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Wednesday 24 April 2019
Grant County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cody Swick, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Swick, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Swick, having been previously convicted of domestic battery, admitted to having a .22 caliber revolver in October 2018 in Grant County.
Swick faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.This case 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 Danae DeMasi-Lemon is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Grant County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Wisconsin Rapids Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms
Michael Westfahl, 37, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment alleges that on November 17, 2018, he possessed a .45 caliber handgun; that on December 1, 2018, he possessed a .308 rifle; and that on December 21, 2018, he possessed a loaded .223 rifle, a loaded .40 caliber handgun, and a loaded. 38 caliber handgun.
If convicted, Westfahl faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Wood County Sheriff’s Department, Stevens Point Police Department, Wisconsin Rapids Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Adams County District Attorney’s Office and Portage County District Attorney’s Office assisted in this case. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Man Charged with Robbing Madison Bank
Albert Singer, 23, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with bank robbery. The indictment alleges that he robbed the Chase Bank on East Towne Boulevard in Madison on August 11, 2018.
If convicted, Singer faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
Janesville Man Charged with Receiving Child Pornography
Brian J. Garbe, 44, Janesville, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of receiving child pornography. The indictment alleges that on February 27, March 3, and October 18, 2016, he downloaded videos from the internet containing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, Garbe faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and Janesville Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
Inmate Charged with Possessing Weapon
Francisco Rivera, 27, an inmate of the Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a prohibited object. The indictment alleges that on December 17, 2018, he possessed a weapon described as a metal needle with plastic wrapped around the end that measured approximately five and three-quarters inches in length.
If convicted, Rivera faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Four Florida Men Charged with Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - Four Florida men were charged in a complaint partially unsealed today in federal court in Boston in connection with the fraudulent abuse of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Informed Delivery electronic notification system.
Lucson Appolon, 26, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Kevens Louis, 26, of Plantation, Fla., were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Two charged co-conspirators remain at-large. Appolon and Louis were arrested on April 16, 2019, and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Informed Delivery is a free electronic notification service provided by the USPS that gives residential and P.O. Box customers the ability to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages.
According to the complaint partially unsealed today, the defendants accessed victims’ personal identifying information, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses on the “dark web” and then used the information to open credit cards in the victims’ names. The defendants then subscribed to Informed Delivery using the victims’ personal identifying information and a fraudulent email address created to track the delivery of credit cards to the victims’ residential mailboxes. The defendants subsequently intercepted the credit cards at the victims’ mailboxes before the victims could receive them and used those credit cards at ATMs and to purchase gift cards and other items for resale at Apple and Walmart, among other retail establishments. The defendants traveled to states across the East Coast in furtherance of the fraud, including New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The complaint further alleges that the defendants engaged in dozens of fraudulent transactions between August 2018 and January 2019, with an estimated exposure of over 1.2 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; the Concord, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), Harvard, Kittery (Maine), Norfolk, Plantation (Fla.), Sherborn, and Weston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Founder and CEO of Fresno Substance Abuse Treatment Center Arraigned Today for Defrauding Health Insurance CarriersRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment on April 11 against Orlando Gillam, 45, of Fresno, charging him with mail fraud for a scheme that defrauded insurance carriers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gillam is the founder and CEO of Dunamis Inc. Group Home, a nonprofit that provided services that included alcohol and drug treatment and counseling. Between January 2016 and January 2018, Gillam falsely billed insurers hundreds of thousands of dollars for alcohol and drug treatment and counseling, mental health treatment, and group and individual psychotherapy purportedly rendered to multiple individuals. Those individuals did not receive the services billed, and several were not Dunamis clients.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincente A. Tennerelli is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gillam faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced April 15, 2019, to 15 years in federal prison.
Craig Eugene Essing, 59, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 26, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Essing and others in the conspiracy distributed over 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, area from June 2015 through September 2017. Essing obtained methamphetamine from sources in Des Moines, Iowa for redistribution in the Fort Dodge area. During a search warrant at Essing’s residence on September 8, 2017, law enforcement seized indicia of drug distribution, including approximately fourteen ounces of methamphetamine, eleven firearms, including a SKS rifle, numerous rounds of ammunition, $4,911, three digital scales, packaging material, and other drug paraphernalia.
Essing was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Essing was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Essing is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, DCI Criminalistic Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Dodge Police Department and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-3047. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former contract security guard at ATF facility admits to stealing firearmsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Lee Yates, a former contract security guard at a U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) facility, has admitted to stealing firearms from the government, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Yates, age 52, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm” and one count of “Theft of Government Property.” Yates admitted to possessing stolen firearms in Berkeley County in February 2019. Yates also admitted to stealing firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition valuing more than $1,000 from the ATF’s National Disposal Branch in Martinsburg, West Virginia.Yates faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Anyone with information regarding the location of these firearms, firearms parts, ammunition and/or persons who unknowingly purchased one or more of these items should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS, email [email protected]; through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips; or through the ReportIt ® app, www.reportit.com, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Former VA pharmacist indicted for stealing pharmaceutical drugs from patients’ prescriptionsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a grand jury indicted Melissa W. Richardson, 43, of Shreveport, on 20 counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud.
According to the indictment, Richardson, who worked for Veterans Affairs in Shreveport as a pharmacist, stole various quantities of Hydrocodone, Tylenol/Codeine, Diazepam and Morphine on June 9, 2017 from prescriptions meant for patients.
If convicted, Richardson faces a maximum term of four years imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Foreign AgentsRead the Press Release
Candace Marie Claiborne, a former employee of the U.S. Department of State, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, by lying to law enforcement and background investigators, and hiding her extensive contacts with, and gifts from, agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in exchange for providing them with internal documents from the U.S. State Department.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ricardo Colón, Domestic Operations, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
The plea took place before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Candace Marie Claiborne traded her integrity and non-public information of the United States government in exchange for cash and other gifts from foreign agents she knew worked for the Chinese intelligence service,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “She withheld information and lied repeatedly about these contacts. Violations of the public’s trust are an affront to our citizens and to all those who honor their oaths. With this guilty plea we are one step closer to imposing justice for these dishonorable criminal acts.”
“Candace Claiborne broke the public trust when she accepted gifts and money from foreign officials, and then lied about it to State Department background investigators,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The United States will continue to seek to hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust.”
“Candace Claiborne was entrusted with Top Secret information when she purposefully misled federal investigators about her repeated interactions with foreign contacts which violated her oath of office as a State Department employee,” said Assistant Director McNamara. “The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who fail to report foreign contacts, which is a key indicator of potential insider threats posed by those in positions of public trust.”
“Our close working relationship with the FBI and the Department of Justice resulted in the conviction of Candace Claiborne who violated the public trust and damaged our national security,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Colón. “Diplomatic Security will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously defend the interests and security of the United States of America.”
According to the plea documents, Claiborne, 63, began working as an Office Management Specialist for the Department of State in 1999. She served overseas at a number of posts, including embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Iraq, Khartoum, Sudan, and Beijing and Shanghai, China. As a condition of her employment, Claiborne maintained a TOP SECRET security clearance. Claiborne also was required to report any contacts with persons suspected of affiliation with a foreign intelligence agency as well as any gifts she received from foreign sources over a certain amount.
Despite such a requirement, Claiborne failed to report repeated contacts with two agents of the People’s Republic of China Intelligence Service, even though these agents provided tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits to Claiborne and her family over five years. The gifts and benefits included cash wired to Claiborne’s USAA account, Chinese New Year’s gifts, international travel and vacations, tuition at a Chinese fashion school, a fully furnished apartment, a monthly stipend and numerous cash payments. Some of these gifts and benefits were provided directly to Claiborne, while others were provided to a close family member of Claiborne’s.
