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18 April 2019
Second Foreign National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Role in International Call Center ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Hemalkumar Shah (27, citizen of India, residing in Tampa) to eight years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to his participation in an Indian call center scam. As part of Shah’s sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $80,000.
Shah had pleaded guilty on January 28, 2019.
According to court documents, from 2014 through at least 2016, Shah conspired with U.S.-based co-conspirators and India-based call centers to extort money from U.S. residents by impersonating IRS officers and misleading victims to believe that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged back taxes immediately. The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by (1) withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; (2) hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and/or (3) hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds. The defendants collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts paid. The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less a payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction.
Four others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. On March 25, 2019, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, and on March 29, 2019, Nishitkumar Patel was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months’ imprisonment. Sharvil Patel and Brenda Dozier are currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Rowan County Man Sentenced to Nineteen Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A Salisbury resident was sentenced on April 17, 2019, in federal court in Winston-Salem, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
The Honorable Thomas D. Schroder sentenced Nekhent Supreme ALI, 37, of Salisbury, North Carolina, to a 235 month term of imprisonment on charges of distributing cocaine base (crack). In addition to 235 months imprisonment, ALI was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completing his sentence. ALI pleaded guilty in November 2018.
During the spring of 2018 a confidential informant told officers with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office that ALI was selling cocaine base (crack), and indicated that they could purchase quantities of the drug from ALI. Law enforcement officers utilized the CI to make four controlled purchases of cocaine base (crack) from ALI. The quantity of cocaine base purchased varied from as low as 14.8 grams to as high as 29 grams. The total quantity of cocaine base (crack) purchased from ALI as a result of the four transactions was 69.8 grams.
On April 25, 2018, during a consent search of a residence where ALI was known to reside, officers located more than $1,000 of the United States currency that was utilized to make the controlled purchases of cocaine base from ALI.
Prior to this arrest, ALI had been convicted of multiple counts of felony possession of cocaine, felony possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, and felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver cocaine.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department Crime Reduction Unit, and the Salisbury Police Department Narcotics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry M. Meinecke.
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Rosebud Man Charged with Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse.
Jesse James Leader Charge, age 24, was indicted on January 23, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 15, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 1, 2017, Leader Charge knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, a sexual act with a victim, who at the time was physically incapable of declining participation in, or communicating an unwillingness to engage in, the sexual act.
The charge is merely an accusation and Leader Charge is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Leader Charge was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALCIDES ALBA-GOMEZ, 29, of Providence, Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 13, 2017, Alba-Gomez and his associate, Gabri Javier Delapaz, traveled from Rhode Island to New York to pick up narcotics from a supplier. As they were returning to Rhode Island, the Connecticut State Police stopped their car on I-95 in Old Lyme. A search of the car revealed a package containing approximately one kilogram of fentanyl that was hidden beneath a rear seat cushion.
Alba-Gomez, who has no prior criminal history, has been detained since his arrest on September 13, 2017. On January 24, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Delapaz, 27, of Providence, pleaded guilty to the same offense on January 16, 2019, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East, and New London Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Dave Vatti.
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced jeremy hough, 35, of Raleigh, North Carolina to 78 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
HOUGH was named in an Indictment filed on September 11, 2018, charging him with felon in possession of a firearm. On December 3, 2018, HOUGH pled guilty to the charge.
On May 8, 2018, Raleigh Police Department officers attempted to arrest HOUGH on an outstanding warrant. When they approached HOUGH, he fled, throwing a 9mm firearm into bushes. Officers caught and arrested HOUGH and recovered the firearm.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant Unite States Attorney Erin Blondel represented the government.
Pierre Man Sentenced for Criminal ContemptRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, man convicted of Criminal Contempt was sentenced on April 17, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Charles Black Spotted Horse, age 26, was sentenced to 2 months in federal prison and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10.
Black Spotted Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2019. He pled guilty on February 7, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on December 26, 2018, when Black Spotted Horse disobeyed and resisted an order and command of the U.S. District Court, in that he failed to self-report for arrest and left the federal building.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Black Spotted Horse was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Physician Charged with Conspiracy to Unlawfully Dispense Controlled Substances and Conspiracy to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that a two-count bill of information was filed against a neurologist charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Specifically, ANIL PRASAD, age 62, of Mandeville was charged with one count of prescribing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate purpose and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, between November 2016 and July 2018, PRASAD worked at a pain management clinic in Slidell, and during the course of his employment, PRASAD pre-signed prescriptions for controlled substances, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, without performing patient examinations to determine medical necessity. Additionally, PRASAD knew that certain of those patients used their Medicare and Medicaid benefits to fill those prescriptions. In total, Medicare and Medicaid paid approximately $1,657,461.15 for those prescriptions.
If convicted, PRASAD faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine as to Count 1 of the Information, and a possible maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine as to Count 2 of the Information.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their work investigating the case. U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan Lieberman.
Ohio Man Who Allegedly Pretended to be Missing Illinois Boy Indicted by Grand JuryRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – An Ohio man who pretended to be a missing Illinois boy has been indicted by a grand jury with charges related to making false statements to federal agents and aggravated identity theft.
A federal grand jury here indicted Brian Michael Rini, 23, formerly of Medina, Ohio, yesterday. The indictment was filed this morning. Rini is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment at 1:30pm tomorrow before Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd A. Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville, Ky. Division, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac, Newport Police Chief Thomas Collins, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil and officials with the Aurora, Ill. Police Department announced the new charges.
Rini was charged by criminal complaint on April 6 with one count of making false statements. Today’s indictment includes two counts of making false statements and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Newport, Ky. police officers responded to a call on Wednesday in which the caller described Rini as wandering the street, looking confused and in need of assistance.
Rini allegedly told officers his name was Timmothy Pitzen and that he was abducted when he was six years old and he “just wanted to go home.”
Local authorities confirmed that Timmothy’s name was associated with a missing and possibly abducted child. Specifically, in 2011, Timmothy, then six years old, went missing from Aurora, Ill. Timmothy was picked up at his school by his mother and a few days later, his mother was found deceased in a Rockford, Ill. hotel room.
Several notes were found in the hotel room that claimed Timmothy was with people who loved him and would take care of him. The notes also stated he would never be found.
Posing as Timmothy, Rini allegedly claimed he had recently escaped from a hotel room in which two men had been holding him captive. He said he had been sexually and physically abused for years while in captivity and that he was having abdominal pain.
Rini was transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Emergency Room because of the complaint of abdominal pain, and there, FBI task force officers met with Rini to potentially investigate sex trafficking and crimes against children. FBI special agents and a detective from the Aurora, Ill. police department also spoke with Rini.
It is alleged that Rini continued to claim to be Timmothy throughout conversations in the hospital.
Rini refused to provide his fingerprints to investigators at Children’s Hospital; however, eventually, he agreed to submit a buccal swab for DNA testing.
DNA test results confirmed Rini’s identity. As a known felon, Rini’s DNA was known to the FBI. Ohio Department of Corrections records indicate Rini was released from an Ohio prison on March 7, 2019.
Once law enforcement officers confronted Rini about his true identity, Rini immediately stated he was not Timmothy Pitzen. He allegedly said he watched a story about Timmothy on 20/20 and stated he wanted to get away from his only family. When questioned further, it is alleged that Rini stated “he wished he had a father like Timmothy’s.”
Further investigation by the FBI found that Rini had allegedly portrayed himself as a juvenile sex trafficking victim on two prior occasions. In those instances, he was only identified once he was fingerprinted.
Making false statements to federal agents is a federal crime punishable by eight years in this case. Aggravated identify theft carries a mandatory additional two year sentence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Christy L. Muncy are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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North Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge After Police Find 30 Kilograms of Cocaine in His CarRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Edgar Joel Jimenez-Rodriguez, 39, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case, stated that between October 2017 and July 19, 2018, the defendant conspired with Jose Garcia-Santiago, Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez, and others, to distribute cocaine. On July 19, 2018, the defendant picked up a Mercury Mariner containing 30 kilograms of cocaine, which was intended for distribution in the Western New York area. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle and arrested the defendant.
Previously, beginning in May 2018, investigators intercepted numerous conversations involving the defendant discussing cocaine trafficking and the associated proceeds. Many of those conversations were with co-conspirators Garcia-Santiago and DeJesus-Gonzalez, whom the defendant supervised. On May 26, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by Garcia-Santiago with DeJesus-Gonzalez as the passenger, and found five kilograms of cocaine. The defendant directed Garcia-Santiago and DeJesus-Gonzalez to pick up this cocaine from the New York City area for distribution locally.
