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Wednesday 12 June 2019
Former Healthcare Executive Pleads Guilty to Bribing Arkansas State SenatorRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former executive of Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to bribe an Arkansas state senator to influence public policy for the benefit of the charity and its executives.
Robin Raveendran, 63, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to a federal information that charges him with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Raveendran worked for Preferred Family Healthcare (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities, Inc.) from 2014 to 2017 as a director of operations, executive vice president, and analyst. Prior to his employment with the charity, Raveendran was employed by the state of Arkansas as director of program integrity for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services, and then as business operations manager with the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General.
By pleading guilty today, Raveendran admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to bribe then-Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Young Hutchinson, who is charged in a separate case, in order to influence and reward Hutchinson in exchange for Hutchinson taking legislative and official action favorable to Preferred Family Healthcare and its executives.
According to today’s plea agreement, Preferred Family paid funds to Alliance for Health Care (also known as Alliance for Health Care Improvement), a private association formed in early 2014 by Raveendran, Hutchinson, and Milton “Rusty” Cranford, an Arkansas lobbyist and Preferred Family executive. Alliance was formed to advocate for issues relevant to health care providers at the Arkansas state legislature and in state departments.
Raveendran then directed Alliance funds to Hutchinson, the plea agreement says, in exchange for Hutchinson holding up agency budgets; initiating legislative audits; sponsoring, filing, and voting for legislation, including shell bills; and pressuring and advising other public officials to perform official action on behalf of Preferred Family.
Raveendran admitted that he and others concealed evidence of the bribes by falsely describing such unlawful payments as being solely for attorney’s fees and legal retainers.
Preferred Family Healthcare was known as Alternative Opportunities, Inc. from its founding in 1991 until its 2015 merger with Preferred Family Healthcare. The charity, which is cooperating with federal investigators, provided a variety of services to individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, including mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services.
Under federal statutes, Raveendran is subject to a sentence of up to five 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.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Raveendran must pay $25,000 in restitution to the government.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich, Western District of Missouri, and Trial Attorney Marco A. Palmieri with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This is a combined investigation with the Western District of Arkansas, the Eastern District of Arkansas, and the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice.
Felon Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kevin F. Thomas, 31, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley, to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Thomas pleaded guilty to these charges on February 1, 2019. His prison term will be followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
On March 21, 2018, there were two shootings on the west side of Madison. Fifteen shell casings were recovered at the scenes, including 9mm and .40 caliber casings. Shortly after the shootings, a female acquaintance of Thomas’ was arrested in possession of a 9mm firearm and a .40 caliber firearm. Further investigation revealed that she had been in a vehicle with Thomas at the time of the shootings, as was a juvenile male. Thomas was subsequently identified on a video possessing the two firearms on March 21, 2018.
Thomas has prior felony convictions for second degree murder/provocation (2005, Cook County, Illinois) and for aggravated battery/public place (2016, Knox County, Illinois). He also has a tattoo on his arm that states, “live by the gun, die by the bullet.”
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
The charges against Thomas were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow.
Fake Nurse Sentenced for Healthcare Fraud, Social Security Fraud and Aggravated Identity FraudRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Benjamin David Danneman, 37, of Eureka, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for healthcare fraud, social security fraud and aggravated identity fraud. He appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie White.
According to court documents, Danneman was not a nurse, but used the name and nursing license number of an actual licensed registered nurse to obtain work in the St. Louis area at Alexian Brothers Sherbrooke Village, the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, and Des Peres Healthcare. Danneman was hired by Des Peres as the assistant director of nursing at the Quarters of Des Peres at an annual salary of $68,000. At these health care facilities, he was responsible for the day to day care of patients needing skilled nursing care. Further, according to court documents, during 2017 and 2018 in at least six states, Danneman used the names, Social Security account numbers, nursing license numbers, and other personal identifying information of several persons to rent apartments and to obtain a driver’s license, loans, credit cards, and insurance.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Dorothy McMurtry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former Mississippi Corrections Officer Charged with Beating InmateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury indicted Sharalyn McClain, 28, a former Mississippi Department of Corrections officer, for using excessive force against an inmate at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. The indictment charges McClain with a felony civil rights offense for her role in the assault of the inmate, and for aiding and abetting others in committing the assault. The indictment also alleges that McClain used a dangerous weapon to commit the assault, which resulted in injury to the inmate.
Today’s indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi, and FBI Jackson Acting Special Agent in Charge Luis M. Quesada.
The maximum penalty for the charged civil rights violation is 10 years of imprisonment. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi, Field Office. Trial Attorneys Julia Gegenheimer and Cameron Bell of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes of Southern District of Mississippi, are prosecuting the case.
Five Syndicato New Mexico Prison Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison This Week for Murders in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Five members of the Syndicato New Mexico prison gang were sentenced to life in prison this week in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. after juries convicted them in 2018 of committing murder in aid of racketeering.
These defendants were previously charged along with 17 others for murder and other offenses in a superseding indictment. Several of those charged went to trial while others pleaded guilty. On March 12, 2018, a jury found Anthony Ray Baca, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Carlos Herrera, XX, of XXX. N.M., guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as J.M. on March 7, 2014. The jury also found Baca guilty of conspiracy to murder a person identified as D.S. and another person identified as G.M.
On May 25, 2018, a separate jury found Joe Gallegos, 48, of Los Lunas, N.M., Billy Garcia, 63, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, 38, of Denver, Colo., guilty of multiple offenses. In particular, the jury found Joe Gallegos and Billy Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as F.C. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Joe Gallegos guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as A.B. on November 12, 2012. The jury also found Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as R.G. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Arturo Arnulfo Garcia guilty of murdering F.S. on June 17, 2007.
On June 12, 2019, Baca was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M., and to XXX for conspiracy to murder J.M. and conspiracy to murder D.S. and G.M.
On June 11, 2019, Herrera was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M. and to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to murder J.M. Herrera must serve these sentences consecutively to sentences previously imposed against him in the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
On June 11, 2019, Gallegos was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and A.B. and to 120 months in prison for conspiring to murder A.B. Billy Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and R.G. Arthuro Arnulfo Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.S.
Other defendants in this case have also been sentenced. In particular, Chris Garcia, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M. pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018, to conspiracy to murder G.M and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty in separate cases to racketeering conspiracy, distribution of cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. Garcia received a total sentence of 30 years in prison.
Daniel Sanchez, 46, of Albuquerque, was found guilty along with Baca and Herrera for conspiring to murder and murdering J.M. He received a sentence of XXX. Edward Troup, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M., was found guilty along with Arturo Arnulfo Garcia of murdering F.S. Troup received a sentence of XXX. Andrew Gallegos, XX, of XXX, N.M. was found guilty along with Joe Gallegos of conspiracy to murder and murdering A.B. He received a sentence of XXX.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department, New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correction Center, Albuquerque Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
Five Syndicato New Mexico Prison Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison This Week for Murders in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Five members of the Syndicato New Mexico prison gang were sentenced to life in prison this week in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. after juries convicted them in 2018 of committing murder in aid of racketeering.
These defendants were previously charged along with 17 others for murder and other offenses in a superseding indictment. Several of those charged went to trial while others pleaded guilty. On March 12, 2018, a jury found Anthony Ray Baca, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Carlos Herrera, XX, of XXX. N.M., guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as J.M. on March 7, 2014. The jury also found Baca guilty of conspiracy to murder a person identified as D.S. and another person identified as G.M.
On May 25, 2018, a separate jury found Joe Gallegos, 48, of Los Lunas, N.M., Billy Garcia, 63, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, 38, of Denver, Colo., guilty of multiple offenses. In particular, the jury found Joe Gallegos and Billy Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as F.C. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Joe Gallegos guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as A.B. on November 12, 2012. The jury also found Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as R.G. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Arturo Arnulfo Garcia guilty of murdering F.S. on June 17, 2007.
On June 12, 2019, Baca was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M., and to XXX for conspiracy to murder J.M. and conspiracy to murder D.S. and G.M.
On June 11, 2019, Herrera was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M. and to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to murder J.M. Herrera must serve these sentences consecutively to sentences previously imposed against him in the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
On June 11, 2019, Gallegos was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and A.B. and to 120 months in prison for conspiring to murder A.B. Billy Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and R.G. Arthuro Arnulfo Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.S.
Other defendants in this case have also been sentenced. In particular, Chris Garcia, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M. pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018, to conspiracy to murder G.M and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty in separate cases to racketeering conspiracy, distribution of cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. Garcia received a total sentence of 30 years in prison.
Daniel Sanchez, 46, of Albuquerque, was found guilty along with Baca and Herrera for conspiring to murder and murdering J.M. He received a sentence of XXX. Edward Troup, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M., was found guilty along with Arturo Arnulfo Garcia of murdering F.S. Troup received a sentence of XXX. Andrew Gallegos, XX, of XXX, N.M. was found guilty along with Joe Gallegos of conspiracy to murder and murdering A.B. He received a sentence of XXX.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department, New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correction Center, Albuquerque Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
Five Syndicato New Mexico Prison Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison This Week for Murders in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Five members of the Syndicato New Mexico prison gang were sentenced to life in prison this week in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. after juries convicted them in 2018 of committing murder in aid of racketeering.
These defendants were previously charged along with 17 others for murder and other offenses in a superseding indictment. Several of those charged went to trial while others pleaded guilty. On March 12, 2018, a jury found Anthony Ray Baca, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Carlos Herrera, XX, of XXX. N.M., guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as J.M. on March 7, 2014. The jury also found Baca guilty of conspiracy to murder a person identified as D.S. and another person identified as G.M.