In exchange for these gifts and benefits, as stated in the plea documents, Claiborne provided copies of internal documents from the State Department on topics ranging from U.S. economic strategies to visits by dignitaries between the two countries.
Claiborne noted in her journal that she could “Generate 20k in 1 year” working with one of the PRC agents. That same agent at one point tasked her with providing internal U.S. Government analyses on a U.S.-Sino Strategic Economic Dialogue that had just concluded.
Claiborne, who confided to a co-conspirator that the PRC agents were “spies,” willfully misled State Department background investigators and FBI investigators about her contacts with those agents, the plea documents state. After the State Department and FBI investigators contacted her, Claiborne also instructed her co-conspirators to delete evidence connecting her to the PRC agents. She was arrested on March 28, 2017, following a law enforcement investigation.
Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019. Claiborne, of Washington, D.C., was ordered detained pending sentencing, but will self-surrender for said detention on June 5, 2019. The statutory maximum penalty for a person convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is leading the investigation into this matter. The case was prosecuted by Thomas A. Gillice and investigated by John L. Hill, both Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Deputy Chief Julie A. Edelstein and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Foreign AgentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Candace Marie Claiborne, a former employee of the U.S. Department of State, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, by lying to law enforcement and background investigators, and hiding her extensive contacts with, and gifts from, agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in exchange for providing them with internal documents from the U.S. State Department.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Deputy Assistant Secretary Ricardo Colón, Domestic Operations, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
The plea took place before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Candace Marie Claiborne traded her integrity and non-public information of the United States government in exchange for cash and other gifts from foreign agents she knew worked for the Chinese intelligence service,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “She withheld information and lied repeatedly about these contacts. Violations of the public’s trust are an affront to our citizens and to all those who honor their oaths. With this guilty plea we are one step closer to imposing justice for these dishonorable criminal acts.”
“Candace Claiborne broke the public trust when she accepted gifts and money from foreign officials, and then lied about it to State Department background investigators,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The United States will continue to seek to hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust.”
“Candace Claiborne was entrusted with Top Secret information when she purposefully misled federal investigators about her repeated interactions with foreign contacts which violated her oath of office as a State Department employee,” said Assistant Director McNamara. “The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who fail to report foreign contacts, which is a key indicator of potential insider threats posed by those in positions of public trust.”
“Our close working relationship with the FBI and the Department of Justice resulted in the conviction of Candace Claiborne who violated the public trust and damaged our national security,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Colón. “Diplomatic Security will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously defend the interests and security of the United States of America.”
According to the plea documents, Claiborne, 63, began working as an Office Management Specialist for the Department of State in 1999. She served overseas at a number of posts, including embassies and consulates in Baghdad, Iraq, Khartoum, Sudan, and Beijing and Shanghai, China. As a condition of her employment, Claiborne maintained a TOP SECRET security clearance. Claiborne also was required to report any contacts with persons suspected of affiliation with a foreign intelligence agency as well as any gifts she received from foreign sources over a certain amount.
Despite such a requirement, Claiborne failed to report repeated contacts with two agents of the People’s Republic of China Intelligence Service, even though these agents provided tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits to Claiborne and her family over five years. The gifts and benefits included cash wired to Claiborne’s USAA account, Chinese New Year’s gifts, international travel and vacations, tuition at a Chinese fashion school, a fully furnished apartment, a monthly stipend and numerous cash payments. Some of these gifts and benefits were provided directly to Claiborne, while others were provided to a close family member of Claiborne’s.
In exchange for these gifts and benefits, as stated in the plea documents, Claiborne provided copies of internal documents from the State Department on topics ranging from U.S. economic strategies to visits by dignitaries between the two countries.
Claiborne noted in her journal that she could “Generate 20k in 1 year” working with one of the PRC agents. That same agent at one point tasked her with providing internal U.S. Government analyses on a U.S.-Sino Strategic Economic Dialogue that had just concluded.
Claiborne, who confided to a co-conspirator that the PRC agents were “spies,” willfully misled State Department background investigators and FBI investigators about her contacts with those agents, the plea documents state. After the State Department and FBI investigators contacted her, Claiborne also instructed her co-conspirators to delete evidence connecting her to the PRC agents. She was arrested on March 28, 2017, following a law enforcement investigation.
Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019. Claiborne, of Washington, D.C., was ordered detained pending sentencing, but will self-surrender for said detention on June 5, 2019. The statutory maximum penalty for a person convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is leading the investigation into this matter. The case was prosecuted by Thomas A. Gillice and investigated by John L. Hill, both Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Deputy Chief Julie A. Edelstein and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Former Reading Mayor Sentenced in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams announced that former Mayor of Reading, Vaughn Spencer, 71, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $35,000 fine by the Honorable Juan R. Sanchez, Chief Judge, United States District Court.
Spencer was the Mayor of Reading from January 2012 until January 2016. He was convicted by a jury on August 31, 2018 on eleven counts of bribery solicitation and related offenses, stemming from a conspiracy to solicit campaign contributions from specific vendors for the May 2015 democratic primary in exchange for lucrative municipal engineering contracts. T&M Associates and McTish Kunkle & Associates were among the engineering firms that engaged in this pay-to-play scheme.
Spencer, his Special Assistant, Eron Lloyd, and his campaign manager, Michael Fleck, also conspired to pay an $1,800 bribe to Reading School Board President Rebecca Acosta, who was running for district justice at the time, in exchange for her help and her husband, City Council President Francisco Acosta, in persuading Reading City Council to repeal a local ordinance that set an annual limit on individual campaign contributions to persons running for city office. Spencer pursued this because he was hoping to maximize his campaign contributions, and keep contributions he had already received well in excess of the limit.
Francisco Acosta pled guilty and was sentenced to, and has already served, 24 months in prison, and Rebecca Acosta pled guilty and is currently serving an 18-month sentence of incarceration. Lloyd pled guilty and was sentenced to 5 years’ probation with the first 6 months on house arrest, and Mark Neisser of T&M pled guilty and was sentenced to 5 years’ probation with the first 12 months on house arrest and a $25,000 fine. Fleck and Matthew McTish are scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2019.
“Spencer was so concerned with keeping his job, and the money to run a re-election campaign, that he forgot to do his job on behalf of the citizens of Reading,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “He used the position that voters had entrusted to him for his personal benefit. Our office is committed to uncovering and prosecuting public corruption, so officials should be on notice: if you abuse the powers of your office, the federal government is coming for you.”
“While mayor of Reading, Vaughan Spencer repeatedly sold off city contracts in an effort to cling to office,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “Instead of working honestly on behalf of his constituents, he embraced these corrupt relationships and transactions for his own selfish benefit. The FBI is determined to root out the kickback culture seen all too frequently in this country's halls of power.”
“Spencer’s conscious decision to deceive and benefit personally at the expense of the citizens of Reading has cost him his liberty,” said Guy Ficco, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “Let his sentence serve as a stark reminder that if you commit a crime, status as a political leader will not protect you from federal prosecution.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle L. Morgan and Anthony J. Wzorek.
Former Linn County Attorney Pleads Guilty to Thefts of Public PropertyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The former Linn County Attorney pleaded guilty today to federal charges of stealing 350 to 500 items including electronics and equipment that belonged to the county, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today. The estimated value of the items is $75,000.
John Sutherland, 68, Mound City, who served as county attorney for approximately 20 years before leaving the job in January 2017, is charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of lying to federal investigators. The crimes are alleged to have taken place from sometime prior to January 2009 and continuing until Sutherland left office.
