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Thursday 28 February 2019
Drug Dealer and Convicted Burglar Pleads Guilty to Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty February 28, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
Michael Halstead, 32, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of ammunition. Halstead was previously convicted of burglary in California in 2010.
At the plea hearing, Halstead admitted that from about August 2016 through November 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than seven pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge and Webster County areas. Halstead arranged for his mother and other family members to transport methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine, by car and train, from California to Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Halstead remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the conspiracy conviction, Halstead faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and five years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the illegal possession of ammunition conviction, Halstead faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment; a $250,000 file, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-3046. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Detroit Man Arrested for Production, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Detroit man charged with production and possession of child pornography was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Michigan ICAC and Homeland Security Investigations.
Gabriel Fournier, 35, was arrested without incident at his place of residence in Detroit for alleged possession and production of child pornography.
The criminal complaint charges that Fournier uploaded images of suspected child sexually abusive material to his Google account, including images/videos capturing the hands-on abuse of a child. The charging document also alleges that Fournier possessed child pornography. An early HSI computer forensics examination of the content revealed images and video of Fournier engaging in criminal sexual conduct with prepubescent minors.
If convicted, Fournier could face a mandatory sentence of 15 years up to 30 years in federal prison.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
Danville Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 27 YearsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carl Wayne Bartleson, Jr., 46, of Danville, Kentucky was sentenced today, by Chief U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, to 324 months in prison following his conviction in October 2018, following a jury trial in federal court. Bartleson was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl and four counts of distributing those same drugs. Chief Judge Caldwell imposed a 324-month sentence on each of the five counts, to run concurrently.
On February 21, 2017, three people fatally overdosed in Boyle County, Kentucky from the use of controlled substances that included fentanyl, a potent Schedule II controlled substance. Several others overdosed, but survived with the aid of first responders, within a five-day period surrounding the fatalities. The spike in overdoses led the Boyle County Sheriff’s Office to combine forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration, to determine the source of the drugs. The joint investigation led to the arrest and indictment of Bartleson, as a local supplier of heroin, fentanyl and acrylfentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance that is even more potent than fentanyl.
Bartleson will be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence imposed. Upon his release, he will be under supervision by the United States Probation Office for a period of six years.
“This is yet another example of the tragic impact that heroin, fentanyl, and other powerful opioids are having on our community,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We have made the prosecution of overdoses a core priority in our Office’s effort to combat this epidemic. This case confirms that law enforcement partnerships are critical to enforcing the law and protecting our community. It should also remind those who choose to distribute this poison in our community that we are committed to this fight and they risk serious and long term consequences for their conduct.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Derek Robbins, Boyle County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Bradbury and Francisco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Cohoes Mayor Indicted for Using Campaign Contributions for his Personal BenefitRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse, age 51, was arrested today on an indictment charging him with defrauding his mayoral campaign and supporters by stealing campaign contributions for his personal benefit.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Morse is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2013 through 2018, Morse and his campaign treasurer, Ralph Signoracci, solicited and received contributions to his campaign committee, Friends of Shawn Morse, and his political action committee, The Chairman’s PAC, from area businesses and businesspeople. Instead of using the funds for legitimate purposes, at times, Morse directed Signoracci to withdraw funds from the committees’ bank accounts so that Morse could use the funds to pay for his personal expenses.
The indictment further alleges that Morse and Signoracci concealed the nature of these expenditures by falsely reporting the purpose of the expenditures or by not reporting or disclosing them on campaign disclosure reports, as was required of local candidates for public office. The indictment also alleges that on September 24, 2018, Morse provided false information to the FBI when asked about the scheme.
If convicted, Morse faces up to 20 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.
Morse appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and entered a plea of not guilty. He was released with conditions pending a trial before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Kinsella Kistler.
Chinese Telecommunications Device Manufacturer and its U.S. Affiliate Arraigned on Charges of Theft of Trade Secrets, Wire Fraud, and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Seattle - Huawei Device Co., Ltd. and Huawei Device USA Inc. were arraigned today on charges of theft of trade secrets conspiracy, attempted theft of trade secrets, seven counts of wire fraud, and one count of obstruction of justice. The companies entered pleas of ‘not guilty.’ Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez set trial for March 2, 2020.
The indictment, returned by a grand jury last month, details Huawei’s efforts to steal trade secrets from Bellevue, Washington based T-Mobile USA and then obstruct justice when T-Mobile threatened to sue Huawei in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The alleged conduct described in the indictment occurred from 2012 to 2014.
Under the maximum sentencing provisions applicable to corporate entities, Conspiracy and Attempt to Commit Trade Secret Theft are punishable by a fine of up to $5,000,000 or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater. Wire Fraud and Obstruction of Justice are punishable by a fine of up to $500,000.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Thomas Woods of the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran has been recused from this matter because of legal representations he undertook before he joined the Department of Justice. Per direction from ethics officials in the Department of Justice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes will act as U.S. Attorney with respect to this matter pursuant to the authority conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515.
Charleston Man Sentenced for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Charleston man was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chadwick Taylor, 30, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. The case was investigated by the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“A simple scenario that is repeated over and over again - a felon in possession of a firearm,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “A felon has lost the right to a firearm. We prosecute these types of cases by the barge load and we will seek the toughest sentences available under the law.”
Taylor pled guilty on December 4, 2018, admitting that on June 4, 2018, he was in possession of a firearm and that he is prohibited from being in possession of a firearm due to his prior conviction of a felony offense.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur handled the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.
