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Monday 8 April 2019
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alexis Fernando Lopez, age 23, a Mexican National, entered a guilty plea to Possession With Intent To Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2, punishable by not less than 5 and not more than 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleges that on or about November 28, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.
Mexican National Men Sentenced for Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Mexican national men were sentenced for the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, 26, and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz, 24, both received a sentence of “time served.” They had both been in custody since December of 2018, nearly four months of federal incarceration. The Court ordered both men remanded to ICE custody to begin administrative deportation proceedings. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“These two brothers, both in their twenties, had four prior removals between them,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “If they want to live and work in our country, they need to enter our country legally and follow our immigration laws.”
On December 19, 2018, both men were found in Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia. Federal agents with ICE had received a tip that a person was working illegally at a Hurricane restaurant. ICE agents investigated and located the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers walking to the restaurant. Believing one of the men to be the target of the investigation, ICE agents requested identification. Both men immediately admitted that they were not in the United States legally and had no identification documents. ICE agents took Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz into federal custody.
Fingerprinting matched Carlos to three prior removals from the United States in 2014, 2015, and 2018. Huber has one prior removal from the United States in 2014 that his fingerprints matched. In all cases, the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers were found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and they were deported to Mexico. Neither man had obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Both Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz further admitted to ICE agents that they were Mexican citizens.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for both of the prosecutions. United States District Judge Robert C Chambers imposed the sentences.
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Meth Distributor Heads to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Houston resident has sentenced in Corpus Christi federal court following his conviction for possessing with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Aaron Dee Summer III pleaded guilty Jan. 31, 2019, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics.
Today, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Summer to 145 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted Summer did not have a minor role in the offense as he claimed.
On Nov. 17, 2018, law enforcement conducted an inspection of a charter bus traveling north through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immigration checkpoint near Falfurrias. During the investigation, authorities discovered luggage belonging to Summer with 28 bundles totaling approximately 13.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.
Law enforcement arrested him and discovered he was hiding an additional kilogram of Fentanyl strapped to his torso underneath his clothing. Summer admitted he had transported narcotics on the bus from Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas on several occasions over the previous six months.
Summer has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton is prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Charged with Interstate Transportation of a Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has charged Rondell Henry, age 28, of Germantown, Maryland, by criminal complaint with interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. Today, the government filed a motion arguing for Henry to be detained pending trial as a flight risk and a danger to the community. Specifically, the government’s detention memo alleges that Henry, who claimed to be inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization, stole a U-Haul van with the intention of using it as a weapon against pedestrians on sidewalks within the National Harbor complex along the Potomac River in Maryland. A detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 12:45 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. DiGirolamo.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Acting Chief Russell E. Hamill, III of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief Michael L. Brown of the City of Alexandria (Virginia) Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We continue to gather evidence, as well as review evidence already obtained as part of this ongoing investigation.”
According to the criminal complaint and other court documents, on March 26, 2019, the Alexandria Police Department was contacted concerning a leased U-Haul vehicle that had been stolen from a parking garage at a mall in Alexandria, Virginia. The driver, who had rented the U-Haul vehicle had noticed a man driving a blue BMW follow the U-Haul off Interstate 395 and onto mall property, then follow the U-Haul into the parking garage and park a few spaces away. When police responded to the garage, they found the BMW near where the U-Haul had been stolen. A check of the BMW’s registration records revealed that the BMW was registered to Rondell Henry.
On March 27, 2019, the stolen U-Haul was located at the National Harbor in Maryland. Law enforcement reviewed video surveillance of the area that showed Henry parking and subsequently exiting the stolen U-Haul. Henry was arrested the following day.
According to the detention memo, for two years, Henry has harbored “hatred” for those who do not practice the Muslim faith. Allegedly inspired by videos he watched of foreign terrorists, Henry decided to conduct a vehicular attack, similar to the 2016 truck attack in Nice, France, for which ISIS claimed responsibility. After stealing the van, Henry drove around, arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The government’s motion for detention alleges that Henry exited his U-Haul and entered the terminal, trying to find a way through security, allegedly to harm “disbelievers” in a way designed for maximum publicity. After more than two hours of failing to breach Dulles’s security perimeter, Henry allegedly returned to the U-Haul.
According to the motion for detention, Henry then drove the U-Haul from Virginia to the National Harbor in Maryland, arriving around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27. The motion for detention alleges that Henry parked the U-Haul and walked around a popular part of National Harbor. According to the motion for detention, Henry finally broke into a boat to hide overnight.
By the following morning, Thursday, March 28, police officers had discovered the location of the stolen U-Haul. When Henry leapt over the security fence from the boat dock, observant Prince George’s County Police officers arrested him.
If convicted, Henry faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the City of Alexandria Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked his office’s national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.
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Marshall County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie L. Moore, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Moore, age 47, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine” in February 2019. Moore admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in 2017 and 2018 in Marshall County.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of a property located at 1512 Lindsay Lane in Moundsville, West Virginia.
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.
MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to racketeering conspiracy.
Nelson Cruz Rodriguez Cartagena, a/k/a “Inquieto,” 24, a Salvadoran national illegally residing in Everett, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019. Rodriguez Cartagena was arrested in Everett and charged in June 2018 after law enforcement determined that he had reentered the United States.
According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization whose branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the group. It is alleged that most of the MS-13 cliques in Massachusetts, including the Everett Locos Salvatrucha (ELS) clique, belonged to MS-13’s East Coast Program, and that these cliques worked both independently and cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.
Rodriguez Cartagena is a full member, or “homeboy,” in MS-13’s ELS clique. On recorded prison calls with a detained ELS clique leader, Rodriguez Cartagena discussed buying guns for the Everett clique; maintaining and supervising the clique’s marijuana trafficking business; the need to collect dues from clique members; the need to send money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador due on the 13th of each month; and reporting on the clique’s day-to-day racketeering activities. When the clique leader began to suspect that a member of the ELS clique had cooperated with law enforcement leading to his arrest, he enlisted Rodriguez Cartagena’s help to ferret out the informant. Rodriguez Cartagena provided the true names of two young Everett clique members, and the leader concluded that one of them, Jose Aguilar Villanueva, a/k/a “Fantasma,” was the clique member responsible for his arrest. Once ELS (incorrectly) identified Villanueva as an informant, members of the Everett clique, including Rodriguez Cartagena, met at the clique’s “destroyer house,” – a residence where clique members stored knives, machetes, marijuana, and money – to plan the murder of Villanueva. Ultimately, on the night of July 5, 2015, two young ELS probationary members, or “chequeos,” lured Villanueva into a park in Lawrence and stabbed him to death. Villanueva was 16 years old.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Rodriguez Cartagena will face deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol A. Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
MEDIA ADVISORY: United States Attorney Mike Stuart to Host 19th Annual Operation Reach Out Opening CeremonyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 7-13, 2019, United States Attorney Mike Stuart will be hosting the 19th Annual Operation Reach Out Opening Ceremony. Stuart will present Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards to federal, state and local partners engaged in fighting violence against women.
What: Operation Reach Out Ceremony & Reception
Where: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse
300 Virginia Street East, 5th Floor
Charleston, WV
When: Tuesday, April 9 @ 11:00am
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
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Lima man indicted on charges of using firearms while trafficking cocaineRead the Press Release
A Lima man was indicted on charges of using firearms while trafficking cocaine.
