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Friday 22 March 2019
Man with Extensive Criminal Record Sent Back to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man with an extensive criminal history, who was released from federal prison in October 2018 after having served nearly 18 years, was sentenced March 19, 2019, to serve an additional two years in prison.
Andre Tyrone Griffith, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after the court found he violated several conditions of his supervised release.
In December 2018, while on supervised release, Griffith was found to have illegally used marijuana and was ordered to serve two weekends in jail. At a hearing held in federal court on March 19, 2019, Griffith admitted he again violated the conditions of his supervised release by: interacting with a person engaged in criminal activity; failing to participate in drug abuse testing as ordered by the court; failing to follow his probation officer’s instructions; failing to report as directed by his probation officer; and by again unlawfully using marijuana. In addition, the court found Griffith had possessed a dangerous weapon and committed new violations of law by assaulting his girlfriend and preventing her from leaving her apartment or calling for help in the course of the assault.
Evidence presented at the hearing showed that on February 12, 2019, Griffith entered the residence of his girlfriend and became upset when she expressed displeasure with Griffith’s recent behavior. Griffith then began to choke his girlfriend, pulled her hair, hit her in the chest, and knocked her across the room onto a couch where he then sat on top of her. When the girlfriend attempted to use her cell phone to call for help, Griffith took the phone from her and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming for help. At a later point during the encounter, Griffith held a butcher knife to his own throat, causing the girlfriend to fear that Griffith may turn the knife on her. After about two and a half hours, Griffith agreed to call a felon friend of his to take his girlfriend to the hospital. However, before allowing the girlfriend to be taken to the hospital, Griffith demanded she write him a check or give him something valuable to be held as insurance that the woman would not report his conduct to his probation officer.
On February 19, 2019, Griffith was charged in Iowa District Court in and for Linn County with one count of assault causing bodily injury (domestic abuse) (strangulation) and one count of obstruction of emergency communications. A no contact order was filed on February 23, 2019. The state charges remain pending.
Griffith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Griffith was sentenced to serve two years imprisonment, the maximum sentence the court could impose. The court also ordered that the sentence should be served consecutive to any sentence imposed in Iowa District Court.
In sentencing Griffith, Judge Reade noted she fully credited the victim’s account of the assault and having been prevented from leaving her apartment or seeking medical assistance for more than two and half hours. Judge Reade found that Griffith’s conduct was “outrageous” and that no one had a right to engage in such conduct. Judge Reade noted Griffith had an extensive criminal record. Griffith’s criminal record includes multiple burglary convictions, prior assaults, and other violent conduct, including an assault on a woman with whom he had cohabitated that included striking the woman and grabbing her by the throat, and had 22 disciplinary reports while in prison. The court also found that Griffith violated the terms of his supervision by associating with at least five convicted felons without permission, and that the sentence imposed was justified by all of Griffith’s violations of supervision, not just the assault of his girlfriend.
Griffith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Murphy.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 01-04.
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Man Who Detonated Explosive Device in Tampa Sentenced to One Year in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Joseph David Caltagirone (61, Tampa) to 12 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered destructive device. Caltagirone pleaded guilty on December 10, 2018.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2018, members of the Tampa Police Department Bomb Squad were conducting training on North 12th Street, in Tampa, when they heard a loud explosion. They saw a large greyish-white smoke plume several blocks away, rising above East Columbus Drive. Officers canvassed the neighborhood, eventually locating Caltagirone’s residence.
Inside that residence, law enforcement officers discovered PVC piping, a hobby fuse, and precursor chemicals such as potassium nitrate, air float charcoal, and sulfur. Officers also discovered an assembled destructive device resembling a “pipe bomb.” The device had been constructed using a PVC pipe, sealed at each end by PVC end caps, and an improvised initiator. The pipe contained Tannerite, an explosive mixture. Had the device exploded, it could have projected PVC fragments at high velocities in all directions.
Caltagirone admitted to having designed, constructed, and possessed the devices. He also admitted to having detonated an explosive device in the backyard of his residence—a house in a densely populated neighborhood just north of Ybor City and only a few blocks from a middle school.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Magoffin County Man Convicted of Oxycodone Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Danny Porter, of Salyersville, Kentucky, was convicted by a federal jury this week, for conspiring with two Indiana women to traffic oxycodone pills in Magoffin County. The jury also convicted Porter of possessing oxycodone pills with the intent to distribute them. Porter was acquitted of a firearm offense.
The proof at trial established that, for two years, Porter had been making monthly trips to Indiana to obtain hundreds of oxycodone pills, which he brought back to sell in Magoffin County. The investigation culminated in a search of Porter’s residence, where oxycodone pills, twenty firearms, and over $40,000 in cash were seized.
Katherine Redlark and Tonya Owens, both of Indiana, were subsequently stopped in Magoffin County and found to be in possession of over two hundred oxycodone pills that they were preparing to sell to Porter. Both Redlark and Owens have previously pled guilty to conspiring with Porter to distribute oxycodone.
Porter faces up to twenty years in prison.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge for the Louisville Field Division; Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police Commissioner; Carson Montgomery, Magoffin County Sheriff; and Christopher Edmonds, Chief of the Pikeville Police Department, jointly made the announcement. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
Las Vegas Tax Business Owner Indicted for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas man who operated two tax preparation businesses was arrested last night and appeared in federal court today for devising a fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of dollars from the sale of his businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
King Isaac Umoren, 38, was indicted for six counts of wire fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, and five counts of money laundering. He was arrested and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. An arraignment has been scheduled for March 26, 2019.
As alleged in the indictment, from on or about May 2016 to May 2018, Umoren devised a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from a prospective buyer, and the buyer of his tax preparation business, Universal Tax Services, by fraudulently misrepresenting that the business had a vastly greater client base and annual revenue than it actually did. In furtherance of the scheme, Umoren provided the victims fraudulent bank and financial statements, personal income tax returns, and assorted financial records. The bank statements and financial records provided to the victims had been forged to reflect millions of dollars on deposit when in fact the accounts held little or no money. And the income tax returns showing Umoren earning millions of dollars through the business also were forgeries. Umoren never filed with the Internal Revenue Service in tax years 2014 and 2015. Umoren also stole client information from unrelated tax preparation businesses, including the names, social security numbers, and confidential taxpayer information of those businesses’ clients. In August 2017, as a result of the scheme, Umoren was able to fraudulently sell the business to one of the victims for $6.7 million, of which he received approximately $4,050,000.
At the time of sentencing, the maximum statutory penalty is $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss caused by the offense. The indictment seeks a criminal forfeiture judgment of at least $4,050,000, including amounts of $1,999,875; $888,855.17; $192,325; and $97,807.75 seized from various bank accounts, as well as real property located in Henderson, Nevada, and a 2018 Honda Accord sedan.
Umoren is also currently pending trial in a separate 2016 federal case where he is alleged to have stolen refund money from his tax preparation clients, impersonated an FBI agent, and possessed a firearm while being a prohibited person.
An indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns and Trial Attorney Sarah Kiewlicz of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division.
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Jackson Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Erika Shanta Kelly, 42, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New Orleans Division. Kelly was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Kelly previously pled guilty to conducting three separate financial transactions with proceeds from drug trafficking. On April 22, 2014, March 3, 2015, and September 4, 2015, Kelly used money obtained from drug trafficking to purchase and make payments on vehicles. The purchases and payments made were to conceal or disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the money.
On November 28, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for conspiracy to launder money and using proceeds from drug trafficking to purchase vehicles for another person.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Pipeline,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in central Mississippi involving cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Texas and Mississippi.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This OCDETF operation was a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson Police Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Israeli Man Sentenced to Prison Term for His Role in Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yossi Avitan, a resident and citizen of Israel, has been sentenced to a five-month term of imprisonment for taking part in an international conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Sally Luttrell, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Avitan, 33, pled guilty in November 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was sentenced on March 19, 2019 by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the period of incarceration, Avitan was ordered to pay a fine of $4,000, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $9,178.