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Cedar Rapids Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Meth and Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who sold methamphetamine and was involved in a February 6, 2017 shooting in Cedar Rapids was sentenced today to more than 24 years in federal prison.
Jerry Dean Love, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 1, 2018, guilty plea to one count of distribution of methamphetamine after a prior felony drug conviction and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In a plea agreement and at the guilty plea, Love admitted he sold 99% pure methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement on October 26, 2016. Love also admitted that he had a firearm on February 6, 2017, when he drove to a gas station located on Edgewood Road SW, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and shot the gun in the direction of Johnson Avenue. Love admitted that when he was subsequently taken into custody by a Cedar Rapids police officer, he had the gun, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more methamphetamine he planned to sell. Love admitted he had prior state felony convictions for manufacture and delivery of cocaine base and extortion/ terrorism. Love also admitted he had a prior federal felony conviction for distribution of cocaine base near a school.
Love was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Love was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Love is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew Inman and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-00012-LRR.
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California Couple Sentenced to Prison Terms on Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jorge Castillo, 37, and his girlfriend, Katherine Briones, 43, both of Inglewood, Calif., were sentenced today to prison terms of 25 years and 15 years, respectively, after earlier pleading guilty in the District of Columbia to child exploitation charges.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Nicola T. Hanna, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Veronica Allende, Director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.
Both defendants pled guilty on Dec. 18, 2017, to charges of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal activity and production of child pornography. They were sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Following their prison terms, the defendants must register as sex offenders for a period of 25 years. Castillo also will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life, and Briones will be placed on supervised release for seven years. Briones also was ordered to pay $5,000 to a fund for the victims of sex trafficking.
Castillo is facing pending state charges in New Jersey of first-degree conspiracy to commit child trafficking and second-degree distribution of child pornography.
According to the government's evidence, on March 13, 2017, Castillo contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, through a social network site. Castillo and Briones then continued communications with this undercover officer over the next few weeks, attempting to set up a meeting with an underage girl. During the course of the communications, Castillo also referenced a person on the East Coast who he believed had a similar interest in children; unbeknownst to Castillo, that person was an undercover detective with the New Jersey State Police, who claimed to have access to an underage girl.
Castillo and Briones arranged to have the two girls transported to Los Angeles for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with them. The defendants planned to provide a hotel room for the purported girls and the two undercover officers. On the day this meeting was to take place – April 4, 2017 - both defendants were arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport. In a search of their cellular telephones, authorities found images of child pornography.
Castillo and Briones have been in custody since their arrests.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was initiated and investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI Agents, along with Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department, Fairfax County, Va., Police, Arlington County Va., Police, Prince William County Va., Police, Alexandria Va., Police, Loudoun County, Va. Sheriff’s Department, Leesburg, Va., Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service. Additional assistance in this case was provided by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the New Jersey State Police, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Assistance also was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Businessman Convicted of Stealing Employer’s Trade Secrets While Planning New Job with Chinese RivalRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a 30-year employee of a McHenry County manufacturing firm of stealing trade secret information while planning to move to China to work for a rival company.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Monday convicted ROBERT O’ROURKE, 59, of Lake Geneva, Wisc., on seven counts of theft of trade secrets. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in prison. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood set sentencing for June 3, 2019.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shoba Pillay and Christopher V. Parente.
According to evidence at trial, O’Rourke since 1984 worked for Dura-Bar, a Woodstock-based manufacturer of continuous cast-iron products. O’Rourke held the positions of plant metallurgist, quality assurance manager and salesperson, and helped the company develop business in China and other locations. In late 2013, he began several months of negotiations to take a similar job with a rival firm in Jiangsu, China, eventually accepting the position of Vice President.
Evidence at trial revealed that in September 2015, while still employed with Dura-Bar, O’Rourke accepted the job offer in China. He then downloaded electronic data and documents belonging to Dura-Bar without authorization two days before officially leaving the company. The following week, he packed up the proprietary information and went to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to board a flight to China. Federal authorities intervened at the airport and seized the stolen trade secrets from O’Rourke before he could travel to China.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Torri McCray, 40, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, and 10 grams of more of buytryl fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handed the case, stated that on four dates between June and August of 2017, the defendant distributed controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, U-47700, butyryl fentanyl, and furanyl fentanyl. On August 16, 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested McCray and recovered from the defendant’s pocket an amount of heroin intended for distribution.
The conviction is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 22, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Fentanyl Possession and Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Marcus Adside, 30, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and butyryl fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case, stated that in the early morning hours of August 5, 2016, Buffalo Police Officers conducting patrol encountered the defendant on 19th Street near Hampshire Street. As officers drove past, Adside yelled, “I’m not doing nothing!” The defendant then grabbed onto a large bulge in his right front pants pocket and took off running into an alley between two houses on Hampshire Street near 19th Street.
Officers began a foot pursuit, and during the chase, Adside threw a clear baggie containing controlled substances into a backyard area off the alley and a sock containing a loaded firearm over a fence in the same alley. He was apprehended shortly after.
