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Friday 31 May 2019
Mt. Vernon Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Four Armed Carjackings of CabsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SAMIR SULLIVAN, a/k/a “S,” was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for four separate armed carjackings of cabs in Mt. Vernon and the Bronx in November 2018. SULLIVAN pled guilty on January 28, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “Four hardworking cab drivers were simply doing their jobs when Samir Sullivan terrified them by pointing a gun at their heads. After threatening to shoot all four drivers and hitting one with his gun, Sullivan took their cabs, as well as their cash, wallets, and phones. Today’s lengthy sentence sends a message that this violent behavior will not be tolerated in this district.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, the Information, and statements made during court proceedings:
In the middle of the night and early morning on November 25 and 29, 2018, Sullivan and his partner committed four armed carjackings of cabs in Mt. Vernon and the Bronx. To complete the carjackings, Sullivan pointed and held a gun at the heads of four scared cab drivers, pushed the gun against the sides of some of the drivers’ faces (at least one of whom pleaded for his life), demanded that the drivers give him everything they had, threatened to shoot if the drivers did not comply, threatened that he would kill one of the drivers, directed his partner to ransack the drivers’ pockets for cash, and hit the shoulders of one of drivers with the gun. In addition to the cabs, which he would drive away and abandon before finding his next victim, SULLIVAN took the drivers’ cash, wallets, phones, and a jacket.
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In addition to the prison term, SULLIVAN, 33, of Mt. Vernon, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit the proceeds of the offenses and pay restitution to his victims.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Mount Vernon Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney David Felton is in charge of the prosecution.
More Than 140 Arrested During Five Month OperationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – After a five month operation, dubbed “Operation Triple Beam,” 146 individuals, including dozens of fugitives and 52 alleged gang members, wanted for violent crimes have been arrested in and around the City of Lawrence.
Led by the U.S. Marshals Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, including the Lawrence Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police, Operation Triple Beam focused on violent offenders and gang members wanted for narcotics trafficking and other violent crimes. Since the Operation began on Jan. 1, 2019, 146 individuals who were wanted for various outstanding criminal offenses, including murder, narcotics trafficking, rape – including rape and sexual assault of children – kidnapping, and armed home invasions, have been arrested.
“Operation Triple Beam is a nationwide initiative in which federal resources are deployed to help state and local law enforcement round up dangerous fugitives living in our most vulnerable communities,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Removing these fugitives, including alleged rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers, will make Lawrence and neighboring towns safer. Law-abiding residents of Lawrence should be able to live and work without fear. My thanks go to the U.S. Marshals Service, the Lawrence Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police, for executing this highly successful operation. This kind of coordinated enforcement effort not only reduces criminal activity, but is a reminder that increased enforcement is here to stay, at least until drug trafficking and other crime drops significantly in Lawrence and surrounding regions.”
“Operation Triple Beam was a targeted enforcement initiative by the U.S. Marshals Service to address violent crime, including guns, narcotics and gang violence in an effort to address violent crime in and around the City of Lawrence,” said United States Marshal John Gibbons for the District of Massachusetts. “Today’s announcement is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication to root out dangerous violent criminals and fugitives, bringing them to justice. We believe that these arrests will have a positive impact on the local community making the streets safer and improving the quality of life for the residents. We want to thank our partners in the Lawrence Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police for their cooperation and invaluable assistance.”
“Our Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section is an extremely active unit that, on a daily basis, tracks and arrests subjects of criminal warrants — to bring them to justice for their past violent crimes and to get them off Massachusetts streets before they can hurt another victim,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin. “Our unit frequently works with US Marshals and local police in concerted efforts to locate and arrest dangerous criminals, and was happy to do so again as part of the highly successful Operation Triple Beam.”
“I can’t thank the United States Marshals Service and the United States Attorney’s Office enough for their continued commitment here in Lawrence,” said Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque. “This latest extremely successful operation is yet another example of our strong partnership and our commitment to working together to make Lawrence safer. Let this be a strong message to all that criminals will not take refuge here.”
The men and women arrested during this operation have been charged in both state and federal courts.
Operation Triple Beam is a national effort led by U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Forces around the country and aims at providing communities with immediate relief from gang-related violence by targeting fugitive gang members and the organizations responsible for committing violent crimes.
The Operation in Lawrence resulted in the seizure of eight pistols; one semi-automatic rifle; one 12-gauge shotgun; and more than two kilos of drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and marijuana.
U.S. Attorney Lelling; U.S. Marshal Gibbons; Colonel Gilpin; Chief Vasque; and Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett made the announcement today.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry in East TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican national illegally living in the Beaumont, Texas area, has been sentenced to prison for federal immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Jose De Jesus Rocha-Perez pleaded guilty on Dec. 27, 2018 to illegal reentry by a previously deported alien and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
According to information presented in court, in September 2018, Rocha-Perez was in the Jefferson County Jail in Beaumont Texas following his arrest for public intoxication when a records check by a deportation officer revealed that Rocha-Perez was in the country illegally. Rocha-Perez was interviewed and admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and illegally present in the United States.
Further investigation revealed Rocha-Perez had multiple felony convictions including illegal entry into the United States, illegal reentry into the United States, larceny, burglary, and assault. Rocha-Perez had also been deported from the United States on four separate occasions.
After completing his federal prison sentence, Rocha-Perez will be deported from the United States.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations (DHS-ERO) and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke.
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Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that RIGOBERTO FRANQUIS-HERNANDEZ, age 35, a citizen of Mexico, was charged yesterday in a one-count bill of information with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a).
According to the bill of information, RIGOBERTO FRANQUIS-HERNANDEZ reentered the United States on or about May 16, 2019, after having been previously removed therefrom on or about January 25, 2014.
If convicted, RIGOBERTO FRANQUIS-HERNANDEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, one year supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
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Manatee County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung today sentenced Ryan Cotton (37, Manatee County) to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and fentanyl.
Cotton had pleaded guilty on February 22, 2019.
According to court documents, over a 15-day period in late September and early October 2017, Cotton engaged in $19,000 worth of narcotics transactions with a confidential informant. As a result of those transactions, law enforcement officers secured a search warrant for two properties associated with Cotton. During the execution of the search warrants, the officers seized heroin, fentanyl, $30,000, and a firearm.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “Operation Hot Batch.” The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie D. Connally and Shauna H. Hale.
Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing Four StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Santiago Rodriguez Campos, 34, a Mexican national who lived in Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 36 months in prison with three years supervised release and must register as a lifetime sex offender for sexually abusing four women, including two in 2016 and two in 2018, in NW, Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Rodriguez Campos pled guilty in November 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of fourth-degree sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. As part of his sentence, Rodriguez Campos will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. Additionally, he will be subject to deportation proceedings following his prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, in the first offense, on Sept. 5, 2016, at about 10:30 p.m., the victim was walking on N Street NW to the 1200 block of Potomac Street NW when she first observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. She reported that he was dressed in dark-colored clothing with a hood covering his head and face. The victim initially thought that she was about to be robbed. She began to walk up the steps to her door when Rodriguez Campos approached her from behind. He then reached between the back of her legs and ran his hand between her inner thighs, through her buttocks over her outer garment. The blue-jean pants that the victim was wearing were subsequently tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the second offense, on Oct. 26, 2016 at approximately 8:15 p.m., the victim was walking to her car, which was parked in the 1600 block of 33rd Street NW. While she was walking, she observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, wearing a grey hoodie covering his face. As he walked towards her, the victim stayed by a tree box and let Rodriguez Campos walk past. As soon as he walked past her, she turned her back and he reached under her dress from behind, between her legs, and grabbed her vagina. The victim immediately screamed at the defendant and began yelling for help. She stated she was either pushed or fell to the ground and while doing so, struck Rodriguez Campos with her elbow. He then ran away. The victim later observed what appeared to be lubricant left between her legs by the defendant. This substance was swabbed and recovered as evidence. DNA analysis was done on this evidence sample. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the third offense, on May 31, 2018, the victim was walking home at approximately 10:10 p.m. when a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, grabbed her neck, put his hand under her skirt, and touched her buttocks, vagina, and thighs. Rodriguez Campos also placed an unknown liquid on her legs. He then fled through the courtyard of a church she was standing in front of, located in the 2400 block of K Street NW. The victim turned over her underwear and skirt to law enforcement as evidence and it was tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the fourth offense, on June 3, 2018, the victim was walking west in the 1500 block of P Street NW, when she was approached from behind by a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. He reached under her dress and grabbed her left buttock, then reached in between her legs and touched her vagina. The victim felt a sticky substance transfer from Rodriguez Campos’s hand to an area under her dress. The victim’s underwear, dress, and swabs of her inner thighs were submitted for DNA analysis. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
The defendant was apprehended on Aug. 9, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Tracey Hawkins and Paralegal Specialists T.J. McPhail and D’Yvonne Key.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Stealing Food Benefits CardsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Daniel Raudonis, 33, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to three months confinement at a community correctional facility for theft of government funds. Daniel Raudonis pleaded guilty to these charges on April 3, 2019.
Daniel Raudonis and his wife Lindsey Raudonis were involved in a scheme to steal and use Quest cards that were in the possession of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS). Quest cards are food benefits cards funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
From October 2014 to November 2014, Daniel Raudonis used his status as a WDHS employee to steal the identities of homeless individuals and activate their Quest cards. Once activated, Daniel Raudonis provided the cards to Lindsey Raudonis who used them to purchase $2,972.34 worth of groceries at four different locations in Madison. On April 10, 2019, Lindsey Raudonis received a sentence of time served (44 days in jail) for her role in the scheme.
