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Wednesday 6 March 2019
Two Luzerne County Men Plead Guilty to Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 28, 2019, Gerald Pambianco, age 29, of Plains Township, Pennsylvania, and Derek Spaide, age 26, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to armed robbery of the Luzerne National Bank in Plains Township.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Pambianco and Spaide admitted to the armed bank robbery and brandishing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence of the Luzerne National Bank in Plains Township on May 16, 2018. Pambianco and Spaide traveled to the Luzerne National Bank, where Spaide placed a t-shirt over his face, entered the bank, pointed a rifle at a bank employee and demanded money. Approximately $8,204 was taken in the robbery. Spaide then entered a vehicle driven by Pambianco, who drove away from the bank and engaged in a high-speed vehicle chase with police.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Plains Township Police Department, and the Hanover Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017, as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for the armed bank robbery charge under federal law is 25 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to any other sentence. 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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Two Eagle Butte Men Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Eagle Butte, South Dakota, men convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Aiding and Abetting, have been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Andrew Good Eagle, age 19, was sentenced on February 22, 2019, to 27 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Christian Marshall, age 27, was sentenced on March 4, 2019, to 63 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Good Eagle and Marshall were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2019. Marshall plead guilty on November 30, 2018, and Good Eagle plead guilty on December 7, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 6, 2018, when Marshall and Good Eagle assaulted the victim – who was inside a tent - by punching him, kicking with him shod feet, and striking him with a piece of metal rebar multiple times. The victim sustained three lacerations on his head, which were nine inches in length. The lacerations required a total 57 staples/sutures to close. The victim also sustained a fractured kneecap and a broken finger.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Marshall and Good Eagle were both immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Drug Defendants Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va.—United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that two defendants were sentenced on drug charges in federal court in Beckley. Jacqueline Pauley, 29, of Sophia, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine, and Darla Reed, 40, of Alderson, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
“A little advice to meth dealers - get out of my district or I’ll do my best to lock you up as long as possible,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “In partnership with drug and violent crime task forces through the district and my law enforcement partners, we are prosecuting meth dealers at a record clip. Convicted meth dealers get the amenities of a small cell, no turn down service, and no chocolate on the pillow.”
Jacqueline Pauley pled guilty in November, admitting that on June 13, 2018, she assisted her husband, Adam Pauley, in the distribution of about an ounce of methamphetamine to Reed at Sam Black Church in Greenbrier County. Reed also pled guilty in November, and admitted that she intended to distribute some of the methamphetamine which she obtained from Jacqueline Pauley. Adam Pauley pled guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He is to be sentenced on May 16.
This case was investigated by the Greenbrier County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John File. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences.
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Thomas Lawton Evans Jr. Sentenced to Three Consecutive Life Terms in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Thomas Lawton Evans, Jr., 38, of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in federal prison after pleading guilty to Kidnapping Involving a Person Under the Age of 18, Transportation of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Person under the age of Twelve. United States District Court Judge David Norton of Charleston imposed the sentence.
Facts presented to the court established that Evans followed a family into their Johns Island, South Carolina, home on February 13, 2018, then brutally assaulted and injured an adult resident. As she was assaulted, the resident told her four-year-old daughter to run, and the four-year-old hid in an upstairs bedroom, where she attempted to also hide her two-year-old brother. Evans went upstairs and kidnapped the four-year-old, placing her in the trunk of his car. He then drove with the girl through South Carolina and Georgia and into Alabama, where he was located by the Riverside Police Department. Riverside Police Department Chief Rick Oliver was able to separate the young girl from Evans before Evans sped away in a car. Evans was arrested later the same day in Jackson, Mississippi, after a police pursuit.
“Thomas Evans’ attack on this family was a random, evil act,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “But it would be the last random act in the story. For there would be nothing random about the excellent work of the FBI and Charleston Police Department that followed; nothing random about the police chief in Riverside, Alabama, who was determined to help; nothing random about a justice system that affords a defendant due process; and nothing random about prosecutors who hold individuals accountable for their violence. Everyone came together with a sense of purpose to make sure this story ended well. Our office will forever be amazed by this family’s strength and resilience.”
The convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Williams and Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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Syracuse Felon Sentenced for Possessing a Loaded Handgun; Pointed Gun at Police OfficerRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nahshon Nance, age 21, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 46 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, in connection with his plea of guilty to possessing a .45 caliber revolver as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner.
On May 21, 2018 at 11:33 pm, Syracuse Police responded to an Onondaga County 911 dispatch for a physical domestic dispute involving a firearm at an apartment complex located at 111 Smith Lane, Syracuse. Upon arrival, Police Officer Thomas Miller interviewed the female victim who advised her boyfriend, Nahshon Nance, had threatened her with a pistol, punched her in the face, and stolen her cell phone, before departing her apartment. Syracuse Police began searching the area for Nance. A short time later, the victim saw Nahshon Nance in a nearby part of the apartment complex and pointed him out to police. Officer Miller began a foot pursuit of Nahshon Nance inside this building. As Officer Miller looked around the corner in a hallway, he saw Nance pointing a large framed, silver colored Smith and Wesson .45 caliber revolver at him. Officer Miller yelled for the defendant to drop the firearm. Nance turned and fled down the hallway with Officer Miller in pursuit, at which time the defendant ran into a partially open door, causing him to fall to the ground and drop the loaded pistol. Nance regained his feet and fled down the hallway, leaving the pistol on the floor where Officer Miller secured it. Moments later, other Syracuse Police Officers arrested Nance as he attempted to flee.
At the time of his arrest, Nahshon Nance was under parole supervision for a previous New York State drug felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Syracuse Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in cooperation with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Carjacking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Michael Corey Williams, Jr., 32, St. Louis, was sentenced to 123 months in prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence. He appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White.
According to court documents, on June 25, 2016, officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department ("SLMPD") responded to the Stadium West Garage located at 800 Clark Avenue for a robbery. Upon arrival, officers spoke with victims A.W. and K.N. The victims advised that after entering A.W.'s vehicle, two white males exited a Ford F-150 that was parked to the right of A.W.'s 2010 Audi S5. Co-defendant Christopher White ("White") approached the driver's side and pointed a small revolver at A.W., demanded his keys, and ordered him out of the vehicle and onto the ground. Michael Corey Williams, Jr. approached K.N. on the passenger side, demanded her purse, and ordered her to the ground. After White was unable to operate the vehicle, Williams re-entered the Ford F-150 and fled the scene. White fled on foot. Officers were able to track K.N. 's phone to the intersection of South 7th Street and Cerre Street in downtown St. Louis where they located the Ford F-150 unoccupied. The Ford F-150, in which officers located various stolen items, bore stolen North Carolina plates on top of the original Arkansas license plates. Officers then determined the Ford F-150 had been stolen out of West Memphis, Arkansas, on June 20, 2016. Williams’ fingerprints were located on the driver's door of the Ford F-150. Williams’ and White's DNA were located on various items found inside the Ford F-150. During the attempted carjacking of the Audi, Williams admitted that he intended to cause death or serious bodily injury, if necessary, to steal the Audi. Williams further admitted that he aided and abetted co-defendant White's possession of a firearm in furtherance of the attempted carjacking.
Co-defendant Christopher White is scheduled for sentencing on May 15, 2019.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and assisted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Six Nursing Home Employees Indicted for Controlled Substance OffensesRead the Press Release
Defendants are accused of diverting drugs from nursing home residents
DES MOINES, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that six nursing home employees have been indicted for controlled substance offenses committed in the course of their employment at nursing home facilities.
• Arminda Cruickshank, age 36, of Osceola, was charged with three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and three counts of false statements related to health care matters. The indictment alleges Cruickshank fraudulently obtained Oxycodone pills from residents at Calvin Community and Valley View Village nursing homes in Des Moines and diverted them for her own use. Cruickshank has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Katie Christine Howard, age 31, of Des Moines, was charged with two counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and two counts of false statements related to health care matters. The indictment alleges Howard fraudulently obtained Oxycodone and Hydrocodone pills from residents at University Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Des Moines and diverted them for her own use. Howard pleaded guilty to two offenses on February 11, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18, 2019, by United States Senior District Court Judge James E. Gritzner.
