States, but in December 2015, he was recruited back into the L.A. clique of the gang by an MS-13 member in El Salvador. In the spring of 2016, that MS-13 member provided Melendez-Rivera with the cell phone number of co-defendant Neris Moreno-Martinez, who was a paro in the L.A. clique and lived in New Jersey. After talking for several months, Melendez-Rivera and Moreno-Martinez agreed to work together to accomplish MS-13 goals. According to the plea agreement, Moreno-Martinez wanted to achieve the rank of chequeo, which required him to participate in a murder, but he was concerned that there were not enough forests in New Jersey where he could dispose of a victim.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in the summer of 2016, Moreno-Martinez told Melendez-Rivera about the victim, Jordy Mejia, whom Moreno-Martinez alleged was a member of the rival 18th Street gang, although there is no evidence to suggest that was true. Prior to October 1, 2016, Moreno-Martinez created a social media account in the name “Shaila Smith.” Between October 2 and October 15, 2016, Moreno-Martinez posed as Shaila Smith and through social media expressed to Mejia that Shaila Smith was romantically interested in Mejia. Melendez-Rivera admitted that he and co-defendant Reynaldo Alexis Granados-Vasquez, who was a paro in MS-13 at that time, were aware of the ruse and that the goal was to trick Mejia into coming to Maryland where the three intended to murder Mejia.
According to the plea agreement, Moreno-Martinez traveled to Maryland to meet Melendez-Rivera on October 15, 2016. Later that day, at the direction of Moreno-Martinez posing as Shaila Smith, Mejia also traveled to Melendez-Rivera’s address in Gaithersburg, where he was told someone would pick him up. While Mejia waited to be picked-up, Melendez-Rivera admitted that he drove his co-defendants to a residence near a wooded area where the two were to lay in wait for Mejia, then drove back to his apartment, picked up Mejia, and drove back to the wooded area where his co-defendants were waiting. Thinking that Melendez-Rivera was Mejia, Moreno-Martinez and Granados-Vasquez accidentally struck Melendez-Rivera with a brick or rock and Mejia then ran toward the road. As detailed in the plea agreement, Granados-Vasquez caught up to Mejia, kicking him into a small stream, where Melendez-Rivera and Moreno-Martinez held Mejia’s head under the water, drowning him. Melendez-Rivera admitted that the three defendants then carried Mejia’s body into the woods nearby, dug a shallow grave in which to place Mejia, and then each took turns stabbing Mejia’s dead body with machetes they had brought.
Neris Moreno-Martinez, age 22, of New Jersey, and Reynaldo Alexis Granados-Vasquez, a/k/a “Fuego,” age 23, of Gaithersburg, have also pleaded guilty to the kidnapping conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., and on July 9, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., respectively.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Gaithersburg Police Department and the Guttenburg, New Jersey Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Four Sentenced to a Total of 16 Years for Steroid Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Four defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a steroid-distribution and money-laundering ring, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. CHRISTOPHER THOMAS CAPLINGER, 56, of Edmond, Oklahoma; DONALD RAY VINCENT, JR., 55, of Edmond; DEBORAH ANN CRAWFORD, 48, of Oklahoma City; and MICHAEL BRANDON SCHOTT, 36, of Newport News, Virginia, were sentenced between April 23 and June 17, 2019, to a total of 16 years in prison, in addition to forfeiture of a total of $387,216 seized during the investigation and a total of $840,000 in money judgments.
On March 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against all four defendants. In addition to allegations of illegally conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids, a Schedule III controlled substance, the indictment charged distribution of steroids to an undercover officer, manufacturing of steroids, maintaining a drug-involved premises, a conspiracy to commit money laundering, and international money laundering. According to the indictment, Caplinger, Vincent, and Crawford concealed the proceeds of their illegal activity by depositing money into bank accounts in the names of third parties and storing bulk cash at residences, including approximately $250,000 buried in Caplinger’s back yard. The indictment alleged that from April 2015 until November 2017, Caplinger rented space at 8201 North Classen Boulevard in Oklahoma City for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing steroids. It also alleged that Caplinger and Crawford transferred funds to China to conceal their crimes.
All four defendants pleaded guilty during the fall of 2018. Caplinger and Vincent admitted they manufactured anabolic steroids and conspired to launder the proceeds. Crawford pleaded guilty to the money-laundering conspiracy, and Schott admitted to conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids.
On June 17, 2019, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Caplinger to nine years—108 months—in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In addition, Caplinger was ordered to forfeit $287,743 seized by law enforcement and to pay a $740,000 money judgment that reflects additional proceeds from this illegal activity. Caplinger was taken into custody to begin immediate service of his sentence.
The remaining three defendants have also been sentenced. On April 23, 2019, Vincent was ordered to serve 36 months’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release. In addition, Vincent was ordered to forfeit $99,473 seized by law enforcement and to pay a $100,000 money judgment that reflects additional proceeds, distinct from Caplinger’s proceeds, he earned in this illegal activity. On April 24, 2019, Schott was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release, while Crawford was sentenced on May 29, 2019, to 30 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release.
These convictions are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kerry Blackburn and David McCrary prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
Four Sentenced for Using Threats to Compel Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – The leader and three others involved in sex trafficking of minors conspiracy are headed to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Deadrian Quincy Morrison, 24, of Clute, pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2017, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking of minors. Co-defendants Patricia Madison Cope, 21, of Angleton; and Malik Antonine Brown 21, and Lincoln Dewayne Hussey, 24, both of Brazoria, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, conspiracy and misprision of felony, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. sentenced Morrison to a total of 180 months in federal prison.
