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26 June 2019
Newberry Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Federal Firearm Charge Stemming from Vista ShootingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Maleik Houseal, age 23, of Newberry, was sentenced to almost 6 ½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented to the court showed at approximately 2:12 am on September 16, 2017, a shooting between a group of rival gang members from Newberry occurred outside the Empire Supper Club in the Vista entertainment district of Columbia. It was a college football weekend and the Vista area was full of people. All total, seven individuals, including Houseal, were shot during the incident. The investigation revealed that Houseal had been shot in the hip two weeks earlier and was involved in an ongoing gang dispute in Newberry. The investigation showed that when the club closed at 2:00 am, as people spilled out onto the sidewalks, Houseal went to the parking lot and retrieved a firearm from the top of a car tire, where he had stored it. Houseal, armed with the firearm, returned to the sidewalk area outside of the club, where he encountered the other group of individuals from Newberry, who were headed to their cars in the parking lot. As the other group left the club parking lot, they fired weapons from their cars in Houseal’s direction, striking Houseal and others. Houseal ran after the cars while firing his 9mm handgun in their direction, discharging all 15 rounds. He then discarded the handgun in a pile of chairs outside the club, where it was later recovered.
Federal law prohibits Houseal from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree, carrying a firearm in a public building/adjacent area, carrying an unlawful weapon (two separate convictions), burglary 3rd degree, obstruction of justice, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. At the time of the September 2017 shooting, Houseal was both on state probation and on state bonds for incidents that occurred after his release from the South Carolina Department of Corrections in May 2017.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Houseal to 77 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. In denying Houseal’s motion for a reduced sentence based upon his assertion that the other group fired shots first and that he was merely defending himself, Judge Lewis stated, “to pop off 15 rounds in a crowded area is about the most irresponsible and careless and thoughtless thing you could do.” Noting Houseal’s extensive criminal record at the age of 23 and his propensity for firearms, the court stated “you’re exactly the reason we have [firearm] laws like that.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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New Kensington Man Charged with Heroin PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A former resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Kevin Watson, age 29, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about April 26, 2019, Watson possessed with intent distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than five years and not more than life in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Czarnecki is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Haven Man Indicted for Crack Cocaine OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury sitting New Haven returned an indictment today charging KEISHAN SULLIVAN, also known as “Stack Boy Kee,” 24, of New Haven, with one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
As alleged in court documents, in January 2019, members of the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine and heroin from Sullivan. On May 2, 2019, a court-authorized search of Sullivan’s residence revealed approximately 94 grams of crack cocaine, 485 grams of marijuana, $14,000 in cash, digital scales and other items used to process and package drugs for street sale. Sullivan was arrested on state charges on that date and was subsequently released on bond.
It is further alleged that, on June 5, 2019, investigators conducted another controlled purchase of crack from Sullivan.
Sullivan has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on June 13, 2019.
The charge of with one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Natchitoches man sentenced to 25 years in prison for methamphetamine, firearm offensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Reginald T. Warren, 37, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday to 300 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents with the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on March 7, 2018, for Reginald Warren’s residence in Natchitoches. Agents found a total of more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine in the residence. They also found a loaded Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver in close proximity to 1 pound of the methamphetamine. Warren admitted to possessing the illegal drugs and firearm at a March 21, 2019 guilty plea hearing.
Warren’s co-defendant Temisan Smith, 32, of Pasadena, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ecstasy on December 13, 2018. According to her guilty plea, she was transporting illegal drugs at Warren’s direction that same day from the Houston area to Natchitoches Parish when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. Agents found a shoebox in the trunk containing approximately 16,000 ecstasy pills and a pint of suspected promethazine syrup.
“Illegal drugs are wreaking havoc on our communities and prosecuting those responsible for selling this poison is a priority of our office,” Joseph stated. “This defendant will be spending 25 years in prison for his crimes. I want to thank the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and the Natchitoches Parish District Attorney’s Office for their hard work and collaboration with federal law enforcement and my office in this case.”
“Methamphetamine brings turmoil into the lives of those who are addicted to or live around it,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said. “DEA, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to attack the scourge of methamphetamine distribution in the Western District of Louisiana and beyond. The lengthy sentencing of this individual should be a warning to those who want to sell drugs. We are going to catch you and put you in prison for a long time if you distribute this poison in our communities. ”
“I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts in this case and for their ongoing partnership with us in investigating and prosecuting illegal narcotics cases in Natchitoches Parish,” said Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington. “I also thank the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force for their continued relentless work in identifying and arresting narcotics traffickers and, in effect, curbing the flow illegal narcotics in our parish.”
Smith was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release on April 15, 2019.
The DEA, Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in Texas conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Middletown Rheumatologist Admits Defrauding Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRISPIN ABARIENTOS, M.D., 44, of Middletown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Abarientos owns and operates Middlesex Rheumatology in Middletown. One of the medications that Abarientos prescribes to his Middlesex Rheumatology patients is Remicade, an injectable prescription medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. When treating Medicaid patients with Remicade, Abarientos was required to submit a claim to Connecticut Medicaid for Remicade on behalf of each member patient. Medicaid then sent payment to Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy in Massachusetts, which delivered the quantity of Remicade contained in the claim directly to Middlesex Rheumatology for the Medicaid patient without any out-of-pocket cost to Abarientos.
Between September 2013 and January 2018, Abarientos and his medical practice submitted to Medicaid false claims for the delivery to Middlesex Rheumatology of Remicade that Abarientos represented was to be provided to his Medicaid patients, when he knew that those Medicaid patients were not being treated with Remicade. Through this scheme, Abarientos obtained approximately $894,789 of Remicade to which he was not entitled. Abarientos then proceeded to infuse the fraudulently obtained Remicade into Medicare patients or patients with commercial insurers, and submitted claims to those insurers for reimbursement, which he was able to keep as profit for himself.
Abarientos subsequently attempted to hide the scheme from investigators by submitting documents that had been falsified to make it appear as if the patients he utilized to obtain the Remicade from Medicaid were being treated with the medication when they were not.
Abarientos is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 30, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Michigan Patient Recruiter Sentenced to Prison for $1.5 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A Michigan patient recruiter was sentenced to 60 months in prison today for her role in a scheme involving approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care that were procured through the payment of kickbacks.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Office made the announcement.
Sophia Eggleston, 57, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman of the Eastern District of Michigan, who also ordered Eggleston to pay approximately $1.5 million in restitution. In November 2018, following a three-day trial, Eggleston was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to receive health care kickbacks and two counts of receipt of health care kickbacks.
According to evidence presented at trial and at the sentencing hearing, from 2009 to 2012, Eggleston and her co-conspirators engaged in an illegal kickback scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $1.5 million through fraudulent home health claims. The evidence showed that Eggleston solicited and received kickbacks in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries to serve as patients at a home health agency owned by her co-conspirators. Eggleston’s co-conspirators then submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services that were purportedly provided to those beneficiaries.
The court ordered that Eggleston repay as restitution the total amount that the home health agencies received from the Medicare program from her referrals.
The FBI, HHS-OIG and IRS-CI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Trial Attorney Howard Locker of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Metro Denver Man Heads to Federal Prison for Making Counterfeit Money and Digital Images of CurrencyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Robert Stephen Lux, age 39, and a resident of Las Vegas, was sentenced yesterday to serve 37 months in federal prison for making, passing or possessing nearly $14,000 in counterfeit money and possessing digital images of currency, announced U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn and U.S. Secret Service Denver Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert. Lux appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 24, 2018. He pled guilty to all 47 counts as charged by the grand jury on March 12, 2019. He was sentenced yesterday, June 25, 2019.
According to court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on September 21, 2018, the U.S. Secret Service was contacted by the Castle Rock Police Department about two people whom they had arrested for trying to use counterfeit money at a Kohl’s store. Arrested were Lux, who was charged in U.S. District Court in Denver, and Jessica Wright, who was charged in state court. During a search of Lux’s vehicle incident to arrest officers found counterfeit money that did not have the correct watermark; there were no embedded fibers in the paper; the money had no color shifting ink, and the coloring and feel of the paper were not correct.
In addition to the counterfeit money, authorities found two HP printers, multiple USB thumb drives with digital images of U.S. money on them, a computer, a cell phone, and various receipts from retail stores, including Kohls, Walmart and Best Buy.
“We must protect the integrity of our currency, to include prosecuting those who try to duplicate it,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.
“Counterfeit U.S. currency is a continued threat to the U.S. financial system, and the Secret Service will aggressively pursue those responsible for its production and possession,” said U.S. Secret Service Denver Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert. “Furthermore, the Secret Service commends the diligent actions of the Castle Rock Police Department for initiating and assisting with this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Castle Rock Police Department. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway.
Massage Parlor Owner Sentenced on Federal Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A woman who operated massage parlors in Lawrence and Topeka was sentenced today to three years on federal probation for operating a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, the defendant agreed to pay a $650,000 judgement, which represents the proceeds of the crime.
