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21 May 2019
Florida Man Indicted in Debit Card, Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Providence, R.I., today returned an 18-count indictment charging a Florida man with participating in an alleged scheme to steal debit cards and debit card PIN numbers from mailboxes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and using the debit cards at ATMs in both states to withdraw funds from individuals’ bank accounts without their knowledge or permission. It is alleged that the debit cards were ordered with the use of stolen personal identifying information belonging to the account holders.
United States Attorney Aaron Weisman, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks announce the indictment of Stacy Moore, 47, of Miami Beach, FL, on nine counts of bank fraud, four counts each of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft of mail.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, it is alleged that from December 11, 2018, to February 10, 2019, Moore withdrew funds from at least six individuals’ personal bank accounts at banks in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with the use of replacement debit cards and PINs linked to the bank accounts. It is alleged that multiple withdrawals from each account were made at ATMs in multiple locations.
It is alleged that with the use of stolen personal identifying and banking information, replacement debit cards and PINs were ordered for each of the victim’s bank accounts via telephone. It was requested that the replacement debit cards and PINs be delivered via the USPS to the account holders’ homes. It is alleged that an Informed Delivery account through the USPS website for the each account holder’s address was established, allowing for notification when the replacement debit cards and PINs were delivered to the mailbox. It is alleged that Moore used the stolen the debit cards and PINs to withdraw bank funds.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, on February 19, 2019, USPS inspectors received a complaint from a bank fraud investigator that the bank had received a fraudulent request for a debit card and PIN replacement, and that they be mailed to an account holder’s home in East Greenwich. Postal inspectors surveilled the mailbox of the account holder and watched as Moore allegedly removed mail from the mailbox, including the items mailed by the bank to the account holder. When a postal inspector attempted to approach him, Moore allegedly sped off and was then involved in a hit and run accident a short distance away. Moore’s vehicle was stopped later that day in West Warwick, based on a police broadcast regarding the hit and run accident, including a description of a vehicle with Florida license plates that fled the accident scene. USPS inspectors responded to West Warwick and identified the driver as the same person they allegedly watched remove mail from the East Greenwich mailbox, and the same person seen in numerous surveillance photos taken at ATMs in Rhode Island and Massachusetts where numerous unauthorized withdrawals were made from individuals’ bank accounts using replacement debit cards and PINs.
A search of Moore’s car revealed clothing consistent with what Moore allegedly was wearing at the time of the alleged theft of mail from the East Greenwich mailbox, a USPS uniform polo shirt, approximately $11,000 in cash, and mail belonging to an alleged victim of the scam from Warwick. Earlier that day, an unknown person made $6,800 in unauthorized withdrawals from the Warwick account holder’s bank account.
It is alleged in the indictment that between December 11, 2018, and February 19, 2019, Moore made unauthorized withdrawals from at least six account holders’ accounts at numerous ATMs in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, totaling at least $26,600.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bank fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross gain/loss, and 5 years supervised release. Access device fraud is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and 5 years supervised release. Theft of mail is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and 3 years supervised release. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory 2 years imprisonment, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the Court.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division Joseph W. Cronin, and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks thank the East Greenwich, West Warwick, Barrington and Middletown Police Departments, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Felon Pleads Guilty to Stealing Firearms from St. Mary’s County Federally Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Robert Jacob Eberle, age 30, of Lexington Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of theft of firearms, which Eberle admitted he stole from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Eberle admitted that on July 21, 2018, he stole 11 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. The guns included seven 9mm pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol. According to his plea agreement, in order to access the firearms, Eberle used a hammer to break through the rear cinderblock wall of the premises, crawled through the hole, broke the glass case containing numerous handguns, and stole the guns.
Eberle admitted that he sold or traded two or more of the stolen firearms to third parties, even though he had reason to believe that those individuals intended to use or dispose of the firearms illegally. Further, Eberle knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
As part of his plea agreement, Eberle must forfeit all of the guns stolen from the dealer.
Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of firearms. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.
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Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Yusef Payne, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a stolen firearm. Payne admitted that he had at least two previous felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Armed criminals must know that gun crime will lead to federal time, which has no parole—ever,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove those who would commit violence from our community. Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”
According to his guilty plea on October 30, 2017, Baltimore Police officers were patrolling and saw Payne, who had an open warrant from an October 15, 2017 handgun charge involving a 9mm handgun with a magazine containing ten 9mm cartridges.
When the officers pulled over to arrest Payne, he ran, discarding a handgun. One of the officers chasing Payne retrieved the weapon, which was a different 9mm handgun with a magazine containing seven cartridges. Payne admitted that he knew, or had cause to believe, that the gun was stolen.
Payne and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Payne will be sentenced to nine years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan C. Mathias, who is prosecuting the case.
Federal Correctional Officer Arrested for Sexually Abusing Female InmatesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Guido Modano, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ OIG”), announced today the unsealing of a nine-count indictment charging federal correctional officer COLIN AKPARANTA with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, four counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of deprivation of civil rights. The charges stem from AKPARANTA’s alleged sexual abuse of four female inmates housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a Manhattan detention facility that houses federal inmates, spanning the years 2012 through 2018. AKPARANTA was arrested today and will be presented and arraigned in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman later today. AKPARANTA’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Colin Akparanta was a predator in uniform, exploiting his position to sexually abuse multiple inmates over a several-year period. No inmate in a Bureau of Prisons facility should fear sexual abuse at the hands of a correctional officer, and thankfully, Akparanta will have no more victims. I encourage all victims of this or similar conduct to contact my Office at the number below.”
DOJ OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Guido Modano said: “Correctional officers have a duty to protect federal inmates, but Akparanta allegedly abused his power over female inmates. Our office is committed to bringing to justice any Justice Department employee who commits sex crimes in federal correctional institutions.”
According to the Indictment, which was unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
AKPARANTA has been employed as a correctional officer at the MCC since 2004.
Between in or about late 2012 and in or about April 2018, AKPARANTA used his official position to engage in sexual acts and contact with at least four female inmates at the MCC while they were under AKPARANTA’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. AKPARANTA digitally penetrated the victims’ vaginas and touched their breasts, buttocks, and/or genitalia. AKPARANTA also had some of the victims touch his penis over his pants. In addition, AKPARANTA smuggled contraband, including, but not limited to, personal hygiene items, makeup, and food into the MCC for some of the victims, and, with respect to at least one of the victims, explicitly conditioned his provision of contraband on the inmate’s continued performance of sexual acts with him. AKPARANTA also asked the victims for their contact information in order to reach them after their release.
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COLIN AKPARANTA, 42, of Irvington, New Jersey, is charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, four counts of abusive sexual contact, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, and one count of deprivation of civil rights, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Any individuals who believe they have information concerning COLIN AKPARANTA or any similar conduct should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (866) 874-8900.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption, Violent and Organized Crime, and Civil Rights Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Pomerantz, Sarah Krissoff, and Rachael Doud are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Fayetteville Man Attempts Armed Robbery of Gas Station, Gets 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced NOAH LEE ROWSEY, 19, of Fayetteville to 84 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised released and ordered him to pay $1,148.00 in restitution.
On January 22, 2019, ROWSEY pled guilty to Attempted Hobbs Act robbery and possession a firearm during a crime of violence. On April 25, 2018, ROWSEY and an accomplice attempted to rob the Five Star BP Gas Station in Fayetteville. ROWSEY brandished a firearm during the course of the robbery, and then fled the scene. He was later arrested at his residence in Fayetteville.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violence crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Fayetteville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case for the government.