• Samantha Anne Mills, age 29, of Des Moines, was charged with three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge. The indictment alleges Mills removed Fentanyl patches from nursing home residents and diverted the medication for her own use. Mills pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Alicia Danielle Swenson, age 32, of Des Moines, was charged with three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and three counts of false statements related to health care matters. The indictment alleges Swenson fraudulently obtained Hydrocodone pills from residents at Carlisle Center for Wellness and Rehabilitation and diverted them for her own use. Swenson pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Barbara Jean Tindall, age 47, formerly of Keosauqua, was charged with two counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and three counts of false statements relating to health care matters. The indictment alleges Tindall fraudulently obtained Oxycodone and Hydrocodone pills from residents at the Keosauqua Health Care Center and Savannah Heights in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and diverted them for her own use. Tindall pleaded not guilty to the charges.
• Christine Renee Weilbrenner, age 30, of Ankeny, was charged with one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and one count of possession of a controlled substance. The indictment alleges Weilbrenner fraudulently obtained Tramadol pills from residents of The Bridges at Ankeny and diverted them for her own use. Weilbrenner pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
The possible penalties for acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge is up to four years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The potential penalties for false statements relating to health care matters is up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
These matters were investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. These cases are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Abuse Initiative.Shreveport man pleads guilty to possessing pistol after investigation into drug activityRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Christopher W. Chatman, 37, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced.
According to the guilty plea, the Caddo/Shreveport Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on January 18, 2018 at the home where Chatman lived after the Shreveport Police had conducted an investigation on illegal drug activity at the residence. Officers found three firearms, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, MDMA, packaging material, digital scales and mail addressed to Chatman at that address. Chatman admitted that the .40-caliber Berretta pistol, model: PX4 Storm belonged to him. Under federal law, as a convicted felon, Chatman is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Chatman faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Judge Hicks set the sentencing date for June 13, 2019.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The ATF, Caddo/Shreveport Narcotics Task Force and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
Russian Woman Convicted of Parental Kidnapping, ExtortionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A jury returned guilty verdicts today in the federal trial of a Russian-born woman accused of unlawfully taking her child out of the United States and keeping the child away from the child’s father in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Bogdana Alexandrovna Mobley, 38, was found guilty on one count of international parental kidnapping and two counts of attempting to extort money from the child’s father.
During trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that in April 2014 Mobley took a child of hers (identified as S.M. in court records) to Russia despite the fact the biological father, Brian Mobley, had been awarded joint custody in Sedgwick County District Court. At the time, the Mobleys had a pending divorce case before the court. The defendant did not obtain the permission of the court or Brian Mobley before going to Russia with the child. The child still has not returned to the United States.
Between April 2014 and November 2016, the defendant only permitted Brian Mobley to communicate with S.M. via cell phones and Skype applications. She told Brian Mobley that he needed to send her money in order to see the child.
Sentencing is set for May 20. She faces up to three years in federal prison on the kidnapping charge and up to 20 years on the extortion counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
Rogers Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Jose Wilfredo Morales-Carpio, age 27, of Rogers, Arkansas was sentenced today to 91 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole followed by five years of supervised release for one count of Receiving Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in July of 2018, officers with the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that at least 3 image files of child pornography were uploaded to Facebook by an individual residing in Rogers, Arkansas. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Rogers residence of Morales-Carpio. A subsequent forensic examination of multiple devices seized as evidence revealed numerous images of child pornography. Law enforcement also located and interviewed Morales-Carpio who admitted to utilizing an internet based application called “WhatsApp,” to obtain child pornography.
Morales-Carpio was indicted in August 2018 on federal charges and plead guilty in November 2018.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.
Ridgeview Man Sentenced for Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Ridgeview, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on March 5, 2019, by U.S. District Court Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Ryun Bowker, age 27, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bowker was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 24, 2017. He pled guilty on September 24, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 17, 2016, when Bowker, who was employed as a corrections officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe at the time, transported an inmate to the Indian Health Services for a concussion she sustained during a fight. During the transportation on the way back to the jail, Bowker told the individual to get to the back seat of the vehicle, and at which time Bowker attacked the individual and sexually abused the victim without her consent.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Bowker was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for ATM Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Yanier Manso-Caballero (30, Miami) to four years and six months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $53,567.78, the proceeds of the criminal conduct.
Manso pleaded guilty on December 5, 2018.
According to court documents, on at least 11 different occasions between January and March 30, 2018, Manso placed skimming devices on Chase Bank ATMs in the Tampa Bay area including, ATMs in Tampa, Valrico, and Largo. Chase Bank provided law enforcement with ATM surveillance video of Manso attaching the skimmers. In some of the videos, Manso disguised himself with hats, wigs, and/or a beard. Manso typically applied a skimmer to the drive-through ATMs from his vehicle. He left the skimmer in place for approximately one to two hours and then returned to the ATMs and removed the skimmer, again from his vehicle. Manso also used a mirror camera, which he placed on the ATMs, in order to capture customers’ PIN information. According to Chase Bank, hundreds of customers who used the ATMs that Manso had tampered with had their bank account information intercepted, compromised, and used to make purchases without their knowledge and consent.
Investigators determined that at least 167 accounts had been compromised during the periods when Manso had placed the skimmers. In addition, approximately 92 counterfeit and unauthorized access devices were located on Manso’s iPhone and in his vehicle. At the time of these offenses, Manso was on federal supervised release stemming from a 2010 credit card fraud and identity theft conviction in the Southern District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Real Estate Broker Sentenced in Orlando-Area Mortgage SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Geo Geovanni (50, Moultrie, GA) to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $56,984.34, the proceeds of the fraud scheme. A federal jury found Geovanni guilty on November 29, 2018.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Geovanni worked as a real estate broker who owned his own brokerage firm based in Orlando. Between May and August 2008, Geovanni sold condominium units at The Landing, located in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Geovanni engaged in a conspiracy to conceal from mortgage lenders sales incentives that he provided to the buyers. These undisclosed incentives included making the buyers’ down payments and paying kickbacks after closing. As a result of his actions, Geovanni helped cause the loss of approximately $736,000 to the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac), and JP Morgan Chase Bank when the mortgages involved in the fraudulent transactions went into foreclosure.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Poor and Joseph Capone.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over 22 Years in Federal Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Lorenzo Dyrell Hickman, 32, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, to 270 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Hickman was charged in a single count indictment on May 2, 2018, and pled guilty on November 2, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Hickman was responsible for the distribution of kilograms of methamphetamine in the Philadelphia, Mississippi area. He also was convicted in Georgia of possessing a kilogram of cocaine that was destined for distribution in Mississippi.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed "Operation Highlife", which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in east central Mississippi area that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the states of California, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
"Methamphetamine has devastated countless communities due to the dramatic health and public safety consequences that typically accompany its introduction into an area," said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. "Today’s sentencing stems from an extensive HSI effort with its federal, state and local partners to dismantle a drug trafficking organization that decimated parts of Mississippi and Alabama with cocaine and other narcotics smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. This operation is a testament to the seamless partnership between HSI, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we are thankful for their assistance as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ to improve the lives of law-abiding residents throughout Mississippi and Alabama."
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This OCDETF case is a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Assisting agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisville Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol and the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Parker Man Convicted of First Degree Murder, Burglary, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On March 5, 2019, Mickey Roy Anderson, Sr., 30, of Parker, Ariz., and a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, was convicted by a jury of first degree murder, burglary of a residential structure, and use of a firearm during crimes of violence by a federal jury in Phoenix. The case was tried before U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes, and Anderson will be sentenced on May 20, 2019.
The evidence at trial showed that on Jan. 23, 2014, Anderson walked into the victim’s home, stood a few feet from the victim and shot her in the face. The victim died almost instantly. Anderson was angry with the victim for purchasing drugs from another drug dealer in the community. The victim was also a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the murder happened on the Colorado River Indian Reservation.
A conviction for first degree murder carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison. Burglary of a residential structure carries a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison. Use and discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to life.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Deparment. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore and Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-00297-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-027_Anderson
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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.