In his plea, Sutherland admitted that on Feb. 6, 2019, FBI agents found 13 items stolen from Linn County when they searched Sutherland’s office at the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office. At the time, Sutherland was working as an Assistant District Attorney. One of the items was a stolen Apple laptop computer.
When FBI agents interviewed him, Sutherland denied any wrongdoing and made other false statements. For instance, he claimed that an Apple TV 64 GB video-streaming device the county purchased for about $220 had been destroyed. FBI agents found the device intact at Sutherland’s residence. They also found that Sutherland had given some of the stolen items to his adult children.
In his plea agreement, Sutherland agreed to pay full restitution and to surrender his license to practice law. Sentencing is set for July 18. The mail fraud count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The false statement count carries a penalty of up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
McAllister commended the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
Former Employee of Connecticut College Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement SchemesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL KMEC, 40, of Marlborough, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating various embezzling schemes while employed at Connecticut College in New London.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kmec began working at Connecticut College in 2006. In 2014, Kmec was promoted to Director of Auxiliary Services of the college. In that position, he oversaw the print shop, bookstore, vending machines, transportation, laundry services and residence halls. He also oversaw the Camel Card program, which is an identification and debit card used at the college. As part of his responsibilities, Kmec oversaw approval of various third-party reimbursements for services to the college.
Beginning in approximately 2014 and ending when he was terminated by Connecticut College in April 2018, Kmec defrauded the college through various embezzlement schemes, including receiving funds from the college through fraudulent billing schemes, diverting checks to the college to a bank account he controlled, diverting money from the Camel Card program to bank accounts he controlled, and misappropriating a college laptop. He also fraudulently deposited more than 80 reimbursement checks that a contractor for the college had issued to Connecticut College students into a bank account he controlled.
Through these schemes, Kmec stole $173,010.
On November 14, 2018, Kmec pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New London Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
Former Deputy Chief of Staff in N.J. Governor’s Office Sentenced to 13 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of then-Gov. Christopher J. Christie’s senior staff was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for her role in a scheme to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, by misusing Port Authority resources to cause traffic problems in the borough, Attorney for the United States Mark Coyne announced.
Bridget Anne Kelly, 46, former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Christie, and co-defendant William E. Baroni, 47, formerly the deputy executive director of the Port Authority, were each convicted on Nov. 4, 2016, following a six-week trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton on all seven counts with which they had been charged. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Kelly and Baroni were each convicted of conspiring to misuse, and actually misusing, property of an organization receiving federal benefits; conspiring to commit, and actually committing, wire fraud; conspiring to injure and oppress certain individuals’ civil rights, and acting under color of law to deprive certain individuals of their civil rights. Kelly was originally sentenced to 18 months in prison and Baroni was originally sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The defendants both appealed their convictions. In a unanimous, precedential opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Nov. 27, 2018, affirmed five of seven convictions for each defendant, upholding all but the civil rights counts of conviction and remanding the case to Judge Wigenton for resentencing. Baroni was resentenced Feb. 26, 2019, to 18 months in prison.
All of the charges relate to the defendants’ scheme to manufacture traffic problems in Fort Lee by, without public warning, reducing from three to one the number of local access lanes, located in Fort Lee, to the upper level of the George Washington Bridge, and the toll booths servicing those lanes. This was done to punish Mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Gov. Christie’s re-election bid.
A third conspirator, David Wildstein, the former director of Interstate Capital Projects at the Port Authority, pleaded guilty May 1, 2015, to a separate information charging him with two counts of conspiracy for his role in the scheme. Wildstein pleaded guilty to conspiring to misuse the property of an organization receiving federal benefits and conspiring to injure and oppress certain individuals’ civil rights in connection with his role in causing traffic problems to punish Mayor Sokolich. Wildstein was sentenced July 12, 2017, to three years of probation.
According to documents filed in this case, statements made in court and the evidence at trial:
In August 2013, after Kelly confirmed that Mayor Sokolich would not be endorsing Gov. Christie for re-election in November 2013, Baroni, Kelly, and Wildstein decided to punish the mayor by deliberately causing significant traffic problems in Fort Lee under the false pretense of a traffic study.
From the morning of Sept. 9, 2013, to Sept. 13, 2013, they caused the local access lanes to be reduced so that only one toll booth, instead of the usual three, was accessible to the approach to the bridge for local traffic traveling through Fort Lee. To maximize the congestion and the punitive impact on Mayor Sokolich, Baroni, Kelly and Wildstein caused these lane and toll booth reductions to start on the first day of the school year without any advance notice to Mayor Sokolich, the Fort Lee chief of police or borough residents. The lane and toll booth reductions resulted in significant traffic in Fort Lee, for motorists intending to access the George Washington Bridge from local lanes and for residents, whose streets were choked with traffic.
The conspirators agreed to disregard any inquiries from Mayor Sokolich and other Fort Lee officials about the lane and toll booth reductions. They purposely ignored communications from Mayor Sokolich, including his pleas for help, requests for information, and repeated warnings about the increased risks to public safety. On Sept. 9, 2013, after Baroni received an email that Mayor Sokolich had called about an urgent matter of public safety, Wildstein sent an email to Baroni reiterating that Baroni should maintain “radio silence” toward the mayor. On Sept. 10, 2013, Kelly sent Wildstein a text message stating: “I feel badly about the kids … I guess,” to which Wildstein replied, “They are the children of Buono voters …” a reference to Christie’s opponent in the gubernatorial election, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex).
When Kelly was made aware of Mayor Sokolich’s communication regarding an urgent matter of public safety, she thanked Wildstein for confirming that Baroni had maintained “[r]adio silence” toward Mayor Sokolich. On Sept. 12, 2013, Baroni instructed a Port Authority employee through coded language that the employee should not contact Mayor Sokolich.
The three conspirators concocted and promoted a sham story that the lane reductions were for a traffic study. They created and advanced this cover story so they could use Port Authority property, including the time and services of unwitting Port Authority personnel and other resources, to implement the lane and toll booth reductions and conceal their true punitive purpose.
On Nov. 25, 2013, with Kelly’s and Wildstein’s knowledge, Baroni provided false and misleading testimony about the lane and toll booth reductions to the N.J. Assembly Transportation, Public Works, and Independent Authorities Committee.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Kelly to one year of supervised release, fined her $2,800 and ordered her to pay restitution of $14,314.
Attorney for the United States Coyne credited criminal investigators of the Port Authority, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Michael Nestor; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; and criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee M. Cortes Jr., Vikas Khanna, David W. Feder and Senior Litigation Counsel J Fortier Imbert of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.
Former Department of Corrections Nurse Sentenced for Smuggling Drugs into Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former MCI-Cedar Junction nurse was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with smuggling drugs into the facility.
Christine Ramos, 38, of Walpole, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to two years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $2,000. In July 2018, Ramos was charged by Information with conspiracy to distribute Suboxone and Alprazolam.
According to the court documents, Ramos was involved in a romantic relationship with Chad Connors, an inmate at MCI-Cedar Junction in South Walpole. At Connors’ request, Ramos agreed to smuggle contraband, including controlled substances, into MCI-CJ. In order to do this, Ramos opened two Post Office Boxes through third parties. Connors sent letters and money to Ramos at these P.O. Boxes. Connors’ co-defendant, William Guillemette, directed his wife, Lisa, and mother, Margaret, to obtain and send Suboxone and Alprazolam to the P.O. Boxes. Ramos subsequently smuggled the drugs into the facility and delivered them to Connors. William Guillemette and, allegedly, Connors, distributed the drugs to other inmates, who sent checks to Lisa and Margaret Guillemette as payment for the drugs.
According to court documents, Suboxone and Alprazolam are Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances, respectively.