An unlicensed money transmitting business, broadly defined, is a business involved in the transfer of money or funds affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any manner, which is either operated without an appropriate money transmitting license from the District of Columbia or without complying with federal money transmitting business registration requirements. Avitan was one of seven co-defendants charged in relation to the conspiracy. Four of the co-defendants were arrested as part of a large international takedown in which 19 individuals, who were indicted in four separate cases involving allegations of fraud and money laundering activities, were arrested world-wide in early March 2017.
Four of Avitan’s co-defendants -- Itzhak Salama, Golan Chkechkov, Moshe Amir, and Haviv Arazi -- have pled guilty to charges relating to the illegal money transmitting business and are awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant, Michael Admon, was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2019, for a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business to a two-year term of probation, which included Admon’s residence in a reentry center for a term of 30 days and location monitoring for a period of five months. The remaining co-defendant, Ori Saadon, was extradited from Israel on or about February 7, 2019, after an earlier request was made by the United States for Saadon’s temporary surrender to the United States in order for Saadon to face the conspiracy charge in this matter. Saadon’s case is pending before the Court.
According to the statement of offense proffered during the plea hearing, Avitan was part of an illegal international money transmitting network, commonly referred to as a “hawala network,” which clandestinely moved money for other individuals in interstate and foreign commerce without registering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury or obtaining licensure with the various States, including the District of Columbia. Avitan did not obtain licensure or register himself or any business as a licensed money transmitter pursuant to the laws of the District of Columbia and federal law. The FBI conducted undercover operations in which Avitan was responsible for coordinating the transfer of more than $95,000, but less than $150,000 of funds, in three separate transactions through a hawala network. Avitan’s role in the hawala network was to arrange for the receipt and/or delivery of money on behalf of other individuals and Avitan received a fee for conducting the monetary transactions.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Acting Assistant Inspector General Luttrell commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Elizabeth Swienc, and C. Rosalind Pressley, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, who prosecuted the case. Assistance in the investigation and prosecution was also provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 21 was:
JAMES KEITH BELLROCK, JR., 43, of Hardin, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner and assault of a dating partner by strangulation. Bellrock is detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bellrock faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-11.
FRED LEWIS CUTSINGER, 31, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cutsinger is detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cutsinger faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-16.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Illegal possession of firearms sends Billings man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident William Thomas Fischer, Jr., was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release on Thursday for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Fischer, 58, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said that on July 2, 2018, a Billings Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop in which Fischer was the driver and was wanted on an arrest warrant. The officer saw Fischer place two small bindles of suspected methamphetamine in his mouth and removed Fischer from the vehicle in an attempt to prevent him from swallowing the bindles. Officers were unable to locate the bindles.
A BPD K9 dog gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics, and the vehicle was seized pending a search warrant issued later the same day. During the search, officers found two firearms, a 12-gauge shotgun and an SKS semi-automatic rifle. Two days later, Fischer told a woman in a recorded call from jail that, “there were two guns in the car.”
Fischer was convicted in 2003 for felony possession of a firearm by an unlawful user and addict of a controlled substance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Illegal Aliens admit to reentry violationsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Bruno Maurico-Solis and Javier Rosario-Azamar, both citizens of Mexico, have admitted to reentering the country illegally, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Maurico-Solis, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of Removed Alien.” Maurico-Solis admitted to being in Harrison County, West Virginia illegally in December 2018 after being removed twice before from the United States for illegal reentry.Rosario-Azamar, age 43, pled guilty to one count of :Reentry of Removed Alien.” He admitted to being in Harrison County, West Virginia illegally in December 2018 after being removed once before from the United States.
Maurico-Solis and Rosario-Azamar were sentenced to time served and 12 months of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Semiautomatic RifleRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 27-year-old Mexican National Rolando Martinez to 106 months in federal prison for a 2017 shooting spree that resulted in five people being injured, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, Houston Division, and Austin Police Chief Brian Manley.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered that Martinez pay $2,240 restitution to his victims.
On December 4, 2018, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. According to court records, beginning in the early morning hours of November 4, 2017, the Austin Police Department received numerous 911 calls regarding a Hispanic male driving a black vehicle while firing a semiautomatic rifle at persons and vehicles. Based on information provided to law enforcement, members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force were able to identify and apprehend the defendant that evening on outstanding warrants. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers also located Martinez’s vehicle abandoned near Interstate 35 and East Highway 290 in Austin. Inside the vehicle, they discovered a semiautomatic rifle which matched a description provided by victims and witnesses. During a subsequent search of the defendant’s residence, authorities discovered a “Firearms Transfer Bill of Sale” made out to the defendant for an AR-15 with the same serial number found on the weapon seized from inside the defendant’s vehicle. Martinez later admitted that he had been drinking at a local bar the night before and did not remember much prior to waking up in a grassy median approximately 200 feet from where his vehicle was discovered abandoned.
“In this case, a person who should not have been in this country got drunk, got his hands on an AR-15, and started shooting at random people in Austin. Thank God no one was killed,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
The ATF, together with the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Idaho Man Indicted for Guiding Without a License in Noatak Preserve and Filing False Hunting DocumentsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Paul Silvas, 51, resident of Nampa, Idaho, has been charged in a four-count indictment with multiple felony Lacey Act violations.
According to the indictment, Silvas violated the Lacey Act by illegally guiding, filing false state of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) hunt records in order to conceal the illegal take of brown bears and to conceal illegally guided hunts, along with transporting illegally taken game across state lines.
The indictment alleges that, on Sept. 5, and Sept. 12, 2014, as well as Sept. 25, 2013, within the Noatak National Preserve, Silvas knowingly guided illegal hunts for other residents of Idaho that did not possess the appropriate permits. In order to lawfully hunt brown bears within the Noatak National Preserve, a non-resident hunter would be required to have contracted with a licensed big game guide, possess the appropriate ADFG draw permits as well as purchasing the appropriate big game tags from ADFG. Silvas was neither a licensed big game guide, nor did he nor any of his clients possess the appropriate big game tags.
If convicted, Silvas faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Steven E. Skrocki.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hudson Woman Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Angela A. Curtis, 32, of Hudson, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to theft of mail.
Court records reveal that in June and July, 2018, Curtis stole mail from mail boxes in Glenburn, Bangor, Hudson, Hampden, and Charleston, Maine. The mail that she stole included checks. She altered several of those checks to add her name but her theft was discovered before any of the checks were negotiated.
Curtis faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Hartford Man Admits Selling Cocaine and HeroinRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NATHAN WOOD, 26, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possessing with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June and July 2017, Wood sold distribution quantities of cocaine and heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer in Hartford.
Wood is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on June 26, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Wood was arrested on September 28, 2018. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
Harrison County man admits to role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Solomon Cottrill, of Salem, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cottrill, age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Cottrill admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2017 in Harrison County.Cottrill faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guilford Landscaper Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that LOUIS POCOGRANO, 58, of Guilford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pocograno owns Poco & Son Lawn Care, LLC, a landscaping and snowplowing business based in Guilford. Between approximately 2013 and 2016, Pocograno cashed numerous checks from clients that were made payable to him rather than his business, and he failed to report this income to the IRS. He also used a portion of the cash to pay undocumented workers he employed, and failed to collect and pay over the employment taxes for these employees.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019, at which time Pocograno faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Pocograno has agreed to pay the IRS restitution of $33,383, which represents income tax that is due for the 2013 through 2016 tax years, and an additional $250,364.59, which represents the employment tax that is due for those years, plus interest and penalties.
This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Gambino Crime Family Soldier Sentenced to 28 Months’ Imprisonment for Loansharking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Paul Semplice, a member of the Gambino organized crime family, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen at the federal court in Brooklyn for conducting a loansharking scheme in which he extended extortionate loans with annual interest rates up to 54 percent.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Semplice targeted victims desperate for loans and used his status as a Mafia soldier to make sure they paid the exorbitant interest rate,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “With today’s sentence, the defendant will pay for his crimes in prison.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department for their investigative work on this case.