Subsequently, officers recovered a 9mm ammunition magazine containing eight rounds; a sock containing a handgun, a clear plastic baggie containing eight loose glassine envelopes with powder, and one plastic bag holding seven smaller plastic bags containing a total of 70 glassine envelopes with powder. Testing determined that the bags contained butyryl fentanyl and cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 14, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Broward County Resident Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Leading a $2 Million Dollar Securities Fraud Scheme that Targeted the ElderlyRead the Press Release
Yesterday, Thomas Michael White, 60, of Parkland, Florida was sentenced to 14 years in prison for leading a multi-year conspiracy that robbed over a dozen senior citizens of their retirement money.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Ron Rubin, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), made the announcement.
A jury in Miami found White guilty, on December 13, 2018, of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and four counts of mail fraud, in connection with the scheme to fraudulently raise $2 million from over a dozen elderly victims throughout the United States (Case No. 18-60174-CR-Bloom). U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom sentenced White (the mastermind of the fraud scheme) to a total of 168 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $1,936,400 in restitution to his victims and serve three years of supervised release.
According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, White was President and CEO of First Call Ventures, LLC, the parent company of First Call Movers & Transport of Florida, LLC, a moving company that also brokered customer moves for other companies. From November 2011 through mid-2014, White ran the Broward-based moving business’ call center that booked moves throughout the Southeast. He also oversaw a "phone room" out of his corporate offices to raise money from investors. During telephone calls, White and his co-conspirators used false statements, manipulation, and high-pressure tactics to target elderly investors (“vulnerable, elderly victims”) and their retirement money. The victims included retired teachers, farmers, small business owners, and homemakers, from across the United States. When his targets did not have available funds to invest, White tricked them into converting their Individual Retirement Account ("IRA") money and transferring the funds to his corporate bank account. As a result, White and his conspirators were given a total of more than $2 million from over a dozen senior citizens.
In truth and fact, White and his partners used the investors’ money for themselves, including millions in cash and bank check payments. Bank records also demonstrated that over the course of the fraud scheme, White withdrew over $130,000 in investor proceeds at the Seminole Coconut Creek casino. White and his partners siphoned all profits and victim money to their own personal accounts, declared a $1.8 million "loss," and shuttered the business. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, some of the senior citizens are now living on food stamps, lost their homes, or were forced to take on odd jobs for income.
Four other individuals tied to this case and a related indictment previously pled guilty. White's co-defendants, John Kevin Reech, 56, of Delray Beach, Florida, and Joseph Mario Genzone, 53, of Boca Raton, Florida, previously pled guilty. Genzone and Reech were also recently charged by Information for operating a separate offering fraud (Case No. 18-80193-CR-Bloom). Reech pled guilty in both matters and was sentenced to a concurrent term of 51 months' imprisonment. Genzone also pled guilty and on December 21, 2018, Judge Bloom sentenced him in both cases to 41 months' imprisonment, concurrently. Daniel Joseph Touizer, 44, of Aventura, Florida was sentenced to 68 months' imprisonment for leading a similar fraud scheme linked to White and Reech’s criminal conduct (Case No. 17-60286-CR-Bloom). Saul Daniel Suster, 66, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, a phone room worker of Touizer's, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and Florida OFR in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Broward County Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Information Pertaining to Explosives OnlineRead the Press Release
A Broward County resident pled guilty today to distributing information pertaining to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Tayyab Tahir Ismail, 33, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, pled guilty to Count 2 of an Indictment that charged him with distributing information pertaining to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 842(p)(2) (Case No. 18-60352-CR-Moore). Ismail is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore on May 23, 2019, at 2 p.m. Ismail faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison, up to 5 years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine.
According to the court record, including the agreed upon factual proffer, on or about July 16, 2018, through on or about September 17, 2018, Ismail posted and distributed online documents including, but not limited to, documents containing step-by-step instructions on how to construct a bomb and other explosives, with the intent that the information be used for and in furtherance of an activity that constitutes a federal crime of violence, that is, the use or attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
On at least four occasions in or around July, August, and September 2018, Ismail posted bomb making instructions on a the internet, on a social media platform. During that time, Ismail was a member of various rooms within the platform and each of these rooms contained members who support violent jihad. Ismail posted to these various rooms and his postings could be seen by all members of the room in which the information was posted. In and around the same time of Ismail’s postings, other members made postings in support of violent jihad.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and South Florida’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in this matter. The case is being jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen E. Gilbert of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Troy Edwards of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Bluefield Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a Bluefield, West Virginia, man pled guilty to a drug offense in federal court in Bluefield. Alvin Gardner, 31, pled guilty to distribution of oxymorphone. This case was investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
“The illicit sale of prescription pills is a substantial threat throughout southern West Virginia,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Whether you are a drug trafficker, drug dealer, drug thug or a drug dealer in a lab coat, we are coming after anyone that perpetuates or perpetuated the opioid crisis. I will do everything in my power to protect the people of West Virginia from the sinister forces undermining our communities and families.”
Gardner admitted that on August 15, 2018, he distributed a quantity of oxymorphone to a confidential informant in Bluefield. He further admitted that he distributed oxymorphone on three other occasions and that on August 21, 2018, he possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 193 oxymorphone pills and 165 oxycodone pills at a residence in Bluefield. Gardner faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 2, 2019.
Assistant John File is handling the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided at the plea hearing.
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Beverly Man Arrested for Sending Threatening Letters and White Powder to an Online Dating WebsiteRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Beverly man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston for sending nine letters, one of which contained a white powder, to the online dating website OkCupid.com.
Liam MacLeod, 47, was charged by criminal complaint with mailing threatening communications and conveying false information and hoaxes. He will appear today in federal court in Boston at 3:30 p.m.