William Guillemette and Margaret Guillemette previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia 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 defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Captain of the Rosebud Tribal Police Pleads Not Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for 22 counts of Wire Fraud.
Calvin Waln, Jr., a/k/a “Hawkeye” Waln, age 41, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 30 years in federal prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine, as well as 5 years of supervised release. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Waln knowingly writing insufficient funds checks from two financial accounts which he knew had been either depleted of funds or closed prior to writing the checks.
The charges are merely accusations and Waln is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case.
Waln was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been set for May 28, 2019.
Federal Jury Finds Sacramento Loan Officers Guilty in Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Tuesday, after a six-day trial, a federal jury found Jaime Mayorga, 40, and Ruben Rodriguez, 42, both of Sacramento, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “Mayorga and Rodriguez took advantage of members of the Latino community who hoped to become homeowners and manipulated the real estate process for personal gain. As so often occurs in these cases, the result was losses to the financial institutions and neighborhoods burdened with foreclosed properties. We are grateful for the diligence and professionalism of the FBI in investigating this case.”
On July 14, 2011, Mayorga, Rodriguez, and five others were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants, including Mayorga and Rodriguez, worked for Delta Homes & Lending, a Sacramento-based real estate and mortgage lending company that falsified home loan applications to obtain mortgage loans for borrowers, many of whom did not and could not qualify for a loan without the lies submitted by Delta employees. Mayorga and Rodriguez were real estate agents and loan officers. The now defunct Delta Homes was founded by co-defendant Moctezuma “Mo” Tovar, 49, of Sacramento.
According to court documents, Delta opened one office in 2003 and eventually had multiple offices in Sacramento, with additional branch offices in Woodland, Yuba City, and Southern California. Rodriguez and Mayorga both started working at the original Delta office on Enterprise Drive in Sacramento. Later, they both moved to a branch on Franklin Boulevard, and Rodriguez went on to work at other Delta branches, including a large branch office located on Howe Avenue.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Delta targeted the Latino community with advertisements in Spanish that heralded the company’s ability to obtain home loans for borrowers who otherwise would not qualify for a mortgage. In addition to advertisements in which Delta claimed to be “Hispanics Serving Hispanics,” Delta employees solicited clients at flea markets and by going door-to-door through the community.
In order to obtain mortgages, the defendants falsified information on loan applications regarding the clients’ income, occupation, and personal savings. Straw buyers were sometimes used when the true borrower did not have a sufficient credit score to qualify. The defendants also deposited money into borrowers’ bank accounts to meet the lenders’ requirement that the borrower have money on hand, taking the money back after acquiring the verification of deposited funds that the lenders also required.
The evidence at trial showed that the defendants’ fraud was also personally lucrative. During the investigation, Rodriguez estimated that in 2006 alone, he earned more than $400,000. Similarly, Mayorga told agents that although he earned a salary when he started at Delta, he shifted to commission-based compensation and then earned between 50 and 85 % of the brokerage fees. Mayorga stated that he earned more than $500,000 in 2005.
The aggregate sale price of the homes involved in the conspiracy was in excess of $10 million, and as a result of the conspiracy, mortgage lenders and others suffered losses of at least $4 million.
Co-defendants Tovar, Manuel Herrera, 39, of Davis; Sandra Hermosillo, 57, of Woodland; and Jun Michael Dirain, 46, of Antelope, all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Christian Parada-Renteria, 43, of Woodland, pleaded guilty to two counts of concealing felonies related to the wire fraud conspiracy.
Rodriguez and Mayorga are scheduled to be sentenced on August 6 by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. The court has not yet set a sentencing date for Tovar, Herrera, Hermosillo, and Dirain. Parada-Renteria was sentenced to serve one year in prison.
Each of the defendants faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Justin L. Lee are prosecuting the case.
Elizabeth Man Facing Drug and Gun Charges in Project Safe Neighborhoods CaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH –A resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned yesterday, named William Johnson, 34, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 13, 2018, Johnson, being a convicted felon, illegally possessed a Ruger, Model P94, 40 Auto caliber pistol, one magazine containing 10 cartridges of Hornady 40 S&W caliber ammunition, and an SKS, 7.62x39mm caliber rifle. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year to possess a firearm or ammunition. Additionally, on or about June 13, 2018, Johnson possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance; and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, and methamphetamine, each a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General – Allegheny County Drug Task Force and the City of Clairton Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eastern District of Pennsylvania Hosts Roundtable Addressing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder and the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a roundtable today for community organizations, treatment centers, and healthcare providers in order to foster discussion about the nationwide opioid crisis. More specifically, the roundtable focused on the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for individuals using medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as a means to combat their opioid addiction and promote long-term recovery.
Today’s roundtable was part of the Department of Justice’s initiative to remove discriminatory barriers to MAT and to educate local stakeholders about how anti-discrimination laws protect people with opioid use and other substance use disorders. Representatives of dozens of local healthcare groups attended the roundtable event. U.S. Attorney McSwain invited these representatives because they often work with individuals who are addicted to opioids and using MAT as part of their treatment.
U.S. Attorney McSwain, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Charlotte Lanvers, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., presented to the group and addressed ways in which the ADA can protect individuals from discrimination arising from their use of MAT.
“Locally and nationally, opioid addiction and illegal distribution of opioids continue to be at alarming levels. My Office is committed to stopping criminals from flooding our streets with these deadly drugs, as well as enforcing the ADA’s anti-discrimination protections against those who are lawfully using MAT as part of their addiction recovery plan,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “These two goals are compatible and, in fact, help to reinforce each other.”
People who believe they are being discriminated against with regard to their use of MAT should file complaints with DOJ at https://www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may also file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, ATTN: Jacqueline C. Romero, Civil Rights Coordinator.
Eagle Butte Woman Charged with Embezzlement and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Embezzlement and Theft from a Tribal Organization and Larceny.
Teri Pretty Weasel, age 35, was indicted on March 12, 2019. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 18, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 5 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about between the 27th day of February, 2015, and the 13th day of March, 2015, Pretty Weasel, being an employee of an Indian tribal organization, that is, the cashier of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Bingo Operations, embezzled and converted to her own use over $1,000 of the moneys, funds, and credits belonging to the Bingo Operations.
The charges are merely accusations and Pretty Weasel is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Pretty Weasel was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
The case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities.
Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, participating federal agencies in the Guardians Project include: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Failure to RegisterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Vine Janis, age 38, was indicted on March 12, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 19, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between July 6 and July 17, 2017; April 1 through June 18, 2018; and September 1 through October 19, 2018, Janis failed to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charge is merely an accusation and Janis is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Janis was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Burglary and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Third-Degree Burglary and Larceny.
Michael Charlton, age 18, was indicted on April 9, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 16, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 5 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 29, 2019, Charlton unlawfully entered and took an amount more than $1,000 in United States currency from the Suds-N-Snacks building in Eagle Butte.
The charge is merely an accusation and Charlton is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Charlton was released pending trial. A trial date has been set for June 18, 2019.
Durant Woman Pleads Guilty to Tribal TheftRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nichole Marie Schell Loper, age 43, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Embezzlement And Theft From Indian Tribal Organizations, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1163, punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Indictment alleges that from in or about January 2016, to in or about June 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did steal, embezzle and knowingly and willfully convert to her own use monies in excess of $1,000.00 which had been entrusted to her custody and care as an employee of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, an Indian tribal organization.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – James Aubin, 46, of Dover, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 23, 2019, to committing a bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 12, 2018, Aubin entered the Bank of New Hampshire branch on Central Avenue in Dover and demanded money from the teller. The teller gave Aubin a quantity of United States currency. After images from bank surveillance videos were shown on local news outlets, investigators were able to positively identify Aubin as the robber. After being arrested, Aubin admitted to robbing the bank.
