Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 14 May 2019
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar Prize Promotion Scam Affecting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
A second defendant charged with operating a multimillion mass-mailing fraud scheme pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 14, in federal court on Long Island, the Department of Justice announced.
Shaun Sullivan, 37, of Merrick, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for sending prize-promotion mailings that led recipients, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, to believe that they could claim a large cash prize in exchange for a modest fee. This was false; victims who submitted fees, which in total exceeded $30 million, did not receive large sums of money.
Sullivan worked with others, including Tully Lovisa of Huntington Station, New York, who operated the prize-promotion mailing scheme in violation of court orders that resulted from a lawsuit against him by the Federal Trade Commission. Lovisa pleaded guilty in October 2018.
“The Department of Justice will bring to justice those who exploit elderly consumers in violation of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We are actively working with our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to stop and punish schemes that harm consumers."
“Sullivan preyed on consumers, many of them vulnerable and elderly, by sending fraudulent mailings designed to trick them into believing they had won a cash prize; he then lined his own pockets with the fees he extracted from the victims,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Protecting the community from mass mailing fraud schemes remains a priority of this Office and the Department of Justice.”
“Today’s plea is an example of the coordinated efforts of law enforcement to protect the vulnerable and older Americans, who were specifically targeted to receive bogus solicitations to lure the unsuspecting ‘prize winner’ to send money that was subsequently used for Mr. Sullivan and his co-conspirators own enrichment;” said Inspector in Charge Philip R. Bartlett of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Tuesday’s plea took place before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, Sullivan faces up to 20 years in prison, forfeiture, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles P. Kelly of the Eastern District of New York. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha R. Payne is in charge of issues related to forfeiture.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past February the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 200 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to over Eight Years’ Imprisonment for Allowing Drug Traffickers to Store Heroin in His HomeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Paul Jadus, age 53, of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 13, 2019, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to 100 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Schuylkill County area from 2012 to late 2015.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Jadus previously admitted to allowing drug traffickers to store between 700 grams and one kilogram of heroin in his Shenandoah home. That drug quantity is equivalent to between 28,000 and 40,000 retail bags of heroin.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Shenandoah Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
Purvis Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Sending ObsceneMaterial to a MinorRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Mark Randy Magee, 61, of Purvis, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for transferring obscene materials to a minor under the age of 16, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Magee was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to the victim and register as a sex offender.
On January 15, 2016, a woman reported to the Salem Police Department in Salem, Illinois, that her 14 year-old daughter had received graphic, sexually explicit, videos on the child’s iPad from a man named "Randy M." During the online "chats", the man said he was 48 years old and lived in Mississippi.
Further investigation led FBI agents to Mark Randy Magee in Purvis, Mississippi.A search warrant was executed on Magee’s home and electronic devices were seized that confirmed the online "chats" and sexually explicit videos sent to the child in Illinois.
On September 7, 2018, Magee was charged in a federal indictment with transferring obscene materials to a minor under the age of 16. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on January 31, 2019. Magee has a prior felony conviction for attempting to meet with a minor in Ohio for unlawful sexual contact.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office jointly investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Perry Housing Project Ringleader Sentenced on Drug, Money Laundering, and Firearms ChargesRead 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 Tyshawn Bradley, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine within 1000 feet of the Perry Housing Projects, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and possession of an unregistered, sawed off rifle, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to serve 30 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Michael J. Adler, who handled the prosecution, stated that the defendant was the head of a narcotics trafficking ring that operated primarily in the Perry Housing Projects in Buffalo. Bradley maintained several apartments on the grounds of those projects, operated by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, where members of his organization sold crack cocaine on a daily basis.
The defendant was arrested along with nine others on April 3, 2013, following the execution of search warrants several locations in the City of Buffalo and Cheektowaga, including at 124 Fulton Street and 305 Perry Street, which are located at the Perry Housing Projects. During the searches at the Perry Housing Projects, officers recovered over 300 grams of crack cocaine and 700 grams of powered cocaine as well as a sawed-off, 9mm semiautomatic rifle that belong to Bradley.
In addition, between October 2011 and April 3, 2013, the defendant conspired with others to purchase multiple houses in the City of Buffalo using the proceeds of his crack cocaine distribution organization. As part of the money laundering conspiracy, the properties were purchased by co-defendant Nannette Brown to conceal Bradley as the true owner of the properties.
Judge Vilardo concluded that, in addition to being a leader of the organization, defendant also used a minor to commit his drug trafficking offense. Additionally, the Court also found that the defendant possessed an arsenal of firearms and ammunition, and that defendant obstructed justice by threatening multiple witnesses. Most significantly, the Court found that defendant was responsible for the murder of Andre James on January 29, 2011. The evidence presented to the Court established that the defendant first shot another individual in the left jaw of his face, twice in the arm, and once in the hip. The defendant then shot James multiple times, killing him.
The murder was investigated by the Buffalo Police Department’s homicide detectives, who obtained the shell casings and evidence necessary to connect Bradley to the murder. Bradley’s involvement in this murder prompted the initial involvement of the FBI into Bradley’s drug trafficking activities.
To date, all 10 charged defendants have been convicted and Bradley is the final defendant to be sentenced.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
# # # #
Pawtucket Man Facing 10 Years to Life in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A suspected drug trafficker who fled members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in Pawtucket in early April and was arrested the next day in Fall River is facing a minimum of 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Providence today to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
In early April members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force suspected that Luis Leon, 24, was expecting a large shipment of fentanyl. Task force members established surveillance of Leon’s Pawtucket residence, and on April 9 watched as an individual entered Leon’s residence carrying a large duffel bag. A short time later, Leon left the residence carrying the duffel bag, which he placed in the back of a dark colored pickup truck, and then drove off in the truck.
As law enforcement moved into position to follow Leon, he repeatedly looked in his rear view mirrors at their vehicle. As they attempted to effect a traffic stop, signaling Leon to stop by illuminating their flashing lights and engaging their siren, he drove off at a high rate of speed. Because of the reckless manner in which Leon was operating the truck, investigators did not pursue the vehicle. They continued to drive the route Leon’s truck appeared to take, coming upon an accident scene a short distance away. Witnesses told police that a pickup truck struck a vehicle causing the vehicle to careen into a building. Witnesses told police the pickup truck fled the accident scene without stopping.
Several minutes later, law enforcement learned that a pickup truck with heavy front end damage was pulled into a nearby parking lot and abandoned. A witness advised law enforcement that he saw the driver get out of the vehicle, toss a duffel bag into bushes nearby, and run off. The description of the driver fit the description of Leon. Agents retrieved the bag, which was found to contain approximately 634.4 grams of suspected fentanyl and approximately 429.5 grams of suspected cocaine.
Later that night members of the task force developed information that Leon was likely staying at a residence in Fall River. They established surveillance of the residence and arrested Leon the following afternoon as he exited the building.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Leon pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2019.
Possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by statutory penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to lifetime. Possession with intent to distribute cocaine is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to lifetime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, RI State Police, Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Central Falls Police Departments, R.I. Department of Corrections, and the Rhode Island National Guard.
###
Parkersburg Woman Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg woman pled guilty to aggravated identity theft in connection with illegally obtaining a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Erica Nicole Blake, 36, entered her guilty plea before Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Parkersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Blake knows she is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a gun due to her previous felony conviction,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “So she tried to pass off as someone else. We prosecute those who lie to buy firearms.”
On November 10, 2017, Blake used a West Virginia driver’s license belonging to another person as a means of photo identification during the purchase of a KAHR Arms .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Parkersburg. Blake used the stolen identification in order to fraudulently pass the background check. Blake was prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm as a result of having been convicted of felony forgery and uttering in 2012.