In September 2017, the U.S. Postal Service intercepted packages arriving from Puerto Rico and addressed to various residences in Niagara Falls. Postal inspectors seized approximately five kilograms of cocaine that were intended for the defendant and his co-conspirators.Charges remain pending against Jose Garcia-Santiago and Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata, and the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major Mary Clark.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
Nine Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that nine previously deported aliens were indicted separately on April 17, 2019, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States. These matters arose in counties throughout the District including Dauphin, Franklin, Lackawanna, and York.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Victor Espanol-Ahuacatitan, age 35, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2013. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2013, and was found in the United States in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Diego Us-Tum, age 29, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in October 2006. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after October 2006 and was found in the United States in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Marvin Marroquin Garcia-Gomez, age 22, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in February 2015. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after February 2015 and was found in the United States in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Victor Alfonso Morales-Sanchez, age 28, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in March 2017. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after March 2017 and was found in the United States in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Manuel Alejandro Velasco-Rosales, age 32, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in September 2011. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after September 2011 and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Virgilio Orellana-Rivas, age 40, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in November 2000. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after November 2000 and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Serafin Mendoza-Torres, age 27, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in July 2016. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after July 2016 and was found in the United States in Dallastown, York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Javier Hernandez-Zuniga, age 42, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2009. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after December 2009 and was found in the United States in Dallastown, York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Mauro Camacho-Lopez, age 41, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2007. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2007 and was found in the United States in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Joanne Hoffman is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Defendants face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Nicaraguan Man Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Larry Navarrete, age 38, a citizen of Nicaragua, was sentenced yesterday to 284 months in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) first became aware of Navarrete in 2015, as a result of his role as a leader of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Western District of Arkansas. The 2015 investigation revealed that Navarrete obtained and used numerous contraband cell phones while incarcerated in Calipatria, a state prison facility in California, to direct the shipment of methamphetamine to the Western District of Arkansas for distribution as well as to coordinate the payment of proceeds owed to him for the shipped methamphetamine. At the time, Navarrete was serving sentences in Calipatria due to a state conviction. Navarrete was first indicted and prosecuted in the Western District of Arkansas in case 5:15CR50060-001, and was ultimately sentenced in May 2017 to serve 240 months in the Bureau of Prisons on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Upon returning to Calipatria to serve the remainder of his state sentences, Navarrete again obtained and used contraband cell phones to direct the shipment of methamphetamine to the Western District of Arkansas. It was in the fall of 2017, that Agents with the DEA Fayetteville Resident Office learned from confidential sources that Navarrete contacted them by cell phone from within the Calipatria state prison facility requesting their assistance in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Western District of Arkansas.
Based on the information received from the sources, in October 2017, Agents initiated a new investigation into Navarrete’s conduct. Agents arranged and conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine coordinated by Navarrete who was assisted by his co-conspirators located in the Western District of Arkansas and elsewhere. The methamphetamine recovered as part of the operation on October 11, 2017, was sent to the DEA South Central Laboratory for testing. The Laboratory determined that the substance contained approximately 103.84 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Navarrete was indicted at the close of the 2017 investigation by a federal grand jury in January 2018, and entered a guilty plea in December 2018. Navarrete will serve the remainder of his state sentence and the two sentences imposed in the federal cases in the Bureau of Prisons. The two federal sentences will run consecutive to one another.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Crack TraffickingRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Demario Boler, a/k/a “White Mike,” a/k/a “Mike,” 23, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and distributing crack.
According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, Boler conspired with others from Rochester, New York and Central Maine to distribute heroin and crack. The drugs were acquired in Rochester and Boler and others distributed the drugs in Central Maine. On May 11, 2017, Boler sold crack to an individual working with law enforcement.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s program to combat the opioid epidemic.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Peter Garces, 22, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to credit card fraud. The charge arises from an investigation into fraud committed at three Maine Home Depot stores.
According to court records, on September 27, 2018, the defendant provided false identity information to three Home Depot stores located in Biddeford, South Portland and Windham to obtain credit cards. The defendant used his fraudulently obtained credit cards to purchase over $15,500 worth of items from those stores. The defendant was in the process of attempting to fraudulently obtain a credit card from a Home Depot store in Auburn when he was arrested.
The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He 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. Secret Service, in conjunction with the Biddeford, South Portland, Windham and Auburn Police Departments.
New Charges Added in Case Involving Former Columbus Vice DetectiveRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury here returned two additional charges today in the case involving former Columbus Vice Detective Andrew K. Mitchell.
The superseding indictment charges Mitchell, 55, of Sunbury, with an additional count of obstructing justice and one count of destructing or removing property to prevent seizure.
Mitchell was arrested on March 11 on original federal charges related to allegedly kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest and forcing those victims to engage in sex for their freedom.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the charges.
The original seven-count indictment charged Mitchell with three counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under the color of law (up to life imprisonment), two counts of witness tampering (up to 20 years in prison), one count of obstructing justice (up to 10 years in prison) and one count of making false statements to federal agents (up to five years in prison).
It is alleged that – while acting under color of law – Mitchell deprived victims of their Constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizures by kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest and forcing them to have sex for their freedom.
Today’s superseding indictment adds another count of obstructing justice (up to 20 years in prison) and one count of destructing or removing property to prevent seizure (up to five years in prison).
According to the latest court document, in October 2018, Mitchell destroyed, disposed of, concealed and/or altered records, documents, furniture, rugs, blankets, linens, clothing and other objects in an attempt to prohibit them from being used as evidence in the federal case currently pending against him.
Specifically, he directed individuals to assist him in removing and disposing of potential evidence, as well as cleaning out with bleach and other chemicals, items in an apartment on Denune Avenue in Columbus.
It is alleged that Mitchell knowingly destroyed, damaged or removed property prior to a lawful, court-authorized search conducted by the FBI, thus preventing federal authorities from taking the property into custody.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Ohio Auditor’s Office and Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica H. Kim and Kevin W. Kelley, who are prosecuting the case.
Indictments merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you believe you are a potential victim related to this case, or have any relevant information, please call the FBI at 614-849-1777.
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Nashville Man Facing Federal Charges Resulting from 2016 Robbery/MurderRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – April 18, 2019 – Brandon Hunt-Clark, 22, of Nashville, Tennessee, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiring to commit and committing Hobbs Act Robbery, using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm resulting in death, and conspiring to tamper with a witness, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, these charges resulted from the robbery and murder of Justin Lawton, who was found shot to death in Nashville on December 14, 2016. The indictment also charges that Hunt-Clark conspired with unnamed others to tamper with a witness who had knowledge of that robbery and murder.
Hunt-Clark is currently in federal custody after having been indicted last month for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for stealing a firearm in October 2017. That indictment also alleges that Hunt-Clark stole that firearm during a robbery of a drug dealer.
If convicted, Hunt-Clark faces up to life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Mother of Felon and Man Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman and Chesterfield man were sentenced to one year and four months in prison, respectively, for crimes involving obstruction of justice and drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Regina Gasque, 49, and Trammel Lewis, Jr., 23 were involved in a conspiracy to obstruct justice after they crafted a scheme to deceive law enforcement. In April 2018, Richmond Police Officers performed a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Keith Gasque, Regina Gasque’s son. Officers discovered two firearms in the vehicle, one of which law enforcement later learned had been illegally purchased for Keith Gasque by Lewis.
While incarcerated, Keith Gasque solicited the help of his mother and Lewis to craft a false story to tell police about Keith Gasque possessing the firearms. Keith Gasque convinced Lewis to tell law enforcement that Lewis had left the firearms in Keith Gasque’s vehicle, and Keith Gasque had no knowledge of the firearms. Law enforcement reviewed recordings of phone calls that Keith Gasque made while in jail, and heard conversations where Keith Gasque told Regina Gasque and Lewis what Lewis should tell law enforcement to support the false story. Gasque agreed to craft and relay similar messages from Keith Gasque to Lewis.
Keith Gasque was previously sentenced to serve more than four and a half years in prison for masterminding the conspiracy.
Regina Gasque also pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced for, aiding and abetting the possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. In May 2018, the Richmond Police Department executed a search warrant at Keith Gasque’s home in search of additional firearms. Keith Gasque shared that home with Regina Gasque and Christopher Wills, a person Regina Gasque had been in a romantic relationship with for approximately 17 years. The officers discovered in a locked bedroom over 250 grams of cocaine, five firearms, ammunition, and other drug paraphernalia. Regina Gasque admitted that only she and Wills had a key to that bedroom. She ultimately admitted that the drugs and firearms belonged to Wills, and also admitted her intimate knowledge of Wills’s drug trafficking over the past several years and that she had handled the firearms and drugs.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-135.
Mission Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, was sentenced on April 15, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Mark Edward O’Leary, III, age 35, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison on each count to run concurrently, followed by 3 years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $100,700, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $300.
O’Leary was indicted by a federal grand jury for the Possession of a Firearm charges on August 16, 2017, and on the Wire Fraud charge on February 14, 2018. He pled guilty on January 4, 2019.