Weiling Nielsen, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. Nielsen owned and operated Naima Asian Massage and Serenity Health Spa in Lawrence, as well as Jasmine Massage in Topeka. In her plea, she admitted the massage parlors provided sexual services to customers for payment in cash. Nielsen and others advertised the services on the internet. Nielsen and her husband deposited cash into various bank accounts and purchased money orders for deposit in bank accounts in California.
McAllister commended the FBI, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Topeka Police Department, the Salina Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Mario Ambrosio Lewis Sentenced to Serve 20 Years in Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Greeneville, Tenn. – Mario Ambrosio Lewis, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on June 25, 2019, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lewis pleaded guilty in March of 2019 to distributing fentanyl to Calvin Richard Campbell. Campbell admitted to a Bristol PD Detective and an agent of the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force that he had provided the substance, which contained fentanyl, to the victim. Campbell identified Lewis as his heroin supplier and the source of the fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a Bristol woman on April 23, 2017, due to acute fentanyl toxicity.
Agents of the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Bristol Tennessee Detectives and the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office began an undercover and financial investigation into Lewis and his drug trafficking and were joined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the course of the investigation. Campbell pleaded guilty in Sullivan County Criminal Court to 2nd degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey commended investigators on their dedication and tenacity. U.S. Attorney Overbey also noted that, unfortunately law enforcement agencies are facing more and more cases where drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other illegal drugs to increase profits. This business decision by drug dealers sometimes has deadly consequences. Often users and lower level dealers are not aware that the drugs contain fentanyl.
Since this death occurred, the Drug Overdose Death Task Force has been formed in Sullivan County. The task force is headed by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and funded by grants from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Initiative. HIDTA provides federal funds to state and local law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle drug organizations. The District Attorney’s Office and all other law enforcement in Sullivan County have partnered with TBI under this initiative to aggressively identify and target those who place profit above the value of human life. U.S. Attorney Overbey has pledged the continued support of his office and our federal partners in this effort.
Agencies involved in this investigation included the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Bristol Tennessee Police Department, the Second Judicial District Attorney Office, ATF and DEA. B. Todd Martin and Robert Reeves, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, represented the United States.
Manhattan Doctor Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes and Kickbacks from Pharmaceutical Company in Exchange for Prescribing Fentanyl DrugRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TODD SCHLIFSTEIN, a doctor who practiced in Manhattan, pled guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a scheme to prescribe Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray, in exchange for bribes and kickbacks from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics. SCHLIFSTEIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted today, Todd Schlifstein prescribed patients a powerful fentanyl drug in exchange for bribes and kickbacks from the drug’s manufacturer. This case shows that doctors who let illegal payments corrupt their medical judgment will be held accountable.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment against SCHLIFSTEIN and filings in related proceedings:
The Insys Speakers Bureau
Subsys, which is manufactured by Insys, is a powerful painkiller approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The FDA approved Subsys only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients. Prescriptions of Subsys typically cost thousands of dollars each month, and Medicare and Medicaid, as well as commercial insurers, reimbursed prescriptions written by SCHLIFSTEIN.
In or about August 2012, Insys launched a “Speakers Bureau,” a roster of doctors who would conduct programs (“Speaker Programs”) purportedly aimed at educating other practitioners about Subsys. In reality, Insys used its Speakers Bureau to induce the doctors who served as speakers to prescribe large volumes of Subsys by paying them Speaker Program fees. Speakers were supposed to conduct an educational slide presentation for other health care practitioners at each Speaker Program. In reality, many of the Speaker Programs were predominantly social affairs where no educational presentation about Subsys occurred. Attendance sign-in sheets for the Speaker Programs were frequently forged by adding the names and signatures of health care practitioners who had not actually been present.
SCHILFSTEIN’s Participation in the Scheme
SCHLIFSTEIN, a doctor certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, worked at a medical office in Manhattan. From in or about March 2014 until in or about September 2015, SCHLIFSTEIN received approximately $127,100 in Speaker Program fees from Insys in exchange for prescribing large volumes of Subsys. SCHLIFSTEIN became approximately the 19th-highest prescriber of Subsys nationally in the second quarter of 2015, accounting for approximately $593,373 in total net sales of the drug during that quarter.
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SCHILFSTEIN, 50, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. SCHLIFSTEIN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Wood on September 26, 2019.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General for its participation in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Solowiejczyk and David Abramowicz are in charge of the prosecution.
MS-13 Associate Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping Conspiracy, in Connection with the Murder of an Individual He Believed to Be A Rival Gang MemberRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Neris Moreno-Martinez, age 22, of West New York, New Jersey, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to kidnap.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Baltimore Office; Acting Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to court documents, Moreno-Martinez was a paro in the L.A. clique of MS-13. His co-defendants also were in the gang; Jose Israel Melendez-Rivera, a/k/a “Liar,” was an observation, and Reynaldo Granados-Vasquez, a/k/a “Fuego,” was a paro. In the summer of 2016, Moreno-Martinez told Melendez-Rivera about the victim, Jordy Mejia, whom Moreno-Martinez alleged was a member of the rival 18th Street gang, although there is no evidence to suggest that was true. Prior to October 1, 2016, Moreno-Martinez created a social media account in the name “Shaila Smith.” Between October 2 and October 15, 2016, Moreno-Martinez posed as Shaila Smith and through social media expressed to Mejia that Shaila Smith was romantically interested in Mejia. Melendez-Rivera admitted that he and Granados-Vasquez were aware of the ruse and that the goal was to trick Mejia into coming to Maryland where the three intended to murder Mejia.
According to court documents, Moreno-Martinez traveled to Maryland to meet Melendez-Rivera on October 15, 2016. Later that day, at the direction of Moreno-Martinez posing as Shaila Smith, Mejia also traveled to Melendez-Rivera’s address in Gaithersburg, where he was told someone would pick him up. While Mejia waited to be picked-up, Melendez-Rivera drove his co-defendants to a residence near a wooded area where the two were to lay in wait for Mejia, then drove back to his apartment, picked up Mejia, and drove back to the wooded area where his co-defendants were waiting.
After Moreno-Martinez lured Mejia into the wooded area, the co-defendants murdered Mejia.
Melendez-Rivera, age 21, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Granados-Vasquez, age 23, of Gaithersburg, have also pleaded guilty to the kidnapping conspiracy. Melendez-Rivera has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison; Granados-Vasquez is to be sentenced on July 9, 2019.
Background on MS-13
MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. Cliques of MS-13 often work together cooperatively with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs. MS-13’s creed is based on one of its mottos, “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” which translates to, “kill, steal, rape, control.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
Prospective members who sought to join MS-13 were required to complete an initiation process. Individuals who associated with and were friends of the gang were called “paisas.” Individuals who did favors and other acts for the gang were called “paros.” Persons being observed by the gang for potential membership were called “observations,” and individuals who had advanced to the final level before being “jumped in” were called “chequeos,” or “cheqs.” To become a full member of MS-13 or a “homeboy,” prospective members were required to complete an initiation process, often referred to as being “jumped in,” during which other MS-13 members would beat the new member, usually until a gang member finished counting aloud to the number 13.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Gaithersburg Police Department and the Guttenburg, New Jersey Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Long Term Care Pharmacy Settles Improper Dispensing and Recordkeeping AllegationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached a $75,000 civil settlement today with Preferred Pharmacy Solutions, LLC (PPS), a Haverhill long-term care pharmacy, in connection with the improper dispensing of controlled substances and flawed recordkeeping.
“Whether they are retail, mail order, or long-term care pharmacies like this one, we will strictly enforce regulatory requirements for storing and dispensing controlled substances because of the potential for abuse,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Among other things, enforcement in this area limits opportunities for pharmacy employees to steal medication, which in turn prevents diversion, keeping both patients and the public safer.”
“DEA registrants are responsible to handle controlled substances and ensure that complete and accurate records are being properly kept and accounted for in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes the public health and safety. Today’s settlement demonstrates DEA’s pledge to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners in Massachusetts to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.”
According to the settlement, DEA conducted an audit of several drugs maintained by PPS at its Haverhill location. The government’s audit revealed discrepancies for six controlled substances, including fentanyl. In addition, PPS failed to disclose on its DEA registration renewal form that its part owner, Norman Mason, previously had his pharmacy license and DEA registration revoked. The government contends that PPS violated other recordkeeping requirements, such as failing to obtain a hard copy prescription after filling a phone order for controlled substances, filling prescriptions for controlled substances with an incorrect or inaccurate DEA registration number, and storing records off-site without the permission of DEA.
PPS cooperated with the DEA’s investigation and has agreed to implement a corrective action plan to come into compliance with the recordkeeping requirements of the Controlled Substance Act. PPS also agreed to permit the DEA to perform inspections of the pharmacy during the next three years without a warrant.
U.S. Attorney Lelling and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Driscoll of Lelling’s Civil Division handled the case.