According to the complaint, between September and December 2017, OkCupid’s corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, received nine mailings containing either threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. All of the mailings were addressed to OkCupid’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
It is alleged that on or about Sept. 12, 2017, MacLeod mailed an envelope addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas containing a suspicious white powder, along with a handwritten letter with the following text:
Greeting from Beverly
Ban me will ya
Welcome to the wonderful world of ANTHRAX
Expect a package within the next couple of days
It won’t be ticking but it should be interesting!
On or about Sept. 14, 2017, MacLeod allegedly mailed another envelope addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas containing a typewritten letter with the following message, amongst other text:
How’d you like what I sent you? Aww, go take a powder. Oh, the things I have in store for you! I can go on like this for years. How long can you last?
Incidentally, my father was an angel: That’s Hell’s
Angel to you. You see, we have some pull. Take for
example your vehicles. We now know who owns
what, and where each of you parks his.
Hmm, think of the possibilities!
On or about Sept. 20, 2017, the complaint alleges that MacLeod sent a third envelope to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas. The envelope and its contents, a single piece of white paper, each contained significant red-brown staining consistent with blood. The next day, Sept. 21, 2017, MacLeod mailed another letter addressed to OkCupid’s CEO containing a typewritten letter wherein MacLeod indicated that the red-brown staining on the previous letter was blood infected with the AIDS virus.
It is further alleged that between Oct. 4, 2017 and Dec. 21, 2017, MacLeod mailed five additional envelopes addressed to OkCupid’s CEO in Dallas, each containing threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. Each of these mailings generated a hazmat response by federal law enforcement in order to rule out the presence of active biological or chemical agents. Laboratory testing later confirmed that the substances contained in the envelopes mailed by MacLeod, including the white powdery substance, did not contain hazardous materials.
The charge of false information and hoaxes provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of mailing threatening communications provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and David W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the Beverly Police Department. OkCupid and its parent company has been fully cooperative with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jason A. Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James Moody, Jr. today sentenced Cedrick Lee Taylor (32, Sarasota) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Taylor to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he used during the offense. Taylor had pleaded guilty on March 14, 2018.
According to court documents, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 15, 2017, a deputy from the Sarasota Police Department initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle after smelling the odor of marijuana emanating from it. Taylor was a passenger in that car.
After ordering the occupants out of the car for a vehicle search, the officer observed a red bag on the floor near where Taylor had been sitting. The officer also noticed small baggies that contained a white powdery substance near the red bag. The officer searched the red bag and discovered a loaded firearm and loose ammunition. Taylor later admitted to possessing the firearm. At the time, Taylor had several prior felony convictions and, therefore, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Harvard Black Commencement Attendees in 2017Read the Press Release
BOSTON – An Arizona man pleaded guilty today in connection with posting threats to bomb Harvard and shoot attendees at the Black Commencement event held on May 2017.
Nicholas Zuckerman, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2019. In June 2018, Zuckerman was arrested and charged.
On or about May 13, 2017, Zuckerman commented on a post published to Harvard University’s Instagram account, saying: “If the blacks only ceremony happens, then I encourage violence and death at it. I’m thinking two automatics with extendo clips. Just so no n***** gets away.” It is further alleged that on that same date, Zuckerman posted a comment to another Harvard Instagram post, saying: “#bombharvard and end their pro-black agenda.” Several minutes later, Zuckerman commented “#bombharvard” on other users’ posts approximately 11 times over a span of four minutes.
A concerned citizen who saw the posts reported them to the Harvard University Police, who ultimately referred the case to federal authorities.
The charge of transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another of provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Harvard University Chief of Police Francis D. Riley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Paruti and Scott Garland of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case.
Apopka Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Distribute Furanyl FentanylRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Devin Lashawn Jefferson, II (22, Apopka) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute furanyl fentanyl. A federal jury found Jefferson guilty of the offense on September 12, 2018.
According to testimony and evidence presented in court, between February and December 2017, Jefferson sent tens of thousands of dollars to recipients in China. In April 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted a package from China that was addressed to an Apopka residence that had been associated with Jefferson. The package contained approximately 1 kilogram of furanyl fentanyl, a leading cause of overdose deaths in the Orlando area.
On February 27, 2018, agents conducted a controlled delivery of the package, removing the using furanyl fentanyl and substituting sham substance, and Jefferson retrieved it from the residence. When agents attempted to stop Jefferson, he fled in his car at a high rate of speed thru a school zone and escaped. He was apprehended approximately two weeks later by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Subsequently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a second package from China addressed to Jefferson that contained approximately one-quarter of a kilogram of methoxyacetyl fentanyl, another powerful fentanyl analogue.
“Fentanyl is a deadly narcotic wreaking havoc in our communities,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling opioid smuggling and today’s sentencing is just one example of how HSI utilizes our broad authorities to combat this epidemic.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Embry J. Kidd and Dana E. Hill.
Ambridge Woman Sentenced for Role in Her Sons’ Fentanyl Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – Dorothy McCracken was sentenced to 36 months of federal probation for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
McCracken, 60 of Ambridge, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti. McCracken’s sentence includes a requirement that she perform 300 hours of community service.