Also sentenced today were Brown and Hussey who received respective terms of 33 and 31 months. Cope, who was sentenced on June 12, 2019, received 38 months.
In Spring 2016, the group exploited five minor females, during which time the they made several threats of violence to the victims. The investigation revealed the defendants used online advertisements for victims’ services and rented hotel rooms where some of the commercial sex acts would be performed.
Brown and Hussey transported several minor victims to dates where they participated in commercial sex acts. On at least one instance, Hussey provided illegal drugs to the minor victims and rented a hotel room with money Cope had given him.
Cope taught the minor victims how to post ads for commercial sex and instructed them on how to deal with customers. She was in constant contact with Morrison about what the victims were doing and how business was going.
Cope and Morrison have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Previously released on bond, Hussey was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain.
Brown was originally released on bond but had his bond revoked prior to sentencing and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly A. Leo are prosecuting the case.
Four Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Daniel Powell, age 25, from Lake City, Iowa, Tylor Boyd, age 26, from Homer, Nebraska, Colton Novak, age 27 from Dakota City, Nebraska, and Matthew Lynam, age 32 from Sioux City, Iowa, received prison terms, ranging from just over four years to 15 years for their roles in a conspiracy to steal and possess guns.
Daniel Powell, Tylor Boyd, Colton Novak, and Matthew Lynam were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess and sell stolen firearms, one count of possession of a stolen firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence presented by the United States in court revealed Boyd, Powell, Novak and Lynam were all unlawful users of controlled substances, and that Boyd and Lynam were convicted felons. Additionally, the evidence revealed Boyd, Powell, Novak traveled to Greene County, Iowa broke into a shop there, and stole five guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and other valuables. The men tried to dispose of the guns, trading some for methamphetamine.
Lynam joined the conspiracy after the break-in and participated in the crime by, among other things, attempting to protect to conspiracy by, on or about February 5, 2018 firing a round with one of the stolen guns to scare people who were in a dispute with his codefendants in Dakota County Nebraska.
Even after the conspiracy, Lynam continued his dangerous behavior. On or about February 14, 2018, defendant robbed two men just moments apart. He fired the handgun to terrorize his victims and bystanders. Defendant also shouted the name of his gang while engaging in the robberies and while fleeing the crime scenes.
Powell, Boyd, and Novak were sentenced on March 11, 2019, and Lynam was sentenced on June 17, 2019, in United States District Court in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Powell was sentenced to 99 month’s imprisonment, Boyd was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment, Novak was sentenced to 50 months imprisonment, and Lynam was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment. Powell, Boyd, Novak and Lynam were ordered to make restitution of $87,713.86. Powell, Boyd, Novak and Lynam each must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
All are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun and violent crimes. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the Dakota County (Nebraska) Attorney’s and Sherriff’s Offices, the Woodbury County (Iowa) Attorney’s and Sherriff’s Offices, the Greene County (Iowa) Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 18-4045 and 18-4051.
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Former Social Security Employee of West Sacramento Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eric Lemoyne Willis, 43, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Willis and his co-defendant, Darron Dimitri Ross, conspired to steal public money from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Willis was an SSA employee from approximately 2003 until his departure in January 2018, and from at least 2016 he was as an Operations Supervisor in the South Sacramento and Lodi, California, field offices. During this timeframe, Willis used his authority as an SSA employee to access the confidential Social Security records of numerous Social Security beneficiaries. These records contained personally identifiable information (PII) including names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, account numbers, family information, and benefit payment amounts. Willis would seek out PII for beneficiaries who used direct deposit for payment of large benefits. Willis then gave this PII to Ross who resided in North Carolina.
According to court documents, Ross's alleged role in these crimes included calling numerous SSA field offices across the country and using the stolen PII to impersonate the beneficiaries. Ross also opened at least 44 online bank accounts under fraudulent identities to receive diverted SSA benefit payments. If Ross succeeded in convincing an SSA representative that he was the beneficiary, he would request that the beneficiary's direct deposit account be changed to one of the conspirators' fraudulent accounts. The SSA then proceeded to deposit benefit payments into the fraudulent account until the fraud was detected. The conspirators were then free to withdraw the funds at ATMs and spend the money using debit cards. Ross also transferred a portion of the stolen proceeds to Willis for his participation in these crimes.
SSA has identified at least 160 beneficiaries nationwide who were targeted by these crimes, and the total fraud loss suffered by SSA has exceeded $480,000. Willis and Ross spent the proceeds of their crimes on, among other things, trips to Las Vegas and luxury items including Rolex watches.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.
Willis remains released on bond pending sentencing, and his co-defendant, Ross, remains released on bond pending trial. Ross has pleaded not guilty to the charges in the indictment. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Willis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on September 9, 2019. Willis faces a maximum statutory penalty of 17 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former Smith County Deputy Sheriff Indicted for Sexual Contact with an InmateRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Charles Drew Johnson, 43, of Magee, Mississippi, and a former Smith County Deputy Sheriff, has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on four counts of having sexual contact with an inmate housed at the Smith County Jail, without the inmate’s consent, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Luis M. Quesada.
According to the indictment, Johnson allegedly had sexual contact with the inmate on four separate occasions from April 2016 through November 2016. The indictment also alleges that Johnson’s conduct resulted in bodily injury to the victim and included aggravated sexual abuse.
Johnson appeared for an arraignment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda R. Anderson. The case is scheduled for trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on August 19, 2019 in Jackson.