On December 6, 2017, approximately three weeks after Blake purchased the pistol, a Parkersburg Police Officer recovered it from Mark Matthew Smith during a traffic stop on Wood Street. Blake was driving the vehicle, and Smith was a passenger. An officer located the pistol in the floorboard where Smith was sitting. Smith was wearing a concealed carry holster for the pistol. Smith has felony convictions of forgery and uttering as well as grand larceny. He has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and is set for trial on June 25, 2019.
Blake faces a mandatory sentence of 2 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on August 14, 2019. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is responsible for 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.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
###
Owner of High-End Wine Storage Facility Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Embezzling from His CustomersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – William Lamont Holder, age 54, of Hanover, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2019 to a federal wire fraud charge for stealing between $550,000 and $1.5 million of wine from his clients, primarily private collectors and commercial establishments.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.
According to his plea agreement, William Lamont Holder was the sole owner and operator of Safe Harbour Wine Storage, LLC (“Safe Harbour”). Through Safe Harbour, Holder stored and transported upscale wines for private collectors and commercial establishments. In return for a monthly fee, Holder would arrange for the transportation of a customer’s wine to Safe Harbour’s storage facility in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where it would be inventoried and stored. Holder did not possess a license to sell wine in the State of Maryland.
From January 2013 through December 2017, Holder developed a scheme to obtain payments and wine from the customers of Safe Harbour for his own personal financial gain. Unbeknownst to his customers, he offered their wine for sale to wine retailers and brokers around the country, including in Napa, California, all the while continuing to collect the customers’ monthly storage fees and accept additional wine for storage.
Holder represented to potential third-party buyers that he was the lawful owner of the wine that he was offering to sell. By e-mail and facsimile, he sent them lists of bottles of wine stored in his warehouse with detailed descriptions of the winery, vintage, and asking price. After the buyers selected the bottles they wanted to purchase, Holder boxed and shipped the wine, and sent his bank account information. After inspecting the shipment of wine, the buyers would either wire the money directly into Holder’s bank account or send a check. Holder kept the proceeds from the sales and spent it on personal expenses.
Holder and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in this investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin Clarke, who prosecuted the federal case.
# # #
Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Fraud While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Lavitress Williams (39, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and five counts of passing counterfeit checks. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of passing a counterfeit check. Williams will also be ordered to pay restitution to her victims.
According to court documents, in 2013, Williams was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a scheme involving counterfeit travelers’ checks that were passed at Target stores located throughout the southeastern United States. After she was released from prison, and while serving on federal supervised release, Williams engaged in another fraud scheme in which she passed counterfeit checks at Walgreens and CVS stores in central Florida.
Over the course of more than five months, Williams passed, or attempted to pass, counterfeit checks at more than 30 drugstores. The total amount of actual and attempted losses associated with the scheme is estimated at over $60,000.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Eatonville Police Department, the Maitland Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Olean Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead 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 Jacob Tunison, 30, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who is handling the case, stated that in November of 2018, Tunison used Facebook to communicate with a minor female who was less than 16 years old. The defendant sent numerous lewd images of himself to the minor and solicited the minor to produce and send various images of herself to him.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jamestown Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 22, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
# # # #
O.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Running Down Federal Officer with His CarRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Aliso Viejo man pleaded guilty this morning to federal charges stemming from a vehicular assault that severely injured an employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the federal building in Laguna Niguel.
Geoffrey Donald Rickner, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a federal employee by use of a dangerous and deadly weapon and inflicting bodily injury, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Rickner admitted driving his Mercedes-Benz sedan into CBP Security Specialist Jose Gutierrez on March 3, 2016 at the Chet Holifield Federal Building, which is commonly known as the Ziggurat Building. Mr. Gutierrez, who was in a well-marked crosswalk and wearing his federal employee identification card, suffered permanent and life-threatening injuries – including head trauma, broken ribs, internal bleeding and badly damaged legs – that put him in the hospital for nearly three weeks and continue to cause him pain and physical impairment.
When Rickner struck Mr. Gutierrez, the vehicle was travelling at such a high rate of speed that it continued traveling into the Ziggurat, going through a metal garage door, and stopping only when it struck a concrete wall inside the building.
Rickner had been behaving suspiciously in the hours leading up to the assault on Mr. Gutierrez, prompting building security personnel at one point to detain him, during which he made comments about owing money to the Internal Revenue Service, according to documents previously filed in this case.
Rickner pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna, who scheduled a sentencing hearing on October 7.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Keenan of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Newly Unsealed Federal Indictment Charges 4 Men with Committing Murders to Increase Positions in Violent Chicago Street GangRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Four men sought to maintain and increase their positions in a violent Chicago street gang when they committed fatal shootings on the city’s Northwest Side, according to a newly unsealed federal indictment.
Charged with committing murder in aid of racketeering are HECTOR ROJAS, 26, JOSE MARTINEZ, 25, SANTO LOZOYA, 21, and PEDRO NAVARRO, 22, all of Chicago. Navarro is also charged with committing two attempted murders in aid of racketeering.
The indictment was returned last month by a federal grand jury in Chicago, and it was ordered unsealed on May 9, 2019. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly set a status hearing for June 20, 2019, at 1:30 p.m., in federal court in Chicago.
The defendants are members of the Milwaukee Kings street gang, according to the indictment. All four defendants are currently in law enforcement custody.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeannice Appenteng and Jordan Matthews.
“Combating violent gangs like the Milwaukee Kings is a top priority in our office,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “With this indictment, we’ve taken a major step toward removing violent offenders from the streets of Chicago.”
“When gang members engage in drug trafficking and other violent crimes, fear is generated in our communities,” said SAC Sallet. “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to keep our streets safe. Together we will remove armed, violent criminals from our neighborhoods and bring them to justice.”
The indictment alleges that the Milwaukee Kings is a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in narcotics trafficking and committed acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and assault. Members of the Milwaukee Kings boasted of the gang’s activities on social media, threatened violence against rival gang members, and took steps to prevent law enforcement’s detection of criminal activities, according to the indictment.
Navarro is accused in the indictment of murdering Xavier Soto on April 27, 2017, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing Navarro’s position in the gang. Soto, 15, was fatally shot in the 4900 block of West George Street in Chicago’s Cragin neighborhood. Navarro also attempted to murder two other individuals on the same day as the Soto killing, the indictment states.
Martinez and Lozoya are accused of killing Crispin Coliz on Dec. 16, 2016, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the gang, the indictment states. Coliz, 28, was fatally shot in the 7200 block of West Grace Street in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood.
The indictment accuses Rojas of murdering Daniel Guerra on Sept. 2, 2015, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing Rojas’s position in the gang. Guerra, 19, was fatally shot in the 5900 block of West Diversey Avenue in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Murder in aid of racketeering is punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison, and the death penalty is also possible. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
New Carlisle Man Convicted Following 2-Day Jury TrialRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Kevin Clinton, age 62, of New Carlisle, Indiana was convicted on 4 counts of mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr, presided over this two day jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Clinton was employed as the Chief Information Officer at a business in South Bend. From about March 2012 through October 2017, he executed a scheme in which he incorporated a business and used a virtual office to submit fraudulent billings to his employer totaling over $2.2 million. Clinton’s employer sent checks to his virtual office as payment for these “fake” services. His employer did not know Clinton owned the business.
Mr. Clinton’s sentencing is set for August 22, 2019.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse.
###
National Police Week Is May 12-18, 2019Read the Press Release
HAMMOND- U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, which is being observed Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18, 2019.
In October 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which the President signed,declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Police Week celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe. As the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, I want to acknowledge the work performed by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, who often face uncertain and dangerous situations without question and without expectation of thanks. We want them to know they have our unwavering support and appreciation.”