Orangeburg Man Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keycon Deonte Keitt, age 32, of Orangeburg, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented in court showed that on March 5, 2018, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety (ODPS) deputies conducting a property check approached a vehicle in which Keitt was a passenger. After Keitt was observed moving and reaching around the back seat of the vehicle, Keitt initially ignored several verbal commands from deputies. Keitt was ordered out of the vehicle and deputies found a Taurus 9mm pistol on the rear seat near Keitt and within his reach. After Keitt admitted to possession of the firearm, deputies found two magazines and 19 rounds of ammunition, including one loaded magazine matching the pistol strapped to the inside of Keitt’s right leg.
Federal law prohibits Keitt from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon prior state convictions, including two convictions for Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature in a case that involved a shooting; Threatening the Life of a Public Employee; Criminal Domestic Violence; two convictions for Assault; Burglary; two convictions for Pointing and Presenting a Firearm; and various breaking and entering, possession of stolen property, and property crime convictions, among others.
Keitt faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of court-ordered supervision. However, if the court determines enhanced penalties apply based on the Keitt’s prior criminal record, he may face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has received and reviewed a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The charge against Keitt was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office.
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Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Columbia HotelRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a hotel in Columbia, Mo., on May 31, 2017.
Darrell Eugene Black, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes, to a total sentence of 318 months (26 years and 6 months) imprisonment for one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a stolen firearm.
Black brandished a Springfield 9mm handgun when he robbed the Staybridge Suites Hotel, 805 Keene Street, Columbia, Mo., on May 31, 2017. Black entered the hotel at approximately 1:50 a.m., pointed his pistol at a clerk, jumped over the counter and demanded money. The clerk opened the desk drawer and Black took approximately $200. Black told the clerk that if she did not open the hotel safe, he would shoot her. The clerk told him that only the manager had the key to open the safe. Black got upset and told the clerk to put her hands behind her back. He disconnected the phone cord and unsuccessfully tried to tie the clerk’s hands behind her back. Then he told the clerk to lie on the ground. When Black finished searching the hotel front desk area for items to steal, he told the clerk to face the wall and not move. Black left and the clerk faced the wall for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until her feet became numb, and then called the police. The clerk’s cellphone and purse were missing.
Black was spotted by a Jefferson City, Mo., police officer later the same day. Black fled on foot but was apprehended by the officer. At the time of his arrest, Black was carrying a black bag that contained the handgun, marijuana, an ecstasy pill, and a magazine with five rounds of 9mm ammunition. As the officer was handcuffing Black, a woman ran up, grabbed the black bag and ran away. Officers were able to apprehend the woman and retrieve the bag.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for his Role in Interstate Prostitution RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lexington man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a long-running interstate prostitution ring.
Kyung Song, 52, was sentenced by U.S District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year of home confinement. In July 2018, Song agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. On March 15, 2018, Kim was charged and arrested with co-defendants Yoon I. Kim, 36, of Haymarket, Va.; Taehee Kim, a/k/a “Hyunsook Kim,” 46, of Haymarket, Va.; Susan Bashir, a/k/a “Susan Redmon,” a/k/a “Susan Redmond,” 41, of Stone Mountain, Ga.; and Jineok Kim, 38, of Watertown, Mass.
According to court documents, from December 2017 to March 2018, Song participated in an interstate prostitution network that maintained multiple brothels in high-end apartments in Cambridge, Mass.; Atlanta, Ga.; and eastern Virginia. They advertised appointments with Asian women on various websites. The women advertised on the websites were moved from city to city within the network, working as prostitutes for the organization.
Song transported women working from brothel locations in Cambridge. Song also retrieved cash proceeds from each of the Cambridge brothel locations and allegedly laundered the proceeds according to Taehee Kim’s instructions, which included depositing the money into accounts belonging to Taehee Kim or sending postal money orders to Taehee Kim.
In November 2018, Yoon Kim and his wife, Taehee Kim, pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2019. Susan Bashir and Jineok Kim agreed to plead guilty and are pending sentencing.
United States Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. D’Addio and Amy Harman Burkart of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.
Marion County man sentenced for child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Timothy Cobb, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 110 months incarceration for a child pornography charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cobb, age 56, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Child Pornography” in October 2018. Cobb admitted to possessing child pornography in Marion County in September 2014.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Man Who Stole $889K from Employers Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGES AVRIDOR, 43, a citizen of Haiti formerly residing in Greenwich and Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment for stealing more than $800,000 from his employers.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2013 and October 2016, Avridor stole personal bank checks from two Greenwich residents who employed him as a driver. He made the checks payable either to “Cash” or to himself for various amounts of money and forged the signature of one of his employers on the checks. He then cashed the checks at a bank or had the proceeds deposited into a bank account that he controlled. Avridor stole $889,425 through this scheme, and used some of the funds to take an African safari and to rent luxury sports cars.
Avridor was arrested on June 30, 2017. On April 4, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
On May 8, 2018, while he was released on a $50,000 bond, Avridor was arrested on unrelated state charges for using a credit card belonging to another individual and for cashing fake checks. He has been detained in state custody since that time.
Avridor will be deported to Haiti when he is released from prison.
This matter was investigated by the Greenwich Police Department, U.S. Secret Service and Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced KEVIN PAUL WOOD, 19, of Raleigh to 57 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
WOOD was named in an Indictment filed on July 25, 2018. On November 13, 2018, WOOD pled guilty to one-count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
On April 17, 2018, investigators with the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a breaking and entering and larceny call in Lillington, North Carolina. When officers arrived at the home, it appeared to have been rummaged through, and a rifle and .9mm handgun had been stolen. Evidence showed that WOOD committed this breaking and entering and stole the firearms. On April 19, 2018, deputies with the HCSO responded to a residence in which the victims were home sleeping when they received a call from their grandson that someone was outside their home. One of the victims went to the backdoor and noticed it was cracked open; when she opened the door, she saw a man on the other side of the storm door pointing a gun at her face. The victim slammed the door and called 911. The victim further advised that the suspect had to be on foot because the front gate was locked. HCSO deputies observed footprints outside the residence. During their investigation, deputies received a domestic disturbance call at WOOD’s parents’ home, not far from the scene. When deputies arrived, WOOD was outside with his family, and officers conducted a pat down search of him. HCSO found several .32 caliber bullets in WOOD’s pant pockets. WOOD was detained as it was determined he was a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Lohrasb “Jeff” Jafari indicted on 51 counts including bribery, tax evasion, and money laundering chargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – City of Atlanta contractor Lohrasb “Jeff” Jafari has been charged in a 51 count federal indictment with conspiratorial bribery, bribery, tampering with a witness, tax evasion, money laundering, and structuring.
“Jeff Jafari allegedly paid multiple bribes to two local officials over a period of years and then attempted to obstruct the federal investigation into his misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He also failed to pay income taxes on millions of dollars he earned from city contracts. Instead, he used the funds to live a lavish lifestyle. Whether you bribe, take a bribe, or otherwise misuse the public’s money to enrich yourself – it’s all corruption. We will vigorously pursue any such cases.”
“FBI Atlanta’s public corruption squad remains very active and determined to expose the criminal conduct of public officials,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta FBI field office. “The investigation of Jafari and resulting indictment on numerous charges is a further example of our commitment to hold those serving the public in positions of trust, accountable.”
“This indictment takes you from the bribes to the benefits and everything in between,” said Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “It shows how money gains access, influences decisions, supports a lavish lifestyle and corrupts. IRS-CI performed its key role in this case by following the money as Jafari acted to corrupt, impede, evade, launder and conceal his criminal actions while obtaining millions in city contracts.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning at least in 2014 to January 2017, Jafari allegedly paid thousands of dollars in bribe payments to Adam Smith, the then-Chief Procurement Officer of the City of Atlanta. At the time, Jafari was the Executive Vice-President of PRAD Group and did millions of dollars in work with the City of Atlanta, primarily under the City’s Architectural and Engineering contracts. Jafari and Smith met at Atlanta-area restaurants where they discussed City business, among other things, and Jafari would generally pay Smith $1,000 in cash in the restaurant bathroom. Jafari similarly paid bribes to a local official in DeKalb County in April and August of 2014.