Littleton Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Christian Taveras-Polanco, a/k/a Lemuel Cruz Cepeda, 40, of Littleton, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2018, law enforcement officers surveilled Taveras-Polanco driving around the Littleton, New Hampshire, area in a gold Hummer registered to Lemuel Cruz Cepeda and stopping at two residences for a brief time. A traffic stop was conducted on the Hummer, and Taveras-Polanco initially identified himself as a citizen of the United States named Lemuel Cruz Cepeda. A consent search of the vehicle revealed 140 grams of cocaine. Taveras-Polanco was arrested and later admitted that he is a citizen of the Dominican Republic named Christian Taveras-Polanco, not a United States citizen named Lemuel Cruz Cepeda. Officers obtained a search warrant for Taveras-Polanco’s residence and located 302 additional grams of cocaine there.
Taveras-Polanco previously pleaded guilty on March 18, 2019. The defendant also forfeited over $7,000 in U.S. currency. After serving his sentence, he faces likely deportation to the Dominican Republic.
“Cocaine is an illegal drug that can have devastating consequences to a user’s health,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Dealers who trade in this substance also undermine public safety. In order to protect our citizens, we will aggressively prosecute dealers, seeking prison sentences in order to deter their trafficking activities.”
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes.
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KC Man Pleads Guilty to $388,000 Scrap Metal SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $388,000 from his employer in a scheme to redeem scrap metal.
Russell R. Fotovich, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in the wire fraud conspiracy and to filing a false tax return.
By pleading guilty today, Fotovich admitted he conspired with others from April 2011 to June 2016 to redeem scrap metal belonging to his employer, DST Systems, Inc., and keep a major portion of the proceeds for themselves. Conspirators should have turned in all receipts and proceeds of the scrap redemption transactions to DST, which totaled $563,556. However, they turned in only 39 of 137 receipts, and only $174,910 of the proceeds, causing a $388,645 loss to DST.
Fotovich also pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Fotovich admitted he did not declare the embezzled income on federal income tax returns.
Fotovich worked at DST as a facilities engineer at the DST Winchester Data Center. (Fotovich owned two businesses apart from his DST employment – R&T Heating and Cooling and R&T Mechanical.) When the facility underwent major renovations from 2011 through 2016, copper wire and other metals were removed and redeemed at a local scrap dealer. Fotovich and a co-conspirator conducted all but one of the 138 scrap redemptions.
Conspirators requested that the scrap dealer make checks payable to them personally rather than to DST, and that redemption tickets be split, in order to conceal the total amount of scrap redeemed. Sometimes they received as many as four receipts and corresponding checks in one day.
Conspirators requested that DST buy an industrial wire-stripping machine to improve and expedite the scrap redemption. The machine cost approximately $5,000, and allowed conspirators to receive a higher redemption value for the DST-owned scrap they sold. (Non-stripped copper wire carried a lower redemption value.) After DST purchased the wire-stripping machine in early 2014, conspirators increased their fraudulent thefts more than ten-fold.
By pleading guilty today, Fotovich agreed to forfeit to the government $138,758 (representing his proceeds of the fraud conspiracy). The court will determine the amount of restitution Fotovich must pay to DST at the sentencing hearing. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Fotovich must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in an amount to be determined, of not more than $79,949 (not including interest). Fotovich also must pay restitution to the Missouri Department of Revenue in an amount to be determined, of not more than $16,209.
Under federal statutes, Fotovich is subject to a sentence of up to eight years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Johnstown Man Indicted on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - One resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Calvin Berkins, Jr., 30, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about October 24, 2018, Berkins possessed with intent to distribute less than 28 grams of cocaine base, a schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of not more than $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Indictment: Topeka Man Robbed Two Cash Loan StoresRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was indicted today on charges of robbing two cash loan stores, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Derick Renee Crawford, 29, Topeka, Kan., was charged with two counts of commercial robbery. The indictment alleges Crawford committed the following robberies:
Advance America, 2232 Louisiana Street, Lawrence, Kan., Feb. 21, 2019.
Advance America, 1947 Northwest Topeka Blvd., Topeka, Kan., March 29, 2019.
If convicted, Crawford faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Tapoleon B. Hendricks, 24, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 14, 2019 in Topeka, Kan.
If convicted, Hendricks faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Idaho Falls Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Possessing Sexually Explicit Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stanley G. Gallegos, 62, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years supervised release, for possessing sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Gallegos to pay $150,600.80 in restitution and a $50,000 fine. Gallegos pleaded guilty on January 2, 2019.
According to court records, in March 2017, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Gallegos’s home in Idaho Falls. Agents discovered Gallegos had a laptop computer connected to a private home network and multiple hard drives. During a forensic search of Gallegos’s devices and hard drives, agents found over 62,000 images and videos of child pornography.
At sentencing, Judge Nye also ordered Gallegos to forfeit the computer, hard drives, and network equipment used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Gallegos will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, and 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.”
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Hudson County Man Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man has been indicted for his role in running a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme that involved properties in Jersey City, Union, and elsewhere in New Jersey and caused losses of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Anthony Garvin, 49, of Jersey City, was charged in a superseding indictment returned June 25, 2019, with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and five counts of bank fraud. Garvin was originally indicted on one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of bank fraud on Jan. 11, 2019.
According to the documents filed in this case:
From January 2011 through November 2017, Garvin and others engineered fraudulent short sale “flips” of various New Jersey properties with mortgages that were in default, and also fraudulently obtained numerous home equity lines of credit, or “HELOC” loans, using fraudulent documents and information.
The conspirators allegedly arranged simultaneous fraudulent transactions on the same target property. In the first transaction, which involved the sale by the current owner, the conspirators convinced the financial institution holding the mortgage to accept the sale of the target property at a loss, usually to a buyer who was secretly a conspirator or an entity controlled by the conspiracy.
In the second transaction, the conspirators flipped the same target property from the first buyer to a second buyer, who typically obtained a mortgage from another financial institution using false loan applications, pay stubs, bank account statements and title reports provided by members of the conspiracy. The second transaction frequently closed for significantly more or even double the price of the first transaction.
Garvin and others allegedly rigged the short sale process at each step to maximize the difference in price between the two transactions and keep the victim financial institutions from detecting the fraud. The conspirators used various kinds of phony documents and misrepresentations, including generating false pre-approval letters from a New Jersey corporation controlled by a conspirator and generating phony deeds that backdated the closing date of the first transactions.
To obtain HELOC loans, the conspirators allegedly submitted loan applications in the name of straw borrowers, who did not in fact reside at the subject properties, and used false and fraudulent information – including false pay stubs and tax information – to make it appear as though the straw borrowers made more money than they actually did. The conspirators frequently applied for multiple HELOC loans on the same property nearly contemporaneously, withholding from each lender the existence of other applications.
The conspirators then disbursed the funds received from financial institutions – which totaled millions of dollars – into various accounts they controlled to conceal their illegal activities and split the profits.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and each substantive count of bank fraud are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, and special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Steven Perez in Newark, with the investigation leading to the superseding indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Feder and Zach Intrater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Murdoch Walker II Esq., Atlanta, Georgia; Charles D. Dawkins Jr. Esq., Elizabeth, New Jersey
Houston Man Found Guilty of Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – David Quevedo Martinez, 40, of Houston, Texas, was found guilty by a jury in federal court today of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration. U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. presided over the three-day trial.
Trial testimony revealed that Martinez sold numerous kilograms of methamphetamine to co-conspirators in Houston, Texas. Those co-conspirators brought the methamphetamine back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and distributed it throughout Gulfport and Moss Point.
Martinez will be sentenced on September 18, 2019, by Judge Guirola, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasadena, Texas Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk and John Meynardie.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ORLANDO SOTO, 27, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 9, 2018, Hartford Police arrested Soto after a search of a vehicle Soto was using revealed a duffle bag containing three loaded handguns, 276 wax sleeves containing fentanyl, approximately 11 grams of crack cocaine, and a digital scale. Two of the three handguns had been reported stolen.
Soto’s criminal history includes felony firearm, narcotics and larceny convictions.
Soto has been detained since his arrest.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2019, at which time Soto faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Husband of Ayudando Guardians CEO Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – William S. Harris, 58, of Albuquerque, N.M. pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit money laundering in connection with the operation of Ayudando Guardians, Inc., a non-profit corporation based in Albuquerque that previously provided guardianship, conservatorship, and financial management to hundreds of people with special needs.
Harris pleaded guilty to charges in a superseding indictment previously filed on December 5, 2017. The superseding indictment also charged his wife, Susan K. Harris, 72, his stepson, Craig M. Young, 53, and another co-owner of the business, Sharon A. Moore, 64, with various financial crimes, including conspiracy, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
In Harris’s plea agreement, he admitted to acting in concert with his co-defendants to cheat the United States government out of money and property from November 2006 to July 2017. Harris admitted that he knew that Moore was siphoning payments to clients from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration and using the money to benefit herself, Harris, and their co-conspirators. Harris specifically admitted receiving, endorsing, and depositing dozens of checks drawn on Ayudando accounts for his own personal benefit.