On May 25, 2018, a separate jury found Joe Gallegos, 48, of Los Lunas, N.M., Billy Garcia, 63, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, 38, of Denver, Colo., guilty of multiple offenses. In particular, the jury found Joe Gallegos and Billy Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as F.C. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Joe Gallegos guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murdering a person identified as A.B. on November 12, 2012. The jury also found Garcia guilty of murdering a person identified as R.G. on March 26, 2001. The jury also found Arturo Arnulfo Garcia guilty of murdering F.S. on June 17, 2007.
On June 12, 2019, Baca was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M., and to XXX for conspiracy to murder J.M. and conspiracy to murder D.S. and G.M.
On June 11, 2019, Herrera was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of J.M. and to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to murder J.M. Herrera must serve these sentences consecutively to sentences previously imposed against him in the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
On June 11, 2019, Gallegos was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and A.B. and to 120 months in prison for conspiring to murder A.B. Billy Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.C. and R.G. Arthuro Arnulfo Garcia was sentenced to life in prison for murdering F.S.
Other defendants in this case have also been sentenced. In particular, Chris Garcia, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M. pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018, to conspiracy to murder G.M and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty in separate cases to racketeering conspiracy, distribution of cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. Garcia received a total sentence of 30 years in prison.
Daniel Sanchez, 46, of Albuquerque, was found guilty along with Baca and Herrera for conspiring to murder and murdering J.M. He received a sentence of XXX. Edward Troup, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M., was found guilty along with Arturo Arnulfo Garcia of murdering F.S. Troup received a sentence of XXX. Andrew Gallegos, XX, of XXX, N.M. was found guilty along with Joe Gallegos of conspiracy to murder and murdering A.B. He received a sentence of XXX.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department, New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correction Center, Albuquerque Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
Exercise Equipment Inventor Sentenced to Prison for Failing to File Income Tax Returns and Health Care Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
A Cheyenne, Wyoming, resident, who created exercise equipment, was sentenced to prison today, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Mark A. Klaassen for the District of Wyoming.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin sentenced Douglas Brendle to 18 months in prison on two counts of willfully failing to file his income tax returns and one count of making a fraudulent application for health care benefits.
According to court documents, from 2008-2012 Douglas E. Brendle owned and operated Brendle Climbing Systems LLC, which sold exercise equipment. In January 2013, Brendle sold the rights to its exercise equipment to investors. In exchange, he received nearly $1.5 million in payments during the period of 2013-2014. Despite receiving this income, Brendle failed to file individual tax returns or pay income taxes in 2013 or 2014 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Brendle’s conduct caused a tax loss of $404,501.
Additionally, during 2013-2014, Brendle fraudulently received health care benefits for himself and his family from Wyoming Medicaid, a jointly administered federal-state health care program that pays for medical care for eligible low-income individuals and families. In December 2013, Brendle caused a false renewal application to be filed for Wyoming Medicaid claiming his household had no income. During 2013–2014, Wyoming Medicaid paid Brendle $17,173.70 in benefits to which he and his family were not entitled.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. Magistrate Judge Rankin ordered Brendle to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution of $404,501 to the IRS and $17,173.70 to Wyoming Medicaid.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Klaassen commended the work of special agents of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, who developed the case against Brendle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric J. Heimann and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the enforcement efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Tax Division may be found on their respective websites.
Ex-Law enforcement officer admits theft from Fort Peck Tribes, tax evasionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A former Fort Peck Tribes law enforcement officer admitted on Monday to defrauding the tribes of $40,000 in a scheme where he proposed a program to help youth but spent the money on himself, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.
Willard Wilson White, III, 43, of Glasgow, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to income tax evasion. White faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris set sentencing for Sept. 25 and continued White’s release.
In court records filed by the prosecution, White was employed as a law enforcement officer for the Fort Peck Tribes. In June 2015, White approached the tribe’s Law and Justice Committee with a proposal to create a facility and programs to help youth who were separated from families through incarceration. White said he needed a total of $40,000 to establish the proposed Family Justice Center. White posted about the project on Facebook.
Prosecutors said evidence showed that White spent the money in less than 30 days and provided no services to the Fort Peck Tribes. Bank records indicated that White had $32.39 in his bank account before depositing the tribe’s money. The day of the deposit, White went to Williston, N.D., and withdrew $305 from Whisper’s, which is a local strip club. White continued spending money at retail stores and also bought a Jeep. In addition, White withdrew more than $11,000 in cash, all in less than three weeks.
Various tribal members saw White posting on Facebook and spending the money and instructed White to return the leftover money. White never did, and he did not provide any services to the tribe.
The investigation also showed that White omitted on a 2015 tax return the $40,000 of income from the tribes. He also claimed dependents he was not entitled to claim. White filed six returns, which were rejected because the claimed dependents already were claimed by someone else. On a seventh attempt, White used an unclaimed child and Social Security number. White used children to obtain a $5,860 refund while paying nothing in federal tax. White’s tax evasion efforts resulted in him owing $10,184 to the IRS.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Karla Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Fort Peck Tribes and the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General.
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Ex-Financial Advisor with History of Professional Misconduct Arrested on Fraud Charges Alleging $14.5 Million Real Estate SchemeRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A former financial advisor with a lengthy disciplinary history was arrested today pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with running a $14.5 million real estate fraud scheme by inducing victims to invest in his businesses and then using their money for personal expenses, including the down payment on a home in Upland.
Paul Ricky Mata, 56, a former resident of Upland who now lives in Oceanside, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.
Mata is named in a 17-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on June 5. The indictment charges Mata with mail fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in a bankruptcy proceeding, among other offenses. If convicted of all 17 counts, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of 295 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, from August 2008 to September 2015, Mata caused victims to invest in several of his businesses, including Secured Capital, Logos Real Estate and other ventures. Mata failed to disclose his disciplinary history to his victims, including his 2009 termination from Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for violating company policies, the indictment alleges. Mata also allegedly failed to disclose other disciplinary actions against him, including ones filed by the states of Nevada and California, and a one-year suspension and $10,000 fine imposed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority stemming as a result of his Ameriprise misconduct.
As part of the alleged scheme to defraud, Mata induced his victims to invest their money in Secured Capital, a real estate investment program that purportedly invested in “government-backed tax liens,” “asset-backed deed certificates,” and distressed commercial and residential properties. Mata guaranteed investors that Secured Capital’s investment return generated annual rates of 5 percent to 10 percent, when in fact, investments in Secured Capital had significant loss risks and did not make a profit from 2011 onward, the indictment alleges.
Instead of properly investing his clients’ money, Mata allegedly used Secured Capital investor funds to pay his personal expenses, including a $197,000 down payment on his personal residence, loans to himself and to other entities he created, and $370,000 that was transferred into his personal bank accounts.
Mata also is charged with making false statements on bankruptcy court documents, and fraudulently concealing from the government and his creditors personal property, including a 2008 Mini Cooper and a 2001 Jeep.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In 2015, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil action against Mata and two business associates, alleging that they operated the real estate scam. Later that year, the SEC obtained a judgment against Mata that enjoined him from violating securities laws and ordered him to pay $11,748,831.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean D. Peterson of the Riverside Branch Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Galatzan is handling the asset forfeiture portion of the case.
Ellsworth Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Timothy T. Myers, 27, of Ellsworth, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to bank robbery. The charges arose from the robbery in December 2018 of a two Bangor banks.
Court records reveal that on December 21, 2018, the defendant entered a TD Bank branch and handed a teller a note that read: “Give me the money or I shoot, no dye, $1,000.” The teller gave the defendant cash from the drawer and he absconded with it.
Five days later, the defendant robbed a KeyBank branch. He entered the bank, walked to the table near the entrance, and picked up a withdrawal slip on which he wrote: “Money now or I shoot, no dye,” and handed it to a teller. The defendant took money from the teller and fled.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each robbery. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Bangor and Ellsworth Police Departments, the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
Eleven People Charged in Takedown of Trenton Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Six Arrests Made in Coordinated Takedown by Federal and State Law Enforcement; Two Defendants At-Large; One Defendant Currently Released Under the Supervision of the United States Pretrial Services Agency; Remaining Two Defendants Already in Custody
TRENTON, N.J. – Criminal charges were unsealed today against 11 individuals who are allegedly part of a conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of heroin in Trenton, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
The complaint unsealed today charges 11 defendants with conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance. One of the defendants – Jawaan Foreman – is also charged with distributing cocaine base, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The six defendants arrested today – Alterrick Livingston, Foreman, Darryl Young, Paul Beckford, RJ Beckford, and Larry Murphy - are scheduled to have their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert in Trenton federal court. One defendant, Devonte McNeil, is serving a sentence in state prison and will have his initial appearance at a later date. Two other defendants, Robert Gbanapolor and Duane Paulino-Escalera, have been previously charged with federal crimes related to the instant complaint and will also have initial appearances at a later date. Gbanapolor has been ordered detained and Paulino-Escalera is on pretrial release.
According to documents filed in this case:
From June 2018 through May 2019, the defendants and others engaged in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the areas of Stuyvesant Avenue, Hoffman Avenue, and Highland Avenue in Trenton, as well as in the area of Barbary Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Robert M. Gbanapolor obtained regular supplies of “bricks” of heroin (approximately 50 smaller, individually packaged glassine envelopes or baggies containing heroin) from Duane Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi.” Other key members of the drug trafficking conspiracy included Jawaan Foreman, Larry Murphy and Izae Alford.
Members of the conspiracy distributed the heroin supplied by Papi to other conspirators, distributors, sub-dealers, and end users in and around Trenton. Law enforcement officers intercepted numerous discussions among the conspirators regarding issues such as heroin quality and availability, branding, quantity and customer satisfaction.
In addition to being charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, Jawaan Foreman also was charged in the complaint with one count of distributing cocaine base on May 8, 2019.
