Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
9 July 2019
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm was sentenced on June 18, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Devin Dolphus, a/k/a Devin Pretty Weasel, age 19, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, forfeiture of a firearm and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Dolphus was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 12, 2019. He pled guilty on April 3, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on January 16, 2019. Law enforcement responded to a call of an unknown individual sleeping in a vehicle. Once on scene, law enforcement found and seized a firearm from Dolphus’ vehicle, the firearm had a barrel length of less than 18 inches, and was not registered to Dolphus in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Dolphus was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Burglary, Larceny, and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for First Degree Burglary, Larceny, Possession of a Stolen Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
Judson His Law, age 24, was indicted on May 14, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on May 30, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 25 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 February 13, 2019, His Law unlawfully entered and remained in an occupied residence with the intent to commit the crime of larceny and that he in fact stole a firearm and a Dodge Challenger Hellcat from the residence. The Indictment further alleges that His Law possessed a firearm having previously been convicted of a felony offense.
The charges are merely accusations and His Law is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
His Law was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Dupree Man Sentenced for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Dupree, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 14, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Waylon Young Bird, age 50, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, a fine in the amount of $1,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Young Bird was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 15, 2018. He was found guilty by a Jury on April 4, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from incidents that occurred from January 1, 2016 until May 15, 2018, when Young Bird knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The Jury also convicted Young Bird of knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a detectable amount of methamphetamine from a March 9, 2018, traffic stop. During this stop, Young Bird was found to have just under 10 grams of methamphetamine hidden in his sock in eight little baggies.
The investigation was conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Young Bird was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Doddridge County man indicted for sex offender registry violationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyler Patrick Pietschmann, of Greenwood, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for failing to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Pietschmann, age 21, is charged with one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration.” Pietschmann, a person required to register as a sex offender, is accused of traveling from Pennsylvania to West Virginia without updating his sex offender registration from December 2018 to February 2019.
Pietschamnn faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
District Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison on Federal and D.C. Sexual Offenses and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnell Pollard, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 23 years in prison on a series of sexual assault and other felony offenses stemming from an April 2017 crime spree following his escape from a halfway house in which he was serving time for a another sexual offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pollard pled guilty on June 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one federal offense, the commission of a crime of violence while failing to register as a sex offender, and five D.C. Superior Court offenses, including kidnapping while armed and third degree sexual abuse while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following release, he will be placed on supervised release for life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
According to the Government’s evidence, in 2012 Pollard pled guilty in D.C. Superior Court to Assault with Intent to Commit First Degree Sexual Abuse and was sentenced to a term of incarceration. In addition, as a result of his conviction, Pollard was required to register a sex offender for life. On or about July 8, 2016, the defendant was residing at a halfway house in Baltimore, Maryland as part of his sentence, when he escaped that facility. Pollard then moved to D.C. He failed to update his sex offender registration information with his new residence and, in fact, did not register at all until the time of his arrest in April 2017. In April 2017, while the defendant was in violation of his sex offender registration requirements, he committed five offenses against a total of five victims, including sexually assaulting two victims and kidnapping and stabbing another.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the members of the U.S. Marshals Service, MPD Criminal Investigations Division, Special Investigations Branch Sexual Assault Unit, and MPD Sixth District. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Hertzfeld, Nicholas Miranda, and Marisa West; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Leah Welch; and Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Yvonne Bryant.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Multiple Firearms While Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Fields, 38, of Southeast, D.C., pled guilty yesterday to possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Charles A. Dayoub, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office.
Fields pled guilty before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea agreement, which was accepted and approved by the Court, requires a sentence of ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Friedman scheduled Fields’ sentencing for October 8, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 9, 2019, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Fields’ residence located in the 1900 block of Naylor Road, Southeast. After entering the apartment, MPD officers located Fields in the back bedroom. In that same room, officers located three loaded firearms, a Glock 21 .45 caliber firearm, a Ruger LC95 9mm caliber firearm, and an Intratec AB-10 firearm. An additional magazine with ammunition was also recovered. Law enforcement also discovered crack cocaine, heroin, multiple digital scales, razor blades, extensive drug packaging material, and U.S. currency in the residence. As part of his plea agreement, Fields acknowledged that all three firearms belonged to him and that he possessed them in furtherance of his drug trafficking. As part of the government’s investigation, the FBI and ATF assisted law enforcement by investigating the history of the firearms and their connection to other crimes committed in the District.
When Fields was arrested for trafficking narcotics and possessing firearms in the present case, he was on supervision with the U.S. Parole Commission following a 2012 D.C. Superior Court felony drug trafficking conviction. Fields also had a prior 2002 D.C. Superior Court conviction for assault with intent to kill, where he was incarcerated for twelve years.
This case was investigated in support of the Felon in Possession initiative, a joint partnership between MPD and federal law enforcement agencies including FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, in an effort to reduce gun violence within the District of Columbia.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Dayoub, commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and prosecuted the defendant.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas Moir, 37, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to distribution of child pornography stemming from his actions sharing child pornography with users on a social networking site from October 2018 –January 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Moir pled guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of distribution of child pornography. He will be sentenced on October 1, 2019, by the Honorable John D. Bates. Moir faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years. Following release, he will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Moir was chief of staff for the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel at the time of the offense, though there is no evidence that he used Government property to commit the offense or that his role had anything to do with the offense.
According to the Government’s evidence, beginning on or about October 10, 2018, Moir uploaded multiple images depicting child pornography to a social networking site in order to share and discuss these images with other users. He used multiple accounts to upload and share child pornography and did so on multiple occasions from October 2018 to January 2019. Images that Moir uploaded from at least one account were flagged as child pornography by the social networking site and sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for review. These images were then sent to the FBI, which traced them back to devices used by Moir.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and members of the FBI-MPDC Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force who investigated the case. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Hertzfeld and Nicholas Miranda; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Leah Welch; and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. She also thanked the Mayor’s Office for its assistance throughout the investigation.