Gregory L. Buckmon, 36, was charged in a seven-count indictment with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Buckmon at different points in 2018 possessed cocaine and various firearms. It was illegal for Buckmon to possess firearms because of previous convictions for burglary, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley A. Futrell and Matthew D. Simko.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lewiston Woman Pleads Guilty to Creating Fraudulent Marijuana CertificationsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Stephanie Beck, 41, of Lewiston, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.
According to court records, the defendant was licensed by Maine’s Department of Professional and Financial Regulation as a Certified Clinical Supervisor and an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Between December 1, 2017, and February 27, 2018, the defendant provided patient names to a nurse practitioner (including the names of MaineCare recipients), who, in turn, created fraudulent medical marijuana certifications. These fraudulent certifications allowed a marijuana trafficking conspiracy to illegally cultivate marijuana plants under the cover of, but in violation of, the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in jail and a $1,000,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Maine Attorney General’s Healthcare Crimes Unit, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Lackawanna County Man Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Stanley, age 40, of Dalton, Pennsylvania, owner of Nick Stanley Paving, Inc., was indicted on April 2, 2019, for tax evasion and structuring transactions to evade a reporting requirement.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Stanley took affirmative steps to evade the payment of taxes while owing $1,062,312.10 for tax years 2005 to 2011.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Criminal Indictments 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 under federal law for each offense charged is five years of 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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Kauai Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Rowenalynn P. Yorkman, 48, of Kekaha, Hawaii, was sentenced today to 30 months of imprisonment for defrauding the United States Department of the Navy and its employees. As part of her sentence, Yorkman must pay $364,838.33 in restitution, and serve 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price announced that, according to court documents and information presented in Court, from January 2011 to June 2015, Yorkman was employed by the Department of the Navy as a travel clerk where she tracked and reviewed travel claims for personnel. Yorkman, without authorization, used a co-worker’s account to enter false information and create fraudulent voucher amendments for expenses travelers did not incur. Yorkman then approved these voucher amendments for payment into her own bank account. She then converted these funds for her personal use. During her scheme, Yorkman defrauded the United States government and travelers of at least $364,838.33.
At Yorkman’s sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway remarked, "First of all, this was not a one-time giving into temptation," the 333 fraudulent transactions "was almost like a habit." The fraud involved "wholesale use of other people’s names and information" causing great concern.
The case was investigated by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching.
Justice Department and Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office Observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Events Throughout the CountryRead the Press Release
This week, April 7-13, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office joins the rest of the Department of Justice in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 7-13, 2019. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will participate in an annual event that celebrates and supports crime victims.
“Victims of crime deserve justice. This Department works every day to help them recover and to find, prosecute, and convict those who have done them harm,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we pause to remember the millions of Americans who have been victims of crime and we thank public servants who have served them in especially heroic ways. This week the men and women of the Department recommit ourselves once again to ensuring that crime victims continue to have a voice in our legal system, to securing justice for them, and to preventing other Americans from suffering what they have endured.”
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan stated: “The pursuit of justice for victims and their families is a central component of our mission. Those who have suffered senselessly at the hands of criminals – whether from violence, drug trafficking, financial crime, child exploitation, or other crime – will always have tireless advocates at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Working with our brave law enforcement officers, we will strive to ensure victims’ rights are protected and that they receive appropriate compensation and recovery services. We will also continue to collaborate with community partners to assist crime survivors and make Vermont safer through prevention initiatives.”Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys’ offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. In Vermont, this year’s observance takes place April 7-13, with the theme: Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future.
This year’s event in Vermont took place at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier, Vermont on April 8. The day included a workshop in the morning presented by master storyteller Sue Schmidt. An awards ceremony followed in the afternoon to honor victim advocates and allied professionals from across Vermont who serve victims of crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2019, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Vermont- Victim Witness Program at (802) 951-6725.
Judge sentences Billings woman to four years in meth caseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Billings woman who admitted possessing meth for distribution was sentenced on April 4 to four years in prison and four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Leah Summer Garcia, 41, pleaded guilty earlier to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
On April 19, 2018, Garcia, who was on state probation, was arrested on two outstanding warrants while she was at the jail visiting an inmate, prosecutors said in court records. In a search of the vehicle Garcia drove to the jail, law enforcement found an ounce of meth, which is the equivalent of about 224 doses. Garcia had been linked through drug-related text messages to others in an ongoing drug investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Suek prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI task force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Jamestown Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in Methamphetamine RingRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stacie N. Yancer, 39, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Astorga and Emmanuel Ulubiyo, who are handling the case, stated that between November 2017 and June 14, 2018, conspired with others to operate a drug trafficking organization, primarily involving methamphetamine, in the Jamestown area.
On January 10, 2018, and March 8, 2018, the defendant sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the Jamestown Drug Task Force.
On March 12, 2018, a search warrant was executed at 22 Bassett Street in Jamestown. During the search, the defendant was located in the back bedroom of 22 Bassett Street, Jamestown, NY. During the search, investigators recovered quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine; and Suboxone strips.
The defendant was charged along with 14 other defendants. She is the second to be convicted. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo
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Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Harold Course, 46, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On October 19, 2018, officers with the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrived at a halfway house in Jackson to serve an arrest warrant on an individual when they observed a man asleep in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck. Agents identified the man as Harold Course. Course was not the subject of the arrest warrant, but agents observed, in plain view, a shotgun between Course and the truck’s center console. Agents determined Course was wanted by Brookhaven Police for robbery and was a convicted felon. Course had been previously convicted in Hinds County, Mississippi, of attempted business burglary on March 6, 2015.
On February 20, 2019, Course was charged in a federal indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He will be sentenced on July 15, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. by Judge Reeves, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
Jackson County Man Charged with Defrauding Investors in $50 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Jackson, Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court to orchestrating a $50 million dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 46 investors.
Jason E. Adkins, 40, was arraigned in federal court today in Columbus.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation and Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the case.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2018, Adkins conspired to solicit millions of dollars from investors under false pretenses, failed to invest the funds as promised and misappropriated investors’ funds for his own benefit and the benefit of others.
Adkins and others claimed that they bought and sold over-sized tires commonly known as off-the-road tires, which are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Investors were told their money would be used to buy the tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate.
Investors were promised a 15 to 20 percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days. Adkins would sometimes pay the return on investment for the first transaction with investor victims.
“Making good on early investments perpetuated Adkins’s scheme by appearing to corroborate his claims, which helped him attract more investors,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “What the victims didn’t know was that Adkins was paying off early investments with the money from later ones. Although the product that Jason Adkins was purporting to buy and sell—oversize tires—was unusual, the operation of his scheme was not. It was right out of Ponzi’s playbook.”
For example, although two specific investors were paid for their initial investment of $20,000 with Adkins in 2016, they only received $320,000 total from Adkins in return for approximately $1 million worth of investments overall.
Adkins used several methods to conceal the scope of the Ponzi scheme and to minimize associated tax liabilities. For example, he and others sent various amounts of investor funds through a long series of wire transfers to many bank accounts. He created more than 15 corporate bank accounts to receive and distribute fraudulently obtained funds from investors.
Adkins also laundered his ill-gotten proceeds for at least five years, inlcuding by investing in front businesses created by co-conspirators.
Adkins bought cars, vacations and property with the funds from the scheme. For example, he paid for the construction of a pool at his personal residence and also paid more than $20,000 to lease a private jet.
Further, Adkins failed to file individual income tax returns reporting his income derived from the scheme. In 2013, specifically, Adkins earned at least $1.1 million, which caused a tax loss of nearly $237,000 to the IRS.