The drug conspiracy count carries a statutory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. The count charging Foreman with distribution of cocaine base carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; and task force officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked detectives and officers of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore; detectives and officers of the Gloucester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Earle; members of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives and officers of the Bordentown Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Pesce; and special agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies dedicated to identifying and dismantling the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric A. Boden and Michelle Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants
Name
Age
Residence
Robert M. Gbanapolor
32
Trenton
Duane Paulino-Escalera
27
Trenton
Jawaan Foreman
35
Trenton
Larry Murphy
36
Trenton
Izae Alford*
20
Trenton
Paul Beckford
31
Trenton
RJ Beckford
21
Trenton
Alterrick Livingston
19
Trenton
Darryl Young
27
Trenton
Devonte McNeil
28
Trenton
Shamir Kelley*
27
Trenton
* denotes at-large
Doctor Involved in Compound Prescription Fraud Scheme Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KAKRA GYAMBIBI, 38, of Darnestown, Maryland, formerly of Connecticut, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to three months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud.
According to court documents, statements made in court and the evidence presented during the trial of her husband, Kwasi Gyambibi, Advantage Pharmacy was a compounding pharmacy located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a compounding pharmacy, Advantage created compound prescription drugs specifically tailored for individual patients who had a medical need for a compound drug, by mixing together individual ingredients in the exact strength and dosage prescribed by the health care provider to meet the unique needs of a patient. One tube of a compound drug cream prepared and dispensed by Advantage Pharmacy typically cost health care benefit programs thousands of dollars, and some individual tubes of cream cost more than $11,000 for a one-month supply. Kakra Gyambibi is a physician who worked as a hospitalist at Stamford Hospital, and Kwasi Gyambibi acted as, and eventually became, a sales representative for Advantage Pharmacy.
On January 9, 2019, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 19-count indictment alleging that, in 2014 and 2015, Kwasi and Kakra Gyambibi engaged in a scheme to defraud the State of Connecticut Pharmacy Benefit Plan, TRICARE and other health care programs by submitting prescriptions for compound pharmacy medications prepared and dispensed by Advantage Pharmacy. Although the prescriptions sent to Advantage Pharmacy contained Kakra Gyambibi’s signature, Kakra Gyambibi did not treat, examine, or even meet with the patients for whom the prescriptions were written. Based on these false and misleading claims, the victim health care programs paid Advantage Pharmacy for the compound prescription drugs. Advantage Pharmacy, in tum, paid commissions of between 15 percent to 35 percent to sales representatives, including Kwasi Gyambibi’s close cousin, whom Kwasi Gyambibi considered his brother.
It is alleged that Kwasi and Kakra Gyambibi also induced the victim health care programs to pay Advantage Pharmacy more than $292,000 for their own compound prescription drugs.
The investigation has revealed that this scheme resulted in more than $1.6 million in losses to the victim health care programs.
On January 18, 2019, Kakra Gyambibi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
On February 22, 2019, a jury found Kwasi Gyambibi guilty of two counts of health care fraud related to fraudulent prescriptions for compound drugs that were submitted to Advantage Pharmacy in March 2015, and found him not guilty of seven counts of health care fraud. The jury could not reach a verdict on the other 10 counts in the indictment. Kwasi Gyambibi awaits sentencing.
Judge Meyer will set a hearing to determine restitution at a later date. The government is seeking $1,650,332.35 in restitution.
Kakra Gyambibi, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 15, 2019.
This investigation has been conducted by New Haven Division of the FBI. U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, and the Jackson, Mississippi Division of the FBI for their assistance with the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Sheldon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen Issues Memo to U.S. Attorneys on the Applicability of the Wire Act to Non-Sports GamblingRead the Press Release
In the June 12, 2019 memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys, Assistant Attorneys General, and the FBI, the Deputy Attorney General extended at least until the end of the calendar year the grace period on implementing the Office of Legal Counsel's (OLC) 2018 opinion finding that all but one of the prohibitions of the Wire Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1084, apply to non-sports gambling. During the grace period, federal prosecutors should not apply the Wire Act to non-sports-related betting or wagering. The Deputy Attorney General also directed that, to ensure continuity across the country, any Wire Act charges must be reviewed and approved by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Dangerous Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Five Months for Fourth Illegal Entry into the CountryRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Rodrigo Fuentes-Gomez, a/k/a “Ervin Yovany Cruz,” 52, of West Chester, PA, was sentenced to five months’ incarceration by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney. The defendant was convicted of re-entering the United States illegally after being deported on three previous occasions and after having committed other criminal offenses while in the country unlawfully. After he serves his sentence, the defendant will be deported to Mexico.
On September 27, 2018, the defendant, an illegal alien, native and citizen of Mexico, was charged in an indictment with reentry into the United States on or about July 2, 2018, after previously being deported and removed from the country on or about April 4, 1999, August 14, 2007, and June 25, 2011. On May 9, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty.
While illegally present in the United States, the defendant has engaged in repeated criminal behavior. He has been convicted of driving under the influence, forgery and making false reports to law enforcement, as well as public intoxication. This conviction is the defendant’s second federal conviction for illegal reentry, as he was previously federally convicted of illegal entry into the United States on May 9, 2011, in the District of Arizona.
“The defendant in this case clearly has no respect for the laws of this country,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “After being removed on three previous occasions, Fuentes-Gomez decided yet again to snub our immigration system by entering the United States illegally – and committing multiple criminal offenses while he was here. He is clearly a danger to the public and does not deserve the privilege of being in our country. I am glad that the Judge agreed and has ordered a sentence that holds him responsible for his actions.”
“Mr. Fuentes-Gomez’s sentencing sends a clear message that criminal aliens who illegally re-enter the United States will face criminal prosecution for flagrantly disregarding our laws,” said Simona L. Flores-Lund, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia. “It should also serve as a warning to others contemplating re-entering this country illegally that ERO officers will seek to affect their removal and preserve the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie B. Wilmoth.
Company Guilty of Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC., a company that does business within the Eastern District of Louisiana, entered a guilty plea yesterday to harboring two illegal aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii).
According to court records, Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information that AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. was harboring illegal aliens. As a result, surveillance was performed at the business location on several occasions. Agents observed vehicles and the drivers that parked at the business location and also noticed an auxiliary building on the property that appeared to house several of the workers. On April 25, 2014, Louisiana State Police assisted HSI in conducting a traffic stop on a 2013 black Dodge Ram pick-up truck that appeared to be parking at night at the location. A State Trooper asked the driver for identification as well as the registration for the vehicle. The driver only produced a Mexican passport, and a Mexican identification card. The vehicle was registered to the owner of AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. The passenger identified himself and both occupants indicated that they were working for AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC., and that they were on their way to a jobsite in Laplace, Louisiana. Additionally, the driver indicated that he resided at 1688 St. Patrick’s Road in Ponchatoula, Louisiana (same address as the business location).
HSI agents continued surveillance and on May 6, 2014, proceeded to 1688 St. Patrick’s Road in Ponchatoula, and knocked on a door of the building. They observed that the door led to an apartment that was connected to the business. The apartment consisted of two bedrooms (each containing 2 beds), a bathroom, a fully-equipped kitchen, a sofa, and a kitchen table. Present at the apartment that day were the same individuals that were encountered during the April 25, 2014 traffic stop. The driver agreed to be interviewed and admitted that he was a citizen and national of Mexico and was in the United States illegally. He stated that AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. hired him in February 2014, and that he was not asked if he had permission to work in the United States. When asked for identification, he stated that he produced the Mexican identification documents and an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) that he received from the Department of Treasury. He did not have any documentation that allowed him to be present in the United States. He also stated that he resided at the apartment and that the owner of the company paid the apartment’s electricity and water bills, and did not charge him rent. He indicated that the owner of AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. also allowed him to use the 2013 black Dodge Ram pickup truck for work purposes.
The passenger also agreed to be interviewed and stated that he was also a citizen and national of Mexico who was also in the United States illegally. He stated that he had been working for AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. for approximately six (6) months. About a month after being hired, the owner of AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. asked him for his Social Security number and he explained that he told the owner that he did not have one, thus indicating that he was in the United States illegally. The passenger also admitted that he resided at the same apartment as the driver and that the owner paid the apartment’s electricity and water bills, and did not charge him rent. He also said that the owner allowed him to utilize his 2013 black Dodge Ram pickup for work purposes.
On May 6, 2014 HSI agents served an I-9 “Notice of Inspection” and an immigration enforcement subpoena upon AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. A Form I-9 Inspection is an administrative inspection process used to verify employment eligibility for a business’s employees. By law, employers are required to maintain Forms I-9 for all current employees, and the Form I-9 Inspection is a review of the relevant forms. AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. did not require that the two (2) aliens complete the Department of Homeland Security Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 and did not require those aliens to present identification documents as proof of their lawful presence in the United States.
On May 9, 2014, the owner met with the agents and said that he constructed the building at 1688 St. Patrick’s Road as a warehouse to store his equipment. The owner later admitted that there is an apartment located within the business that was there to provide housing, thus acknowledging paying for lodging for his workers. He also admitted that he allowed the illegal aliens to drive the 2013 black Dodge Ram pickup for work purposes. The owner of AA STUCCO AND MASONRY, LLC. also admitted that the two (2) illegal aliens were hired for work purposes, and that he knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that the employees living in the apartment were illegal aliens, not lawfully in the United States.
United States District Court Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for September 17, 2019 at 2pm.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Attempted Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Denver, Colorado, man convicted of Attempted Possession of Child Pornography was sentenced on June 10, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Noah Schottenstein, age 30, was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $5,000 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Schottenstein was one of nine men who were arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting persons willing to pay to have sex with underage girls or boys obtained through the Internet. The conviction stemmed from Schottenstein communicating with someone he believed to be a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts. Additionally, Schottenstein requested the minor send him child pornography images of herself.
The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case.