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Selling Heroin on the White Earth ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of STEVEN MITCHELL GANT, 38, to 90 months in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin on the White Earth Indian Reservation. GANT, who pleaded guilty on January 16, 2019, was sentenced today before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, from October 2017 through February 20, 2018, GANT conspired with another individual to distribute heroin on the White Earth Indian Reservation and the surrounding communities. The heroin was obtained from a source in Texas and then transported to Minnesota, where GANT acquired it. GANT admitted to traveling to the White Earth Indian Reservation to sell heroin approximately 25 times.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the West Central Minnesota Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, the White Earth Police Department, and the Becker County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
STEVEN MITCHELL GANT, 38
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 90 months in prison
- Five years of supervised release
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Middlesex County CPA Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, certified public accountant was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for underreporting his income on his personal tax return, avoiding paying more than $672,000 in taxes, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Amit Govil, 58, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to Count 1 of an indictment charging him with making and subscribing a false tax return. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Govil, licensed as a CPA in New York and New Jersey, operated P&G Associates, a business headquartered in East Brunswick, New Jersey, providing risk management and audit services to community banks. Govil admitted that for the tax year 2010, he underreported and failed to report the gross receipts or sales of P&G Associates on Schedule C of his personal tax return, avoiding more than $672,000 in taxes.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Govil to one year of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the IRS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney A. Howard and Catherine R. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Michigan man admits to drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Nicholas J. Mathis, of Warren, Michigan, has admitted to drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Mathis, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess With the Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Heroin within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession With the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime.”
Mathis faces not less than 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10 million for each of the conspiracy and aiding and possession of methamphetamine counts. He faces up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2 million for each of the heroin and fentany counts, and faces five years to life incarceration and a $250,000 fine for the firearms 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Three Rivers Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to New Hampshire to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
CONCORD- Jean Fouad Yazbek, 63, of Norwood, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2018, members of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) conducted an undercover investigation targeting online sexual offenders. As part of this investigation, a detective created an undercover online persona of a 15-year-old girl (“UC”) residing in Nashua, New Hampshire. Various individuals began messaging the UC on social media soon after the account was registered, including Yazbek. Beginning on October 2, 2018, and continuing through October 8, 2018, Yazbek engaged in sexually-charged conversations over social media with the UC. In their conversations, Yazbek discussed his desire to engage in various sex acts, including sexual intercourse, with the UC whom he believed was a 15-year-old girl.
On October 8, 2018, Yazbek drove from Massachusetts to Nashua, New Hampshire, to meet the UC and engage in illicit sexual conduct at a local hotel. When Yazbek arrived, he encountered law enforcement officers instead and was placed under arrest. Yazbek admitted that he had planned to meet a 15-year-old girl, whom he had met online and with whom he intended to engage in illicit sexual conduct, including, but not limited to, sexual intercourse. According to Yazbek, he had checked into a local hotel prior to his arrest, and his hotel room contained a brand new phone, a teddy bear, undergarments, and a backpack containing shaving equipment, lubricant, and condoms. Among other things, Yazbek gave written consent to search his hotel room. Thereafter, officers searched his hotel room and found the items described by Yazbek during his interview.
Yazbek is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2019.
“Protecting the children of New Hampshire from predators is a very high priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who seek to prey on the innocent frequently use the internet as a tool to advance their criminal intentions. Working through Project Safe Childhood, we will remain vigilant in coordinating law enforcement efforts to arrest and prosecute offenders against children.”
“We’re glad that, through great federal, state and local law enforcement teamwork, this sexual predator has now been brought to justice.” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “This result could never have happened without the solid, critical teamwork of our dedicated partners on the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Nashua Police Department.”
This matter was investigated by the Nashua Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
###
Man Sentenced to Prison for Armed Robbery of Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia man was sentenced today to nearly 16 years in prison for robbing a gun and ammunition dealer at gunpoint.
“Criminals who rob innocent victims at gunpoint and threaten them with death will be brought to justice,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “I want to thank our partners at the ATF for their outstanding work and assistance as we continue to target violent criminals who target innocent victims.”
According to court documents, Desmond Littlejohn, 33, of Norfolk, robbed the owner and an employee of Mac’s Reloads, which is a licensed federal firearms and ammunitions dealer. Littlejohn and his co-conspirator are friends with a former employee of Mac’s Reloads who provided them with inside information to help them successfully pull off a robbery of the store.
“Individuals such as these who are brazen enough to commit armed robberies are clear and present dangers to our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict, ATF Washington Field Division. “The sentence in this case sends an unequivocal message that this conduct will not be tolerated and provide further evidence of ATF’s commitment to combating violent crime by utilizing all available resources to make our communities safer.”
On the day of the robbery, Littlejohn and his co-conspirator laid in wait at 3:00 a.m. for the owner and an employee of Mac’s Reloads to return from a gun show in Philadelphia. Dressed in dark clothes and ski masks, they ambushed the owner and the employee while brandishing firearms. They demanded that the owner handover a black bag, which they knew contained approximately $10,000 in proceeds from the gun show. They threatened the owner and the employee with death if they did not comply, and forced them at gunpoint to lay on the ground while they made their escape. As the robbers were driving away they tossed the contents of the black bag onto the road with the exception of the money.
This 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-119.
Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on the Omaha Nation Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that Easton Harlan, an enrolled member of the Omaha Nation, was sentenced Monday, May 13, 2019, by Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp to 60 months’ imprisonment for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. There is no parole in the federal system. Harlan will also serve a three-year term of supervised release after his prison term. Harlan was also sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment concurrent to the possession with intent to distribute charge for violating his supervised release on an earlier case.
Harlan, age 36, was living on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation and was found in possession of approximately thirteen grams of methamphetamine. He was Career Offender, having been convicted of a prior crime of violence and a prior controlled substance offense.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Louisiana man pleaded guilty yesterday to production of child pornography.
According to court documents, beginning in or about 2009, Alexander Witt, 30, of New Orleans, persuaded a minor to engage in sexual acts with him and took pictures of this minor nude and engaging in sexual acts. Witt also filmed himself and the minor engaging in sexual acts.
Witt pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on August 15. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Eugene Fishel are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-5.
Man Convicted of Drug Conspiracy of Methamphetamine Hidden in Dog FoodRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, BRANDON DUWAYNE WRIGHT, 33, of High Point, North Carolina, was convicted in federal court following a two-day trial before United States District Judge James C. Dever III. WRIGHT was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, and distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.
The jury heard evidence that WRIGHT traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to Greenville, North Carolina to deliver five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine hidden inside two large dog food bags and a box of laundry detergent. WRIGHT met a cooperator in a parking lot of a Walmart in Greenville, North Carolina and provided what WRIGHT described as groceries to the cooperator. After receiving the dog food bags, law enforcement immediately noticed the packages had previously been opened as they were resealed with clear plastic tape.
WRIGHT faces a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life followed by no less than 5 years supervised release.
The prosecution of WRIGHT was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this enforcement operation was conducted by the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force consisting of the Greenville Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Winterville Police Department, East Carolina University Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dena King represented the government.
Madison Felon Sentenced to 24 Months for Drug & Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James M. Turner, 32, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to two concurrent 24-month federal prison terms for possessing drugs with the intent to distribute and a firearm as a convicted felon. Turner pled guilty to the charges on March 13, 2019. His prison term will be followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
On November 11, 2018, Wisconsin State Patrol Troopers stopped Turner in Dane County for speeding and erratic driving. Turner was arrested after he reached for a loaded revolver on the passenger’s seat. During a subsequent search of Turner’s car, the Troopers found 27.5 grams of a substance that later tested positive for cocaine.
Turner has prior felony convictions for delivering cocaine and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
The charge against Turner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin State Patrol. This prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow.
Loudon Man Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Randy Barton, 49, of Loudon, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 11, 2018, a New Hampshire State Trooper was patrolling I-93 in Canterbury. After observing a Chevrolet Cobalt commit a traffic infraction, the Trooper stopped the car and approached it. A woman, Katie-Jo Waters, was driving the car, and defendant Randy Barton was in the front seat. After making numerous observations of Waters and Barton and detecting inconsistencies in their stories, the Trooper asked Barton to step out of the vehicle, and conducted a pat-down search. The Trooper detected a bulge in Barton's pants pocket, and recovered two plastic baggies containing 15.5 grams of highly pure methamphetamine.