In exchange for Jafari’s payments to Smith, Smith met with Jafari regularly and provided Jafari with information and counsel regarding the City of Atlanta’s procurement processes, among other information. When PRAD Group or a joint venture in which PRAD Group was a partner became a successful proponent on a City of Atlanta contract or Request for Proposal, Smith approved and submitted the award of those projects. Smith also approved task and/or purchase orders for those projects.
In February 2017, Jafari became aware of the federal investigation into his payments to Smith, at which time he confronted Smith in an effort to intimidate and persuade Smith to provide false information to federal law enforcement about the payments, instructing Smith to deny taking bribe money from Jafari.
Between 2014 through 2016, Jafari also willfully failed to pay income taxes to the IRS. During those years, Jafari withdrew large amounts of cash from corporate bank accounts and used corporate funds for personal expenses, among other things, to avoid the assessment of income tax. In 2014, Jafari owed at least $150,000; in 2015, at least $300,000; and in 2017, at least $700,000 to the IRS. Jafari is additionally charged with numerous counts of money laundering for engaging in financial transactions with funds earned from City of Atlanta work he obtained while he was paying bribes to Adam Smith.
On February 26, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment against Lohrasb “Jeff” Jafari, 68, of Alpharetta, Georgia, on 51 federal charges, including conspiratorial bribery, bribery, tampering with a witness, tax evasion, money laundering, and structuring. He was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill E. Steinberg, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Jeffrey W. Davis, Chief of the Public Integrity Section, and Nathan P. Kitchens, Deputy Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Section, are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Nearly 18 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A 61-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 210 months in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of using a file sharing network and the internet to receive and distribute sexually explicit images and videos of children, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Bret Alan Humphries, of Las Vegas, was convicted in August 2018 of one count of receipt and/or distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Humphries to a lifetime term of supervised release.
Between 2007 and 2012, Humphries downloaded child pornography and used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to share the pornography with others. Agents and Officers with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at his residence and seized three devices containing child pornography. After a forensic examination of the devices, law enforcement discovered 71 images and 120 video files depicting pre-pubescent children and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct and being subjected to sado-masochistic sexual abuse. Computer forensics showed that Humphries had been using various file sharing networks to receive and view child pornography since as early as 2007.
The defendant was on pre-trial release pending trial in this case. While on pre-trial supervision, Humphries violated the conditions of his release by possessing a firearm and ammunition, and a portable device having access to the internet.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elham Roohani and Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Lackawanna County Man Charged with Possession of Illegal Firearm SilencersRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joseph Kamosky, age 36, of Damascus, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of illegal firearm silencers.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Kamosky possessed three illegally-made firearm silencers on or about October 25, 2018, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Scranton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 10 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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Justice Dept. Obtains $80,000 Settlement against Orange County Auto Lender for Illegally Repossessing Servicemembers’ CarsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The Justice Department today announced that California Auto Finance, a subprime auto lending company based in the City of Orange, has agreed to enter into a court-enforceable consent order to resolve allegations that it illegally repossessed two servicemembers’ cars without court orders while they were on active duty.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California Auto Finance and a related entity called 3rd Generation Inc. on March 28, 2018 alleging that their repossession practices violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the proposed consent order, which is still subject to approval by a federal judge, California Auto Finance must adopt new repossession policies, pay one servicemember $30,000 – which is the highest amount ever recovered by the Department for a single servicemember in an automobile repossession case – and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States.
“Individuals who take up the call to protect our nation by serving in the armed forces make an enormous sacrifice for us all,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “We have a legal and moral duty to safeguard the rights of our men and women in uniform. California Auto Finance failed to uphold this duty through its repossession practices. Today’s consent order demonstrates that we will tolerate no abuses of servicemembers’ rights in our district.”
“This case sends a message to financial institutions, large and small, that they must live up to their obligations to our servicemembers,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to vigorously pursue lenders who fail to take the simple steps necessary to determine, before repossessing a car, whether it belongs to a servicemember. Servicemembers who are going through basic training or another kind of military service should not have to worry that their cars will be repossessed with no court supervision during their time of service to our country.”
The Justice Department initiated its investigation of California Auto Finance after receiving a complaint in November 2016 from United States Army Private Andrea Starks. The United States alleges that in April 2016, Private Starks notified California Auto Finance that she would be entering the military the following month. Despite this advance notice, California Auto Finance repossessed Private Starks’ vehicle without a court order on May 9, 2016, her first day of military training duty at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. At the time of repossession, the vehicle was parked at the home of Private Starks’ grandmother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The Justice Department’s investigation corroborated Private Starks’ complaint, found that California Auto Finance had no policies related to SCRA compliance, and revealed that California Auto Finance had also violated the SCRA rights of U.S. Army Specialist Omar Martinez. The United States alleges that Specialist Martinez informed California Auto Finance that he would be entering the military, and that he would have limited means of communication during basic training. Nonetheless, California Auto Finance repossessed Specialist Martinez’s vehicle during his first month of military service. The repossession severely damaged Specialist Martinez’s credit, and, as a result, he was unable to purchase a new car. For over a year while living on base at Fort Benning, Georgia, Specialist Martinez had to rely on rideshares and taxis to buy groceries and take care of other personal needs. In March 2018, Specialist Martinez deployed to Afghanistan, where he served until November 2018.
The proposed consent order requires California Auto Finance to pay $30,000 in compensation to Specialist Martinez, and to take steps to repair his credit. In addition, the proposed consent order requires California Auto Finance to take steps to ensure it does not repossess servicemembers’ cars without court orders in the future. Private Starks reached a private settlement with California Auto Finance before the proposed consent order was filed.
The SCRA protects servicemembers against certain civil proceedings that could affect their legal rights while they are in military service. It requires a court to review and approve any repossession if the servicemember took out the loan and made a payment before entering military service. The court may delay the repossession or require the lender to refund prior payments before repossessing. The court may also appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember, require the lender to post a bond with the court and issue any other orders it deems necessary to protect the servicemember. By failing to obtain court orders before repossessing motor vehicles owned by protected servicemembers, California Auto Finance prevented servicemembers from obtaining a court’s review of whether their repossessions should have been delayed or adjusted to account for their military service.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, often in partnership with United States Attorney’s Offices. Housing and Civil Enforcement Section attorneys worked jointly with the Civil Rights Section within the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in this action.
Since 2011, the Justice Department has obtained over $469 million in monetary relief for over 119,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, rental agreements, security deposits, prepaid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, credit card interest rates, mortgage interest rates, mortgage foreclosures, automobile leases, life insurance, health insurance, and income tax payments. For more information about the Justice Department’s SCRA enforcement, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
Justice Department Obtains $80,000 Settlement Against Subprime Auto Lender in Orange County, California, for Illegally Repossessing Servicemembers’ CarsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that California Auto Finance, a subprime auto lending company based in Orange County, California, has agreed to enter into a court-enforceable consent order to resolve allegations that it illegally repossessed two servicemembers’ cars without court orders while they were on active duty. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California Auto Finance and a related entity called 3rd Generation Inc., on March 28, 2018, alleging that their repossession practices violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the proposed consent order, which is still subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Central District of California, California Auto Finance must adopt new repossession policies, pay one servicemember $30,000, which is the highest amount ever recovered by the Department for a single servicemember in an automobile repossession case, and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States.
“This case sends a message to financial institutions, large and small, that they must live up to their obligations to our servicemembers,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “We will continue to vigorously pursue lenders who fail to take the simple steps necessary to determine, before repossessing a car, whether it belongs to a servicemember. Servicemembers who are going through basic training or another kind of military service should not have to worry that their cars will be repossessed with no court supervision during their time of service to our country.”
“Individuals who take up the call to protect our nation by serving in the armed forces make an enormous sacrifice for us all,” said United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna. “We have a legal and moral duty to safeguard the rights of our men and women in uniform. California Auto Finance failed to uphold this duty through its repossession practices. Today’s consent order demonstrates that we will tolerate no abuses of servicemembers’ rights in our district.”