If convicted of the charges against him, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Former Navy Federal Credit Union Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Pornography in PensacolaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael Lee DePine, 63, of Pensacola, was sentenced today for the production and possession of child pornography. The Court sentenced DePine to 18 years in federal prison, to be followed by supervised release upon which DePine will have to register as a sex offender. Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentencing this afternoon.
In December 2018, law enforcement officers received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that DePine and a local minor female were engaged in illicit sexual communications and activity via Facebook Messenger. Homeland Security Investigations and the Pensacola Police Department were able to geo-locate the criminal activity of DePine to his residence. This led law enforcement to obtaining a federal search warrant for DePine’s residence in Pensacola. In January 2019, law enforcement searched his residence. While searching the residence, DePine was located at his place of employment, Navy Federal Credit Union. A forensic review of DePine’s seized digital media confirmed that he was in possession of multiple child pornographic images of the minor victim. These images were produced by DePine of the minor female in his bedroom at the residence.
“There are few things more vile, and harder to comprehend, than sexual crimes against young innocents. We will pursue these sexual predators wherever and whenever we must, in order to get them out of our neighborhoods and into our prisons,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said.
The investigation revealed that DePine had been picking the minor female up at her residence in the middle of the night in order to bring her back to his residence and engage in sexual acts. DePine also provided the minor female with intimate apparel and electronic funds for her expenses. The government requested, during the sentencing hearing, that the Court not only sentence DePine to imprisonment, but also that he be required to forfeit his 2016 Lexus and his residence because both were utilized by DePine to commit his crimes. The Court ordered DePine to forfeit to the government his vehicle, his residence, and all the electronic devices he used to commit his crimes.
“This predator used social media as a means to continually abuse a young minor victim while producing multiple pornographic images of this child,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Now this felon will no longer be able to abuse children and he will be held accountable for his crimes, thanks to the diligent investigative work of the Pensacola Police Department, the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and our HSI special agents.”
“We are thankful for the hard work and support from our federal partners in helping us bring this case to a successful conclusion,” said Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter.
The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel David L. Goldberg.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Military Serviceman Charged with Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
Federal Agents Arrested A Louisiana Man And Former Member Of The United States Navy Stationed In Japan, Relating To A 2004 sexual assault. The arrest was based on a two-count indictment returned Friday by a federal grand jury in New Orleans.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
Travis Lamont Murray, 36, from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse. He had his initial court appearance Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dana M. Douglas for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The indictment alleges that on or about the late evening hours of May 25, 2004, and the early morning hours of May 26, 2004, in Yokosuka City, Japan, Murray did knowingly cause a victim to engage in a sexual act by the use of force and by threatening and placing the victim in fear that she would be subjected to death and serious bodily injury. Murray was identified as the assailant after a DNA sample of his was submitted to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office during an unrelated investigation in 2018 and was determined to be consistent with a DNA profile obtained during the sexual assault investigation previously entered into CODIS.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The prosecution is being handled by Senior Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Former Corrections Officer Admits Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in distributing images and videos of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Michael A. Ruggiero, 37, of Forked River, New Jersey, a former corrections officer, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 16, 2016, to April 19, 2016, Ruggiero used a mobile chat application to distribute and share over the internet images and videos of child sexual abuse. Some of the images and videos were of prepubescent children or children under the age of 12. Ruggiero also admitted that he received over the same mobile chat application other images and videos of child sexual abuse and that he possessed additional depictions of child sexual abuse on his cellular telephone at the time of his arrest in June 2017.
The charge of distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker, Philadelphia Division; and members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Defense counsel: Telesforo Del Valle Jr. Esq., New York
Former Avoyelles Correctional Center warden and ex-wife sentenced to prison for stealing taxpayer money for personal benefitRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Nathan Burl Cain II, the former warden of the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport, Louisiana, and his ex-wife, Tonia Bandy Cain were sentenced to 38 months and 8 months in prison, respectively, by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell. They were also sentenced to two years of supervised release following imprisonment and were ordered to pay $42,501.95 in restitution.
On March 13, 2019, Nathan Burl Cain, II, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the middle of a trial that began on March 11, 2019. Tonia Bandy Cain pleaded guilty on July 9, 2018 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Nathan Cain conspired with his ex-wife, who served as the manager of the business office of the facility, to use Louisiana Department of Corrections bank cards to purchase personal items, while misrepresenting that such items were purchased for official business. The bank cards were used to purchase furniture, pet supplies, toilet paper, gun parts, Christmas decorations, yard tools, tires, a pressure cooker that was given as a gift to a third party, and other items.
Additionally, Nathan Cain commissioned the construction of a house on prison grounds for himself and did not bid the construction as required by law. Instead, purchases for the construction were made on bank cards structured in a manner to avoid detection by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
“Our public officials have a duty to uphold the law and act in the interests of those they serve,” Joseph stated. “This prosecution and sentence of imprisonment should send a clear message: corruption by our public servants will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope the resolution of this case serves to repair our citizen’s trust in the many public servants who faithfully and honestly fulfill their duties every day. I want to thank Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street’s office and the FBI for investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Walker and David Ayo for their work prosecuting this matter.”
“The people of Louisiana are absolutely fed up with corruption by public officials,” said Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street. “The sentences handed down today should make it clear to anyone who abuses the public trust and corrupts their office for personal gain: no matter who you are or what connections you think you have, you had better be prepared to go to jail. The Louisiana OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make sure of it. Thanks again to United States Attorney David Joseph and his staff for their outstanding professional work in prosecuting this matter.”
The FBI and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Five people charged in federal court after they were arrested with nearly 20 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl and approximately $1 millionRead the Press Release
Five people were charged in federal court after they were arrested with nearly 20 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl and approximately $1 million.