Defendant Sentenced to More Than 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Armed Robbery of Brooklyn Heights Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lashawn Williams, also known as “Ron Johnson,” was sentenced to 147 months’ imprisonment for his role in the May 25, 2017 armed robbery of a jewelry store on Court Street in Brooklyn. The Court also ordered Williams to pay $95,000 in restitution. Williams pleaded guilty in September 2018 to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. The sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan. Previously, Williams’s co-defendants Darryl Odom, Kenneth Davis and Shaka Davis were sentenced to 171, 165 and 54 months’ imprisonment, respectively, following their guilty pleas.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. Devito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
On May 25, 2017, at 5:15 p.m., Williams, armed with a firearm, entered the Court Street jewelry store with Odom and a co-conspirator, while Kenneth Davis stood lookout outside and Shaka Davis waited in a getaway car a few blocks away. To shield their identities and avoid notice by passersby, the defendants disguised themselves in construction-workers gear, including neon vests, hardhats, gloves and dust masks. Inside the store, the defendants beat the store owner, pistol-whipping, punching and kicking him. They then stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry, and fled the scene. When subsequently tracked down and arrested, law enforcement agents and officers seized several pieces of the stolen jewelry.
“Defendant Lashawn Williams and his co-defendants have now been held accountable for the brutal armed robbery of a jewelry store in busy downtown Brooklyn that not only severely injured the store owner but also endangered the customers and passersby,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the law enforcement agents and officers for their work in this case.
“Lashawn Williams and his codefendants committed a brazen armed robbery that endangered innocent lives and left a store owner severely injured and traumatized,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito. “Williams is yet another example of the type of violent individuals that presents a clear and present danger to the law abiding citizens in the community. ATF and our NYPD partners in the Joint Robbery Task Force stand committed to protecting the public from individuals like Williams; that spread fear and perpetuate violence within the community. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their leadership and proactive support in furtherance of this investigation.”
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Hafetz is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant Sentenced Today:
LASHAWN WILLIAMS (aka “Ron Johnson”)
Age: 50
Bronx, New YorkDefendants Previously Sentenced:
DARRYL ODOM
Age: 55
New York, New YorkKENNETH DAVIS
Age: 54
Brooklyn, New YorkSHAKA DAVIS
Age: 30
Brooklyn, NY, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-432 (S-1) (BMC)
Convicted Felon and Organized Crime Associate Sentenced to 72 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of MachinegunsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Paul Ragusa, an associate of the Bonanno and Gambino organized crime families, was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 72 months’ imprisonment for possessing nine firearms, including three automatic assault rifles and a silencer. Ragusa possessed the firearms while serving a custodial sentence at a residential re-entry facility in connection with three prior felony convictions. Ragusa pleaded guilty to the firearms charge in October 2018.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“While serving a prior sentence for violent crimes involving machineguns, Ragusa was ready and willing to transport more guns, including assault rifles,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s sentence incapacitates the defendant, who clearly continues to pose a danger to the community.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York City Police Department, as well as law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the GTA Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Ontario Regional Office.
Between July and October 2017, Ragusa met with a cooperating witness (CW) whom he knew through their prior affiliation with the Giannini Crew, a criminal enterprise responsible for numerous violent crimes. During recorded conversations with the CW, Ragusa agreed to commit a murder-for-hire. Ragusa stated that he did not need a gun, because he would stick an “ice pick” through the victim’s head.
On October 25, 2017, the CW asked Ragusa if he knew anyone who could transport firearms. Ragusa responded, “Yeah, me! I’ll do it!” On November 2, 2017, Ragusa met an undercover FBI agent who drove him to a warehouse in Nassau County, where Ragusa packed nine firearms, including two AK-47 assault rifles and one M16 rifle, into a large bag. Ragusa and the agent drove to a parking lot in Queens, where Ragusa loaded the firearms into a waiting undercover FBI vehicle. Ragusa was paid $2,000 in cash. Unbeknownst to Ragusa, the firearms were the property of the FBI and had been rendered inoperable.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Drew Rolle are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PAUL RAGUSA
Age: 48
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-613 (PKC)
Convicted by Jury, Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison on Multiple Drug-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY – Two defendants found guilty by a citizen jury on multiple drug related charges earlier this year were sentenced today by a federal judge, said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. Thyrone Jones, 44, of Pelham, GA was convicted on eight counts of Distribution of Cocaine and one count of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute following a three day trial that began on March 18, 2019. His co-defendant, Kareda McGee, 31, also of Pelham, GA, was convicted on two counts of Distribution of Cocaine and one count of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on all charges. Tuesday afternoon, The Honorable Leslie Gardner sentenced Mr. Jones to 240 months imprisonment plus nine years supervised release and Ms. McGee to 21 months to serve consecutive to any probation revocation imposed by Mitchell County Superior Court for her 2015 conviction for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Mr. Jones has a prior federal conviction for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the facts presented at trial, Mr. Jones sold various amounts of cocaine to confidential informants under surveillance on eight separate occasions from February 2018 to July 2018, all within Pelham city limits. Ms. McGee was involved in the illegal transactions during three of those sales. When a search warrant was executed in July 2018 at the residence shared by Mr. Jones and Ms. McGee, Pelham Police found more than $15,000 in cash, quantities of cocaine and a set of digital scales, along with multiple text messages requesting illegal drugs.
“Today’s sentencing shows that drug dealers who continue to endanger the public will face serious federal prison time in Middle Georgia” said Charlie Peeler, the U.S. Attorney. “I want to commend the Pelham Police Department, and thank those officers for their commitment to making their hometown a safer place for people to live and work.”
The case was investigated by the Pelham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions 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.
Congolese National with Rape Conviction from the UK Pleads Guilty to Asylum Fraud OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PATRICK NDAYA KATAMBWA, also known as KASEBA KATAMBWA, 50, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of making a false statement in an immigration document.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Katambwa was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). Between approximately 1996 and November 2017, Katambwa resided in the United Kingdom under the assumed identity of Kaseba Katambwa. While in the U.K. using his assumed identity, Katambwa was arrested, prosecuted, convicted and incarcerated for rape, entering into an arrangement to facilitate the acquisition or use of criminal property, and dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit.
In April 2018, Katambwa stated in a U.S. asylum application that his name was “Patrick Ndaya Katambwa,” “Katambwa Patrick Ndaya,” and “Patrick Katambwa Ndaya”; that he had resided in the DRC from February 1969 to January 2018; and that he had been arrested, convicted and sentenced, or imprisoned solely in the DRC, and not in any country other than the U.S.