Aubin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2019.
“Bank robberies are violent crimes that can inflict fear and endanger bank employees, patrons, and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “As part of our effort to combat violent crime, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who are responsible for bank robberies in the Granite State.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Dover Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski.
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District Men Sentenced to 10-Year Prison Terms for Armed Robberies Targeting Commercial EstablishmentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarvell Kent, 21, and Olona Roba, 20, of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to 10-year prison terms on federal charges stemming from their involvement in a total of four armed robberies that were committed in three quadrants of the District of Columbia.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Kent and Roba pled guilty in January 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, for four separate incidents. They were sentenced on April 23, 2019, by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Following their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.
The government’s evidence established that Kent and Roba robbed two 7-Eleven convenience stores at gunpoint, while wearing masks. During both armed robberies, one of the weapons used was a large black sub‑machine gun style firearm with an extended magazine. The first robbery took place on May 5, 2017, at approximately 11:40 p.m., at a store in the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The second was on May 11, 2017, at approximately 1 a.m., at a store in the 4400 block of Benning Road NE.
In addition to the armed robberies that the defendants jointly committed, each defendant admitted involvement in additional armed robberies. Kent pled guilty to a May 15, 2017, armed robbery of another 7-Eleven located in the 900 block of 17th Street NW, and Roba pled guilty to a March 4, 2017, armed robbery of a carryout driver in the 5800 block of Southern Avenue SE, a crime in which shots were fired at the carryout driver as he fled from the scene.
Kent and Roba were arrested in May 2017 and have been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the FBI Agents and MPD officers who linked together investigations that spanned three quadrants of the District of Columbia and arrested Kent and Roba. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil, Laura Crane, and William Schurmann, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff, Paralegal Specialists Rommel Pachoca and Antoinette Sakamsa, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.
DEA and Partners to Hold National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27Read the Press Release
MIAMI – With robust public participation over the course of 16 prior events, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative continues to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft, or abuse by family members and visitors; including children and teens. In continuation of this effort DEA, along with their national, tribal, and community partners will hold the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country on Saturday, April 27th. The drug take back service is free and anonymous for the public.
Now in its ninth year, DEA has collected nearly 11 million pounds (more than 5,400 tons) of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications through its Take Back Day events. This weekend, approximately 6,000 collection sites manned by nearly 5,000 law enforcement partner agencies will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharp material.)
"Addiction causes a tremendous amount of pain and suffering, not just for those addicted to drugs but also for their family members and friends," said Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. "Helping people keep their loved ones safe by disposing of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications is just one of many ways that DEA is working to break the cycle of addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country."
“Keeping our homes free of harmful prescription medication, when no longer needed, is a way of keeping everyone safe.” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “We strongly encourage the public to do your part by discarding your expired, unused, and unwanted medications at any of the 200+ sites throughout Florida.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States continue to be alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these medicines. The majority of prescription drug abusers have often reported receiving their drugs from friends, family, and the home medicine cabinet. Take Back Day serves as a unique opportunity for Americans to secure their medicine cabinets from theft and abuse.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has received enthusiastic public support since its inception in 2010. Last October, the public surrendered 457 tons (914,236 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA, and nearly 4,800 sites manned by local and tribal partners.
DEA and Partners Hold National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 27Read the Press Release
DETROIT – With robust public participation over the course of 16 prior events, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative continues to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft or abuse by family members and visitors, including children and teens. In continuation of this effort, DEA and its national, tribal and community partners will hold the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country on Saturday, April 27. The service is free and anonymous.
Now in its ninth year, DEA has collected a total of nearly 11 million pounds (more than 5,400 tons) of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications through its Take Back Day events. This weekend, approximately 6,000 collection sites manned by nearly 5,000 partner law enforcement agencies will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The public can find a nearby collection site at www.DEATakeBack.com or by calling 800-882-9539. (DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps.)
"The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to working with all of our partners to stem the tide of drug abuse and addiction across the nation," said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon. "The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is one way that we can all make a difference in our community by safely disposing of unwanted medication. This unwanted medicine often ends up in the wrong hands. While it might seem insignificant, safely disposing of unwanted prescription drugs can truly save lives."
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States continue to be alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The majority of prescription drug abusers say they get their drugs free from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet. Take Back Day is a unique opportunity for Americans to protect their homes and medicine cabinets from theft and abuse.
National Take Back Day has received enthusiastic public support since its inception in 2010. Last October, the public turned in 457 tons (914,236 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,800 of its local and tribal partners.
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DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Takeback DayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. joins the Drug Enforcement Administration in announcing that on April 27th, DEA will hold its 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thousands of collection sites around the country, including over 50 here in the Northern District of Iowa. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
“The DEA’s National Takeback Initiative has been very successful and offers an anonymous and free opportunity to get rid of dangerous and unwanted prescription pills,” U.S. Attorney Deegan stated. “Prescription drug abuse can and does lead to heroin and other opioid abuse. Heroin and opioids are extremely dangerous drugs and have caused overdose deaths here in our own communities. Takeback Day is a day our community can come together to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic by ensuring that unneeded prescription drugs are destroyed.”
Last October Americans turned in 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds—more than 5,400 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin will join the DEA on April 27th for its 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The biannual event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at thousands of collection sites around the country, including law enforcements agencies within the Middle District of Louisiana:
ASCENSION PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 828 South Irma Boulevard, Gonzales, LA 70737
BAKER POLICE DEPARTMENT, 1320 Alabama St, Baker, LA 70714
BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, 9000 Airline Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, EBRSO Traffic Office, 9313 Burbank Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70820
PLAQUEMINE POLICE DEPARTMENT, 23540 Railroad Ave, Plaquemine, LA 70764
ST. HELENA PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 53 N. 2nd Street, Greensburg, LA 70441
WALKER POLICE DEPARTMENT, 828 South Irma Boulevard, Gonzales, LA 70737
WEST FELICIANA PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FRED'S PHARMACY, 7130 US-61, St Francisville, LA 70775
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Despite our best intentions, our medicine cabinets can quickly become overstocked and, in some situations, can provide a pathway to addiction. This program provides ordinary citizens an excellent opportunity to anonymously and properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs with no questions asked. Every effort to prevent drugs from being used illegally is another step toward winning the battle against addiction and abuse.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley said, “Prescription drug abuse has become the nation’s fastest growing drug epidemic. Last year, more Americans died from opioid overdoses than from all other drugs combined, including meth, cocaine and hallucinogens. Unfortunately, these prescription drugs are most often obtained from friends and family, who leave them in home medicine cabinets. DEA’s Take-Back initiative provides citizens an easy and safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. Please do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help spread awareness in your community.”
Last October Americans turned in 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds—more than 5,400 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
St. Louis - The United States Attorney’s Office is proud to support the DEA on Saturday, April 27, 2019, for its 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The bi-annual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at thousands of collection sites around the country. Over 90 locations will be open and participating within the Eastern District of Missouri. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
In support of the effort, U.S. Attorney Jensen noted:
“The death toll from prescription painkillers has tripled in the past decade. We know all too well that the problem is getting worse. Over 16,000 people die every year from prescription painkiller overdoses—that’s more than the number of overdoses from heroin, cocaine or any other illegal drug. Adolescents and young adults are especially vulnerable. Many teens that begin abusing prescription drugs turn to heroin for a cheaper high. Saturday’s prescription drug take back is an invaluable opportunity for everyone in our community to prevent prescription drugs from getting into the wrong hands, including the hands of kids. We hope everyone takes advantage of it, with no questions asked, and we thank DEA for spearheading this effort.”