Kenneth Blackshaw, 53, of Cleveland; Jorge Alberto Barrera, 43, of Mexico; Jorge Alberto Barrera Gutierrez Jr., 24, of Fresno, California; Miguel Angel Marquez, 44, of Fresno, California, and Donald Earl Knighten 43, of Bedford, were each charged in federal court with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics.
Blackshaw, Barrera, Gutierrez, Marquez and Knighten were arrested on June 15 at 1538 Addison Road in Cleveland. DEA agents searched the house and found nine individually wrapped bundles of cocaine, as well as 32 bundles of cash, according to court documents.
A second search warrant was served at Blackshaw’s home on East 85th Street with nearly 200 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 595 grams of marijuana recovered.
“Intercepting 20 pounds of cocaine, as well as fentanyl, before it hits the streets of Cleveland will undoubtedly save lives,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “The DEA and their partners are to be thanked for working around the clock this weekend to make the arrests and seize the drugs, as well as approximately $1 million in drug proceeds.”
DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith W. Martin said: “The DEA’s mission is to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs, and this case is a great example of that work. This seizure and arrests will help make Cleveland safer.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Seabury Gould following an investigation by the DEA.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Five Men Connected to Coggon Shooting Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Five men who were involved in an attempted robbery of marijuana that left one man dead were each sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Chase Daniel Zerba, age 21, Cameron Lee Klouda, age 22, both from Coggon, Iowa, and Tyler Michael Clemens, age 24, from Alburnett, Iowa, received prison terms after each had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dillon Craig Beener, age 22, and Kordell Maurice Jones, age 20, both from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received prison terms after each had previously pled guilty to attempted robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Evidence during the case established that on February 1, 2017, law enforcement officers responded to an address in Coggon after receiving a 911 call regarding a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an individual deceased in the front yard of the residence. This individual had been shot at close range with a shotgun.
Prior to the shooting, the victim of the shooting along with Beener, Jones, and another individual, left Cedar Rapids to travel to Coggon. These four individuals intended to meet with Zerba and rob him of marijuana. The four brought a .40 caliber Hi-Point pistol with them to use during the robbery. When they arrived at Zerba’s residence, Clemens, Klouda, and Zerba were all seated in a minivan parked in the driveway. Zerba, Clemens, and Klouda had brought approximately a half-pound of marijuana with them, as well as a loaded shotgun.
Beener approached the minivan and spoke with the three people in it. Beener then returned to his car, and the victim, Beener, and Jones approached the minivan to meet with Zerba, Clemens, and Klouda. The victim was in possession of the pistol and spoke briefly to the occupants of the minivan. He then raised his pistol and demanded that Zerba give them the marijuana. As the group attempted the robbery, one of the men inside the vehicle raised the shotgun and fired one round from the shotgun out the passenger side window into the victim’s head.
During a search of the scene, police located $60 in the victim’s pocket. The .40 caliber Hi-Point pistol was located near his body. The pistol was loaded, with a round in the chamber and the safety off. In the minivan, police located marijuana in a backpack in the left rear seat “stow and go” compartment. The marijuana was packaged in six separate containers and totaled 386.91 grams of marijuana. Police also located multiple jars of marijuana wax in this same backpack.
All five men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Zerba was sentenced to 91 months’ imprisonment, Clemens was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment, and Klouda was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. Klouda was fined $1,000 and all three men were ordered to pay $5,611.56 in restitution. Beener was sentenced to 80 months’ imprisonment and Jones was sentenced to 82 months’ imprisonment. All five men must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The combination of drugs and guns poses a serious threat to public safety,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan. “Not only is it a federal crime to possess a gun during a drug deal, it’s a federal crime for a drug user to possess a gun. These sentences hold accountable five men who did both. As a result, a young man’s life was lost to gun violence. Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting anyone who poses a threat to public safety by mixing guns with drugs.”
During the sentencing hearings, Judge Williams noted that this “was an avoidable accident” where there was “enough fault to go around for everybody.” Judge Williams also noted that this was a “horrible, preventable, tragedy.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Zerba, Clemens, Klouda, Beener, and Jones are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file numbers are 18-cr-0059 and 18-cr-0072.
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Federal Court Permanently Enjoins Plaquemines Parish Tax Return Preparer and BusinessRead the Press Release
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a permanent injunction barring Jessica Barthelemy St. Ann and JJSM Inc., from preparing federal tax returns.
The government’s complaint alleged that St. Ann knowingly took unreasonable positions on returns she prepared that result in understatements of the tax her customers owe or overstatements of the refunds to which they are entitled to receive. For example, the complaint alleged that St. Ann prepared returns which claimed erroneous car and truck expenses for some customers, intentionally and improperly understating the tax that the customers owed. According to the complaint, St. Ann also repeatedly prepared Schedules C improperly claiming business losses from activities that her customers engaged in purely as hobbies.
St. Ann agreed to the entry of the permanent injunction without admitting any factual allegations in the complaint.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website about selecting a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Father and Son Convicted of Methamphetamine Distribution Charges in Federal Investigation into Large Dark-net MarketplaceRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Irvine man who was part of a father-and-son crew that illegally distributed methamphetamine on one of the world’s largest dark-net marketplaces pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal drug charge, 11 days after a federal jury found his father guilty of drug charges.