“A person who creates a web of financial lies will soon be caught up in it. Mr. Adkins offered rates of return of 15 to 20 percent to investors and unfortunately these were false promises,” said William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “No matter the source of income, everyone has an obligation to the American public to pay their fair share of income taxes. The success of this investigation was a direct result of the excellent partnership amongst IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Adkins has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of wire fraud and six counts related to money laundering – all crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison – and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires, David M. DeVillers and S. Courter Shimeall, who are representing the United States in this case.
If you believe you’re also a victim of Adkins’s scheme, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Coordinator, Barbara Vanarsdall, at 614-469-5715.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Jackson, Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court to orchestrating a $50 million dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 46 investors.
Jason E. Adkins, 40, was arraigned in federal court today in Columbus.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation and Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the case.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2018, Adkins conspired to solicit millions of dollars from investors under false pretenses, failed to invest the funds as promised and misappropriated investors’ funds for his own benefit and the benefit of others.
Adkins and others claimed that they bought and sold over-sized tires commonly known as off-the-road tires, which are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Investors were told their money would be used to buy the tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate.
Investors were promised a 15 to 20 percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days. Adkins would sometimes pay the return on investment for the first transaction with investor victims.
“Making good on early investments perpetuated Adkins’s scheme by appearing to corroborate his claims, which helped him attract more investors,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “What the victims didn’t know was that Adkins was paying off early investments with the money from later ones. Although the product that Jason Adkins was purporting to buy and sell—oversize tires—was unusual, the operation of his scheme was not. It was right out of Ponzi’s playbook.”
For example, although two specific investors were paid for their initial investment of $20,000 with Adkins in 2016, they only received $320,000 total from Adkins in return for approximately $1 million worth of investments overall.
Adkins used several methods to conceal the scope of the Ponzi scheme and to minimize associated tax liabilities. For example, he and others sent various amounts of investor funds through a long series of wire transfers to many bank accounts. He created more than 15 corporate bank accounts to receive and distribute fraudulently obtained funds from investors.
Adkins also laundered his ill-gotten proceeds for at least five years, inlcuding by investing in front businesses created by co-conspirators.
Adkins bought cars, vacations and property with the funds from the scheme. For example, he paid for the construction of a pool at his personal residence and also paid more than $20,000 to lease a private jet.
Further, Adkins failed to file individual income tax returns reporting his income derived from the scheme. In 2013, specifically, Adkins earned at least $1.1 million, which caused a tax loss of nearly $237,000 to the IRS.
“A person who creates a web of financial lies will soon be caught up in it. Mr. Adkins offered rates of return of 15 to 20 percent to investors and unfortunately these were false promises,” said William Cheung, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “No matter the source of income, everyone has an obligation to the American public to pay their fair share of income taxes. The success of this investigation was a direct result of the excellent partnership amongst IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Adkins has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of wire fraud and six counts related to money laundering – all crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison – and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas W. Squires, David M. DeVillers and S. Courter Shimeall, who are representing the United States in this case.
If you believe you’re also a victim of Adkins’s scheme, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Coordinator, Barbara Vanarsdall, at 614-469-5715.
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Insulation Contractor Branch Manager Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and FraudRead the Press Release
Gary DeVoe, Branch Manager for the New England Division of an insulation contractor, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for his role in schemes to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts, marking the first conviction in this investigation, the Department of Justice announced.
According to court documents, from at least as early as October 2011 and continuing until as late as March 2018, DeVoe, of Bethlehem, Connecticut, conspired with other insulation installation contractors to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Insulation installation contractors install insulation around pipes and ducts on renovation and new construction projects at universities, hospitals, and other public and private entities. In addition to his guilty plea, DeVoe has agreed to pay restitution.
“Today’s conviction is the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to root out collusion and fraud that undermined the competitive process and defrauded hospitals, schools, and other victims out of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Contractors who conspire to deceive and defraud their customers will be prosecuted.”
“This defendant participated in a long-running conspiracy among insulation contractors in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. “They cooked up collusive bids, shared bid numbers with their competitors and communicated with co-conspirators via encrypted messaging apps, all in an effort to line their own pockets and their companies’ bottom lines. The real victims are the hospitals, universities and businesses that were duped into paying corruptly inflated bids on $45 million worth of insulation jobs throughout New England. I commend the FBI, DCIS and the Antitrust Division for uncovering this brazen scheme and their ongoing efforts to bring its perpetrators to justice.”
“Free and open markets are the foundation of a vibrant economy. For years, the defendant illegally coordinated bids on construction projects in order to enhance his own profits, eliminate competition, and ultimately steal from both public and private customers,” said Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s New Haven Field Office. “The FBI is committed to preventing this conduct that restricts all construction firms from receiving an opportunity to bid and receive contracts. Consumers deserve the benefits of competitive prices, higher quality products, services, and greater innovation.”
“Collusion and bid rigging seriously undermine the integrity of public contracting processes,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Northeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who deprive the benefits of competitive contracts and divert tax payer funds.”
The antitrust charge announced today carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for individuals. The fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The fines for the antitrust and fraud conspiracy charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. DeVoe will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
DeVoe also agreed to resolve civil forfeiture cases connected to the criminal charges. DeVoe agreed to settle the pending forfeiture action on his home for $131,000 and to forfeit all of his seized bank accounts.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBI’s New Haven Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s New York Section at 212-335-8035, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Insulation Contractor Branch Manager Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and FraudRead the Press Release
Gary DeVoe, Branch Manager for the New England Division of an insulation contractor, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for his role in schemes to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts, marking the first conviction in this investigation, the Department of Justice announced.
According to court documents, from at least as early as October 2011 and continuing until as late as March 2018, DeVoe, of Bethlehem, Connecticut, conspired with other insulation installation contractors to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Insulation installation contractors install insulation around pipes and ducts on renovation and new construction projects at universities, hospitals, and other public and private entities. In addition to his guilty plea, DeVoe has agreed to pay restitution.
“Today’s conviction is the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to root out collusion and fraud that undermined the competitive process and defrauded hospitals, schools, and other victims out of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Contractors who conspire to deceive and defraud their customers will be prosecuted.”
“This defendant participated in a long-running conspiracy among insulation contractors in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. “They cooked up collusive bids, shared bid numbers with their competitors and communicated with co-conspirators via encrypted messaging apps, all in an effort to line their own pockets and their companies’ bottom lines. The real victims are the hospitals, universities and businesses that were duped into paying corruptly inflated bids on $45 million worth of insulation jobs throughout New England. I commend the FBI, DCIS and the Antitrust Division for uncovering this brazen scheme and their ongoing efforts to bring its perpetrators to justice.”
“Free and open markets are the foundation of a vibrant economy. For years, the defendant illegally coordinated bids on construction projects in order to enhance his own profits, eliminate competition, and ultimately steal from both public and private customers,” said Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s New Haven Field Office. “The FBI is committed to preventing this conduct that restricts all construction firms from receiving an opportunity to bid and receive contracts. Consumers deserve the benefits of competitive prices, higher quality products, services, and greater innovation.”
“Collusion and bid rigging seriously undermine the integrity of public contracting processes,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Northeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who deprive the benefits of competitive contracts and divert tax payer funds.”