Eureka Springs Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Willful Failure to Collect and Pay over Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
Harrison, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Rodney Minner, age 62, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $1,095,267.02, for one count of Willful Failure to Collect and Pay Over Employment Taxes. The Honorable P.K. Holmes, III, United States District Judge, presided over the sentencing hearing in Harrison.
According to court records, Minner owned and operated four restaurants known as “The Rowdy Beaver.” The restaurants were located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Cassville, Missouri, and Branson, Missouri. The defendant was responsible for handling the business taxes and filing Forms 941, for collecting and paying over all of the employment taxes owed, including any trust fund taxes. During the investigation, the (IRS) Criminal Investigation agents determined that Minner withheld employment taxes from Rowdy Beaver employee’s paychecks, but paid neither employer nor the employee portions of outstanding employment taxes. The total amount of “trust fund” employment taxes due and payable for the 3rd Quarter of 2013 was $21,093.74. IRS investigators were also able to determine that Minner failed to pay over to the IRS federal incomes taxes due from withholdings from employee paychecks, as well as any employer taxes from April 30, 2012 through April 20, 2016. Minner admitted that the total amount of tax loss as a result of this scheme ranges from $500,000 to $1,500,000.00.
A federal grand jury indicted Minner in April 2018, and he pled guilty in October 2018.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Assistant United States Attorney Clay Fowlkes prosecuted the case for the United States.
Dominican National Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Lynn was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for Social Security fraud.
Kelvin Bautista Valdez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 12 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Bautista Valdez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In February 2019, Bautista Valdez pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number. Bautista Valdez was arrested and charged in a July 2018 federal law enforcement sweep of 25 individuals accused of document and benefit fraud.
Dubbed “Double Trouble,” the July 2018 investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), comprised of local, state and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
On Jan. 20, 2015, Bautista Valdez, applied for a Massachusetts Driver’s License using the name and Social Security number of a U.S citizen from Puerto Rico. He presented a Puerto Rican birth certificate and a Social Security card in the other person’s name to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles as proof of his identity. Based on the application and supporting identity documents, Bautista Valdez was issued a driver’s license in the name of the U.S. citizen.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Misusing U.S. Passport and Stealing Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to multiple federal charges.
Daniel Polonia Morillo, 57, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to false statement on an application for Social Security benefits, false statement in an application and use of a passport, and theft of public money. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Aug. 28, 2019.
In December 2016, Polonia Morillo used the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of a U.S. citizen to apply for Social Security benefits. At the time he applied, Polonia Morillo produced a United States passport in the other person’s name as proof of his identity. In addition, Polonia Morillo used the identity of the U.S. citizen to obtain Medicaid benefits from March 2012 through October 2018, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits from April 2015 through October 2018. In total, Polonia Morillo stole over $45,000 in federally-funded benefits.
The charge of false statement on an application for Social Security benefits provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statement in an application and use of a passport provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 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; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
DeKalb County agrees to pay $750,000 to settle false claims act allegations related to its use of workforce training grantsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – DeKalb County, Georgia has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve allegations that the County and its agency WorkSource DeKalb violated the False Claims Act by misusing grant funds for the Department of Labor’s On-the-Job Training (“OJT”) program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced today.
“Rather than using the funds to provide training for its citizens who needed it the most, DeKalb County used those funds to subsidize its own payroll,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Public servants who have the fiduciary responsibility of managing federal grant programs should never forget that taxpayers trust them to use grant funds properly. We will aggressively pursue all available remedies against individuals or entities that violate that trust.”
“This settlement resolves allegations that WorkSource DeKalb failed to ensure U.S. Department of Labor funds were used to benefit those who qualified for the Department's On-the-Job Training Programs. We will continue to investigate allegations of DOL grant fraud, especially when American workers may be deprived of training and employment opportunities,” said Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent-in-Charge, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The OJT program is funded by Department of Labor grant funds that are currently authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (until July 2015, the Workforce Investment Act). Grant funds are distributed initially to the State of Georgia, who then distributes the funds to local “One-Stop” operators such as WorkSource DeKalb. The OJT program incentivizes employers to hire and train individuals who are either unemployed or employed but not earning self-sufficient wages by subsidizing the salaries for these employees. OJT funds may be used only to reimburse employers for the extraordinary cost of training individuals for whom the One-Stop operator has identified skills gaps that prevent their obtaining employment.
The civil settlement resolves the United States’ claims that, between January 1, 2013 and December 18, 2016, DeKalb County falsely certified compliance with Department of Labor regulations related to OJT. The government alleged that, contrary to these regulations, WorkSource DeKalb used OJT funds to subsidize the wages of County employees who were not eligible for the OJT program and who received no services from WorkSource DeKalb. Specifically, the United States contends that WorkSource DeKalb required that individuals that were not eligible for the program sign OJT paperwork as part of the onboarding process after they were hired by numerous County agencies on the open job market. For example, the County enrolled at least 42 firefighters in the OJT program who were hired as the most qualified applicants in a competitive application process. These individuals had never heard of WorkSource DeKalb prior to being hired, received no services from WorkSource DeKalb, and did not qualify for the OJT program. WorkSource DeKalb employees induced these newly hired firefighters to sign OJT paperwork by providing them free boots and gas cards, which were also paid for with Department of Labor grant funds.
In addition to the Fire and Rescue Department, the civil settlement encompasses the County’s use of OJT funds for employees of the following agencies: GIS Department; Human Resources; Emergency 911; District Attorney’s Office; Board of Commissioners Clerk; Planning and Sustainability; Chamber of Commerce; Sanitation, Information Systems; Child Advocacy; and Voter Registration. The settlement also resolves claims that WorkSource DeKalb enrolled ineligible employees with VetConnexx, a private employer.
The claims settled in the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. As part of its settlement with the United States, DeKalb County has also entered into a Corrective Action Plan with the Department of Labor, in which the County will be subject to reporting and monitoring requirements related to its administration of the OJT Program.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. O'Neal handled this matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Clermont County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Richard Lee Devito, 35, of Batavia, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for creating child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Devito knowingly induced more than 25 minors to send him sexual or nude videos and photographs over the Internet. The minors were typically between the ages of eight and 12. He would often encourage the children to rub their genitalia and place objects up their vagina or anus.
For example, Devito induced an eight-year-old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of making child pornography. Devito used the messaging app “ooVoo,” pretended to be a 13-year-old and persuaded the child to send him videos of her naked.
Between his two identified accounts on ooVoo, Devito had more than 1,300 pages of chats with minors. Devito exploited victims for months and pretended to be a child himself. His victims spanned the nation and internationally, and also included two minor girls in the greater Cincinnati area. In some instances, Devito first met his victims on the app “musical.ly.”
According to one parent’s victim impact statement: “The pictures were captured in my daughters’ bedroom. In a place that we were convinced was safe. Somehow things went from them making dorky lip syncing videos to something beyond my comprehension and I never saw it coming. He broke into our safe zone and he manipulated our girls and I never saw it coming. … He manipulated them. He stole their innocence.”
“The lasting damage of Devito’s crimes goes beyond the creation of sexually explicit videos and images of minor children,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “It damages relationships, hurts families, and alters the development of the victim children. Devito’s case should serve as an example that if you prey on children through the Internet, you will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of the FBI and Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Timothy S. Mangan, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Casino Employee Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – BRANDON LEE PRUITT, 27, of Anadarko, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
A federal grand jury indicted Pruitt on July 17, 2018, on one count of distributing and one count of accessing child pornography. According to Count 2, he used a cell phone to access child pornography stored on an Internet-based cloud storage service between August 20, 2015, and March 13, 2018. Count 1 alleged he distributed child pornography through the Internet between those same dates. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case because Pruitt worked at the Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton, on land held in trust for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, and committed the offense in Indian Country.