Schottenstein was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Claremore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Drug, Firearms, and Obstruction of Justice OffensesRead the Press Release
A Claremore man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for maintaining a drug-involved premises, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and obstruction of justice by using the threat of physical force against a witness.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced James Kent Patrick Hill, 58, to 25 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Hill previously pleaded guilty to the charges on March 12, 2019. During the plea hearing, he admitted to maintaining his Claremore residence for the purpose of using controlled substances such as methamphetamine, marijuana, alprazolam and diazepam. Hill further admitted to being a felon in possession of 10 firearms, including shotguns, rifles and pistols and more than 1,000 rounds of associated ammunition. Hill also stated that after he was arrested on Sept. 20, 2018, he threatened the use of force against Corporal John Haning, of the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, when he reached for and nearly unholstered the Corporal’s firearm while being transported to the Rogers County Jail. By grabbing Haning’s firearm, Hill intended to influence, delay, and prevent the testimony of Haning and others in official proceedings.
“James Hill will have 25 years to reflect on his crimes while he serves his sentence in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. “My team is focused on making northeastern Oklahoma neighborhoods safer by targeting drug and gun related crimes through Project Safe Neighborhoods. James Hill made a bad situation worse when he attempted to grab the service weapon of the deputy who had arrested him. Assaults on law enforcement officers and agents will be prosecuted by my office. If there is jurisdiction over the assault, then criminals should expect to meet a federal prosecutor. There is no better partner than the ATF to help us investigate these types of cases. I’m thankful the Rogers County Deputy in this case did not suffer serious injury or worse.”
Hill was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service while awaiting state charges.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Verdigris Police Department and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Morgan prosecuted the case
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL JIMENEZ DE LA CRUZ, 33, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jimenez was arrested on September 20, 2018, after special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at his Waterbury residence. Outside of Jimenez’s bedroom window, agents found a trash bag that contained a powdery substance that that later tested positive for fentanyl. The trash bag also contained a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver.
Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years, and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the U.S., which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for September 4, 2019.
Jiminez has been detained since his arrest.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Central Florida Cocaine Trafficking Ring DismantledRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that 13 individuals have been sentenced in connection with their involvement in an interstate cocaine distribution conspiracy. During the investigation of this case, law enforcement seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine; nine firearms, including an assault rifle and shotgun; hundreds of rounds of ammunition; approximately $40,000 in drug proceeds; and a currency counter.
According to court documents, from November 27, 2017, through April 18, 2018, leaders of the organization oversaw the shipment of more than 20 kilograms of cocaine into Florida from Puerto Rico. After packaging the cocaine for distribution, the conspirators provided the drugs to street level distributors who then sold it in Tampa, Orlando, and elsewhere.
The following individuals have been sentenced in connection with this case:
Name Age, Residence Term of ImprisonmentWilliam Leverne Norton
41, Tampa
14 years
Jesus Manuel Rodriguez
31, Brandon
12 years, 7 months
Bryan Gomez Nevarez
31, Avon Park
11 years, 3 months
Luis Enrique Hernandez Quinones
29, Davenport
11 years, 3 months
Avisys Lee Jackson
28, Tampa
10 years, 10 months
Pedro Luis Ramos Burgos
26, Kissimmee
10 years
Javier Albaladejo Lopez
24, Tampa
10 years
Hector Jose Carrasquillo Perez
26, Cataño, Puerto Rico
10 years
Jose Angel Mendoza, Jr.
29, Tampa
8 years, 1 month
Antonio Soul Gonzalez
41, Tampa
7 years, 9 months
Ismael Pagan Marrero
44, Orlando
5 years, 10 months
Edgar Hernandez
28, Tampa
4 years, 3 months
Henry Coira
31, Avon Park
5 years, 10 months
“This investigation represents our commitment to keeping communities safe from destructive drug trafficking enterprises,” said Bryan Vorndran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division. “I commend the federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation in getting the job done and disrupting a major supplier of cocaine in Central Florida.”
“As a result of the collaborative efforts and strong partnership between our local, state, and federal partners, justice has indeed been served by ensuring that these convicted drug traffickers are no longer left on the playing field to inflict harm to the law abiding citizens of the community,” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “We remain committed and will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners throughout the region to keep our communities safe from illicit drug trafficking and the associated dangers which follow.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to eradicating illegal drugs and their proceeds from the U.S. Mail,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Damien Kraebel. “Dismantling this conspiracy furthers our mission to help protect employees and customers from the violence related to drug trafficking, and to inhibit the spread of illegal substances into neighborhoods across America.”
“The diligent work done by law enforcement to bring down this illegal operation should be commended,” said FDLE’s Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell. “FDLE is proud to be a part of this effort to take drugs and guns off of our streets, and help make all of us safer.”
“Taking down a sophisticated criminal operation requires teamwork,” said Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan. “Our streets are safer today due to efforts of our agencies working together. We’re grateful to the U.S. Attorney for the successful prosecution that will put these individuals behind bars for a long time.”
These cases were investigated by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Participating agencies in this OCDETF operation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Plant City Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Cambria County Investment Advisor Sentenced to 6+ Years in Prison for $4.5M Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Cambria County has been sentenced in federal court to six years and six months (78 months) in prison and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of securities fraud, wire fraud, and filing false income tax returns, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Douglas P. Simanski, 54, of Lilly, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, between February 2002 and May 2016, Simanski, an investment advisor and broker, devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $4.5 million from various investors. As part of his scheme, Simanski fabricated "Tax Free Investment" contracts and "fake CDs" which listed guaranteed rates of return and payouts, and used the documents to solicit investors. Simanski used portions of the invested funds to pay "returns" to other investors to make it appear their investments were legitimate. He also used a portion of the funds to purchase personal items and to fund personal home improvement projects, and placed some of the funds into a personal E*Trade account. Also, Simanski filed false income tax returns for 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Simanski.
California Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Hot Springs, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Rasheen Murdock, age 37, of Modesto, California, was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Witness Tampering. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court records, during the course of an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in the Western District of Arkansas in March 2016, the Eighteenth East Drug Task Force received information that Murdock and other individuals were engaged in a methamphetamine drug trafficking operation in the Hot Springs area. Based on this information, investigators were able to identify, and confirm the location of eight baggies of methamphetamine containing 231 grams of actual methamphetamine. Investigators were able to set up surveillance at this location and await the arrival of Murdock, and his co-conspirators. Once they arrived, Murdock and his co-conspirators discussed the current and future drug transactions, including the sale of methamphetamine, heroin, and other drugs. Murdock left the Hot Springs area and returned to California, where he was ultimately arrested. In November of 2017, while awaiting trial, Murdock was housed in the same cell as one of his co-conspirators. Murdock forced the co-conspirator to write a letter to the Court and the AUSA prosecuting his case stating that Murdock was innocent of all charges. The co-conspirator advised the Court and Jury that he felt that if he did not do what Murdock asked, there would be conflict, and that the letter Murdock had him write contained all lies.
Murdock was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2016. Murdock was found guilty, after a jury trial on April 25, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Eighteenth East Drug Task Force, and Arkansas State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris and Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
California Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lancaster, California, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Bryan Howard, a/k/a Chase Profit, age 30, was indicted on March 12, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 10, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between May 1, 2015, and October 31, 2015, Howard knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation and Howard is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Howard was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A jury trial has been set for August 13, 2019.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Antonio Broadus, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on February 11, 2018, an individual working for the Drug Enforcement Administration arranged to purchase five grams of fentanyl from the defendant. The following day, the individual met up with Broadus in the parking lot of a retail store on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo. The two exchanged $420 for the five grams of fentanyl. In addition, the defendant also sold another five grams of fentanyl to a separate individual working with the DEA on January 29, 2018.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Office.
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Bronx Man Admits Theft of Government Property and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted his role in a scheme to obtain and ultimately cash more than $1 million in fraudulent income tax refund checks issued by the United States, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Wellington Feliz, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with theft of government property (Count Two) and aggravated identity theft (Count Four).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Feliz admitted that he and his conspirators deposited over $1 million in fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks into bank accounts controlled by him.
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) schemes generally share a number of hallmarks. Perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They complete IRS-1040 tax return forms using the fraudulently obtained information and falsifying wages earned, taxes withheld and other data, always ensuring that fraudulent tax return generates a refund. The perpetrators then direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail the refund checks to locations they control or can access. In some cases, they bribe mail carriers to remove the refund checks from their mail routes. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, the perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts they control.
Feliz admitted that he knew that the approximately 180 tax refund checks that he and others deposited into bank accounts under his direct control did not belong to him or the company named on the bank account. He admitted to personally withdrawing funds from these accounts and profiting from his role in the scheme. He also admitted that he knew that the checks were issued by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury, and that it was illegal to deposit the tax refund checks and use the proceeds for his own benefit.
Feliz was initially charged with six co-defendants (Luis Pena, Lourdes Ortiz, Raymundo Hernandez, Isaias Hernandez, and Gloria Rivera of the Bronx, New York; and Fausto Bernard of Newark) in a criminal complaint alleging conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, relating to a SIRF scheme that caused more than $2.6 million in losses to the United States government. Feliz and Isaias Hernandez were later charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. After being charged by complaint, Feliz violated the terms of his pretrial release conditions and fled to the Dominican Republic. In April 2019, Feliz was extradited to the District of New Jersey.
All six co-defendants have pleaded guilty to and have been sentenced for their roles in the scheme. One additional conspirator, Angel Fernandez of Newark, has also pleaded guilty to charges regarding his participation in the conspiracy. All have been ordered to pay restitution to victims and forfeiture to the United States.