Semplice, a long-time made member of the Gambino crime family, engaged in a conspiracy with others to make extortionate extensions of credit to multiple victims. During one recorded conversation with a cooperating witness (CW), Semplice boasted that he had a “very special relationship,” “like brothers,” with a captain in the family and “answer[ed] to nobody but him.” In another recorded conversation with the CW, Semplice explained that in connection with a $200,000 loan to victim John Doe #1, he collected $9,000 interest per month, or 54 percent, and personally kept $8,000. Semplice called the arrangement “a beautiful thing.”
On November 18, 2016, during a lawfully intercepted conversation, Semplice talked about abusing victim John Doe #2. “I started abusing him, right. He was in his forties…. Once I – I had to smack him. I go, ‘What?’ Bang! I go, ‘I’ll smack you again.’ He goes, ‘Why?’ ‘Cause I shouldn’t have to come see you.’ ”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Drew G. Rolle are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PAUL SEMPLICE
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-612 (PKC)
Fruitland Park Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening Members of CongressRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. Senior District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Richard Mel Phillips (36, Fruitland Park) to 18 months in federal prison for transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. Phillips had pleaded guilty on November 8, 2018.
According to court documents, Phillips sent a series of threatening phone calls and voicemails to members of Congress. In the most recent of these voicemails, Phillips threatened to travel to a member of Congress’s home district to kill them, and threatened to “slaughter” any law enforcement agents that were sent to Phillips’ home. In a subsequent interview with the FBI, Phillips admitted to making the threatening voicemail.
This case was investigated by the FBI–Daytona Beach Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Four Set to Appear on Charges Related to Deadly Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against four Houston men for robbery and using firearms during the crimes of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. During one of the alleged offenses, an elderly employee was shot and killed.
Those charged include Melvin Jones, 20, Daivion Gully, 18, Deanjelo Wells, 19, and Artavius Johnson, 29, all of Houston. Previously in state custody on related charges, all were transferred to federal custody and are set to make their initial appearances this morning at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy. A federal grand jury returned the indictment March 14, 2019.
The indictment alleges four separate robberies of local convenience stores, during which the defendants stole U.S. currency before fleeing.
On Nov. 3, 2018, Jones, Gully, Wells and Johnson allegedly robbed the Sunny Food Mart at gunpoint on 9075 South Dairy Ashford in Houston. During the violent crime, two suspects discharged their firearms several times, killing a 66-year old store clerk.
The following month, the indictment alleges Jones and Wells committed two more armed robberies, both on Oct. 24, 2018. The first occurred at the Chevron station at 8265 Richmond Avenue, according to the charges. Less than two hours later, they allegedly targeted Gulf Gas located on 3300 Yellow Stone. The indictment further alleges Gully and Wells had robbed the same Gulf Gas convenience store at gunpoint just a month prior - on Sept. 26, 2018.
All four defendants were captured and arrested Nov. 7, 2018.
They are all charged with aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting use, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in federal prison for the robbery charges. The firearm offense alleged in the robbery of the Sunny Food Mart, which resulted in death, carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison, or the possibility of death which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. The remaining firearms charges carry a mandatory and consecutive minimum of seven years up to life imprisonment. Each conviction also carries the possibility of a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the recently announced Crime Gun Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Jill J. Stotts are prosecuting the case.
The indictment is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education.
The cases are brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Calvin Taylor, 51, of Yazoo City, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to embezzling parcels of mail during the course of his employment with the U.S. Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
Taylor was contracted to deliver mail between Jackson and various rural post offices, including those in Mayersville and Rolling Fork. In December 2016, agents were notified that expected mail was not being delivered along Taylor’s route. A subsequent operation run by investigators, utilizing monitored pieces of mail and surveillance, revealed that Taylor was taking parcels of mail that contained clothing and shoes. When stopped and confronted, Taylor admitted he had been taking parcels from the mail. Agents recovered the monitored pieces of mail and some additional items that were previously reported missing.
Taylor will be sentenced by Judge Reeves on June 25, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
Former Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Monthly Pension Payments by Commandeering Retirees’ Online AccountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Florida man pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal monthly pension payments from victims enrolled in pension plans managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Inspector General Robert A. Westbrooks of the PBGC made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kessey Reggie Durand, 27, of Miami, Florida, used personally identifiable information (PII) he obtained while working as a contractor at the PBGC’s Miami Field Office to create or take over online MyPBA accounts of pension plan participants. After commandeering those accounts, Durand changed the associated electronic direct deposit information in order to funnel victims’ monthly pension payments into accounts Durand controlled. In other cases, Durand tried to change participants’ electronic direct deposit information through social engineering, using stolen PII to call into the PBGC call center to trick operators into believing he was the participant requesting the change.
“Over a five-month span, Durand stole the confidential information of elderly retirees and then used it to commandeer their retirement accounts for his own benefit,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski, “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud by those who have been entrusted with access to sensitive financial and personal information, especially when that fraud harms vulnerable senior citizens.”
"Kessey Reggie Durand took advantage of his position as a PBGC contractor to use the personal information of retired workers and to steal their monthly pension payments,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Our office will aggressively prosecute those who seek to deprive retirees of what may be their only form of income.”
“PBGC’s retirees rightfully expect that their pension accounts are secure and their personal information is safeguarded—especially from insider threats,” said Inspector General Westbrooks. “We will continue to make data protection a top priority and greatly appreciate the support of the Justice Department in helping to ensure the integrity of PBGC’s MyPBA online system.”
According to court documents, Durand’s scheme spanned approximately five months and targeted over $100,000 in monthly pension payments. Sentencing is set for June 28, 2019, before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the PBGC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami Gardens Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joss Nichols, on detail from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Former Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Monthly Pension Payments by Commandeering Retirees’ Online AccountsRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal monthly pension payments from victims enrolled in pension plans managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Inspector General Robert A. Westbrooks of the PBGC made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kessey Reggie Durand, 27, of Miami, Florida, used personally identifiable information (PII) he obtained while working as a contractor at the PBGC’s Miami Field Office to create or take over online MyPBA accounts of pension plan participants. After commandeering those accounts, Durand changed the associated electronic direct deposit information in order to funnel victims’ monthly pension payments into accounts Durand controlled. In other cases, Durand tried to change participants’ electronic direct deposit information through social engineering, using stolen PII to call into the PBGC call center to trick operators into believing he was the participant requesting the change.
“Over a five-month span, Durand stole the confidential information of elderly retirees and then used it to commandeer their retirement accounts for his own benefit,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski, “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud by those who have been entrusted with access to sensitive financial and personal information, especially when that fraud harms vulnerable senior citizens.”
“Kessey Reggie Durand took advantage of his position as a PBGC contractor to use the personal information of retired workers and to steal their monthly pension payments,” said U.S. Attorney Liu, “Our office will aggressively prosecute those who seek to deprive retirees of what may be their only form of income.”
“PBGC’s retirees rightfully expect that their pension accounts are secure and their personal information is safeguarded—especially from insider threats,” said Inspector General Westbrooks, “We will continue to make data protection a top priority and greatly appreciate the support of the Justice Department in helping to ensure the integrity of PBGC’s MyPBA online system.”