During sentencing, Judge Peterson highlighted that Daniel Raudonis abused his position of trust at WDHS. Judge Peterson specifically noted that Daniel Raudonis insulted law-abiding government employees and undermined the public’s trust in government programs.
The charges against Daniel and Lindsey Raudonis were the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Department of Human Services, Wisconsin Capitol Police, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma.
Man Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon on the Omaha Nation Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Angelo Russell, an enrolled member of the Omaha Nation, was sentenced Friday, May 31, 2019, by United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter to 60 months’ probation for assault with a dangerous weapon. He was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
Russell, age 38, was at his home on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation when a group of individuals entered his home without permission. After a verbal argument, Russell retrieved a gun as the individuals who entered his home fled in a vehicle. Russell got into his vehicle and pursued the individuals. After locating the individuals, Russell discharged a gun at the occupied vehicle. The vehicle was struck, but there were no injuries.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Man from Albuquerque Faces Federal Charges of Carjacking Two Vehicles at GunpointRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Charles Chavez, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., appeared in federal court today on a criminal complaint charging him with two counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the criminal complaint, Chavez rang the doorbell at a home in Albuquerque on January 8, 2019. He asked to use the telephone, but the resident who answered the door said no. Chavez then pointed a gun at the resident and demanded the keys to the resident’s truck.
Chavez then drove away in the truck and went to a gas station where he confronted a motorist who was pumping gas. Chavez pointed a rifle at the motorist and demanded the keys to the motorist’s truck. Chavez drove away in this second truck leaving behind the first truck he previously stole from the home.
Chavez then drove to a drive-thru ATM machine. He got out of the truck that he stole at the gas station and approached the occupants of another vehicle who were in the process of using the ATM. Chavez pointed a rifle at them and demanded money. Deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office saw Chavez committing this crime, approached him, and ordered him to surrender. Chavez ignored them and drove away in the truck he stole from the gas station, but crashed a short distance away. He tried to escape on foot, but deputies caught and arrested him.
Criminal complaints are only accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Chavez is currently in custody awaiting trial. He faces up to 15 years in prison for each of the carjacking offenses and consecutive sentences of 7 years to life in prison for each of the firearm offenses.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven 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.
Luchese Soldier Convicted of Racketeering and Illegal Gambling OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EUGENE CASTELLE, a/k/a “Boobsie,” was found guilty of conspiracy to commit racketeering and operation of an illegal gambling business following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “For years, Eugene Castelle used intimidation and threats of violence to line his pockets as a member of the Luchese Family of La Cosa Nostra. Castelle now stands convicted of serious federal crimes. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute members of the Mafia.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
Between 2012 and January 2018, CASTELLE acted as a soldier in the Luchese Family of La Cosa Nostra, often referred to as the Mafia. CASTELLE used his position in the Luchese Family to receive thousands of dollars, over multiple years, from a large-scale illegal sports betting business operating through off-shore websites in Costa Rica. CASTELLE protected the business from other members of the Mafia, used threats of violence to collect debts owed to the business, and extorted the bookmaker for annual payments of “tribute.” CASTELLE also committed other racketeering acts, such as holding a “no show” job as a carpenter at a construction project where he was paid a carpenter’s wages for many months without ever settting foot on the jobsite.
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CASTELLE, 59, of Staten Island, New York, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of operation of an illegal gambling business, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years. The jury acquitted CASTELLE of one count of attempted extortion. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence of the defendant will be determined by the judge. CASTELLE is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Hellerstein on September 20, 2019.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Berman also thanked the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. The trial in this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Hagan Scotten and Jacob R. Fiddelman.
Loranger Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms as a FelonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that yesterday United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced PHILLIP GUIDRY to 21 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms as a felon. Federal law prohibits individuals who have been convicted of certain crimes from possessing firearms.
GUIDRY, age 49, of Loranger, Louisiana was arrested on March 2, 2018 for possessing a firearm as a felon. Upon a search of his residence that same day, law enforcement found numerous firearms, including an automatic rifle without a serial number. GUIDRY plead guilty to a one count indictment of possessing a firearm as a felon on February 7, 2019.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Howard Sinkman.
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Leader of Trenton Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Admits Heroin Distribution and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Second Defendant also Pleads Guilty to Distributing Multiple Controlled Substances as Part of Conspiracy
TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man today admitted his leadership role in a significant drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than one kilogram of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding area, and also admitted possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Jakir Taylor, a/k/a “Jak,” 28, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin (Count One), and possessing and conspiring to possess one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count Seven).
Another member of the conspiracy, Alonzo Leary, a/k/a “J-Buck,” a/k/a “Buck,” 37, of Trenton, pleaded guilty May 30, 2019, before Judge Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute multiple controlled substances, including heroin, oxycodone, and alprazolam.
In October 2018, Taylor, Leary, and 24 other members of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Trenton were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Taylor and others also were charged with additional firearms offenses. On April 11, 2019, a grand jury returned a nine-count superseding indictment charging Taylor and eight other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearm offenses. Of the 26 defendants charged in the criminal complaint, Taylor is the eighth defendant to plead guilty, and Leary is the ninth. The charges in the superseding indictment and the criminal complaint are currently pending against the 17 remaining defendants.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, the defendants and others engaged in a large narcotics conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. 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 Taylor and Jerome Roberts obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from defendant David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Papi.” Intercepted communications between and among Taylor, Roberts, Antonio, and other conspirators revealed that Taylor and Roberts agreed to obtain from Antonio a “motherlode” supply of as many as 1,500 bricks – approximately 1.5 kilograms of heroin – in a single delivery. Taylor said that he intended to “flood the streets” of Trenton with this large supply. Taylor also admitted that he and his conspirators possessed at least one firearm to assist his drug trafficking operations, and on multiple occasions during the conspiracy Taylor actively sought to obtain additional firearms from other sources.
Intercepted telephone communications revealed that Leary participated in the drug trafficking as a close associate of Omar Council, Brian Phelps, Gary Ausmore, and other members of the conspiracy. These communications revealed that Leary participated in the conspiracy by distributing quantities of heroin, oxycodone, and alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) to other narcotics dealers and end users.
The drug conspiracy count to which Taylor pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The firearms count to which Taylor pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life years in prison, and must be served consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug conspiracy count. The drug conspiracy count to which Leary pleaded guilty carries a statutory maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Taylor’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2019, and Leary’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
He also thanked officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the N.J. State Board of Parole for their assistance in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Brendan Day and Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. 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.
The charges and allegations against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel:
Taylor: Jerome A. Ballarotto Esq., Trenton
Leary: Robert B. Haney Esq., West Windsor, New JerseyLeader of Opioid Distribution Ring Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron has sentenced Trevor John (39, Palm Bay) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, hydromorphone, and heroin.
John had pleaded guilty on February 28, 2019.
According to court documents, Trevor John was the leader of a group that distributed thousands of opioid pills in in Cocoa, Florida, between May 2017 and September 2018. During the investigation, law enforcement officers made more than a dozen undercover purchases of opioid pills and intercepted hundreds of communications between John and other members of the conspiracy.
Marcus R. Anderson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Orlando’s District Office stated, “Confronting violent drug trafficking organizations that are distributing fentanyl, diverted pharmaceuticals, and the heroin that is fueling our region’s overdose epidemic is a top priority for the DEA and its law enforcement partners in this investigation: Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sherriff’s Office, Apopka Police Department, Casselberry Police Department, Maitland Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Oviedo Police Department, and Winter Park Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Cocoa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Oviedo Police Department, the Maitland Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Casselberry Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan W. Hill.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison for Participating in Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Edward Espejo, 45, formerly of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced on Thursday to 168 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least July of 2016 through May of 2018, Espejo supplied drug distributors in New Hampshire with shipments of methamphetamine ranging in size from a few ounces to more than 20 pounds at a time.
The investigation began in late 2016, when the DEA and the Postal Inspection Service began to see numerous parcels mailed from Las Vegas to New Hampshire that were suspected of containing methamphetamine. In addition, law enforcement officers began to investigate parcels mailed from New Hampshire to Las Vegas containing large amounts of money, as well as suspected drug payments made through money transfers from New Hampshire to Las Vegas.
Law enforcement agents eventually arrested several members of a methamphetamine distribution ring operating in New Hampshire, and traced the source of their drugs to Espejo. On May 8, 2018, investigators arrested Espejo at his residence in Las Vegas.
Several of the New Hampshire-based drug distributors supplied by Espejo already have been sentenced in federal court. These individuals include: (1) Brian Lacourse, who was sentenced to six years in prison on August 23, 2018; (2) Katrina Jones, who was sentenced to 200 months in prison on August 9, 2018; (3) Dustin Moss, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison on August 2, 2018; and (4) Sabrina Moss, who was sentenced to six years in prison on June 28, 2018.
Espejo previously pleaded guilty on August 31, 2018. Several co-conspirators were sentenced to prison terms. Michael Bean was sentenced to 120 months on April 19, 2019; John Kelekci was sentenced to 130 months on March 14, 2019;and Mark Moore was sentenced to 50 months in prison on May 6, 2019.