Pruitt pleaded guilty to Count 1—the distribution count—on October 2, 2018. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the government has dismissed Count 2.
Today U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Pruitt to 120 months, or ten years, in prison. After release from prison, he will serve eight years on supervised release.
Pruitt has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since September 4, 2018, when he was removed from a halfway house program that the court had imposed as a condition of pre-trial release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the assistance of the City of Anadarko Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service’s Oklahoma Financial and Electronic Crimes Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale.
This case is also part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
Canton Man Sentenced for Sending Firearm in the MailRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Canton, South Dakota, man convicted of Mailing a Firearm was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Kohl Hammer, age 19, was sentenced on May 20, 2019, to 3 years of probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hammer was charged on September 18, 2018. The charge related to Hammer knowingly mailing a Taurus, model 85B2, .38 Special caliber, double-action revolver in August 2018 at Rapid City, in violation of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspector. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Hammer was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Canton Man Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years in Federal Prison for Managing Transnational Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with managing and supervising a methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering ring operating between Massachusetts and California that authorities say was responsible for distributing 200 pounds of methamphetamine.
James Giannetta, 64, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 167 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $281,107. On Feb. 14, 2019, Giannetta pleaded guilty to his role in managing and supervising a cross-country methamphetamine distribution ring.
Giannetta and 10 co-defendants from Massachusetts and California were indicted in 2016 for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to launder monetary instruments. The indictment was the result of a two-year investigation of methamphetamine trafficking that alleged that beginning in at least 2013, the defendants conspired to transport sizeable quantities of methamphetamine from San Diego, Calif., to Massachusetts, where it was distributed in the greater Boston area. Proceeds from the sale of that methamphetamine were then transported and/or transferred back to California and laundered in various ways.
At Giannetta’s sentencing hearing, one of Giannetta’s co-conspirators testified that Giannetta had been the organizer of the conspiracy. The co-conspirator explained that Giannetta had served as a mentor to him and that Giannetta introduced him to his San Diego-based suppliers. Later, after the co-conspirator took over a leadership role, Giannetta continued to receive methamphetamine for his Boston-based customers and received a share of the profits from the methamphetamine distribution ring. The co-conspirator estimated that approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine was sent from California to Massachusetts during the conspiracy.
Giannetta was convicted of federal drug trafficking in the 1980s, and after his release from federal prison, he continued to distribute drugs. When apprehended by law enforcement, Giannetta provided information about others in the hopes of limiting his own personal criminal exposure.
All 11 defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges and four (including Giannetta) have been sentenced: Christopher Halfond, a California-based supplier was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr., to 140 months in federal prison; Mario Castro, a Boston-based street-level distributor, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison; and Jorge Grandon, Castro’s distribution partner, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. The Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Reading, Watertown, Quincy, Chelsea, Braintree, Peabody, Waltham, and Woburn Police Departments; Connecticut State Police; San Diego Harbor Police Department; and Postal Inspectors in San Diego assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Jared C. Dolan of Lelling’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
California Man Indicted for Federal Hate Crimes Related to Poway Synagogue Shooting and Arson of Escondido MosqueRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Shane Harrigan (619) 546-6981, Caroline Han (619) 546-6968 and Peter Ko (619) 546-7359
SAN DIEGO – John T. Earnest of Rancho Peñasquitos was indicted by a federal grand jury this morning on civil rights, hate crime, and firearm charges in connection with the murder of one person and the attempted murder of 53 others at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue on April 27 and the March 24 arson of the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido.
The original complaint filed on May 7 charged Earnest with 54 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs using a dangerous weapon, resulting in death, bodily injury, and attempts to kill; 54 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act; and one count of damage to religious property by use of fire in relation to the attempted arson of the mosque. The indictment adds four charges for discharging a firearm during crimes of violence.
Earnest is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment June 4, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on April 27, Earnest drove to the Chabad of Poway Synagogue, where members of the congregation were gathered to engage in religious worship celebrating Shabbat and the last day of Passover. Earnest entered the building armed with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle that was fully loaded with a 10-round magazine. He wore a chest rig that contained five additional magazines, each loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.
The affidavit alleges that while inside the Poway Synagogue, Earnest opened fire, killing one person and injuring three other members of the congregation, including a juvenile. During a pause when Earnest unsuccessfully attempted to reload his firearm, several congregant members, including an off-duty Border Patrol Agent, chased Earnest, and Earnest fled from the Synagogue. Earnest was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement authorities who discovered the AR-15 and additional magazines of ammunition in his car.
The affidavit further alleges that after the shooting, law enforcement investigators found a manifesto online bearing Earnest’s name. In the manifesto, Earnest made many anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim statements. Specifically, Earnest referred to “Jews” as a race, and he stated his only regret was that he did not kill more people.
According to the affidavit, Earnest also admitted in the manifesto to the arson of the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in March 2019. The affidavit alleges that on March 24, seven individuals were inside the mosque when they smelled gasoline and saw flames coming through the crack of one of the mosque’s doors. The individuals put out the fire, but not before the fire had damaged the exterior of the mosque. The affidavit further alleges that surveillance video showed a suspect arriving at the mosque in the same type of vehicle Earnest used in committing the attack on the Synagogue. The defendant allegedly claimed in his manifesto that he was inspired by the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the recent shootings at two mosques in New Zealand.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Harrigan, Peter Ko, John Parmley, and Caroline Han, along with Trial Attorney Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The FBI, San Diego Sheriff’s Office, ATF, San Diego Police Department, and Escondido Police Department conducted the investigation.
Some of the charges, by statute, make Earnest eligible for the death penalty. The Attorney General will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time. Earnest is currently in state custody pending state criminal charges.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19cr1850
John T. Earnest Age: 19 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Obstruction of Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs Resulting in Death and Bodily Injury; and Involving Attempt to Kill, Use of a Dangerous Weapon - 18 U.S.C. §§ 247(a)(2), 247(d)(1) and 247(d)(3)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison or death and $250,000 fine
Hate Crime Acts – 18 U.S.C. § 249(a)(1)(B)(i)(ii)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine
Damage to Religious Real Property Involving Use of a Dangerous Weapon or Fire – 18 U.S.C. §§ 247(a)(1), 247 (d)(3)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. and 924(c) and 924(j)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison or death and $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum 10 years in prison
Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. and 924(c)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum 10 years in prison
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
San Diego Police Department
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Escondido Police Department
California Man Indicted for Federal Hate Crimes Related to Poway Synagogue Shooting and Arson of Escondido MosqueRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California charged a California man with federal hate crimes and additional firearms offenses, including the murder of one person and the attempted murder of 53 others, for his actions during the April 27 shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in California and the March 24 arson of the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer Jr. for the Southern District of California, and San Diego FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner made the announcement.