The convictions stem from separate incidents. The firearms incident occurred on June 9, 2017, where O’Leary, being an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance, methamphetamine, did knowingly receive and possess 14 firearms. The second incident occurred between February 4, 2011, through June 6, 2017, where O’Leary passed at least 544 checks drawn on a bank account not belonging to him. The checks were used for personal items for O’Leary and the purchases or deposits were not authorized by the owner of the bank account.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
O’Leary was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Michigan City, Indiana Man Sentenced to 71 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Demetrius Thomas, age 39, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio upon his plea of guilty to 5 counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, announced U. S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Thomas was sentenced to 71 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, from December 24, 2017 through January 1, 2018, Mr. Thomas conducted a series of 5 armed robberies in South Bend, Mishawaka and St. Joseph County. The robberies occurred at a drug store, a pizzeria and gas stations.
The case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel R. Gabrielse.
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over Ten Years’ in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed multiple pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than ten years in federal prison.
Cody Jelinek, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 2, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Jelinek admitted that between 2013 and 2016, he was involved in a conspiracy to distribute ice methamphetamine. During the course of the conspiracy, Jelinek distributed more than three pounds of ice methamphetamine.
Jelinek was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Jelinek was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jelinek is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2026.
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Meridian Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Patrick Emanuel Battle, Sr., 48, of Meridian, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 15, 2018, deputies with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Battle’s home after they received information and pictures showing that Battle was in possession of multiple firearms. As a result of the search, five weapons, including a semi-automatic shotgun equipped with a large magazine, were found in Battle’s home. Battle has prior felony convictions for burglary of an automobile, possession of marijuana, and aggravated assault.
Battle was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 8th of 2019. He is currently in custody and will be sentenced on July 18, 2019, by Judge Reeves. Battle faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Members of Violent Bronx Gang Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Racketeering, Narcotics, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging 11 members and associates of the 2200 Morris Avenue Crew with various racketeering, firearms, and narcotics offenses, and charging an additional three defendants with narcotics and firearms offenses. ADONIS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Frenchie,” is also charged with a September 28, 2017, attack on Charles DelToro that resulted in DelToro’s death on October 4, 2017.
Eight of the defendants, ADONIS RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Crazy,” a/k/a “Locotron,” JONATHAN ESPINAL, a/k/a “Twin,” DERIAN DEL CARMEN, a/k/a “Mel,” ELVIN PEREZ, a/k/a “Choco,” YISANDER RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Bean,” MARIO DELOSSANTOS, and DANIEL GONZALEZ were taken into custody last night and this morning. They will be presented and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses later today. Five of the defendants, ADONIS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Frenchie,” DAVID GARCIA, a/k/a “Clippa,” BRANDON ESTEVEZ, a/k/a “Boppy,” JONATHAN MALDONADO, a/k/a “Tego,” and LOUIS RIVERA are currently incarcerated in state custody on other charges, and will be presented at a later date. JEFFREY ESTEVEZ, a/k/a “J,” was already in federal custody, having been previously charged in federal court with narcotics trafficking. JOSUE SANCHEZ, a/k/a “V,” remains at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, members of the 2200 Morris Avenue Crew wreaked havoc in the Bronx, engaging in brazen acts of violence, including murder and multiple attempted murders, as well as narcotics trafficking. Thanks to the extraordinary work of the NYPD, the defendants will now face justice in federal court.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
The 2200 Morris Avenue Crew was a criminal enterprise involved in committing numerous acts of violence, including shootings, robberies, and assaults in the Bronx. Members and associates of the 2200 Morris Avenue Crew engaged in violence to retaliate against rival gangs, to promote the standing and reputation of their gang, and to protect the gang’s narcotics business. Members and associates of the 2200 Morris Avenue Crew enriched themselves by selling drugs, such as heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana.
The Indictment charges BRANDON ESTEVEZ, ADONIS RAMIREZ, GARCIA, RODRIGUEZ, ESPINAL, DEL CARMEN, JEFFREY ESTEVEZ, MALDONADO, PEREZ, YISANDER RAMIREZ, and SANCHEZ with participating in a racketeering conspiracy. Count Two of the Indictment charges ADONIS RAMIREZ with the murder in aid of racketeering of Charles DelToro. Counts Three and Four charge BRANDON ESTEVEZ, MALDONADO, and PEREZ with participating in an attempted murder in aid of racketeering for a shooting of a rival gang member on February 11, 2018, and a related firearms offense. Counts Five and Six charge JEFFREY ESTEVEZ with participating in an attempted murder in aid of racketeering for a shooting on May 25, 2018, and a related firearms offense. Count Seven charges DEL CARMEN, MALDONADO, and RODRIGUEZ with attempted murder in aid of racketeering for a stabbing that occurred on June 19, 2018. Count Eight charges ESPINAL with attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Counts Nine and Ten charge SANCHEZ, YISANDER RAMIREZ, GARCIA, and DEL CARMEN with attempted murder in aid of racketeering for a shooting that occurred on March 24, 2019, and a related firearms offense. Count Eleven charges all of the defendants with a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. Count Twelve charges all of the defendants with possessing and using firearms in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking conspiracy charged in Count Eleven.
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Charts containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. He also thanked the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Karin Portlock and Jacob Warren are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Racketeering conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
JEFFREY ESTEVEZ (24)
ADONIS RAMIREZ (24)
DAVID GARCIA (19)
ADONIS RODRIGUEZ (24)
JONATHAN ESPINAL (25) DERIAN DEL CARMEN (23) BRANDON ESTEVEZ (24)
JONATHAN MALDONADO (22)
ELVIN PEREZ (24)
YISANDER RAMIREZ (21)
JOSUE SANCHEZ (25)
Life in prison
2
Murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
ADONIS RAMIREZ
Death or mandatory minimum of life in prison
3
Attempted murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
BRANDON ESTEVEZ JONATHAN MALDONADO
ELVIN PEREZ
10 years in prison
4
Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which firearm was discharged
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
BRANDON ESTEVEZ JONATHAN MALDONADO
ELVIN PEREZ
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
5
Attempted murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
JEFFREY ESTEVEZ
10 years in prison
6
Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which firearm was discharged
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
JEFFREY ESTEVEZ
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
7
Assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
DERIAN DEL CARMEN
JONATHAN MALDONADO
ADONIS RODRIGUEZ
20 years in prison
8
Assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
JONATHAN ESPINAL
20 years in prison
9
Attempted murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959
JOSUE SANCHEZ
YISANDER RAMIREZ
DAVID GARCIA
DERIAN DEL CARMEN
10 years in prison
10
Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which firearm was discharged
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
JOSUE SANCHEZ
YISANDER RAMIREZ
DAVID GARCIA
DERIAN DEL CARMEN
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
11
Narcotics trafficking conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
JEFFREY ESTEVEZ
ADONIS RAMIREZ
DAVID GARCIA
ADONIS RODRIGUEZ
JONATHAN ESPINAL
DERIAN DEL CARMEN BRANDON ESTEVEZ
JONATHAN MALDONADO
ELVIN PEREZ
YISANDER RAMIREZ
JOSUE SANCHEZ
MARIO DELOSSANTOS (52)
DANIEL GONZALEZ (22)
LOUIS RIVERA (53)
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
12
Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a narcotics trafficking crime
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
JEFFREY ESTEVEZ
ADONIS RAMIREZ
DAVID GARCIA
ADONIS RODRIGUEZ
JONATHAN ESPINAL
DERIAN DEL CARMEN BRANDON ESTEVEZ
JONATHAN MALDONADO
ELVIN PEREZ
YISANDER RAMIREZ
JOSUE SANCHEZ
MARIO DELOSSANTOS
DANIEL GONZALEZ
LOUIS RIVERA
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum of five years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Mebane Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced LASHUN TRACY TINNEN, 37, of Mebane, North Carolina to 262 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The prosecution of TINNEN was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF), which has focused on cocaine and cocaine base (crack) distributors in Nash, Edgecombe, and Halifax counties.
TINNEN was named in a two-count Indictment filed on August 1, 2018 charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine from December 2013 until May 10, 2018; and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine. On November 5, 2018, TINNEN pled guilty to both charges.
United States Attorney Higdon stated, “Drug traffickers like TINNEN threaten our communities with deadly controlled substances. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to taking back North Carolina from the violent criminals and drug traffickers, like TINNEN, that are plaguing the Eastern District of North Carolina. In addition, we stand ready to aggressively pursue those who would commit violent acts against our law enforcement officers, because it is imperative that we protect those who protect us.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the case, “Those involved in drug trafficking deliver deadly doses of poison to the community. DEA’s job is to protect the community from the scourge of drug abuse. I would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who helped make this investigation a success.”
According to the investigation, TINNEN traveled from Mebane, North Carolina to Raleigh, North Carolina on May 10, 2018 to deliver 18 ounces of cocaine. TINNEN arrived in the parking lot at the Crabtree Valley Mall expecting to sell the cocaine, but was instead blocked in by law enforcement officers and a tactical paramedic. TINNEN rammed his vehicle into the unmarked police vehicle while attempting to flee. TINNEN received a sentencing enhancement for assaulting officers during the course of flight, which created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to the law enforcement officers attempting to apprehend him. A search of TINNEN’s vehicle revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and over $17,000 in United States currency. TINNEN’s wife and small child were present with him at the time. During a subsequent search of TINNEN’s home, officers located two firearms, one of which was stolen, and $2,000 in United States currency. TINNEN also received a sentencing enhancement for the possession of a dangerous weapon during the time of the drug conspiracy.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rocky Mount Police Department, Raleigh Police Department, City of Raleigh, and Wake County Government Department of Emergency Medical Services. Assistant United States Attorney Dena King represented the government.