Katambwa, who most recently resided in Bridgeport, has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on February 1, 2019.
Katambwa is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on September 18, 2019, at which he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance in this matter.
Columbus men admit to roles in cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men have admitted to their roles in a cocaine and heroin distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Michael L. Forrest, Jr., also known as “Flip,” of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Forrest, age 28, admitted to selling cocaine near the Pulaski Playground in Ohio County in August 2018.
Brandon Suel, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Suel, age 31, admitted to selling cocaine near Jensen Playground on Wheeling Island in May 2018.
Forrest and Suel are each facing no less than one and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The investigation was led by the Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department. Those assisting in the arrests are the United States Marshal Service; Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department; and the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Chamberlain Man Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Chamberlain, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Philip Battese, a/k/a Philip Anthony Battese, Jr., age 37, was indicted on April 9, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 3, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that beginning no later than on or about January 1, 2016, and continuing to April 9, 2019, in South Dakota, Battese knowingly and intentionally, combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charge is merely an accusation and Battese is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Battese was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Casey Hannah Howen Sentenced to Serve 14 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Greeneville, Tenn. – Casey Hannah Howren, 27, of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was sentenced on July 8, 2019, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 14 years in federal prison. Federal sentences cannot be considered for parole.
Howren pleaded guilty in December 2018 for conspiring with Pedro Cortez Gomez and Kayla Leanne Reaves to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Pedro Cortez-Gomez, 36, of Greeneville, Tennessee, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on April 29, 2019, by Judge Greer to serve 15 years in federal prison.
Kayla Leanne Reaves, 25, of Afton, Tennessee, was sentenced by Judge Greer on April 22, 2019, to serve 41 months in prison.
Agencies involved in this investigation included the Third Judicial District Drug Task Force, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Carter County Sheriff’s Department, Johnson City Police Department, FBI, ATF and DEA. J. Christian Lampe and Robert M. Reeves, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, represented the United States in court proceedings.
This case was a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. 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.
###
Bucks County Ambulance Companies and their Owners Agree to $450K+ Judgment for Defrauding MedicareRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that ambulance companies Unicare Ambulance LLC and PA Paramedics LLC, d/b/a EasternCare Ambulance based in Bensalem, PA, their owners, Damon Wade, and Wade’s ex-wife, Amy Wade, also of Bensalem, have agreed to a judgment against them jointly and severally in the amount of $459,907.42 to resolve allegations made by the United States that they made repeated false statements to state and federal officials. As part of the settlement, each defendant has also agreed to a term of exclusion of not less than five years from all federal health care programs.
According to the allegations in the complaint filed in U.S. District Court, the defendants individually or collectively made repeated false statements, from September 2015 through August 2016, in order to avoid overpayment debts to the United States’ Medicare program and to hide the fact that Damon Wade’s state paramedic license had previously been suspended because he had admitted to forging a physician’s signature. When the Pennsylvania Department of Health eventually learned the truth, it immediately revoked Unicare’s ambulance license. Despite this revocation, Unicare continued to provide and bill Medicare for ambulance services, continued to make false statements about its ownership to state and federal authorities, and kept its fraudulently-obtained reimbursement funds.
The suspicious activity at Unicare and PA Paramedics was detected initially by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, its local Medicare Administrative Contractor (Novitas Solutions, Inc.), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the General Counsel. In early 2018, the CMS Center for Program Integrity revoked Unicare’s Medicare enrollment for three years for this abusive and fraudulent conduct, and suspended all pending pre-revocation Medicare payments to Unicare.
“Ownership disclosure and licensing requirements ensure that healthcare in Pennsylvania is provided by qualified, competent, and trustworthy professionals,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Attempts to undermine or defraud those systems put Pennsylvanians at risk and allow sleazy operators to continue providing services under new corporate identities. This settlement is the latest example of my Office’s commitment to using all of our enforcement tools to ensure that healthcare providers are legitimate and that any debts that they incur to American taxpayers are paid.”
“Medicare providers and suppliers cannot avoid repaying their overpayment debts by submitting false and misleading information in an attempt to mask their true identity,” said Alec Alexander, Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Director for its Center for Program Integrity. “As this case shows, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses its regulatory authorities and works closely with our partners, including the Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General, to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“Health companies that deceive regulators and taxpayers, as contended by the government in this case, cannot be tolerated,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Accordingly, the defendants have been barred from participating in all federal health programs for at least five years.”
This investigation was conducted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of General Counsel. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorneys Paul W. Kaufman and Matthew E. K. Howatt and auditor Denis Cooke handled the investigation and settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Bridgeport Woman Admits to Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced that LATRICE M. COLVIN, 32, of Bridgeport, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of mail fraud related to a credit card fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2015 and July 2017, Colvin used the internet, including the dark web, to obtain the personal identifying info of numerous victims. She then contacted credit card companies and used the victims’ information to change the mailing address on certain accounts to her own address, and also to apply for and obtain fraudulent credit cards in the names of victims. After fraudulently obtained cards were mailed to her residence, she used them and to buy merchandise in person and online, and to obtain cash advances at ATMs.
Through this scheme, Colvin defrauded 37 victims of a total of $24,796.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2019, at which time Colvin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Colvin is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Bergen County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Distributing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Barry Goldstein, 46, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of distribution of images of child sexual abuse. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2018 through August 2018, an undercover law enforcement officer (the “UC”) communicated over an instant messaging mobile application (the “IM App”) with Goldstein. The IM App allows users to transmit and receive content after users register a username. Goldstein maintained an account on the IM App, which was accessed from Internet Protocol addresses associated with Goldstein’s home.
In May and June 2018, after engaging in explicit conversations with the UC regarding the sexual abuse of children, Goldstein used his account on the IM App to share with the UC multiple files depicting child sexual abuse. On Aug. 29, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Goldstein’s residence, interviewed Goldstein and arrested him.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Goldstein to 15 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Baker City, Oregon Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Attempted Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
BOISE – Shawn Thomas Conaway, 45, of Baker City, Oregon, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to 60 months in federal prison for attempted travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered that Conaway be placed on supervised release for five years following his prison sentence. Conaway pleaded guilty on March 5, 2019.