According to court documents, Durand’s scheme spanned approximately five months and targeted over $100,000 in monthly pension payments. Sentencing is set for June 28, 2019, before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the PBGC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami Gardens Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joss Nichols, on detail from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Former Officers and Employees of Indiana Loan Packager and Servicer Charged in Alleged $10 Million Scheme to Defraud the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
Five former officers and employees of an Indiana loan packaging and servicing company were charged for their alleged roles in a 13-year-long conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) in connection with its programs to guarantee loans made to small businesses.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler of the Southern District of Indiana, Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Inspector General Jay Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
Kerri Agee, aka Kerri Agee-Smith, 43, of Noblesville, Indiana, former president, chief executive officer and founder of Banc-Serv Partners LLP (Banc-Serv); Kelly Isley, 38, of Westfield, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s former chief operating officer; Matthew Smith, 50, of Westfield, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s co-founder; Chad Griffin, 46, of Carmel, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s former chief marketing officer; and Nicole Smith, aka Nicole Smith-Kelso, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, a former Banc-Serv employee, were charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of conspiracy to make false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests. Additionally, Agee was charged with four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; Isley was charged with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; Griffin was charged with one count of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; and Nicole Smith was charged with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2004 until October 2017, the defendants helped originate SBA loans on behalf of various financial institutions. On multiple occasions, the defendants fraudulently obtained guarantees for loans that the SBA deemed ineligible, the indictment alleges. The indictment also alleges that the defendants hid signs of ineligibility from the SBA by knowingly misrepresenting the use of SBA loan proceeds and unlawfully diverting previously denied loan applications into expedited approval channels. Matthew Smith left Banc-Serv in or around the end of 2005, and he founded and became the managing director of a non-bank lending company. According to the indictment, Smith knowingly caused false and fraudulent loan applications that were prepared by Banc-Serv employees and guarantee requests to be transmitted to the SBA.
The indictment further alleges that when a fraudulently guaranteed loan defaulted, the defendants caused other Banc-Serv employees to transmit requests to the SBA to purchase the defaulted loans from investors and lending institutions, thereby shifting losses on the ineligible loans to the SBA.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators originated dozens of loans, totaling over $10 million in disbursements, which were not eligible for SBA guarantees.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The SBA-OIG, the FDIC-OIG and the FBI investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General also assisted in the investigation.
Former Mount Pleasant Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Re-EntryRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On March 21, 2019, Ricardo Macias Saucedo, age 29, formerly of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was sentenced by United States Chief District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to prison in the amount of time already served on the charge of unlawful re-entry into the United States, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Due to the length of time that Macias Saucedo has already been incarcerated in this case, he will soon be released to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Macias Saucedo pleaded guilty on November 8, 2018.
On May 9, 2018, ICE agents encountered Macias Saucedo while executing a federal search warrant in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Macias Saucedo was administratively questioned by ICE agents, and it was determined that he was not authorized to enter, live, or work in the United States. Agents further determined that on January 23, 2008, immigration officials had previously removed Macias Saucedo from the United States. Subsequent to the 2008 removal, Macias Saucedo had not applied for, or received permission, to re-enter the United States.
This matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office-Southern District of Iowa.
Former Greensburg Attorney Sentenced to 8 Years, Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United States District Court Chief Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced, Campbellsville, Kentucky, attorney, Danny Butler, to 8 years in federal prison followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,293,072.84 in restitution for a scheme to obtain money from clients of his legal practice, by means of misappropriating funds, in order to pay personal expenses including gambling losses, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Lawyers have a solemn duty to protect their clients’ interests and at a minimum, be trustworthy,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Danny Butler abandoned these principles and will pay a steep price.”
Butler was indicted on November 15, 2017. According to a sentencing memo before the Court, from August 2009 through October 2016, Butler used his position as an attorney to steal funds from his clients causing a loss of over $1.2 million dollars to his client victims who were a combination of estate and general civil law practice clients.
During the period of the theft, Butler incurred approximately $1.5 million in gambling losses. Butler used the stolen money to fund his gambling habits as well as to fund payments to other clients in a “Ponzi” type fashion. Butler used the theft from his clients to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
Butler misappropriated funds from the following clients:
- Approximately $148,106 from the estate of L.A.;
- Approximately $29,987.07 from the estate of L.P.;
- Approximately $401,500 from the representation of B.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the representation of D.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the estate of D.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the representation of J.R.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the estate of E.U.;
- Approximately $25,000 from the estate of E.M.;
- Approximately $59,000 from the representation of J.W.S.;
- Approximately $25,000 for the representation of E.S.; and
- Approximately $125,000 from the estate of L.P.M.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Calhoun and Nicole Elver, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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Former GE Engineers Charged with Conspiring to Steal Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – An indictment unsealed today charges Jean Patrice Delia, age 43, of Montreal, Canada, and Miguel Sernas, age 40, of Mexico City, Mexico, of conspiring to steal trade secrets belonging to the General Electric Company (GE). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The indictment alleges that Delia, while employed by GE Energy in Schenectady, New York, stole thousands of electronic files belonging to GE, including proprietary tools GE developed to calibrate GE-manufactured turbines used in power plants around the world. Delia and Sernas, operating as ThermoGen Power Services, used the stolen materials to compete against GE. Sernas had also previously worked for GE. The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Delia was arraigned today in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. Sernas was arraigned in January.
The charge filed against Delia and Sernas carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
Former Bond Advisor Charged in Fraudulent SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Porter Bingham, 57, of Roswell, Georgia, was arrested today in Georgia by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Bingham is charged in a federal criminal indictment with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering arising from his role as a the Financial Advisor for the City of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in connection with the issuance of municipal bonds in 2015. The indictment charges that Bingham fraudulently obtained an additional $33,000 of the bond proceeds to which he was not entitled.
Bingham appeared earlier today before a United States Magistrate Judge in Atlanta, Georgia. He was released on a $15,000 bond and will appear in federal court in Jackson before United States Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson on Monday, April 1, 2019, at 1:30 pm. The case is currently scheduled for trial in Jackson before United States District Judge Tom S. Lee during the May trial term.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Flagler County Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Sean Patrick Farrelly (47, Palm Coast) with sex trafficking of a minor girl. If convicted, Farrelly faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between approximately March 2018 and February 2019, Farrelly recruited, enticed, transported, obtained, maintained, patronized, and solicited a girl under the age of 18 years old to engage in a commercial sex act.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Flagler Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts San Antonio Man for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, federal authorities arrested Edward C. Wagner, who faces federal charges for allegedly conducting a fraudulent investment scheme and attempting to evade paying over $1 million in taxes, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, Houston Field Office.
The indictment charges Wagner, owner and operator of Pharmacogenetics, EcoChem, Leaf 23 and Nutrecs, with eleven counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and six counts of tax evasion. The indictment alleges that from June 2011 to September 2016, Wagner collected approximately $645,000 from company investors under false and fraudulent pretenses and converted it to his own personal use. The indictment also alleges that from 2007 to 2016, Wagner willfully attempted to evade paying income tax due to the United States for those calendar years. From 2007 through 2010, Wagner accrued a total of $744,186 in unpaid taxes and penalties based on taxable income of $1,410,112. The indictment further alleges that Wagner intentionally disguised his actual income by hiding his sources of income, using nominee financial institution accounts, dealing extensively in cash and cashier’s checks, and creating a false loan document. The indictment further alleges that Wagner has failed to file an income tax return for calendar years 2013 through 2016.
“Our capitalist system works only when our legal rules against fraud are vigorously enforced. That is why DOJ relentlessly pursues those who defraud investors,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
“Wagner is charged with exploiting his investors’ trust by using those monies meant for his businesses for his own personal gain. In this case, IRS-Criminal Investigation is not only enforcing the nation's tax laws, but also holding an individual accountable for violating the trust of his investors,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kull.
Each wire fraud charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction. Each money laundering charge calls for up to ten years in federal prison upon conviction. And, each tax evasion charge calls for up to five years in federal prison upon conviction.
Agents with the IRS—Criminal Investigation conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fentanyl conspiracy.