Mashpee Man Charged with Straw Purchase of Glock FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mashpee man was arrested yesterday in connection with falsely representing himself as a law enforcement officer in order to purchase two Glock firearms.
Justin F. Watson, 33, was charged in a complaint with falsifying information related to the sale of a firearm. Watson appeared today in federal court in Boston and was released on conditions.
According to charging documents, from March 2018 to February 2019, Watson was an Institutional Security Officer/Campus Police Dispatcher with Cape Cod Community College Police. As such, Watson neither carried a weapon nor had the power to make arrests on campus.
It is alleged that Watson ordered a Glock pistol to be delivered to a firearms dealer on Cape Cod. On Aug. 26, 2018, Watson went to the firearms dealer to pick up the Glock, Model 22, GEN4, .40 caliber pistol. Before receiving the firearm, Watson provided his Cape Cod Community College identification card, which listed him as “Campus Police” and “Faculty/Staff,” to the manager and completed a Public Safety Purchase Form identifying himself as an Institutional Security Officer.
As alleged in court documents, Watson called another firearms dealer and spoke with the store’s operator, who informed him that only law enforcement officers with the power to conduct arrests could purchase Glock Model 26 firearms. Watson said he was a police officer with authority to make arrests.
On Nov. 17, 2018, Watson went to the second firearms dealer with his girlfriend and spoke with a sales manager. His girlfriend allegedly told the sales manager that she was Watson’s boss and that Watson had authority to make arrests. Watson identified himself as a police officer to the sales manager and then purchased a Glock, Model 26, GEN4, 9mm pistol for $425. Watson completed a required ATF Form and affirmed that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. The form warned that, “If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you.”
During the sale, Watson provided his Cape Cod Community College identification card and completed a certification letter indicating that he was purchasing the firearm for “on or off duty use” and not “for resale.” Watson also completed another certification form, and listed himself as “Campus Police.”
It is further alleged that Watson then transferred the Glock Model 26 to his girlfriend on Dec. 19, 2018.
During an interview with law enforcement, Watson acknowledged that he used his Cape Cod Community College identification card when he purchased both Glock firearms. He stated he used that ID because he did not think he could purchase the firearms without it. He also acknowledged that if the firearms dealers had understood that he was not a police officer with arrest powers, they would not have sold him the firearms. Watson further stated that he knew his girlfriend, a civilian, could not purchase a Glock Model 26 herself and that he purchased the firearm for her.
Straw purchases interfere with firearm regulation and recordkeeping, and federal law makes it a crime to knowingly make false statements to a firearms dealer in connection with the lawfulness of the sale.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Cape Cod Community College Campus Police, Barnstable Police Department and Mashpee Police Department provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the Complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael MacDonald, 29, of Manchester, was sentenced to 78 months for bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2018, MacDonald entered the Citizens Bank in the Hannaford Market on E. Devine Drive, in Manchester, New Hampshire and gave the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave MacDonald a quantity of United States currency. Surveillance footage was obtained and an officer from Manchester Police Department recognized the robber as MacDonald. After confirming that the robber was MacDonald, an arrest warrant was issued and MacDonald was taken into custody by the Manchester Police Department.
The defendant previously pleaded guilty on January 7, 2019.
“Bank robberies are violent crimes that jeopardize the safety of the public,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit violent crimes in New Hampshire. I am grateful for the efforts of the Manchester Police Department, which led to the arrest and conviction of this individual.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
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Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on April 16, 2019, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Jade LaRoche, age 39, was sentenced to time served, which was 351 days of custody, 1 year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
LaRoche was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2018. He pled guilty on February 26, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on May 17, 2018, when LaRoche was being held at the Lower Brule jail and became indignant with an officer who was ensuring LaRoche was complying with medication protocol. LaRoche attempted to push the officer out of his way and a shoving match ensued. The altercation continued when both LaRoche and the officer fell, and a brief wrestling match was had until LaRoche was detained and placed into a cell.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
LaRoche was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Louisiana Woman Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud Scheme Involving Fake Kidnapping of HerselfRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Sharday Monique Thomas, 32, of Hammond, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III to serve 41 months in federal prison for a wire fraud scheme in which she sought to fraudulently obtain money by faking her own kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze. Her prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
On November 27, 2018, FBI special agents in Jackson, Mississippi, were contacted by FBI special agents in Monroe, Louisiana, regarding allegations that an individual by the name of Sharday Thomas had been kidnapped and would be killed if a ransom was not delivered to a location in Jackson, Mississippi. The purported kidnapper had contacted a former employer of Thomas by way of text messages from Thomas’s cell phone. The text messages stated that Thomas was being held against her will and instructed the former employer to bring $4,500.00 cash to an address in Jackson or she would be killed. The text messages included specific threats such as, "No cops or she die," "I'm tired of waiting my trigger finger is itching," "Now or I'll blow her head off," and "I want my money now or she dies," among others. The former employer, who was being assisted by the Louisiana State Police, requested proof of life and spoke to Thomas on two instances. Thomas told him that she would be killed if the ransom money was not delivered as instructed.
With the assistance of the FBI office in New Orleans, FBI special agents in Jackson were able to determine that Thomas was actually at an address near the location in Jackson where the money was to be delivered. The agents located Thomas and quickly determined that she had not actually been kidnapped. Thomas was found in possession of the cell phone from which the phone calls and texts had been sent. After being advised of her rights, Thomas confessed to staging the kidnapping on her own and to sending text messages and phone calls in order to fraudulently obtain money from her former employer. Thomas consented to the search of her phone's contents on the scene, and agents observed the text message chain used to stage her kidnapping.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keith A. Jefferson, 26, of Lexington, was sentenced today, to 100 months federal in prison, by United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In January 2018, the Lexington Police Department investigated an active disorder with a firearm on Charles Avenue. During a domestic dispute, Jefferson fired a shot into a residence, to gain entry. On January 9, 2019, Jefferson entered a guilty plea, admitting to illegally possessing two firearms. Jefferson has prior convictions, for assaultive behavior and carrying concealed weapons.
Under federal law, Jefferson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Last IDOC Correctional Officer Sentenced for Crimes Stemming from FBI StingRead the Press Release
BOISE - Former Idaho Department of Correction (“IDOC”) correctional officer Erik Thompson was sentenced yesterday for firearms offenses he committed as part of an FBI sting operation that uncovered corruption by IDOC correctional officers, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Erik Thompson, 39, to 97 months in prison. Thompson will be placed on supervised release for three years after release from prison.
The FBI initiated the sting operation in this case at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers. The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities. The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers. The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money. Thompson and co‑defendant Richard McCollough carried firearms with them during the staged drug operations. No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.
Thompson pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Co-defendant McCollough also pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. McCollough also was sentenced to 97 months in prison by Judge Winmill.
Co-defendants Timothy Landon and Robert Wallin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking. Landon was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Wallin was sentenced to 37 months in prison. All defendants will be placed on supervised release for three years after release from prison.
In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in this investigation.
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Laredo Man Sent to Prison in Case Praised by TrumpRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old Laredoan has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to transport 78 aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Jesus Alberto De La Cruz pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2018.
Today, visiting U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered De La Cruz to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a year of supervised release.
On Aug. 10, 2018, De La Cruz approached the primary Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on IH-35, just north of Laredo. A canine alerted to the semi-tractor and trailer he was driving and he was referred for secondary inspection.
Authorities became alarmed when he continued to drive the semi-tractor and trailer towards IH-35 instead of towards the secondary inspection area. Agents stopped him and ordered him and a passenger out of the vehicle.
Authorities soon observed people hidden inside the maintenance hatch in the rear of the trailer. The trailer doors were closed with a bolt seal preventing anyone inside from being able to exit.
They eventually found 78 undocumented aliens hidden inside, all of whom were questioned regarding their citizenship. They were all determined to be citizens of Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Brazil, El Salvador and Guatemala without proper legal documentation allowing them to enter or remain in the United States.
President Trump personally congratulated the BP agent canine enforcement officer for his work on the case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.
KC Woman Sentenced for Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to file false tax returns, resulting in more than $180,000 in fraudulent refunds being issued.
Tanisha Williams, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Greg Kays to three years and five months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Williams to pay $182,410 in restitution to the government.
On Sept. 19, 2018, Williams pleaded guilty to filing a false claim with the IRS and wire fraud. Williams participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by helping in the filing of false income tax returns on behalf of others who claimed refunds to which they were not entitled. Her criminal conduct involved the fraudulent tax returns for four tax years (2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014) for 26 separate individuals. Williams’s scheme to defraud the IRS resulted in a significant loss to the government of $182,410.