“This 14-year prison term serves notice that distributing methamphetamine in New Hampshire is a very costly enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This investigation and prosecution dismantled a network that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of highly-pure methamphetamine. I am grateful to the law enforcement agents whose work successfully disrupted this ring of traffickers who were bringing a very dangerous drug into the Granite State.”
“Today’s sentencing should give fair warning that Postal Inspectors will investigate and bring to justice those individuals who traffic narcotics across state lines using the U.S. Mail,” said Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “We will continue maximizing our agency’s resources to stop those who disregard our laws and smuggle drugs into our jurisdiction.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the DEA. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Lafayette Man Sentenced to 270 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of A MinorRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –Kasey Ludberg, 27, of Lafayette, Indiana was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Ludberg was sentenced to 270 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in September 2017 Ludberg induced a young girl under the age of 12 to send him sexually explicit photographs via the internet. Ludberg also admitted to requesting sexually explicit photographs and videos from approximately 30 other minors and receiving such materials from at least 10 of those minors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Onondaga Sheriff’s Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra McTague.
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Kewaunee County Sex Offender Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 30, 2019, Sean R. Evansen (age: 36) of Algoma, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison by Chief District Judge William C. Griesbach.
Evansen, a registered sexual offender in the State of Wisconsin based on a Calumet County Circuit Court conviction for first-degree sexual assault of a child in 2000, possessed thousands of digital images and videos of child pornography, many depicting infants and toddlers.
In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the defendant’s prior record of sexual assault and emphasized the serious nature of the charge. He further stated his belief that a 9-year sentence served the interests of justice in this particular case. Following his release from prison, Evansen will spend 6 years on supervised release. He will continue to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Keshena Woman Indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 29, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against a woman allegedly involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident in the Legend Lake area of the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment charged Erin Schweitzer, also known as Erin Martin (age: 39), of Keshena, which is located on the Menominee Indian Reservation, with Involuntary Manslaughter in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1112.
Schweitzer faces a maximum of 8 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release if convicted of this offense. The indictment also charged Schweitzer with two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. 113(a)(6). For each of these counts, Schweitzer faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about April 18, 2019, Schweitzer was allegedly operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant when her driving resulted in a 2-car accident that killed a passenger and seriously injured two other occupants in the other vehicle. Schweitzer is an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Kansas Hospital Agrees to Pay $250,000 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced today that Coffey Health System has agreed to pay the U.S. government $250,000 to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act.
Coffey Health System (“CHS”) operates a twenty-five bed critical access hospital located in Burlington, Kan. The United States alleged that Coffey Health System falsely attested that it conducted and/or reviewed security risk analyses in accordance with requirements under a federal incentive program for the reporting periods of 2012 and 2013.
The government contended that the hospital submitted false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs pursuant the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 established the program to encourage healthcare providers to adopt and demonstrate their “meaningful use” of EHR technology. Under the program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers incentive payments to healthcare providers that adopt certified EHR technology and meet certain requirements relating to their use of the technology. To obtain the payments, providers must attest that they satisfy applicable HHS-adopted criteria, including measures for analyzing and addressing security risks to electronic health records.
“Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries expect that providers ensure the accuracy and security of their electronic health records,” said United States Attorney Stephen McAllister. “This office remains committed to protecting the federal health programs and to hold accountable those whose conduct results in improper payments.”
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, “Providers who fail to properly ensure the security of electronic health records must be held accountable.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations in a lawsuit filed by Bashar Awad and Cynthia McKerrigan, in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action; Awad and McKerrigan will receive approximately $50,000.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Fleenor.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Awad et al. v. Coffey Health System, 2:16-CV-03034 (D. Kan.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Jamestown Man Sentenced for His Role in Methamphetamine RingRead 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 Zakiel Fields, Jr., 24, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and failure to appear after pre-trial release, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Ulubiyo, Patricia Astorga, and Paul Parisi, who handled the case, stated that between March and November 6, 2017, the defendant conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Jamestown area. On July 17 and September 21 2017, Fields sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration.On November 6, 2017, investigators spotted the defendant and co-defendant Ernest Cauley, Jr. enter a residence on E. Summit Avenue in Lakewood, NY. A short time later, Fields and Cauley left the residence with Fields holding a white U.S. Postal Service Priority shipping box. After meeting up with another vehicle in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, the two vehicles drove off but were quickly stopped by law enforcement officers and searched. Officers removed a brown fast food bag from one of the vehicles, which contained a black vacuum sealed bag which had already been torn open. The bag contained suspected methamphetamine. Officers also opened the U.S. Postal Service priority shipping box, which also contained suspected methamphetamine.
Fields was arrested, charged, and released on conditions, including electronic monitoring. On March 2, 2018, a United States Probation officer received a tamper alert relating to the defendant’s electronic monitoring device. Fields had cut off his ankle monitor and left it in the residence. The defendant and co-defendant Cauley were indicted and scheduled for an arraignment on the indictment on April 5, 2018, but Fields failed to appear until he was arrested on unrelated charges in California on July 13, 2018, and brought to appear in the Western District of New York on August 1, 2018.
Fields was charged along with 14 other defendants. He is the third defendant to be convicted. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.
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Jackson Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Causing Overdoses in Gibson and Madison CountiesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A Jackson man has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for distributing between 100 and 400 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture to residents of Gibson and Madison Counties. This mixture caused at least two users to overdose, but survive. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in early 2018, Stephen Thompson, 67, admitted that he distributed at least 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance that contained a detectable amount of heroin, that he knew that the substance was a mixture that contained a detectable amount of heroin and that he did distribute the mixture.
On April 16, 2018, a federal grand jury then returned an 8-count indictment against Thompson for distributing and possessing a heroin and fentanyl mixture. This mixture was being distributed to buyers from the Gibson and Madison County areas.
On March 1, 2019, Chief U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Thompson to federal prison for 80 months followed by 48 months of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Our nation, state, and district are suffering from the opioid epidemic, causing increases in drug trafficking, violence, addiction, and overdoses that are tearing families and communities apart. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has developed a district-specific strategy to prioritize and aggressively prosecute cases involving heroin and fentanyl distribution causing overdoses, and this case demonstrates the significant penalty that we will use to hold dealers accountable and deter others from selling poison to our citizens. We commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and we hope this sentence will send a strong message."
Deputy Director Johnie Carter of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force said, "If you think that you can run outside of our normal area of operation and hide in a big city and then sell drugs back into it, you really need to think again. We have state jurisdictional authority and we have forged strong partnerships with many amazing agencies such as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jackson-Metro Narcotics and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We will find you and we will bring you to justice."
This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
If you have information about drug sales in the 28th Judicial District please contact the 28th Judicial District Drug Task Force at 731-784-0555. Caller I.D. is not used and callers can remain anonymous. You may also call Crime-Stoppers at 731-424-Tips.
The 28th Judicial Drug Task Force is comprised of officers assigned full-time from the Gibson, Crockett and Haywood County Sheriff’s Offices and the Humboldt, Milan and Trenton Police Departments.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on May 30 was:
Julian Tyler Baughman, 36, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Baughman faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Baughman was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pacer case reference. 19-63.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch and pleading not guilty on May 30 was:
Gage Lawrence Carnefix, 22, of Bozeman, on charges of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child porn and possession of child porn. If convicted of the most serious crime, Carnefix faces a minimum mandatory five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Carnefix was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Helena Police Department and the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-10.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Theft of U.S. Government FundsRead the Press Release
A woman who failed to disclose her husband’s income when applying for welfare benefits was sentenced today to two months in federal prison.
Cleotilde Puac-Gomez, age 46, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Clarion, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 6, 2019, guilty plea to one count of theft of U.S. government funds.
In a plea agreement, Puac-Gomez, an illegal alien, admitted she failed to report her husband’s income when applying for, and receiving, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits between June 2012 and November 2017. During that time period, her husband Melvin Rodriguez-Barrios, also an illegal alien, was working under an alias and used someone else’s social security number to obtain work. By failing to accurately report the family’s income, Puac-Gomez received $19,908.30 in overpayment of food stamps and other welfare benefits in funds belonging to the United States and distributed by the State of Iowa.
Rodriguez-Barrios, age 44, was sentenced on March 27, 2019, to six months’ imprisonment following a January 2, 2019, bench trial finding him guilty of three counts of unlawful use of an identification document and four counts of misuse of a social security number.
Puac-Gomez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Puac-Gomez was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $19,908.30 in restitution to the State of Iowa. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Puac-Gomez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Investigation Division - Economic Fraud Control Bureau.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-3044.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Hilliard Man Who Pretended to be Bounty Hunter & Federal Agent Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Other CrimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shane Ryan Hammond, 27, of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $48,000 restitution for impersonating a federal agent, kidnapping, wire fraud and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Michael B. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
According to court documents, from at least March 2016 until May 2017, Hammond owned and operated “Midwest Fugitive Task Force” located in Columbus. In this capacity, he was often referred to as Commander or Lieutenant Hammond and sought out employment opportunities as a bail recovery agent for himself and other employees.
Hammond was not actually licensed as a bounty hunter, nevertheless, on at least nine occasions, Hammond knowingly and unlawfully kidnapped a person for reward. All of these individuals but one were considered “bail skips” and Hammond had been hired by a bail bondsman in West Virginia to apprehend the individuals and return them to a designated jail facility for a monetary reward.