According to court records, on November 3, 2018, a detective with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force posted an advertisement on Craigslist indicating a man and a woman had an interest in a sexual encounter in exchange for drugs. Conaway responded to the advertisement and communicated with the detective. The detective posed as a 19-year-old male, and as the male’s 15-year-old girlfriend. Conaway proposed having sexual contact with the 15-year-old, and offered to bring “weed and ADHD stuff” for the minor to use.
Conaway drove from Baker City to a specified location in Caldwell, Idaho, to meet the minor. Officers arrested Conaway and discovered a bag of marijuana and a prescription bottle containing amphetamine/dextroamphetamine. Conaway admitted traveling across the Oregon/Idaho border in an attempt to meet and have sexual contact with the 15-year-old in exchange for marijuana and ADHD medication.
At sentencing, Judge Winmill also ordered Conaway to forfeit the cellular phone he used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Conaway will be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was part of “Operation Grand Canyon,” a joint state and federal undercover operation conducted in Canyon County, Idaho in November of 2018 to identify individuals predisposed to meet minors for sexual contact. Participating agencies included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Caldwell Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office Special Investigation Unit, the Idaho Criminal Intelligence Center, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
The 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
# # #
Anesthesiologist Indicted for Alleged Role in $7 Million Telemedicine Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Anna Steiner, an anesthesiologist, was arraigned on an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for her alleged role in a telemedicine scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicare Part D plans and private insurance plans. Steiner was previously arrested on a complaint in April 2019, and was arraigned this morning before United States District Judge I. Leo Glasser.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations (HHS OIG), announced the indictment.
“As alleged, Steiner claimed to provide telemedicine services to patients, but in reality, her telecare was a fiction and the claims submitted to Medicare unnecessary and fraudulent,” said United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue vigorously investigating and prosecuting health care professionals who seek personal enrichment by stealing from a taxpayer-funded program.”
“Fraud against both public and private health care plans is not a victimless crime—the cost of doing business is ultimately transferred to members and taxpayers alike,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “More importantly, prescribing medication and medical equipment to patients for the sole purpose of turning a profit is not only unethical, it’s dangerous business. Today’s indictment is a victory for the FBI and our partners, the public at large, and those in the medical community who operate within the confines of the law.”
“When physicians boost their profits by billing federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary services, the Office of Inspector General, along with our law enforcement partners, will thoroughly investigate such deceptive schemes,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Lampert.
As alleged in the indictment, telemedicine is a service connecting medical providers with individuals who receive healthcare benefits through real-time, interactive audio and video telecommunications. Beginning in approximately January 2015, Steiner and other medical providers purported to practice telemedicine pursuant to agreements with an entity identified in the indictment as “Company-1” and others, in exchange for kickbacks paid for each purported telemedicine encounter with a beneficiary. In fact, Steiner and other medical providers signed numerous prescriptions and order forms for durable medical equipment (DME) and drugs for beneficiaries, when the DME and drugs were not medically necessary and not the result of an actual doctor-patient relationship or examination. Suppliers of DME and pharmacies then submitted to Medicare more than $7 million in claims, on behalf of more than 3,000 beneficiaries, including residents of the Eastern District of New York. Medicare paid more than $3 million on these claims.
The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Trial Attorney Andrew Estes of the Fraud Section is in charge of the prosecution.The Defendant:
ANNA STEINER (also known as “Hanna Wasielewska”)
Age: 63
Valatie, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-295 (ILG)
8 July 2019
Woman Found Guilty of Assaulting Social Security Administration EmployeeRead the Press Release
Latasha Long, 41, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was found guilty last week of assaulting an employee of the Social Security Administration (SSA), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining Schneider in the announcement was Christopher Kiah, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Police.
The two-day jury trial was conducted before U.S. District Judge Judith Levy in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The jury deliberated approximately 90 minutes before returning their verdict.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 14, 2018, Long entered the offices of the Social Security Administration in Ann Arbor to discuss issues about her eligibility to continue receiving disability benefits. During her interview, an employee with the SSA informed Long that she had reported income on her tax returns which was too high for her to remain eligible for disability payments. The SSA employee invited Long to provide more evidence of her work and income levels so that SSA could make a determination. Long offered some explanations for her tax returns but the SSA employee explained that the agency already had that information, and that she would need to provide additional evidence. Long became angry and began hurling insults at the employee, calling her a “psycho” and saying that the employee “was the one who should be receiving benefits.” When the employee stood up to close the interview window, Long struck the employee in the face with a large binder, and then grabbed the employee’s shirt, pulling her closer while punching and scratching the employee. The victim sustained bruising and abrasions to her face and arms. The assault was captured on security cameras.
The maximum penalty for assault is 8 years in prison. A sentencing date has been set for November 4, 2019.
The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Franzinger and Trevor Broad.
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by a Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Ronald Gene Frazier, age 38, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender. The Honorable Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Frazier to 24 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Frazier will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On about August 20, 2018, within the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Frazier assaulted a female victim who was Frazier’s intimate partner. Frazier broke the victim’s cellular telephone and hit and choked the victim. Prior to this incident, Frazier had been convicted of assaulting an intimate partner on three prior occasions.
The case was investigated by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Winnebago Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
United States Attorney General William Barr Visits South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney General William P. Barr traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, today for a breakfast with law enforcement officials and a visit to the United States Attorney’s Office. United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon hosted the breakfast with federal, state, and local law enforcement at the University of South Carolina School of Law. Officials discussed with Attorney General Barr the importance of the thriving partnerships between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement across the state in tackling violent crime and the opioid epidemic.
Following the breakfast, Attorney General Barr visited with the staff of the United States Attorney’s Office. He remarked that the Office’s brand is “excellence,” and that that brand is reflected in the many important cases the Office prosecutes each year. Attorney General Barr was briefed on some of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s biggest ongoing cases, including Operation Brace Yourself, which originated in South Carolina and is now the largest federal healthcare fraud investigation in the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The District of South Carolina is the second U.S. Attorney’s Office Attorney General Barr has visited since he was sworn in as the 85th Attorney General on February 14, 2019.
#####
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in a Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Two men from Eastpointe were sentenced today for their role in the robbery of a pharmacy and related drug offenses, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Sentenced were Larry Baker, III, age 21, and Devin Reed, age 19. Baker was sentenced to 72 months and Reed was sentenced to 60 months today. In addition to the prison sentences, both defendants were ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release. United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds of the Eastern District of Michigan imposed the sentences.