Last October, Americans turned in 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds—more than 5,400 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city or state.
Chalmette Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing over Two Million from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JENNIFER GUILLOT (GUILLOT), age 40, of Chalmette, Louisiana was sentenced to serve 30 months in Federal Prison and two (2) years supervised release on April 17, 2019. She was charged by a Bill of Information for Bank Larceny, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(b).
According to the Bill of Information, GUILLOTT began working at a local business, located in the Eastern District of Louisiana, in 1996 as a secretary/bookkeeper. Sometime after she started working there, GUILLOT and her husband began having financial difficulties. GUILLOT, through three separate and distinct schemes stole money from the accounts of the victim in the custody of Hibernia National Bank, now Capital One Bank. The accounts of Hibernia National Bank were then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (F.D.I.C.), thus creating federal jurisdiction.
GUILLOT defrauded the company in the first scheme by writing company checks to herself without the permission of the victim. The loss to the victim through GUILLOT’s first scheme was $563,927.26.
GUILLOT stole money in a second scheme by writing company checks to her credit card companies for personal expenses without the company’s permission. The loss to the victim through this scheme was $866,077.10.
GUILLOT stole money in a third scheme by logging on to the victim company’s Automated Clearinghouse Account (ACH) electronically and without the victim company’s permission and then paying her personal credit bills. The loss to the victim through this scheme was $640,668.85.
When bank statements would arrive in the mail, GUILLOT would “white out” any entities which showed she stole money. She made copies of the altered statements. She would shred the originals and cancelled checks. GUILLOT would further conceal her schemes by falsely showing payments made to herself to appear as payments to vendors of the victim.
The grand total of GUILLOT’s schemes is $2,070,673.21, however, she was ordered to pay $1,561,968.19 restitution because of money recovered from her through civil lawsuits brought by the victim.
Per the statutory sentence, GUILLOT faced a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment, as well as restitution to the victim.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Carter K. D. Guice, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney.
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Berkeley County man admits to fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Herman Terrell Govan, of Inwood, West Virginia, has admitted to selling fentanyl, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Govan, age 35, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl.” Govan admitted to selling fentanyl in January 2018 in Berkeley County.
Govan faces up to 20 years incarceration and a $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Berkeley County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua A. Miller, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to his involvement in a heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Miller, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine Hydrochloride, and Cocaine Base.” Miller admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from May 2018 to January 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Miller faces up to 20 years incarceration and a $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S Attorney Timothy D. Helman, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Attorney General Appoints Regina Lombardo Acting Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesRead the Press Release
Attorney General William P. Barr announced today that he has appointed Regina "Reggie" Lombardo to be Acting Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), effective May 1, 2019. Lombardo will replace Thomas Brandon, who will be retiring from federal service on April 30, 2019.
"Reggie Lombardo has helped run day-to-day operations at ATF for more than a year and she has proven herself to be an outstanding leader," Attorney General William Barr said. "Like her predecessor, Tom Brandon, she started as a special agent and has been entrusted with greater and greater responsibility over decades of faithful service. She is well qualified to continue ATF's successes of recent years, including helping the Department investigate and prosecute more firearms offenders than ever before. I want to thank Tom Brandon for his 30 years of service to ATF and 36 years of service to this country, and I thank Acting Deputy Director Lombardo for her willingness to accept this new role leading one of the most effective law enforcement agencies in the world."
Lombardo has served as the Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer for the agency since March 2018. In this capacity she has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency charged with protecting the public from violent crime and enforcing laws and regulations related to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion.
Lombardo has served as a special agent in the ATF since 1992 and has risen through the ranks as a career employee. She has held numerous management positions at ATF, including Assistant Director of Human Resources and Professional Development, Deputy Assistant Director of Field Operations’ Central Region, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Division, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division, and Assistant Country Attaché in Toronto, Canada. She will be the first female to lead the agency in its history.
Arrested for Transporting Heroin in Siskiyou County, Escondido Man Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ruben Ruiz Jr., 27, of Escondido, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 10 years in prison for possessing heroin for distribution, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Ruiz pleaded guilty on June 19, 2018. According to court documents, on February 28, 2018, a California Highway Patrol officer stopped Ruiz while he was driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Mt. Shasta in Siskiyou County. When the officer had his narcotics detection canine run a sweep around Ruiz’s truck, the dog alerted. A subsequent search revealed over 14 pounds of heroin. Ruiz was on federal supervised release at the time, after having been released from federal custody for a separate narcotics offense three months earlier.
According to the plea agreement, Ruiz said that he was supposed to receive a call when he arrived in Portland with further instructions.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, and the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigations Team.
Appleton Resident Sentenced to 10 Years of Imprisonment for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 22, 2019, Jeffrey Melgar (age: 33), of Appleton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to a term of ten years in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, for possessing with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a) and (b)(1)(A).
According to court documents, Melgar, who recently moved to the Appleton area from California, received packages of methamphetamine via the U.S. Postal Service from a source in California. Melgar then sold the drug for $600 an ounce in the Fox Valley.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Melgar’s offense and the need to send a strong message of deterrence to Melgar and anyone else who might attempt to distribute drugs in Northeast Wisconsin.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Amsterdam Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mark P. Messare, age 42, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to possessing an unregistered, short-barreled rifle.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Messare admitted that on September 8, 2018, he possessed a Glock 9 millimeter handgun that was inserted into a Micro Roni Pistol Carbine Conversion Kit, creating a short-barreled rifle with a barrel length of approximately 4 inches. Messare also admitted that he knew that the Micro Roni Pistol Carbine Conversion Kit was designed to convert a handgun into a short-barreled rifle, as the Conversion Kit included a folding shoulder stock that allows a handgun to be fired from the shoulder. Messare never registered this firearm in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law.
Messare, who is in custody, faces up to 10 years in prison, as well as a $10,000 fine and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when he is sentenced on August 14, 2019 by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Albany Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Connection with Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel J. Fillerup, age 33, of Albany, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for selling fentanyl that caused a woman’s death.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea on December 20, 2018, Fillerup admitted that on September 29, 2016, he arranged with Kate Centofanti, via text message and phone call, to supply her with two bags of heroin. Fillerup met with Centofanti in Schenectady, New York, where Centofanti gave Fillerup $36. He acquired bags of what he believed to contain heroin, and gave Centofanti two of the bags. Centofanti ingested the substance Fillerup gave her, which was fentanyl. The ingestion of the fentanyl caused Centofanti’s death due to fentanyl intoxication.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Fillerup is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including investigators from the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
Tuesday 23 April 2019
United States Attorney Encourages Participation in Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores encourages the public to take part in the DEA’s 17th semi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 14 collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of unused and expired opioids and other medicines, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft or abuse by family members and friends.
“Prescription drug abuse can devastate families and communities. The fact of the matter is that unsecured and unused medications pose a danger. Research shows that addiction often begins with easily accessible medications,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. “I encourage Oklahomans to safely dispose of their unused medications at a DEA Take Back location on April 27.”
“Twice a year, the DEA invites you to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs at locations across the United States,” said Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Division. “Please join us in our continued mission to diffuse the curiosity of drugs. It’s the right choice to make and will give people peace of mind that these prescription drugs are destroyed in an environmentally safe manner.”
In October 2018, Oklahomans living in the 11 counties comprising the Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties) turned over 864.492 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Throughout the United States, 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs were turned in at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners.
Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds—more than 5,400 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Collection sites in the Northern District of Oklahoma are:
- Miami Police Department: 129 5th Ave Northwest, Miami
- Miami Nation Tribal Police: 3410 P Street Northwest, Miami
- Robert Whitebird Cultural Center: 905 Whitebird St., Quapaw
- Walmart: 4901 S. Main S. Mill, Pryor
- Walmart: 1002 W. Taft Ave., Sapulpa
- Newson6: 303 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa
- Crime Stoppers Office: 4107 S. Yale, Tulsa
- Patrick Henry Elementary: 3820 E 41st St., Tulsa
-The Met Recycling Center: 3495 S. Sheridan, Tulsa
- Reasors: 7114 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa
- Walgreens: 1150 Garnett Rd., Tulsa
- Walgreens: 2323 W. Edison St., Tulsa
- Eastern Shawnee Police Department: 10250 S. 695 R., Wyandotte
- Bear Skin Health Center: 14 S. Main, Wyandotte
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
Undocumented Alien Indicted for Attacking Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned a three-indictment against a 23-year-old Mexican citizen for assault on three Border Patrol (BP) agents, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Luis Gustavo Ramirez-Saucedo was originally charged by criminal complaint and ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. Today, a grand jury sitting in Laredo returned the indictment. He is expected to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Sheldon in the near future.
The facts in the complaint allege that on March 29, 2019. BP agents were working their assigned duties in Laredo. At approximately 9:30 p.m., they were alerted to a group of approximately 20 subjects entering the United States from Mexico by illegally crossing the Rio Grande River and activating electronic sensors, according to the charges.
According to the complaint, agents responded immediately and made contact with Ramirez-Saucedo within minutes. At that time, he allegedly violently resisted three BP agents’ efforts to apprehend him, allegedly striking them and ignoring multiple commands to halt before finally being detained.
The BP agents were treated for injuries at a medical facility.
Ramirez-Saucedo is charged with knowingly and unlawfully assaulting and resisting federal officers in their official duties. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
BP and the FBI are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Undocumented Alien Charged with Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 45-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been indicted on charges he illegally possessed firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Luis Vasquez-Garcia, illegally residing in Alamo, was originally charged by criminal complaint March 29, 2019, and was later remanded to custody pending further criminal proceedings. Today, a federal grand jury returned the one-count indictment. He is expected to make an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter E. Ormsby in the near future.
The indictment alleges Vasquez-Garcia shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce or possessed in affecting commerce one Smith and Wesson MOD-66-2 .357 caliber pistol and 69 rounds of ammunition.
According to the complaint, Vasquez-Garcia had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Alamo for a violent crime. He was located in his vehicle outside a residence in Alamo, at which time officers observed Vasquez-Garcia with the firearm and ammunition with him. The firearm was loaded.
If convicted, Vasquez-Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Belt and Andrew Henning are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Law Enforcement Officials and Community Leaders in Inaugural Award Ceremony for Excellence in the Pursuit of JusticeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald will be presenting awards today to law enforcement officials and community leaders at the inaugural United States Attorney’s Office Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice Awards Ceremony. Thirty-six individuals will be honored for their outstanding work and selfless contributions to the mission of the United States Attorney’s Office – the pursuit of truth and justice.
“This group of dedicated professionals work tirelessly for the betterment of our community in pursuit of a common goal – the desire to make our community a safer and more just place to live, work, love and play,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. “Today, we honor them by publicly celebrating their achievements and recognizing the sacrifices that they and their families make in the name of justice.”
Among the honorees include Robert Small, Executive Director of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, who has dedicated his life to public service. Mr. Small held various positions with the United States Attorney’s Office, including Acting U.S. Attorney, and served honorably as a Hennepin County Judge until retirement, at which time he continued his service by taking on the responsibility of Executive Director of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association. U.S. Attorney MacDonald described Mr. Small as, “the quintessential public servant, a true leader who sets a shining example for all to follow.”
The honorees at today’s ceremony are members of the following agencies and organizations:
- Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Minneapolis Police Department
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- NorthPoint Health & Wellness, Inc.
- City of Minneapolis
- Hennepin County
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau
- Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
- Minnesota County Attorneys Association
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
U.S. Attorney Liu Letter to DC Council B23-127 (Second Look Act)Read the Press Release
letter-statement_final_liu_to_council_re_b23-127_second_look_act_04-23-2019.pdfU.S. Attorney Andrew Murray Hosts Inaugural Awards Ceremony to Recognize 21 Law Enforcement Officers and Agents for Their Outstanding AchievementsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray recognized 21 officers and agents from 13 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies during the Western District’s inaugural “Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice” awards ceremony, for their outstanding performance and investigative work in cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The following agencies and law enforcement officials were presented with awards at today’s ceremony:
- Asheville Police Department - Sonia Escobedo, Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives – Special Agent Brent Vossekuil.
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department – Jeff King, Matt Mescan, Kevin Stuesse, and Fred Thomas.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - Special Agents Jim Granozio, Andy Romaguolo, Jason Milhone, and Doug Curran.
- Homeland Security Investigations – Special Agent Klarisa Zaffark.
- Huntersville Police Department – Detective Brad Myers, Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations.
- IRS – Criminal Investigation Division- Special Agent Tyiesha Nixon.
- Monroe Police Department - Barney Malone.
- North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation – Special Agents Casey Drake and Matt Davis.
- Union County Sheriff’s Office - Daniel Stroud.
- United States Postal Inspection Service – Inspector Randy Berkland.
- United States Probation Office – U.S. Probation Officer John Holiday.
- Union County Sheriff’s Office - Daniel Stroud.
During his remarks at today’s ceremony U.S. Attorney Murray said, “I congratulate the award recipients for their tireless efforts to achieve extraordinary results. I also thank all of our local, state and federal law enforcement officers and agents for their service, and for risking their lives each day to protect the citizens of the Western District of North Carolina, to enhance community safety, and to do justice.”
In addition to the district awards, 10 additional investigators and prosecutors received the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) award for their prosecution of the MS-13 gang. This is the first time the Western District of North Carolina has received this prestigious national award, which was presented by Adam Cohen, Director of the OCDETF program, to the following recipients:
- William Miller, Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and former AUSA Beth Greene.
- Susan Conrad, Julian Igualada, Barton Jenkins, Ernesto Negron, and Justin Telford with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- Michael Tobin with Homeland Security Investigations.
- Kevin Wallin and Timothy White with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
“I am honored that my Office’s federal prosecutors and investigators with our law enforcement counterparts are among the recipients of this national recognition. In this district, we have a longstanding history of collaboration with our law enforcement partners, and on behalf of my office and the citizens of the Western District, I am thankful for their outstanding work, their coordination and their continued support.”
Two Trenton Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Violations, Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Two Trenton police officers have been charged with civil rights and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly assaulting a man they were arresting, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
One of the officers, who has since left the Trenton Police Department, is charged with additional civil rights and obstruction counts for allegedly assaulting a second defendant while in a holding cell at Trenton Police Headquarters.
Trenton Police Officer Drew Inman, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, and former Trenton Police Officer Anthony Villanueva, 25, of Ewing, New Jersey, are charged in a six-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2019, and unsealed today. Both defendants are charged with one count aiding and abetting one another to deprive a man of his civil rights. Villanueva is charged with two counts of obstruction, and Inman with one count of obstruction, in connection with that incident. Villanueva is also charged with depriving a second man of his civil rights in a separate incident, and with obstruction related to that second incident.
“Police work is difficult and dangerous, but officers need to respect the civil rights of the people they are policing,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “They cannot resort to excessive force in performing their duties. Incidents like these erode the public’s confidence in law enforcement, and make policing harder for everyone whose job it is to keep our communities safe.”