Barton previously pleaded guilty on October 9, 2019.
Katie-Jo Waters was sentenced to 72 months on April 2, 2019.
“Highly pure methamphetamine is a rising threat to the health and safety of Granite Staters,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In this case, an alert State Trooper prevented a quantity of this dangerous drug from reaching its intended destination. This arrest, along with the ten-year prison sentence imposed by the judge, should serve as a warning to others who seek to distribute this dangerous drug in New Hampshire.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to work diligently to keep methamphetamine and other highly addictive drugs out of our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “One of our goals is to rid the mail of illicit drug trafficking and ensure the safety of our customers and employees.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police, DEA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley previously worked on this case.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
###
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Shaun Sullivan pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to conspiracy to commit mail fraud by sending fraudulent prize-promotion mailings that led recipients, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable, to believe that they could claim large cash prizes in exchange for a modest fee. None of the victims who submitted fees, which in total exceeded $30 million, received a substantial cash prize.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph H. Hunt, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty plea.
“Sullivan preyed on consumers, many of them vulnerable and elderly, by sending fraudulent mailings designed to trick them into believing they had won a cash prize; he then lined his own pockets with the fees he extracted from the victims,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Protecting the community from mass mailing fraud schemes remains a priority of this Office and the Department of Justice.”
“The Department of Justice will bring to justice those who exploit elderly consumers in violation of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Hunt. “We are actively working with our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to stop and punish schemes that harm consumers.”
“Today’s plea is an example of the coordinated efforts of law enforcement to protect the vulnerable and older Americans, who were specifically targeted to receive bogus solicitations to lure the unsuspecting ‘prize winner’ to send money that was subsequently used for Mr. Sullivan and his co-conspirators own enrichment,” said USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Bartlett.
Between December 2010 and July 2016, Sullivan and others sent fraudulent prize-promotion mailings to thousands of victims throughout the United States. The mailings appeared to be personally addressed to thousands of individuals whose names were on consumer lists obtained by Sullivan and his coconspirators. Sullivan and co-defendant Tully Lovisa rented and maintained private mailboxes in the Eastern District of New York to receive return mailings sent by the victims. They created various shell companies for the purported senders of the mailings, and hid their involvement in the business by using straw owners and aliases. Lovisa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in October 2018, and is awaiting sentencing.
When sentenced, Sullivan faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as $550,000 in forfeiture, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly and Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha R. Payne is in charge of the forfeiture.
The Defendant:
SHAUN SULLIVAN
Age: 37
Merrick, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-349 (JS)
Long Island Man Going to Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Adam Leone 32, of Long Island, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Leone was arrested by members of the FBI on June 27, 2018, after he distributed child pornography to an undercover FBI Agent. Investigators determined the defendant’s location and executed a search warrant at his residence, where they located a computer containing child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
# # # #
Lewis County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA –Dustin Lee Watson, of Roanoke, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Watson, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Watson, having previously been convicted of a felony and domestic violence, admitted to having a .380 caliber pistol in October 2017 in Upshur County.
Watson faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Last Member of Deadly Elmira Opioid Trafficking Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Terrance Washington, 32, of Elmira, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and witness retaliation, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that Washington was a distributor in a large-scale opioid manufacturing and trafficking organization in the Southern Tier of New York and northern Pennsylvania between 2015 and May 2017. As part of the conspiracy, the leaders of the organization, Robert Ian Thatcher and Maximillian Sams, imported bulk quantities of furanyl fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and U-47700 from overseas suppliers China. They ordered the drugs on what is known as “the dark web,” and used different people and addresses in New York and Pennsylvania to receive the shipments. Thatcher and Sams purchased equipment and materials – including pill presses/mechanical tableting machines, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose magnesium stearate, and powdered food coloring – which they used to manufacture tens of thousands blue pills containing furanyl fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl and U-47700. The pills were made to look like legitimate 15 milligram and 30 milligram Percocet pills.
At least two individuals – a 21 year-old female, and a 25 year-old male – died after ingesting the blue pills containing furanyl fentanyl and U-47700. In addition, at least one individual overdosed on more than one occasion after using the blue pills manufactured and distributed by the organization, but survived after being treated by first responders with Narcan.
Thatcher and Sams used residences at 604 South Lehigh Avenue in Sayre, Pennsylvania, and 665 Sawdey Road in Catlin, NY, to manufacture and process the pills for distribution. During the execution of a search warrant at the Sayre location on May 16, 2017, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, 244 blue pills containing furanyl fentanyl, four long guns and ammunition. In addition, during the execution of a search warrant at the Catlin location on May 18, 2017, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, materials used by Thatcher and Sams to manufacture the pills for distribution. During the conspiracy, Thatcher also possessed several firearms at the Pennsylvania location and his residence in Elmira.
After manufacturing the pills, Thatcher and Sams would distribute them in large quantities to other co-conspirators – including Washington, Jesus Rivera, Anthony Prettyman, and Dwayne Banks, a/k/a Fizzle, a/k/a Fizz – who would then distribute the pills to various street-level customers in the Elmira area.
Sams also supplied pills to an individual in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. As part of the conspiracy, Sams used co-conspirator Anthony Prettyman to transport 5,330 blue pills containing furanyl fentanyl from Elmira to North Carolina in October 2016. On October 25, 2016, in North Carolina, deputies with the Iredell County (NC) Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Prettyman was traveling. During a subsequent search, the deputies recovered and seized a paint can with a false bottom containing the 5,330 blue pills from inside Prettyman’s vehicle.
In early 2017, Thatcher arranged for a package of furanyl fentanyl, that he ordered over the dark web, to be sent to Carlito Rios, Jr. On March 13, 2017, Customs and Border Protection officers at the John F. Kennedy International Airport Mail Branch in Queens, NY, examined a United States Postal Service package addressed to co-conspirator Rios at 1015 Oak Street in Elmira. The sender was listed as an entity in China. Upon inspection, the package was found to contain approximately 249 grams of furanyl fentanyl. Sams and Thatcher intended to use the seized furanyl fentanyl to manufacture and distribute additional quantities of the blue pills. As part of the conspiracy, Rios agreed to accept the package of furanyl fentanyl for Thatcher.
On August 1, 2017, Washington was arrested in Georgia. While in federal custody in Ohio, Washington assaulted an inmate who had been cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration in this investigation. Specifically, Washington struck the inmate in the head with closed fists, threw a cup at the inmate, and struck the inmate in the face with the cup. Washington assaulted the inmate in retaliation for the inmate’s cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration in the investigation of Washington and several associates, including Thatcher, Sams, Banks and Rios.
In total, 16 members and associates of the opioid manufacturing and trafficking operation have been convicted of federal narcotics offenses and sentenced. The other members of the organization were sentenced as follows:
• Thatcher was sentenced to serve 23 years in federal prison;
• Sams was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison;
• Prettyman was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison;
• Banks was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison;
• Rivera was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison;
• Thatcher’s girlfriend, Amber Bates, who was convicted of money laundering conspiracy, was sentenced to five years probation to include six months of home detention;
• Robert J. Elford was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison;
• Edward Barrett was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison;
• Scott Fairbanks was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison;
• Dusty Pemberton was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison;
• Deven Hill was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison,
• Chad Smith was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison;
• Jordan Jones was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison;
• Carlito Rios, Jr., was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release; and
• Isaiah McLaurin, who was convicted of witness tampering after threatening an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration on Facebook, was sentenced to serve 57 months in federal prison.The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rochester Resident Office and Scranton PA Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the New York State Police, Community Narcotics Enforcement Team Southern Tier, under the direction of Major Mary Clark and Lieutenant Kevin P. Sucher; the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Kane; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Pennsylvania State Police, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Robert Evanchick; the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Christopher J. Moss; the Iredell, NC County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Darren E. Campbell, and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Director Brian Manaher. Additional assistance was provided by the Northeast Regional Laboratory.