The antitrust charge announced today carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for individuals. The fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The fines for the antitrust and fraud conspiracy charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. DeVoe will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
DeVoe also agreed to resolve civil forfeiture cases connected to the criminal charges. DeVoe agreed to settle the pending forfeiture action on his home for $131,000 and to forfeit all of his seized bank accounts.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBI’s New Haven Division, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s New York Section at 212-335-8035, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Hudson County, New Jersey, Man Pleads Guilty to Bribing Mail Carriers to Steal Credit CardsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to steal credit cards from the mail, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Moussa Dagno, 24, of Harrison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count each of bribery of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers and employees, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Dagno, who was arrested in February of 2018, remains detained pending his sentencing.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Dagno recruited several USPS mail carriers and employees to steal credit cards from the mail in exchange for bribes of $100 per stolen card. Dagno activated the cards under false pretenses, and he and others would use the cards to purchase high-end electronics and clothing at various retail stores throughout New Jersey. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized six laptops and a smartphone from Dagno’s residence, all of which had been purchased with credit cards stolen by USPS workers involved in the scheme.
Several of the USPS mail carriers and employees who accepted bribes from Dagno and others have already pleaded guilty to bribery charges and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals include: former mail carriers Zenobia Gilmer, Ayesha Trotz and Kyanne Costley, who had delivery routes in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, East Orange, New Jersey, and Elizabeth, New Jersey, as well as Jennel Williams, who formerly worked as a clerk in the Main Post Office in Newark. All four admitted to stealing credit cards from the mail and delivering those stolen cards to Dagno or another individual working with Dagno.
The bribery charge to which Dagno pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison; the bank fraud charge to which Dagno pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison; and the aggravated identity theft charge to which Dagno plead guilty carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which will be served consecutively to the sentence Dagno receives on the other charges. The bank fraud charges carries a maximum potential fine of $1 million, while the maximum potential fine for both the bribery and aggravated identity theft is $250,000. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 17, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the USPS - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to these charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Houston Woman Heads to Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 44-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of theft of government money, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Sheiletta McGrew pleaded guilty Sept. 17, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore ordered McGrew to serve a total 24-month sentence to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $144,943.
McGrew owned a tax preparation business called BABY STEPS 4 ME which she operated from her Houston residence. At the time of her plea, McGrew admitted she unlawfully acquired the personal identifying information (PII) of numerous individuals to include names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal information. She then used the unlawfully acquired PII to file false and fraudulent income tax returns with the IRS.
McGrew submitted the fraudulent returns without the consent of the taxpayers listed on the returns and requested the refunds be directly deposited into bank accounts she controlled.
McGrew admitted she filed at least 82 fraudulent returns during this scheme and received fraudulent refunds in the amount of $257,765.
McGrew was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman is prosecuting the case.
Hazelton Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edward Gonzalez, age 30, of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 2, 2019, for drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Gonzalez possessed with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana on November 30, 2018, in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez possessed a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as 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.
Indictments 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 total penalty under federal law for these offenses is life 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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Great Falls man admits possessing child pornRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Great Falls resident Lothar Konrad Krauth on Monday admitted he received child pornography after an investigation found thousands of images on his computer and electronic storage devices, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Krauth, 81, pleaded guilty to receipt of child porn as charged in an indictment. Krauth faces a minimum mandatory five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Judge Morris set sentencing for July 18 and continued Krauth’s release.
The prosecution said in court records that on Oct. 10, 2018, agents from the Homeland Security Investigations team in Great Falls received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The organization reported that the user of an internet provider address in Great Falls had uploaded an image of a nude prepubescent male. The address was identified as having been assigned to Krauth.
HSI agents and Great Falls police officers served a search warrant at Krauth’s residence on Oct. 26, 2018 and seized about 20 items of electronic media, including a desktop computer, nine external hard drives, six thumb drives and other items. Investigators then obtained a warrant to search all of the seized electronic media.
A forensic examination of Krauth’s desktop computer found about 400 images of child porn, while a subsequent analysis found thousands of child porn images. The majority of the child porn images depicted prepubescent children.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bartleson and Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by HSI and the Great Falls Police Department.
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Former Erie Resident Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 14 years in prison and 10 years supervised release on his conviction of sex trafficking of a child and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Thomas Patrick Petoff, 31.
According to information presented to the court, from March 2015 to October 2015, Petoff and a co-defendant, Devonte Lucas, knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, advertised and maintained two minor victims who engaged in commercial sex acts at the behest of Petoff and Lucas. Petoff’s illegal activity was ultimately stopped when members of the Millcreek Police Department observed Lucas transport a minor female to a Millcreek motel after the Millcreek officers, acting in an undercover capacity, had set up a meeting at the motel with the victim via an Internet advertisement that had been placed by Petoff. Lucas was sentenced to 13 years in prison on September 11, 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Millcreek Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Petoff.
Former Clay County High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sex Abuse Video over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Christopher Shawn Potter (50, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to distributing a video over the internet that depicts a young child being sexually abused. Potter faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life-term of supervised release. He has been detained since his arrest on September 20, 2018.
Potter worked as a teacher at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs from 2016 - 2017, and was a teacher at Orange Park High School from 1997 - 2004.
According to court documents, in February 2018, Potter, utilizing the user name “Catsfan1987,” responded to a notice posted online by an undercover officer with the Orange Park Police Department who was posing as a 14-year-old child. Potter engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer during which Potter requested photos of the “child” and discussed meeting the “child” for sex. Potter sent the undercover officer a video clip depicting a young child being sexually abused and a video of Potter performing a sexual act.
On September 20, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Potter’s home and seized several computer devices and smartphones. During an interview, Potter admitted sending the video and stated that he fantasizes about sexual acts with young girls. One of Potter’s smartphones contained 21 videos depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Orange Park Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palatka Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Flat Woods Woman Sentenced to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. — Kimberly Dawn Moore, 26, of Flat Woods, Kentucky, was sentenced today, to 120 months in federal prison, by United States District Court Judge David L. Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In August 2017, the Huntington FBI Task Force, in conjunction with the Kentucky State Police and the Ashland Police Department, seized 876 grams of heroin. The heroin had been transported from Detroit to Huntington, W.Va., as part of a conspiracy involving Moore and her co-defendants, Eric Minter and Leonard Wright, which ranged from June 2017 to August 2017. Wright and Minter organized the heroin deliveries, which were completed by Moore and an additional co-defendant. The heroin was then distributed in the Tri-State area. Moore has two prior convictions for drug trafficking in the Greenup Circuit Court.
Under federal law, Moore must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence; and upon her release, she will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for eight years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Allen Jones, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Todd Kelly, Chief of the Ashland Police Department,, jointly made the announcement.
The FBI, Kentucky State Police, Ohio State Police, and the Ashland Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
Firearm Conviction Sends Texas Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 52-year-old Houston man has been sentenced in Corpus Christi federal court following his conviction for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A jury returned a guilty verdict against Donnell Eldridge Jan. 9, 2019.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Eldridge to 85 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court commented that nothing had deterred Eldridge’s continued criminal conduct and noted the importance of protecting the community.
On June 20, 2018, officers with the Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) were conducting an investigation near City Hall located in the 1200 block of Leopard Street. As they approached a group of individuals, Eldridge quickly began to walk off and failed to respond to questions.
One of the officers continued to walk behind him and observed Eldridge remove an item from his waistband and throw it on the ground. An officer soon located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in the surrounding area.
Eldridge had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated robbery, and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
Eldridge has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Neel Kapur are prosecuting the case.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Samuel Serrano, age 24, a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary, (“USP”) Allenwood, was indicted on March 28, 2019, by a federal grand jury for possession of a controlled substance.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Serrano was found in possession of ADB-FUBINACA, a synthetic form of marihuana, during a search conducted on April 12, 2017.