“Civil Rights violations are of great concern, particularly when the allegations involve a member of law enforcement,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “The public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement will protect those they serve and keep them safe. When that trust is violated, it makes it more difficult for our fellow police officers and federal agents to maintain the community's confidence.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On April 9, 2017, a Trenton man involved in a routine traffic stop fled in his vehicle and then on foot and was pursued by Trenton police officers. The man was eventually surrounded by Trenton police officers and complied when he was ordered to put his hands in the air. While the man was complying with further police commands, Villanueva approached the man and punched him in the face and Inman tackled the man to the ground. Inman and Villanueva then punched the man numerous times, while he cried out in pain, and told officers, “stop hitting me in my face,” and “you’ve got my hands.”
Inman and Villanueva returned to the police station to prepare reports in connection with the victim’s arrest. To justify their actions against the victim, Inman and Villanueva prepared and submitted false and fraudulent reports, in which they attempted to portray the victim as the aggressor and an ongoing threat.
On Nov. 28, 2017, Villanueva, who had been assigned to work in the holding cell area of Trenton Police Headquarters, sprayed Oleoresin Capsicum (commonly referred to a “pepper spray”) on a prisoner who was confined in a holding cell. Villanueva later completed an incident report that contained numerous false statements designed to conceal his unlawful conduct and improper treatment of the prisoner.
The violation of civil rights counts each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The false records counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum fine for each of the charges is $250,000.
The charges and accusations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Inman and Villanueva are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Lorber, Joseph Gribko and Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Criminal Division in Trenton in the criminal case.
Two Maryland residents sentenced to a combined 55 years for heroin distribution resulting in deathRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kelvin Johnson, of Baltimore, Maryland and Sykebia Stewart, of Dundalk, Maryland, were sentenced today to a combined 658 months incarceration for heroin distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Johnson, age 26, was sentenced to 365 months incarceration. Stewart, age 25, was sentenced to 293 months incarceration.
“The sentences will not make right what has been done, but send the strong message of our continuing commitment to aggressively prosecute those whose actions cause injury or death,” said Powell.
After a trial in June of 2018, a jury found Johnson and Stewart guilty on all counts. Johnson was found guilty of one count of “Distribution of Heroin,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Death.” Stewart was found guilty of one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Death.” Johnson and Stewart distributed heroin in May 2016 in Berkeley County, resulting in death.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Two Defendants in College Admissions Case to Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two defendants will plead guilty to charges in connection with using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities.
Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, Calif., a former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California (USC), will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering and will cooperate with the government’s investigation. Janke was previously indicted along with 11 other defendants.
Toby MacFarlane, 56, of Del Mar, Calif., a former senior executive at a title insurance company, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. MacFarlane was previously charged by criminal complaint.
The defendants were charged in March 2019 with conspiring with William “Rick” Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., and other parents, coaches and university administrators, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to selective colleges and universities and to cheat on college entrance exams. According to court documents, MacFarlane paid $450,000 to facilitate the admission of his children to USC as purported athletic recruits. Specifically, on Oct. 3, 2013, Singer emailed MacFarlane’s daughter’s high school transcript and college exam scores to Janke and another defendant. Soon after, Singer caused a purported charitable organization he established, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), to wire $50,000 to a private soccer club controlled by Janke and the other defendant. Using materials provided by MacFarlane and Singer, Janke then created a falsified soccer profile for MacFarlane’s daughter, falsely describing her as a “US Club Soccer All American” in high school. MacFarlane’s daughter was presented to the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions as a purported soccer recruit, and was accepted to USC in March 2014. On May 2, 2014, MacFarlane issued a $200,000 check to the Edge College & Career Network LLC (“The Key”) – Singer’s for-profit college counseling and preparation business – with “Real Estate Consulting & Analysis” written in the memo line. On May 12, 2014, Singer issued a $100,000 payment to the private soccer club which Janke partly controlled.
Similarly, in November 2016, Singer directed Janke to create a falsified basketball profile for MacFarlane’s son. Singer then emailed the profile to a USC administrator to present to the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions as a purported basketball recruit. In February 2017, USC issued a conditional acceptance to MacFarlane’s son as a student-athlete. On Feb. 23, 2017, MacFarlane sent a $50,000 check to USC Athletics, and the following month USC mailed MacFarlane’s son a formal acceptance letter. On April 18, 2017, MacFarlane issued a $200,000 check to KWF with “Real Estate Consulting” written in the memo line.
Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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.
Tampa Woman Indicted for Immigration Fraud Scheme Stretching from Tampa to ChicagoRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Erika Paola Intriago (44, Tampa) with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of wrongfully using government seals. If convicted, Intriago faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to five years in federal prison for each count of wrongfully using government seals.
According to the
indictment , Intriago portrayed herself as an immigration attorney and personal representative offering immigration-related services. She advertised her services on social media, targeting immigrants and immigrant families from Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, Intriago was not a licensed attorney.Victims retained and paid Intriago to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. To show that she was acting on the victims’ behalf, Intriago sent fraudulent letters, emails, receipts, documents, and communications to her victims fraudulently representing that the records were legitimate communications sent from agencies of the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In actuality, Intriago had either never filed the necessary immigration paperwork, or had abandoned the immigration process, or the applications had already been denied without Intriago informing the victims. Intriago also threatened and intimidated victims who complained about her conduct by telling them that she would report their immigration status to U.S. immigration authorities, which Intriago claimed would result in the victims being deported.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
St. Joseph Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm following an 11-hour standoff with law enforcement officers.
Terrance T. Brown, 41, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, April 22, to 10 years in federal prison without parole, which is the statutory maximum penalty for this offense.
On Dec. 3, 2018, Brown was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Brown was in possession of a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol on Sept. 13, 2017.
Brown threatened his wife with a firearm on July 12, 2017, according to court documents, and was involved in a shooting on Sept. 3, 2017. On Sept. 12, 2017, Brown shot at law enforcement officers while fleeing arrest. He then barricaded himself in a St. Joseph neighborhood residence, where he was arrested following an 11-hour standoff.
Officers with the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department established a perimeter around the residence. After several minutes, three individuals (including a juvenile) came out of the residence, but Brown – armed with the handgun – remained inside. Officers used portable cameras to locate Brown in the attic of the residence. Eventually, Brown left the attic and ended up on the roof of the house; he surrendered to officers and was arrested. The loaded Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was found during a search of the attic. Officers also found ammunition and an empty box for a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber firearm, which contained some ammunition.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has a prior federal conviction in the District of Kansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has two prior felony convictions for robbery in Wyandotte County, Kan., as well as prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm, and attempted possession of a controlled substance. Brown was under supervision by Missouri Probation and Parole for felony drug possession in Jackson County, Mo., at the time of the offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Morgan and Adam Caine. It was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.St. Croix Man Arrested on Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Deshawn Gonsalves, 24, of St. Croix, appeared before Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon for an Initial Appearance after his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents on the charges of Possession of a Firearm within a School Zone, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Further, upon motion of the Government, Magistrate Judge Cannon scheduled a Detention Hearing for April 26, 2019.
According to court documents, on October 31, 2018, after responding to a domestic disturbance 911 call, officers with the Virgin Islands Police Department searched Gonsalves’ vehicle and located:
- A loaded Glock .45 caliber handgun;
- A Glock magazine holding 10 rounds;
- A Glock extended magazine capable of holding 30 rounds;
- 135 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition;
- A ballistic vest;
- A black ski mask; and
- 170 grams of marijuana.
This occurred within 1,000 feet of the Eulalie Rivera Elementary School.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert reminds the public that an arrest warrant is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
South Carolina women admit to fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Peggy Louise Farrington and Jacqueline Lee Weigland, both of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, have admitted to drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Farrington, age 54, and Weigland, age 58, each pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” The women admitted to possessing fentanyl in January 2019 in Berkeley County.
Farrington and Weigland each face not less than five and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
These charges are the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.