McCracken’s indictment and conviction followed a 2016 investigation into the drug trafficking activities of her sons, Sam McCracken and Wayne McCracken. The investigation led to the interception of wiretapped communications over cell phones used by both McCracken brothers. The phone interceptions confirmed that the McCracken brothers were obtaining large amounts of fentanyl between July and December 2016. The phone interceptions, combined with the service of a search warrant in December 2016, confirmed that they were storing illegal drugs at Dorothy McCracken’s residence with her knowledge and consent.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A federally administered Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case. The task force was headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was comprised of members drawn from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Ambridge Police Department, New Brighton Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Aliquippa Police Department, Moon Township Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Albion Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Andrew Campbell, 32, of Albion, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in July 2018, an individual (witness) contacted the Orleans County Sheriff's Office after discovering a disturbing video on a desktop computer that belonged to the defendant. The witness and Campbell lived together on and off and Campbell left the computer at the residence when he was made to vacate the residence by the witness in June 2018. The video depicted a 14 year-old girl going to the bathroom. In addition to the desktop computer, Witness 1 also turned over a laptop computer and hard drive.
A forensic analysis of the desktop, laptop, and hard drive revealed 100 image files and 20 video files that contained child pornography.The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on March 1, 2019.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Randy Bower, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Additional charges filed against Lynn Cawthorne and his sister related to defrauding a summer feeding programRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United State Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today that adds 18 money laundering-related charges to the indictment of Lynn D. Cawthorne, 51, and Belena C. Turner, 47, both of Shreveport.
According to the superseding indictment, the Food and Nutrition Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the Child Nutrition Programs. The Child Nutrition Programs include the Summer Feeding Service Program (SFSP), which was established to ensure that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session during the summer.
United Citizens and Neighborhoods (UCAN) is a non-profit corporation that participated as a sponsor in the SFSP. Cawthorne is the president of UCAN and Turner represented herself to be its executive director. The indictment alleges that beginning sometime in early 2011 and continuing until sometime in December 2015, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $536,000 from the SFSP by engaging in numerous activities to defraud, which included filing claims for reimbursement that greatly inflated the number of eligible meals provided, thus claiming more children were fed at UCAN sites than were actually fed. Based on the inflated payments made pursuant to these false claims, money was transferred to catering companies and other entities controlled by the defendants, all to help conceal the fact that Cawthorne and Turner improperly benefitted from the SFSP. According to the indictment, the defendants engaged in money laundering transactions to conceal the payment of personal expenses. These expenses included private school payments, travel, furniture, clothing, car repairs, meals at restaurants, and campaign expenses.
The defendants face 20 years in prison for each wire fraud and money laundering count. The defendants could also face fines of $250,000 for each wire fraud count and $500,000 for each money laundering count. The first indictment was filed on April 26, 2018 and included eight counts related to wire fraud.
The FBI, Louisiana State Inspector General, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wednesday 27 February 2019
Worcester Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for drug and firearm offenses.
Cleon Riley, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In November 2018, Riley pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, one count of distributing cocaine, and one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. Riley has been detained since his arrest in May 2018.
On multiple occasions in 2018, Riley sold cocaine to a confidential source in Worcester. On one occasion in February 2018, Riley sold powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and a .9mm Beretta handgun, which had previously been reported as stolen, to the same source.
Riley was arrested by local police in May 2018. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of seven bags of fentanyl and 20 bags of cocaine. Law enforcement also located additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in a car used by Riley, as well as a large quantity of fentanyl, digital scales, cutting agents, and packaging materials in an apartment that Riley used.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and the Worcester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Wichita Man Indicted on Carjacking, Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury today indicted a Wichita man on carjacking and federal firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Michael D. Stumbaugh, 39, Wichita, Kan., was charged with one count of carjacking, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of carjacking.
The carjacking is alleged to have occurred Jan. 28, when Wichita police reported a man pointed a handgun at a 70-year-old driver in the 8000 block of East Dresden and stole a 2011 Ford F-150.
The indictment alleges that when Stumbaugh was taken into custody on Feb. 7 he possessed methamphetamine and a gun.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Carjacking: Up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a carjacking and/or drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
The Wichita Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting. This case is being prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood initiative.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Ashley Ushamba, 33, Overland Park, Kan., Boniface Frank Nyamayaro, 51, Overland Park, Kan., and Zviravirwa Jehu Rubaba, 27, Dallas, Texas, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud (count one) and mail fraud. In addition, Ushamba is charged with six counts (counts two through seven) of wire fraud, and six counts (counts eight through 13) of aggravated identity theft, two counts (counts 14 and 15) of theft of government funds and one count (count 16) of access device fraud. In addition, Nyamayaro is charged with six counts of aggravated identity theft (counts 8 through 13). The crimes are alleged to have occurred during 2012 through 2014 in Johnson County, Kan.
The indictment alleges the defendants conspired to steal the identities of their victims and to file fraudulent income tax returns using the victims’ identities. The indictment alleges the defendants unlawfully received tax refunds in the form of prepaid debit cards.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Count one: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Counts two through seven: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Counts eight through 13: Not less than two years, consecutive to other sentences on other counts.
Counts 14 and 15: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Count 16: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.
Colby D. Elsasser, 26, Arlington, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (count one), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a user of a controlled substance (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a rifle with a sawed off barrel (count three) and one count of unlawful possession of a silencer (count four). The crimes are alleged to have occurred Nov. 4, 2018, in Rice County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Manuel Herrera-Sandoval, 33, who is a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 29, 2019, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Suhail Rosales-Antelo, 42, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. She was found Feb. 8, 2019, in Ellsworth County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Luis Conteras-Mata, 38, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 24, 2019, in Rawlins County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Francisco Rojas-Huerta, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Jan. 26, 2019, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Jaime Alberto Pineda-Ortega, 38, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Feb. 14, 2019, in Ellsworth County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
Brian L. Mitchell, 39, Wichita, Kan., is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 23, 2019, in Wichita, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McCarty is prosecuting.