John T. Earnest, 19, of Rancho Peñasquitos, California, was charged in the 113-count indictment returned today. The original complaint filed on May 7, charged Earnest with 54 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs using a dangerous weapon, resulting in death, bodily injury, and attempts to kill; 54 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act; and, one count of damage to religious property by use of fire in relation to the attempted arson of the mosque. The indictment adds four charges for discharging a firearm during those crimes of violence.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on April 27, Earnest drove to the Chabad of Poway Synagogue, where members of the congregation were gathered to engage in religious worship celebrating Shabbat and the last day of Passover. Earnest entered the building armed with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle that was fully loaded with a 10-round magazine. He wore a chest rig that contained five additional magazines, each loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. The affidavit alleges that while inside the Poway Synagogue, Earnest opened fire, killing one person and injuring three other members of the congregation, including a juvenile. During a pause when Earnest unsuccessfully attempted to reload his firearm, several congregant members, including an off-duty Border Patrol Agent, chased Earnest as he fled from the Synagogue. Earnest fled the scene in his car, but was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement authorities who discovered the AR-15 and additional magazines of ammunition in his car.
The affidavit further alleges that after the shooting, law enforcement investigators found a manifesto online bearing Earnest’s name. A copy of the manifesto was later found on Earnest’s laptop during the execution of a search warrant. In the manifesto, Earnest made many anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim statements. Specifically, Earnest referred to “Jews” as a race, and he stated his only regret was that he did not kill more people.
According to the affidavit, Earnest also admitted in the manifesto to the arson of the Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in March 2019. The affidavit alleges that on March 24, seven individuals were inside the mosque when they smelled gasoline and saw flames coming through the crack of one of the mosque’s doors. The individuals put out the fire, but not before the fire had damaged the exterior of the mosque. The affidavit further alleges that surveillance video showed a suspect arriving at the mosque in the same type of vehicle Earnest used in committing the attack on the Synagogue. The defendant allegedly claimed in his manifesto that he was inspired by the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the recent shootings at two mosques in New Zealand.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Harrigan, Peter Ko, John Parmley, and Caroline Han, along with Trial Attorney Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The FBI, San Diego Sheriff’s Office, ATF, San Diego Police Department, and Escondido Police Department conducted the investigation.
Earnest faces a maximum possible penalty of death, or life without parole. He is currently in state custody pending state criminal charges. An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals.
Bridgeport Man Admits Committing Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALVIN ROBERTSON, 56, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of bank robbery and admitted that he committed a total of three bank robberies and two Subway store robberies in Connecticut last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 20, 2018, Robertson robbed a Subway store located at 9 Ethan Allen Highway in Ridgefield. During the robbery Robertson brandished a knife, pointed it at the store clerk and stated, “Give me all your money or I will kill you.”
On July 22, 2018, Robertson robbed a Subway store located at 447 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe. During the robbery, Robertson indicated that he had a gun.
Robertson also robbed a People’s United Bank branch at 470 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe on August 29, 2018; a People’s United Bank branch at 763 Straits Turnpike in Watertown on September 21, 2018, and a People’s United Bank branch at 1135 Farmington Avenue in Berlin on September 25, 2018.
Robertson has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on September 27, 2018. At sentencing, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Robertson has prior federal and state bank robbery convictions.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Watertown, Ridgefield, Monroe and Berlin Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Berkeley County man indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Wayne Wilson, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand today on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wilson, age 62, was indicted on one count of “False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Wilson, having been previously convicted of a felony, is accused of lying about his previous conviction when trying to purchase a .357 caliber revolver in September 2018 in Berkeley County.
Wilson 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.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 Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baraboo Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew J. Soban, 27, Baraboo, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of two handguns. Soban pleaded guilty to this charge on March 12, 2019.
On July 30, 2018, Baraboo police arrested Soban on an outstanding warrant. When officers searched him incident to that arrest, they found a loaded .40 caliber pistol in a holster on his waist, and a .32 caliber derringer in his backpack. Soban has two prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
At sentencing, Judge Conley stated that Soban’s life had become a “whirlwind of drugs and legal trouble” despite being through substance abuse treatment in the state system. Judge Conley also noted that at the time of his arrest, Soban was absconding from state supervision, was attempting to move to a different residence to remain on the run, and had spent six of the past 10 years in prison for violent and drug trafficking felonies.
The charge against Soban was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baraboo Police Department, with the cooperation of the Sauk County District Attorney’s Office. The case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
This case was 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.
Alleged Members of the Simon City Royals Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargersRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS. - William C. Lamar, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, announced today that several alleged members of the Simon City Royals have been charged in a two-count indictment for participating in a violent assault in aid of a racketeering enterprise. The indictment was returned by a grand jury on April 23, 2019, and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents, the Simon City Royals is a national gang with a highly organized structure including board members and Ambassadors who each control geographic regions. The scope of the Simon City Royals’ crimes is wide-ranging and consistent throughout the national operation. The gang protects its power and operation through threats, intimidation and violence, including murder, attempted murder, identity fraud and obstruction of justice.
Investigation has shown that the Simon City Royals is active within correctional facilities in the State of Mississippi, and the organization is primarily overseen by members of the organization who are incarcerated within the correctional facilities. Once a correctional facility has enough members of the “Folk Nation,” primarily Simon City Royals and Gangster Disciples, to form a hierarchy within the facility, they are considered “plugged in,” or part of the Simon City Royal organization. Members are required to submit reports daily to the board over each facility that tracks money earned, disciplinary actions, and any violence/security threats that occur.
The Indictment charged several individuals for their involvement in a prison stabbing that occurred at the EMCF prison facility located in Meridian, Mississippi, including: WILTON JOHNSON a/k/a BIG BOI, JEREMY SMITH a/k/a LIL ONE, CARL MCMILLIAN, JAMES VAUGHN a/k/a SIR FLUTE, JUSTIN HANNAH, and JOE JOHNSON.
All the defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Sanders on Monday and are scheduled for arraignments and detention hearings on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 2:30pm.
Following the publication of the indictments, U.S. Attorney Lamar emphasized his commitment to combatting illegal gang activity and violence. “The prosecution of violent crime, and those individuals who perpetrate it, is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners. We will continue to devote our time, efforts, and resources to the investigation and prosecution of those gangs who threaten our citizens and communities with their illegal activities.”
William McCrary, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for ATF, New Orleans Field Division, stated: “ATF and our law enforcement partners are committed to reducing violent crime in the state of Mississippi. These indictments are an example of our ongoing commitment to dismantling violent gangs."
The case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and investigators with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi, and Christopher Taylor from the Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Gang Section.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Agency Village Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Agency Village, South Dakota, man convicted of sexual abuse of a minor was sentenced on May 20, 2019, by U.S. District Jude Charles B. Kornmann.
Sylanus Flute, age 25, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, between February and April of 2017, Flute engaged in sexual acts with a juvenile female under the age of 16. Flute was over 22 years old when he engaged in the sexual acts. The sexual acts were nonconsensual.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Flute was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
20 May 2019
York Man Convicted for Robbery and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Johnson, age 51, of York, Pennsylvania, was convicted on May 16, 2019, for Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence after a two-day jury trial before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo.
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Johnson and his co-conspirator robbed and shot the victim in the head on Girard Avenue, York, on January 9, 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered the gun used to shoot the victim, a stolen Smith and Wesson 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol, from Johnson’s co-conspirator during her arrest on January 13, 2016.
Testimony established that the victim remained in a comatose state for at least four months following the shooting. The victim required three brain surgeries and other life-saving medical interventions to repair the damage caused by Johnson and his co-conspirator.
Based on Johnson’s conviction for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, he will be subject to an enhanced penalty requiring a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to any sentence Judge Rambo imposes on the Hobbs Act robbery conviction.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the York City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys William A. Behe and Meredith A. Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Worcester Woman Sentenced for Role in Two Methamphetamine ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for methamphetamine offenses.