William Thomas Glarner IV, a.k.a. “Billy,” 34, pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge David O. Carter has scheduled a September 23 sentencing hearing, where Glarner will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
Glarner admitted in his plea agreement that he used at least three monikers to obscure his true identity on the dark-net, including on the “Tor” dark-net browser, where he conducted more than 1,500 sales of controlled substances, including methamphetamine. The term “dark-net” refers to computer networks that utilize some of the Internet, but provide greater anonymity, allowing vendors to sell goods and services – such as illegal drug sales – often in exchange for virtual currency.
Glarner obtained drugs from various sources, and along with others, mailed drugs to dark-net customers nationwide by using such services as the United States Postal Service and commercial couriers, according to the plea agreement. A search warrant executed at Glarner’s residence and on his car on March 14 resulted in law enforcement officials recovering 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of methamphetamine, court papers state. Glarner admitted that some of this methamphetamine was packaged for purposes of distribution for orders placed on the dark-net.
On June 6, Glarner’s father, William Thomas Glarner III, 65, of Huntington Beach, who had been identified as part of the overall investigation into his son’s dark-net activity and charged separately, was found guilty by a jury of three methamphetamine distribution-related charges after a four-day trial. Glarner III was observed mailing packages of methamphetamine, including one to a dark-net customer, according to evidence presented at trial and in court papers. A search warrant executed on March 14 on Glarner III and his vehicle resulted in the seizure of over 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds) of methamphetamine, as presented during trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9, where he faces a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The La Habra Police Department assisted with the investigation as did the Costa Mesa Police Department, the Brea Police Department, the Cypress Police Department, and the Cass County Drug Task Force of North Dakota.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Puneet V. Kakkar and Kathy Yu of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
Erie Man Admits Setting Fire that Destroyed Furniture BusinessRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of malicious destruction of property by fire, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Tony Crawford, 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Crawford set fire to the Fred’s Beds and Furniture building located at 117 East 12th Street in Erie on February 5, 2016. The investigation revealed that Crawford was using his cell phone in close proximity to Fred’s Beds around the time of the fire. Crawford also revealed that he set the fire to several individuals who were interviewed by law enforcement.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for November 25, 2019 at 2:15 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Erie Police Department and the Erie Fire Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Crawford.
Employee of Federal Contractor Pleads Guilty to Federal Bribery Charge for Accepting Cash to Falsify Urinalysis Results to U.S. Probation and Pretrial ServicesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Michael Andre Brown, age 47, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal bribery charge, in connection with his employment with a federal contractor in which he administered urinalysis tests to individuals on federal probation, supervised release and pre-trial supervision.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Brown was an employee at a company in Camp Springs, Maryland, that provided drug and alcohol treatment and testing services. Through a federal contract, the business was tasked with, among other things, administering urinalysis tests to individuals on federal probation, supervised release, and pre-trial supervision on behalf of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office of the District of Maryland. Brown was a urinalysis technician for the company. Brown admitted that from at least December 2018 through February 2019, Brown, in his official capacity, accepted cash payments in exchange for falsely reporting urinalysis results as negative for controlled substances, when in fact, the results were positive for controlled substances.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on December 26, 2018, an FBI undercover task force officer (UC) posing as a federal probationer who had been ordered to submit to urine analysis as part of his/her probation, met with Brown at the company in Camp Springs. The UC indicated to Brown that he/she expected to have a positive urinalysis result. Brown told the UC that he was willing to work with the UC. According to the plea agreement, Brown subsequently took the UC to a bathroom to perform the urinalysis. The UC submitted a urine sample that would produce a positive result for marijuana. Brown inspected the cup and indicated to the UC that it was positive for drug use, but again said that he would “take care of” the UC. The UC expressed his appreciation to Brown and placed $100 on the bathroom sink. Brown admitted that he took the money.
Brown admitted that he then gave instructions to the UC on how to check in on his/her next date for urine analysis, but also informed the UC that his/her next date would be December 28, 2018, two days away, and that Brown would be working again on that date. Such dates are assigned daily and are not supposed to be divulged to the probationers until the evening before.
According to the plea agreement, on December 28, 2018, the UC provided another urine sample to Brown, but instead of checking it, Brown told the UC, “Go ahead and pour it [the urine] out,” “Cause if it was dirty the other day, it’s gonna be dirty today.” The UC again expressed appreciation to Brown and asked if Brown “needed anything.” Brown admitted that he again accepted $100 from the UC and indicated that he would do so on future dates, as well. Brown also accepted $150 from the UC on February 11, 2019, without requiring the UC to submit a urine sample at all, before Brown falsely reported a negative urinalysis result for the UC. The company then reported that false result to U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.
Brown faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for bribery. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 28, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
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Elyria man among 1,700 suspected online child sex offenders charged during a two-month, nationwide operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children task forcesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced the arrest of almost 1,700 suspected online child sex offenders during a two-month, nationwide operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children task forces. The task forces identified 308 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 357 children who suffered recent, ongoing or historical sexual abuse or were exploited in the production of child pornography.
The 61 ICAC task forces, located in all 50 states and comprised of more than 4,500 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, led the coordinated operation known as “Broken Heart” during the months of April and May 2019. During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 18,500 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes targeting children and delivered more than 2,150 presentations on internet safety to over 201,000 youth and adults.
"The sexual abuse of children is repugnant, and it victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable of all," Attorney General William P. Barr said. "We must bring the full force of the law against sexual predators, and with the help of our Internet Crimes Against Children program, we will. Over the span of just two months, our ICAC task forces investigated more than 18,000 complaints of internet-related abuse and helped arrest 1,700 alleged abusers. I would like to thank our Office of Justice Programs, all of the task force members, and especially the state and local partners who helped us achieve these important results. We are committed to bringing the defendants in these cases to justice and protecting every American child."