Maximo Diaz Tejada, 44, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 70 months in prison. Diaz Tejeda will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In November 2018, Diaz Tejada pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On Dec. 14, 2017, Diaz Tejada and his co-conspirator delivered over half a kilogram of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Diaz Tejada’s residence in Lawrence, where they seized an additional 977 grams of fentanyl, 141 grams of heroin, 103 grams of Tramadol, and a small amount of cocaine, as well as drug packaging tools and materials. Diaz Tejada was previously deported from the United States in October 2013 and used multiple aliases while he was in the United States.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 40 ½-Year Prison Term for Killing Man in Navy Yard Area of Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Babajide Pittman, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 40 ½-year prison term on first-degree murder while armed and other charges for a mid-day shooting in Southeast Washington on Thanksgiving weekend of 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pittman was found guilty by a jury in October 2018 of murder, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2016, at approximately 1 p.m., Pittman was standing on the corner of 7th and L Streets SE, outside the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks Annex. The homicide victim, Anthony Young, Jr., was the passenger in a car being driven by his girlfriend. They were headed to a friend’s house nearby. Pittman and Mr. Young knew each other, and had been in a prior argument. Mr. Young got out of the car and argued on the sidewalk with Pittman for about two minutes.
When Mr. Young opened the passenger door of the car to leave, Pittman ran up behind him and fired 12 shots into the car. Mr. Young was struck eight times, in the back, arm, and legs, and his girlfriend was struck once in the leg.
Mr. Young, 27, died within minutes of being shot. His girlfriend was transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was treated for the gunshot wound. She sustained permanent nerve damage in her foot.
Pittman fled the area on foot. He was arrested early the following morning, and has been held in custody since.
Personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps assisted the victims and the responding police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police.
A homeowner who lived down the street from the shooting had a Nest surveillance system, with audio and high-definition video, that captured the shooting. This video was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting the case. This prosecution reflects the value of the District of Columbia’s Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which encourages residents to install security cameras to assist law enforcement.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mannarino, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and intern Cara Clark.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Seth Gilmore, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – D’Angelo Davis, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for killing a man during a robbery last summer in an alley in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in January 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 19 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Davis accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2018, at approximately 4:45 a.m., Davis encountered the victim, Michael Miller, in the 1600 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. The two men did not know each other. Mr. Miller, 37, who was driving a gray Lexus sedan, initiated a friendly conversation with Davis, who was on foot. The men agreed to meet nearby and continue the conversation. However, by that point, Davis had already determined that he wanted to steal Mr. Miller’s car. After Mr. Miller parked his car, the two men met in a nearby rear alley.
In the alley, Davis took out a .380 semi-automatic pistol, pointed it at Mr. Miller, and demanded the car keys. Mr. Miller grabbed for the pistol and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the gun went off and the bullet his Mr. Miller in the neck, killing him. After the shooting, Davis went into Mr. Miller’s pockets and removed cash and the car keys. He then stole the vehicle and left the scene. Officers discovered Mr. Miller’s body at about 9:15 a.m.
The Lexus was recovered on July 30, 2018. As a result of the search, Davis’s fingerprints were found in the vehicle. On Nov. 15, 2018, Davis was arrested in an unrelated matter, but he agreed to speak with MPD detectives about the murder. After providing several false statements, he confessed to the slaying. He has been in custody ever since.
At the time of the murder, Davis was on probation for a 2016 drug offense. His probation has been revoked in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bruckmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in December 2015 Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kimberly N. Thompson, 61, of Woodbridge, Va., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and related firearms charges for killing a man in broad daylight in December 2015 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict, returned late March 21, 2019, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2019. Thompson faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 10, 2015, at about 1:30 p.m., Thompson drove his Mercedes to the 1900 block of Bennett Place NE and confronted the victim, Charles Anthony Mayo, who was sitting outside. Within seconds, Thompson fired his gun at Mr. Mayo eight times, hitting him with three bullets. Mr. Mayo managed to get away and into a nearby alley.
Shortly after the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene. They found Mr. Mayo and asked him if he knew who his attacker was. He nodded yes. When asked who it was, he responded with only, “I can’t breathe.” Mr. Mayo, 53, slipped out of consciousness and was never able to identify his murderer. He died a week later in the hospital.
Two days after the murder, Thompson was stopped by police in his Mercedes and the car was seized. A subsequent search of the car revealed a handgun secreted deep inside the trunk that was later determined to be the handgun that fired two cartridge casings that were recovered at the crime scene. Thompson was arrested in January 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST).
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Silvia Gonzalez Roman, Ahmed Baset, Monica Trigoso, Chrisellen Kolb and John Mannarino; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Stephen R. Prest, Special Counsel for Discovery Policy and Litigation; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Tameka Garcia and Alesha Matthews; former Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Witness Security Specialist M. LaVerne Perry; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Christian Natiello, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendants Sentenced for Fraud Scheme Involving Local Environmental Company’s Improper Disposal of Toxic ChemicalsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of LUMINAIRE ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGIES, INC., and co-defendants JOHN D. MILLER JR., 61, and JOSEPH V. MILLER, 59, for a $1 million fraud scheme involving the improper disposal of toxic waste. Defendants LUMINAIRE and JOHN MILLER were sentenced today before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Defendant JOSEPH MILLER was sentenced on March 5, 2019.
According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed in court, LUMINAIRE ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (“LUMINAIRE”) provided recycling and waste disposal services to customers. Among other services, LUMINAIRE offered to pick up customers’ fluorescent light ballasts containing polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”), transport the PCB-containing ballasts to the LUMINAIRE facility located in Plymouth, Minnesota, and remove and dispose of all the PCBs in accordance with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In exchange, LUMINAIRE charged customers a fee of approximately $0.35 per pound of PCB lighting ballasts plus transportation costs. Because the PCBs contained in the ballasts are considered a toxic chemical, regulations promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), pursuant to TSCA, mandate special procedures and documentation for the transportation and disposal of PCB waste.
According to the defendants’ guilty pleas and documents filed in court, between 2010 until 2015, JOHN MILLER, owner of LUMINAIRE, and other LUMINAIRE employees falsely represented to customers that LUMINAIRE would properly transport and dispose of customers’ toxic chemicals. Instead, after picking up loads of PCB-ballasts from customers, JOHN MILLER instructed LUMINAIRE employees to remove warning labels from the containers holding the PCB-ballasts, and then sell the PCB-ballasts as scrap metal to scrap yards and metal recycling facilities. In order to conceal the fact that the PCB-ballasts had not been received and processed at LUMINAIRE’S facility, JOHN MILLER directed LUMINAIRE employees, including JOSEPH MILLER, to falsely certify on shipping manifests that the PCB-ballasts had arrived at LUMINAIRE’S facility. At JOHN MILLER’S direction, LUMINAIRE employees also sent copies of the falsified shipping documentation by mail to customers and to certain state environmental agencies. In addition, JOHN MILLER instructed LUMINAIRE employees to prepare and deliver falsified invoices to customers who, in turn, made payments to LUMINAIRE. As a result of the scheme, LUMINAIRE fraudulently collected more than $1,000,000 in fees and additional profits.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Hennepin County Department of Environmental Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin F. Langner and Amber M. Brennan prosecuted this case.
Defendant Information:
LUMINAIRE ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Plymouth, Minn.
Convicted:
- Mail fraud, 1 count
Sentenced:
- Five years of probation with special conditions, including an Environmental Compliance Plan
- $10,000 fine
JOHN D. MILLER JR., 61
Plymouth, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 36 months in prison
- $15,000 fine
- $1,049,848.78 in restitution
JOSEPH V. MILLER, 59
Chanhassen, Minn.
Convicted:
- Falsification of documents with intent to obstruct a federal matter, 1 count
Sentenced:
- Two years of probation
- $3,000 fine
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Decatur Area Man Charged with Federal Child Sexual Exploitation, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Decatur, Ill., area man, Gary L. Boyle, 34, made his initial appearance in federal court today on child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges. During his appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Boyle waived his detention hearing and was ordered to remain in law enforcement custody. A preliminary trial date for the federal charges has been scheduled on May 7.