Mindy Doherty, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to four years in prison and four years of supervised release. In February 2019, Doherty pleaded guilty to two counts of methamphetamine conspiracy.
In 2016, Doherty accepted packages of methamphetamine at her Worcester residence and wired money to an individual in California who was involved in the scheme. Doherty also shipped methamphetamine to Brian Zukowski, a co-conspirator who was in Florida, via Federal Express and U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail. Doherty sold methamphetamine to various individuals in Massachusetts and wired a portion of the proceeds to Zukowski or deposited proceeds into Zukowski’s bank account.
As part of a separate conspiracy, Doherty accepted packages of methamphetamine at her Worcester residence on behalf of another co-conspirator, Adam Germano, and subsequently provided a portion of this methamphetamine to Germano. Doherty traveled with Germano to Texas to acquire methamphetamine, and she carried thousands of dollars of cash on the flight. Doherty also wired money to Germano to be used for the acquisition of methamphetamine in Texas and Nevada. Even after Germano was arrested in March 2017, Doherty continued to distribute methamphetamine in and around Worcester.
Germano and Zukowski have pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related charges. In November 2018, Zukowski was sentenced to 28 months in prison. Germano was sentenced in February 2019 to 15 years in prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
Ocean County Co-Defendant Recently Sentenced to 13 Months in Prison
TRENTON, N.J. – A Virginia man was sentenced today to 19 months in prison for his role in a scheme that used the purported non-profit The Good Samaritans of America to defraud the Medicare Program of more than $525,000 by convincing hundreds of senior citizens to submit to genetic testing, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kenneth Johnson, 39, of Lorton, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiring to wrongfully access individually identifiable information.
His co-defendants also previously pleaded guilty before Judge Thompson; Sheila Kahl, 47, of Ocean County, was sentenced May 14, 2019, to 13 months in prison, and Seth Rehfuss, 44, of Somerset, New Jersey, was sentenced May 10, 2019, to 50 months in prison.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rehfuss used The Good Samaritans of America to gain access to groups of senior citizens in various low-income senior citizen housing complexes and persuaded them to submit to genetic tests without any involvement of a health care professional. Contrary to what he told the senior citizens and staff at the housing complexes, Rehfuss was a sales representative for laboratories, a fact he concealed from his targets. In order to convince senior citizens to submit to genetic testing, he used fear-based tactics during the presentations, including suggesting the senior citizens would be vulnerable to heart attacks, stroke, cancer and suicide if they did not have the genetic testing.
To get the tests authorized, Rehfuss used advertisements on Craigslist to recruit health care providers for the scheme. The health care providers were paid thousands of dollars per month by Rehfuss and others to sign their names to requisition forms authorizing testing for patients they never examined or had any interaction with. Rehfuss and his conspirators, including Kahl and Johnson, established email accounts, phone numbers, and made-up “office manager” names for the requisition forms that made it seem as though the health care providers were actually treating the patients being swabbed and would be evaluating the test results.
Rehfuss, Kahl, Johnson, and others caused the Medicare program to pay two clinical laboratories for the fraudulent test claims that the scheme generated. They obtained and divided more than $100,000 in commission payments from the laboratories.
The conspirators were also actively working towards expanding the scheme outside of New Jersey into other states, including: Georgia, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Michigan, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Johnson to three years of supervised release, ordered him to pay restitution of $525,000 and forfeiture of $525,000.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; and the Cape May County Department of Aging and Disability Services, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, Bernard J. Cooney and Sara F. Merin, of the Health Care & Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Johnson: David B. Glazer Esq., Livingston, New Jersey
Kahl: Stacy A. Biancamano Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
Rehfuss: Aidan P. O’Connor Esq., Hackensack, New JerseyU.S. Virgins Islands U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Training for Caribbean Prosecutors and AgentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that her office will be hosting a multi-district training this week, focusing on the investigation and prosecution of transnational organized drug trafficking crime as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. "The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply", Shappert said. "We welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss new strategies and techniques to apprehend and prosecute the large-scale drug organizations that create misery and violence in our communities."
This week’s training at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Thomas will include a presentation by the Director of OCDETF, Adam W. Cohen. Cohen, who has extensive experience prosecuting narcotics and violent crime, will provide an update on recent trends and best practices. Federal prosecutors and agents from Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands will also discuss law enforcement issues unique to the Caribbean region.
OCDETF was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack and reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the United States and to diminish the violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. Since OCDETF’s inception, tens of thousands of arrests have been made, and hundreds of tons of narcotics and billions in currency, real property, and conveyances have been seized.
"The OCDETF program has been described as the Swiss army knife of narcotics interdiction. OCDETF agents and prosecutors are uniquely trained and qualified to use modern technology, federal databases, human intelligence, and old-fashioned police work, in order to get the job done," said Shappert. "We are proud to host this important training in the USVI."
Tyler County woman admits to threat against President TrumpRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Taryn Corinne Henthorn, of Middlebourne, West Virginia, has admitted to threatening the President’s life, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Henthorn, age 25, pled guilty to one count of “Threatening to Kill the President of the United States.” Henthorn admitted to threatening to kill President Donald Trump in January 2019 in Tyler County.
Henthorn faces up to five 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Two California Men Sentenced for Ketchikan Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that two California men have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy to transport methamphetamine and heroin from the Lower 48 to Ketchikan for distribution.
Arthur Castillo, 32, of Fresno, California, and Alfonso Francisco Sandoval, 32, of Clovis, California, were both sentenced in Juneau today by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 11 years and 6.5 years in federal prison, respectively. In 2018, Castillo and Sandoval both pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges.
According to court documents, beginning in June 2017 and continuing through October 2017, Castillo conspired with Sandoval and other co-conspirators, to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in Ketchikan, Alaska. Castillo coordinated and directed the distribution of methamphetamine and the collection of drug proceeds from co-conspirators. Castillo would then take the money to the Lower 48 to pay for additional drugs for the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that Castillo utilized shipping methods to transport methamphetamine and other drugs to various addresses in Ketchikan, and coordinated and directed several individuals to either receive drug packages, or send drug proceeds to the source of supply in California. Sandoval joined the conspiracy by helping Castillo transport drugs to Ketchikan and by assisting in the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin by driving Castillo to drug deals and acting as a guard during drug transactions.
The total amount of drugs seized during the course of the conspiracy was approximately 753 grams of methamphetamine, 75 grams of heroin, and marijuana intended for distribution in Ketchikan. Law enforcement also seized $16,710 in drug proceeds and property, including several firearms which were used in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. According to court documents, the amount of drugs seized is enough dosage units to supply nearly a quarter of the population of Ketchikan with methamphetamine, and nearly 750 people with heroin.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), and Ketchikan Police Department (KPD) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt.
Twice-Deported Citizen of Guatemala Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECTOR OVIDIO DIAZ GARRIDO, 41, a citizen of Guatemala last residing in Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 21 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz Garrido, who has never held legal status in the U.S., was deported from the U.S. to Guatemala in June 2011 following his March 2010 conviction in Connecticut Superior Court in Norwalk for felony assault on a police officer.
In April 2012, Diaz Garrido was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Weslaco, Texas. His prior order of removal was reinstated and he was again deported to Guatemala.
On November 6, 2014, Diaz Garrido, using the name “Jimy Diaz,” was arrested by the Norwalk Police Department and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol. On March 20, 2015, Diaz Garrido, again using the name “Jimy Diaz,” was arrested by Norwalk Police on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under suspension. Diaz Garrido’s true identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis in November 2018 after he was convicted of operating while under the influence, operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, and three separate counts of failure to appear, and after he had served his state sentence.