Hammond would often dress in an all-black tactical uniform with a black ballistic vest. He typically carried multiple handguns, throwing knives, a Taser and usually one or two law-enforcement-style badges with ‘SWAT’ shoulder patches and a large back patch reading ‘AGENT,’ but he was not a federal agent, or a law enforcement officer of any kind.
For example, in May 2017, Hammond kidnapped an individual outside of the individual’s grandmother’s home in Columbus. He pushed himself into the grandmother’s residence, heavily armed, and ran to the male individual with his AK47 up and pulled out his Taser (Hammond does not have any formal training with either of these weapons). He ordered the individual to the ground, kicked the individual’s drink and threatened the individual not to do “anything stupid” or he would get hurt.
As another example, when searching for a female in Canton, Ohio in September 2016, Hammond handcuffed the individual’s mother after forcibly entering the home and pointing a rifle at her. He indicated he was a Federal Bounty Hunter and told her she had the right to remain silent.
He then handcuffed the female’s father and said he was taking the father with him to help look for his daughter. Hammond reiterated that if the father did not go with him, he would take his wife to jail.
Hammond placed the handcuffed father into his vehicle and did not return him until the following morning – still in handcuffs. In fact, on the drive back, Hammond was pulled over for speeding and Hammond told the Trooper he was working for a federal agency.
Hammond routinely represented himself to others as a member of law enforcement, pretending to be a member of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, working with Homeland Security, a SWAT officer and a federal agent, generally.
For example, in March 2017 in the Cincinnati area, Hammond told a female “you realize lying to a federal agent is a crime” and then, “don’t lie to a federal agent, that’s four years in jail.” He then added, “Don’t get an attitude. I’m just letting you know if I come back and I find out you’re involved I’m going to arrest you, you got me.” Making false statements to an official of the United States is actually a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
In the same month, Hammond also visited an apartment complex in Jackson, Ohio and called one of the managers to explain that he had a warrant and was seeking a fugitive involved in the shooting of a Huntington, W.Va. police officer, although all of this statement was untrue. He told management he had called the Jackson Police and that the police would stay out of his way because he was a federal investigator and he knew what to do.
His false representations at the apartment complex led to the apartment management sharing H.U.D. files with Hammond and Hammond’s search of the apartment of an elderly female, to whom he identified himself as “Commander Hammond with the U.S. Government Fugitive Task Force.”
Hammond was charged by a Bill of Information in October 2017 and, in January 2018, failed to appear for his arraignment.
Through their efforts to locate Hammond, FBI agents uncovered additional criminal activity – namely, wire fraud and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
Hammond devised a scheme to defraud investors of more than $48,000, telling investors he had secured a government contract for $79 million to provide physical security to the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. Hammond represented that he needed start-up money for the business and legal costs until he would receive the $79 million a few months later.
One investor also allowed Hammond to borrow his Chevrolet truck. Hammond then re-registered the truck into his own name, stole it and drove it to West Virginia, where he was later arrested.
He pleaded guilty in June 2018 to a Superseding Bill of Information, which included one count each of kidnapping, impersonating an agent of the United States and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, and two counts of wire fraud. Hammond also pleaded guilty to one additional count of kidnapping, as charged by the Southern District of West Virginia in a Bill of Information.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Heritage Pharmaceuticals Pays over $7 Million to Resolve Civil False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain today announced that generic drug manufacturer Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will pay over $7 million in a civil settlement to resolve allegations of a scheme to fix prices and allocate customers for several of its drugs. The civil resolution of these allegations in the Eastern District is a component of the company’s larger resolution with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division and Civil Division.
This over $7 million civil healthcare fraud settlement resolves False Claims Act allegations that Heritage paid and received remuneration from other drug manufacturers between 2012 and 2015, and engaged in a scheme to artificially inflate and fix prices on certain generic drugs. These drugs were supplied to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program beneficiaries, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs. The drugs allegedly implicated in this scheme address a wide variety of health conditions, and include hydralazine, used to treat high blood pressure, theophylline, used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, and glyburide, used to treat diabetes.
Separately, Heritage has entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ Antitrust Division with regard to a criminal charge that the company conspired to suppress and eliminate competition by allocating customers, rigging bids, and fixing and maintaining prices in violation of the Sherman Act. The deferred prosecution agreement was also filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Under the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, Heritage will pay a $250,000 monetary penalty and will avoid prosecution if it complies with the terms and conditions of the agreement.
“My Office is proud to announce this important civil healthcare fraud settlement with the Civil Division, and the deferred prosecution agreement with the Antitrust Division,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Price-fixing and market allocation in generic drugs will not be tolerated, especially when such actions artificially inflate prices and negatively impact federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. This resolution with Heritage is an important milestone, and my Office will continue to investigate and pursue illegal conduct regarding generic drugs.”
“Consumers have the right to generic drugs sold at prices set by competition, not collusion,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Heritage and its co-conspirators cheated and exploited American patients to pad their bottom line. Today’s resolution—requiring an admission of guilt, a criminal penalty, and cooperation in the ongoing investigation—sends a clear message to generic pharmaceutical companies and their executives that this conduct will not be tolerated. The Division and its law enforcement partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, will continue to hold companies and individuals accountable for collusion that undermines the integrity of the market for drugs that should be a less expensive alternative to brand name pharmaceuticals.”
“Plotting to raise prices on generic medications is illegal and may result in patients’ inability to afford vital medicines,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG). “Along with our law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, we will continue to investigate allegations of companies engaging in actions that put the public and the Medicare program at risk.”
The civil settlement was handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, with support from HHS-OIG, Defense Health Agency Program Integrity, and the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The investigation and settlement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Landon Jones and Anthony Scicchitano.
The civil claims resolved by the settlement are allegations against Heritage only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Garrett Man Sentenced 84 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Eric H. McHale, 42 years old, of Garrett, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
McHale was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on October 15, 2017, McHale possessed with intent to distribute 5 or more grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Ligonier Police Department, the Albion Police Department, the Noble County Sherriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Drug ConspiracyRead 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 Aaron Mack, aka Dean, aka Dean-O, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a member of the CBL/BFL Gang, which stands for, among other things, “Cash Been Long” and “Brothers for Life.” The gang, which was involved in the illegal possession and distribution of narcotics, was formed around 2009 and operates primarily in the City of Buffalo at the Towne Gardens Housing Complex. The Towne Gardens served as a central hub for the gang with many members living within the housing complex, and many housing units used to store firearms and narcotics. Parking lots and business fronts adjacent to the Towne Gardens were utilized by members of the gang to distribute street level quantities of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs. The gang used violence, including murder and attempted murder, threats, and intimidation to defend their territory against rivals and anyone deemed to be a threat to the gang.
Between 2010 and August 28, 2018, the defendant conspired with several gang members and associates to distribute illegal narcotics and commit assault. Specifically:
• On April 7, 2013, Mack and co-defendant Michael Walker possessed marijuana in a vehicle in Cheektowaga, NY;
• On June 19, 2014, Mack and co-defendant Shawn Woods were in a vehicle at Swan and Hickory Streets in Buffalo, when they were stopped by the police. Mack was in possession of two plastic bags of crack cocaine;
• On October 2, 2014, Mack and co-defendant Shawn Woods were in a vehicle on Spring Street in Buffalo, and were once again stopped by police. When Mack and Woods were placed in the back of a police vehicle, they dropped a bag containing cocaine on the floor of the police car;
• On March 5, 2017, Mack was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by police. The defendant fled from the vehicle and threw a loaded 9mm pistol; and
• Between 2015 and 2016, Mack sold heroin to individuals in the Towne Gardens.
Mack was one of 13 defendants indicted in August 2018. Acts of violence allegedly committed by fellow gang members include two murders. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Michel; and the Erie Crime Analysis Center. Additional assistance was provided by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney John Flynn.
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Former St. Louis County Chief of Staff Pleads Guilty to Pay to Play SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – William Miller, 54, of Richmond Heights, pleaded guilty today to one count of aiding and abetting honest services wire fraud/bribery in front of U.S. District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel.
According to court documents, Miller was hired as Chief of Staff by then County Executive Stenger during December, 2017, and was responsible for primarily assisting Stenger in managing the day to day operations of St. Louis County Government, and supervising Stenger’s Executive Staff. Stenger also appointed Miller to the Board of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership during 2018. Stenger pled guilty on May 3, 2019 to 3 counts of honest services mail fraud/bribery relative to his scheme to defraud and deprive the citizens of St. Louis County of their right to his honest and faithful services, and the honest and faithful services of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer, through bribery and the concealment of material information. The purpose of the scheme was for Stenger to secretly use his official position to enrich himself through soliciting and accepting campaign contributions from individuals and their companies in exchange for favorable official action, and for individuals and their companies to enrich themselves and their companies by secretly obtaining favorable action for themselves and for their companies, through corrupt means.
The charge against Miller relates to his aiding and abetting Stenger’s criminal scheme specifically as it relates to Stenger, in exchange for campaign donations and fundraising activities, having taken official action to ensure that “Company One” and its principal owner obtained a 2019 state lobbying contract valued at approximately $200,000 from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. In aiding and abetting Stenger’s criminal scheme, Miller communicated with, and personally met with Sheila Sweeney, then the CEO of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, in order to persuade and ensure that Sweeney and the Partnership Board, of which Miller was a member, awarded the lobbying contract to Company One, over a second lobbying firm which had also bid on the lobbying contract. In taking such official action in aid of Stenger’s criminal scheme, Miller deprived the citizens of St. Louis County of their right to his honest services as the County’s Chief of Staff and as a member of the Board of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.