Harris also admitted to his involvement in a money laundering scheme. Harris acknowledged using an Ayudando corporate credit card for personal expenses, knowing that it would be paid for with client money. He also admitted his role in a loan application for the stated purpose of expanding the Ayudando business with the actual intent of using the money to “pay back” clients whose money they took without authorization.
The terms of Harris’s plea agreement require him to serve 84 months in prison. He also agreed to forfeit assets and funds derived from his offenses and to pay restitution to the victims. The other three co-defendants are scheduled to go to trial on September 23, 2019. Charges in indictment are merely allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Albuquerque offices of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation, which resulted in the charges in the indictment, and are leading the continuing investigation. The Complex Assets Unit and the Albuquerque office of the USMS, the Criminal Investigations Division of the VA Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the SSA Office of Inspector General are assisting in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe are prosecuting the case.
Grant and Hardy County residents indicted for fentanyl distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Five people were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Elkins on June 18, 2019 for fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Melanie Lyn Outen, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Outen, age 47, is accused of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a detectable amount of methamphetamine in Jefferson County in April 2019.
Ted Alexander Voss, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Voss, age 29, is accused of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2019 in Jefferson County and distributing methamphetamine in May 2019 in Berkeley County.
Dennis James Miller, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” two counts of “Distribution of Heroin,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Miller, age 43, is accused of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2019 in Jefferson County, distributing methamphetamine in April and May 2019 in Grant and Berkeley Counties, and distributing heroin in April and May 2019 in Grant County.
Michael Dean Smith, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Smith, age 49, is accused of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2019 in Jefferson County and distributing methamphetamine in May 2019 in Berkeley County.
Jared Judy, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Judy, age 29, is accused of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl in April 2019 in Jefferson County and distributing methamphetamine in May 2019 in Berkeley County.Each defendant faces at least five years and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the conspiracy count. Outen and Voss also face at least five years and up to 40 years incarceration for the aiding and abetting count. Miller, Smith, and Judy face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each distribution count. 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 Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police and the Charles Town Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ghanaian National Indicted on Federal Charges for Perpetrating Romance and Precious Metal Scams Against Older VictimsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte indicted Suleman Alhassan, 36, a Ghanaian national residing in Charlotte, on wire and mail fraud conspiracy and mail fraud changes, for perpetrating romance and precious metal scams totaling more than $1,000,000 against older victims, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court today, following Alhassan’s arrest.
David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and John Eisert, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, beginning in or about March 2016, Alhassan and his unindicted co-conspirators operated a romance scheme based, in part, in Ghana and in Charlotte. The indictment alleges that Alhassan and his co-conspirators, using fake identities, used online dating websites and other methods to target potential fraud victims, who were frequently elderly, with false promises of a romantic relationship. As part of the scheme and in addition to developing fake romantic relationships with the victims, Alhassan and others falsely claimed to own large quantities of gold located in Ghana and falsely told victims that the victims needed to send funds via wire transfer services, money orders, and in cash to Alhassan and his co-conspirators to help ship the gold from Ghana to the United States, or to another foreign country, where the gold could be sold. The indictment further alleges that Alhassan and his co-conspirators falsely told the victims that they would receive a share of the profits when the gold was sold or brought into the United States.
According to the indictment, Alhassan and his co-conspirators further induced victims to send funds under the guise of securing travel documents for the person with whom the victim believed to be in a romantic relationship. To induce the victims to send even more money, Alhassand and his co-conspirators used fictitious problems, including problems with travel visas, customs related issues, etc. The indictment alleges that Alhassan and his co-conspirators continued to call, text, and e-mail the victims and insist that additional payments be made for new fees, until the victims either ran out of money or discovered the fraudulent nature of the scheme. The indictment alleges that the total loss associated with the scheme is more than $1,000,000.
Alhassan made his initial appearance in federal court this morning, before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. The mail and wire fraud conspiracy charge and each mail fraud charge carry a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
USPIS and HSI are leading the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny G. Sugar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
In March 2019, Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the Office’s Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information please visit: /usao-wdnc/elder-justice-initiative
Georgia Resident Used Counterfeit Credit Cards and IDs to Obtain Cash AdvancesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Georgia resident pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to a charge of bank fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Khambrel Coleman, 33, of Johns Creek, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one felony count before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
According to the information presented to the Court, Coleman unlawfully used and attempted to use counterfeit credit cards and identification cards to fraudulently obtain cash advances from November 2016 through February 3, 2017. During one such transaction, he used a credit card number belonging to a Pittsburgh resident to fraudulently obtain a cash advance from a Citizens Bank Branch in Shadyside, Pittsburgh.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Oct. 23, 2019. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court released Coleman on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
Gaffney Man Accused of Shooting S.C. Highway Patrolman Indicted on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that William Bernard Wright, a/k/a “Willie” Wright, a/k/a “Quentin Mitchell,” age 31, of Gaffney, who has been accused of shooting a South Carolina Highway Patrolman on June 2, 2019, was charged in federal court in a one-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “Officers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe every single day. Our commitment to them is that when they are met with violence, we will hold offenders accountable. We are grateful to ATF, SLED, the Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and Solicitor Brackett for their assistance and critical work in this matter.”
The indictment alleges that on June 2, 2019, Wright was in possession of a FN Herstal, model Five-Seven, semi-automatic pistol and various rounds of 5.7 x 28mm ammunition. At the time of the possession, federal law prohibited Wright from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon at least one prior felony conviction.
According to a Criminal Complaint filed in federal court on June 6, 2019, it is alleged that on June 2, 2019, Trooper Paul A. Wise with the South Carolina Highway Patrol was on routine patrol in York County when he observed Wright operating a vehicle without a seatbelt. When Trooper Wise attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Wright fled and failed to stop for blue lights. When Wright reached a dead end, he exited the vehicle, drew a firearm, and discharged at least 12 rounds. Trooper Wise was struck in his ballistic vest in the chest area and sustained other injuries to the right side of his neck. Trooper Wise then exited his vehicle and returned fire, striking Wright. Trooper Wise ordered Wright to the ground and called for backup.
Wright faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the federal indictment. If the court determines enhanced penalties apply based on the Wright’s prior criminal record, Wright may face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years supervised release. The Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office has also indicted Wright on state charges related to this incident.
The charge against Wright was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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ecf_1-_willie_wright_criminal_complaint.pdf ecf_4-_willie_wright_indictment.pdfFultondale Doctor Charged with Additional Counts of Prescribing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury yesterday issued a 135-count second superseding indictment charging a Fultondale doctor with 31 additional counts of dispensing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay Morris, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. The doctor was previously charged in November 2018 with conspiracy to prescribe controlled substances and participating in a healthcare fraud conspiracy with a Demopolis pharmacist and a Tuscaloosa sales representative.
The prior indictment charged PAUL ROBERTS, M.D., 46, of Fultondale, AL, with multiple counts of conspiring and dispensing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose. The drugs Roberts prescribed include Adderall, a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, and oxycodone, an opioid. The indictment also charged Roberts with prescribing oxycodone to an individual in exchange for sexual favors. The second superseding indictment charges Roberts with prescribing oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other controlled substances to another individual. According to the indictment, Roberts directed that individual to complain of fabricated physical ailments in order to obtain controlled substances, and solicited explicit photographs from the individual. The indictment also charges Roberts with prescribing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose to the individual and various other individuals.
As in the prior indictment, Roberts is also charged with participating in a healthcare fraud conspiracy and scheme that involved delegating responsibility for seeing patients with opioid addictions to staff such as his X-ray technician and office manager, but billing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama as though he personally saw the patients. The indictment also charges Roberts, along with STANLEY F. REEVES, 60, of Demopolis, AL, a pharmacist and owner of F&F Drugs, and BRETT TAFT, 45, of Tuscaloosa, AL, with defrauding third-party administrators of health insurance plans of over $10.5 million in fraudulently billed compounded drugs. Reeves is also charged with making false statements to federal agents and with tampering with a witness, and both Reeves and Taft are charged with spending the proceeds of health care fraud.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue doctors who demonstrate such blatant disregard for their patients’ well-being, and to prosecuting individuals who defraud the healthcare insurance plans that exist to help the citizens of this district pay for healthcare,” Town said. “Dope dealers sometimes wear a white coat.”
“DEA is fully committed to the pursuit of any individual who abandons their oath as a medical professional,” Morris said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, the medical community and the public to identify and stop those responsible for endangering lives in our communities and bring them to justice.”
The maximum penalty for the dispensing controlled substances charges is 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum penalty for health care fraud and conspiracy charges is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for the false statement charge is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for the witness tampering charge is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for the spending proceeds of healthcare fraud charge is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
DEA and FBI investigated the cases, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin Shutt and Chinelo Dike-Minor are prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Former police officer convicted of enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A former Richmond Hill police officer faces substantial prison time after his conviction in federal court for luring teen girls to meet him for sex.