# # # #
Hells Angels "Full Patch" Member Facing 5-40 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A “full patch” member of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club arrested as part of a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation by members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force is facing between 5 and 40 years in federal prison after admitting to trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
Douglas Leedham, 54, of North Providence, was arrested on February 8, 2019, by members of the Safe Streets Task Force after a court-authorized search of his residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 39 grams of methamphetamine, 19 grams of cocaine, two handguns, a 12 gauge shotgun, two body armor vests, 35 knives, four hatchets, five expandable and four flashlight batons, a set of brass knuckles, $6,422 in cash, and assorted items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Leedham pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Leedham, who has been detained since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2019.
According to court records, Leedham was convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2013 of carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced to a term of five years in prison - suspended with five years’ probation.
Possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine is punishable by statutory penalties of 5 – 40 years in federal prison to be followed by a minimum of 4 years supervised release. Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and 3 years supervised release. Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, RI State Police, Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Central Falls Police Departments, R.I. Department of Corrections, and the Rhode Island National Guard.
###
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Yvette Kane sentenced Jacob Eddie Junior Pena, age 24, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for a firearm offense.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Pena admitted to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on December 1, 2017, in Harrisburg.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of Harrisburg Police. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
# # #
Greece Man Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Thomas Alonzo Bolin, a/k/a Peter Vincent, 22, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to making a false statement to the FBI. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that the FBI began investigating the defendant and others in March 2019 for potential violations of federal civil rights and firearms laws. On March 15, 2019, a Facebook user named “Ragnar Odinson” – who was a member of a Facebook group called “Odin’s Warriors” – made statements on Facebook referencing the mosque attacks that occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand, and indicated that he was willing to “do something” the following week. The defendant was a member of and administrator for the “Odin’s Warriors” Facebook group. The defendant used Facebook – under the user name “Peter Vincent” – to post messages consistent with white supremacist ideology, statements threatening violence against Muslims and others, and messages containing derogatory terms for Muslims and other minority groups.
On March 30, 2019, members of the FBI, as part of their investigation, interviewed the defendant. During the interview, Bolin falsely stated that he did not possess any firearms in New York State. At the time of the statement, the defendant knew that he possessed a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his bedroom closet at 34 Third Avenue in Greece. This false statement was material to the FBI’s investigation of possible civil rights and firearms violations by Bolin and others. The FBI recovered the shotgun during a subsequent search of the defendant’s bedroom closet.The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2019, before Judge Larimer.
# # # #
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck charged with $2,000,000 fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim C. Beck has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. The 38-count indictment alleges that Beck stole more than $2,000,000 from his former employer, the Georgia Underwriting Association, during the five years just prior to Beck’s election to statewide office in November, 2018.
“The grand jury seeks to hold Commissioner Beck accountable for taking advantage of his position at the Georgia Underwriting Association. Beck allegedly pocketed a substantial amount of money to which he was not entitled while he was the GUA General Manager for Operations,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “To be clear, the grand jury has charged Commissioner Beck with crimes that occurred before he was elected to his current public office.”
“The FBI investigation found that Beck abused the trust of friends and his employer (GUA), in an elaborate scheme to enrich himself at GUA’s expense,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The indictment is a testament to the fact that the FBI will expend all resources necessary to hold those who seek to enrich themselves through fraud and deceit, accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak and the indictment: From January 2012 until Beck was sworn in as Insurance Commissioner on January 14, 2019, Beck worked as the General Manager of Operations for the Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA) after being elected to that post by the GUA board of directors. GUA, located in Suwanee, Georgia, is an insurance association created as part of the Georgia Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) law to provide high-risk property insurance to homeowners located throughout Georgia. In addition to premiums collected from its customers, GUA is also funded by issuing assessments to the association members, which include every insurer authorized to write any form of property insurance in the State of Georgia.
While Beck served as General Manager at GUA, he also maintained controlling financial interests in two businesses known as Creative Consultants and the Georgia Christian Coalition. Beginning in 2013, Beck allegedly talked four associates into forming four separate businesses which supposedly supplied necessary services including residential property inspections and water damage mitigation to GUA. These new businesses are identified in the indictment as Companies A, B, C, and D.
Then, through an elaborate system of fraudulent invoicing which included producing false documentation and concealing the truth from his four associates, Beck regularly approved substantial GUA payments to the four new companies. Beck then allegedly sent fraudulent invoices from Creative Consultants and the GA Christian Coalition to Companies A, B, C, and D. At Beck’s direction, his four associates paid the fraudulent invoices from a portion of the money they had been paid by GUA. All told, between February 2013 and August 2018, Beck defrauded GUA out of more than $2,000,000.
Jim C. Beck, 57, of Carrollton, Georgia, was indicted on May 14, 2019. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Attorney Pak and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Gary Man Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Leeroy Beck, 29, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Springmann after pleading guilty to brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence (robbery of a United States Postal employee) announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Beck was sentenced to 96 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5595 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, on August 3, 2017, Beck participated in the armed robbery of the Tolleston Post Office in Gary, Indiana, pointing guns at employees and forcing them into a bathroom in order to steal $5,595.00 in cash.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane L. Berkowitz and Thomas M. McGrath.
###
Four Plead Guilty to Federal Charges of Selling Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jeremy D. Stidham, Dario Adrian Mauriz-Cruz, Wayne Russell Fugate, and Larry Joe Burton have all entered guilty pleas to federal charges related to stolen firearms. Stidham and Mauriz-Cruz pleaded guilty to stealing firearms and selling them. Fugate pleaded guilty to buying stolen firearms and illegally possessing more than 25 firearms, as a convicted felon. Burton pleaded guilty to possessing two stolen firearms, including a M-16 semi-automatic rifle stolen from law enforement.
In September and October 2017, several locations in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee experienced a number of vehicle break-ins, where firearms, credit cards and other items were stolen. A multi-jurisdictional task force investigation identified Stidham and Mauriz-Cruzas the primary suspects. The investigation also established that more than 50 firearms had been stolen, along with other personal property. These firearms were sold to at least two others, including Fugate and Burton.
In executing a search warrant at Fugate’s residence, law enforcement located 22 stolen firearms and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent investigation recovered six additional firearms purchased by Fugate. Law enforcement also searched Burton’s residence and, through further investigation, recovered the M-16 semi-automatic rifle that had been stolen from law enforcement.
Stidham, 25, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms. Mauriz-Cruz, 27, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms and to being a felon in possession of firearms. Fugate, 49, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of more than 25 stolen firearms and Burton, 59, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen firearms.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF; Richard Sanders, Commissioner, KSP; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff; Matt Sparks, Rowan County Sheriff; Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff; and Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff jointly announce the guilty pleas. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger W. West.
Stidham, Cruz, and Burton are scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2019; Fugate is scheduled to be sentenced on September 3, 2019. Each faces up to ten years in prison 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 statutes.
Former University Soccer Coach Pleads Guilty in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California (USC) pleaded guilty today in connection with her involvement in a scheme to use bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities.
Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, Calif., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Oct. 17, 2019 at 2:30 pm. Janke is cooperating with the government’s investigation.