The Justice Department initiated its investigation of California Auto Finance after receiving a complaint in November 2016 from United States Army Private Andrea Starks. The United States alleges that in April 2016, Private Starks notified California Auto Finance that she would be entering the military the following month. Despite this advance notice, California Auto Finance repossessed Private Starks’ vehicle without a court order on May 9, 2016, her first day of military training duty at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. At the time of repossession, the vehicle was parked at the home of Private Starks’ grandmother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The Justice Department’s investigation corroborated Private Starks’ complaint, found that California Auto Finance had no policies related to SCRA compliance, and revealed that California Auto Finance had also violated the SCRA rights of U.S. Army Specialist Omar Martinez. The United States alleges that Specialist Martinez informed California Auto Finance that he would be entering the military, and that he would have limited means of communication during basic training. Nonetheless, California Auto Finance repossessed Specialist Martinez’s vehicle during his first month of military service. The repossession severely damaged Specialist Martinez’s credit, and, as a result, he was unable to purchase a new car. For over a year while living on base at Fort Benning, Georgia, Specialist Martinez had to rely on rideshares and taxis to buy groceries and take care of other personal needs. In March 2018, Specialist Martinez deployed to Afghanistan, where he served until November 2018.
The proposed consent order requires California Auto Finance to pay $30,000 in compensation to Specialist Martinez, and to take steps to repair his credit. In addition, the proposed consent order requires California Auto Finance to take steps to ensure it does not repossess servicemembers’ cars without court orders in the future. Private Starks reached a private settlement with California Auto Finance before the proposed consent order was filed.
The SCRA protects servicemembers against certain civil proceedings that could affect their legal rights while they are in military service. It requires a court to review and approve any repossession if the servicemember took out the loan and made a payment before entering military service. The court may delay the repossession or require the lender to refund prior payments before repossessing. The court may also appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember, require the lender to post a bond with the court and issue any other orders it deems necessary to protect the servicemember. By failing to obtain court orders before repossessing motor vehicles owned by protected servicemembers, California Auto Finance prevented servicemembers from obtaining a court’s review of whether their repossessions should have been delayed or adjusted to account for their military service.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, often in partnership with United States Attorney’s Offices. Housing and Civil Enforcement Section attorneys worked jointly with the Civil Rights Section within the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in this action. Since 2011, the Justice Department has obtained over $469 million in monetary relief for over 119,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, rental agreements, security deposits, prepaid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, credit card interest rates, mortgage interest rates, mortgage foreclosures, automobile leases, life insurance, health insurance, and income tax payments. For more information about the Justice Department’s SCRA enforcement, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Owner and Manager of Rental Property in Dayton, KentuckyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Gus Crank, manager of a residential rental property in Dayton, Kentucky, sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit also alleges that Penny Crank, an owner of the rental property, is liable for Gus Crank’s actions because he managed the rental property on her behalf.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, alleges that Gus Crank engaged in sexual harassment of female tenants from approximately 2008 through 2016, by, among other things, demanding that female tenants engage in sexual acts to keep their housing, engaging in unwelcome sexual touching, offering to reduce monthly rental payments in exchange for sex, making unwelcome sexual comments and advances, making intrusive and unannounced visits to female tenants’ homes to further his sexual advances, and evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected or refused his sexual advances.
“No female tenant should have to suffer sexual harassment as a condition of maintaining housing for herself or her family,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act against property managers and owners who make illegal demands for sex and cause women to feel unsafe in their own homes.”
“Everyone has the right to be free from sexual harassment and intimidation, and the allegations in this case are very troubling,” said Robert M. Duncan Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Individuals who are being victimized as a condition of their housing have rights and we encourage them to report this type of reprehensible behavior to the Department of Justice.”
In October 2017, the Justice Department launched an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department announced the nationwide rollout of the initiative, including three major components: a new joint Task Force with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit to leverage the Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and a public awareness campaign, including the launch of a national Public Service Announcement.
Since launching the initiative, the Justice Department has filed eight lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department has filed or settled 14 sexual harassment cases since January 2017, and has recovered over $1.6 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings managed by Gus Crank, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky at (859) 685-4823.
Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected].
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Owner and Manager of Rental Property in Dayton, KentuckyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Gus Crank, manager of a residential rental property in Dayton, Kentucky, sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit also alleges that Penny Crank, an owner of the rental property, is liable for Gus Crank’s actions because he managed the rental property on her behalf.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, alleges that Gus Crank engaged in sexual harassment of female tenants from approximately 2008 through 2016, by, among other things, demanding that female tenants engage in sexual acts to keep their housing, engaging in unwelcome sexual touching, offering to reduce monthly rental payments in exchange for sex, making unwelcome sexual comments and advances, making intrusive and unannounced visits to female tenants’ homes to further his sexual advances, and evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected or refused his sexual advances.
"No female tenant should have to suffer sexual harassment as a condition of maintaining housing for herself or her family," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. "The Justice Department will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act against property managers and owners who make illegal demands for sex and cause women to feel unsafe in their own homes."
"Everyone has the right to be free from sexual harassment and intimidation, and the allegations in this case are very troubling," said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. "Individuals who are being victimized as a condition of their housing have rights and we encourage them to report this type of reprehensible behavior to the Department of Justice."
In October 2017, the Justice Department launched an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department announced the nationwide rollout of the initiative, including three major components: a new joint Task Force with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit to leverage the Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and a public awareness campaign, including the launch of a national Public Service Announcement.
Since launching the initiative, the Justice Department has filed eight lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department has filed or settled 14 sexual harassment cases since January 2017, and has recovered over $1.6 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings managed by Gus Crank, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky at (859) 685-4823.
Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected].
Jury Convicts Mali Man of Transporting Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Moaze Ibrahim, age 33, a citizen of Mali residing in Irvington, New Jersey, was convicted today after a 3-day trial of transporting an illegal alien within the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Trial evidence showed that on December 29, 2017, Ibrahim drove to an area in Champlain, New York, where he picked up Hachim Rachid just south of the border. Rachid, age 30, and a citizen of Mali residing in Canada, had just crossed the border on foot and was illegally present in the United States when he was picked up by Ibrahim. Ibrahim then drove south and east away from the border.
Rachid triggered a remote sensor as he crossed the border, alerting Border Patrol. Agents responded to the scene and encountered Ibrahim driving Rachid.
Ibrahim was ordered to jail following the jury’s verdict. As a result of his conviction, he faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on July 11, 2019. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Rachid was convicted on January 16, 2018 of the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection, and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
This case was investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Judge Hands Down Strong Sentence to Convicted Felon on Illegal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
ATHENS – A federal judge in Athens on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon to 110 months in prison for illegally possessing a gun, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. The Honorable C. Ashley Royal sentenced Dontavious Maurice Jackson, 30, of Athens to 110 months in federal prison, plus three years supervised release. Mr. Jackson pled guilty in October 2018 to one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department executed a legal search at Jackson’s residence in August 2017. Law enforcement recovered 202.2 grams of marijuana, three digital scales and other drug paraphernalia, plus a loaded Ruger .38 special revolver, a loaded Ruger 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol, a loaded H&R Model 929 .22 caliber revolver, as well as ammunition. Mr. Jackson has a lengthy criminal history and was previously convicted of Entering an Automobile, Forgery in the First Degree, and Possession of a Controlled Substance out of Athens-Clarke County and Jackson County, respectively.
“This sentence demonstrates that convicted felons with illegal weapons will face serious consequences in the Middle District. Removing firearms from the hands of dangerous criminals remains a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I want to thank the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for their partnership, as we continue to work closely together to decrease violent crime.”
This case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
The case was investigated by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Easterling prosecuted the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Inmate at Federal Prison in Clearfield County Charged with Illegally Possessing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at Moshannon Valley Correctional Center in Philipsburg, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The indictment named Jose Juarez-Diaz, 34.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on August 25, 2018, Juarez-Diaz possessed a quantity of marijuana.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Moshannon Valley Correctional Center, Special Investigative Staff, conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Juarez-Diaz.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An inmate pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a murder-for-hire scheme.