Today’s guilty plea is the result of an investigation that began during March 2018 and remains active and ongoing.
If convicted, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is also mandatory. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
Steve Stenger, former St. Louis County Executive, pled guilty to related charges on May 3, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9, 2019.
Sheila Sweeney, former Chief Executive Officer of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, pled guilty to related charges on May 10, 2019 and sentencing scheduled for August 16, 2019.
John Rallo, principal owner of Cardinal Insurance, Cardinal Creative Consulting, and Wellston Holdings LLC, was indicted by a federal grand jury on related charges on May 9, 2019, and that case is pending before the court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Postal Inspection Service are investigating this case with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former San Pablo Resident Sentenced to Two and A Half Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Marcus Wilson was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and to pay $1,026,340 in restitution for filing false claims with the government, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Judge Jon S. Tigar, U.S. District Judge.
Wilson, 32, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to the charge on January 31, 2019. According to his plea agreement, Wilson admitted that during 2011 and 2012 he filed numerous false tax returns on behalf of others. Wilson admitted he told people that they may qualify for “Obama Stimulus” or “Renter’s Rebates” if they had not filed any tax return in a given year. In reliance on his representations, the individuals provided Wilson with information sufficient for him to file a tax return on their behalf. Nevertheless, the individuals generally did not provide any financial or other tax-related information; instead, Wilson falsified information regarding the individuals’ wage and business income so he could obtain refunds from the IRS. Wilson admitted he caused the IRS to fund over $1 million worth of refunds to numerous individuals for tax year 2011 by presenting tax returns he knew contained false information.
A federal grand jury indicted Wilson on January 17, 2017. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to file false claims, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 286; five counts of filing false claims, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 287; five counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; and five counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false claim and the remaining counts were dismissed.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar ordered Wilson to serve a 36 month term of supervised release. Wilson will begin serving his prison term in July, 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Rees and Meredith Osborn are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS-CI.
Former Horsham Pastor Charged with Multiple Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Attorney William McSwain announced today that Jerry Zweitzig, 71, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania was charged by Indictment with multiple counts of child exploitation offenses, including enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct and possession of child pornography, according to federal authorities. The defendant is the former pastor of Horsham Bible Church on Upland Avenue in Horsham.
“Child exploitation is a pervasive problem – made more so by the accessibility of the internet and digital media – that demands an aggressive response,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The allegations in this case are particularly disturbing due to the defendant’s history as a spiritual leader in a position of community trust. We stand ready with our federal and local partners to identify and prosecute those who would prey upon minor children.”
“Crimes against children are disgraceful and unacceptable,” said Marlon V. Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI will continue working with our partners to aggressively investigate cases in which child predators use the internet to further exploit children within our community, and around the world.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 170 years imprisonment, a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, 5 years of supervised release, and a $1,500,000, fine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Horsham Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Gibson.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Fentanyl Precursor and Sea CucumberRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie K. Pierson (619) 546-7976 or Sherri Hobson (619) 961-0287
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 31, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Cesar Daleo was sentenced in federal court yesterday to 30 months in prison for conspiring to distribute a controlled substance that is used to make deadly fentanyl, and 24 months for conspiring to smuggle a protected species of sea cucumber. The sentences will run concurrently.
In the sea cucumber case, U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel found that the defendant paid another individual to smuggle bags of dried sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) into the United States from Mexico on at least 80 occasions between the fall of 2014 and the fall of 2016. The court also found that the value of the sea cucumber that Daleo helped to smuggle exceeded $250,000.
Isostichopus fuscus is the only species of sea cucumber found in Mexico that is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In order to legally import fuscus, a CITES certificate issued by the country of origin (in this case, Mexico) must be presented at the time of importation. Isostichopus fuscus is prized in Asian communities for use in soup, based on it supposed medical properties.
In the drug case, the defendant admitted in his plea agreement that he conspired to distribute a controlled substance, known as 4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine (4ANPP),” which is the immediate precursor or the primary ingredient for manufacturing deadly fentanyl.
Daleo was arrested on August 29, 2017, while trying to drive into Mexico with a package that he believed contained 4ANPP (4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine), a Schedule II Controlled Substance. According to court records, Daleo had just picked up the package, shipped from China, at a post office box in San Ysidro. He had previously picked up 13 other packages from the same post office box.
Unbeknownst to Daleo, a few weeks earlier on August 11, 2017, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent stationed at Los Angeles International Airport had intercepted a package from China and discovered it contained 4ANPP. Homeland Security Investigations agents then replaced the 4ANPP with a harmless substance and waited for someone to pick it up at its destination in San Ysidro, California. When Daleo did so, and then headed to Mexico, he was intercepted by law enforcement before crossing the border. As part of his plea, the defendant admitted in court that there was an agreement to distribute 4ANPP and that he joined the agreement knowing its purpose and intending to help accomplish that purpose.
He also admitted that the parcels contained a substance that could be used to manufacture more illegal drugs. One kilogram of precursor 4ANPP, the amount seized on August 11, 2017, is enough manufacture approximately 25 kilograms of fentanyl in a Mexican drug lab.
“This is a fitting sentence for a former law enforcement agent who knew the dangers of drugs like fentanyl, yet did not hesitate to hand them out, for a price,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “Now it is he who will pay a price for distributing a drug that destroys lives, families and communities.”
DEFENDANT
Cesar Daleo Age: 49 Chula Vista, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Criminal Case No. 18cr2968-GPC
Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense; restitution; forfeiture of proceeds generated from the crime
Criminal Case No. 17cr3-41-GPC
Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $500,000 fine
AGENCIES
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement
Homeland Security Investigations
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Former Baltimore Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Deprive Civil Rights for Assisting a Member of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force by Planting a Gun at the Scene of an ArrestRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Former Baltimore Police Sergeant Keith Allen Gladstone, age 51, of New Park, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to deprive civil rights, in connection with planting evidence at a crime scene. As part of his plea, Gladstone also admitted that he told a witness to lie about the event if questioned by law enforcement.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Prosecuting criminals who work in police agencies is essential both to protect our communities and to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
Keith Allen Gladstone joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) as an officer on November 20, 1992, and was promoted to Sergeant on December 16, 2011. Gladstone retired from the BPD on December 25, 2012, but was subsequently reinstated as a Sergeant on December 9, 2013. In March 2014, Gladstone was the officer-in-charge of a Special Enforcement Section (SES) unit assigned to BPD’s Western District. Gladstone retired from the BPD for a second time on May 1, 2017.
According his plea agreement, on the evening of March 26, 2014, Gladstone, who was on duty, was having dinner with Officer 1 when he received a call on his cell phone from a sergeant in the BPD who was in a panic because he had just run over an arrestee, D.S., in the front yard of a home in Northeast Baltimore. Gladstone obtained a BB gun from another officer, then drove with Officer 1 to the site of D.S.’s arrest on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road in Northeast Baltimore City. Gladstone admitted that he dropped the BB gun near a pickup truck where D.S. lay injured on the ground. Gladstone told the sergeant, in Officer 3’s presence, “it’s over by the truck,” or words to that effect. The BB gun was then seen by another BPD officer and ultimately recovered by the BPD’s crime lab unit. Based on a false statement of probable cause written by the sergeant in another officer’s name, D.S. was subsequently charged in Maryland state court with possession, use, and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that Gladstone planted at the scene of D.S.’s arrest, and a number of drug offenses. D.S. was detained on those charges until at least April 2, 2014. On January 16, 2015, the charges were disposed of by nolle prosequi, which is a form of dismissal.
As a result of his actions, Gladstone conspired to deprive D.S. of his liberty without the due process of law, and conspired to commit offenses against the United States, specifically to impede, obstruct, and influence an investigation.
As detailed in his plea agreement, after the sergeant and six other officers who had been members of the GTTF were arrested on federal racketeering charges, Gladstone and Officer 1 arranged to meet in person. Gladstone arranged for the meeting to take place in a swimming pool, to ensure that Officer 1 was not wearing a recording device. Gladstone admitted that during the meeting, he told Officer 1 that if questioned by federal law enforcement about the events on March 26, 2014, Officer 1 should tell federal investigators that Gladstone and Officer 1 were at the crime scene for “scene security,” which Officer 1 knew was not true. Gladstone also told Officer 1 to tell law enforcement that Gladstone had gotten the BB gun from his trunk, which was also not true, since Gladstone and Officer 1 had obtained the gun from another officer.
Gladstone faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to violate civil rights. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 13, 2019, at 9:15 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who are prosecuting the case.
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Former Army Corps Employee Charged with Lying to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
A former employee of the United States Army Corps of Engineers was charged with making false, material statements to law enforcement agents.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Colonel Andrew D. Kelly, Jr., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Miami Field Office, Casey Oravetz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Andres Castro, Special Agent in Charge, Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigations Division, Atlanta Area Office, and Frank Robey, Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command, made the announcement.
Tracey Jordan Sellers, 49, of Duval County, was charged by information with count of making a false official statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). If convicted, Sellers faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison.