As set forth in the charging documents, Janke conspired with Rick Singer and others to fabricate athletic “profiles” and other documents to bolster students’ college applications by making them appear to be highly successful high school athletes when in fact they were not. In exchange, Singer made direct payments to a private soccer club controlled by Janke and another defendant.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence at the low end of the Guidelines range, one year of supervised release, a fine, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Postal Worker Sentenced to Fourteen Months in Prison for Stealing Electronics from Priority Mail Processing FacilityRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Postal Service employee was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to fourteen months in prison for stealing electronic devices from mail shipments and directing others to sell the stolen devices at pawn shops and on online marketplaces. JAMIE GUHLKE, 56, of Federal Way, Washington was indicted for theft of mail in April 2018 and pleaded guilty in November 2018. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said that GUHLKE’s crimes were a violation of her “position of trust” as a government employee.
According to records filed in the case, in 2015, while still employed as a mail handler at the United States Postal Service Priority Mail Annex in Kent, Washington, GUHLKE stole as many as 44 packages mailed by Quick Ship Electronics, Inc., a Woodinville-based electronics distributor, to customers across the country. The packages contained digital devices, including Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy tablets. The thefts interfered with operations at the Priority Mail Annex, which is responsible for processing the vast majority of Priority Mail that originates in Washington State. Law enforcement traced the stolen devices to GUHLKE through records obtained from online marketplaces, like ‘OfferUp,’ ‘Craigslist,’ and ‘eBay,” as well as pawnshops. Those records showed that GUHLKE used a network of other people to re-sell the devices that she had stolen.
Law enforcement agents stopped GUHLKE’s car as she left work on August 26, 2015, and saw a Priority Mail package containing a stolen device on the passenger side of her car. In response, GUHLKE tried to flee, ignored commands and stomped on a police officer’s foot. After her employment at USPS was suspended, GUHLKE filed an unsuccessful claim for unemployment benefits, in which she denied the thefts and claimed that she had been set up by other USPS employees. As part of GUHLKE’s sentence, Judge Robart ordered her to pay $15,458 in restitution to Quick Ship Electronics.
“The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination,” U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Western Area Field Office Special Agent-in-Charge John D. Masters said. “Unfortunately, Ms. Gulhke decided to betray the public’s trust and steal mail from postal customers. Today’s sentence demonstrates that USPS OIG Special Agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to safeguarding U.S. Mail and to hold accountable any Postal Service employee who steals mail.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Siddharth Velamoor.
Former Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty in GBK Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of North Carolina pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Joelle Hollis, 31, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the Greenway Boy Killas (GBK) street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Joelle Hollis conspired with others to distribute cocaine. Hollis’s involvement in the conspiracy included sharing, with members of the conspiracy, sensitive law enforcement information which Hollis obtained from her friend, Erica Romanowski, who by virtue of her employment with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, had access to such information, including information related to ongoing federal investigations.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Yvonne Saadi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Joelle Hollis.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Former Mercyhurst Employee Sentenced for Visa Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 2 years probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine on his conviction of visa fraud and false statements, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Daniel Cabanillas, 49.
According to information presented to the court, Cabanillas was the Designated School Official (DSO) for the Student Exchange Visitor Program at Mercyhurst University until he was terminated on February 19, 2015. According to information provided to the court, while Cabanillas was employed as the DSO, he knowingly made materially false statements on various Form I-20, Certificates of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status, subscribing to as true, the false certification of a person’s acceptance status at the university. A false Form I-20 was then used by an individual to obtain a student visa, which allowed entry into the United States. The court was advised that Cabinallas falsified acceptance documents for dozens of other students in connection with his work as the DSO.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady stated, "The Student Exchange and Visitor Program relies on the honesty and integrity of Designated School Officials to truthfully certify to the information contained in Visa application documents, and when DSO’s provide or certify false information, our system of lawful immigration into the United States for educational purposes is frustrated."
"This investigation is an example of how those that abuse the immigration process will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Cabanillas, while serving in his capacity as a designated school official at Mercyhurst University, abused his authority and undermined the integrity of the international student visa process." said Marlon V. Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. "I would like to thank U.S. Attorney Scott Brady for his collaboration in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Cabanillas and for his ongoing commitment to aggressively pursue those individuals that exploit the immigration process."
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cabanillas.
Former IRS Employee Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday convicted Craig P. Orrock, a former attorney and former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee, of tax evasion and obstructing the internal revenue laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, starting in the early 1990s, Orrock, currently of Sandy, Utah, evaded the payment of his federal income taxes and obstructed IRS efforts to collect those taxes. Orrock filed federal individual income tax returns for the years 1993 through 2015, but failed to pay the income taxes reported as due. He attempted to prevent the IRS from collecting the reported income taxes through the use of nominee entities, bank accounts and trusts to hide his income and assets from IRS collection officers. Orrock attempted to evade the assessment of a large part of the income tax he owed for 2007, by concealing from the IRS both the ownership of real estate he held through a nominee known as Arville Properties LLC as well as the proceeds from the sale of the property.
From 1993 through 2015, Orrock evaded the payment of over $500,000 in federal income taxes.
Orrock faces up to five years in prison on each of the first two counts and up to three years in prison on the third count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns and Tax Division Trial Attorney Erin S. Mellen, who are prosecuting the case.
Former IRS Employee Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday convicted Craig P. Orrock, a former attorney and former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee, of tax evasion and obstructing the internal revenue laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, starting in the early 1990s, Orrock, currently of Sandy, Utah, evaded the payment of his federal income taxes and obstructed IRS efforts to collect those taxes. Orrock filed federal individual income tax returns for the years 1993 through 2015, but failed to pay the income taxes reported as due. He attempted to prevent the IRS from collecting the reported income taxes through the use of nominee entities, bank accounts and trusts to hide his income and assets from IRS collection officers. Orrock attempted to evade the assessment of a large part of the income tax he owed for 2007, by concealing from the IRS both the ownership of real estate he held through a nominee known as Arville Properties LLC as well as the proceeds from the sale of the property.
From 1993 through 2015, Orrock evaded the payment of over $500,000 in federal income taxes.
Orrock faces up to five years in prison on each of the first two counts and up to three years in prison on the third count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Trutanich commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns and Tax Division Trial Attorney Erin S. Mellen, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Former Erie Resident Pleads Guilty in Project Safe Childhood ProsecutionRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Mark Joseph Bretz, 28, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bretz received computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and used interstate communications to extort several victims into providing Bretz sexually explicit or suggestive material.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 24 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie County Detectives Bureau and the Aurora, Colorado Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bretz.
Flagler Beach Man Sentenced to Nearly Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Selling Benzoyl Fentanyl and Other Drugs OnlineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Robert Richard Jodoin (50, Flagler Beach) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for importing GHB into the United States, distributing benzoyl fentanyl, possessing with the intent to distribute N-Ethylhexedrone, maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing controlled substances, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Jodoin to forfeit the web domain PRIMALVISIONS.NET, which Jodoin had used to sell drugs. Jodoin had pleaded guilty on February 6, 2019.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Jodoin. The investigating agencies discovered that multiple drug overdose victims around the country had purchased their drugs from Jodoin via his website. The investigation revealed that Jodoin was selling a wide array of controlled substances on his website, including fentanyl analogues. He routinely imported controlled substances from outside the United States, including, on one occasion, more than a kilogram of GHB. Information received from local law enforcement agencies revealed multiple overdose victims around the country had identified PRIMALVISIONS.NET as their drug source. One of the overdose victims told law enforcement that he had purchased fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ketamine from the website.
In May 2018, an undercover special agent with HSI purchased drugs from Jodoin.
Also in May 2018, during the time the undercover buy was being conducted, Jodoin posted an advertisement on PRIMALVISIONS.NET offering $1,300 to anyone who would beat up his girlfriend, and stated that she was “wanted dead or alive.” Jodoin also solicited the undercover agent via text message to “take out” his girlfriend.
Federal agents also learned that Jodoin was using the Flagler Beach Post Office to receive international drug shipments and to mail drug packages to his customers across the country. On May 26, 2018, a postal inspector was alerted that a package addressed to PRIMAL VISIONS had arrived from China. A border search of the parcel revealed that it contained more than 100 grams of N-Ethylhexedrone, a controlled substance analogue. On June 6, 2018, the package was scanned as available for pickup, and law enforcement observed as Jodoin traveled from his residence to the Flagler Beach Post Office. Upon arriving, Jodoin took possession of the package and was arrested as he exited the building.