At times, Williams recruited individuals to file federal income tax returns under their own names and Social Security numbers. At other times, Williams used stolen identity information to file federal income tax returns.
Fraudulent tax returns claimed bogus wages, fictitious tax withholdings, fraudulent dependents, and earned income credits. These fraudulent refunds would then be deposited onto pre-paid debit cards. Once the funds were deposited to the debit cards, the money was withdrawn as cash or the cards were utilized for personal expenses.
This case was prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
KC Tax Preparer Sentenced for $238,000 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., tax preparer was sentenced in federal court today for a wire fraud scheme in which she filed dozens of fraudulent tax returns that resulted in more than $238,000 in refunds being issued to individuals who were not entitled to receive them.
Onrea Knox-Lewis, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Knox-Lewis to pay $238,666 in restitution to the government.
On Sept. 26, 2018, Knox-Lewis pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Knox-Lewis, a self-employed tax return preparer, admitted that she filed income tax returns for the tax years 2012 through 2014 claiming false refunds. The fraudulent tax returns reported bogus wages, income tax withholdings and/or fraudulent dependents as well as the Earned Income Credit. In some instances, Knox-Lewis prepared and filed tax returns using stolen personal identification information.
After she filed the fraudulent tax returns over the internet, Knox-Lewis had the bogus refunds loaded onto prepaid debit cards; she utilized all, or in some cases only a portion, of the funds for her own personal expenses.
According to court documents, Knox-Lewis’s criminal conduct involved the fraudulent tax returns for three tax years (2012, 2013, and 2014) for 25 separate individuals. Her scheme resulted in $238,666 in refunds being issued to individuals who were not entitled to receive them.
In addition to this fraud scheme, according to court documents, Knox-Lewis has an extensive history of fraudulent activity, including forgery and identity theft.
This case was prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Justice Department Awards $8.4 Million to Support Native American Crime Victims in Ten StatesRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis joined the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) this week in announcing more than $8.4 million in grant awards to support crime victims in Native American communities in 10 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. The group of 17 awards is the fifth in a series of grants being made by OVC to American Indian and Alaska Native communities. OVC has now awarded more than $34 million of nearly $100 million to support tribal victim service programs.
The awards—63 in total so far—will fund critical crime victim services, such as counseling, transitional housing, emergency services and transportation. The grants are supported by the Crime Victims Fund, a repository of federal criminal fines, fees and special assessments. The fund includes zero tax dollars.
Two tribes in the District of Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene and the Shoshone-Bannock, were awarded grants totaling $1,127,748. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe received $478,504 to expand victim-centered services through a tribal healing and recovery program. Funding will support staff training, program and office supplies, transportation for victims, outreach and emergency assistance. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes received $649,244 to address four critical needs in existing programming, including shelter renovations to ensure safety and accessibility, trauma-informed case management, satellite victim service offices and expansion of services to vulnerable adults. Funding will support a case manager, domestic violence shelter and office space, program and office supplies, and emergency assistance.
“American Indian and Alaska Native communities face extensive public safety challenges, but through creative approaches that combine traditional methods with innovative solutions, they are demonstrating their determination to meet the needs of victims in their communities,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matt M. Dummermuth. “These grants, part of historic levels of funding awarded by the Department of Justice to American Indian and Alaska Native communities, will provide significant resources to bring critical services to those who suffer the effects of crime and violence.”
According to OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians and Alaska Natives experience violent crime at rates far greater than the general population.
“The Department of Justice and my office are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Bart Davis. “This increase in resources, together with aggressive federal and tribal investigations, shows how seriously the entire Department of Justice take these issues.”
“American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims continue to face challenges in accessing vital services and resources needed to help survivors address their trauma and navigate a complex system,” said OVC Director Darlene Hutchinson. “The Justice Department has made it a priority to partner with tribes to help victims and their families rebuild their lives in the aftermath of violence.”
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matt M. Dummermuth, provides federal leadership, grants and resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Jefferson County Felon Arrested for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 26-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been arrested for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown.
Bernard James Bell was arrested on Apr. 17, 2019, pursuant to a criminal complaint issued by the U.S. District Court charging him with felon in possession of a firearm. Bell appeared in federal court today on the charges.
According to information presented in court, on Apr. 11, 2019, law enforcement officers began investigating a homicide that occurred in Beaumont’s west end. On Apr. 14, 2019, investigators learned that Bell was provided a firearm that was used in connection with that homicide. After speaking with Bell, investigators recovered the firearm and determined that Bell had possessed it. Further investigation revealed Bell is a convicted felon having several convictions in Jefferson County, Texas in 2011 and 2012. As a convicted felon, Bell is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
If convicted, Bell faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
It is important to note that a complaint, arrest, or indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Japanese Investment Company Executives Extradited on Charges Relating to $1.5 Billion Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Japanese authorities have extradited to the United States two former executives of a Las Vegas, Nevada, investment company in connection with their alleged roles in a $1.5 billion Ponzi scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
Junzo Suzuki, 70, and Paul Suzuki, 40, who are father and son and are both Japanese nationals, were each charged in a July 2015 indictment filed in the District of Nevada with eight counts of mail fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. Japanese authorities arrested the Suzukis in January 2019 at the request of the United States, and extradited them to the United States on April 17. The Suzukis will make their initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach of the District of Nevada.
According to the indictment, Junzo Suzuki previously was executive vice president for Asia Pacific of MRI International (MRI), an investment company which was headquartered in Las Vegas and had an office in Japan. Paul Suzuki previously was the company’s general manager for Japan operations, based in Tokyo. MRI purportedly specialized in “factoring,” whereby the company purchased accounts receivable from medical providers at a discount, and then attempted to recover the entire amount, or at least more than the discounted amount, from the debtor.
According to allegations in the indictment, from at least 2009 to 2013, the Suzukis and their co-defendant Edwin Fujinaga, 72, of Las Vegas, fraudulently solicited investments from thousands of Japanese residents. When MRI collapsed, it allegedly owed investors over $1.5 billion. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Fujinaga and the Suzukis promised investors a series of interest payments that would accrue over the life of the investment and that would be paid out along with the face value of the investment at the conclusion of the investments’ duration. The defendants allegedly solicited investments by, among other things, promising investors that their investments would be used only for the purchase of medical accounts receivable (MARS) and by representing that investors funds would be managed and safeguarded by an independent third-party escrow company.
The indictment further alleges that MRI operated as a Ponzi scheme, in which the defendants used new investors’ money to pay prior investors’ maturing investments. According to the indictment, the defendants also allegedly used investors’ funds for purposes other than the purchase of MARS, including paying themselves sales commissions, subsidizing gambling habits, funding personal travel by private jet and other personal expenses.
In November 2018, after a five-week trial, Fujinaga was found guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering in connection with this Ponzi scheme. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 23, 2019.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez of the District of Nevada. The case was investigated by Assistant Chief Albert Stieglitz of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre of the District of Nevada.
The indictment contains allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent if and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendants’ extradition. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Services Agency of Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Justice also provided assistance.
Japanese Investment Company Executives Extradited on Charges Relating to $1.5 Billion Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Japanese authorities have extradited to the United States two former executives of a Las Vegas, Nevada investment company in connection with their alleged roles in a $1.5 billion Ponzi scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
Junzo Suzuki, 70, and Paul Suzuki, 40, who are father and son and are both Japanese nationals, were each charged in a July 2015 indictment filed in the District of Nevada with eight counts of mail fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. Japanese authorities arrested the Suzukis in January 2019 at the request of the United States, and extradited them to the United States on April 17. The Suzukis will make their initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach of the District of Nevada.
According to the indictment, Junzo Suzuki previously was executive vice president for Asia Pacific of MRI International (MRI), an investment company which was headquartered in Las Vegas and had an office in Japan. Paul Suzuki previously was the company’s general manager for Japan operations, based in Tokyo. MRI purportedly specialized in “factoring,” whereby the company purchased accounts receivable from medical providers at a discount, and then attempted to recover the entire amount, or at least more than the discounted amount, from the debtor.
According to allegations in the indictment, from at least 2009 to 2013, the Suzukis and their co-defendant Edwin Fujinaga, 72, of Las Vegas, fraudulently solicited investments from thousands of Japanese residents. When MRI collapsed, it allegedly owed investors over $1.5 billion. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Fujinaga and the Suzukis promised investors a series of interest payments that would accrue over the life of the investment and that would be paid out along with the face value of the investment at the conclusion of the investments’ duration. The defendants allegedly solicited investments by, among other things, promising investors that their investments would be used only for the purchase of medical accounts receivable (MARS) and by representing that investors funds would be managed and safeguarded by an independent third-party escrow company.