According to the allegations in the information, the defendant was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Federal ethics laws and regulations prohibit federal employees from engaging in outside employment that conflicts with employees’ official duties. The information alleges that, during an interview with federal law enforcement agents, Sellers made material false statements about her performance of part-time work outside the scope of her official responsibilities for a consulting company which has ongoing business with the Army Corps. Sellers no longer works for the Army Corps.
Ms. Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the Defense Criminal Investigative Services, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Enforcement Division, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command and the cooperation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime Raich.
An information is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Telemarketing ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Jamie Frieri (49), a Mexican national who resided in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, from 2014 through at least 2018, Frieri conspired with another individual to take money from largely Spanish-speaking victims throughout the United States who wanted to sell their timeshare properties or other land parcels. The conspirators obtained the personal information of the potential victims through multiple sources, including wrongfully acquiring the lists from legitimate timeshare advertising telemarketing companies.
The conspirators called the timeshare owners and falsely told them that they had buyers for the victims’ timeshares and that the sales could be consummated if the victims made one or more payments to the conspirators for various fees purportedly associated with the sales. Once the victims agreed to pay the bogus fees, the conspirators directed them to send money to the conspirators in a variety of ways, including by sending payment in the name of the conspirators’ fraudulent company, Imperial Getaways. The conspirators often repeatedly re-contacted their victims and fraudulently advised them that additional fees were needed in order to complete the sales, and they continued to dupe the victims into sending bogus advance fees until the victims either ran out of money or became aware of the scam.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Flagler County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for ManufacturingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Christopher Brent Heath, (36, Bunnell), to six years in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Heath to pay restitution to the victims he had defrauded and to forfeit computer media used in the crime. Heath, a 29-time convicted felon, had pleaded guilty on February 14, 2019. The court previously sentenced Christine Marie Beaulieu (37, Bunnell), Heath’s co-defendant, to seven months in federal prison for her role in passing the counterfeit notes.
According to court documents, in May 2018, Heath and Beaulieu were involved with passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in Flagler and Volusia Counties. On May 17, 2018, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office executed a search warrant at Beaulieu’s residence in Bunnell. Inside the residence they located computer media used to manufacture counterfeit bills and chemicals used for bleaching genuine money in furtherance of the counterfeiting process. Law enforcement recovered over $11,000 in counterfeit notes from the residence and attributed several thousand more to Heath and Beaulieu.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Federal Jury Convicts Armed Robbery Crew LeaderRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has convicted Rashid Iman Turner (32, Ft. Myers) for his involvement in a string of armed robberies of banks and retail stores. Following a seven-day trial, the jury found Turner guilty of one count of conspiring to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, two counts of bank robbery, three counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Turner faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 21 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Turner’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 20, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, Turner and co-defendant Petrie Addison forced entry into at least one retail store in Lehigh Acres shortly after closing time, held the employees at gunpoint, threatened to kill them and their families, forced them to open the safes, and stole the cash from the store. Co-defendant Dakiriya Lias served as their getaway driver. Eventually, Turner and Addison turned their attention to banks. In November 2017, they robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Spring Hill. In December 2017, co-defendant Zachary Gloster joined the crew and they robbed Seacoast Banks in Arcadia and Port St. Lucie. In each of the bank robberies, the defendants stormed through the bank’s front doors shortly after opening time, held the employees at gunpoint, looted the teller drawers, and fled less than two minutes later.
Addison, Gloster, and Lias pleaded guilty for their roles in this case prior to Turner’s trial. They are currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Ft. Myers Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Arcadia Police Department, the Port St. Lucie Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Father and Son Sentenced to Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today to nearly three and a half years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Minor Peralta-Perez, aka Amilcar Lara, 44, and his son, Mynor Mejia Benitez, 25, distributed over half a kilogram of cocaine to a confidential source over a 14-month time period. Mejia Benitez was his father’s source of supply of cocaine. Peralta-Perez introduced the confidential source to Mejia Benitez during the summer of 2017, after the CS requested to purchase ounce-quantities of cocaine. For the majority of the transactions, Peralta Perez and the CS traveled to Mejia Benitez’s residence, in Dumfries, to conduct the cocaine transactions. During their first encounter, Mejia Benitez pulled a Smith and Wesson pistol from his waistband during the cocaine transaction. On other occasions, Mejia Benitez’s two minor children were in the residence during the sale of cocaine.
During the conspiracy, Peralta Perez was deported to Guatemala after a driving while intoxicated charge in Alexandria. Despite his deportation, Peralta Perez directed his associates based in the United States to maintain his drug operations and made his intentions known that he would re-enter the United States. In December 2018, Peralta Perez illegally reentered the United States at the Texas border and was subsequently prosecuted.
On March 15, Mejia Benitez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in this conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Lena Munasifi prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-68.
Evansville man arrested in connection with Fentanyl overdose deathRead the Press Release
Evansville – Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney, announced today the arrest of Kalib Scott Powell, 25, of Evansville, Indiana for the Distribution of a Schedule One Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Resulting in Death.
The arrest is the result of the investigation into the fentanyl-based overdose death of Jacilynn Holifield, 22, also of Evansville, which occurred on or about February 23, 2019. The investigation was conducted by the Evansville office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, Evansville Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, and other law enforcement agencies with support from the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office.
As set forth in the federal complaint, Powell is accused of selling fentanyl powder to Jacilynn Holified on or about February 21, 2019 in Evansville. Holifield is believed to have used the fentanyl powder up to and through February 23, 2019. Holifield was found deceased on the morning of February 24, 2019. The cause of Holifield’s death has been ruled fentanyl intoxication by the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy.
“Tragedies such as these bring families and communities to their knees,” said Minkler. “The Justice Department is committed to devoting the resources of the federal government to upend these avoidable deaths through the aggressive prosecution of drug traffickers, but also through education, outreach and newly conceptualized partnership circles.”
“DEA and our local law enforcement partners working in concert with the United States Attorney's Office (Josh Minkler) will continue to identify subjects involved in selling fentanyl as well as other opioids, including heroin. In this instant investigation, DEA identified a local drug dealer who was selling fentanyl on the streets of Evansville to addicts. As a result, an Evansville resident overdosed and died,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. McKnight. “The drug dealer was aware he was selling this deadly poison and he will now be held accountable for his actions. The public should be reminded that people who illegally use fentanyl are playing with their own life. Using this poison could result in a ‘death sentence.’ Evansville ‘drug dealers’ who provide this deadly poison are put on notice; DEA will arrest you! To the cartel leaders operating with impunity in Mexico, who ship these deadly drugs to the United States; we will extradite you and ensure that you are brought to justice, swiftly.”
Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation said, “IRS Criminal Investigation is charged with disrupting the money flow of criminal organizations. Our agents trace criminal proceeds and work to deprive criminals of their illicit spoils. Together with our OCDETF partners we dismantle illegal drug and money laundering enterprises that try to take root in Indiana.”
“This case shows the true result of partnerships and cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Chief of Police Chris Pugh. “The Evansville Police Department takes great pride in the relationships we have with all of federal law enforcement as well as the United States Attorney’s Office.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Dahl, III, who is prosecuting the case for the government, the defendant, if convicted, faces a possible sentence of 20 years to life in prison.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who traffic in large quantities of illegal opiates and other dangerous drugs. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 3.2
Delaware Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking a 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Steven M. Williams, a/k/a “Brother Ray,” a/k/a “Ray,” age 39, formerly of Delaware, today to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a child by force, fraud, and coercion. Upon his release from prison, Williams will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is employed, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Matthew Donnelly of the Elkton Police Department.
“Children cannot consent to have sex for money. Human traffickers such as Steven Williams compel their victims to work for little or no compensation, often using violence and threats to force their victims to engage in prostitution,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This lengthy sentence should send a powerful message that sex trafficking will not be tolerated in Maryland. Through the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, law enforcement is working with non-profit organizations to help human trafficking victims and prosecute the traffickers. Working to end human trafficking is a priority for the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
According to his plea agreement, the victim, Girl 1, engaged in commercial sex acts with men in Delaware, along with Williams’ co-defendant Jessica L. Schaefer, an adult. Girl 1 was 15 years old and a resident of Pennsylvania, but lived with her father in Delaware. Schaefer posted ads of herself for commercial sex purposes. Williams responded to one of the ads and determined that Schaefer and Girl 1 would work for him. Williams provided Schaefer and Girl 1 with crack cocaine and they were eventually in debt to Williams. Girl 1 and Schaefer then engaged in commercial sex acts to pay off their debt to Williams. Girl 1 and Schaefer gave any proceeds earned from performing commercial sex acts to Williams. To facilitate the commercial sex acts, Williams rented hotel rooms in his name or the names of men paying for the commercial sex acts, and co-defendant Harry Rivers provided narcotics to the females and their customers, and helped to arrange “dates” for the females.
In July 2017, Williams drove Girl 1 from Delaware to Elkton, Maryland, separating her from Schaefer. Girl 1 woke up in a motel in Elkton with another adult sex worker, AH. At Williams’ direction, AH posted an ad featuring a picture of Girl 1 on a website used to advertise and solicit for commercial sex, including the sexual exploitation of minors. While in Maryland, Girl 1 performed commercial sex acts and gave the monies she earned to Williams. Williams physically abused Girl 1 when he thought she was not giving him all the money she earned, and also displayed his firearm.