Also on June 6, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jodoin’s residence and located a drug packaging table with a mortar and pestle for grinding drugs, a drug scale, large quantities of USPS packaging materials, and drug dosing spoons and pipes. Next to the drug packaging table was a .380 caliber pistol, which was loaded.
“This case highlights the wide range of criminal statutes our HSI special agents enforce,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Our communities are safer with this criminal and his drugs off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Flagler Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Felon Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to two years and nine months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
William Edward Jones, 37, previously pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the sentencing hearing.
According to admissions made in Jones’ plea agreement, on July 7, 2018, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a fatal car accident. Following the accident, Jones underwent a medical check. When he stood up, a semi-automatic handgun fell from his waist area. Jones was a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Reese prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
###
Federal Jury Convicts Two Colombian Nationals and One Belizean National for International Cocaine Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Rudolph Randolph Meighan (28, Belize), Jorge Ramon Newball-May (48, Colombia), and Calbot Reid-Dilbert (59, Colombia) each guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as one count of possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on that vessel. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for August 7, 2019. A fourth defendant, Emiro Hinestroza-Newbbooll, is awaiting trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were part of an international maritime drug smuggling operation involving at least 600 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $18 million, that was bound for the United States. Randolph Meighan was the Belizean load guard for a Cartagena, Colombia-based cocaine smuggling crew, which included Newball-May and Reid-Dilbert as crewmembers. Prior to their interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the individuals were transporting approximately 30-to-40 bales of cocaine onboard a go-fast vessel from Colombia to Belize, following a known cocaine smuggling route known as the “Honduras Rise.”
On December 1, 2018, a USCG HC-130 aircraft deployed from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina spotted and recorded the defendants onboard a go-fast vessel traveling north at a high rate of speed, approximately 110 nautical miles southwest of Jamaica. In an attempt to destroy evidence and evade capture, the defendants jettisoned all of the cocaine bales onboard the vessel and sank them to the ocean bottom, by tying the bales to their outboard engines and throwing the engines (their only means of propulsion) overboard. The USCG aircrew thwarted that attempt and was able to observe and record most of the jettison.
Later that day, the men and their now engine-less vessel were interdicted and boarded by USCG law enforcement officers from Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific. That boarding yielded crucial evidence consistent with cocaine trafficking, including trace amounts of cocaine present on the smuggling vessel and the defendants.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas DeRenzo and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Fall River Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The ex-wife of an MCI-Cedar Junction inmate pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.
Lisa Guillemette, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam. In September 2018, she was charged along with her former husband, William Guillemette, 39, and Chad Connors, 42, both inmates at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Cedar Junction (MCI-CJ) in South Walpole, and her former mother-in-law, Margaret Guillemette, 58, also of Fall River. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled Lisa Guillemette’s sentencing for Aug. 22, 2019.
According to the charging documents, Chad Connors and William Guillemette were inmates housed at MCI-CJ’s Departmental Disciplinary Unit (DDU). It is alleged that Connors was involved in a romantic relationship with Christine Ramos, a nurse assigned to the DDU. At Connors’ request, Ramos agreed to smuggle contraband, including controlled substances, into MCI-CJ. In order to do this, Ramos opened two P.O. Boxes through a third party. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes and, at William Guillemette’s direction, Lisa and Margaret Guillemette, obtained and sent Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the DDU and delivered them to Connors. It is alleged that Connors and William Guillemette distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment. Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.
William Guillemette and Margaret Guillemette previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Ramos was sentenced in April 2019 to two years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000 and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement today. Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Finds Career Offender from Albuquerque Guilty of Distributing Heroin That Resulted in Teen’s Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Raymond Moya Convicted of Selling Heroin Resulting in Death of
18-Year-Old Cameron Weiss, a Former La Cueva High School Student who
Became Addicted to Opioids Following Treatment for a Sports-Related Injuries
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a guilty verdict early this afternoon finding Raymond Moya, 34, of Albuquerque, on two heroin trafficking offenses, including a distribution of heroin on Aug. 12, 2011, that resulted in the death of an Albuquerque teenager on Aug. 13, 2011. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson and Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the DEA’s El Paso Division.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Anderson said, “Hundreds of people die each year in New Mexico from heroin and opioid overdoses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the DEA and its other partners across federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to combat the abuse of heroin and prescription opioids, which has had, and continues to have, devastating effects on victims, their families, and our communities.”
“New Mexico has been hit hard by the heroin and opioid epidemic that is plaguing our country,” said Kyle W. Williamson, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s El Paso Division. “Drug dealers who fuel this epidemic must be held accountable for their actions, which – all too often – have lethal consequences. DEA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who prey on our communities and to do our part to reduce overdose deaths.”
Moya was indicted on May 28, 2015, and charged with distributing heroin on Aug. 7, 2011, and distributing heroin on Aug. 12, 2011 resulting in Mr. Weiss’s death. At the time the indictment was filed, Moya was serving a 72-month federal prison sentence for his conviction for committing a heroin trafficking crime in the northeast heights of Albuquerque in Nov. 2011.
Trial on the case began on May 6, 2019, and concluded early this afternoon when the jury returned a verdict of guilty on both counts of the indictment. During the trial, numerous witnesses testified about final week of the life of Cameron Weiss, an 18-year-old who died of a heroin overdose on the morning of Aug. 13, 2011. The jury learned that Mr. Weiss had been addicted to heroin for two years, after getting hooked on opiate painkillers to treat serious sports injuries sustained as a student athlete at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque.
Mr. Weiss had spent time in rehab, but had relapsed and ended up in jail in Aug. 2011. While in jail, Mr. Weiss learned that Moya was a source of heroin supply who could be contacted through go-betweens. After he was released from jail on Aug. 7, 2011, Mr. Weiss contacted a go-between, who purchased heroin from Moya and delivered it to Mr. Weiss. The following day, Mr. Weiss joined his family in California where they were vacationing; the family returned to Albuquerque on Aug. 11, 2011. The next day, Aug. 12, 2011, Mr. Weiss met with another go-between, who purchased more heroin from Moya, including heroin which Mr. Weiss ingested over the course of the evening and into the night. At the end of the night, a friend dropped Mr. Weiss off at home. Mr. Weiss went into his bedroom and went to sleep; he never woke up. A pathologist determined that Mr. Weiss died as the result of a heroin overdose.
Moya remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Because of his status as a career offender, with a criminal history that includes at least four prior felony convictions, Moya faces the following enhanced penalties based on today’s verdict: a maximum thirty years of imprisonment on Count 1 of the indictment, distribution of heroin; and a mandatory term of life imprisonment on Count 2, the distribution of heroin on Aug. 12, 2011 that resulted in the death of Mr. Weiss.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean J. Sullivan, Paul Mysliwiec, and Nicholas Jon Ganjei. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of the Department of Justice’s commitment in partnership with other law enforcement to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids and to establish new programs to provide services to victims of the opioid crisis.
Exeter Man Sentenced for Managing Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Ken Duc Ma, 60, of Exeter, was sentenced in federal court to four months in prison for promoting and managing an establishment for the purpose of prostitution, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least March 1, 2015, through November 7, 2017, Ma owned and managed businesses including Qi Natural Healing Massage, LLC, in Plaistow, Oriental Bodyworks, in Exeter, and Johnny’s Massage a/k/a Qi Natural, in Salem. These businesses purported to provide massage services to clients, but also offered sexual services in exchange for money. Beginning in March of 2015, investigators conducted surveillance of the businesses and observed that they were frequented exclusively by male customers. On various occasions, after observing customers leave the businesses, investigators approached the customers and inquired about the services they received. Customers of each of the three businesses reported that they had paid cash in exchange for sexual services.