On February 22, 2019, Diaz Garrido pleaded guilty in federal court to reentry of a removed alien.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
State Grant Recipient Sentenced to Prison for Mailing Falsified Grant Reimbursement RequestsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An administrator for a company that received a state grant for a recovery housing program was sentenced today for committing mail fraud relating to falsifying grant reimbursement requests to the State of West Virginia, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. David Stevens, 57, was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 6 months of home confinement, and was ordered to pay more than $137,000 in restitution for his role in defrauding the State of West Virginia of grant funds designated for a planned recovery housing program in Mount Hope, West Virginia. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Defrauding West Virginia means defrauding West Virginia taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Stevens received public funds for a substance use treatment program. Our state has suffered greatly as a result of the opioid epidemic. Treatment and recovery dollars are critical to insure West Virginians with substance use disorder can get much needed services and support. As always, we will hold accountable those who misuse or misappropriate taxpayer dollars.”
Stevens started Open Minds Recovery Services, Inc. (“Open Minds”) in early 2016 and then received a $501,500 reimbursement-based grant from the State of West Virginia for a recovery housing program that was supposed to work with adult males in need of substance use treatment and mental health care. Stevens knew the grant required Open Minds to seek reimbursement for already-expended, allowable grant costs. However, in July 2016, Stevens begin requesting reimbursement from the West Virginia Department of Justice and Community Services for funds that Open Minds had not actually expended. Instead of using all state grant funds on the Open Minds project, Stevens admitted that he spent some funds on himself and his own companies.
Former Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas and Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad handled the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.
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St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty in a Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Louis MO --- Tyron F. Kemp, 30, of St. Louis and Riverview, Florida, pled guilty today to two counts of filing false claims with the Internal Revenue Service as part of a bogus tax refund scheme. The maximum punishment is 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.00. Kemp appeared before United States District Judge Audrey F. Fleissig. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2019.
In court papers, Kemp admitted to electronically filing 37 false tax returns with the IRS from October 2013 through March 2015. A total of $155,775.00 in refunds were claimed on those returns and funds totaling $54,390.00 were paid out by the IRS. Kemp admitted that he caused those refunds to be paid out to prepaid cards, which he controlled, and that he spent the money, most of it in St. Louis. He electronically filed most of the returns from a location in the 3000 block of Delmar in the City of St. Louis.
Kemp spent most of his adolescent years, including high school, in Tucson AZ. He moved back to St. Louis in 2013 and began filing the false tax returns using names and personal identifiers of persons he knew in Tucson---all without their permission. In addition to compromising names and social security numbers, Kemp made unauthorized use of the names of minor children in claiming dependent exemptions on the returns. He also prepared and submitted W-2 forms with the returns falsely showing wage amounts and taxes withheld in amounts designed to generate refunds. He often showed APAC Customer Services, Inc., one of his former employers in Tucson, as the employer business on those false W-2 forms.
Kemp pled guilty to two false claim charges in which he included the names of individuals he was familiar with in Tucson. Both returns included addresses with which those persons were not associated and W-2 forms falsely showing APAC as the employer. The refunds claimed on those returns were $5,277.20 and $5,044.00, respectively.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation offices in Tucson and St. Louis.
Scranton Man Indicted for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Bomboy, age 59, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 14, 2019, by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Bomboy participated in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in the Scranton area between February and April 2019. The indictment also charges Bomboy with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Scranton Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for the charge under federal law is up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $5,000,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Schertz Man Arrested, Charged with Pointing Laser at Aircraft Flying OverheadRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal indictment was unsealed charging 37–year-old Justin John Shorey of Schertz, TX, with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
The indictment alleges that on February 17, 2019, Shorey knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a San Antonio Police Department helicopter and the flight path thereof. Federal authorities arrested Shorey without incident late Friday.
“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is incredibly dangerous. We won’t hesitate to hold anyone who engages in that reprehensible behavior fully accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
“The actions of this defendant was not just a safety concern for the officers in the aircraft, but it also put the public in significant danger. We are pleased that the defendant will be held accountable for his dangerous actions,” stated Chief McManus
Upon conviction, the defendant faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
If you have information about a lasing incident, contact the San Antonio FBI at 210-225-6741. If you see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call the nearest local law enforcement agency immediately by dialing 911. Tips can also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by FBI agents together with the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and William R. Harris are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
It is important to note that a complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Saigon Sunset Update: Michigan Man Sentenced for His Role in Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Michigan man caught with heroin in August 2017 was sentenced today to 18 months for his role in a federal drug conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Nyanzangusa Baldwin, also known as “Botch,” 45, previously pled guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin.
“Another Saigon Sunset and Detroit drug dealer behind bars,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I’ve said from day one that tough is how we’re going to treat drug dealers. And tough we are. All defendants charged last year as part of the Peterson drug trafficking organization have been convicted.”
Baldwin had admitted Manget Peterson asked him to come to Huntington in August 2017 to distribute heroin. He admitted that he distributed heroin from the Ramada Inn Motel in Huntington, West Virginia in August 2017. Officers executed a search warrant on the motel room and seized approximately 35 grams of heroin.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.
This investigation was the result of a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
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Port Angeles, Washington, Man Arrested for 2016 Laser Pointer Incident with Coast Guard HelicopterRead the Press Release
A 33-year-old Port Angeles, Washington, man was arrested this morning in connection with a September 26, 2016, laser pointer strike on a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. RANDALL MUCK was indicted by a grand jury last week, charging him with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft and making false statements to government agents. MUCK will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:30 today.
The indictment alleges that on the evening of September 26, 2016, MUCK pointed a laser beam at a Coast Guard helicopter. According to reports of the incident, the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was descending when it was hit by a laser that originated near Fourth and Hill Streets in Port Angeles. Laser light can cause temporary loss of vision and force an air crew to abort its mission. In this incident, no one suffered permanent damage, but the crew had to return to base and be assessed medically before returning to duty. Helicopter crews from Whidbey Island and Oregon had to cover the Port Angeles area of responsibility while the air crew was being cleared to return for duty.
The subsequent investigation identified MUCK as a suspect.
The indictment also alleges that on May 3, 2018, when questioned by government agents, MUCK made false statements to the FBI claiming that he did not see the Coast Guard helicopter in the sky on September 26, 2016.
Both counts are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grady Leupold and André Peñalver.
Pendleton County man admits to drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie William Sites, of Circleville, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Sites, age 42, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Sites admitted to distributing methamphetamine in November 2017 in Pocahontas County and having a .22 caliber pistol during a drug crime in September 2018 in Pendleton County.
Sites faces not less than five and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the drug count and faces at least five years incarceration and up to a $250,000 fine for the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police; the Grant County Sheriff’s Office; and the Moorefield Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Owner of Miami Home Health Agency Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An owner of a now-defunct Miami, Florida, home health care agency was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his participation in a scheme that caused Medicare to pay approximately $1 million in false and fraudulent claims for home health care services that were never provided.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Dennys Hernandez, 47, of Riga, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Scola also ordered Hernandez to pay $951,473 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-conspirators, and to forfeit the same amount. Hernandez pleaded guilty in March 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Hernandez was an undisclosed co-owner of Medsel Home Health Care Corp. (Medsel), which purported to operate as a home health care agency. Hernandez admitted that he and his co-conspirators used Medsel to fraudulently bill Medicare by submitting and causing the submission of claims for home health care services that were not provided to anyone. As a result of his participation in the scheme and the submission of false and fraudulent claims, Medicare paid Medsel at least $950,000, Hernandez admitted.