Mason Stickney, 21, of Byfield, pleaded guilty to three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2019. Stickney was indicted in November 2017; he is currently in state custody on unrelated charges.
In October 2017, Stickney, who was in custody at the Essex County House of Corrections, approached a fellow inmate and solicited his assistance in the murders of a police officer, a restaurateur from New Hampshire and a student. The fellow inmate reported Stickney’s solicitation to authorities. Thereafter, at the request of investigators, the inmate provided Stickney with the phone number of a would-be hitman, who was actually an undercover agent.
In recorded conversations between Nov. 3 and Nov. 8, 2017, both on the phone and in person at the jail, Stickney described to the undercover agent the individuals he wanted killed and how he wanted the murders committed. Stickney promised to pay the undercover agent $10,000 upon his release from jail, as well as to “get rid of three people for you guys.”
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Richardson of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Indictment: Two Kansas Companies at Fault for Toxic Cloud over Atchison in 2016Read the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – Two Kansas companies were indicted today on federal charges of safety violations that caused a greenish-yellow toxic chlorine gas cloud to form over the city of Atchison in October 2016, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. A web page, a phone line and an email address have been set up for victims to provide and receive information on the case.
The indictment alleges more than 140 people sought medical attention after 4,000 gallons of sulfuric acid combined with 5,800 gallons of sodium hypochlorite to form a toxic cloud that covered the city for 45 minutes until emergency personnel arrived to turn off the flow.
Midwest Grain Products, Inc., of Atchison, Kan., and Harcros Chemicals, Inc., of Kansas City, Kan., are charged with Clean Air Act violations that put the public in danger.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 21, 2016, a driver for Harcros pulled a truck into Midwest Grain’s facility in Atchison to deliver sulfuric acid. An operator for Midwest Grain helped the driver access the transfer equipment. When the driver mistakenly connected the sulfuric acid line to the sodium hypochlorite line, toxic gas began to form. The indictment alleges both men violated safety rules by failing to verify that the connection was correct and failing to monitor the transfer.
ictims can get more information on US v. Midwest Grain Products, Inc., by visiting https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/victim-witness and filling out a victim questionnaire, leaving a message on a designated phone line at 913-551-6543 or emailing questions to [email protected] .
If convicted, the defendant companies face the following penalties:
- Count one, violation of general duty clause: A fine up to $500,000.
- Count two, knowingly releasing a hazardous pollutant: A fine up to $1 million.
- Count three (alternate to count two), negligently releasing a hazardous pollutant: A fine up to $200,000.
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Anderson Eduardo Seijas Chavez, 29, Miami, Fla., Angel A. Betancourt-Rodriguez, 23, Miami, Fla., and Carlos Alberto Campos-Rojas, 28, Summerfield, Fla., are charged with one count of conspiracy to create and use counterfeit credit and debit cards (count one). In addition, Chavez and Rojas are charged with one count of unlawfully possessing an ATM skimming device and a pinhole camera for the purpose of making counterfeit cards (count two) and one count of aggravated identity theft (count three). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in September and October 2018 in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, the face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on count one, up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two and not less than two years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on count three.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.
Chris Lewis II, 26, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with three counts of distributing crack cocaine (counts one through three), one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana (count four), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count five) and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a fugitive from justice (count six). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2018 and January 2019 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
- Counts one through three: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.
- Count four: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
- Count five: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
- Count six: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
The FBI and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.
Ryan Hawley, 29, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 14, 2019, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Topeka Police Department investigated. The U.S. Marshals Service, and the Kansas Highway Patrol Assisted in his arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.
Maria Alonso-Espinoza, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 26, 2019.
According to court documents, the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped Alonso-Espinoza’s vehicle on I-70 in Russell County and found 21 pounds of methamphetamine
If convicted, she faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Illegal alien arrested on multiple charges pleads guilty for unlawfully re-entering the U.S.Read the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Eliezer Merino-Tetlactle, 25, of Mexico, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to one count of re-entry of a removed alien, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced.
According to the guilty plea, West Monroe police arrested Merino-Tetlactle on August 23, 2018 for carnal knowledge of a juvenile, computer aided solicitation of a minor, possession of marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. His background check showed that he was an illegal alien who had been previously removed from the United States twice.
Merino-Tetlactle faces two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the West Monroe Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten is prosecuting the case.
Houston Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Commit $50 Million Health Care Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to pay more than $15 million in restitution following her conviction of conspiring to commit $50 million health care fraud as well laundering money, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A jury convicted Daniela Gozes-Wagner in September 2017.
Today. U.S. District Judge David Hittner ordered Gozes-Wagner to serve a total of 240 months imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay restitution of $15,283,985. At the hearing, the court noted Gozes-Wagner had “wreaked havoc” on the health care system of the United States.
Beginning in 2009, Gozes-Wagner conspired with others to falsely bill Medicare and Medicaid for millions of dollars of medical tests which were either not performed or were medically unnecessary.
Most of these tests supposedly occurred at 28 testing facilities over many years. However, when law enforcement conducted law enforcement operations there, they discovered that many of the facilities were actually empty offices.
To prevent Medicare from learning about the scheme, Gozes-Wagner hired “seat warmers” – young women paid to sit and answer phones in the nearly empty offices that comprised many of the “testing facilities.” They believed they could spend most of their time watching streaming movies. However, when Medicare investigators tried to inspect the empty offices, these “seat warmers” were instructed to notify Gozes-Wagner and prevent the investigators from inspecting the offices.
The conspirators also hid the true owners of the testing facilities by placing them in the names of other people.
The FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Office of Personnel Management and Railroad Retirement Board. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Chu, Jim McAlister and Jason Smith prosecuted the case.
Harwich Man Sentenced for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Harwich man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fentanyl conspiracy.
Dean Viprino, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release. In December 2017, Viprino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Viprino is currently in state custody on an unrelated matter.
Viprino was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin on Cape Cod. From April 2017 through August 2017, investigators intercepted phone calls and text messages from this drug organization. Wiretap interceptions, physical surveillance, and drug seizures demonstrated that Viprino had been purchasing fentanyl from this drug trafficking organization for personal use and re-distribution. Other members of the drug trafficking organization are either pending trial or awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Colonel Kerry Gilpin made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Rosen, Alathea Porter, and Philip Cheng of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Hartford Man Charged with Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging DAMON HILL, 39, of Hartford, with one count of possession of a firearm a by a convicted felon.
The indictment was returned on February 5, 2019. Hill appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the offense.
The indictment alleges that, on October 23, 2018, Hill unlawfully possessed a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm in Hartford.
It is further alleged that Hill’s criminal history includes a 2005 state felony conviction for possession of narcotics, and a 2006 federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
If convicted of the offense, Hill faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Hill has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on October 23, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Hamilton Township Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Four Year OldRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Jake M. Damron, 27, of Loveland, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 200 months in prison for sexually exploiting a child.
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, Hamilton Township Police Chief Scott Hughes and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
Hamilton Township Police received a report on November 20, 2017, that Damron had taken pornographic pictures of a four year old to whom he had access. Damron was charged by a federal criminal complaint and arrested 10 days later.
Damron had sexual contact with the victim and was trading images of the victim for other child pornography via the Kik messenger app.
During an interview with FBI agents, Damron confirmed that he had taken sexually explicit photographs of the four year old. He stated this was the only victim he had photographed and that he had “probably” taken them due to easy access.
Damron was indicted by a grand jury in December 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2018.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation by the FBI and the Hamilton Township Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is prosecuting the case.
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Fugitive Apprehended After 20 YearsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for failing to appear for a sentencing hearing in 1997 following a conviction for passport fraud. He was also sentenced yesterday for the passport fraud.
Luis Alberto Solano-Pimental, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Solano-Pimental will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.