The indictment further alleges that MRI operated as a Ponzi scheme, in which the defendants used new investors’ money to pay prior investors’ maturing investments. According to the indictment, the defendants also allegedly used investors’ funds for purposes other than the purchase of MARS, including paying themselves sales commissions, subsidizing gambling habits, funding personal travel by private jet, and other personal expenses.
In November 2018, after a five-week trial, Fujinaga was found guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering in connection with his Ponzi scheme. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 23, 2019.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez of the District of Nevada. The case was investigated by Assistant Chief Albert Stieglitz of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre of the District of Nevada.
The indictment contains allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent if and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendants’ extradition. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Services Agency of Japan, and the Japanese Ministry of Justice also provided assistance.
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Harrisburg Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert L. Hayes, Sr., age 74, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 17, 2019, by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Hayes possessed images of prepubescent minors under the age of 12 years old on October 16, 2018 and November 20, 2018, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Hayes was on federal Supervised Release after pleading guilty to a similar federal child exploitation case in 2007.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Taylor is prosecuting 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
If convicted of this second offense, Hayes faces a mandatory minimum 10 years imprisonment. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Great Falls man sentenced to more than five years for meth possessionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A Great Falls man who admitted possessing methamphetamine for redistribution in Butte was sentenced today to 68 months in prison and to four of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Michael Joseph Jacobson, 57, pleaded guilty earlier to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The Russell Country Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations became aware of Jacobson during a 2015 investigation into a meth ring in Great Falls. In April 2017, investigators learned that the ring’s out-of-state supplier had shipped a large amount of meth to Great Falls and that Jacobson was going to meet a co-conspirator to get meth. Agents saw Jacobson meet with the co-conspirator and stopped his vehicle after the meeting. During a search of Jacobson’s vehicle, agents found numerous cell phones and $8,000 in two wallets seized from Jacobson. Agents also told Jacobson to remove meth they had seen him insert into his person. Meth seized from Jacobson totaled about 17.5 grams, which is about 140 doses. The investigation also determined that Jacobson typically picked up meth in Great Falls for redistribution in Butte.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force and HSI.
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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Glendive man sentenced to 12 years in prison for meth, firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Glendive man who admitted drug and firearm crimes after law enforcement found more than a pound of methamphetamine in his hotel room was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison and to five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
John Allen Wagner, 40, pleaded guilty in November to possession with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
Law enforcement arrested Wagner after Billings Police officers responded to a complaint call at a downtown Billings hotel on April 21, 2018. When no one answered the door at the room referred to in the complaint, a staff member entered followed by the officers, who saw drug paraphernalia. About that time, Wagner, who was staying in the room, came walking down the hall. Officers asked Wagner to stop, but he ran. Officers chased and eventually caught Wagner. After getting a search warrant, law enforcement found more than 500 grams, or a little more than pound, of meth in Wagner’s hotel room and a handgun in his vehicle. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by FBI task force.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Ghost Face Gangster sentenced to eight years in prison for firearms convictionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A former member of the Ghost Face Gangsters has become the first defendant to be sentenced as part of Operation Vanilla Gorilla.
Daniel Fleming, a/k/a “Baby Boy,” 32, of Ellabell, Ga., was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Stan Baker to 96 months in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In addition, Fleming will serve three years on supervised release after completion of his sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
A federal grand jury in November 2018 indicted Fleming and 42 other defendants as part of Operation Vanilla Gorilla, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation into a drug trafficking organization associated with the Ghost Face Gangsters, a violent, white supremacist street gang that originated in Georgia’s prisons. Of the 43 defendants, all but two have pled guilty to federal charges. Fleming was the first to be sentenced in this multi-district case.
According to information presented in court filings and in court, on April 16, 2018, in Bryan County, Fleming threatened his girlfriend with a firearm. She told him that she wanted him to move out of her home in Ellabell, Ga., and Fleming fired a round from a .38 caliber revolver into her vehicle while she was driving. He then threatened to kill the victim’s grandchildren if she reported the incident to police, and threatened to kill officers who responded to the scene.
As a convicted felon, Fleming was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He has a violent criminal history that spans more than a decade, including armed robbery of a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver, assaults on previous girlfriends and his own mother, and abuse of a dog that he left chained to a fence, gasping for air.
Fleming admitted being a Ghost Face Gangster, but claims to have quit the gang. The court ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to ensure that Fleming be housed apart from other Ghost Face Gangsters while he serves his federal sentence.
“Operation Vanilla Gorilla was an aggressive, multi-agency takedown of violent criminal street gangs, and Fleming’s tough sentence demonstrates that the prosecution of these defendants will remove them from our communities,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “More importantly, this operation sends an unmistakable signal to other criminals who would prey on our communities: We will find you; we will arrest you; and we will shut you down.”
“This is another example of how ATF and our law enforcement partners work together to remove violent criminals from our streets in an effort to make our communities a safer place to work and live,” said Lenwood S. Reeves, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Field Office of the ATF.
“As we continue to work in partnership with the federal authorities, we are highly pleased with the outstanding efforts and results of the task force in the Daniel Fleming case, and the continued efforts of the prosecuting attorneys in Operation Vanilla Gorilla,” said Mitch Shores, Chief of the Richmond Hill Police Department.
Operation Vanilla Gorilla was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The case was investigated by the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Chatham County Narcotics Team (CNT), the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Richmond Hill Police Department, the Pooler Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomingdale Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. and Frank Pennington.
Four More Charged in Ongoing Investigation of Widespread Identity Fraud in Central OhioRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Four additional defendants have been arrested and charged with using false or stolen Social Security numbers. Five other defendants were charged in March with illegally using Social Security numbers to lease cars and apartments and get approximately $200,000 of credit.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Tracey Thanos, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the charges.
This second round of charges includes:
- Jamellia Kibby, 35, of Columbus. Kibby runs a credit counseling company called LIFE, LLC (Living, Independent, Futures, Everyday, LLC) in Columbus. When interviewed about her work with a Columbus Police detective, she said, “I help people like if you had problems where you had fraud or something that happened to you with identity or with your credit, stuff like that, I help people with credit issues.”
Kibby allegedly used an alias, a fake identity and a child’s Social Security number to help cover up her criminal record when she applied for an apartment. It is also alleged that she opened a bank account and leased an SUV under the false identity as well.
- William Lawson, 33, of Columbus. Lawson allegedly used four different Social Security numbers – each of which belongs to a real person – to finance seven cars totaling more than $150,000.
- Kimberly Hudson, 33, of Columbus. Hudson also allegedly used a Social Security number belonging to a real person to finance vehicles. It is alleged that Hudson used the identity illegally to finance three cars totaling more than $50,000.
- Shaniqua Coleman, 29 of Columbus. It is alleged that Coleman used an alias, a false ID, and a child’s Social Security number to open a bank account, borrow money and finance an SUV.
Each of the vehicles in these cases were leased or purchased at Columbus-area dealerships.
The first set of criminal complaints charged the following five central Ohio residents:
Tommy Edwards Jr., 28, allegedly used three fake Social Security numbers – including two numbers belonging to children – and other fake identity documents to lease a car and three apartments in the Columbus area in 2016 through 2018.
Kiara Mitchell, 28, was charged with using a Social Security number belonging to a child to rent an apartment in Groveport.
Isaiah Burnley, 19, allegedly used false Social Security numbers and forged paycheck stubs to rent apartments in 2018.
Wayne Hamler, 34, allegedly used a forged Social Security card to lease a car in 2018.
China Hester, 36, used a fake Social Security number to rent an apartment in the Columbus area in 2018.
The complaints also allege that Edwards, Mitchell, Burnley and Hamler used the false documents to get almost $200,000 in loans and credit cards.
False representation of a Social Security number is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service and the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, Columbus Division of Police and Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, who is representing the United States in all of the cases.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Fort Thompson Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual Contact.
Roland Hawk, Sr., age 50, was indicted on April 9, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 16, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on August 16, November 1, and November 30, 2018, Hawk knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with an individual by the use of force. The Indictment further alleges that between August 1, and December 31, 2018, Hawk knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual contact with the individual to abuse, humiliate, and degrade that person, or to arouse and gratify his own sexual desire without consent of the individual.
The charges are merely accusations and Hawk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Hawk was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Assaulting VictimRead the Press Release
PHOENIX– On April 15, 2019, Corey Slinkey, 42 of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was sentenced by District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 46 months’ imprisonment. Slinkey had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
In August 2017, Slinkey intentionally struck and wounded the victim of the assault with a tent pole. The victim was pregnant at the time. Both Slinkey and the victim are members of the Navajo Nation.
Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-8240-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-055_Slinkey
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Former St. Joseph Scout Leader Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former St. Joseph, Mo., Boy Scout leader was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Michael R. Goeller, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Goeller to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.
Goeller, who pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2018, served as an assistant scout master with the Boy Scouts of America at the time of his arrest. In 2005, Goeller was employed as a counselor by the Marillac Center of Kansas City, a facility that provides youth services and community outreach. He was also previously employed as a counselor at the Family Guidance Center in St. Joseph, working with at risk youth.