The charges stem from an investigation by officers at USP Allenwood and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
Indictments 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 defendant is facing a maximum of ten years of incarceration and a $250,000 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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Eight charged with importing cocaine concealed in food cans through airportsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Anthony Rondel Blair, Jason Arias, Daniel Newton, David Lomba Barros, Angelica Dominique Cuyugan Tuzon, Shondra Vernon, Michelle Rosa, and Madison Renee Kelleher have been indicted for their roles in a criminal network that imported cocaine into the United States from Costa Rica and laundered the proceeds.
“These defendants allegedly imported dozens of multi-kilogram cocaine shipments within food cans through several U.S. airports including Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the Charlotte, Raleigh, and Miami airports,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Through the combined efforts of our law enforcement partners, this network has been disrupted and its members will be brought to justice. Even in the midst of the nation’s opioid epidemic, we are reminded that cocaine importation and distribution remains a national problem and a priority of this office.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “This criminal network posed a clear and present danger to the safety of the citizens in this country and abroad. Their removal makes the affected communities safer. This successful investigation illustrates how success can be achieved through law enforcement collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“Identifying and intercepting transnational drug traffickers is one of Homeland Security Investigations’ highest priorities to protect the public from the serious harm criminals inflict without any regard for the violence and public health damage they cause,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta Nick S. Annan. ”The scale of this case illustrates the lengths to which criminal organizations will go as well as the interagency coordination that exists between federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify and stop them.”
“The mission of CBP here in the Southeast and across the country is to safeguard America’s borders,” said Don Yando, Atlanta Director of CBP Field Operations. “This is yet another example of how our multi-agency partnerships and collaboration support CBP's mission of protecting the American public. We are proud to continue the work of uncovering and dismantling these types of transnational criminal organizations.”
“We will not allow our airport to be used as a hub for the spread of illegal narcotics to our communities,” said Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields. “I commend our officers for their efforts on the ground, and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for aggressively pursuing these cases.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: the indictment alleges that Blair organized groups of individuals to fly to Costa Rica from Atlanta. While in Costa Rica, Arias met with some of the conspirators and provided each with approximately four kilograms of cocaine hidden inside sealed food cans and concealed within the travelers’ checked luggage. Once the Atlanta-based travelers returned to the United States, they delivered the cans to Blair who prepared the cocaine for distribution in the Atlanta area and elsewhere. The network also had been operating in Charlotte and Boston.
Law enforcement documented over 90 separate trips for this group, and it is estimated that the conspiracy imported over 375 kilograms of cocaine into the United States using this smuggling technique.
Anthony Rondel Blair, 40, Shondra Vernon and a/k/a Frenchie, 30, both of Atlanta, Georgia, Michelle Rosa, 36, of Jonesboro, Georgia, Jason Arias, 35, and Daniel Newton, a/k/a Russia, 29, both of Charlotte, North Carolina, David Lomba Barros, 32, and Madison Renee Kelleher, 27, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Angelica Dominique Cuyugan Tuzon, 25, of Reston, Virginia, were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 27, 2019. Vernon and Rosa were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King. Blair is scheduled to be arraigned on April 12, 2019, also before Judge King. The remaining defendants appeared in federal courts in Charlotte, Boston, and Alexandria, Virginia.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Christian is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
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.
Department of Justice Announces First Step Act Implementation ProgressRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in accordance with the First Step Act, has announced the selection of the nonprofit and nonpartisan Hudson Institute to host the Independent Review Committee. The Committee, whose members will be appointed by Hudson Institute in accordance with the Act’s requirements, will assist the Department as it develops and implements risk and needs assessment tools and evidence-based recidivism reduction programs.
“The Department of Justice is committed to implementing the First Step Act,” said Attorney General William Barr. “The Independent Review Committee plays an important role in that effort by assisting in the development of a new risk and needs assessment system and improvements to our recidivism reduction programming. I am grateful to Hudson Institute for hosting this important Committee, which will lead to better policies at the Department and, ultimately, better outcomes for prisoners reentering society.”
NIJ also announced today that it is contracting with outside experts and leading researchers, including Dr. Grant Duwe Ph.D., Dr. Zachary Hamilton Ph.D., and Dr. Angela Hawken Ph.D., for assistance and consultation as the Department develops the Risk and Needs Assessment System under the Act. Dr. Duwe is the Director of Research for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and a nationally recognized expert on the development of recidivism risk assessment systems. Dr. Hamilton is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Director of the Washington State Institute for Criminal Justice, and focuses on treatment matching through risk and needs assessment systems. Dr. Hawken is a Professor of Public Policy at the New York University Marron Institute, and is the founder and director of New York University’s Litmus/BetaGov program, which assists in the development and validation of data-driven policies. Each of these experts will bring unique expertise as they augment NIJ and the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) efforts to implement the Act.
Today’s announcements by NIJ are the latest in a growing list of accomplishments as the Department works diligently to implement the Act, signed into law in December 2018. Some other highlights of the Department’s ongoing implementation efforts include:
- NIJ has hosted “listening sessions” to receive input from more than 25 stakeholders regarding the development of the Risk and Needs Assessment System under the Act. These stakeholders represent a diverse array of viewpoints, and presented helpful information to consider as the Department implements the Act.
- The Act’s retroactive application of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (reducing the disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine threshold amounts triggering mandatory minimum sentences) has resulted in 826 sentence reductions and 643 early releases.
- BOP has 20 pilot dog programs operating under Sec. 608 of the Act. BOP has also developed a youth mentoring program in accordance with the Act.
- BOP has submitted to Congress a report, in accordance with the Act, evaluating the availability of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in its facilities for inmates with substance abuse problems. BOP has also screened more than 400 inmates to identify candidates for possible enrollment in MAT programs.
- BOP has issued procedures for “compassionate release” sentence reductions under 18 U.S.C. §§ 3582 and 4205(g) (BOP Policy Number 5050.50), and 22 inmates have already received sentence reductions under this program.
- BOP has issued procedures providing for participation in the Second Chance Act home confinement pilot program under 34 U.S.C. 65401(g) (BOP Operations Memorandum 001-2019), and 23 inmates are currently participating, with additional inmates currently being screened for program inclusion.
- BOP has issued procedures providing for its employees to carry and store personal weapons under 18 U.S.C. § 4050 (BOP Policy Number 5575.01, CN-1).
- BOP has identified a screening tool to implement the Act’s dyslexia screening requirement, which will enable BOP to review the prevalence of dyslexia inside the BOP inmate population.
- BOP has issued an updated advisory memo and distributed training for federal prison facilities housing female inmates regarding the Act’s requirements prohibiting the use of restraints on pregnant inmates absent extreme circumstances (Note: BOP Policy Number 5566.06, CN-1 has prohibited the use of restraints on pregnant prisoners absent extreme circumstances since August 2014).
- The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) has issued updated procedures and forms for USMS and its contracted private detention facilities regarding the Act’s requirements prohibiting the use of restraints on pregnant inmates absent extreme circumstances.
- BOP policies and contracts provide sanitary products to female offenders in compliance with the Act.
- BOP and USMS policies and contracts comply with the Act’s requirements that prohibit certain room confinement for juvenile offenders.
- BOP offers specialized and comprehensive de-escalation training to its employees and officers in accordance with Sec. 606 of the Act. BOP has also updated its mental health awareness training regarding inmates with psychiatric disorders, and more than 14,000 BOP employees have already received the updated training.