A federal jury convicted Jeffrey Allen Allmond Jr., 25, of Richmond Hill, of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Allmond faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison and must register as a sex offender after his release. There is no parole in federal prison.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that Allmond, then a police officer, met two girls, ages 15 and 16, via the Tinder dating app. Allmond then communicated with the girls through Snapchat and arranged to pick them up in the middle of the night outside the gate of Fort Stewart, where the two lived on post. Allmond then drove the teens back to his apartment and performed sexual acts on both of them. Later that night, Allmond returned the girls to the Fort Stewart gate. Allmond continued communicating with the girls through Snapchat and met up with them twice more at his apartment where he performed sexual acts on them.
The Richmond Hill Police Department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to investigate the case and terminated Allmond after initial charges were filed. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) provided assistance during the investigation.
“This repugnant crime victimized the children of active-duty military personnel while disgracing the badge of a law enforcement officer,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Hard time in federal prison awaits those who would engage in such despicable behavior.”
“We are glad that we were able to assist our fellow law enforcement agencies in bringing this individual to justice,” said Chris Grey, spokesman for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. “We strive every single day to do everything possible to protect our soldiers, civilians and family members.”
“This law enforcement officer violated his oath of office by preying upon minors he swore to protect,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds. “No one is above the law. The protection of innocent victims is a priority in the state of Georgia.”
“This conviction validates our department’s actions in immediately suspending, and then terminating, Allmond when the allegations came to our attention,” said Richmond Hill Police Chief Mitch Shores. “We take such betrayals of the public trust very seriously, and gave full assistance to the agencies that investigated and prosecuted this case.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Groover prosecuted the case for the United States.
Former San Francisco Deputy Sheriff Convicted of Scheme to Defraud Insurance CompanyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Former San Francisco Deputy Sheriff April Myres was convicted today by a federal jury of mail and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The guilty verdict followed an eight-day jury trial before the Honorable Richard Seeborg, U.S. District Judge.
The jury concluded Myres, 55, of San Francisco, filed a false insurance claim in which she asserted she was the victim of a home burglary in which, among other things, her San Francisco Sheriff’s Department (SFSD)-issued firearm was stolen. Evidence at trial showed that Myres reported a burglary of her home to the San Francisco Police Department on March 25, 2016. She claimed numerous items were stolen, including the firearm, her SFSD-issued radio, and numerous luxury goods. After making the report, Myres repeatedly refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Then, in May 2016, Myres filed an insurance claim under her homeowner’s policy. In her claim, Myres stated that the SFSD-issued firearm, the SFSD-issued radio, and the luxury goods had been stolen. Myres asserted in her insurance claim that she was entitled to over $67,000 in reimbursement for all of the items stolen.
An investigation by the FBI revealed that Myres made numerous false statements in her insurance claim. The evidence showed that while she had been working at the San Francisco County Jail, Myres had carried on a romantic relationship with an inmate, Antoine Fowler. Immediately after Fowler was released from custody in January 2016, he went to Myres’ house where he lived until March 24, 2016, the morning of the claimed burglary, when he moved out after a late-night dispute with Myres.
Following its investigation into Myres and Fowler, the FBI arrested Fowler on February 2, 2017, and found in his possession Myres’ SFSD-issued firearm. Fowler had an extensive criminal record and Myres had accused him of stealing from her. Still, Myres did not disclose to the San Francisco Police Department, the SFSD, the FBI, or the insurance company the relationship she had with Fowler, nor the fact that he had been living with her. In addition, Myres told the insurance company she had no suspects in the burglary and no estranged boyfriends who might have been responsible.
In addition, the evidence demonstrated Myres made numerous false statements about the items she claimed had been stolen. For example, she falsely claimed she owned the SFSD-issued firearm and SFSD-issued radio that she said had been stolen, and provided false details about the purchase prices and locations to bolster her claim. She also made false statements about items that had been stolen, including claiming that three items – a Louis Vuitton purse, Gucci boots, and a fox fur vest – were stolen, when all three of these items were located in her house when the FBI conducted a search in February 2017.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office will vigorously pursue law enforcement officers like Myres who abuse their positions of trust, especially when motivated by the sort of greed and avarice seen in this case,” said U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson. “The defendant not only lied repeatedly to profit from a so-called burglary, but allowed her service firearm to remain in the possession of a dangerous criminal for almost a full year.”
The investigation began when the FBI learned that Myres and Fowler were having a relationship while Fowler was an inmate in the San Francisco County Jail and that Fowler had made it known that he would be getting a firearm from Myres upon his release from custody.
On April 11, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Myres and Fowler. In connection with her false claim to the insurance company, the grand jury charged Myres with one count each of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. In addition, the grand jury charged Myres with misprision of a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4, for deliberately concealing from law enforcement that Fowler had her firearm. In today’s verdict, the trial jury found Myres guilty of the wire fraud and mail fraud counts and acquitted her of the misprision of a felony charge.
Judge Seeborg ordered Myres’ sentencing hearing to take place in October 2019. The maximum statutory penalty for both the mail fraud and wire fraud counts is 20 years imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Myres was released on a $1,000,000 secured bond and remains out of custody pending sentencing.
For his part in the events, the grand jury charged Fowler with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Fowler pleaded guilty to the charge on May 14, 2019, at a hearing in which he stated Myres gave him her firearm. Fowler was released on a $50,000 bond and remains out of custody pending sentencing. Judge Seeborg scheduled a status hearing regarding Fowler’s sentencing for July 16, 2019. The maximum statutory penalty for felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), is 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Vartain and Nicholas Walsh are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Helen Yee, Kimberly Richardson, Margoth Turcios, Sutton Pierce, and Ian Meader. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Former Nebraska Business Owners Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Charles F. Martin, 57, of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Sherri L. Atkins, 59, of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Chief United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Martin to 33 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Atkins received a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Both were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,634,803.
During an investigation conducted by Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service it was determined that from 2010 to 2013, Martin and Atkins, owners of IROCK Concrete, LLC, a business formerly located in Gretna, Nebraska, repeatedly submitted materially false and fraudulent financial statements and business records to multiple local financial institutions in the District. The false financial documents included overstated accounts receivable reports and sales invoices reflecting fictitious invoice numbers, inflated sales amounts, and fabricated deliveries of concrete. Martin also provided the financial institutions multiple personal financial statements which over reported $1,800,000 in personal assets. Martin and Atkins provided the false financials in an effort to obtain and maintain at least five loans that had been made to IROCK and other associated entities. Once the loans were approved, both Martin and Atkins used at least some of the funds for personal expenses, such as car payments and credit card charges. Loans extended based on the fraudulent conduct totaled more than $12 million dollars, resulting in losses exceeding $4.6 million dollars to the local financial institutions.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Former Credit Union President Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A former president of a credit union in Topeka was sentenced today to three years on supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister. In addition, the defendant agreed to pay approximately $39,895 in restitution.
Connie Marie Kent, 52, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a credit union. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was an officer and employee of 1st Kansas Credit Union, formerly the Post Office Credit Union. Membership in the credit union was limited to government employees.
McAllister commended the Topeka Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.
Florida Company Barred from Using Experimental Stem Cell Drugs on PatientsRead the Press Release
A federal court ordered a Florida company claiming to offer stem cell treatments to stop selling or providing such products to patients, the Justice Department announced yesterday.
In a complaint filed May 9, 2018, the United States alleged that defendants Kristin Comella, US Stem Cell Clinic Inc., and US Stem Cell LLC, of Sunrise, Florida, marketed “stromal vascular fraction” (SVF) products as stem-cell-based treatments for a host of serious conditions and diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. According to the complaint, the defendants made such claims without approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and without proof of safety and efficacy. On June 3, District Judge Ursula Ungaro of the Southern District of Florida granted the government’s motion for summary judgment and denied a similar motion by the defendants, finding that the SVF products must comply with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). On June 25, the Court entered a permanent injunction barring the defendants from selling or providing SVF products absent FDA approval.
“Clinics that purport to treat patients with unproven, experimental products must follow the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with the FDA to ensure that manufacturers of experimental therapies conduct their research within the safe and legal bounds for drug innovation.”
“The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is designed to protect the public health, and we are pleased that the Court found that the defendants in this instance are not exempted from FDA regulation,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan. “This Office will continue our efforts to safeguard the public and individuals and corporations should be guided by this ruling and ensure that they comply with FDA standards.”
In ruling on summary judgment, the Court found that the defendants’ SVF product, which they manufactured from patients’ adipose (fat) tissue, was a drug subject to the FDCA. The Court further found that the defendants’ drug was misbranded because it did not bear adequate directions for use, and adulterated because the defendants did not comply with current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) in manufacturing the drug. The complaint alleged that the defendants and their affiliates used their unapproved and unlicensed products on thousands of patients and that, in some cases, adverse events that harmed patients followed treatment with the SVF products. According to the complaint, no credible scientific evidence supported the claims the defendants made that their products cure, mitigate, or prevent the conditions they purportedly treated.