Two of Hernandez’s co-conspirators were charged in separate cases related to Medsel. Elanier Gonzalez Moncho, 33, of Miami, the nominee owner of Medsel, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the fraud. Rafael Arias, 54, of Miami, the owner and operator of numerous Miami-area home health agencies, including Medsel, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for his role in a $66 million conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program.
The FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Trial Attorneys David Snider and Kevin Lowell of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Operation Rio Grande Drug Task Force Case Leads to 130-Month Sentence for Drug DealerRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – A defendant charged as a part of an Operation Rio Grande Drug Task Force investigation will spend 130 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball imposed the sentence in federal court Thursday.
As a part of a plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors in February, Christopher Eugene Hooper, aka Messy, age 30, of Kearns, admitted he possessed a Sig .380 handgun with a loaded magazine and approximately 38 grams of methamphetamine. He admitted he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to another person.
Hooper was involved in a traffic stop executed by two task force members on Feb. 21, 2018, in the area of North Temple and Redwood Road. A three-count federal indictment returned in March 2018 charged him with possession of a firearm and ammunition after a felony conviction, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Prosecutors dismissed the second firearm count, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, at sentencing.
“This is a significant sentence for someone with a long record of felony convictions, including other drug charges, an attempted assault, theft, and assault on a police officer,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today. “Convicted felon drug traffickers carrying loaded firearms is a recipe for disaster. Getting these criminals out of our neighborhoods and into federal prison makes our neighborhoods safer for all of us.”
"The Utah Department of Public Safety is working to reduce violent crime, including situations involving the use of a firearm. These instances pose a threat to public safety,” Captain Jared Garcia of the Utah Department of Public Safety’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said.
Garcia said members of the Utah Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which includes investigators, intelligence analysts, and crime lab personnel from several local, state and federal agencies, are actively working several cases. “This team approach identifies and stops violent offenders and prevents victimization,” Garcia said.
In another SBI case resulting from Operation Rio Grande, sentencing is set for July 31, 2019, for Tohi Ryan Ngata, aka Leaaetohi Ryan Ngata, aka Toni Ngata-Latu, aka Cuzloc, age 35, of Salt Lake City. Ngata pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition following a felony conviction and possession of heroin with intent to distribute in April. Ngata fled from officers attempting to stop him for a moving violation on a bicycle in January 2018. Officers observed that Ngata was reaching toward his waistband. Ngata was detained a short time later. During a subsequent search, officers found a loaded handgun in his waistband and heroin. Ngata’s plea agreement includes a stipulated sentence of 60 months in federal prison.
Ohio woman sentenced for using someone else’s passportRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Khourtney Alexandra King, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced today to eight months incarceration for using another person’s passport, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
King, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Misuse of a Passport” in March 2019. King admitted to giving another person’s passport to her employer as proof of identity and citizenship in November 2017 in Ohio County.Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Oak Springs Man Sentenced to Seven Years’ Prison for Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, May 20, 2019, Shaun Gui Hale, 33, of Oak Springs, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to seven years’ imprisonment. Hale had previously pleaded guilty to domestic assault by strangling or suffocation, a domestic violence offense.
During the night of April 29-30, 2017, Hale perpetrated a prolonged assault against the victim while they were alone together in Hale’s residence. Hale repeatedly punched the victim, and also strangled her into unconsciousness, inflicting serious injuries. Both Hale and the victim were members of the Navajo Nation, and the offense occurred in Oak Springs, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William G. Voit and Krista J. Wood, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR 17-08127-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-066_Hale
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
North Carolina Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A New London, North Carolina, woman pleaded guilty to employment tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
Terra Dawn Ferguson pleaded guilty to one count of failing to collect, account for, or pay over payroll taxes for the employment tax quarter ending Dec. 31, 2015.
According to court documents, from approximately 1992 through at least September 2016, Ferguson was employed as an office manager at a pediatric office in Randolph County, North Carolina. As office manager, Ferguson had complete control over the pediatric office’s finances. Ferguson was also responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes that were withheld from the wages of the business’ employees. From March 2011 through September 2016, Ferguson withheld approximately $78,937 in payroll taxes from employees’ paychecks and willfully failed to pay that money to the IRS. Ferguson also failed to pay $35,472 for the employer’s share of employment taxes. Instead of paying these taxes to the IRS, Ferguson paid her personal credit card bills, funded personal business ventures involving a mountain cabin rental and a bar, paid for personal vacations, and issued checks to herself totaling $1.4 million, all from the business’ bank account.
Additionally, Ferguson prepared false individual income tax returns for her employer that falsely underreported gross receipts and inflated mortgage interest deductions, causing an additional tax loss of over $250,000. The total tax loss resulting from Ferguson’s fraudulent conduct is approximately $374,101.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2019. Ferguson faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Mara Strier and Alexander Effendi of the Tax Division and Assistant United States Attorney Frank Chut, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearms Charges and Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that KENDALL CELESTINE, age 21, of New Orleans, was sentenced Thursday, May 16, 2019 for federal firearms and narcotics violations.
According to court documents, CELESTINE, conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one hundred grams or more of heroin. Additionally, on January 24, 2018, CELESTINE possessed an AK-47-style pistol in furtherance of the heroin trafficking conspiracy.
U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced CELESTINE to sixty (60) months for Count 1 of the 7th Superseding Indictment and sixty (60) months for Count 16 of the 7th Superseding Indictment, to be served consecutively for a total term of imprisonment of one hundred twenty (120) months. Upon release, CELESTINE, will serve a term of four (4) years of supervised release and must pay a $200.00 assessment fee.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Unit, and the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni and Matthew R. Payne.
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Native Mob Gang Member Sentenced to 366 Months in Prison for Assault in Aid of Racketeering, Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 30, to 366 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, witness retaliation, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. LAFAVE, who pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019, was sentenced before Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, since 2006, LAFAVE has been a member of the Native Mob gang, a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threats of violence in order to preserve and protect power, territory, reputation, and profits of the enterprise. Members and associates of the Native Mob meet regularly to discuss, among other things, acts of violence and crimes committed against rival gang members, gang rules and by-laws, law enforcement interactions, and to share with one another the identities of individuals who might be cooperating with law enforcement and propose actions to be taken against those individuals.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on October 27, 2017, LAFAVE shot a former Native Mob gang member in the back. LAFAVE admitted that his motive for the shooting was two-fold: first, it was an act of retaliation against that individual for testifying against Native Mob gang members in a federal racketeering conspiracy trial in 2013; and second, an unprovoked attack such as this would maintain or increase LAFAVE’s position within the Native Mob.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Bradley Endicott prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 30
Fond du Lac, Minn.
Convicted:
- Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Witness retaliation (bodily injury), 1 count
- Discharge of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 366 months in prison
- 3 years Supervised Release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Michigan Doctor Pleads Guilty to Role in $2.5 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Southfield, Michigan-based doctor pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme involving approximately $2.5 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health and physician services that were medically unnecessary, not provided and procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Thomas Mays, M.D., 65, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 20, 2019, before Judge Cox.