“These are cases with real victims, children whose lives will be forever changed because adults assaulted and violated them,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “We will continue to work to prosecute those who re-victimize these children by sharing and downloading these images.”
The operation targeted suspects who: (1) produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography; (2) engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes; (3) engage in the sex trafficking of children; and (4) travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children.
The ICAC Program is funded through the Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). In 1998, OJJDP launched the ICAC Task Force Program to help federal, state and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the internet, online communication systems or computer technology to exploit children. To date, ICAC task forces have reviewed more than 922,000 complaints of child exploitation, which have resulted in the arrest of more than 95,500 individuals. In addition, since the ICAC program's inception, more than 708,500 law enforcement officers, prosecutors and other professionals have been trained on techniques to investigate and prosecute ICAC-related cases.
In U.S. District Court in Cleveland, Eric D. Burrows, 59, of Elyria, was charged with receiving, possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography. Burrows knowingly received numerous computer files which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This took place between February 3, 2018 through April 16, 2018, according to the indictment. The indictment also charges that during the same time period, Burrows knowingly accessed with intent to view, material that contained an image of child pornography, and at least one image involved in the offense involved a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. The indictment also charges that on April 16, 2019 Burrows knowingly possessed a computer, which contained child pornography, and at least one image involved in the offense involved a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
For more information, visit the ICAC Task Force webpage. For state-level Operation Broken Heart results, please contact the appropriate state ICAC task force commander. Contact information for task force commanders is available online.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matt M. Dummermuth, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Elk County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Clarence Robert Neal IV, 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Neal received computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for November 25, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Neal on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Johnsonburg Borough Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Neal.
Dental Assistant Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison for Unlawful Prescription Opioid Pain Pills DistributionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced today to 19 months in prison for unlawfully distributing prescription opioid pain medication in the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Nancy Ayres, 44, a/k/a “Nancy Esslinger,” of Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb to an information charging her with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute oxycodone. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to the documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Ayres is a dental assistant and has worked in several dental offices in the Philadelphia area and neighboring states. Beginning in at least December 2017, Ayres obtained prescriptions in close proximity to each other for large quantities of oxycodone pills from at least three different medical professionals.
Between April 2018 and June 2018, Ayres allegedly sold 1,044 15- and 20-milligram oxycodone tablets. Ayres made representations that she could obtain other prescription medications for sale, including muscle relaxers and medications for pain management, erectile dysfunction, and anxiety.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Ayres to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson,; and the N.J. Attorney General’s Atlantic City Task Force, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Defendant sentenced for managing $1 million methamphetamine trafficking operationRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Hugo Solano-Garcia has been sentenced for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Solano-Garcia was a manager in a sophisticated methamphetamine trafficking operation that sought to distribute more than $1 million worth of drugs in DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties.
“This elaborate ring profited from pumping poison in the form of high-grade methamphetamine into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “When agents took down their operation, it was discovered that the traffickers had used weapons to protect their clandestine labs. All but one of the defendants in this case, including Solano-Garcia, were in this country illegally. In the end, the payout for each of them is a long federal prison sentence and then deportation.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “Drug dealing breeds violence and the traffickers who engage in this dangerous lifestyle often protect their ill-gotten gains with dangerous weapons, as was the case in this investigation. DEA, the entire law enforcement community and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to making the citizens of metropolitan Atlanta and elsewhere safer by removing dangerous criminals form their neighborhoods.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in July 2017, agents with the DEA and the Atlanta-Carolina High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program began investigating Solano-Garcia and his associates for trafficking methamphetamine that had been smuggled from Mexico into the Atlanta area.
Over the course of the investigation, federal and local law enforcement agents uncovered a series of stash houses and methamphetamine conversion laboratories in DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties where the defendants would convert liquid methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine for distribution, sometimes hiding the illicit drugs in hollowed-out fire extinguishers and car batteries. The defendants barricaded some of these conversion laboratories and guarded them with guns.
Agents raided one conversion laboratory in Brookhaven, Georgia, on January 30, 2018, where they found approximately 130 pounds of methamphetamine in crystal and liquid form and three firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle. This is believed to be one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in the history of the City of Brookhaven.
Hugo Solano-Garcia, a/k/a Gordo, 31, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May to 20 years in federal prison, and he will be deported subsequent to completing his term of incarceration.
In total, nine other defendants were indicted in this conspiracy in addition to Solano-Garcia, and eight have been sentenced, including:
- Gerardo Calderon-Pacheco, a/k/a Plebe, age 22, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 15, 2019 to 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine;
- Valentin Solano-Salas, age 22, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 10, 2019 to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Juan Confesor Camilo, a/k/a Jean Carlos Camilo, a/k/a Tigre, age 38, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 19, 2019 to four years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine;
- Aldrin Barajas-Ramirez, age 44, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 11, 2019 to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Miguel Pacheco-Penaloza, age 20, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 3, 2019 to 9 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Octavio Pacheco-Torres, a/k/a Burro, age 26, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on December 10, 2018 to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine;
- Sair Calderon-Pacheco, age 20, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on February 6, 2019 to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine; and
Joaquin Reyes-Guillen, a/k/a Aviel Cabrera-Hernandez, age 35, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced on December 11, 2019 to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Atlanta-Carolina High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, and the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of State, DeKalb County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit, Georgia State Patrol, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas N. Joy and Erin H. Harris prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.Connecticut U.S. Attorney's Office Celebrates Annual U.S. Attorney's AwardsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted its annual United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 14, in New Haven. The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized 126 individuals for their investigative efforts and other contributions to 24 significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut. More than 40 of the award recipients are members of local police departments from across Connecticut.