The theft of government property charge to which Feliz pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense; or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on the theft of government property charge. Sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; special agents of the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francesca Liquori and Sara F. Merin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Laurie M. Fierro Esq., Kinnelon, New Jersey
Brazilian Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain U.S. PassportRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Robson Xavier-Gomes, 44, of Brazil, pleaded guilty in federal court to making a false statement to obtain a U.S. passport, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 1996, Xavier-Gomes, a citizen of Brazil, completed an application for a U.S. passport using the name, date of birth, social security number, and other personal identifying information that belong to a United States citizen. The application was submitted to the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with a photograph of Xavier-Gomes but the identification information of the United States citizen. Relying on the information in the application and the supporting documentation, the Passport Center issued a U.S. passport to Xavier-Gomes in the name of the United States citizen. On April 12, 2016, Xavier-Gomes submitted an application to renew his fraudulently-obtained passport, again using the identification information of the United States citizen. Xavier-Gomes later admitted to investigators that his true identity was Robson Xavier Gomes, he was is a citizen of Brazil, and he had falsely used the identity of a United States citizen to apply for and obtain a U.S. passport.
Xavier-Gomes is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2019
“Crimes involving the falsification of identification documents can cause significant damage to victims, as well as the integrity of government operations,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “It is essential that we maintain confidence in the truth and accuracy of U.S. passports. To that end, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who use fraud or false statements to obtain passports.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice and our local law enforcement partners in New Hampshire to investigate and prosecute all allegations of criminal activity related to passport and visa fraud, ” said William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Boston Field Office. “The strong relationship we enjoy with our federal and local law enforcement partners is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter.
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Auburn Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Steven Reynolds, age 38, of Auburn, New York, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby to serve 78 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
In May 2018, Reynolds drove a car with a stolen Browning 16-guage shotgun and a stolen Savage .308 caliber rifle to a parking lot in the Auburn area. While in the parking lot, Reynolds personally moved both firearms from the back of the car he was driving into the back of a Jeep occupied by two other individuals who then drove away with the firearms. Reynolds is prohibited from possessing firearms as he has two prior New York State felony drug convictions, one in 2005, the other in 2012.
This case was investigated by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, consisting of law enforcement officers from the City of Auburn Police Department and the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sahar Amandolare and Michael Gadarian.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent and deter gun violence and to arrest and prosecute offenders.
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Joshua Simard, 31, of Auburn, pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms offenses, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2018, law enforcement officers encountered Simard at a hotel in Bedford, New Hampshire. Officers seized two backpacks from Simard, which contained, among other things, a handgun, ammunition, over $6,000 in cash, over 150 grams of cocaine, digital scales, and a suspected drug ledger.
Simard is scheduled to be sentenced on September 16, 2019.
“Guns and drugs are a potentially lethal combination,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “When drug traffickers possess firearms, they pose a very serious danger to the community. In order to protect the public, we will aggressively prosecute armed drug dealers.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bedford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.
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Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Louis S. Boatner, 44, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release, for possessing over a kilogram of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possessing six loaded handguns in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense. Boatner pleaded guilty to these charges on March 5, 2019.
Between August and October, an informant working with the Dane County Narcotics Task Force purchased cocaine from Boatner on three occasions. Officers conducted surveillance during the purchases, and subsequently obtained a search warrant for a storage unit that Boatner rented. The warrant was executed on October 9, 2018 and officers recovered approximately 1,300 grams of cocaine, six fully-loaded handguns, and $61,000 in the unit.
The 10-year sentence was required under federal law, because each count of conviction carried mandatory minimum sentences of five years.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
The charge against Boatner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow.
33 Indicted on Federal Charges Related to Illegally Trafficking Heroin, Cocaine, Crack and/or MarijuanaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has issued three separate, but related, indictments, charging 33 residents of southwestern Pennsylvania with narcotics trafficking and firearm possession, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The first Indictment, unsealed today, contains three conspiracy counts and names the following 25 individuals as defendants in one or more of the drug conspiracies:
• Howard McFadden, 29, of Turtle Creek, PA
• James Wells, 31, of Braddock, PA
• Donald Singleton, 47, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Richard Coto-Wheat, 26, of Duquesne, PA
• Jaymare Jackson, 29, of Braddock, PA
• Dorian Boyd, 24, of Braddock, PA
• Delbert Pate, 26, of Duquesne, PA
• Michael Rose, 27, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Reginald Brown, 29, of East Pittsburgh, PA
• Kreg Williams, 29, of Duquesne, PA
• Keenan Williams, 21, of Duquesne, PA
• Rand Wolford, 31, of Braddock, PA
• Marcel Sewell, 58, of Braddock, PA
• Talen Holmes, 21, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Rodney Dennard, 51, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Bernard Wilkins, 56, of Irwin, PA
• William Kalna, 50, of West Newton, PA
• Justin Law, 30, of Wilkinsburg, PA
• Tyrone Roilton, 28, of Braddock, PA
• Lisamarie Ross, 35, of New Alexandria, PA
• Travis Moore, 26, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Thomas Dwyer, 42, of Homestead, PA
• Gregory Luptak, 51, of North Huntington, PA
• Paula DeBaker, 55, of Braddock, PA
• Philip Matey, 53, of North Braddock, PA
According to this Indictment, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance; 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance; and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack, a Schedule II controlled substance, between August 2018 and May 2019. The Indictment seeks forfeiture of the following items: two (2) vehicles – a Jeep Grand Cherokee, associated with McFadden, and a GMC Sierra, associated with Singleton.
The Indictment further alleges that on April 15, 2019, Michael Rose possessed with intent to distribute heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, as well as cocaine and crack, both Schedule II controlled substances. Rose, a convicted felon, who is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm, is also charged with possessing a firearm, and possessing the firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. As it relates to these counts, the Indictment seeks forfeiture of the following items: $892.00 and a Glock 19x pistol, bearing serial number BHWU068, associated with Michael Rose.
The second Indictment, unsealed today, contains two counts and names the following four individuals as defendants:
• Chadlin Leavy, 30, of Pittsburgh, PA (also charged in the third Indictment)
• Marvin Porter, 48, of Allison Park, PA
• Damien Franklin, 26, of Verona, PA
• Larry Dandridge, 24, of Monroeville, PA
According to this Indictment, the above-named defendants, and others conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, between April and May of 2019. The Indictment seeks forfeiture of a Mercedes Benz S5A, associated with Leavy.
The third Indictment, also unsealed today, contains two counts and names the following five individuals as defendants:
• Eric Vanderslice, 39, of Phoenixville, PA
• Wayne Barker, 61, of West Mifflin, PA
• William Barker, 63, of Upper St. Clair, PA
• Jared Eck, 28, of Pittsburgh, PA
• Chadlin Leavy, 30, of Pittsburgh, PA (also charged in the second Indictment)
According to this Indictment, these defendants and others conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance, between April and May 2019. Additionally, on May 24, 2019, the Barkers and Vanderslice are alleged to have distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. The Indictment also seeks forfeiture of the following vehicles: a Dodge Ram 1500, associated with Vanderslice, a Ford F-150, associated with Eck, and a Jeep Wrangler, associated with Leavy. Additionally, the Indictment seeks forfeiture of a total of $518,476 in United States currency, which was seized by law enforcement from Vanderslice ($469,475.00), Wayne Barker ($5,012.00), Eck ($13,989) and Leavy ($30,000).
If convicted, the defendants would face the following penalties. As to the conspiracy counts involving 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine, the law provides for a minimum sentence of at least 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prisonand and a fine of not more than $5,000,000. As to the conspiracy count involving 280 grams or more of crack, the law provides for a minimum sentence of at least 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a fine of not more than $10,000,000. As to Michael Rose, the law provides for a minimum sentence of at least 5 years in prison and up to life in prison, and a fine of not more than $2,000,000. As to the conspiracy involving 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, the law provides for a minimum sentence of at least 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison imprisonment, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of each defendant.
The Pittsburgh Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies include the Allegheny County Adult Probation, Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Shaler Township Police Department and Wilkinsburg Police Department.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tuesday 11 June 2019
West Sacramento Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Assaulting a Federal Officer and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez sentenced Dustin Joseph Albini, 36, of West Sacramento, today to five and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release, for assaulting a federal officer and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
The crimes were charged in two separate cases and Albini pleaded guilty to both in February 2019.
According to court documents, in July 2015, state and federal law enforcement executed a search warrant at a marijuana grow operation in Modoc County. During execution of the warrant, a Bureau of Land Management agent attempted to take Albini into custody. Albini resisted arrest and engaged in a struggle with the agent that resulted in the agent and Albini going to the ground. While on the ground, Albini grabbed the agent’s testicles and bit his leg.
According to court documents, when law enforcement arrested Albini in September 2015 on the first indictment, they searched Albini’s vehicle and found a .45-caliber Colt MK IV handgun, a .40-caliber Glock 27 handgun, and a backpack containing marijuana and hundreds of vials of liquid containing tetrahydrocannabinol, a Schedule I controlled substance. As part of his guilty plea, Albini admitted to possessing the vials with the intent to distribute them and possessing the handguns to protect and otherwise further his drug distribution activities.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.
Warm Springs Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Harold Blackwolf Jr., 35, of Warm Springs, Oregon, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for involuntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2017, Blackwolf was at a friend’s house on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. While under the influence of alcohol, Blackwolf left his friend’s house and entered his Dodge Durango, a sport utility vehicle. Blackwolf drove away at a high rate of speed with his headlights off. As he was departing, he struck two adult men who were in the road, killing both. Blackwolf, a convicted felon, was arrested on April 20, 2018 and found to be in possession of a Taurus .38 special revolver.
A restitution hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown will be held at a later date.
On February 27, 2019, Blackwolf pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Paul Maloney, Benjamin Tolkoff and Craig Gabriel, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
On March 3, 1994, the FBI initiated “Operation Safe Trails” with the Navajo Department of Law Enforcement in Flagstaff, Arizona. The operation, which would later evolve into the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) Program, unites FBI and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in a collaborative effort to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. STTFs allow participating agencies to combine limited resources and increase investigative coordination in Indian Country to target violent crime, drugs, gangs, and gaming violations.