- BOP’s Federal Prison Industries (FPI) has begun work to expand FPI’s markets under the Act. BOP is also working with the Government Accountability Office to conduct an audit of FPI.
Dennehotso Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, Tyler Joe, 26, of Dennehotso, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 20 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Joe had previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate partner or dating partner by suffocation.
On Sept. 23, 2018, Joe assaulted the victim by placing his arm over her mouth and applying force so that she could not breathe. The assault occurred on the Navajo Nation, and Joe is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Joe’s sentence in this case was enhanced under the United States Sentencing Guidelines because he violated a court order of the Navajo Nation tribal court, which prohibited him from contacting the victim at the time he committed the offense.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-8326-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-046_Joe
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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.
Crime Gun Intelligence Center assists federal and local law enforcementRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- United States Attorney Josh J. Minker announced that Jaylen Brancheau and Donaven Meadows have been charged in federal court in separate criminal complaints. Brancheau has been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, and providing a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Meadows has been charged with possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
“In bringing charges against these individuals, we send a strong message that illegal gun possession will not be tolerated and individuals that break the law will receive the strongest sentencing possible,” said Minkler. “CGIC connects the dots between crime guns and trigger pullers. The facts alleged in these two cases demonstrate exactly what CGIC was created to do.”
These arrests were made possible by the joint efforts of the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIC), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), and the Greenwood Police Department (GPD).
CGIC is an interagency collaboration focused on the immediate collection, management, and analysis of crime gun evidence, such as shell casings, in real time, in an effort to identify shooters, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent future violence. The primary outcome of CGIC is identifying armed violent offenders for investigation and prosecution.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Preston. Brancheau, if convicted, faces possible life imprisonment, and Meadows faces up to 20 years in prison.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who engage in violent crime using firearms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 2.3.
Collin County Teen Sentenced for Plotting Terrorist Attack at Frisco MallRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An 18-year-old Plano man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison for plotting a terrorist attack at a Collin County, Texas shopping mall, announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown jointly today.
Matin Azizi-Yarand pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation of capital murder and terroristic threat today in state court before 296th District Court Judge John Roach, Jr. Pursuant to a plea agreement reached by prosecutors and the defendant, Judge Roach sentenced Azizi-Yarand to 20 years in prison for the solicitation charge and 10 years in prison for the terroristic threat charge. The sentences will run concurrently.
According to information presented in court, Azizi-Yarand was arrested in May of 2018 after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered he was plotting a mass shooting at the Stonebriar Centre mall in Frisco, Texas. Inspired by ISIS, Azizi-Yarand was a high school student in Plano when he began actively soliciting other individuals to assist him in the attack, which he had planned for mid-May 2018. At the time of his arrest, Azizi-Yarand had sent more than $1,400 to an undercover FBI employee for the purchase of weapons and tactical gear, had conducted surveillance on the mall, and had met with undercover federal operatives to plan the attack. The investigation determined that Azizi-Yarand specifically intended to target police officers and civilians at the mall.
The case was filed in state district court in Collin County after federal prosecutors determined that Azizi-Yarand’s age - he was 17 at the time of the offense - limited their ability to prosecute the teen in federal court. Individuals age 17 and above are considered adults under Texas state criminal law, while federal law requires an individual to be 18 to be considered an adult.
“This was a serious, serious threat,” said United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “There is no doubt that Azizi-Yarand would have carried out what he was planning. Federal and state law enforcement in this district are committed to working together to combat terrorist activities in this region. We greatly appreciate all of the law enforcement that moved quickly to prevent what could have been a very bad situation. The FBI and the Plano, Frisco and Richardson police departments, as part of the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force, just did a great job. And the cooperation of the Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis and his office was outstanding and allowed us to make sure the consequence reflected the seriousness of the offense.”
“We are lucky that the vigilant men and women of federal and state law enforcement stopped this ISIS-inspired mass shooting,” said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. “This was textbook joint investigation and prosecution that undoubtedly saved lives. I’d like to thank United States Attorney Joe Brown and his prosecutors, the FBI, and all the law enforcement agencies that make up North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
"Today's plea is the result of the strong collaboration between the FBI and our partners in the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force," said Michael Schneider, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Division. "We work together 24/7, 365 days a year to detect, investigate, and disrupt terrorist threats in order to protect our communities from harm."
This case was investigated by the FBI’s North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, Frisco Police Department, Plano Police Department, and Richardson Police Department. Attorneys from both the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and the Collin County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Azizi-Yarand, who will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years in prison.
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California Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Following a conviction at trial on October 31, 2018, Frederick Arayatanon, 35, of Westminister, California was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to serve life in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
During the course of a drug investigation that began in 2017, DEA agents discovered that Arayatanon was shipping large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Tuyen Ngoc Le in Biloxi, Mississippi. Once Le received the methamphetamine shipments, she would give them to Demetrius Mason for distribution in the Ocean Springs area.
Le pled guilty for her role in the drug conspiracy and was sentenced by Judge Guirola to serve 262 months in federal prison. Mason pled guilty for his role and was sentenced by Judge Guirola on May 31, 2018 to serve 292 months. Both Le and Mason testified as witnesses for the United States during Arayatanon’s trial.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shundral H. Cole and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
Burlington Woman Arrested and Charged with Mailing a Threatening CommunicationRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Suzanne Muscara, 37, of Burlington, Maine, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Friday with mailing a threatening communication to Senator Susan Collins.
According to the complaint affidavit, the charge arose from an investigation into a suspicious letter processed by the U.S. Postal Service mail sorting facility in Hampden, Maine, in October 2018. The letter was leaking a fine white powder and it contained a threat. The white powder was tested and found not to contain toxic substances.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The defendant will make an initial appearance today at 2:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Courtroom 1.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspector Service, the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal, and the Maine State Police.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Buffalo Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Multiple Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Craig Lester, 32, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, and cocaine; and using and maintaining a drug premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who handled the case, stated that according to the indictment, between March and May 2017, the defendant conspired with others to possess and distribute multiple controlled substances, including heroin, butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, and cocaine. In addition, the defendant is accused of using 28 Echols Lane in Buffalo to store and distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, and U-47700.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 18, 2019, at 10:30 a.m.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Bronx Man Admits Giving Drugs to Inmate at FCI-McKeanRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of providing contraband in a federal prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Karlos Serrano pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on December 19, 2009, Serrano provided a quantity of heroin and marijuana to Jorge Borges-Rosario, an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Serrano on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Officers of the McKean Correctional Institution and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Serrano.
Branson Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Branson, Mo., sex offender has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography.
Bill Lawrence, Jr., 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Friday, April 5, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Lawrence to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.
Lawrence, who pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, 2018, has prior convictions for possessing child pornography and promoting child pornography.
According to court documents, the investigation began with two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Lawrence had attached images of child pornography to at least two emails that were sent from his Google account. The images depicted prepubescent children being sexually abused or in sexual poses.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lawrence’s residence and seized his cell phone, which contained multiple images of child pornography. Lawrence admitted to officers that he used the Chat Hour application to both receive and distribute child pornography over the internet.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Bradford County Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A Braford County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months in jail, 5 years supervised release and a $2,000 fine on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on John David Martin, 62, of Towanda, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Martin possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Erie County Detectives Bureau for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Martin.
Bitcoin Dealer Sentenced to Two Years in Prison and Ordered to Forfeit Ill-Gotten GainsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert Ciaffa (619) 546-7748
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 8, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Jacob Burrell Campos of Rosarito, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff to serve two years in prison and forfeit $823,357 in illicit profits for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with his sale of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bitcoin to over 1,000 customers throughout the United States.