According to court records, in the early hours of June 26, 2018, Baker, Reed, and two other individuals broke into a Walgreens pharmacy located in Eastpointe, Michigan and stole two safes filled with prescription medications. They placed the safes in the bed of a stolen truck and drove away. Police encountered the truck and a pursuit ensured. During the pursuit, the safes containing the medications fell from the bed of the truck and broke open. The truck eventually lost control and crashed. Baker, Reed, and the two other individuals then fled on foot. After a foot chase, the police were able to stop and arrest the defendants. The total quantity of drugs taken was over 25,000 pills with a total value of more than $100,000. Many of the pills contained opioids like fentanyl, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.
The investigation of the case was conducted by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John Meixner prosecuted the case for the United States.
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to Payroll Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A computer software development company owner pleaded guilty today to failing to account for and pay over employment taxes withheld from his employees’ wages announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
According to documents and information provided to the Court, as the owner and operator of Tulsa-based Zealcon Corporation, Earenest J. Grayson Jr. was responsible for withholding, accounting for and paying over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes and withholdings due on the wages paid to Zealcon employees. For the period, January 2014 through June of 2016, Grayson intentionally caused a total tax loss of more than $1 million by intentionally not paying to the IRS income and social security taxes withheld from Zealcon employees’ wages and social security taxes due from Zealcon on those wages.
“Failing to account for or pay payroll taxes is not acceptable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “The Department of Justice, working with the IRS, will ensure that our tax system is fairly enforced throughout the country.”
“Earenest Grayson is a dishonest employer who cheated both his employees and the United States government of more than $1,000,000 in stolen payroll taxes. Some of those taxes were payments for the Social Security and Medicare coverage of the employees,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I hope Mr. Grayson’s potential prison sentence will dissuade other business owners from trying to cheat the system. Millions of honest small businesses pay their fair share of taxes to finance government operations as well as Social Security and Medicare for the elderly. Unfortunately, Mr. Grayson’s choice not to do so has subjected him to criminal penalties.”
United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan scheduled Grayson’s sentencing for Oct. 3, 2019.
The case was investigated by special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor Régal and Charles McLoughlin are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Three men from Northwest Ohio indicted after DEA seizes two kilos of cocaine, 20 firearms and $1.8 million in cashRead the Press Release
Three men from Northwest Ohio were indicted on drug conspiracy charges stemming from an investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than four pounds of cocaine, 20 firearms, three vehicles and more than $1.8 million in cash.
Brooke McBeth, 39, Montrel Jackson, 34, both of Toledo, and Tyson Reed, 43, of Fostoria, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The men are accused of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. This took place between April 2018 and January 25, 2019, according to the indictment.
Law enforcement seized approximately $1,843,900 in cash and 20 firearms, as well as a 2018 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2008 Dodge Nitro and a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle as part of the investigation, according to the indictment.
“Bricks of cocaine, piles of ill-gotten cash, and an arsenal of firearms are the hallmarks of a group that profited from drug trafficking,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “But actions have consequences, and these defendants are now charged with crimes and we will seek to hold them accountable.”
Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin said: “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand. This investigation highlights the impact that cocaine and firearms have on our community. This indictment is a message to drug dealers at large that you will be held accountable.”
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F. DeBaggis and Michael J. Freeman.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Drug Defendants Appear in Federal Court in HuntingtonRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – – Three defendants involved in various drug offenses appeared today in federal court in Huntington. Ellis Simmons, Jr., 49, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and prohibited possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In separate prosecutions, Brandon Ware entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and Shadeed Muhammad entered a guilty plea to attempting to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The FBI Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department conducted the Simmons and Ware investigations. The FBI Drug Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the Muhammad investigation.
“I have pledged my commitment to assist the City of Huntington in removing drug dealers from their streets,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “These prosecutions exemplify how hard we are working to do just that.”
In the Simmons prosecution, members of the FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 2317 Lincoln Avenue in Huntington on September 14, 2015. During the search, officers located Simmons and two additional individuals inside the residence. Officers seized approximately 25 grams of heroin and a .22 caliber pistol from a room where Simmons was located during the search. Simmons was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses and admitted to possessing the gun. Simmons also admitted that during the month of September 2015, he and others used the residence to distribute heroin.
In the Ware prosecution, Ware admitted that, from November 2014 to May of 2016, he conspired with others to distribute over 100 grams of heroin in the Huntington area. Ware frequently received quantities of heroin which had been transported from Detroit on consignment and Ware would distribute the heroin in Huntington. Ware then returned money from the sales to the source of the heroin from Detroit. Ware admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of up to 400 grams of heroin during the conspiracy.
In the Muhammad prosecution, Muhammad admitted that he mailed approximately one pound of methamphetamine from a post office in California to a residence in West Huntington on April 13, 2016. When the package arrived at the Huntington Post Office the next day, Postal Inspectors seized the package and discovered that it contained methamphetamine. Muhammad admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to an individual who was to receive the package at the West Huntington residence.
Ware faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison and Muhammad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison when they are sentenced on October 7, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecutions. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston, Texas, has entered a guilty plea to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
From August 2017 until his arrest in December 2017, Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya attempted to join and support ISIS, and provided information to other ISIS supporters about the use of machetes, the homemade construction of an automatic weapon and how to build and use explosive materials.
As part of his plans to join ISIS overseas, starting in approximately early August 2017, Damlarkaya had numerous online conversations with individuals he believed to be fellow ISIS supporters. During these discussions, he described his intentions to travel overseas to fight for ISIS in Syria or Afghanistan. Damlarkaya added that if he was unsuccessful in joining ISIS overseas, he would conduct an attack on non-Muslims in the United States and that it was his “dream” to be a martyr.
Damlarkaya also provided information to other ISIS supporters, on at least two separate occasions, about ways to manufacture a bomb. Specifically, he described how to make explosives formula using triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and cautioned the others to “take safety seriously while you make this” to be “useful until you can strike.”
Damlarkaya also provided other ISIS supporters with information about how to construct an automatic weapon. He also claimed that he could buy a “GIANT machete for $15” and stated “a lot of us are poor. . . or we don't have experience. So not all of us can get a gun or make explosives, but we can afford to buy a $15 knife.” He claimed that he slept with a machete under his pillow ready to use if law enforcement raided his house.