The indictment charges Boyle, of the 5400 block of West Main St., with seven counts of child sexual exploitation on Feb. 4, 2019, and one count of possession of child pornography on Feb. 21, 2019.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of child sexual exploitation is 30 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.
Boyle was arrested on Feb. 21, and charged by the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office with multiple counts of sexual assault and abuse charges.
The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Decatur Police Department, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Convicted Heroin Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms while on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Brandin Gardner was sentenced today for illegally possessing firearms while on federal supervised release following prior felony convictions for heroin trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Gardner, age 23 of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge David S. Cercone to a combined sentence of 3½ years (42 months) in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms following prior felony convictions and violating the terms of his supervised release.
Gardner was convicted in 2014 in Pennsylvania state court for possessing heroin with intent to distribute. In 2016, he was convicted in federal court for conspiring to distribute heroin while on probation following the prior state heroin conviction. In 2018, he was indicted and convicted in federal court for possessing a Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol and a Smith & Wesson M & P semi-automatic pistol.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The United States Probation Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
This case was prosecuted as 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.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to $7.2 Million Biodiesel Tax Credit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Colorado resident pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
Matthew Taylor and co-conspirators worked together to defraud the United States by filing false claims for tax credits under a federal program that encourages production and use of renewable fuels. According to court documents, in 2009, Taylor and others created a fake company, Shintan Inc. (Shintan), that purported to be in the business of creating renewable fuels. From 2010 to 2013, Taylor and co-conspirators filed claims with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for over $7.2 million in tax credits for renewable fuel produced. In fact, Shintan produced no qualifying renewable fuel, and the documents filed with the IRS were fraudulent. Taylor personally netted at least $4.5 million from the scheme, with the additional $2.7 million going to co-conspirators. To avoid detection, Taylor and co-conspirators transferred the fraudulently obtained funds through bank accounts belonging to Shintan and other shell companies.
At sentencing, Taylor faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the government count, 10 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy count and the money laundering count. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6, 2019. In addition to a prison sentence, Taylor faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Leslie A. Goemaat, Arthur J. Ewenczyk, Sarah A. Kiewlicz, and Stephen K. Moulton, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Clinton County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegal Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Dr. Michael L. Cummings, 63, a family practitioner in Albany, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, March 18, 2019, to 13 counts of prescribing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett.
According to the plea agreement, between May 7, 2012 and April 1, 2014, Cummings prescribed Oxycodone and OxyContin, a Schedule II controlled substance, and alprazolam and zolpidem tartrate, Schedule IV controlled substances, to S.F. without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of medical practice.
Between May 14, 2012 and February 10, 2014, Cummings prescribed hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, Valium, and diazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to S.C., without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice.
Cummings prescribed Oxycodone and Endocet, Schedule II controlled substances, hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, and alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to J.S. between June 18, 2012 and November 5, 2014, without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice.
Between January 30, 2013 and April 15, 2015, Cummings prescribed hydrocodone polistirex, a Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substance, and alprazolam and phentermine, Schedule IV controlled substances, to J.Y., without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice.
Cummings prescribed Oxycodone and Endocet, Schedule II controlled substances, hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, and alprazolam and diazepam, Schedule IV controlled substances, to C.C. between May 1, 2012 and February 27, 2015, without any legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional medical practice.
The charges Cummings pleaded guilty to carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 145 years, a combined maximum fine of $7.25 million, and 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for June 19, 2019, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Greg N. Stivers.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Weiser and Ann Marie Blaylock, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — Dante Marice Martin, 37, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday to 7 years in federal prison by United States District Judge David L. Bunning for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.
Martin previously pleaded guilty and admitted that from May through his arrest in June 2018, he conspired with his co-defendants to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl. Martin sold these drugs to undercover law enforcement working with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force on four separate occasions. At the fourth and final undercover sale on June 27, 2018, Martin was arrested immediately after he sold 60 grams of the substance for $5,100. He had driven from Cincinnati, Ohio to Kenton County, Kentucky, with his girlfriend and three young children in the vehicle to complete the sale.
Under federal law, Martin must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a term of 5 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Wade T. Napier.
Choctaw Tribal Member Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Keenan Martin, 26, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 540 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for second degree murder, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Martin was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Martin entered a guilty plea on July 3, 2018, to one count of second degree murder. On November 2, 2017, four members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians assaulted and killed another Tribal member in the Tucker Community.
Martin’s co-defendant, Jerome Steve, was sentenced on March 21, 2019 and also received a prison sentence of 540 months. The sentencing of a third defendant, Keyshawn Willis, will be set on a later date. A fourth defendant, Monte Isaac, died while awaiting sentencing.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Patrick Lemon, Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Payne, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department.
Cheshire Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Selling Narcotics to Southington Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS J. HALLERAN, 37, of Cheshire, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics to a woman in Southington who died from an overdose.
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 July 25, 2017, Southington Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Southington where they encountered an unresponsive 31-year-old female on the floor. The female was pronounced deceased. Investigators seized five folds of suspected heroin/fentanyl, two empty folds, other drug paraphernalia, and the victim’s cellphone.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Connecticut concluded that the victim’s death was caused by the combined effects of fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, methadone, alprazolam and alcohol.
Analysis of the seized cellphone revealed that Halleran had been supplying heroin/fentanyl to the victim for approximately six weeks, and that he delivered heroin/fentanyl to the victim at her residence on the night of July 24, 2017.
Halleran was arrested on August 16, 2017. On June 28, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and/or fentanyl.
Halleran’s criminal history includes 25 convictions.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Southington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Cape Coral Felon Sentenced to More Than Nine Years for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Eddie Junior Saez (28, Cape Coral) to nine years and seven months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Saez was found guilty by a federal jury on December 12, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, on March 12, 2015, while executing a search warrant at Saez’s residence, Lee County Sheriff deputies located a loaded .45 caliber handgun that was concealed in a knit cap. The investigation had revealed that, in addition to the firearm, Saez had been storing lucrative quantities of narcotics at the home, which he shared with his parents. As a previously convicted felon, Saez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety – one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
California Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Sex Trafficking and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A California man who was convicted of recruiting and transporting a child from California to Las Vegas, Nevada, to engage in commercial sex acts was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
After a three-day jury trial in February of 2018, Brandon Lamar Pruitt, 35, of Compton, California, was found guilty of child sex trafficking and transportation of a minor for prostitution. He was previously convicted by a jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with a witness or a victim. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Pruitt to a term of lifetime supervised release.
Beginning in 2013, Pruitt persuaded and recruited a 14-year-old girl to prostitute for him. Over the course of the following three years, Pruitt convinced the minor female to stay with him and arranged her travel from California to Las Vegas to engage in commercial sex acts. He acted as the victim’s pimp, took photos of her that were posted online for prostitution dates, and booked hotel rooms for the dates. Pruitt used violent force and the victim’s romantic feelings for him to coerce and entice the victim’s compliance. The victim would give him money she earned from working as a prostitute. After he was arrested, Pruitt tampered with the victim and attempted to prevent her from cooperating with law enforcement in prosecuting the federal criminal charges. Furthermore, Pruitt unlawfully possessed two stolen guns, a Browning .22 caliber buck mark and a Glock .40 caliber, after sustaining prior felony convictions in California.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Innocence Lost Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elham Roohani and Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.
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 and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Bozeman father, son sentenced for heroin traffickingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA—A father and his son who admitted distributing heroin they obtained in Denver to customers in the Bozeman area were sentenced to prison this week, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen on Wednesday sentenced Kyle Brooks, 65, of Bozeman, to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Christensen on Thursday sentenced Kyle Brooks’ son, Ian Brooks, 28, of Bozeman, to 14 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Judge Christensen also ordered the forfeiture of $56,450 seized in the case.
Kyle Brooks pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Ian Brooks pleaded guilty on Oct. 31 to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
In June 2018, the Missouri River Drug Task Force began investigating Kyle and Ian Brooks for distributing heroin, learned they had a number of customers in the Bozeman area and that they were planning an out-of-town trip to get more heroin, the prosecution said in court records. After that trip, law enforcement surveilled the pair for weeks and witnessed them conduct numerous drug sales.