In 1997, Solano-Pimental pleaded guilty to passport fraud in federal court in Boston, but failed to appear on his scheduled sentencing date. For more than 20 years, Solano-Pimental remained a fugitive until he was arrested in Warwick, R.I., on March 6, 2018; he has been detained since. He was then charged with failing to appear for the 1997 sentencing hearing, which he pleaded guilty to in May 2018.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; John Gibbons, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Jamie A. Hainsworth, United State Marshal for the District of Rhode Island, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Four Guyanese Men Sentenced for Possession of Cocaine on Board a Vessel Following Seizure of 3,769 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Neville Jeffrey, 70, Mohamed Hoseain, 66, Richard La Cruz, 51, and Mark Anthony Williams, 32, all of Guyana, were sentenced to 48 months, 36 months, 30 months and 27 months respectively for possession of cocaine on board a vessel, by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis on March 5, 2019. Judge Lewis also sentenced each defendant to two years of supervised release, but ordered that they be deported upon release from incarceration. She further ordered them to pay a special assessment of $100.00 each and did not impose a fine.
Jeffrey, Hoseain, La Cruz and Williams pleaded guilty to cocaine possession charges in November and December of 2018. According to plea agreements filed with the court and statements at the sentencing hearing, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Napier, on February 16, 2017, intercepted a suspicious vessel in a joint operation with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard approximately seventy nautical miles north of Paramaribo, Suriname, in international waters. The vessel, later identified as the LADY MICHELLE, was located in a known drug trafficking route and registered with St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel pursuant to a bilateral agreement between the United States and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They discovered 185 bales containing numerous rectangular shaped packages of cocaine in the vessel’s fish hold weighing 3,769 kilograms. The drugs had a street value in the U.S. Virgin Islands of approximately 71 million dollars. Jeffrey and Hoseain functioned as captains. La Cruz was identified as the engineer and Williams as the cook.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed firearms illegally pled guilty March 6, 2019 in federal court in Sioux City.
Tate Steburg, 47, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm. Steburg had previously been convicted of two felony drug trafficking convictions in the Iowa District Court.
At the plea hearing, Steburg admitted that from 2017 through February 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Evidence at the plea hearing also showed that Steburg sold methamphetamine and a stolen gun to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. The gun was stolen in a Calhoun County, Iowa, burglary/arson case.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Steburg remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the drug conviction, Steburg faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and ten years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the firearm conviction, Steburg faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 18-3013. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former WV Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Menis Ketchum II Sentenced for FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Menis E. Ketchum II, age 76, of Huntington, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, was sentenced to three years of probation, a $20,000 fine and was ordered to pay restitution to the State of West Virginia by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Legislature’s Commission on Special Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
“Menis Ketchum pled guilty to a felony,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “There is no such thing as a little bit of public corruption, but Justice Ketchum at least did the right thing for doing the wrong thing. Ketchum accepted responsibility for his misdeeds by resigning from the court and acknowledging his wrongdoing. It is my sincere hope that we may soon be able to end our investigation of the West Virginia Supreme Court and allow the people of West Virginia to move forward with confidence and respect for a court that is often the ultimate judge on critical matters affecting all West Virginians. I want to thank my prosecutors, Assistant United States Attorney Phil Wright and former Assistant United States Attorney Anna Forbes, along with our federal and state law enforcement partners, for their excellent work in this case.”
Justice Ketchum pled guilty to wire fraud in August 2018. Ketchum served as a Supreme Court Justice from January 1, 2008 through July 27, 2018. He admitted to repeated personal use of a State of West Virginia vehicle and State fuel credit card over the course of 2011 through 2014 in connection with his travel from his home in Huntington, West Virginia to and from a private golf club in western Virginia. The roundtrip mileage for each of these golf outings was approximately 400 miles and cost the taxpayers of West Virginia approximately $220 per trip. In particular, on August 6, 2014, he traveled to the private golf club in a State vehicle, and returned to his home on August 9, 2014. During the return trip to Huntington, Ketchum used a State fuel card to purchase gasoline in Princeton, West Virginia, causing an interstate wire communication.
Assistant United States Attorney Phil Wright and former Assistant United States Attorney L. Anna Forbes handled the prosecution.
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Former Roslindale Postal Service Employee Sentenced for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Roslindale Post Office employee was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with embezzling mail.
Megan Hawes, 29, of Roslindale, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to two years of supervised release and 80 hours of community service. In December 2018, Hawes pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail matter by a Postal Service employee.
From September 2016 to May 2018, Hawes was employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a postal carrier assigned to Roslindale. While in that capacity, between approximately March 2017 and May 10, 2018, Hawes embezzled and stole more than 9,700 pieces of U.S. mail that she never delivered. She sifted through and stole the contents of some of the mail that contained cash and gift cards. On May 10, 2018, USPS was notified that there was a car at an impound lot in Weymouth that contained voluminous amounts of undelivered and opened mail. USPS determined Hawes had used that car while in her postal carrier capacity. That same day, USPS interviewed Hawes, who ultimately admitted that she had been stealing mail and not delivering it. She also admitted to opening some of the stolen parcels looking for cash and gift cards.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard C. Grimes made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Patient Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Wrongfully Disclosing Health Information to Cause HarmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of wrongfully disclosing the health information of another individual, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Linda Sue Kalina, 61, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Linda Sue Kalina worked, from March 7, 2016 through June 23, 2017, as a Patient Information Coordinator with UPMC and its affiliate, Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers (TRMC) in Mars, Pennsylvania, and that during her employment, contrary to the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) improperly accessed the individual health information of 111 UPMC patients who had never been provided services at TRMC. Specifically, on August 11, 2017, Kalina unlawfully disclosed personal gynecological health information related to two such patients, with the intent to cause those individuals embarrassment and mental distress.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2019, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Kalina remains on bonding pending the sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kalina.
Former Director of Operations of a Rockford Non-Profit Organization Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — LEILANI HILLIS, 60, of Rockford, the former director of operations of a Rockford non-profit organization, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax fraud.
According to a written plea agreement, since 2001 Hillis was an employee of a non-profit organization whose mission was to attract, retain and expand jobs in the Rockford area. The organization received funding from private sources and local governments. During her employment, Hillis handled the organization’s payroll, human resource matters and accounting, and oversaw the annual audit. As of 2009, Hillis had signatory authority on the organization’s bank account and access to the organization’s PayPal account. The organization issued employees, including Hillis, a credit card in the employee’s name. From 2009 through April 2018, Hillis used her employee-issued credit card to make unauthorized purchases for her personal benefit totaling $632,718.99. Hillis concealed her crime by using the organization’s accounting codes to make it appear the purchases were for the organization’s benefit, and she forged the initials of the organization’s president on the expense reports. Hillis issued and signed checks from the organization’s account to the bank, knowing the payments included money to pay for her unauthorized purchases.
Hillis also admitted that she did not report as income the money from the organization that she used to pay the organization’s credit card for her unauthorized personal purchases. As a result, for the tax years 2014 through 2017, Hillis failed to pay $151,186.91 in federal income taxes.
HILLIS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for mail fraud, and a maximum sentence of three years for tax fraud, while each charge also carries a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from that offense, whichever is greater, plus full restitution. The actual sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing for Hillis is set for June 27, 2019, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
Feds Charge over A Dozen Defendants with 15 Violent Robberies in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Other States That Targeted Small BusinessesRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced the addition of eight co-defendants charged by a federal grand jury in connection to the violent robberies of 15 commercial businesses located in North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky; including La Placita market, located in Warren County, Kentucky, where five previous co-defendants were charged in the shooting death of a Bowling Green resident.
Thirteen defendants are charged in a seven count superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday March 5, 2019.
“These defendants are off the street because of outstanding work by the FBI and the Bowling Green Police Department,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Our families and our Commonwealth are well-served by both.”
The superseding indictment charges all 13 defendants with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery – targeting primarily Hispanic owned convenience stores and markets in the four states. May of the defendants resided in Nashville, Tennessee where they allegedly identified businesses to rob, and organized plans to travel to the targeted businesses.