“We in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are forever mindful that our work and success are dependent on the dedicated efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. “On behalf of everyone in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my sincere congratulations to all of our award recipients, many of whom put themselves at risk every day for the safety of our communities.”
In addition to the criminal and civil case awards, U.S. Attorney Durham presented several special awards during the ceremony.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to Special Agent Daniel Prather of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, for his outstanding and tireless work to reduce drug trafficking and associated gun violence across Connecticut during his 15-year career in federal law enforcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Partnership was presented to State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. State’s Attorney Griffin and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute some of New Haven’s most persistent and violent offenders, and on innovative efforts to reduce violent crime in the region.
The Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award was presented to a team of investigators who exposed a greater New Haven “fencing” operation that was responsible for nearly $10 million in losses to major retailers over the last decade. Five individuals involved in the scheme were charged and convicted due to the work of the members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police who conducted this investigation.
The Major Crimes Unit Award was given to Special Agent Ryan Mahar of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who was honored for expertly investigating complex child exploitation, fraud and identity theft offenses, and serves as a valuable resource to other investigators as a computer forensic specialist.
The National Security and Cyber Crimes Unit Award honored three Internal Revenue Service agents for their diligent investigation of a former police officer turned “Sovereign Citizen” who, for years, made numerous frivolous court filings and used other obstructive tactics while continuing to live in a home on which he never made a mortgage payment.
The Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented to Detective Frank Bellizzi, who recently retired after a 20-year career with the New Britain Police Department. For 12 years, Detective Bellizzi served as a task force officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and played a critical role in investigating large-scale drug trafficking organizations, which resulted in the successful prosecution of dozens of federal defendants.
The Civil Division’s Affirmative Enforcement and Civil Rights Unit Award was given to
Professor Jon Bauer of the UConn School of Law for providing critical support to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in resolving an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint related to the alleged discrimination against individuals with mental health disabilities in the admission process for the Connecticut Bar.
The Civil Division’s Financial Litigation Unit recognized both Trial Attorney Ann D’Arpino of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and John Carroll, an Advisor with the Internal Revenue Service, for providing valuable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for many years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford.
Charlotte Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Stealing More Than $458,000 from Victims' Retirement AccountsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cynthia Williams-Singleton, 41, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud, for misusing her access to the retirement accounts of victims, some of whom were elderly, to steal more than $458,722, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Reginald A. DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to plea-related documents and today’s court proceedings, from December 2016 to June 2018, Williams-Singleton was a customer service representative with a call center located in Charlotte, for a company identified in court documents as “Company 1.” As a call center representative, Williams-Singleton worked on accounts associated with “Client A,” and had access to Company 1’s data systems that contained, among other things, retirement fund records for Client A’s benefit plan participants and their beneficiaries.
As Williams-Singleton admitted in court today, during the relevant time period, she engaged in a scheme to defraud Client A’s benefit plan participants and their beneficiaries by fraudulently transferring funds from their accounts to bank accounts under her control. During the course of the scheme, Williams-Singleton fraudulently withdrew approximately $458,772.88 in participant and beneficiary funds from approximately eight participant accounts without authorization. Generally, the holders of the participant accounts victimized by Williams-Singleton were persons over the age of 70.
According to court documents, to carry out the scheme, Williams-Singleton used her misused her access to the victims’ personally identifiable information and retirement fund records to make unauthorized changes to beneficiary data and to make unauthorized transfers of funds from Client A’s plan participants’ retirement accounts into bank accounts in her own name or under her control. Williams-Singleton typically accessed a participant’s account when the participant contacted the call center. After speaking with the participant and discovering that the participant was unsure or unaware of his or her account balance, Williams-Singleton informed the participant that the participant’s account was either empty, or had less than it did. She then added herself, her relatives and others, as beneficiaries of that participant’s account. Court records show that Williams-Singleton sometimes added her residential address and personal cell phone numbers as contact information on the account.
During today’s plea hearing, Williams-Singleton admitted that she diverted funds from the participants’ accounts to herself and other newly-added beneficiaries, and that, at times, Williams-Singleton called the call center and impersonated relatives of participants. Williams-Singleton further admitted to falsely reporting the death of the some participants in order to initiate the process of disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries that been fraudulently added.
Williams-Singleton is currently released on bond. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date for the defendant has not been set.
The investigation was handled by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny Sugar, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A California man pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Gerardo Delgadillo, Jr., 22, entered a guilty plea to an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.
“Now we know why there’s never any room in the overhead bin – 30 pounds of pot in his luggage,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “It doesn’t matter whether drug dealers transport drugs into West Virginia on foot, or by car, train or plane – we will send them packing.”
Delgadillo admitted that on October 17, 2018, he had flown to Tri-State Airport in Kenova, West Virginia from California. He admitted to possessing approximately 30 pounds of marijuana in his suitcase. He admitted he intended to sell the marijuana.
Delgadillo faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 5, 2019.
The Violent Crime Drug Task Force West conducted the investigation. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.
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Cabell County Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Cabell County woman pled guilty today in federal court to three counts of bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Kimberly Dawn Price, also known as Kimberly Dawn Swann, age 60, of Huntington, was employed as a staff accountant with a local accounting firm. Between 2009 and 2015, in the course of her employment, Price wrote and forged signatures on checks on at least three accounts belonging to the firm’s clients without authorization. Price deposited checks into her own bank account and used the money to pay gambling debts, as well as other expenditures.