“In the case against US Stem Cell Clinic, the clinic and its leadership put patients at serious risk through their disregard of the law and prior FDA warnings. This injunction is an important step in protecting patients from bad actors,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “We are committed to continuing to pursue actions against those who put patients in harm’s way by marketing unapproved stem cell products that skirt FDA’s regulations and federal law.”
The matter is being handled by Trial Attorney Roger J. Gural of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Michael Helbing of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Final Two Co-Defendants in Khalil Smith Case Sentenced to 26 and 12+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Hasan Chaney, 30, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 312 months’ imprisonment (26 years), and Braheim Ballard, 39 of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 155 months’ imprisonment (12 years, 9 months), both by U.S. District Judge Mitchell Goldberg. Both defendants were members of an extremely violent criminal organization led by Khalil Smith, who was sentenced to life plus 207 years’ imprisonment in November 2018.
As part of the group’s conspiracy, they planned to commit armed robberies and kidnappings of people who they believed were selling drugs. Their goal was to steal drugs, drug proceeds, and other items of value, or obtain ransom for the release of their kidnapping victims. Members of the conspiracy conducted surveillance of their victims and tracked their victims using GPS devices. They also used police scanners to monitor police radio during the commission of their crimes to evade detection and apprehension by law enforcement. In October 2017, Chaney was found guilty at trial for his participation in one incident with this gang, the Mayfair Street kidnapping, and Ballard was found guilty at trial for his participation in one incident, the Leas Way home invasion robbery in Hatfield, PA.
Members of the organization, including Chaney and Ballard, also used firearms and/or brute physical force to facilitate the commission of the robberies, kidnappings and carjackings, specifically to threaten, intimidate, and subdue the victims. They also occasionally dressed as police officers as a means to fool their victims. They shot and threatened to shoot their victims and physically restrained them with handcuffs, zip ties, electrical cords, and shoelaces and held them captive, at times, for several hours. They even went so far as to “waterboard” and pour boiling water on the genitals of some of their victims, which is what occurred during the Mayfair Street kidnapping incident on the 700 block of Mayfair Street in Philadelphia.
“Motivated by their mutual desire for drugs, money, and power, Chaney and Ballard eagerly enlisted as members of this ruthless, violent gang,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “This crew resorted to torture, extreme violence, intimidation, and even impersonation of law enforcement to dominate their victims and terrorize Philadelphia and the surrounding towns. Because of the dedicated work of prosecutors and law enforcement working this case for many years now, these two defendants will join the rest of their co-conspirators spending a long time where they belong – in prison. The facts of this case are an excellent example of why violent crime is an ever-present priority for my Office.”
“Key components of ATF’s mission are the reduction of violent crime and providing a positive, lasting impact on the community. The lengthy sentences that were handed down to all of these defendants are an enormous victory in the battle against violent crime for ATF. This victory is shared with our law enforcement partners, and more importantly, with the citizens of Philadelphia,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Donald Robinson. “These sentences serve as a very strong message to violent home invasion crews who would seek to prey on our communities - ATF will continue to pursue you and see that you are held accountable for the crimes you commit. We appreciate the cooperation of all of our federal, state and local partners, and are especially appreciative of the invaluable partnership and dedication of the United States Attorney’s Office.”
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.
This case was investigated by the ATF, the Philadelphia Police Department and various other local police departments throughout the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Salvatore L. Astolfi and Jeanine Linehan.
Federal Jury Convicts Five Members of the Conservative Vice Lords Concrete Cartel Gang for RICO Conspiracy, Armed Pharmacy Robberies, and Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-week trial involving a total of 74 witnesses and more than 120 exhibits, a federal jury found five members of the Conservative Vice Lords Concrete Cartel criminal gang guilty of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activities, multiple armed pharmacy robberies, and drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
On May 31, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a 34-count indictment against 12 members of the Concrete Cartel, a subset of the Conservative Vice Lords criminal gang whose headquarters is located in Chicago. The Concrete Cartel and its members operate mainly in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee and North Mississippi. The indictment charged a RICO conspiracy, 10 separate Hobbs Act business robberies, and multiple counts of brandishing and discharging firearms during the commission of those crimes of violence. The indictment also charged conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute multiple controlled substances that were obtained as proceeds in the robberies. According to information presented in court, the members of the Concrete Cartel targeted and committed armed robberies of multiple CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, obtaining thousands of opioids for redistribution to members of their organization as well as the public to enrich themselves and the gang enterprise.
Seven of the twelve members previously pled guilty to the RICO conspiracy and other crimes charged. The five members who went to trial and were found guilty were high-ranking leaders in the organization, and included:
• Nernest Andre Nesby a/k/a/ "Neno," 25
• Markease Tyshawn Alexander a/k/a/ "Citi," 26
• Davante Levert Turner a/k/a/ "Star," 26
• Tondwin Tierre Lewis a/k/a "T-Luey," 26
• Ariq Rayford a/k/a/ "Curry," 22One of the defendants was a Tennessee statewide leader and another was a citywide leader in the Conservative Vice Lords Concrete Cartel gang. The remaining defendants were branch leaders in the organization, claiming areas in East Memphis, Orange Mound and Whitehaven. This federal prosecution and guilty verdict is the result of an extensive investigation which began in 2015 by federal, state and local law enforcement officials into the criminal gang enterprise, and entailed the recovery or seizures of thousands of opioids and other controlled substances before the defendants distributed the drugs on the streets.
The defendants were found guilty on a total of 29 of the 34 charged counts. All of the defendants were found guilty of the RICO conspiracy and other charges in the indictment.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Dismantlement of criminal gangs is a top priority of this office and the Department of Justice, and this case represents the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement to target and remove several significant violent leaders and participants in the Conservative Vice Lords organization. We are taking the fight to the gangs in West Tennessee, we are successfully punishing gang members for their criminal activity, and we are relentless in our resolve."
Sentencing will be set on a later date before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. Each of the defendants faces possible sentences of up to 20 years for each of the RICO conspiracy, Hobbs Act business robbery, and drug conspiracy counts, as well as consecutive mandatory minimum sentences of 7 years for brandishing a firearm and 10 years for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MGU) of the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Whitmore and Raney Irwin are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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Federal Indictments Charge 14 Members of San Pedro-Based Street Gang Who Trafficked Narcotics out of Bars and a HotelRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – As part of a joint federal-state law enforcement action targeting the Rancho San Pedro street gang, authorities this morning unsealed two federal grand jury indictments that charge 14 members and associates of the gang with narcotics and firearms offenses.
The main federal indictment, which charges 13 defendants, outlines a narcotics trafficking conspiracy in which gang members and their associates allegedly distributed methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and opioids, while using violence and firearms to maintain their drug trafficking territory. The drugs – including up to one-pound quantities of methamphetamine – allegedly were often sold out of a hotel and two bars on Pacific Avenue in San Pedro.
During this morning’s takedown, four of the federal defendants were arrested. Seven other defendants were already in state custody, and federal prosecutors will seek to have them brought into federal court. Three defendants are fugitives. Another 10 members and associates of the gang were arrested this morning pursuant to local charges.
The narcotics trafficking indictment alleges that the Rancho San Pedro street gang operates under the control of the Mexican Mafia and often engaged in violence and intimidation in an effort to protect its territory. The gang collected “taxes” from drug transactions, and this money was funneled to three Mexican Mafia members who are currently serving lengthy sentences in state prisons for murder convictions.
The lead defendant in the drug trafficking indictment – 32-year-old Robert “Stretch” Messersmith – allegedly oversaw the day-to-day operations of the gang and communicated with the incarcerated Mexican Mafia members about gang business. Messersmith also directly participated in narcotics transactions, according to the indictment.
The indictment specifically accuses the defendants of participating in a series of narcotics transactions in 2017 and 2018, including a half-dozen sales involving 1 to 2 ounces of methamphetamine. The indictment also alleges several sales involving from one-half pound to one pound of methamphetamine.
Communications intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation link certain members of the gang to murders, attacks on rival gang members and the disciplining of fellow gang members, one of whom allegedly bragged on social media about engaging in gang-related violence.
During the investigation into the gang, law enforcement seized approximately 45 firearms, including semi-automatic rifles and handguns.
The narcotics-trafficking indictment contains 26 felony counts. All 13 defendants are charged in a conspiracy to possess and distribute controlled substances. Various defendants are charged with substantive narcotics-trafficking offenses, and three defendants are charged with being felons in possession of firearms. If they were to be convicted in the narcotics-trafficking conspiracy, all 13 defendants would face potential life sentences in federal prison.
The second federal indictment charges one member of Rancho San Pedro – gang shot caller Alexander Gallardo, 31 – with possessing ammunition after being convicted of a domestic violence offense, a charge that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
The four defendants taken into federal custody this morning are expected to be arraigned on the indictments this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The two federal indictments and the local cases against members and associates of the Rancho San Pedro gang are the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives provided substantial support during the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man who sold heroin to an informant and possessed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine pled guilty to federal drug charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jason Dean Treadway, 37, of Fayetteville, entered a guilty plea to distribution of heroin and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of heroin and fentanyl. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force (CWVDTF).