Bryan Dias, 19, and Brandon Garcia, 22, and Terrance Wills, 22, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 15, 2019, in Shawnee County.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting.
Wilbur E. Kirkhart, II, 42, Wichita, Kan., is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (counts one and two), one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon (count three), one count of distributing a controlled substance (count four), and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (count five). The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 20, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Counts one and two: Up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Count three: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Court four: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Count five: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Mark D. Mullins, 34, Wichita, Kan., and Camela A. Blanchard, 35, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of making counterfeit bills and two counts of passing counterfeit bills. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2017 and January 2018 in Wichita, Kan.
If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
Jaasiel Varela-Aniles, 29, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Jan. 15, 2019, in Seward County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McCarty is prosecuting.
Teodoro Adame-Ramirez, 42, who is not a citizen of the United States., is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Feb. 17, 2019, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McCarty is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Westbrook Man is Sentenced to Almost Six Years for Interfering and Attempting to Interfere with Commerce by RobberyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Travis Jonathon Card, 38, of Westbrook, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to five years and ten months in prison and three years of supervised for interfering with commerce by robbery. The charges arose from a series of robberies and attempted robberies in the greater Portland area in March and April, 2018. Card pled guilty to the charges in August, 2018.
According to court records, the defendant, brandishing a pellet gun, robbed the Riverton Gas Station, in Portland, on March 20; robbed the Lil’ Mart Gas Station, in Falmouth, on March 21; robbed Good Things Variety, in Westbrook, on March 22; robbed Express Mart, in Cumberland, on March 22; robbed the Daily Grind, in Westbrook, on March 24; attempted to rob China Taste, in Portland, on March 25; robbed Subway, in Westbrook, on March 26; attempted to rob Aroma Joe’s, in South Portland, on March 27; robbed China Eatery, in Old Orchard Beach, on March 29; robbed Gulf Mart, in Westbrook, on April 6; and attempted to rob Moby Dick Variety, in Old Orchard Beach, on April 11.
“For weeks in 2018, the defendant terrorized the greater Portland area,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “There was no excuse for his behavior. Thanks to the outstanding work of law enforcement agencies, he has now been held accountable.”
The investigation leading to today’s sentencing was conducted by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments; in conjunction with the Westbrook, Falmouth, Cumberland, and Old Orchard Beach Police Departments.
Warm Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Harold Blackwolf Jr., 35, of Warm Springs, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2017, Blackwolf was at a friend’s house on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. While under the influence of alcohol, Blackwolf left his friend’s house and entered his Dodge Durango, a sport utility vehicle. Blackwolf drove away at a high rate of speed with his headlights off. As he was departing, he struck two adult men who were in the road, killing both. Blackwolf, a convicted felon, was arrested on April 20, 2018 and found to be in possession of a single firearm, a Taurus .38 special revolver.
Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. Possessing a firearm as a felon is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. Blackwolf will be sentenced on June 11, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.
The government will seek an order of restitution on behalf of Blackwolf’s victims at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Benjamin Tolkoff, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Vanguard Healthcare Agrees to Resolve Federal and State False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Brentwood, Tennessee-based Vanguard Healthcare LLC, and related Vanguard companies (Vanguard) agreed to pay more than $18 million in allowed claims to resolve a lawsuit brought by the United States and the State of Tennessee against them for billing the Medicare and Medicaid programs for grossly substandard nursing home services. Vanguard Healthcare and several related Vanguard companies that have reorganized in bankruptcy agreed to pay more than $5.1 million towards the settlement, and two Vanguard entities that are liquidating in bankruptcy have agreed to $13.5 million in allowed claims in bankruptcy. The settlement agreement also resolves claims brought by the United States against Vanguard’s majority owner and CEO, William Orand, and Vanguard’s former director of operations, Mark Miller, who agree to pay $250,000 as part of this settlement.
“Seniors rely on the Medicare and Medicaid programs to provide them with quality care and to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate nursing home operators that put their own economic gain ahead of the needs of their residents, and will continue to aggressively pursue those operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for substandard nursing services.”
The United States and Tennessee filed suit against several Vanguard companies, Miller, and Orand, alleging that they were responsible for five Vanguard-owned skilled nursing facilities submitting false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for nursing home services that were grossly substandard or worthless. In particular, the United States and Tennessee alleged that the five Vanguard nursing facilities failed to administer medications as prescribed; failed to provide standard infection control, resulting in urinary tract infections and wound infections; failed to provide wound care as ordered; failed to take prophylactic measures to prevent pressure ulcers, such as turning and repositioning; used unnecessary physical restraints on residents; and failed to meet basic nutrition and hygiene requirements of residents. The lawsuit further alleged that the defendants were responsible for the submission of hundreds of preadmission forms by these facilities to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid Program, which contained forged nurse or physician signatures.
“Simply stated, our elderly and vulnerable citizens who can’t care for themselves deserve far better treatment than what they were subjected to by Vanguard,” said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The substandard care that many of these facilities’ residents endured while the companies were raiding the public coffers is deplorable. This settlement holds them accountable and the ensuing Corporate Integrity Agreement should ensure that this conduct is not repeated going forward.”