On July 13, officers monitored a car Kyle and Ian Brooks drove to Denver, where it stopped at a strip mall for about an hour before returning to Bozeman. Law enforcement stopped the car when it returned to Bozeman on July 16, served a search warrant on the vehicle and found three bags of heroin, containing a total of 204.33 grams of heroin, which is the equivalent of about 2,040 doses, 10 vials with syringes, a bottle of unknown pills and $56,456 cash. A laboratory analysis determined there also was about 2 grams of diclazepam, a controlled substance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug 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.
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Bank General Counsel Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud First NBC BankRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that GREGORY ST. ANGELO (“ST ANGELO”), age 54, a resident of St. Tammany Parish, was charged today with conspiracy to defraud First NBC Bank, the New Orleans-based bank that failed in April 2017.
According to the Bill of Information, from in or around 2006 through the fall of 2016, ST. ANGELO was the general counsel of First NBC Bank. During this time, he and several businesses owned or controlled by him (the “Entities”) were First NBC Bank borrowers. Bank President A was a founder of First NBC Bank and acted as its president and Chief Executive Officer from in or around May 2006, until in or around December 2016. From in or around 2006 through April 2017, Bank Officer B was employed by First NBC Bank as its Chief Credit Officer, and was responsible for, among other things, the overall quality of the bank’s lending function.
Beginning at a time unknown, but at least in or around 2006, through in and around April 2017, in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere, the defendant, ST. ANGELO, and others known and unknown conspired to defraud First NBC Bank by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, relating to a material fact.
The purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendant, ST. ANGELO, Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and others to enrich themselves unjustly by disguising the true financial status of ST. ANGELO, the Entities, and other borrowers, concealing the accurate performance of loans, and misrepresenting the nature of payments to ST. ANGELO and certain Entities.
ST. ANGELO, Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and others sought to accomplish the conspiracy by engaging in the below activities:
ST. ANGELO, Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and others provided First NBC Bank with materially false and fraudulent documents and personal financial statements, which, among other things, overstated the value of ST. ANGELO’s and the Entities’ assets, understated their liabilities, and omitted material information. The materially false and fraudulent personal financial statements, collateral summaries, and other documents concealed ST. ANGELO’s and the Entities’ true financial condition.
Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and others disguised ST. ANGELO’s and the Entities’ true financial condition by, among other things, issuing new loans to ST. ANGELO and certain Entities to pay older loans that ST. ANGELO was unable to repay and to cover his overdrafts. The new loans then appeared to be current, while the old loans and overdrafts appeared to have been paid. In reality, the new loans were designed to avert the downgrading or impairment of ST. ANGELO’s and several Entities’ loans and to avoid reporting them as nonperforming or losses to the bank.
Another means the conspirators used to disguise ST. ANGELO’s and the Entities’ true financial condition was to extend the maturity date of older loans on which ST. ANGELO was unable to make payments, which allowed First NBC Bank to avoid downgrading, impairing, or reporting the loans as nonperforming or losses to the bank.
Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and others funded fraudulent tax credit investments that First NBC Bank purportedly made in certain Entities owned by ST. ANGELO. In reality, the supposed investments simply funneled money from First NBC Bank’s general ledger to ST. ANGELO and certain Entities, so that ST. ANGELO could make his loan payments and cure overdrafts, and so the bank could avoid downgrading, impairing, or reporting the loans as nonperforming or losses to the bank.
On multiple occasions, Bank President A and ST. ANGELO executed false documents entitled “Agreements to Purchase Tax Credits” designed to make it appear that First NBC Bank was paying ST. ANGELO money in exchange for ownership interests in entities supposedly owned by ST. ANGELO. In reality, these agreements were a way for Bank President A, Bank Officer B, and ST. ANGELO to justify the diversion of bank funds to ST. ANGELO and certain Entities to cure overdrafts and avoid reporting requirements. On multiple occasions, Bank Officer B directed the disbursement of payments to ST. ANGELO and certain Entities from First NBC Bank’s general ledger, purportedly for tax credit investments, knowing that the tax credit investments were false.
Yet another means by which Bank President A, ST. ANGELO, Bank Officer B, and others concealed the true financial condition of ST. ANGELO’s loans was to lend funds to ST. ANGELO’s associates as nominees. Bank President A and ST. ANGELO caused the nominees to sign loan documents, making it appear that the nominee entity was taking out the loan solely for its own use. In fact, the loan proceeds often were paid to ST. ANGELO or the Entities, not the nominees, and were, in part, used to pay ST. ANGELO’s and the Entities’ existing debts to First NBC Bank or to enrich ST. ANGELO.
ST. ANGELO, Bank President A, and Bank Officer B caused employees of First NBC Bank to transfer the nominee loan proceeds directly to ST. ANGELO’s or the Entities’ deposit accounts, when ST. ANGELO, Bank President A, and Bank Officer B knew the loans were not solely for the nominee, but benefitted ST. ANGELO, who was not named in the loan documents or listed as a guarantor.
By April 28, 2017, First NBC Bank had advanced approximately $46 million to ST. ANGELO and the Entities based on the false personal financial statements, and practice of advancing loans to cover overdrafts and make loan payments. First NBC Bank had also paid ST. ANGELO an additional $9.6 million dollars in false tax credit investment money.
If found guilty, ST. ANGELO could face up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of more than $1 million or twice the gross gain to him or the gross loss of any victims, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael Simpson stated that a Bill of Information is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharan E. Lieberman, Matthew R. Payne, Nicholas D. Moses, and J. Ryan McLaren are in charge of the prosecution.
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Anchorage Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Joshua J. Ziegler, 29, of Anchorage, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2018, Ziegler pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2017, APD officers were in the area of Karluk and E 20th in Anchorage, attempting to locate a suspect in a shooting incident that occurred in Muldoon. Officers observed Ziegler, who was seated in the rear passenger seat of a car parked not far from the last known residence of the suspected shooter. Ziegler was found to be in possession of two high capacity firearms that had loaded magazines, including an Intratech Tech-9 9mm handgun and a Glock .45 caliber handgun. Ziegler was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, as he was under state supervision following his felony assault conviction in 2015. In that case, Ziegler had been involved in a shooting incident during which he had fired four rounds at another moving vehicle. As someone previously convicted of a felony, Ziegler was prohibited from possessing firearms.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess found that Ziegler was a “poster child” for those who should not be in possession of firearms, and sentenced him to the high end of the advisory sentencing guidelines for his crime and his criminal history. Judge Burgess also noted that a sentence at the high end of the guidelines was necessary, in part, to protect the public from Ziegler.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Aggravated Felon Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Aldo German Arechiga-Gutierrez, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to unlawful reentry by an alien removed after conviction for an aggravated felony, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory A. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
Arechiga-Gutierrez will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on June 24, 2019. He faces a potential maximum 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office in Gulfport received information that Arechiga-Gutierrez had returned to the United States after being removed in 2014. An investigation by HSI determined that Arechiga-Gutierrez was residing in the Picayune area and employed in the southeastern Louisiana area. Arechiga-Gutierrez was positively identified and arrested. He later admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and to voluntarily entering and being in the U.S. unlawfully.
In 2002, Arechiga-Gutierrez pled guilty and was convicted in California for conspiracy to possess and sell methamphetamine. As a drug trafficking crime, the conviction qualified as an aggravated felony. Arechiga-Gutierrez was ordered removed from the United States to Mexico after serving his prison sentence.
Arechiga-Gutierrez then unlawfully returned to the United States and, in 2012, was convicted in the Southern District of Mississippi of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. After completing his prison sentence, Arechiga-Gutierrez was again removed from the United States to Mexico in 2014.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the Picayune Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced JORGE LOPEZ-TREJO, 36, of Hidalgo, Mexico on March 18, 2019 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Lopez-Trejo was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten day to allow for deportation proceedings and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (ICE) investigated this case. Lopez-Trejo had previously be removed from the United States to Mexico in 2007.
Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced DORA MUNOZ-RIVERA, 37, of Chihuahua, Mexico on March 19, 2019 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Munoz-Rivera was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. She received time served plus ten day to allow for deportation proceedings and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (ICE) investigated this case.
33 indicted for heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl distribution operation in Berkeley and Jefferson CountiesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury this week has indicted 33 individuals in seven separate indictments involving heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Agents seized 891 grams of different controlled substances, several firearms, ammunition, and more than $33,000 in cash during several raids and searches conducted in West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in January of 2019 that resulted in the indictments. Those indicted are:- Leroy Raymond Griffin, 38, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Gregory Ian Polk, Jr., 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jason Lamonte Bryant, 41, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Tyquil Desmont Griffin, 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Courtney Guess, 23, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Jessica Nicholson, also known as “J,” age 23, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Anthony Wayne Harrison, II, also known as “Ant,” 29, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Bruce Scott Nicholson, age 52, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Michael Shavar Payton, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Brandy Renae Netz, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Shavon Craig, 34, of Kearneysville, West Virginia
- Devale Montray Jackson, also known as “Devale McNickle,” 58, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Anthony Jones, also known as “Moose,” 42, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Amy Little, also known as “Amy Jackson,” 44, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
- Joshua A. Miller, age 28, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Brianne Katherine Murray, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- David Nathan Huntsberry, 39, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Levar Glenwood Crawford, 41, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Tywonne Crawford, 39, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Todd Jason Erwin, 42, of White Post, Virginia
- Nicholas Wayne Deminds, 30, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- Shannon Keiffer, 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia
- James Lamont Brinkley, 32, of Baltimore, Maryland
- Sven Artez Alston, 31, of Baltimore, Maryland
- Armstead William Craig, also known as “Manny” and “Manny Moo,” 39, of Ranson, WV
- Sandra Aramburo, 37, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Jansen V. Carr, 34, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Victor Lamont Carr, 59, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Allen Craig, 56, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Wayne Samuel Ellis Clyburn, 50, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Molly L. Huber, 30, of Ranson, West Virginia
- Hopeton Lee Newman, Jr., 31, of Inwood, West Virginia
- Shawn Kendall Murray, 36, of Loudon County, Virginia
“Our resolve is strong. We will not tolerate those who bring death and violence into our communities. Our law enforcement and prosecution teams are highly skilled and supremely dedicated to our mission. Hopefully, those involved in criminal conduct will learn that the potential consequences are not worth the perceived and false reward of their conduct,” said Powell.
"For far too long the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has been plagued by drugs and violence," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones, FBI. "The arrests highlight the collaborative work of all our law enforcement partners and our continuing commitment to use every resource to protect our citizens and get these dangerous and illegal drugs off the streets."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S Attorney Timothy D. Helman, are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department investigated. The United States Marshals assisted in the arrests.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
12 Arrested in Connection with San Antonio-Based Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Federal and state authorities in the San Antonio area have arrested 12 individuals, including ringleaders Andrew Sanchez and Joe Anthony Ramirez of San Antonio, for their alleged roles in a narcotics distribution operation, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division.
On March 20, 2019, a federal grand jury in San Antonio returned two separate indictments related to this investigation. The first indictment charges 35-year-old Andrew Sanchez (aka “Freight,” “Hakeem”), 33-year-old Joe Anthony Ramirez (aka “Homeboy”), 37-year-old Lisa Mercado, 29-year-old Bonnie Sanchez (aka “B”), 18-year-old Rodrigo Roque (aka “Scrappy”) and 25-year-old Angel Roque (aka “Test”) with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. The indictment also charges Andrew Sanchez, Joe Ramirez, Lisa Mercado, Bonnie Sanchez and Rodrigo Roque with one substantive count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. The indictment alleges that since May 1, 2018, this drug trafficking organization operated an on-demand delivery service for heroin on the east side of San Antonio. This organization maintained a phone which customers called to purchase heroin, and members worked daily shifts operating this phone and delivering narcotics. The indictment alleges that the organization sourced its narcotics from Joe Anthony Ramirez and others.
The second indictment charges Ramirez and members of his drug trafficking organization with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. Ramirez DTO members include: 36-year-old Ernest Rivas (aka “Chato”), 39-year-old Roy Ramirez, Jr. (aka “Jr.”), 63-year-old Roy Ramirez, Sr. (aka “Black Baby”, aka “Black”), 29-year-old Andrew Ybarra (aka “Drew”), 38-year-old Michael Vital and 53-year-old Abel Trejo. The indictment also charges Joe Ramirez (2 counts), Roy Ramirez, Jr., Roy Ramirez, Sr., and Abel Trejo with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Joe Ramirez, Hinojosa, Rivas and Ybarra are also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to the indictment, Joe Anthony Ramirez not only supplied Andrew Sanchez’s operation, he also ran his own drug distribution operation. This indictment alleges that since May 1, 2018, these defendants conspired to distribute heroin and cocaine to street-level dealers and collect proceeds from narcotics sales all across San Antonio.
Authorities are also seeking the criminal forfeiture of several residences and approximately $3,000 in U.S. Currency.
All of the defendants remain in federal custody pending detention hearings expected to occur in U.S. Magistrate Court in San Antonio beginning next week. The defendants face sentences ranging from up to 20 years imprisonment to up to life imprisonment upon conviction, depending on the amount of drugs involved.
The DEA and the Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; Seguin Police Department, Terrell Hills Police Department and the Bexar County District Attorney’s office. The San Antonio Police Department and the New Braunfels Police Department provided assistance with today’s arrests.
The principal mission of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thursday 21 March 2019
Youth Basketball Coach Arrested for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Yesterday, United States Magistrate Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé authorized a criminal complaint against Ángel Gabriel Díaz-Rosado, charging him for attempted production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of minors, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, sections 2251(a); 2422(b); and 1470, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) led the investigation with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Puerto Rico Department of Family.
Yesterday evening HSI agents of the Child Exploitation Unit arrested Díaz-Rosado in Bayamón. Today he had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Vélez-Rivé.
According to the information contained in a criminal complaint, on Monday, March 18, 2019, the mother of a male minor, went to the ICE-HSI San Patricio offices to report that, on March 13, 2019, she had discovered multiple text, voice messages, and pornographic images shared between her son and defendant Ángel Gabriel Díaz-Rosado. The messages were transmitted, through the Internet, using the WhatsApp phone application.
“The defendant, who was entrusted by the parents and the school where kids played basketball for him, violated their trust by committing these awful acts,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “As this case demonstrates, we will aggressively target those who prey on our children. We encourage other potential victims to come forward if this defendant or any other adult is engaging in this type of criminal behavior. Do not remain silent. Help us help you.”
“HSI will not tolerate the exploitation of the most vulnerable members of our society, and will continue working with our partners in the PRCACTF to investigate those who exploit our children and deprive them of their innocence,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Juan. “This case is particularly alarming as the defendant was in a position of trust with access to minors. Make no mistake, HSI will continue to investigate and apprehend those who exploit our children, especially those who betray the trust placed in them by committing these despicable acts.”
“The mission of our department is clear and we will not allow the security of our most vulnerable populations to be threatened. We will continue working to ensure the welfare of the victims and their families in this case. Puerto Rico can be sure that we will use all the tools in our power to help them regain control of their lives despite this ordeal. We thank all the components that are part of this research who had a quick response to the referral from our department, confirming that together we are stronger,” said Secretary of the Department of the Family, Glorimar Andújar Matos.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Cristina Caraballo and Deputy Chief of the Immigration, Cybercrimes, and Child Exploitation Unit, Nicholas Cannon, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, Díaz-Rosado faces a minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen years and up to life, a minimum term of supervised release of five years up to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.
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