“Heroin. Fentanyl. Meth. Guns,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Treadway’s residence was a regular drug den. Our drug task forces do phenomenal work in ridding our communities of dangerous drug dealers like Treadway.”
On January 14, 2019, Treadway sold heroin to an informant at his Deepwater Mountain Road residence in Fayetteville. On January 15, 2019, members of the CWVDTF executed a search warrant at the residence and seized 446 grams of methamphetamine, 89.59 grams of heroin, 90.82 grams of fentanyl, and three handguns. Treadway’s girlfriend, Jessica Hall, 29, was also charged with distribution of heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. She pled guilty in May 2019 to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of heroin and fentanyl. Treadway faces 5 years to 60 years when he is sentence on October 3, 2019. Hall faces 5 to 40 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on September 11, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearing.
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El Salvador National Charged with Posting Child Pornography on Facebook and Illegally Reentering the United States after DeportationRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Salvadoran national who was deported from the United States in 2003 after being convicted of sexually abusing a child was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges that he illegally reentered the United States and then posted child pornography on Facebook.
José Ramón Aguilar-Moreno, 50, who recently has been living in Fontana, has been charged with four felonies: distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, failure to register as a sex offender, and being an illegal alien found in the United States following deportation.
Aguilar-Moreno was arrested on June 13 pursuant to a criminal complaint previously filed in this case. His arraignment is scheduled for July 5 in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
Aguilar-Moreno illegally entered the United States in 1986 and in 1995 he applied for relief from removal and requested asylum in the United States, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in the case. In 2000, Aguilar-Moreno was granted relief from deportation and asylum in the United States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the affidavit states.
In August 2002, Aguilar-Moreno was convicted in San Bernardino County Superior Court of committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, for which he was sentenced to one year in state prison. In 2003, Aguilar-Moreno was booked into federal custody and was removed from the United States to El Salvador.
In June 2018, Aguilar-Moreno, then residing in Fontana, allegedly knowingly distributed three videos depicting child pornography. Aguilar-Moreno used an alias, “Abel Aguilar,” and posted the videos on Facebook, which later notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, court documents allege.
If convicted of all charges, Aguilar-Moreno faces a statutory maximum sentence of 80 years in federal prison. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison on the distribution of child pornography charge and a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence on the child pornography possession charge.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz of the Riverside Branch Office.
Columbia County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Brady, age 68, of Philmont, New York, pled guilty yesterday to distributing and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Brady admitted to using a desktop computer equipped with peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download and distribute child pornography. Overall, Brady downloaded and retained more than 200 videos and images depicting child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2019 before Senior United States Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. Brady, who is detained pending sentencing, faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Brady will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sahar L. Amandolare.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Coeur d’Alene Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Christine Ruth Turner, 43, and her husband, Joshua A. Turner, 40, both of Coeur d’Alene, were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Christine Turner to 71 months in prison and Joshua Turner to 60 months in prison. Judge Lodge also ordered that each serve five years of supervised release after serving their prison sentences.
According to court records, the Turners worked together to sell pounds of methamphetamine in the Coeur d’Alene area. The Turners purchased the methamphetamine in Spokane and transported it back to Idaho to sell. Investigators discovered the conspiracy and were able to make several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the Turners. On September 7, 2018, officers pulled over a vehicle containing Christine Turner and located 889.07 grams of pure methamphetamine. Josh Turner was arrested later that same day at his home, where officers found an additional 135 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Idaho State Police, and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.
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Citizen of Mexico Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Using False Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Eusebio Chavez-Islas, 58, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. The defendant was then sentenced to time served and turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Murray, who is handling the case, stated that on March 26, 2019, ICE officers received a request for assistance from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office at 3282 Transit Road in Albion, NY. Once they arrived, ICE officers encountered Chavez-Islas, and determined through record checks that he was a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States.
Subsequent investigation determined that the defendant was working at Nesbitt Brothers, LLC. On April 18, 2019, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents obtained a Form I-9 from Nesbitt Fruit Farms, the owner of Nesbitt Brothers, LLC. The Form I-9 had a photocopy of a fraudulent social security card which was provided by Chavez-Islas for purposes of his employment.
On April 30, 2019, the fraudulent social security card that the defendant used for his employment was seized by agents during the execution of a search warrant at 3282 Transit Road in Albion. The card depicted the name “Eusebio Chavez.” A check of Social Security Administration records revealed that the social security card that Chavez-Islas possessed contained a valid social security number which was not assigned to the defendant.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Randy Bower; and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John F. Grasso.
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Charlotte Woman Is Arrested for Preparing False Tax Returns and Obstructing A Federal Investigation by Intentionally Setting Fire to Tax RecordsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte indicted Andrivia Wells, also known as Tina Smith, Tina Harris, Andrivia Smith, and Andrivia Harris, 52, of Charlotte, on June 20, 2019, on charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns for her clients, filing false tax returns for herself in 2013 through 2017, failing to file a 2018 tax return for herself, and obstructing the criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) by destroying records, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court today, following Wells’ arrest.
Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, beginning in at least 2011 and continuing through June 2019, Wells owned and operated Rush Tax Services, a return preparation business with multiple locations in Charlotte. The indictment alleges that through Rush Tax Service, between 2013 and 2017, Wells prepared, or caused to be prepared, more than 6,000 tax returns. Rush Tax Services received over $1.2 million in fees from her clients. The tax preparation fees were taken directly from the clients’ tax refunds and in many cases the clients were unaware of how much they were being charged, which was frequently more than $500.
According to allegations in the indictment, Wells prepared income tax returns for clients for 2013 through 2016 that claimed false filing statuses, false American Opportunity and education credits, false Schedule C businesses, and false fuel tax credits, in order to inflate refunds paid by the IRS. The indictment also alleges that, in addition to filing fraudulent income tax returns for her clients, Wells falsified her own income tax returns by underreporting the fees she earned in her tax preparation business for tax years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and in 2018, she failed to file any tax return with the IRS. In addition, her 2012 through 2017 tax returns also falsely claimed American Opportunity credits and fuel tax credits, and the incorrect filing status.
The indictment further alleges that after being notified she was the subject of a criminal investigation and after being served a summons for records of Rush Tax Service, on the very day the summons response was due, which was May 15, 2017, a fire was intentionally set at Rush Tax Service’s Beatties Ford Road location. The fire destroyed client files, financial records, and computer hardware.
Wells was arrested yesterday and made her initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer. Each count of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns and filing false tax returns for herself carries a maximum prison term of three years. The failure to file charge carries a maximum sentence of one year. The statutory penalty for destroying records is a maximum of no more than 20 years in prison.
The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IRS-CI is leading the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Arrested for Cashing Counterfeit and Altered Checks at Local Banks and Credit UnionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Nilo Arnaldo Pena Delgado, 32, of Buffalo, NY, with four counts of bank fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on March 19, 2019, the defendant cashed four counterfeit or altered checks at financial institutions in the Western New York area, including:
• a check in the amount of $21,500.05, payable to the defendant, drawn on an ESL Federal Credit Union checking account owned by Victim 1; • a check in the amount of $2,853.20, payable to the defendant, drawn on a Lake Shore Savings Bank checking account owned by Victim 2; • a check in the amount of $3,613.83, payable to the defendant, drawn on a Lake Shore Savings Bank checking account owned by Victim 3; and
• a check in the amount of $2,713.81, payable to the defendant, drawn on a KeyBank checking account owned by Victim 4.
Delgado victimized four businesses for a total of $30,680.89.The defendant was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and is being detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin, with assistance from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bronx Man Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court of 2014 MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JASON POLANCO, a/k/a “Jin,” a/k/a “Wolfman,” was found guilty today of the August 31, 2014, murder of Shawn Ross, a/k/a “S.B.,” on Decatur Avenue in the Bronx, as well as participating in a narcotics conspiracy, a robbery conspiracy, the robbery of a Citgo gas station in the Bronx, and the discharge of a firearm in connection with the Citgo robbery. A jury convicted POLANCO today on all six counts of the Indictment following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “This morning, a unanimous jury found that Jason Polanco is a drug dealer, a robber, and a killer. We hope that the family of Shawn Ross finds a measure of justice in today’s verdict. We thank the NYPD, ATF, and DEA for their outstanding work on this case, and for their invaluable partnership with our office.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
On August 31, 2014, POLANCO shot and killed Shawn Ross, a/k/a “S.B.,” in connection with POLANCO’s membership in a drug crew that controlled drug sales on Decatur Avenue between 194th and 195th Streets in the Bronx. This drug crew was responsible for distributing over a kilogram of heroin, as well as quantities of marijuana, from at least 2011 through 2015. In 2014 and 2015, POLANCO and other members of the crew also committed a string of armed robberies of businesses across Manhattan and the Bronx, including the robbery of a Citgo gas station on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx. During the Citgo robbery, POLANCO carried a loaded firearm, which he fired just feet away from a customer.