Investigators located advertisements for each of the businesses posted on Backpage.com. Advertisements were posted in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts under the “Massage,” “Body Rubs,” “Adult Entertainment,” “Escorts,” “Dating,” and “Men Seeking Women” subsections of the website. Advertisements included references to sexual activity and had sexually explicit images depicting female workers wearing lingerie and in various states of undress. All of the Backpage.com advertisements were posted and paid for by Ma.
On November 7, 2017, investigators executed search warrants at the three businesses and two residences owned by Ma. One of these residences, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, was used by Ma to receive packages and store supplies for his businesses. Pursuant to a search warrant, officers seized approximately 11 boxes of white sheets used to cover massage tables and plastic bags containing 1,092 condoms. They also seized large amounts of cash, most of which was wrapped in newspaper and concealed behind a wall. They also seized a significant amount of cash hidden in the defendant’s primary residence.
The defendant previously pleaded guilty on January 3, 2019. His sentence of incarceration will be followed by three years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Ma will forfeit $186,466 and land and buildings located in Plaistow, New Hampshire, to the government.
“The defendant in this case profited from illegal conduct that exploited women,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “His prison sentence and substantial forfeiture of property should serve as a deterrent to others who would seek to exploit women for economic gain. I am grateful for the work of the multi-jurisdictional investigative team whose efforts brought this defendant to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing comes as a result of a well-coordinated federal, state and local law enforcement investigation,” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston. “HSI would like to thank our partners in the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the New Hampshire State Police as well as the Exeter, Plaistow, Londonderry, and Salem, New Hampshire Police Departments for their support in investigating this case.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to making sure that those who exploit and traffic individuals will face consequences for their criminal actions,” said William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Boston Field Office. "We will continue to join with our federal, state, and local partners to combat this serious crime.”
This matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Exeter Police Department, the Plaistow Police Department, the Londonderry Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Rabuck also assisted with this matter.
###
Essex County Man Admits Role in $2 Million Fraudulent Check Scheme Targeting Home-Improvement StoresRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man today admitted his role in a phony check scheme that resulted in the theft of over $2 million in merchandise from multiple home-improvement stores throughout the country, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Lessie Dickerson III, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 2013 and through February 2017, Dickerson and others conspired to obtain merchandise or store credit from home-improvement stores in the eastern United States, including New Jersey, by purchasing items with fraudulent checks. They entered home-improvement and other retail stores and gathered high-value items, like air conditioners or hardwood flooring. Dickerson and others then typically “purchased” the items either by a fraudulent check with a phony name but authentic account and routing numbers, or by pretending to be an authorized signatory on a store credit account that Dickerson and others had previously opened with a phony check.
During some of the transactions, Dickerson and others displayed fake driver’s licenses that had been created by one of the conspirators, which either duplicated the phony name imprinted on the fraudulent check they presented for payment or matched the name of an authorized signatory on a store credit account that they had previously opened.
Dickerson and others allegedly stole over $2 million in merchandise from various retailers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.
The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum potential of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Union Township Police Department, the Holmdel Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, the Totowa Police Department, and the Monroe Township Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Eleven Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Carfentanil, and Other Controlled Substances in Manatee and Pasco Counties, Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that 11 individuals have entered guilty pleas stemming from a conspiracy to distribute, to possess with the intent to distribute, to manufacture, and to possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, the distribution of which resulted in one death from carfentanil intoxication.
Manatee/Pasco Drug Trafficking Organization
Name
Age, Residence
Status
Rafael Sanchez, a/k/a “Chico Jay”
30, Palmetto
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Jerome Miller, a/k/a “Madball”
30, Bradenton (Deceased)
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faced a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
James McClinton
40, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Jose Venegas, a/k/a “Tiny”
24, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Bryan Reshaun Wright
36, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Robert Lee Nealey
38, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Eduardo Sanchez-Lara, a/k/a “Lalo”
42, Atlanta, GA
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Demetrius Cherilus Morancy, a/k/a “Pearl”
26, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and other controlled substances.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Homar Guerrero-Hernandez
25, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and carfentanil resulting in death. Pleaded guilty to 1 count of distribution of carfentanil resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life in federal prison.
Wilson Peter Revange, a/k/a “Jackboi”
26, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Aljan Blanchard
27, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreements and other filings in this case, these 11 individuals were part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other substances. The DTO operated in and around Manatee and Pasco Counties, with ties to other criminal organizations in Georgia and elsewhere. In July 2018, the DTO conspired to receive heroin from a Mexican transnational criminal organization and then convert it into at least a kilogram of heroin for street distribution. Law enforcement seized the heroin from the DTO while it was being prepared for distribution and also seized fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogues, after recording purchases of opioids from various members of the DTO. In all, the investigation resulted in the seizure of more than a kilogram of heroin; various amounts of fentanyl, carfentanil and other fentanyl analogues; firearms; and cash proceeds from the drug trafficking.
In addition, law enforcement officers identified an overdose that occurred in spring 2017 that was linked to the DTO. Homar Guerrero-Hernandez had distributed carfentanil to a person in Manatee County, who later died from ingesting the drug.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Eldon Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Eldon, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for traveling to North Carolina on five occasions to engage in illicit sexual activity with a child victim over a two-year period.
James Anthony Guthrie, III, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 27, 2018, Guthrie pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Guthrie admitted that he traveled to North Carolina on five occasions for work and, while there, met the then-15-year-old child victim at various hotels for sex. Guthrie admitted that he picked up the child victim from school or at her house; once, the victim’s father brought her to the hotel.
According to court documents, Guthrie met the child victim online when she was 14 years old. Guthrie engaged in sexual communications with her and groomed her by sending gifts, including jewelry, a cellular telephone, food delivery, a life-size teddy bear, shopping trips and nights in a hotel room. Guthrie manipulated the child victim and exploited the fact that others had abused her.
Guthrie also admitted that he communicated about sexual matters with the child victim and received pornographic images and videos from her. Investigators examined Guthrie’s laptop, hard drive and DVD-R disks, which contained images of child pornography. Guthrie admitted to communicating with other individuals he believed to be minors in a sexual manner, and to receiving self-produced pornographic images from 13-to-14-year-old children.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lebanon, Mo., Police Department and the Lake Area ICAC Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."EDVA Honors Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes at Police Week EventsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Last night U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger attended the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Mall in support of National Police Week.
“During Police Week, our nation appropriately pauses to celebrate the service and bravery of police officers from around the country who selflessly gave their last full measure of devotion,” said Terwilliger. “We will forever be in their debt for keeping our communities safe and allowing us the luxury of pursuing those ideals set forth by our founding fathers of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As first prioritized by former Attorney General Sessions and now reinforced by Attorney General Barr, the Department is committed to supporting our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and their families. EDVA has their back, and they most certainly have our deepest thanks. Respect. Honor. Remember.”
National Police Week events began last week and will continue through this week, as the official dates being observed are May 12 to May 18.
Last Tuesday, Terwilliger joined law enforcement and faith-based community leaders at the 25th Annual Blue Mass at Saint Patrick’s Church in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, Terwilliger attended the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Police Memorial in Waterfront Park honoring Alexandria Police Officers and Sheriff Deputies who have died in the line of duty. On Friday, Terwilliger attended the Observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day hosted by the Arlington County Police Department and Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service Annual Memorial Ceremony in Arlington.
Yesterday afternoon, Terwilliger attended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 2019 Police Week Ceremony in Washington, D.C., and today he will attend Attorney General Barr’s law enforcement reception in honor of National Police Week, and the ATF’s 23rd Annual Memorial Observance in Washington, D.C.
In October 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which the President signed, declaring May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
According to statistics reported to the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018. Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018 https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2018/ recently released by the FBI.
The names of all 106 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil tonight on the National Mall.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.