Woman from Laguna Pueblo Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Royce Aragon, 33, of Laguna Pueblo, N.M. was sentenced in federal court today to 18 months in prison for interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence.
Aragon previously pleaded guilty to this offense on February 6, 2019. In her plea agreement, she admitted going to the Casa Blanca Travel Center on Laguna Pueblo on December 30, 2016. Aragon kept watch at the front of the store while another person intimidated store clerks and stole money from a cash register. Aragon then followed the other person out of the store and stayed at a hotel with the other person that night. The robbery caused the travel center to close for several hours, preventing interstate travelers from purchasing gasoline and other items.
Aragon is an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo. A co-defendant in this case, Cruz Abieta, received a prison sentence of 84 months on August 17, 2018.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with the Laguna Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman named to new working group focused on prosecuting gun crimes to stop and reduce domestic violenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the formation of a Domestic Violence Working Group aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, using the tools of federal prosecution to stop and prevent domestic violence. The group will operate under the auspices of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) and be comprised of nine U.S. Attorneys across the country, chaired by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
“Too often, domestic abusers start with threats and abuse, and end up committing extreme violence and even homicide, with devastating impact on families and the community around them,” said Attorney General Barr. “I have directed this working group to examine this issue and determine the best way to use federal gun prosecutions and other appropriate tools to supplement state, local and tribal efforts to address domestic violence.”
“With so many domestic disputes escalating from bruises to bullets, we felt we needed to supplement our state and local partners’ efforts to curb domestic violence with federal prosecutions,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We hope our initial cases send a message to convicted abusers: Not only could the Justice Department theoretically prosecute abusers for firearm possession – they have and they will.”
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said: “Domestic violence offenders pose an outsized threat to Ohio’s families, communities, and law enforcement officers. I am honored to serve in this advisory capacity to the Attorney General and to advance the Department of Justice’s mission to protect the public. This group will ensure that the Department is positioned to reduce, mitigate, and prevent domestic violence by coordinating initiatives across our federal, state, local, and tribal partnerships.”
Federal law has long barred convicted felons, as well as individuals subject to certain domestic violence protective orders or convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors, from possessing firearms.
Offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a remarkably high risk of homicide. Research shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have that same access to a firearm. And according to one recent study, more than half of America’s mass shootings are cases of extreme domestic violence.
Keeping guns from domestic abusers legally prohibited from possessing them would significantly reduce violence in America, a major priority of the Justice Department.
However, federal gun cases involving domestic violence present unique challenges. In some states, the federal and state definitions of domestic violence differ, requiring complex legal analysis that varies based on the location of conviction.
U.S. Attorneys’ offices have worked tirelessly over the years to address these legal challenges with tremendous success. The Working Group will share best practices, legal analysis and guidance on prosecuting abusers who unlawfully possess guns, and will advise U.S. Attorneys across the country on outreach to local law enforcement, judges, and nonprofit groups.
Working Group members include:
- Scott W. Brady, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- Nicola T. Hanna, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California
- Justin E. Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
- Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas
- Christina E. Nolan, U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
- Byung J. Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
- R. Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
- Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
U.S. Attorney John W. Huber Outlines New Strategy for Distrupting, Deterring Fentanyl Distribution in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – In a conference call with federal law enforcement leaders and local drug task force commanders in Utah, U.S. Attorney John W. Huber encouraged law enforcement officers to screen all cases involving fentanyl with his office for potential federal prosecution.
“Fentanyl is at a high threat level for us. We are asking our law enforcement partners to help us disrupt, dismantle, and deter fentanyl distribution in Utah and prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said. “We need to use every tool we have.”
Huber said he has a clear message for drug traffickers: bring fentanyl into Utah and plan on having an initial appearance in federal court.
According to DEA information, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and do not recognize they are actually getting fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico.
Given the risks of fentanyl, federal prosecutors believe there is a compelling federal interest in reviewing every case. Huber says his prosecutors will screen for evidence of distribution or simple possession. Additionally, his office will pursue any appropriate sentencing enhancements. Huber has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Pead as his office’s point of contact for fentanyl cases. Pead is an experienced prosecutor who came to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
Huber also is encouraging law enforcement partners and prosecutors to share intelligence and form partnerships to take full advantage of resources and assets.
While the primary foreign source of supply for fentanyl in Utah is China, federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers say Mexican drug traffickers are increasing their capability. “The same drug trafficking networks bringing heroin and methamphetamine into Utah could easily decide fentanyl, with its high profit margin, is what they want to do,” Huber said. “Law enforcement agencies are already seeing signs this is happening.”
While Utah has not experienced the high numbers of fentanyl overdose deaths as other places around the country, the Utah Drug Monitoring Initiative program reports fentanyl related fatal overdoses in Utah increased 54 percent from 2014 to 2018, with a spike of 49 fatalities in 2016. Since 2016, there has been a slight decline in fentanyl related deaths, but the overdose deaths have remained higher than in 2014 and 2015.
“We are asking law enforcement to help us find these cases out of a sincere desire to serve our communities in Utah. These statistics are not just numbers – they represent loved ones, family members, and friends. Law enforcement officers are committed to working with us to keep fentanyl out of Utah and protect citizens of our state,” Huber said.
Federal prosecutors in Utah are prosecuting a significant fentanyl case scheduled for a five-week trial in August.
Two Charged in Operation California Dreamin’ Sentenced This WeekRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A pair of defendants charged as part of Operation California Dreamin’, a large-scale investigation that charged 28 individuals with trafficking methamphetamine from California into Southwest Virginia, Northeast Tennessee, and Georgia, were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced today.
“The scourge of methamphetamine trafficking and addiction remains the most serious public-safety issue facing far Southwest Virginia,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law partners to target and dismantle the drug-trafficking organizations responsible for importing this deadly substance from Mexico and selling it in our communities.”
Today in District Court, Melissa Barrett, 46, of Meadowview, Va., was sentenced to 168 months’ incarceration. Barrett previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
Matthew Todd Mullins, 45, of Bristol, Va., was sentenced Monday, June 10, 2019 to 188 months’ incarceration. Mullins previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of manufacture counterfeit obligations.
According to previously submitted court documents, in early 2017, an investigation was opened to examine the trafficking of methamphetamine between California and Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Law enforcement identified 28 individuals, located in California, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee as being involved in the trafficking and distribution of methamphetamine.
In addition, the investigation further revealed that some alleged sources of supply from California temporarily relocated to the Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee region in order to better facilitate their drug distribution operations.
The investigation of the case is being conducted by the Abingdon Police Department, Virginia State Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Bristol, Tennessee Police Department, Bristol, Virginia Police Department, the Sullivan County, Tennessee Second Judicial Drug Task Force, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, Commerce, Georgia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Bristol, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and the Sullivan County, District Attorney’s Office have assisted in the investigation. Western District of Virginia Criminal Chief Zachary T. Lee and Assistant United States Attorney Cagle Juhan are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Trucking Company Ordered to Pay $3 Million for Illegally Transporting Hazardous Materials from the Exide Battery Recycling Plant in VernonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A trucking company has been ordered to pay $3 million for illegally transporting more than 64 tons of hazardous, lead-contaminated plastic battery chips from the now-closed Exide Technologies battery recycling facility in Vernon to a company in Bakersfield.
Wiley Sanders Truck Lines, Inc., which is based in Troy, Alabama, was ordered Monday to pay the money as part of a sentence that placed the company on probation for three years.
United States District Judge Percy Anderson imposed the sentence, describing the company’s conduct as “an environmental disaster for Vernon and the surrounding area.”
As part of the sentence, Judge Anderson ordered Wiley Sanders to pay a $1.5 million fine – the statutory maximum – and a $1.5 million community service payment to the Exide Residential Assistance Fund established by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to support residents affected by lead contamination near the facility.
On February 25, the company pleaded guilty to three felony counts of illegal transportation of hazardous materials.
At peak operation, Exide’s facility received approximately 40,000 lead-acid batteries per day, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. During the battery recycling process at the facility, the batteries were crushed, broken apart in a hammer mill, then separated into their primary component streams – lead, acid and plastic. The lead and acid were dealt with separately, while the plastic chips were rinsed with water in an attempt to remove lead and other materials. Wiley Sanders then transported the wet battery plastic chips – usually 40,000 pounds at a time – to a facility in Bakersfield, where the chips were repurposed into resin-coated plastic pellets that could be used to manufacture new batteries and other products.
Wiley Sanders specifically admitted in its plea agreement that, on three occasions between November 2013 and March 2014, it willfully and recklessly transported a total of 128,840 pounds (64.42 tons) of lead-contaminated plastic chips from Vernon to Bakersfield. The company also admitted knowing that the trailers it used to transport the battery plastic chips did not contain any lining or inner packing material to prevent liquids and semi-solids from leaking through cracks and other openings in the trailers.
Because of its conduct, lead-contaminated residue leaked out of the trailers when Wiley Sanders drivers transported the battery chips from Vernon to Bakersfield. Wiley Sanders truck drivers occasionally transported the semi-trailers on public roads before the plastic chips had dried, despite the fact that the lead-contaminated chips and resulting lead-contaminated liquid residue would leak out of the trailers.
There is no known safe level of lead in human blood.
In 2015, Exide Technologies reached an agreement with the United States government that called for the battery manufacturing company to close its recycling facility in Vernon and pay an estimated $50 million to clean-up the site and surrounding neighborhoods which have been affected by environmental toxins for decades.
This matter was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams and Joseph O. Johns of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.
Tortola Man Involved in St. Thomas Motorcycle Accident Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Ashan Westcott, 28, of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty before District Judge Curtis Gomez to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to the plea agreement, on March 2, 2019, the Virgin Islands Police Department (“VIPD”) responded to a motorcycle and vehicle accident on Turpentine Run Road, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Westcott, who was injured in the accident, was identified as the driver of the motorcycle. In response to an EMT’s request to locate the defendant’s ID, a VIPD officer looked in a backpack Westcott had been wearing at the time of the accident. While looking for the ID, the officer found a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber handgun in Westcott’s backpack.