“This office appreciates the hard work of U.S. Attorney Don Cochran and his office,” said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III. “The size and scope of this settlement sends the important message that nursing home facilities that fail to provide proper care to residents and fraudulently bill Medicaid and Medicare will be held accountable.”
Vanguard is a holding company that owns a chain of subsidiary skilled nursing facilities, including Boulevard Terrace Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Glen Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Shelbyville, Tennessee; and Manchester Health Care Center in Manchester, Tennessee. Vanguard previously operated three additional facilities in Tennessee, including Crestview Health and Rehabilitation in Nashville; Imperial Gardens Health and Rehabilitation in Madison; and Poplar Point Health and Rehabilitation in Memphis. In addition, Vanguard Healthcare owned Elderscript Services, LLC, in Tupelo, Mississippi, which provided pharmacy services to the Vanguard skilled nursing facilities.
The United States’ claims were brought under the False Claims Act, which imposes treble damages and penalties on those who submit false claims for federal funds. The settlement resolves the governments’ claims that Vanguard, Orand, and Miller caused the Boulevard, Crestview, Glen Oaks, Imperial, and Poplar Point facilities to improperly bill Medicare and Medicaid for worthless nursing home services during the period from 2010 to 2015. The settlement also resolves the governments’ claims that Vanguard, Orand, and Miller caused the Boulevard, Crestview, Glen Oaks, Imperial, and Poplar Point facilities to submit preadmission forms with forged signatures to TennCare in order to be reimbursed by Medicaid from 2012 to 2014. Tennessee’s claims were brought and settled under the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, which prohibits conduct similar to the False Claims Act.
“This nursing home chain allegedly neglected its patients and billed worthless services to Medicare and Medicaid in order to pad their bottom line,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “This settlement should send a clear message to health care providers that we will do everything in our power to protect our most vulnerable citizens from corporate greed.”
“Investigations like these are important to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community receive the quality of care they need and deserve,” said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. “Indifference by providers like this can greatly impact the lives of those who must depend on service providers-even for their most basic needs. We are fortunate to have this strong partnership between state and federal agencies in the pursuit of false claims.”
Due to the filing of bankruptcy proceedings by the Vanguard entities, the United States anticipates that the total government recovery in this case will ultimately exceed $6 million. Contemporaneously with the settlement announced today, the reorganized Vanguard corporate defendants and Orand further agreed to enter into a chain-wide, quality of care Corporate Integrity Agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, which will remain in effect for five years. The CIA requires a government-selected quality of care monitor to be retained by Vanguard, along with other heightened compliance obligations that are designed to ensure that Vanguard implements and maintains systems to address the quality of resident care.
The case was handled by the Department of Justice Civil Division, Fraud Section; United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee; and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. The investigation was handled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. This case was supported by the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice and Nursing Home Initiative, which coordinates the Department’s activities combatting elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, especially as they impact beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs. This case was also a product of the Elder Justice Task Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee that launched two years ago. For more information about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative and the Elder Justice Task Force, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/ and https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/elder-justice-task-force.
The case is docketed as United States v. Vanguard Healthcare, LLC, et al., No. 3:16-cv-02380 (M.D. Tenn.). The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Vanguard Healthcare Agrees to Resolve Federal and State False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –February 27, 2019– U.S. Attorney Don Cochran and the Department of Justice announced today that Brentwood, Tennessee-based Vanguard Healthcare, LLC, and related Vanguard companies (“Vanguard”) agreed to pay more than $18 million in allowed claims to resolve a lawsuit brought by the United States and the State of Tennessee for billing the Medicare and Medicaid programs for grossly substandard nursing home services. Vanguard Healthcare and several related Vanguard companies that have reorganized in bankruptcy agreed to pay more than $5.1 million towards the settlement, and two Vanguard entities that are liquidating in bankruptcy have agreed to $13.5 million in allowed claims in bankruptcy. The settlement agreement, approved by U.S. District Court Judge Terrance Berg, sitting by special designation, also resolves claims brought by the United States against Vanguard’s majority owner and CEO, William Orand, and Vanguard’s former director of operations, Mark Miller, who agree to pay $250,000 as part of this settlement.
“Simply stated, our elderly and vulnerable citizens who can’t care for themselves deserve far better treatment than what they were subjected to by Vanguard,” said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran. “The substandard care that many of these facilities’ residents endured while the companies were raiding the public coffers is deplorable. This settlement holds them accountable and the ensuing Corporate Integrity Agreement should ensure that this conduct is not repeated going forward.”
The United States and Tennessee filed suit against several Vanguard companies, Miller, and Orand, alleging that they were responsible for five Vanguard-owned skilled nursing facilities submitting false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for nursing home services that were grossly substandard or worthless. In particular, the United States and Tennessee alleged that the five facilities failed to administer medications as prescribed; failed to provide standard infection control, resulting in urinary tract infections and wound infections; failed to provide wound care as ordered; failed to take prophylactic measures to prevent pressure ulcers, such as turning and repositioning patients; used unnecessary physical restraints on residents; and failed to meet basic nutrition and hygiene requirements of residents. The lawsuit further alleged that the defendants were responsible for the submission of hundreds of preadmission forms by these facilities to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid Program, which contained forged nurse or physician signatures.