When agents arrested Damlarkaya, they executed a search warrant at his residence and found a machete by his bed.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the plea today and has set sentencing for Sept. 30, 2019. At that time, Damlarkaya faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alamdar Hamdani and Rob Jones are prosecuting the case along with DOJ Trial Attorneys Kevin Nunnally and Gregory Gonzalez of National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ernest Schaeffer, age 43, of Schuylkill Haven, was sentenced on July 2, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 15 years’ imprisonment followed by five years on supervised release for participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Schaeffer previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine between June and October 2016.
Judge Mannion explained that he imposed a sentence above the advisory guidelines range because during the course of the drug conspiracy Schaeffer held a woman captive for three days in a shed on his property and tortured her with electric shocks and a stun gun.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police in Schuylkill County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
# # #
San Bernardino County Man Caught with 14 Burrito-Shaped Methamphetamine Packages Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for narcotics and firearms offenses after police pulled him over near downtown Los Angeles and found 14 pounds of methamphetamine contained in 14 foil-wrapped, burrito-shaped packages in his SUV, and a fully loaded handgun hidden in a secret compartment in the driver’s side door.
Ricardo Renteria, 48, of Colton, was sentenced at a hearing today by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.
After a one-day bench trial in March 2019, Judge Phillips found Renteria guilty of three felonies: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the evidence presented at his trial, Los Angeles Police officers pulled Renteria over on February 3, 2018 in the Angelino Heights neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles after they witnessed him erratically and evasively driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe. Renteria consented to a search of the vehicle and law enforcement then found a black garbage bag on the floor behind the driver’s seat.
Inside the garbage bag were 14 foil-wrapped, burrito-shaped packages containing 6,197 grams (13.7 pounds) of methamphetamine with a street value ranging from $27,000 to $40,000. A subsequent search of the vehicle after it was impounded revealed the presence of a fully loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver handgun. Renteria was arrested at the scene and he was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2018. He remains in federal custody.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with substantial assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jehan M. Pernas of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, Kevin B. Reidy of the General Crimes Section, and Agustin D. Orozco of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 8, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Jonathan Anthony Jones, a/k/a D.J. Jones, age 29, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 22, 2019. He pled guilty on April 29, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in Mission, South Dakota, on November 16, 2018. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officers responded to a report of an intoxicated person at Mission City Park. Officers subsequently made contact with Jones, who was intoxicated and was walking with a small child. Jones was placed under arrest for child neglect and public intoxication and was placed in a patrol vehicle. Jones subsequently became belligerent and began kicking the door of the patrol vehicle. The officer stopped the vehicle and opened the door to gain Jones’ compliance, at which point Jones kicked the officer.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Jones was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 3, 2019, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Travis Bird In Ground, age 20, was sentenced to 2 years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Bird In Ground was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 13, 2019. He pled guilty on July 3, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 25, 2018, Bird In Ground did forcibly assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a law enforcement officer who was employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and that such conduct involved physical contact.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Robbery was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Miles Michael Goings, age 25, was sentenced on June 28, 2019, to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and restitution to the victims on each count.
Goings was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2018. The charges related to Goings robbing the victim in his residence on June 10, 2018, at Pine Ridge. Goings took the victim’s property, and then assaulted him by kicking him in the face before stealing his vehicle. On July 21, 2018, Goings was again at Pine Ridge and robbed another victim at Pizza Hut by forcibly taking her vehicle from the parking lot.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Cassandra DeCoste prosecuted the case.
Goings was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Short-Barrel ShotgunRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Scott Schauer, age 48, was sentenced on July 2, 2019, to 2 and 1/2 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charge related to Schauer knowingly being in possession of a short-barrel shotgun. Additionally Schauer was involved with trading methamphetamine for two Kahr semi-automatic pistols which had been stolen from The Rooster at Rapid City in August 2018.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Schauer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Kyle Tobacco, age 25, was sentenced on July 3, 2019, to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charge related to Tobacco, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, being in possession of a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol at Rapid City in September 2018.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Tobacco was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on July 3, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Timothy George Bender, age 56, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stemmed from Bender communicating with someone he believed to be a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts and requesting that the minor send pornographic images to Bender.
The investigation was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case.
Bender was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography was sentenced on July 2, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Eric Afrank, age 24, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Afrank was one of nine men who were arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2017 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting persons willing to pay to have sex with underage girls or boys obtained through the Internet. The conviction stemmed from Afrank communicating with someone he believed to be a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts and requesting that the minor send pornographic images to Afrank.
The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case.
Afrank was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Providence Man Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl and FirearmsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man appeared in federal court in Providence today and admitted to selling fentanyl and firearms on multiple occasions to an individual assisting the FBI Safe Streets Task Force during a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into the trafficking of drugs and firearms in Providence.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Jean Sajous, 28, admitted to the Court that between May 24, 2018 and June 20, 2018, he made multiple sales of fentanyl and on two occasions sold a firearm to a confidential source assisting the Safe Streets Task Force.
Sajous admitted to the Court that he sold the individual a total of 5.34 grams of fentanyl. Sajous also admitted to selling the individual a .25 caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol. Following each transaction, the fentanyl and the firearms were immediately seized by Safe Streets Task Force agents.
Sajous’s guilty plea to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, one count of unlicensed firearms dealing, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta.
Sajous, who has been detained in federal custody since his arraignment in U.S. District Court on October 2, 2018, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 24, 2019.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Helen H. Lee and Terrence P. Donnelly.
Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
###
Porcupine Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Don Williams, age 47, was sentenced on July 1, 2019, to 15 ½ years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2018. The charge related to Williams grabbing a female victim and forcing her to his bedroom. Williams struck her in the head, causing her to lose consciousness. She awoke to Williams sexually abusing her.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Cassandra DeCoste prosecuted the case.
Williams was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Charge for Stealing Critically Endangered Ring-Tailed LemurRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Newport Beach man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for breaking into the Santa Ana Zoo after hours and stealing North America’s oldest-living ring-tailed lemur in captivity in order to keep the endangered animal as a pet.