The defendants include:
- Jorge Santos Caballero-Melgar, age 34, from Nashville, TN
- Jonny Alexander Reyes-Martinez, age 29, from Nashville, TN
- Jose Adan Mejia Varela, age 31, from Nashville, TN
- Lillian Yamileth Duron, age 24, from Nashville, TN
- Estrellita Soto, age 35, from Nashville, TN
- Elmer Manuel Ordonez Sanchez, age 25, from Nashville, TN
- Elvin Fernando Lopez Sanchez, age 26, from Nashville, TN
- Javier Alexis Mejia Varela, age 27, from Nashville, TN
- Brandon Michael Maldonado-Caro, age 25, from Nashville, TN
- Alex Antonio Maldonado-Rodriguez, age 34, from Nashville, TN
- Junior Esteban Bueso, age 39, from Nashville, TN
- Jose Javier Cedillo-Sales, age 28, from Nashville, TN
- Jamie Cedillo-Sales, age 23, from Snow Hill, NC
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants planned and robbed businesses, including: Beat the Clock Tax Service in Lexington, Kentucky, taking approximately $67,000 in cash; La Despensa in Clarksville, Indiana, taking around $7,000 in cash; Lesly Jewelry and Perfume in Nashville, Tennessee taking approximately $200,000 in cash and jewelry; La Regia in Rocky Mount, North Carolina taking approximately $25,000 in cash; La Placita in Bowling Green, Kentucky taking about $23,500 in cash. Defendants robbed multiple other businesses which can be found listed in the indictment. The charge carries a penalty of no more than 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Eleven of the defendants (Caballero-Melgar, Reyes-Martinez, Jose Varela, Elmer Sanchez, Elvin Sanchez, Javier Varela, Maldonado-Caro, Maldonado-Rodriguez, Bueso, Jose Cedillo-Sales, Jaime Cedillo-Sales) are charged with carrying or possessing a firearm during a crime of violence; the charge carries a penalty of no more than 20 years imprisonment.
The five original defendants (Caballero-Melgar, Reyes-Martinez, Jose Varela, Duron, and Soto) are charged in the indictment with interference of commerce by robbery for the March 17, 2017, robbery of La Placita in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The charge carries a term of imprisonment of no more than 20 years.
The Grand Jury further charged Caballero-Melgar, Reyes-Martinez, and Jose Varela with murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence for the death of J.C. during the robbery of La Placita in Warren County; the charge carries a maximum penalty of death or a term of life in prison.
Caballero-Melgar faces an additional charge of illegal entry after deportation. Reyes-Martinez and Jose Varela are also charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa Ford and Alicia Gomez. The case is being investigated by the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI with assistance from the Warren County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office; Northampton County, VA Sheriff’s Office; Metro Nashville, TN Police Department; Rocky Mount, NC Police Department; Clayton, NC Police Department; Cary, NC Police Department; Henderson, NC Police Department; Snow Hill, NC Police Department; Chatham County, NC Sheriff’s Department; Department of Homeland Security; and United States Marshals. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Weiser and Jo Lawless also assisted in the investigation.
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The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Federal Jury Convicts Career Criminal of Firearm and Drug Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Jovan Demetrius Fredericks (39, Ocala) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Fredericks faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Fredericks was indicted on January 9, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on the morning of September 29, 2018, officers from the Ocala Police Department encountered Fredericks at the Parkside Gardens public housing complex. Fredericks, a multi-convicted felon, immediately tried to conceal a hand-rolled cigarette containing illegal narcotics from the officers. When the officers stopped to investigate, they saw a loaded, full-size handgun with an extended ammunition magazine tucked into the waistband of Fredericks’s pants. After arresting Fredericks for the firearm, a search of his person revealed multiple packages of illegal drugs ready for sale, including MDMA (“ecstasy”), N-Ethylpentylone (“bath salts”), and cocaine. Fredericks’s extensive criminal record—which includes prior convictions for robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and repeated sales of illegal drugs—will qualify him as an Armed Career Criminal for federal sentencing purposes.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Federal Inmate Sentenced for EscapingRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that an inmate who escaped from the Federal Prison Camp at Alderson was sentenced. Cheryl McGrath, 51, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to run consecutively to the sentence she is presently serving. McGrath pled guilty in November to escaping from custody, admitting that on July 26, 2018, she left the Federal Prison Camp at Alderson without permission. She was captured the next day a few miles from the prison.
“If you escape, we will find you,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Escapees will merely be prolonging their stay in federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted the case. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.
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Federal Indictment Charges Six Individuals for a Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy Operating in HagerstownRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted six individuals for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The indictment was returned under seal on February 21, 2019, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the following defendants on March 5, 2019:
Lekeith Dion Mitchell, age 49, of Hagerstown, Maryland;
Gary Lee Washington, age 38, of Smithsburg, Maryland;
Joenna Marie Nicewarner, age 33, of Hagerstown; and
Lama Junior Jean-Pierre, age 36, of Fairplay, Maryland.Dustin Ray Stipes, age 35, and Nyana Angelina Cheese, age 28, both of Hagerstown, are also charged with the fentanyl distribution conspiracy, and are still being sought.
Mitchell is also charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and being a felon in possession of firearms. Washington is also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore.
According to the indictment, from September through December 2018, the defendants conspired to distribute fentanyl in Hagerstown and the surrounding area. The indictment alleges that Mitchell maintained a residence in Hagerstown which was used to manufacture, store, distribute, and use fentanyl. According to the indictment, on December 17, 2018, Washington possessed a semi-automatic rifle in furtherance of the drug trafficking, and on February 1, 2019, Mitchell allegedly possessed four loaded firearms. Washington and Mitchell both have previous felony convictions and are therefore prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $127,241.25 in cash seized during the investigation, and 12 luxury watches. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement also seized more than two kilograms of fentanyl. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, and two kilograms is enough to kill 1 million people—25 times the population of Hagerstown.
If convicted, all the defendants except Jean-Pierre face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison for the fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Jean-Pierre faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison for the conspiracy. Mitchell also faces minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and a maximum of 20 years in prison for maintaining drug-involved premises. Washington faces a maximum of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mitchell and Washington each face a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition. At the initial appearances held on March 6, 2019, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Washington be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 7, 2019. Nicewarner and Mitchell consented to detention. Jean-Pierre was ordered to be released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano and Samika Boyd, who are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Indictment Adds Second Defendant Charged with Witness Retaliation and Tampering Resulting in the Death of a Baltimore WomanRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury in Baltimore, Maryland returned a 10-count superseding indictment charging Davon Carter, age 39, and Clifton Mosley, age 41, both of Baltimore, Maryland, with two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness and one count each of witness retaliation murder and witness tampering murder, related to the murder of Latrina Ashburne, age 41, on May 27, 2016.
The superseding indictment adds a narcotics conspiracy, and two counts of using a cellular telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony, to the charges Davon Carter already faced--specifically, being a felon in possession of ammunition and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Mosley is also charged with distribution of marijuana.
The superseding indictment was returned on March 5, 2019, and unsealed today at Mosley’s initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Mosley is detained pending trial. Carter is scheduled for an initial appearance on the new charges on March 14, 2019. Carter remains detained.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Acting Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“We take witness tampering and witness retaliation very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Those who attempt to tamper with or retaliate against a witness will face federal prosecution and could receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison – or even the death penalty.”
According to the 10-count indictment, Carter and Mosley conspired to and did kill Ashburne with the intent to retaliate against a witness for providing information to a law enforcement officer relating to the commission and possible commission of a federal offense, as well as to prevent a witness from attending and testifying in an official proceeding.
According to the Baltimore Police Department, Ashburne was murdered in the early morning as she got into her car outside the home she shared with her mother in the 2900 block of Rosalind Avenue in the Cylburn neighborhood. The police reported that an unknown male approached and shot Ms. Ashburne in the upper body as she tried to run. At the time, the police also released a video they said showed the suspect running away from the scene.
If convicted, Carter and Mosley each face a mandatory sentence life in prison for each of the two conspiracy counts, and for the witness retaliation and witness tampering murder charges. Carter faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and for the narcotics conspiracy, and faces a maximum of eight years in prison for each of the two counts of using a cellular telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony. Mosley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for distribution of marijuana.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HHS-OIG, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the ATF, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Judson Mihok, who are prosecuting the case.
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