The investigation began on Feb. 15, 2017, when a law enforcement officer in Arkansas downloaded a video file that contained child pornography through a peer-to-peer file-sharing network that was later linked to Goeller’s computer.
On Sept. 20, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Goeller’s apartment and seized a laptop computer and other digital electronic devices and digital media storage devices. Goeller admitted to officers that he used his laptop to access pornographic websites to obtain images and videos of nude children, ranging from 10 to 15 years old.
Investigators conducted a forensic examination of the devices seized from Goeller and found approximately 60 images and more than 60 videos of child pornography. Investigators also determined that Goeller was a distributor of child pornography who knowingly shared images and videos with others by utilizing a file-sharing network.
After the completion of the search warrant, the affidavit says, investigators learned that Goeller had made contact with a local priest to confess to child pornography having been found on his computer. Goeller also immediately resigned as an assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America due to his interaction with this criminal investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI.Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Former Sheriff of Tallahatchie County Sentenced to Federal Prison for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
OXFORD – The former Sheriff of Tallahatchie County was sentenced to six years in federal prison on Thursday for agreeing to allow robbery of a drug dealer and drug distribution in Tallahatchie County in exchange for bribes. William Brewer, 58, appeared before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills in Oxford for sentencing following his guilty plea for extorting a bribe, and Mills imposed the 72-month sentence. In addition, Brewer was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison and to forfeit $42,500. Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Division and William C. Lamar, US Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, made the announcement following the sentence.
Evidence showed that a source cooperating with the FBI who was known by Brewer to sell drugs in Tallahatchie County, informed Brewer of plans to rob another drug dealer of drugs and money. Brewer did nothing to oppose the actions of the individual and the individual delivered $6,500 cash to Brewer at his residence in Tallahatchie County on June 21, 2018, representing that the cash was money obtained from robbing the drug dealer. On two subsequent occasions, the individual delivered additional payments to Brewer’s residence representing that they were proceeds from the sale of the stolen drugs. The evidence established that Brewer accepted a total of $10,000 in bribes over a two-month period.
In August of 2018, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Brewer with multiple counts of extortion by bribe, and a single count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics. On October 30, 2018, Brewer pled guilty to count three of the indictment in exchange of dismissal of the remaining counts and faced not more than 20 years in prison.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze emphasized the importance of investigating and holding accountable corrupt law enforcement officials. "When corrupt law enforcement officers, especially an elected sheriff, participate in the crimes they are sworn to protect against, it degrades the public trust of law enforcement everywhere," said SAC Freeze. "Public corruption continues to be the FBI's top criminal priority, because it tears at the fabric of our democracy."
Following the sentence, U.S. Attorney William Lamar noted that Brewer’s actions were not only illegal, but a betrayal of the citizens he was sworn to serve. “William Brewer violated his oath, dishonoring himself, his badge, and every honest lawman who wears a badge. The citizens of our state and Tallahatchie County deserved better and we hope that today’s sentence will emphasize the commitment of this office to hold accountable elected officials who would so blatantly betray the public’s trust,” remarked Lamar.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Oxford Resident Agency and prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.
Former Medical Practice Office Manager Charged with Stealing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Kristy Brucz, 33, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with obtaining controlled substances by fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between 2015 and March 28, 2018, the defendant was an employee and office manager for a local physician (Physician-1). In that position, Brucz obtained control of the New York State issued controlled substance electronic prescribing hard token (prescribing token) and its related passwords. The defendant then issued 166 fraudulent controlled substance prescriptions—either in her own name or the name of 12 fictitious or unwitting participants—totaling 11,885 dosage units. In addition, the defendant utilized 25 different pharmacies to receive the prescriptions, and used a variety of payment methods including insurance, cash, Medicaid, Medicare, and prescription coupons. The prescriptions included alprazolam, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and phentermine.
The defendant’s scheme was discovered in March of 2018, as Brucz attempted to fill a prescription at Rite Aid Pharmacy. The pharmacist questioned the legitimacy of the prescription and contacted the physician for whom defendant worked. That inquiry ultimately led to the discovery of defendant’s fraud and led to her being fired from her position at Physician-1's office.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Former Medical Doctor and His Business Partner Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for $7.1 Million Medicare Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A former medical doctor and his business partner were sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in prison for their individual roles in a $7.1 million Medicare health care fraud scheme that occurred at three Las Vegas hospice and home healthcare agencies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Camilo Q. Primero, 76, of San Dimas, California, and Aurora S. Beltran, 63, of Glendora, California, each pleaded guilty conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced each defendant to three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay a criminal forfeiture money judgment of $2,492,627. The defendants agreed to make full restitution in the amount of $2,492,627 to the United States.
From about January 2012 to about July 2017, Primero, a former medical doctor and owner of Angel Eye Hospice, Vision Home Health Care, and Advent Hospice, all in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Beltran, Primero’s business partner, operated a scheme to fraudulently obtain $7.1 million from the Medicare program. They filed false enrollment documents with Medicare to enable Primero to operate hospice and home care agencies through nominees despite his prior exclusion from all federal health care programs. Furthermore, they submitted fraudulent hospice care claims for people who were not terminally ill and did not require hospice care.
Primero and Beltran were previously convicted in California state court for defrauding that state’s insurance system in relation to another business named Beltran House, a residential care facility for disabled adults.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with assistance from IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns prosecuted the case.
You can report suspected Medicare fraud by calling HHS-OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or online at https://forms.oig.hhs.gov/hotlineoperations/report-fraud-form.aspx.
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Former Coschocton Public Housing Director Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling HUD FundsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gregory J. Darr, 65, of Coshocton, formerly the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Coshocton Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling more than $431,000 from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Coshocton County Sheriff Timothy L. Rogers, Richmond County, Ga. Sheriff Richard Roundtree and Kimberly Cheatle, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Atlanta; announced the sentence handed down today by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
“Judge Sargus’ sentence included a requirement that Darr repay taxpayers the $431,668.45 he embezzled and that he remain under court supervision for three more years,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The sentence takes into account that Darr not only embezzled the money, but that he attempted to cover-up and obstruct investigators, abusing his position of public trust,”
Darr pleaded guilty on September 4, 2018 to conspiring to embezzle money from the United States. His plea was the result of a joint federal-state investigation into public corruption and embezzlement of funds from CMHA. The agency received federal HUD money each year to provide housing to low-income households.
Darr served as the Executive Director of the CMHA Resident Council, even though he had also been serving as the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of CMHA since 2001. Federal regulations prohibited him from serving in the resident council leadership capacity or from benefitting financially from the council.
Beginning in January 2012 and continuing through September 2017, Darr repeatedly embezzled money from both the CMHA and the Resident Council operating accounts for his own personal gain and for the gain of co-defendant Eric L. Blackwell, 54, of Coshocton.
Darr used the money for, among other things, restaurant bills, out-of-state expenses made in connection with real-estate ventures he co-owned with Blackwell, home improvements made to properties that he or Blackwell owned, and a marina slip and lot rental at Spend-a-Day Marina on Indian Lake, where he and Blackwell maintained a boat and mobile home.
While on the clock with CMHA, Darr routinely traveled to Georgia to manage his investment properties, all while being paid by CMHA to manage the agency’s day-to-day operations in Coshocton. He and Blackwell also improperly used CMHA office space and supplies to operate their joint business ventures.
In August 2017, Darr learned of a federal investigation into his unlawful activities when agents with the HUD Office of Inspector General executed search warrants at CMHA. He thereafter took steps to willfully obstruct and impede the investigation, by falsifying resident council meeting notes and attempting to conceal records relevant to the investigation.
Relatedly, Darr and Blackwell falsified claims to obtain monthly housing assistance payments on behalf of purported tenants who never actually resided in a housing project managed by the two defendants in Augusta, Ga.
Blackwell also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.
“Today’s sentence proves our continuing resolve to root out fraud and corruption in all forms, particularly when the programs involved should have been used to help our neediest families,” said HUD OIG Special Agent in Charge Geary. “It is our continuing core mission to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our housing programs and to take strong action against those who seek to personally benefit from them.”
“Dollars that were supposed to help families achieve the basic need of a roof over their heads instead were used by this guy to line his own pockets via his rental properties,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Today’s much-deserved sentence is the product of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies joining forces to take down a corrupt public official who preyed on the unprotected.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by federal and local law enforcement in Ohio and Georgia, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Noah R. Litton and J. Michael Marous, who represented the United States in this case.
If you have information related to public housing corruption, please email [email protected] or call 1-800-347-3735.
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Former Airport Contractor Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal over $100,000 from the Wayne County Airport AuthorityRead the Press Release
Douglas Earles, 60, of White Lake pleaded guilty to conspiring with co-defendant, James Warner, a field inspector at the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), to steal over $100,000 from the airport between June of 2010 and August of 2013, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Timothy Slater, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General.