On July 13, 2017, Girl 1 attempted to leave and hid in AH’s hotel room. Williams, Rivers, and Schaefer traveled from Newark, Delaware to Elkton, to take Girl 1 back to Delaware, to ensure that she did not leave Williams’ employ. Williams and Rivers each had a firearm which they used to threaten AH, demanding that she produce Girl 1. Schaefer had a taser, which she ignited, barged into AH’s room, and took Girl 1 from the room against her will. Williams and his co-defendants drove Girl 1 back to Delaware so that she could continue to engage in commercial sex acts.
On July 14, 2017, AH reported the abduction of Girl 1 to law enforcement. Girl 1 was located and rescued in Newark, Delaware the next day, and the defendants were arrested.
Co-defendant Harry E. Rivers, a/k/a “Hakeem” and “Pots,” age 29, also of Delaware, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Jessica L. Schaefer, a/k/a “Tutti,” age 24, of Pennsylvania, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
U.S. Attorney Robert Hur commended the FBI and the Elkton Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Newark (Delaware) Police Department, the Wilmington (Delaware) Police Department, the Cecil County Department of Social Services, the Cecil County State's Attorney's Office, and the Delaware Department of Justice for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Zachary A. Myers, who are prosecuting the case.
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Defendant in College Admissions Case to Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former accountant and financial officer for the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation will plead guilty in connection with the college admissions case.
Steven Masera, 69, of Folsom, Calif., will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. Masera is cooperating with the government’s investigation. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines, one year of supervised release, a fine, restitution and forfeiture.
A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Darknet Fentanyl Dealer Indicted in Nationwide Undercover Operation Targeting Darknet Vendors Who Were Selling to Thousands of U.s. ResidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas announced the indictment of a darknet drug dealer who has been indicted for leveraging Bitcoin’s apparent anonymity to sell fentanyl online. The charges against him are the result of the first nationwide undercover operation targeting darknet vendors that the Justice Department announced in June 2018.
Sean Shaughnessy, 51, of the Dallas Fort Worth, Texas area, was charged by federal grand jury with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance analogue and eight counts of money laundering.
According to the indictment, which was unsealed on May 24 following the defendant’s initial appearance, Mr. Shaughnessy allegedly sold fentanyl and fentanyl analogues over the dark web, an unindexed portion of the internet accessible only via specialized software that allows users to conduct transactions with relative anonymity. His buyers purchased the fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, which was shipped to their addresses, using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the indictment alleges. One user, who allegedly purchased a fentanyl analogue from Mr. Shaughnessy, overdosed on the substance and died. Mr. Shaughnessy allegedly transferred his Bitcoin proceeds to other cryptocurrency wallets in exchange for regular fiat currency, which was shipped to his home in Dallas. Unbeknownst to Mr. Shaughnessy, he sent more than $120,000 bitcoin to wallet addresses controlled by federal agents. Yesterday, he was ordered to remain in federal custody. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation into Sean Shaughnessy was part of Operation Dark Gold, a year-long, coordinated national operation that used the first nationwide undercover action to target vendors of illicit goods on the darknet. Special agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office posed as a money launderer on dark net market sites, exchanging U.S. currency for virtual currency. Through this operation, HSI New York was able to identify numerous vendors of illicit goods, leading to the opening of more than 90 active cases around the country, including the investigation into Mr. Shaughnessy in the Northern District of Texas.
The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, coordinated with law enforcement and federal prosecutors from more than 50 U.S. Attorney’s Offices to investigate 65 targets identified by the undercover operation, which led to the arrest and impending prosecution of more than 30 darknet vendors.
One year after 70 search warrants were executed in May 2018, numerous opioid and narcotics distributors have been charged and convicted around the country. Those include:
- Brian Gutierrez-Villasenor, 27, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced recently to serve 120 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and transporting funds to promote unlawful activity. Gutierrez-Villasenor was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. According to his guilty plea, between 2014 and May of 2018, Gutierrez-Villasenor distributed cocaine and methamphetamine for a darknet vendor site called “JetSetLife.” In addition to the prison term, Gutierrez-Villasenor was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and to serve an additional five-year term of supervised release to begin after his prison term. Gutierrez-Villasenor has been in custody since his arrest on May 17, 2018, and is serving his prison sentence.
- John Edward Monette, 50, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced to serve five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Monette was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on Nov. 15, 2018. On April 25, 2018, a federal search warrant was executed on Monette’s residence as part of Operation Dark Gold. Law enforcement officers seized approximately 838 grams of MDMA, numerous ecstasy pills, approximately 69 grams of cocaine, drug packaging, scales, shipping materials, computers, cell phones and a rifle. Also seized were 3.3882104 bitcoin (approximate value $32,464.38) from a Mycelium wallet on Monette’s cell phone. Monette had been buying MDMA and other controlled substances from sellers in Europe and elsewhere via the dark web. He used Bitcoin to pay his suppliers, and received the drugs via mail. He also used the mail to deliver drugs to his customers.
- Ryan Farace, 34, of Reisterstown, Maryland, and Robert Swain, 34, of Freeland, Maryland, were charged by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Farace was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and money laundering conspiracies. The charges arose from a scheme to manufacture and distribute Alprazolam, or “Xanax,” through sales on the dark net in exchange for Bitcoin. Farace and his co-conspirator, Robert Swain, laundered the drug proceeds through financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the illegal funds. Farace was ordered to forfeit a money judgment equal to $5,665,000 and 4,000 bitcoin (currently worth approximately $3.2 million). Farace was also ordered to forfeit assets seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants in 2018, at locations associated with the conspiracies, including approximately $1.5 million in cash, 1.100 bitcoin and approximately $2.5 million in computer equipment. Robert Swain previously pleaded guilty to the money laundering conspiracy and faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison at his sentencing on June 18.
- Tyler Lee Ward, 35, of Moody, Alabama, and Henry Long Nguyen, 33, of Birmingham, Alabama, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of Alabama to three counts including conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute Alprazolam; maintaining a drug-involved premises; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ward was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison and Nguyen was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison. Both Ward and Nguyen were ordered to forfeit numerous assets, including more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency. Joseph William Davis 26, of Madison, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute Alprazolam and was sentenced to serve 126 months in prison.
- Sam Bent, 32, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont (and formerly of East Burke, Vermont), and his cousin, Djeneba Bent, 26, also of St. Johnsbury (and formerly East Burke) were both charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. They both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Sam Bent also pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering and agreed to a forfeiture money judgment. As part of his plea agreement, Sam Bent admitted that he set up accounts on dark web marketplaces, established online identities, accepted Bitcoin in exchange for sales over the dark web, and mailed controlled substances from several different post offices in Northeastern Vermont and Northwestern New Hampshire in an effort to avoid detection. Their sentencings are currently scheduled for July 2019.
- Kyle Lindemann, 31, of Birmingham, Michigan, was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute MDMA. As part of his plea, Lindemann admitted that he had managed a vendor account on the darknet marketplace known as “Dream Market,” on which he sold Alprazolam (Xanax), Adderall, Ecstasy (MDMA), and GHB. Lindemann also agreed to the forfeiture of 4.430550289998 Monero and 39.17488 MilliBitcoin that were seized during Operation Dark Gold, in May 2018.
The investigations are pending.
Convicted Robber Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A man previously convicted of robbery who possessed a gun with an obliterated serial number while under the influence of marijuana was sentenced today to almost four years in federal prison.
Joseph Bogovich, age 34, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 7, 2019 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Information disclosed at sentencing and in a written plea agreement showed that shortly after 1:00 a.m. on September 8, 2018, Bogovich was driving in Dubuque when he hit a parked car. Bogovich’s driver’s license was suspended at the time. He drove away from the scene, but a witness to the accident reported it to the police.
Officers from the Dubuque Police Department found Bogovich a short time later outside his home. Bogovich admitted to hitting the parked car because he lost control while scratching off a lottery ticket. An officer saw a handgun in Bogovich’s car. The serial number had been obliterated from the gun. Bogovich had previously been convicted of a felony robbery offense. Officers also found marijuana in the car and Bogovich admitted to having used marijuana earlier that night.
Bogovich was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Bogovich was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bogovich is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1048.
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Co-Owners of Chicago-Area Home Health Agency Plead Guilty to Kickbacks Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Husband and wife co-owners of a Chicago-area home health agency pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars in Medicare reimbursements through the payment of kickbacks for patient referrals.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey S. Sallet of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Carmencita Agno, 52, and Emmanuel Agno, 54, both of Streamwood, Illinois, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks before U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Coleman of the Northern District of Illinois. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 19, 2019, before Judge Coleman.
As part of their guilty pleas, Carmencita Agno and Emmanuel Agno each admitted that they caused Renaissance Home Health Services Inc. (Renaissance) of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a home health agency they both co-owned, to make concealed kickback payments to patient marketers and other sources of Medicare patient referrals. As a result of these illegal kickback payments, Renaissance improperly obtained approximately $1.6 million in profits. Carmencita Agno and Emmanuel Agno further admitted that they caused Axis Healthcare Services Inc. (Axis) of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, another home health agency co-owned by Carmencita Agno and for which Emmanuel Agno served as the administrator, to make approximately $365,000 in illegal kickback payments to Maristel Canete, 49, formerly of Streamwood, a patient marketer. In order to conceal the illegal nature of the payments to Canete, the conspirators caused Axis to enter into sham contracts with companies set up by Canete for receiving the payments.