Aquinas Kasbar, 19, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawfully taking an endangered species. United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford has scheduled an October 28 sentencing hearing, where Kasbar will face a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine.
Kasbar admitted in his plea agreement that he broke into the Santa Ana Zoo on July 27, 2018 after it had closed for the day. Kasbar used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the zoo’s enclosures for lemurs and capuchin monkeys, which enabled several of the animals to escape, though they were later recovered, court documents state.
Kasbar then stole Isaac, a 32-year-old, ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta), and North America’s oldest ring-tailed lemur in captivity. (A lemur’s life span typically is 20 to 25 years.) The ring-tailed lemur is on a list of the 25 most endangered primates, and ring-tailed lemurs are endangered, in part, because of the illegal pet trade, the plea agreement states.
Kasbar then placed Isaac in a plastic drawer that lacked ventilation holes, court papers state. The next day, Kasbar abandoned the animal in front of a Newport Beach hotel, leaving him in the same plastic drawer with two notes placed on it, which read, “Lemur (with tracker)” and “This belongs to the Santa Ana Zoo it was taken last night please bring it to police,” according to court documents. Kasbar’s actions resulted in a loss to the Santa Ana Zoo of approximately $8,486. Isaac later was returned unharmed to the zoo.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Newport Beach Police Department, and the Santa Ana Police Department.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Erik M. Silber of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Bank and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Today, an Ohio man admitted in federal court that he collectively defrauded a Kentucky bank and seventeen individuals and businesses in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin of more than $4.6 million.
Anthony McQuaid, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge David Bunning. McQuaid admitted he executed a scheme to defraud Town Square Bank, of Ashland, Kentucky, to obtain a loan for $1 million, in 2014. McQuaid also admitted he developed and executed a scheme to defraud Auto Now Acceptance Co., LLC, of Portsmouth, Ohio, of $850,200, in 2017. According to the plea agreement, between November 2014 and June 2018, McQuaid defrauded 17 other individuals in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, through various fraud schemes. In total, McQuaid admitted his schemes caused a loss of at least $4,698,055.
McQuaid was charged by way of information in the Eastern District of Kentucky and the Southern District of Ohio, waiving his right to indictment by a federal grand jury.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph E. Moriarty, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Investigations, Chicago Region; James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FDIC and the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry.
McQuaid is scheduled to be sentenced for 10:00 am on November 12, 2019, in federal court in Ashland, Kentucky. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes.
North Dakota Man Sentenced in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Killdeer, North Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Dustin Eck, age 35, was sentenced on July 2, 2019, to 9 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charge related to Eck obtaining methamphetamine in Denver, Colorado, and selling it to individuals in South Dakota between December 2017 and March 2018. Eck was discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine after a traffic stop near Rapid City on March 8, 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case.
Eck was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New Orleans Pair Plead Guilty to Bank Larceny in Theft of over $200,000 Using Patient Information Stolen from Metairie Medical ClinicRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that BRANDON LIVAS, age 34 and ROYALE LASSAI, age 29, both from New Orleans, Louisiana pled guilty as charged to a one count Bill of Information Wednesday, July 3, 2019. They were charged in 2018 by a Bill of Information with Bank Larceny, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(b). The third defendant, ASHLEY GREEN, age 36 is scheduled for a change of plea hearing in October 2019.
In papers filed with the court signed by LASSAI and LIVAS , they admitted that LASSAI was employed in a Metairie, Louisiana medical clinic. LASSAI, without authority, obtained personal information of patients including dates of birth, social security numbers and addresses. LASSAI sold the information to her cousin, GREEN who used this information to fraudulently obtain debit cards issued by the victim banks, Capital One and Whitney. These fraudulently obtained cards were mailed to an address controlled by GREEN. GREEN and LIVAS then used the cards to withdraw at least $200,000 from the victims’ accounts. LASSAI was paid at least $1,000 to pilfer the patient’s information.
LIVAS and LASSAI face up to ten (10) years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, restitution and three (3) years supervised release. Sentencing is set for October 21, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service in investigating the matter. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr.
* * *
New Caney Man Gets Significant Sentence for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 21-year-old local man has been ordered to federal prison for producing child pornography after exchanges on a social media site, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Thomas Anthony Garrett pleaded guilty April 3, 2019.
“If parents or guardians are going to allow their minor children on social media, they must be very vigilant,” said Patrick. “No young child should have unsupervised access to social media and they should not have any accounts a trusted adult cannot access at any time. Sadly, there are too many predators out there that exploit children this way.”
Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt handed Garrett a sentence of 220 months. The court heard evidence regarding a pattern of abuse which rendered Garrett a repeat and dangerous sex offender. Garrett had also sexually abused two other minor males – ages nine and 12.
Garrett will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Garrett will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Garrett came to the attention of law enforcement in July 2016. A relative of a 12-year-old male victim had found inappropriate messages and pictures on the minor’s iPod and brought it to authorities in Pennsylvania.
At that time, law enforcement reviewed contents of Facebook Messenger interactions between the victim and an individual later determined to be Garrett. The exchanges included several sexually-explicit images which Garrett had requested and the 12-year-old victim provided. The files included exposed genitals and a video of the minor masturbating.
Through the investigation, authorities learned Garrett met the minor victim on Facebook.
Garrett has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Southwestern Regional Police Department in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, York County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI conducted the investigation.Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Nepalese Man Pleads Guilty to Marriage Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Eilove Shrestha, 28, recently of Cupertino, California, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to marriage fraud and to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.
According to court records, on June 20, 2018, Shrestha, a Nepalese citizen then lawfully in the United States in a temporary status, agreed to pay a United States citizen $13,000 to marry him so he could obtain permanent resident status, also known as, a “green card.” Four days later, Shrestha flew to Maine and the two were married the next day. Before and after the wedding, Shrestha paid the United States citizen hundreds of dollars via wire transfers, while he continued to live and work in another state.
Shrestha faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Brewer Police Department.
Navajo Man from Pueblo Pintado, N.m., Indicted on Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nathan Thomas, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pueblo Pintado, N.M., was arraigned in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on July 16, 2019, on an indictment charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. Thomas was ordered detained pending trial during a detention hearing held this morning.
Thomas was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2019, and the FBI arrested him on July 11, 2019.