“A thief is a thief,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I don’t care whether you are stealing money to pay your gambling debts or to donate to a charity, if you are caught stealing your company’s money, we’re going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Price faces a maximum of 90 years of imprisonment and a $3 million fine when she is sentenced on September 9, 2019.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police were in charge of the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Greg McVey handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing.
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Cabell County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Cabell County man was sentenced today to spend seven years in federal prison for child pornography crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Scott Edward Riggs, 41, of Huntington, previously entered his guilty plea to distribution of child pornography in March. Stuart commended the investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations, the West Virginia State Police, and the Queensland (Australia) Police Service.
“A despicable crime,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We work with law enforcement across the United States and abroad to protect our children from pedophiles like Riggs. This case is particularly pathetic.”
Riggs admitted to using his phone to secretly record a video of a minor in the shower at his residence in Cabell County in late 2017. Riggs then extracted still images from the video depicting the 13-year-old minor and uploaded the images of child pornography to an image-hosting website. He admitted that he knew that other users would be able to access, view, and download the images of child pornography from the website.
Riggs will be placed on federal supervised release for 15 years following his release from prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution. The sentencing hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
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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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Daniel Paul, 65, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to distribution of crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who is handling the case, stated that on May 10, 2017, the defendant agreed to sell crack cocaine to an undercover (UC) police officer. The UC telephoned Paul who instructed the UC where to meet for the purpose of buying crack cocaine. Paul met the UC at an address he provided on Weiss Street in Buffalo. The defendant subsequently had the UC follow him to a location on Thatcher Street. Paul entered the Thatcher Street location and returned with crack cocaine. The UC subsequently gave the defendant cash, and the defendant provided the UC with approximately 3.32 grams of crack cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Cocaine While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON HERNANDEZ, 60, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According court documents and statements made in court, on February 13, 2019, Hernandez possessed and intended to distribute more than 250 grams of cocaine.
In March 2006, Hernandez was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 84 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring. He was released from federal prison in August 2011.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2019, at which time Hernandez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on the new narcotics charge, and an additional term of imprisonment of up to five years for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Hernandez has been detained since February 13, 2019.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
Branchland Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl OffenseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Branchland woman caught delivering fentanyl to another individual last year in Huntington was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Rebecca S. Bryant, 41, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in federal court in Huntington. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington Police Department.
“Fentanyl. It’s a killer,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “That’s why we are relentless in our efforts to identify and prosecute all fentanyl dealers.”
On May 23, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department observed Bryant meet with another individual in her vehicle in the parking lot of the Little Caesar’s restaurant located at 100 7th Avenue in Huntington. After meeting with the individual, Bryant left the lot and officers conducted a traffic stop of Bryant’s vehicle. Bryant admitted that she had provided a package containing drugs to the individual. The other individual was also stopped and officers seized a package containing in excess of 100 grams of fentanyl. Bryant admitted that she received the fentanyl earlier the prior week and that, on May 23, she was directed to deliver it at the Little Ceasar’s.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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Attorney General William P. Barr Appoints Katharine Sullivan to be Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs and Announces that Laura L. Rogers Will Serve as the Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against WomenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced that he has appointed Katharine Sullivan to serve as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs and that Laura L. Rogers will serve as the Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
“Katie Sullivan has been an energetic and great leader of the Office on Violence Against Women, and I am confident she will bring the same enthusiasm to the Office of Justice Programs,” said Attorney General Barr. “Katie’s leadership will further enhance the department’s efforts to strengthen public safety and the criminal justice system through research, programs and strategies, and to provide critical services to victims of crime.”
Katharine (Katie) Sullivan has served as the Acting Director of OVW since January 2018. Prior to joining OVW, Ms. Sullivan was appointed in 2007 to the Colorado state trial court bench where she presided over misdemeanor, felony and civil matters including domestic violence, sexual assault sentencings, cases involving drugs and alcohol, and jury trials. Ms. Sullivan implemented and presided over a drug court and a driving under the influence (DUI) court, leading two multidisciplinary teams. Prior to becoming a Judge, Ms. Sullivan served as a Deputy District Attorney in Colorado, prosecuting all types of felony and misdemeanor cases, worked closely with law enforcement and participated in a community based collaborative domestic violence task force. While in private practice, she served on the Victim Compensation Board. Ms. Sullivan also trained law enforcement nationwide regarding risk and liability in jails and prisons. She also served on the State Judicial Ethics Board.
Laura L. Rogers to serve as Acting OVW Director
Also today, Attorney General Barr announced that Laura L. Rogers will lead the Office on Violence Against Women. OVW leads federal efforts to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Ms. Rogers has served as Director of the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART Office), in the Office of Justice Programs since January 2018. As the SMART Director, Ms. Rogers led the SMART staff in administering the standards of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
“Laura Rogers has a distinguished history serving the cause of justice for victims of sexual abuse and preventing future abuse,” said Attorney General Barr. “Among her many accomplishments, Laura was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the founder of the SMART office and has been a pioneer in developing the sex offender registration and notification systems that today deny known sex offenders anonymity and help keep children and adults safe across America.”
Prior to coming to the Department, Ms. Rogers served on the National Review Board of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as the Philadelphia Archdiocese Review Board on Sexual Abuse and Pastoral Conduct. Ms. Rogers also served as deputy director of the Criminal Law Division of the U.S. Navy's Office of the Judge Advocate General. Ms. Rogers began her legal career in 1988 as a criminal prosecutor in the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.