Burrell, a U.S. citizen, has been in custody without bail since his arrest on August 13, 2018. He pleaded guilty on October 29, 2018, admitting that he operated a Bitcoin exchange without registering with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of Treasury, and without implementing the required anti-money laundering safeguards.
According to the plea agreement, Burrell advertised his business on Localbitcoins.com, and communicated with his customers through email and text messages, often using encrypted applications. He negotiated a commission of 5 percent above the prevailing exchange rate, and accepted cash in person, through nationwide ATMs, and through MoneyGram. Burrell admitted that he had no anti-money laundering or “know your customer” program, and performed no due diligence on the source of his customers’ money.
Burrell admitted that, at first, he purchased his supply of Bitcoin through a U.S.-based, regulated exchange, but his account was soon closed because of the large number of suspicious transactions. He then resorted to a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong, where he purchased a total of $3.29 million in Bitcoin, in hundreds of separate transactions, between March 2015 and April 2017.
Finally, Burrell admitted that he exchanged his U.S. cash, which he kept in Mexico, with Joseph Castillo, a San Diego-based precious metals dealer, and that between late 2016 and early 2018, he and others imported into the United States, on an almost daily basis, a total of over $1 million in U.S. currency, in amounts slightly below the $10,000 reporting requirement.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that unlicensed money transmitters pose a serious threat to the integrity of the U.S. financial system by creating a hole in the anti-money laundering regulatory scheme and allowing criminals to launder their cash proceeds without scrutiny. In this case, Burrell provided his clients with anonymity and privacy, and exchanged over $1 million in unregulated cash.
U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said, “The federal government will continue to investigate and prosecute all white collar criminals who refuse to comply with the anti-money laundering laws of the United States, and who assist others in avoiding scrutiny of their ill-gotten gains. I applaud the excellent work of prosecutor Robert Ciaffa and federal agents who investigated these crimes.”
“Today’s sentencing of Burrell is a reminder to those illegal and unlicensed money transmitters that the laws and rules apply to crypto currency dealings just as they do to other types of financial transactions,” said David Shaw, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “HSI Special Agents are proud to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the U.S. financial system, and we will continue to adapt to enforce laws across all borders, including cyberspace and the Darknet.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 18CR3554-H
Jacob Burrell-Campos Age: 22 Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico
Count 1: Conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, 18 USC 1960.
Statutory maximum: 5 years prison, $250,000 fine.
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Internal Revenue Service
Postal Inspection Service
Birmingham, Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lieutenant Skylare Holstick, age 37, of Birmingham, Alabama, entered a guilty plea to Possession With Intent To Distribute Marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2, punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleges that on or about December 22, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Benicia Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller sentenced Steven Brian Homan, 62, of Benicia, today to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for one count of concealment of bankruptcy assets, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Homan sought protection from and discharge of more than $1.3 million in personal and business debt. He also wanted to preserve a non-exempt cabin in Redding from liquidation. To protect the cabin, Homan arranged to sell it from his bankruptcy estate to a relative for $100,000. However, Homan concealed from the bankruptcy trustee that the cabin had been destroyed by fire before the trustee accepted the offer.
After the fire, Homan filed an insurance claim that settled for more than $258,000 in losses associated with the cabin and personal property contained in the cabin at the time of the fire. That money constituted property of the bankruptcy estate, which Homan concealed from the trustee. After the sale of the cabin was complete, the bankruptcy trustee learned of the fire and concealed insurance settlement.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney André M. Espinosa prosecuted the case.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mike Douglas Nolan, age 59, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea to Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, or both.
The Superseding Indictment alleges that from in or about June 2011, and continuing until in or about May 2012, the defendant, devised and intended to devise, executed and attempted to execute, a scheme to obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced for Conspiring with Police Officers to Sell Methamphetamine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Noel Carter, 45, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today for conspiring with Bakersfield police officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana that Diaz and Mara seized in the course of their duties as police officers, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Carter to seven and a half years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Carter was also ordered to pay $70,513 in restitution to his former employer and to forfeit $286,251 representing proceeds from his drug trafficking activity.
According to court documents, from April 2012 to August 2015, Carter conspired with Diaz and Mara, who deliberately failed to submit the seized drugs into the Bakersfield Police Department evidence room and instead provided the stolen narcotics to Carter so that Carter could sell those narcotics for profit.
In May 2016, Diaz pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as receiving bribes and making a false income tax return. In June 2016, Mara pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute, methamphetamine. Both were removed from active duty with the Bakersfield Police Department and are currently serving federal prison sentences.
According to the plea agreement in October 2018, Carter agreed to pay restitution to Pacific Workplaces, his former employer. Starting in September 2016 and up until his termination in September 2017, Carter was a contract manager for Pacific Workplaces, a virtual office and short-term office rental business. Carter admitted to embezzling money from the company and depositing the money into his personal account.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Delaney and Angela Scott prosecuted the case.
Bakersfield Man Charged with Shipping Heroin, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and CocaineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment on Thursday, April 4, 2019, against Jose Luis Rivas Jr., 26, of Bakersfield, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between June 2016 and May 2018, Rivas conspired with another Bakersfield man, Juan Pina, 23, to use a national parcel service company to ship packages of narcotics to various distributors around the country. Records filed with the court indicate that Rivas and Pina made kilogram-quantity shipments of controlled substances on several occasions.
On May 3, 2018, search warrants were executed for Pina’s residence and vehicle. Pina was arrested while driving his vehicle and in the back seat was a three-foot-long rectangular box, similar in size to the earlier shipments. The package was searched and found to contain approximately 700 grams of cocaine. In a search of Pina’s home, agents recovered over 2 pounds of heroin, over 2 pounds of cocaine, approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine as well as a loaded handgun and three long guns all found within close proximity to the drugs.
On March 27, 2019, when search warrants were executed for Rivas’s residence, agents recovered 12 cellphones and arrested Rivas.
On April 8, 2019, Juan Pina plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Delaney and Thomas Newman are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rivas faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Pina is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
14 Defendants in College Admissions Scandal to Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Thirteen parents charged in the college admissions scandal will plead guilty to using bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate their children’s admission to selective colleges and universities. One coach also agreed to plead guilty.
The defendants were arrested last month and charged with conspiring with William “Rick” Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., and others, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to colleges and universities. The conspiracy involved bribing SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker to secretly take college entrance exams in place of students, or to correct the students’ answers after they had taken the exam, and bribing university athletic coaches and administrators to facilitate the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits.
The following defendants were charged in an Information with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and have agreed to plead guilty pursuant to plea agreements:
- Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, N.Y., together with his wife, Marcia, agreed to pay Singer $125,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their daughter;
- Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y.;
- Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $50,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son;
- Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Conn., agreed to pay Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;
- Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $75,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;
- Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer at least $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her oldest daughter;
- Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $300,000 to participate in both the college entrance exam cheating scheme and the college recruitment scheme for his daughter;
- Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for her son;
- Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for his daughter;
- Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $400,000 to participate in the college recruitment scheme for his son; and
- Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., agreed to pay Singer $250,000 to participate in the college recruitment scheme for his son.
In addition, Bruce Isackson, 61, and Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, Calif., were charged in a separate Information and have both agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson will also plead guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The Isacksons agreed to pay Singer an amount, ultimately totaling $600,000, to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme for their younger daughter and the college recruitment scheme for both of their daughters. The Isacksons also underpaid their federal income taxes by deducting the bribe payments as purported charitable contributions. The Isacksons are cooperating with the government’s investigation.