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POLANCO, 29, was found guilty of one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram and more of heroin and quantities of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of murder while engaged in a narcotics offense, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(e), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life; one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of committing a Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(iii), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Danielle R. Sassoon, and Gina Castellano are in charge of the prosecution.
Bridgeport Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HARRY BLAKE, also known as “Harry-O” and “O,” 37, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2015, the FBI’s Bridgeport State Streets Task Force, Bridgeport Police Department and Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force initiated an investigation into several heroin distributors operating in Bridgeport. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of heroin and physical surveillance, revealed that Kareem Roseboro, also known as “Swiss,” was supplying heroin to other distributors, including Blake. Roseboro, Blake and others used the Stylz Barbershop, located on State Street in Bridgeport, as a hub for their narcotics distribution activity.
Between March and July 2015, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin, and on one occasion, crack cocaine, from Blake.
During the course of the investigation, investigators seized multiple “bricks” of heroin, items used in the processing and packaging of heroin, and five firearms. A brick of heroin contains 100 individual dose bags.
On June 6, 2016, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an eight-count indictment charging Blake, Roseboro and five other Bridgeport residents with heroin trafficking offenses. The seven defendants were arrested on June 7, 2016. An eighth defendant was added in a superseding indictment.
Blake has been detained since his arrest. On October 31, 2018, a jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Blake’s criminal history dates to 1999 and includes state convictions for firearm, drug, assault, threatening and larceny offenses.
Roseboro pleaded guilty to related offenses and awaits sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, Stratford Police Department, Stamford Police Department and the Trumbull Police Department K-9 Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alina M. Reynolds and H. Gordon Hall.
Boston Man Indicted for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was charged in federal court in Boston with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Christian Teixeira, 33, was indicted today on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to charging documents, on May 2, 2019, while in Fall River, Teixeira was found in possession of a KAHR PM9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Teixeira has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Fall River Police Chief Albert Dupere made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make 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.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Billings man sentenced on firearms crime after hiding pistol under child’s car seatRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Billings man who was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after he attempted to hide a semi-automatic pistol under a child’s car seat was sentenced today to two years in prison and to three years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Justin John Kraft, 44, pleaded guilty in February to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
Kraft was charged after a traffic stop on June 29, 2018 by a Billings Police officer. Kraft was a passenger in the car and a child was in a car seat. Court records filed in the case said that as the officer approached the car, he noticed Kraft attempt to push something under the child’s car seat. A second officer who also responded noticed a pistol grip under the child’s car seat. Both officers drew their service weapons and ordered everyone out of the car. The firearm under the car seat was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a partially obliterated serial number.
Kraft told investigators he had purchased the gun for $200 from a kid off the street and that serial number was removed when he bought it. Kraft was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony drug conviction in Yellowstone County in 2011.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues Meets to Discuss Violent Crime in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS) convened this week during the U.S. Attorney’s National Conference in Washington, D.C., to discuss a wide range of justice issues affecting Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, Chair, and U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Vice Chair.
“The Native American Issues Subcommittee is focused on reducing violent crime against women and children in Indian Country, including missing and murdered indigenous persons,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am thankful for Attorney General Barr’s leadership on these issues. He understands the law enforcement and jurisdictional challenges faced by Native Americans and Alaska Natives. We look forward to working with him and with our federal, tribal, state and local partners to find viable solutions that will improve public safety in Indian country.”
On Tuesday, the NAIS met with Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, and discussed cross-agency collaboration in order to provide more responsive and effective justice services to Indian Country. They further discussed Indian Country case investigations, case intake and tracking databases, and tribal law enforcement resource allocation. The NAIS also reviewed President Trump’s priorities for Indian Country justice. Those priorities include protecting Native American children in the Indian Health Services system, collaboration among Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and tribal law enforcement agencies, reducing violent crime, and providing services to help victims to overcome trauma.
On Wednesday, Trent Shores, NAIS Chair and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, moderated a panel titled Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women: A Crisis in Urban America & Indian Country. Panelists included Charles Addington, Director of the Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana; Tracy Toulou, Director of the Office of Tribal Justice; Laura Rogers, Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; and Bryan Vorndran, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI. The panel discussed the development and implementation of protocols to investigate murdered and missing indigenous persons and how to more accurately measure the scope of the problem in both urban America and Indian Country in order to develop strategies to address it.
In August, the subcommittee is scheduled to reconvene in Indian Country in New Mexico.
The NAIS consists of the approximately 53 U.S. Attorneys serving in districts that include Indian Country or one or more federally recognized tribes. The subcommittee focuses exclusively on Indian Country issues, both criminal and civil, and makes policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues that impact tribal communities.
The NAIS is the longest standing subcommittee to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and helps develop, shape, and otherwise implement justice policies affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The NAIS has identified four priority areas: 1) Violent crime 2) Law enforcement resources 3) Drug trafficking and substance abuse, and 4) White collar crime.
Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues Meets to Discuss Violent Crime in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General William P. Barr’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS) convened this week during the U.S. Attorney’s National Conference in Washington, D.C., to discuss a wide range of justice issues affecting Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, Chair, and U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Vice Chair.
“The Native American Issues Subcommittee is focused on reducing violent crime against women and children in Indian Country, including missing and murdered indigenous persons,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am thankful for Attorney General Barr’s leadership on these issues. He understands the law enforcement and jurisdictional challenges faced by Native Americans and Alaska Natives. We look forward to working with him and with our federal, tribal, state and local partners to find viable solutions that will improve public safety in Indian country.”
“In my first months as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, I am working to accomplish my goal of visiting leaders of all 25 federally recognized tribes in the Western District, to hear their concerns about law enforcement in Indian Country and the important working relationship with federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “As part of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, I am pleased be able to represent those voices here at DOJ, and I look forward to upcoming visits to gather input from additional tribal partners.”
On Tuesday, the NAIS met with Tara Katuk Mac Lean Sweeney, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, and discussed cross-agency collaboration in order to provide more responsive and effective justice services to Indian Country. They further discussed Indian Country case investigations, case intake and tracking databases, and tribal law enforcement resource allocation. The NAIS also reviewed President Trump’s priorities for Indian Country justice. Those priorities include protecting Native American children in the Indian Health Services system, collaboration among Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and tribal law enforcement agencies, reducing violent crime, and providing services to help victims to overcome trauma.
On Wednesday, Trent Shores, NAIS Chair and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, moderated a panel titled Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women: A Crisis in Urban America & Indian Country. Panelists included Charles Addington, Director of the Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana; Tracy Toulou, Director of the Office of Tribal Justice; Laura Rogers, Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; and Bryan Vorndran, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI. The panel discussed the development and implementation of protocols to investigate murdered and missing indigenous persons and how to more accurately measure the scope of the problem in both urban America and Indian Country in order to develop strategies to address it.
In August, the subcommittee is scheduled to reconvene in Indian Country in New Mexico.
The NAIS consists of the approximately 53 U.S. Attorneys serving in districts that include Indian Country or one or more federally recognized tribes. The NAIS focuses exclusively on Indian Country issues, both criminal and civil, and makes policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues that impact tribal communities.
The NAIS is the longest standing subcommittee to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and helps develop, shape, and otherwise implement justice policies affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The NAIS has identified four priority areas: 1) Violent crime 2) Law enforcement resources 3) Drug trafficking and substance abuse, and 4) White collar crime.
Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An Arkansas man pled guilty to drug and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Justin Rogers, 37, of Mountain View, Arkansas, pled guilty to possessing 146.75 grams of methamphetamine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The investigation was conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“If you’re not from West Virginia but are bringing crime, drugs and trouble to this good state, you’re not welcome in West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Troublemakers and hoodlums need not bring their dastardly deeds here and, if they do, they’ll get what they deserve if they catch my attention. We’re working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute bad guys and to put them behind bars as long as possible.”
Rogers admitted that on November 2, 2018, he possessed a 12 gauge Hatfield shotgun, and a Springfield .45 caliber ACP pistol. He admitted he carried and used the firearms in part to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds. He admitted he possessed the firearms and drugs in his truck in Kenna, Jackson County, West Virginia.
Rogers faces five years up to life in prison when he is sentenced on October 3, 2019.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is handling the prosecution.
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.
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Aliquippa Man Charged with Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Aliquippa, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The six-count Indictment named Omar Jamal Griffin, Jr., 20, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, Griffin possessed and distributed cocaine base, a Schedule II controlled substance, on multiple occasions. The Indictment further alleged that Griffin possessed a firearm in furtherance of these crimes and that Griffin was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior conviction.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 95 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $4,500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Chad R. Parks is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced JAMES MICHAEL FREY , 28, of Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 24, 2019 for access with intent to view child pornography. Frey was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received forty-one months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5000.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced DARREN SCOTT HARTWIG, 34, of Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 25, 2019 for access with intent to view child pornography. Hartwig was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received sixty months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5000.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.