Westcott is a citizen of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and has a passport issued by the United Kingdom. Westcott is not a citizen or national of the United States and, when found on March 2, 2019, had not applied for status in the United States.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 10, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
Three Sentenced for Importing Meth in Jalapeño and Hominy CansRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old Harlingen man has been ordered to prison for 20 years for his involvement in the attempted importation of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
Alfredo Aguilar Jr. was found guilty at a bench trial Sept. 6, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle. Co-defendants Cristen Nicole Cano, 29, of Combes, and Cristal Hernandez, 23, of San Benito, had previously pleaded guilty their respective roles Aug. 7, 2018.
Today, Judge Tagle sentenced Aguilar to a total of 240 months in prison. At the hearing, Aguilar was held accountable for being the leader and organizer of the attempted drug importation event. The court also sentenced Cano and Hernandez today, each receiving 60 months. Aguilar will serve a 10-year-term of supervised release following his release from prison. Cano and Hernandez will serve two-year and five-year terms, respectively.
On May 15, 2018, Aguilar, Cano and Hernandez attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo through the pedestrian lane. Cano and Hernandez were carrying bags of groceries, including four cans of jalapeños and hominy.
During primary inspection, authorities shook the cans, noting they were unusually heavy, and heard what sounded like powder rather than liquid. They were referred to secondary, at which time the cans were x-rayed and revealed anomalies. Authorities also noticed the cans had been altered.
Ultimately, the cans were found to contain a total of 10.52 kilograms of methamphetamine. Upon further investigation, it was determined Aguilar had recruited Cano and Hernandez to smuggle the drugs into the United States.
Aguilar and Cano have been in custody since their arrest May 15, 2018, where they will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Hernandez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher dos Santos prosecuted the case.
Thirteen Defendants Indicted for Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Miriam Elizabeth Suarez-Contreras, the lead defendant in a 30 count indictment in connection to a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy, was arraigned yesterday in federal court, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Suarez-Contreras, aka “Ella” and “Liz,” 38, a Mexican national; Ramiro Ramirez-Barajas, aka “Sergio,” 30, a Mexican national; Roberto Blancas-Mata, aka “Carlos Delgado,” 66, of Las Vegas; Rahdsma Henderson, aka “Weezy,” 41, of Las Vegas; Stephen Lloyd, 38, of Las Vegas; Charles Parr, aka “Charles Magnuson,” 60, of Salt Lake City, Utah; Doug Stumpf, 55, of Henderson; Brian Scarborough, 43, of Henderson; Renea Barnes, aka “Renea Valdez,” 50, of Las Vegas; Quentin Armstrong, 41, of Sandy Valley, Nevada; Cipriano Pineda-Acedo, 49, of Las Vegas; Jose Guillermo Tello-Albarran, 32, of Las Vegas; and Martha Pedraza-Zamora, 40, of Las Vegas, were all charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition, Suarez-Contreras was charged with 16 counts; Ramirez-Barajas was charged with eight counts; Blancas-Mata was charged with six counts; Tello-Albarran was charged with two counts; and Henderson was charged with one count, all for distribution of methamphetamine. Tello-Albarran, Scarborough, Parr, Lloyd, Stumpf, Barnes, Armstrong, Pedraza-Zamora, and Pineda-Acedo were each charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Scarborough was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment charging 13 defendants for their involvement in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine throughout Nevada. As alleged, from a date unknown to April 17, 2019, the defendants conspired with each other to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Suarez-Contreras and Ramirez-Barajas have been previously removed from the United States for unlawful entry.
A jury trial was scheduled for July 29, 2019. If convicted, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
The public is reminded an indictment contains merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Schiff is prosecuting this case.
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Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – David Diaz Rodriguez, 68, of Edcouch, Texas, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Rodriguez was further ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
Rodriguez was convicted in 2006 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine from Kane County, Illinois. He was stopped by the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team as he was traveling from Florida back to Texas. On searching his truck, officers found a shotgun and an AK-47 with a fully loaded magazine that had been reported stolen out of Escambia County, Florida.
The South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Task Force Protecting Children from Internet Sex Crimes in Georgia Arrests 81 Offenders During Operation "Broken Heart"Read the Press Release
MACON – The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Georgia arrested 81 alleged offenders as part of a two-month, nationwide operation, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District. The Department of Justice announced earlier today that almost 1,700 suspected online child sex offenders were arrested during Operation Broken Heart, a coordinated effort during the months of April and May 2019 between 61 ICAC task forces in America.
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. A significant portion of the total arrests (308 defendants) are alleged to have either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse. The task forces were able to identify 357 children who suffered recent, ongoing or historical sexual abuse or were exploited in the production of child pornography.
Georgia’s ICAC Task Force is housed within the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACCU) at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). There are more than 240 local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies that make up the Georgia ICAC Task Force. The mission of the ICAC Task Force is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement, child pornography and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
“Sexually exploiting children is pure evil, and our Office will continue to bring the full weight of our prosecutorial powers to ensure that offenders are brought to justice,” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “To the victims of child exploitation: we support you and we will continue to target, arrest and prosecute those who have hurt you. I want to acknowledge the heroic efforts of Georgia’s ICAC Task Force members who are unwavering in their work to capture child sex predators and prevent the further exploitation of children. Thank you for protecting Georgia’s children.”
“The dedicated law enforcement professionals that are part of the Georgia ICAC Task Force will not cease searching for those who are producing, trading and collecting this graphic material – many of whom are also molesting children and causing them irreparable harm,” said Debbie Garner, the GBI Special Agent in Charge of the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit and Commander of the Georgia ICAC Task Force. “We will continue to work together to find, investigate and prosecute these predators. While the arrests made during the time frame encompassed by Operation Broken Heart represent phenomenal work, these are the types of investigations being worked every day by task force members across the state.”
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.
Those arrested are presumed innocent unless and until convicted beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Questions concerning this case can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm Near A School ZoneRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Jauwan Smith (22, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm near a school zone. Smith faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing date is not yet scheduled.
According to the facts presented at the plea hearing, Tampa Police officers observed Smith walking near Chelsea and 25th Street North in Tampa on the evening of March 6, 2018. When they approached Smith and engaged him in conversation, Smith admitted that he was armed with a gun. Officers then found a CZ model 7.56mm caliber pistol, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, in Smith’s waistband. Smith possessed the loaded firearm within 1,000 feet of the grounds of the Charles J. Ferrell Middle Magnet School, a public middle school for girls in Hillsborough County, Florida.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Tamarac Resident Pleads Guilty to Making Multiple Threats to CongressRead the Press Release
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Steven A. Sund, Acting Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol Police, announced today that John Joseph Kless, 49, of Tamarac, Florida, plead guilty to one count of Making Threatening Communications in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c).
At sentencing, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 20, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Case No. 19CR60109).
According to court documents, on April 16, 2019, John Kless made multiple threatening communications to Congressional office members from California, Michigan, and New Jersey.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc S. Anton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
St. Joseph Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking in Taney CountyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Missouri, man who led law enforcement officers in a pursuit in Taney County, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing approximately six pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Andrew R. Trammell, 45, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed against Trammell on June 7, 2019.
The federal indictment alleges that Trammell was in possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on June 6, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a Christian County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop Trammell, who was driving a Dodge Durango on Highway 65 near Highway EE, on June 6, 2019. The vehicle failed to stop, the affidavit says, and the deputy pursued the vehicle southbound on Highway 65 into Taney County, Missouri. Trammell crashed the vehicle upon entering Branson, Missouri, and was apprehended by Branson police officers after a brief foot chase.
Officers searched the vehicle before towing it from the scene of the crash. According to the affidavit, officers found a box on the floorboard between the front and back seats that contained approximately six pounds of methamphetamine and a large quantity of cash.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Christian County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department; the Taney County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department; the Branson, Missouri, Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
St. Albans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man pled guilty to a federal firearms charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Dakota Zachary Williams, 24, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon before Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the St. Albans Police Department, Nitro Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
At public court hearings, it was established that on January 19, 2019, police stopped Williams for erratic driving in St. Albans. Williams told an officer that he was swerving because he was rolling a blunt while driving and that he had marijuana in his cup holder. Investigators searched his SUV and found a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat and marijuana. They arrested Williams and found that he was carrying more marijuana, various pills, and around 3 grams of methamphetamine.
Further, on February 12, 2019, police arrested Williams again in the parking lot of Walmart in Nitro, where Williams had shoplifted an item. On scene, investigators recovered another loaded pistol from Williams’ pocket and a box ammunition.
Williams had previously been convicted for felony wanton endangerment in 2016 and his right to possess a firearm was not restored. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 11, 2019. Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is handling the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Springfield Man Indicted for $1.4 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for a more than $1.4 million bank fraud scheme.
Michael B. Willhoit, 66, was charged in a 36-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Willhoit was the owner and operator of Willhoit Enterprises, which purchased luxury, high-end, expensive automobiles to resell to customers throughout the United States. According to today’s indictment, Willhoit received a total of $1,404,000 in a dozen floor plan loans from Wood and Huston Bank in Springfield, Old Missouri Bank in Springfield, Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri in Cassville, Missouri, OakStar Bank in Springfield, and Bank of Missouri in Springfield.
As a part of each floor-plan loan approval process, Willhoit submitted a purchase agreement to a financial institution once he and the seller of an automobile had agreed to the terms and price that Willhoit would pay to purchase the vehicle. Upon receiving the purchase agreement, the financial institution determined whether to grant the floor-plan loan request and transfer the necessary amount of money into Willhoit’s account so he could purchase the vehicle. As a part of his floor-plan loan agreement with the financial institution, Willhoit agreed to a loan repayment schedule. Willhoit specifically agreed to repay each loan in full, plus any accrued interest, once he resold the specific vehicle to a new buyer.