Carmencita Agno and Emmanuel Agno were charged along with Canete and Antonio Clavero, age 50, of Schiller Park, Illinois, in a superseding indictment returned on June 16, 2016. Clavero pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing; Canete is a fugitive.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG. Trial Attorney Patrick Mott of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution and Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – A Charleston man pled guilty to federal drug and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jackie Harper, 27, pled guilty to distributing over 170 grams of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“An all too common occurrence – a felon with a gun. Dealing meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And another common occurrence – we convict those drug dealing felons with guns.”
Harper admitted that he sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working for MDENT on four separate occasions in August and September 2018. Upon execution of a search warrant on September 19, 2018, law enforcement officers also found a firearm on Harper. Harper is prohibited from having a firearm due to his prior conviction for malicious assault in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County
Harper faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 21, 2019.
United States District Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur is handling the prosecution.
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Cedar Rapids Man Who Fired Several Shots at People Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who returned fire at a drive-by shooter was sentenced today to 24 months in prison.
Treysean Adair Burnside, age 23, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a January 14, 2019 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Information disclosed at sentencing and in a written plea agreement showed that on July 22 of last year, Burnside got into an argument over a fake $100 bill at a local bar in Cedar Rapids. After the argument, Burnside went home and received a call from an unknown man asking where he was. Burnside then retrieved a loaded 9mm gun from his residence and waited on the front porch. A short time later, a vehicle drove by and someone inside the vehicle fired a shot at Burnside’s residence. Burnside fired back six or seven times. No one was hurt in the shooting but a nearby residence was struck by some of the shots and sustained damage to the interior of the residence. Burnside was high on cocaine at the time. Burnside also admitted to police that he used marijuana every day.
Burnside was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Burnside was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Burnside was ordered to self-surrender to United States Marshal’s custody on June 14, 2019 to begin serving his prison term.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2068.
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Carrizo Springs Doctor and Office Manager Arrested on Federal Drug, Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
A Carrizo Springs doctor with multiple offices throughout the Southwest Texas border area and his office manager face federal charges in connection with alleged illegal drug distribution, Health Care Fraud, and aggravated identity theft scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division; and, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
A 20-count federal grand jury indictment--returned on Wednesday in Del Rio and unsealed today by U.S. District Judge Alia Moses--charges Dr. Alfonso Luevano, age 50, with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, ten substantive counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud, five substantive counts of Health Care Fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. Ofelia Martinez, a 50-year-old employee of Dr. Luevano and resident of Carrizo Springs, is charged in both conspiracy counts, the five Health Care Fraud counts, and the three aggravated identity theft counts.
As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Luevano regularly provided prescriptions for scheduled controlled substances – including Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, and fentanyl – to patients outside the bounds of accepted medical practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. Dr. Luevano is alleged to have provided these prescriptions after short or perfunctory office visits, and to have issued them without performing the examination necessary to justify the prescription of an opioid pain medication.
The indictment also alleges that Dr. Luevano allowed and instructed nurse practitioners and physician assistants in his employ to provide Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions by pre-signing triplicate prescription forms and leaving them at his various offices to be filled out by his staff. Ms. Moreno is alleged to have assisted in this practice by transporting the pre-signed prescriptions to the offices and instructing the staff on how to fill them out.
Dr. Luevano is also alleged to have committed Health Care Fraud by billing Texas Medicaid for the illegal office visits performed by his medical staff, and by listing himself as the providing practitioner for appointments where he never saw the patient whatsoever. It is also alleged that he defrauded Medicaid on multiple instances by misstating the length of time spent with a patient, as well as the nature of the patient’s diagnosis. Ms. Moreno is alleged to have personally entered and submitted the fraudulent bills for the entire practice, and instructed medical staff to close medical records files in a certain manner so as to conceal their involvement in an appointment.
Federal authorities arrested both defendants Thursday without incident. Both defendants had their initial appearances in federal court in Del Rio on Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Victor Garcia released the defendants on $50,000 unsecured bonds pending trial.
“A doctor who prescribes opioids without just cause is no different than a street corner drug dealer distributing narcotics,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Glaspy. “DEA will always pursue these ‘drug dealers in white coats’ who are fueling, our ongoing opioid crisis.”
Upon conviction, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison on the counts related to the distribution of controlled substances and aggravated identity theft, as well as up to ten years in federal prison on the Health Care Fraud counts.
This indictment resulted from a continuing joint investigation by the DEA Prescription Drug Diversion Task Force, DEA Del Rio, and the Texas Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Paul Harle are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Career Cocaine Dealer in Athens-Clarke County Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON – A defendant with a lengthy criminal history will spend 151 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine in the Athens area, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Patrick O’Neal Kennedy, 43, of Athens was sentenced Wednesday by the Honorable C. Ashley Royal in U.S. District Court, Macon, on the charge of Distribution of Cocaine Base. There is no parole in the federal system.
On March 23, 2018, a confidential source exchanged a series of text messages with Mr. Kennedy regarding a crack cocaine deal. FBI agents, along with Athens-Clarke County Police Department officers, worked with the confidential source, providing the source with $600 for the purchase of the illegal drugs. Under surveillance, the source purchased crack cocaine from the defendant, who admitted he knowingly possessed 8.25 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute them.
Mr. Kennedy has three prior drug convictions, all in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court:
1. July 6, 2017, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute;
2. September 19, 2014, Possession of Cocaine; and
3. August 23, 2006, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute.
“This individual has been a menace to the peace and safety of citizens in Athens-Clarke County, and he will now spend more than 12 years behind federal prison bars,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners, including the FBI and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, for rooting out a career criminal who thought he was above the law.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndie Freeman and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Leary prosecuted this case for the Government.
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.
California Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor He Met While Playing “Clash of Clans”Read the Press Release
A Fresno, California, man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison followed by seven years of supervised release for using the internet to coerce and entice a minor into producing child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia and Acting Assistant Director in Charge John P. Selleck of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Emilio Morales, 29, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Morales met the 11-year-old victim while playing the online game “Clash of Clans.” In 2017, Morales began grooming the victim over Clash of Clans before proposing that he and the victim communicate privately over the online chatting application Kik Messenger. While communicating over Kik Messenger, Morales coerced and persuaded the victim to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos. The conduct ceased when, despite Morales’s attempts at manipulation, the minor victim refused to participate in any further sexual activity.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Prince William County Police Department, with substantial assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The case was prosecuted by CEOS Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney D. Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Bullhead Man Charged with Child Abuse and AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
Rex Harrison, age 52, was indicted on May 14, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on May 29, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 4, 2019, Harrison abused, exposed, tortured, tormented, and cruelly punished minor children who had not attained the age of 18, and further assaulted another individual with a tire iron and a vehicle with the intent to do bodily harm.
The charges are merely accusations and Harrison is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Jasper is prosecuting the case.
Harrison was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Broward Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Immigration Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Coral Springs business owner pled guilty today to participating in a visa fraud immigration scheme by attempting to obtain visas with false information for individuals from overseas.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Jenny Hernandez, 51, of Parkland, pled guilty to a four count Information charging her with visa fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt (Case No. 19-601134-CR-ZLOCH). The defendant faces a possible maximum statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count. The sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the court record, including stipulated facts and statements made during hearings, Hernandez knowingly made false material statements in immigration documents, specifically Form I-140’s, Immigrant Petitions for Alien Workers. Hernandez owned and operated the Immigration Form Center, Inc. (IFC) in Coral Springs. The defendant stated in applications she filed with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) that individuals from overseas were to be employed at certain businesses as multinational executives or managers. However, these businesses never knew about these individuals and, furthermore, never made employment offers to them. Hernandez profited from these misrepresentations, by receiving between $14,200 to $50,900 from individual applicants. Hernandez also filed an application for an overseas individual to work at her bakery in Coral Springs, as a multinational executive or manager, when the individual was only selling jewelry inside the bakery. This individual paid $64,000 to the defendant.
All of these petitions were completed at IFC in Coral Springs and subsequently filed with USCIS. In addition to these documents, Hernandez filed additional documents accompanying the I-140 Petitions, including including I-485 applications to adjust for permanent residency in the United States. All of these payments were deposited into business checking accounts primarily controlled by the defendant.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of HSI in this matter. She thanked the members of USCIS for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
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.
Big Sandy man sentenced to year in prison on gun crime after high-speed chaseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—Big Sandy resident Joe Don Demontiney, who admitted to illegally possessing a firearm, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and to three years of supervised release on May 30, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Demontiney, 37, pleaded guilty in January to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The prosecution said in court records that Demontiney led the Montana Highway Patrol on a high-speed chase that began on May 23, 2018 on Highway 87 between Big Sandy and Box Elder. The trooper saw a large cloud of black smoke coming from the rear of a Honda Civic that Demontiney was driving and thought the car was on fire. The trooper pursued the Honda, which had been stolen in Great Falls three days earlier. Speeds reached at least 98 mph before Demontiney finally came to a stop on a county road. Inside the vehicle, the trooper saw drug paraphernalia and a black pry bar. Ultimately, the trooper seized a semi-automatic rifle and a semi-automatic pistol from the car. Demontiney, who had a prior felony conviction in state District Court, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Montana Highway Patrol.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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