Michael Center, 54, of Austin, Texas, the former head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin, was charged in a third Information and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. In 2015, Center personally accepted $60,000 in cash from Singer, as well as $40,000 directed to the University of Texas tennis program, in exchange for designating the child of one of Singer’s clients as a tennis recruit, thereby facilitating his admission to the University of Texas.
All of the defendants who improperly took tax deductions for the bribe payments have agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay back taxes.
Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. Case information, including the status of each defendant, charging documents and plea agreements are available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Saturday 6 April 2019
Owner of Vancouver, Washington Precious Metals Firm Sentenced to Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A Vancouver, Washington, business owner who stole from later clients to pay off earlier ones in the style of a Ponzi scheme was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to four years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. AARON MICHAEL SCOTT, 40, of Portland, Oregon, was indicted in October 2018 following state and federal investigations of his internet precious metals business, Blue Moon Coins. SCOTT began defrauding silver and gold purchasers as early as October 2013 and continued until Blue Moon Coins was shuttered by the Washington State Department of Financial Services in April 2014. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said, “White collar crime is under-punished in the country. Drug addiction and white collar crime are two sides of a press that will destroy the fabric of society.”
According to records filed in the case, between October 2013 and April 2014, SCOTT repeatedly accepted customer money for the purchase of precious metals and coins and then used the money for his personal, company, and hobby expenses. SCOTT represented to customers that the money would be used immediately to purchase the coins and metals, but, instead, it was used for expenses or to fulfill earlier customer orders in the form of a Ponzi scheme. When customers complained about the delay in receiving their items, SCOTT used a plethora of excuses such as: weather delays; a supplier had gone bankrupt; a corporate buyout; ice and snow; delayed armored truck delivery; and a bad flu season.
In 2015, SCOTT declared bankruptcy revealing that he had a web of businesses involved in activities, such as producing rap albums and custom jewelry, including gold teeth or “grills.” During the fraud scheme, SCOTT owned a Maserati and a Porsche but transferred ownership of the luxury cars before the bankruptcy filing.
In all more than 139 customers were defrauded of more than $1.4 million. Losses to individual investors range from just over $2,000 to more than $154,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Vancouver Police Department and the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The CFTC has filed a civil enforcement action against SCOTT and Blue Moon Coins seeking restitution for the victims and a permanent registration and trading ban.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Reese Jennings.
Justice Department Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Events Throughout the CountryRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 7-13, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina will host a National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Ceremony on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Archives and History/State Library Building, located at 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601. This event is open to the public. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/crime-victims-rights-week-2019.
This year’s event will feature a gripping presentation by victims of federal crimes impacted by the opioid epidemic. The keynote speakers, Ms. Jennifer Powell and Ms. Laura Parrish, were each compelled to speak out about opioid abuse and the opioid/heroin epidemic after losing a family member to a drug overdose. Ms. Powell lost her youngest sister on July 1, 2015, to a drug overdose. Ms. Parrish’s son Nick struggled with opiate addiction and died of a fentanyl overdose in April 2016. Both speakers are members of the United States Attorney’s Heroin Education Action Team in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The shared mission of United States Attorneys’ Heroin Education Action Teams (HEAT), here in Eastern North Carolina, in Kentucky, and across the country, is to reduce the growing harm to families and communities caused by heroin/opiate abuse by increasing understanding of this epidemic. HEAT is a partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and families who have lost a loved one to opiate overdose. These courageous moms, dads, brothers, sisters and children share their story in order to help others avoid the grief of losing a family member from this dangerous epidemic.
“Victims of crime deserve justice. This Department works every day to help them recover and to find, prosecute, and convict those who have done them harm,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we pause to remember the millions of Americans who have been victims of crime and we thank public servants who have served them in especially heroic ways. This week the men and women of the Department recommit ourselves once again to ensuring that crime victims continue to have a voice in our legal system, to securing justice for them, and to preventing other Americans from suffering what they have endured.”
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., stated, “The harms caused to our communities by the opioid epidemic are devastating, far-reaching, and in many cases irreversible. Through the United States Attorney’s Heroin Education Action Team (HEAT), we are committed to educating our communities about heroin/opiate abuse. This is a crisis for which prevention vastly expands the reach of the net already cast by prosecuting those who distribute opioids and demonstrate a reckless disregard for human life and the safety of our communities. As we commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a mother’s heartfelt message to me was ‘The most important words anyone can say to me, is calling my son’s name, and remembering him’ signifying the importance of the week. During the ceremony this coming Tuesday, victim advocates, law enforcement, allied professionals, and the community will stand together to remember and honor all victims of crime.”
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 7-13, with the theme: Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future. This year’s theme encourages commemoration, honor, and respect toward the crime victim advocates, allied professionals, and selfless volunteers who have courageously worked for increased rights for crime victims. The theme also invites us to look toward a future of inclusive, accessible, and innovative resources and services for survivors.
The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2019, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina’s Victim Witness Program at (919) 856-4530.
This year’s program in Raleigh is sponsored by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, members of the Interagency Council, the City of Durham Police Department, Raleigh Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, H.A.L.O.S., North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, North Carolina National Guard, North Carolina Victim Assistance Network, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Friday 5 April 2019
Wayne County Man Arrested on Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Holsey Wedlow, 65, of Sodus, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, a life term of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between September 19 and December 13, 2018, the defendant purchased cocaine on three separate occasions from individuals working with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being held without bail.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Barry Virts; and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Kevin Henderson.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Wallingford Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Distributing AmphetaminesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY ESTRIDGE, 38, of Wallingford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing amphetamines.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 16, 2017, the Wallingford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Wallingford residence after a 9-1-1 call reported the untimely death of a 38-year-old male. The caller who reported the death did not leave contact information and was not on scene when responders arrived. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. At the residence, investigators seized evidence of illicit drug use, including a small plastic baggy containing approximately eight suspected oxycodone pills, a glass dish with white powder residue, a broken credit card, pieces of wax folds commonly used as heroin packaging, a used plastic syringe, and prescription pill bottles.
One of the pill bottles recovered was an empty bottle, in Estridge’s name, for 30 10-milligram Adderall pills.
The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be intoxication of a combination of heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, amphetamine, and ethanol.
The investigation revealed that, on December 1, 2017, Estridge filled a prescription for Adderall, which contains amphetamine, and subsequently distributed the pills to the victim.
The investigation further revealed that, on multiple occasions between July and December 2017, Estridge possessed and distributed heroin and amphetamines.
Estridge was arrested on April 3, 2018. On October 17, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, amphetamine.
Estridge has been detained since October 6, 2018.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Wallingford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
VA Medical Center Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Hospital PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Veteran Affairs Medical Center nurse who admitted to tampering with and fraudulently obtaining morphine and other opioid prescriptions at the VA Medical Center in Providence has been ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison.
Jared Scott, 35, of West Warwick, admitted that on several occasions in October and November 2017, he accessed vials of liquid opioids designated for patient use. Scott admitted to removing the vials from a locked storage cart and stealing the prescriptions for his own personal use, leaving behind vials filled with saline.
Scott pleaded guilty on December 7, 2018, with tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith sentenced Scott to 24 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release of 2 years.
Scott’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Sean J. Smith, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police Chief John M. Thibodeau, and Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations Derek Roy.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police, and the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
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