Earles, who owned and operated North Star Water Management and North Star Plumbing, companies which entered into contracts for plumbing installation and maintenance at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, participated in a scheme in which Warner, posing as Earles, would draft and submit fraudulently-inflated invoices for work which Earles purportedly performed at the airport. Some of the invoices Warner submitted on Earles’s behalf listed parts that Earles had not in fact replaced or repairs that Earles had not in fact performed. Upon payment by the WCAA to Earles, Earles would kickback roughly 40 per cent of the profits to Warner. This scheme is similar to the theft and bribery conspiracy that Warner engaged in with William Pritula, who pleaded guilty last July to paying over $5 million in kickbacks to Warner for pavement and hydrant repairs and maintenance at the airport.
Thus far, law enforcement has seized $11.4 million in criminal proceeds related to this investigation, including $7.5 million from Pritula and $3.9 million from Warner.
The theft charge to which Earles has pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
Warner’s trial is scheduled for May.
United States Attorney Schneider stated, “Today’s guilty plea signifies another step forward in dismantling this massive fraud and bribery scheme that stole millions of dollars from the WCAA.”
“The crime to which Mr. Earles pleaded guilty is part of a pattern of corrupt and illegal conduct by a WCAA high-level manager and contractors who were hired to improve the infrastructure at the airport,” said SAC Slater. “The case also highlights the FBI's Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force's commitment to investigating corruption in settings outside of city government. I would encourage anyone who has information about corruption in any setting to contact the FBI.”
"This investigation demonstrates that entities wishing to do business with the Federal government on transportation infrastructure projects will be held accountable for maintaining the highest level of integrity," said Andrea M. Kropf, DOT-OIG Regional Special Agent-in-Charge. "Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts in preventing, detecting and prosecuting infrastructure fraud."
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Transportation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eaton P. Brown, Paul Kuebler, and R. Michael Bullotta
Fifth Defendant Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars of Drug Proceeds for Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Larry Casper (619) 546-6734
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 18, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Gibran Rodriguez-Mejia of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty today to international money laundering in connection with his operation of a currency exchange house that received the proceeds of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin smuggled into the United States by the Sinaloa Cartel. Rodriguez, who was extradited from Mexico to San Diego in September 2018, is the fifth defendant in this case to enter a guilty plea.
Through his plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted to laundering $3.5 million in drug proceeds. He coordinated with couriers, primarily located in Southern California, who smuggled the bulk U.S. currency from the United States to Mexico. Rodriguez also admitted that he arranged for currency to be smuggled to an exchange house in Tijuana, Mexico owned and operated by co-defendant Cesar Hernandez-Martinez, who also recently entered a guilty plea in the case. After the money was converted to Mexican pesos, Mejia provided financial accounts in Mexico into which the money was deposited for the benefit of the Mexican-based cartel drug traffickers.
In addition to the five defendants in this case, approximately twenty other individuals have entered guilty pleas and been sentenced previously in related cases.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mitchell D. Dembin. Rodriguez will be sentenced on July 8 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez. Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $7 million (twice the value of the funds involved). Three other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in this case and been sentenced (Omar Ayon-Diaz; Osvaldo Contreras-Arriaga; and Joel Acedo-Ojeda) and another (Cesar Hernandez-Martinez) entered his guilty plea on April 4, 2019 and will be sentenced on July 8, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Benitez.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence A. Casper of the Southern District of California and Senior Trial Counsel Mark A. Irish of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendant’s extradition. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working together in this matter with the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
DEFENDANT Case Number 15-cr-950
Gibran Rodriguez-Mejia Age: 31 Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Hernandez-Martinez
Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h).
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $500,000 fine or twice the value of the funds involved.
Prior Guilty Pleas and Sentences
Joel Acedo-Ojeda: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); sentenced to 135 months custody and $20,000 fine.
Omar Ayon-Diaz: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); sentenced to 120 months custody and $15,000 fine.
Osvaldo Contreras-Arriaga: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to import cocaine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963; sentenced to 132 months custody and $1,000 fine.
Cesar Hernandez-Martinez: Pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit International Money Laundering, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(2)(B)(i) and (h); will be sentenced on July 8, 2019.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Federal, State and Local Authorities Arrest Seven San Antonio Eastside Bloods Gang Members and Associates on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
In San Antonio and Austin this morning, federal, state and local authorities arrested seven members and associates of the Bloods gang on federal and state drug trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Houston Division; Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales; San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Arrested today include: Deuandre Jermore Williams, age 31 of San Antonio; Justin Tremayne Wooley, age 28 of Austin; Derek Deshon Williams, age 42 of Austin; Andre Jarrell Williams, age 32 of San Antonio; Marshall Lee Braddy, age 38 of San Antonio; and, Darrial Gene Carter, age 33 of Austin. Cynthia Corina Valdez, age 26 of San Antonio, remains a fugitive in this case.
A ten-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges these seven defendants, plus three other individuals who were already in custody prior to today—Johnny Earl Hughes, age 40 of Austin; Freddie Lee Scott, age 28 of San Antonio, and Salvador Barrios Mesas, age 38 of Austin—with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, “crack” cocaine, and/or methamphetamine. According to court records, the defendants, led by Deuandre Williams, allegedly distributed narcotics provided by Austin suppliers throughout San Antonio’s eastside since June 2016. The indictment also charges defendants with substantive drug trafficking charges—Justin Wooley with five; Deuandre Williams and Andre Williams with three; Derek Williams with two; and, Marshal Braddy, Cynthia Valdez, Freddy Scott, Darrial Carter, Johnny Hughes and Salvador Barrios-Mesas with one. Upon conviction, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison, or between five and 40 years in federal prison, depending on the amount of narcotics involved.
During today’s arrests, authorities seized a total of nine firearms, approximately 20 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine pills and quantities of cocaine and marijuana. Authorities also seized a significant, but undetermined, amount of U.S. Currency.
“Today’s operation marks a major strike in the battle against gangs in San Antonio. Ensuring that our streets are safe for every child, no matter where he or she lives, is the most important social-justice issue of our time. I am grateful to the DEA and our many other law-enforcement partners. I am also grateful to the Governor’s office for backing the important Texas Anti-Gang Center in San Antonio. It’s making a real difference,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
Authorities also arrested Henry Cochran, age 31 of San Antonio, this morning without incident. Cochran, Deuandre Williams and five other San Antonio Bloods gang members were indicted today by a state grand jury in Bexar County on charges including engaging in organized criminal activity, felon in possession, manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and evading with a vehicle. The other five include: Daveion Zacharie, age 22; Anthony Sanks, age 29; Trevon Campbell, age 25; Leon Smith, age 31; and, Quonta Newes, age 32.
“For too long, residents of San Antonio’s East Side have lived in fear of gang members like those arrested this morning that have sold drugs and committed violent crimes with no regard for the safety of the innocent. We stand with our partners in this collaborative effort to continue to protect all the citizens of Bexar County,” said Bexar County District Attorney Gonzales.
“Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Glaspy. “DEA, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in San Antonio, Austin and throughout Texas, will continue to coordinate and work closely together so that our citizens have that sense of security. We will aggressively target and relentlessly pursue those individuals who jeopardize our neighborhoods through violence, intimidation, and the distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs.”
These federal and state charges resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by members of the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Center in San Antonio including, the DEA, FBI, San Antonio Police Department’s Gang Unit, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Also assisting in this investigation and today’s arrests include: the Bastrop Police Department, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Police Department, Leon Valley Police Department, Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, Medina County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio Airport Police and Garden Ridge Police Department.
The purpose of the TAG Center in San Antonio is to provide a one-stop information sharing environment, between federal, state and local law enforcement to combat and target gang violence in and around San Antonio. The goal is to disrupt the command and control of criminal gangs through prevention, intervention, and suppression of their unlawful enterprises. Since its initiation in January 2018, the TAG Center’s collaborative efforts and investigations conducted by the participating agencies collectively affected 375 total arrests. 294 arrests were gang members; 250 were felonies; and 44 misdemeanors. In addition 376 weapons were taken off the streets with the arrests of these gang members.
Today, the TAG Center in San Antonio is launching a new website in order to increase awareness of gang violence. Go to www.stopsanantoniogangs.org to learn more about the TAG Center in San Antonio and ways area citizens can make their community safer.
“I am confident that the Texas Anti-Gang Center in San Antonio will play an important role in the fight against violent crime and gang activity in Texas,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “This center will serve as a point of collaboration for law enforcement to dismantle criminal enterprises in San Antonio and put gang members behind bars. I remain committed to working with law enforcement to ensure a safe and secure future for the Lone Star State.”
“Gangs pose a significant threat to public safety, not only because of their penchant for violence and crime, but also their associations with ruthless Mexican cartels and other criminal organizations,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We are thankful for the governor’s leadership in expanding the Texas Anti-Gang centers across the state, and through this important initiative, we are bolstering our ability to protect Texans and combat violent gangs in the San Antonio area by working closely with our fellow law enforcement partners.”
The principal mission of the 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.