According to the indictment, Willhoit did not use the loan proceeds to purchase those vehicles but instead used the funds for other expenses on at least 12 occasions from Jan. 1, 2014, through Feb. 28, 2018. The indictment alleges that each of the 12 purchase agreements were falsified, faked or forged. The sellers did not sell the vehicle as represented within the document, did not receive any monies as a result of the purported transaction, did not sign the document submitted to the financial institution, and at the time of the alleged transaction, did not own or possess the vehicle Willhoit represented to be part of the purchase agreement.
The federal indictment charges Willhoit with 12 counts of bank fraud, 12 counts of making false statements to a bank, and 12 counts of aggravated identity theft.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General.
Southern California Man Sentenced to 11 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 10, 2019, Perry Hicks (age: 32) of Corona, California, was sentenced to a term of eleven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846.
According to court documents, while on pre-trial release in a separate federal drug-trafficking case in the Central District of California, Hicks sent methamphetamine via the U.S. Mail on six occasions to co-conspirators in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On three occasions, law enforcement seized drug-laden parcels sent by Hicks; specifically, 483.7 grams (net) of 98% pure methamphetamine sent on August 27, 2018; 441.9 grams (net) of 97% pure methamphetamine sent on September 5, 2018; and 450.3 grams (net) of 99% pure methamphetamine sent on September 19, 2018.
In pronouncing sentence, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman noted the serious nature of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the North Central HIDTA Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Brady, Jr.
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South Carolina Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Zakaryia Abdin, 20, of Ladson, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Abdin previously entered a guilty plea in August of 2018 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest by the FBI in March of 2017.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon for the District of South Carolina and Special Agent in Charge Jody Norris of the FBI’s Columbia Division made the announcement. Abdin appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel.
“The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable U.S. citizens, like Abdin, and others who would leave here to provide material support to ISIS overseas,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Thanks to the great work of the agents and prosecutors on this case, his plans were thwarted and with this sentence he is now being held accountable for his crime. The National Security Division is committed to identifying and bringing to justice those who would provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”
“The most important job of government is protecting the people of the United States from harm, whether it comes from criminals or terrorists,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “This case is an example of law enforcement doing exactly that, and preventing what could have been a much greater tragedy. I am proud of the great work JTTF did in preventing this defendant from joining ISIS and fighting on their behalf, whether that would have been domestically or internationally. His goal was to kill on behalf of ISIS, whether that was in the United States or abroad. His goal was to be an ISIS soldier, and to kill Americans wherever ISIS directed him.” U.S. Attorney Lydon commended the intense work of Charleston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and noted that this is the first conviction for a person attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization in the District of South Carolina.
“Once again, the Joint Terrorism Task Force has uncovered, investigated and prevented terrorist activity with roots in South Carolina” said Special Agent in Charge Norris. “These results are made possible by the coordinated efforts of our federal, state and local partners, who are committed to sharing information and resources to protect our communities.”
The FBI arrested the defendant at the Charleston International Airport on March 30, 2017, when he attempted to board an airplane in order to travel overseas to join ISIS.
According to court documents, Abdin, a U.S. citizen, began his efforts on Jan. 3, 2017, when he created a social media account to be used to join ISIS. On Jan. 20, 2017, Abdin visited the FBI in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to meet with an FBI Special Agent from the Joint Terrorism Task Force. During this visit, the agent advised Abdin about the FBI’s role in conducting counterterrorism investigations, discussed various statutory definitions (including terrorism), and told Abdin that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization and that it was illegal to give any foreign terrorist organization any form of material support, including personnel.
After that date, Abdin began to seek a handler to get him overseas to Syria or Egypt to make contact with ISIS. Unbeknownst to him, he ended up making contact with an undercover FBI employee. Abdin believed this person was affiliated with ISIS. These communications continued up until he was arrested.
Abdin had extensive communications with the undercover FBI employee. During the course of these on line conversations, Abdin expressed continued loyalty to ISIS. He said he had given a pledge of loyalty to ISIS in 2014 and provided a video of a new pledge to Abu Baker al Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of ISIS, in which Abdin pledged to “wage jihad against the enemy of Allah.”
Abdin also indicated that he wished to join ISIS and its so-called caliphate and requested to serve in combat. He stated that he was proficient with various weapons, including pistols and AK and SKS rifles. He also asserted that he was well prepared, knew how to shoot, and had experience with and was reliable in close combat. He also purchased weapons, including an SKS assault rifle, modifying it to expand its capacity from a 10 round magazine to a 30 round magazine. Abdin practiced with an AK assault rifle at a local gun store, and with an SKS assault rifle and a 9mm handgun at a local outdoor shooting range outside of Charleston.
Abdin took a picture of himself carrying the 9mm in his waistband and took a picture of himself practicing shooting at night at the local outdoor range, and sent these to the undercover FBI employee.
Abdin undertook concrete steps to join ISIS and travel overseas to fight jihad. He applied for a passport. On March 22, 2017, the FBI was notified Abdin’s passport was delivered to his residence in Ladson. Later on the same date, Abdin sent a message to the undercover FBI employee to tell him to “let the brothers know I am coming very soon.”
On March 23, 2017, Abdin made flight reservations aboard a commercial airline departing Charleston with a final destination of Amman, Jordan. The date for travel was set for March 30, 2017. After making the reservations, Abdin told to undercover FBI employee that he was scheduled to arrive in Amman, Jordan on April 1, 2017.
On March 30, 2017, Abdin arrived at the Charleston International Airport, checked in for his departing flight, and was subsequently arrested.
Abdin faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Williams and Sean Kittrell of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to IsisRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zakaryia Abdin, 20, of Ladson, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Abdin previously entered a guilty plea in August of 2018 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest by the FBI in March of 2017.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon for the District of South Carolina and Special Agent in Charge Jody Norris of the FBI’s Columbia Division made the announcement. Abdin appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel.
“The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable U.S. citizens, like Abdin, and others who would leave here to provide material support to ISIS overseas,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Thanks to the great work of the agents and prosecutors on this case, his plans were thwarted and with this sentence he is now being held accountable for his crime. The National Security Division is committed to identifying and bringing to justice those who would provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”
“The most important job of government is protecting the people of the United States from harm, whether it comes from criminals or terrorists,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “This case is an example of law enforcement doing exactly that, and preventing what could have been a much greater tragedy. I am proud of the great work JTTF did in preventing this defendant from joining ISIS and fighting on their behalf, whether that would have been domestically or internationally. His goal was to kill on behalf of ISIS, whether that was in the United States or abroad. His goal was to be an ISIS soldier, and to kill Americans wherever ISIS directed him.” U.S. Attorney Lydon commended the intense work of Charleston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and noted that this is the first conviction for a person attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization in the District of South Carolina.
“Once again, the Joint Terrorism Task Force has uncovered, investigated and prevented terrorist activity with roots in South Carolina” said Special Agent in Charge Norris. “These results are made possible by the coordinated efforts of our federal, state and local partners, who are committed to sharing information and resources to protect our communities.”
The FBI arrested the defendant at the Charleston International Airport on March 30, 2017, when he attempted to board an airplane in order to travel overseas to join ISIS.
According to court documents, Abdin, a U.S. citizen, began his efforts on Jan. 3, 2017, when he created a social media account to be used to join ISIS. On Jan. 20, 2017, Abdin visited the FBI in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to meet with an FBI Special Agent from the Joint Terrorism Task Force. During this visit, the agent advised Abdin about the FBI’s role in conducting counterterrorism investigations, discussed various statutory definitions (including terrorism), and told Abdin that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization and that it was illegal to give any foreign terrorist organization any form of material support, including personnel.
After that date, Abdin began to seek a handler to get him overseas to Syria or Egypt to make contact with ISIS. Unbeknownst to him, he ended up making contact with an undercover FBI employee. Abdin believed this person was affiliated with ISIS. These communications continued up until he was arrested.
Abdin had extensive communications with the undercover FBI employee. During the course of these on line conversations, Abdin expressed continued loyalty to ISIS. He said he had given a pledge of loyalty to ISIS in 2014 and provided a video of a new pledge to Abu Baker al Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of ISIS, in which Abdin pledged to “wage jihad against the enemy of Allah.”
Abdin also indicated that he wished to join ISIS and its so-called caliphate and requested to serve in combat. He stated that he was proficient with various weapons, including pistols and AK and SKS rifles. He also asserted that he was well prepared, knew how to shoot, and had experience with and was reliable in close combat. He also purchased weapons, including an SKS assault rifle, modifying it to expand its capacity from a 10 round magazine to a 30 round magazine. Abdin practiced with an AK assault rifle at a local gun store, and with an SKS assault rifle and a 9mm handgun at a local outdoor shooting range outside of Charleston.
Abdin took a picture of himself carrying the 9mm in his waistband and took a picture of himself practicing shooting at night at the local outdoor range, and sent these to the undercover FBI employee.
Abdin undertook concrete steps to join ISIS and travel overseas to fight jihad. He applied for a passport. On March 22, 2017, the FBI was notified Abdin’s passport was delivered to his residence in Ladson. Later on the same date, Abdin sent a message to the undercover FBI employee to tell him to “let the brothers know I am coming very soon.”
On March 23, 2017, Abdin made flight reservations aboard a commercial airline departing Charleston with a final destination of Amman, Jordan. The date for travel was set for March 30, 2017. After making the reservations, Abdin told to undercover FBI employee that he was scheduled to arrive in Amman, Jordan on April 1, 2017.
On March 30, 2017, Abdin arrived at the Charleston International Airport, checked in for his departing flight, and was subsequently arrested.
Abdin faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Williams and Sean Kittrell of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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