As part of his guilty plea, Mays admitted that he offered and provided kickbacks in the form of prescriptions for controlled substances to Medicare beneficiaries who agreed to accept his purported physician services and referrals for home health care services. He further admitted that he prescribed medically unnecessary home health care services to Medicare beneficiaries. The prescriptions, in turn, were used by home health agencies to bill Medicare for home health services purportedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. Mays billed Medicare for physician services that he purportedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries that were medically unnecessary, never provided and acquired through kickbacks, he admitted.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from 2012 to 2018, the intended losses to Medicare as a result of the scheme were approximately $2.5 million.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Trial Attorneys Jay McCormack and Tom Tynan of the Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
McAlester Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that McAlester resident Darryl Emanuel Bickham, Jr., age 34, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release for Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charges arose from an investigation by the McAlester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that on or about, August 15, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a Ruger Model P85, 9 mm caliber pistol, a firearm, and ammunition, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Project Safe Neighborhoods continues to bring results by bringing federal law enforcement resources to assist local police agencies. Collaborative law enforcement allows agencies to maximize their effectiveness in combating violent crime. This investigation and prosecution is an example of that.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
Marshall County man sentenced for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA –James Wood, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wood, age 45, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine” in February 2019. Wood admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in 2017 and 2018 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.
The investigation was funded in part 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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Man Who Stole Critically Endangered Ring-Tailed Lemur from Santa Ana Zoo Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Criminal ChargeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A man who broke into the Santa Ana Zoo after hours and stole North America’s oldest-living ring-tailed lemur in captivity to keep the endangered animal as a pet has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge.
Aquinas Kasbar, 19, of Newport Beach, has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawfully taking an endangered species. The charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. Kasbar’s initial court appearance has been scheduled for May 28 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
According to his plea agreement filed today, on July 27, 2018, Kasbar broke into the Santa Ana Zoo after it had closed for the day. While in the zoo, Kasbar used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the zoo’s enclosures for lemurs and capuchin monkeys, which enabled several of the animals to escape, though they were later recovered, according to court documents.
Kasbar admitted in his plea agreement to stealing Isaac, a 32-year-old, ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta), and North America’s oldest ring-tailed lemur in captivity. (The life span of a lemur typically is 20 to 25 years.) The ring-tailed lemur is on a list of the 25 most endangered primates, and ring-tailed lemurs are endangered, in part, because of the illegal pet trade, according to the plea agreement.
After stealing Isaac, Kasbar placed the animal in a plastic drawer that lacked ventilation holes, court papers state. The next day, Kasbar abandoned Isaac in front of a Newport Beach hotel, leaving him in the same plastic drawer with two notes placed on it, which read, “Lemur (with tracker)” and “This belongs to the Santa Ana Zoo it was taken last night please bring it to police,” the plea agreement states. Kasbar’s actions resulted in a loss to the Santa Ana Zoo of approximately $8,486, court papers state.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Newport Beach Police Department, and the Santa Ana Police Department.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Erik M. Silber of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.
Man Who Distributed Methamphetamine from Prison Sentenced to More Than Ten YearsRead the Press Release
A man who was responsible for distributing pounds of ice methamphetamine while he was in state prison was sentenced May 17, 2019, to ten years in federal prison.
Cash Burch, age 35, from Des Moines, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 4, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence during the case established that while incarcerated in state prison for state felony drug charges, Burch became involved in a conspiracy to distribute ice methamphetamine. Once released from state prison, he continued his involvement in the conspiracy, ultimately distributing more than ten pounds of ice methamphetamine
Burch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Burch was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Burch 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 Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2024.
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Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – United States District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Alexis David Rivera-Castillo to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of children, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Rivera-Castillo had plead guilty on February 11, 2019.
According to the Plea Agreement filed in February 2019, Alexis David Rivera-Castillo began an online conversation with an adult female in June 2018, on a social networking and dating application website. During their conversation, the adult female told to the defendant that she had two children ages 10 and 13. Defendant Rivera-Castillo requested to see the 10-year-old minor in underwear and have sexually explicit conduct with the minor and the adult female at a motel. Rivera-Castillo offered to give the adult female money and provide her with a car. After the adult female went to the FBI, an undercover agent posing as the adult female continued communications with Rivera-Castillo. During the communications, Rivera-Castillo coordinated to meet with the undercover agent and the minor at a motel on July 23, 2018. On that date, Rivera-Castillo arrived to the motel where he was arrested by the FBI.
“Justice was done. This sentence should serve to reassure the public that we are paying close attention to the well-being of our children, and that we will spare no expense to take child predators off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.
The criminal prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea. The FBI was in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood is an initiative of the Department of Justice aimed at preventing the abuse and exploitation of children by the use of digital cameras, computers and other digital and electronic media.
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Luzerne County Woman Sentenced to Three Years’ Imprisonment for Trading Firearms for HeroinRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephani Taylor, age 27, of Shickshinny, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to three years’ imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Taylor previously admitted to trading ten firearms for heroin between December 2016 and September 2017.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kingston Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 90 Months’ Imprisonment for Heroin Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Wilson, age 26, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 90 Months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for distributing heroin and unlawfully possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Wilson previously admitted to distributing heroin between December 2016 and September 14, 2017, and possessing firearms in connection with his heroin trafficking. Wilson distributed between 40 grams and 60 grams of heroin, which is equivalent to between 1,800 and 3,000 retail bags of heroin.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kingston Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Louisiana Couple Pleads Guilty to Criminal Civil Rights Charges for Abusing Woman with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Raylaine Knope, 42, and Terry J. Knope II, 45, pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Louisiana to criminal civil rights charges arising from their abuse of an adult woman with cognitive disabilities. Both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain forced, unpaid household labor and services from the victim, identified as “D.P.” Raylaine Knope also pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor and one count of misprision of a felony. Terry J. Knope II, also pleaded guilty to one count of violating D.P.’s federal Fair Housing Act rights, one count of a hate crime, and one count of misprision of a felony.
At the plea hearing, the defendants, who were married at the time of the offense, admitted that, between Aug. 13, 2015, and June 30, 2016, in Amite, Louisiana, they conspired with each other and with other members of their family to obtain D.P.’s uncompensated household labor and services through a number of means, including by force, threats of force, and physical restraint. Both defendants admitted that they forced D.P. to live in a locked backyard cage and to perform housework and yard work in exchange for food and water. The defendants admitted that they and their co-conspirators subjected D.P. to routine physical abuse, threats, and verbal and psychological abuse designed to ensure her continued compliance with the family’s orders. As examples of this abuse, the defendants admitted that Raylaine Knope once forced D.P. to eat D.P.’s deceased mother’s ashes, and Terry J. Knope II, intentionally burned D.P. with a cigarette lighter while another family member held D.P. in place so she could not escape. Raylaine Knope also admitted that she used this overarching abuse to obtain D.P.’s forced labor, and that she helped Terry J. Knope II, steal D.P.’s monthly federal disability benefits. Terry Knope further admitted that, because of D.P.’s disability, he forced D.P. to live in the locked backyard cage and shot her with a B.B. gun at close range, and that he also helped others produce methamphetamine on his property.
“The Knopes conspired to brutally coerce a vulnerable victim with disabilities to work long hours in despicable conditions with no monetary compensation,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice continues to combat human trafficking by forced labor and today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims.”
“Today's guilty pleas highlight that the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to work with the FBI and local law enforcement partners to pursue human traffickers and to seek justice on behalf of vulnerable victims," said U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
“The defendants’ actions were heinous, despicable, and in-human. As a disabled person, the victim depended on her family to care for her but instead, they abused and mistreated someone who was unable to defend themselves,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal for the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “I am confident the courts will show them the proper sentence they deserve however, I am certain the victim will never out live these horrific memories."
Both defendants will be sentenced on Aug. 22 and face a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Office in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Tangipahoa District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Nicholas Reddick of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Assistant United States Attorney Julia Evans, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and by the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office.