According to the indictment, Thomas allegedly engaged in or attempted to engage in a sexual act with a child under the age of 12 years on three occasions between 2007 and 2010, and allegedly had sexual contact with the child one occasion during the same time period. The indictment alleges that Thomas committed the crimes in Indian Country in San Juan County.
Thomas faces up to life in prison if convicted of the charged offenses. Charges in indictments are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Gallup office of the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros is prosecuting the case.
Montgomery County Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte today sentenced Jerail Melik Netcliff age 28, of Rockville, Maryland, to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for an armed bank robbery, and for violating his supervised release from a previous federal conviction. In that case, on March 10, 2017, Netcliff was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea on the morning of January 24, 2019, Netcliff robbed a bank in Derwood, Maryland. Netcliff approached the victim teller, pointed a black handgun at the teller and other customers, and demanded $10,000 with no bait money. Fearing for her safety, the teller gave Netcliff $10,000 in cash and Netcliff fled the bank on foot.
As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement officers responding to the scene tracked footprints behind the bank which led to the discovery of surveillance video from a residence. The video showed the armed robber enter a white U-Haul van, with artwork on the rear driver’s side of the van. U-Haul confirmed to law enforcement that the artwork on the van was specific to only one van in their inventory, which was rented to Netcliff on January 24, 2019 in Rockville. Video surveillance of the U-Haul transaction revealed that Netcliff was wearing the same clothing he wore to rob the bank later that day.
Netcliff was charged and arrested at his place of employment in Bethesda, Maryland on January 25, 2019. Search warrants were executed at Netcliff’s residence and on a backpack seized at his place of employment when he was arrested. Law enforcement located a U-Haul rental agreement and a replica black handgun at Netcliff’s home and recovered $2,770 in cash, Netcliff’s Maryland driver’s license, and gloves consistent with those worn by the robber in the bank surveillance video.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI’s Cross Border Task Force and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Sykes and Thomas M. Sullivan, who prosecuted the case.
# # #
Mission Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender was sentenced on July 8, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Jodie Brave, a/k/a Jody Brave, age 48, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brave was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2018. He pled guilty on January 23, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on June 29, 2018, wherein Brave assaulted his domestic partner at their home in Mission. At the time of this incident, Brave had two prior convictions in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court for Domestic Abuse, and was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction for Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Brave was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 8, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Dayvon Sanchez, age 20, was sentenced to time served through October 1, 2019 (approximately 7 months), in federal prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 14, 2018. He pled guilty on April 29, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in Mission, on November 19, 2017. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officers responded to a report that Sanchez had taken a vehicle and was driving drunk. The officers subsequently located Sanchez at a residence in Mission and informed him he was under arrest. Sanchez physically resisted, and kicked one of the officers.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Sanchez was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middlesex County Couple Charged with Selling Misbranded and Unapproved New Drugs and Running Drug Manufacturing Facility in Their BasementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, husband and wife were indicted today in connection with a scheme to market and distribute misbranded drugs and unapproved new drugs and manufacture drugs in an unregistered facility, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Keith Kovaleski, 55, and Sylvia Kovaleski, 41, of South Amboy, New Jersey, each were charged with one count of conspiring to distribute and cause the receipt and delivery of misbranded drugs and unapproved new drugs, and to impede the functions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 10 counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce, four counts of introducing unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce, and one count of manufacturing drugs without registering with the secretary of HHS. In January 2019, Keith Kovaleski was charged in a federal complaint with conspiracy and was released on bail. Both defendants will be arraigned at a date to be determined.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The FDA is responsible for enforcing the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), a law intended to assure that drugs are safe, effective, and bear accurate labeling containing all required information. The FDA regulates the manufacture, labeling, and distribution of all drugs shipped or received in interstate commerce.
From May 2014 to January 2019, the Kovaleskis owned and operated AA Peptide LLC, a/k/a All American Peptide (AAP). AAP used its website to market and distribute substances primarily used by bodybuilders and others engaged in weight training to enhance performance and mitigate the side effects of performance-enhancing substances.
The AAP website included a bogus legal disclaimer that its products were intended for laboratory research use only, and not as drugs or food. The Kovaleskis employed the bogus “research chemicals” disclaimer to conceal that they and others were distributing misbranded drugs and unapproved new drugs for use by their customers.
The Kovaleskis, though AAP, sold products including: (1) prescription drugs, such as tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis; (2) SARMS, used by body-builders as an alternative to steroids; (3) peptides, also used as performance-enhancing substances; and (4) other drugs that were not peptides or SARMS, and had not been approved for human use, for example, clenbuterol, a drug sold in foreign markets but not approved by the FDA. The Kovaleskis failed to provide adequate directions for use for these products, such as frequency of administration and other dosage information.
The Kovaleskis used their South Amboy basement as a manufacturing facility to make and label AAP products, including homemade capsules containing baking soda and tadalafil. The Kovaleskis sold tadalafil capsules that contained significantly higher dosages of the active ingredient than the highest recommended dosage.
The Kovaleskis earned more $2.5 million through the sale of misbranded and unapproved new drugs.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison. Each count of introduction of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce, introduction of unapproved new drugs in interstate commerce, and operating an unregistered drug manufacturing facility carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum potential fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey J. Ebersole,; special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Waters; and postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, Newark Division, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen D. Stringer and Cari Fais, of the Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican National Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national man pled guilty to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Eduardo Rios-Rios, 26, was immediately sentenced to a “time served” sentence, having served nearly four months in federal custody. He was remanded to ICE custody for removal proceedings from the United States. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Kenova Police Department.
“We prosecute one line-skipper after another,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And we will continue to do so until they enter our country legally.”
On March 30, 2019, Rios-Rios was found in Kenova, Wayne County, West Virginia by local police during a traffic stop. He gave the police an alias and was ultimately arrested and taken to the Western Regional Jail. ICE agents matched his fingerprints to those of Eduardo Rios-Rios, who had been previously removed from the United States. ICE agents spoke to the defendant to confirm his identity. Rio-Rios admitted to being in the United States illegally and that he had used an alias. Rios-Rios had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprinting matched Rios-Rios to a prior removal from the United States in 2011 from El Paso, Texas. Rios-Rios was found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and he was deported to Mexico. He had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Rios-Rios further admitted to ICE agents that he was a Mexican citizen.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
###