“Seniors rely on the Medicare and Medicaid programs to provide them with quality care and to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate nursing home operators that put their own economic gain ahead of the needs of their residents, and will continue to aggressively pursue those operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for substandard nursing services.”
Vanguard is a holding company that owns a chain of subsidiary skilled nursing facilities, including Boulevard Terrace Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Glen Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Shelbyville, Tennessee; and Manchester Health Care Center in Manchester, Tennessee. Vanguard previously operated three additional facilities in Tennessee, including Crestview Health and Rehabilitation in Nashville; Imperial Gardens Health and Rehabilitation in Madison; and Poplar Point Health and Rehabilitation in Memphis. In addition, Vanguard Healthcare owned Elderscript Services, LLC, in Tupelo, Mississippi, which provided pharmacy services to the Vanguard skilled nursing facilities.
The United States’ claims were brought under the False Claims Act, which imposes treble damages and penalties on those who submit false claims for federal funds. The settlement resolves the governments’ claims that Vanguard, Orand, and Miller caused the Boulevard, Crestview, Glen Oaks, Imperial, and Poplar Point facilities to improperly bill Medicare and Medicaid for worthless nursing home services during the period from 2010 to 2015. The settlement also resolves the governments’ claims that Vanguard, Orand, and Miller caused the Boulevard, Crestview, Glen Oaks, Imperial, and Poplar Point facilities to submit preadmission forms with forged signatures to TennCare in order to be reimbursed by Medicaid from 2012 to 2014. Tennessee’s claims were brought and settled under the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, which prohibits conduct similar to the False Claims Act.
“This nursing home chain allegedly neglected its patients and billed worthless services to Medicare and Medicaid in order to pad their bottom line,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “This settlement should send a clear message to health care providers that we will do everything in our power to protect our most vulnerable citizens from corporate greed.”
"This office appreciates the hard work of U.S. Attorney Don Cochran and his office,” said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III. “The size and scope of this settlement sends the important message that nursing home facilities that fail to provide proper care to residents and fraudulently bill Medicaid and Medicare will be held accountable.”
“Investigations like these are important to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community receive the quality of care they need and deserve,” said David Rausch, Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “Indifference by providers like this can greatly impact the lives of those who must depend on service providers-even for their most basic needs. We are fortunate to have this strong partnership between state and federal agencies in the pursuit of false claims.”
Due to the filing of bankruptcy proceedings by the Vanguard entities, the United States anticipates that the total government recovery in this case will ultimately exceed $6 million. Contemporaneous with the settlement announced today, the reorganized Vanguard corporate defendants and Orand further agreed to enter into a chain-wide, quality of care Corporate Integrity Agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, which will remain in effect for five years. The CIA requires a government-selected quality of care monitor to be retained by Vanguard, along with other heightened compliance obligations that are designed to ensure that Vanguard implements and maintains systems to address the quality of resident care.
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Susan Lynch of the Department of Justice Civil Division, Fraud Section, and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. This case was supported by the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice and Nursing Home Initiative, which coordinates the Department’s activities combatting elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, especially as they impact beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs. This case is a product of the Elder Justice Task Force of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee that launched two years ago. For more information about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative and the Elder Justice Task Force, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/ and https://www.justice.gov/uaso-mdtn/elder-justice-task-force.
The case is docketed as United States v. Vanguard Healthcare, LLC, et al., No. 3:16-cv-02380 (M.D. Tenn.). The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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VR Labs Principals Found Guilty of Scheme to Defraud Lee County of Millions in Grant Program FundsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – A federal jury has found Kay F. Gow (68, Naples), Robert T. Gow (77, Naples), and John G. Williams, Jr. (67, Virginia Beach, VA) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The Gows were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal monetary transactions. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud count (Gows: 4 counts each, Williams: 2 counts). The Gows each also face up to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and for each count (4) of illegal monetary transactions. And the defendants face the forfeiture of more than $5.1 million in proceeds traceable to the offenses. All three are scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2019.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the Gows owned and controlled multiple entities, including HerbalScience Group, LLC, and HerbalScience Singapore Pte, Ltd. In 2010, the Gows formed VR Laboratories, LLC, in order to apply for a $5 million grant from Lee County through the Financial Incentives for Recruiting Strategic Targets (“FIRST”) program. The FIRST program consisted of taxpayer funds set aside by the county to bring economic development projects to the Ft. Myers area. In seeking the FIRST grant, the Gows made numerous false and fraudulent representations to various individuals and government entities about their financial success and that of HerbalScience and VR Labs, including that VR Labs was poised to become a leading global formulator and manufacturer of botanical pharmaceuticals. Ultimately, Lee County awarded VR Labs $5 million in FIRST grant funds to build a manufacturing facility that the Gows had claimed would bring hundreds of high-paying jobs and economic growth to Lee County.
Once VR Labs executed an agreement with Lee County, Williams, a long-time friend of the Gows, registered a fictitious name, “Williams Specialty Bottling Equipment,” with the Florida Secretary of State. The Gows then represented that Williams would provide the bottling line for the manufacturing facility, when he had no such experience or expertise. Williams used false and fraudulent invoices for work and services allegedly performed on the bottling line to make demands for payment and, once paid, kicked back a substantial portion of the funds to VR Labs and the Gows. The Gows then used Williams’s false and fraudulent invoices to justify requests to Lee County for the payment of the grant money. Once VR Labs received the grant funds, the Gows fraudulently transferred those funds to entities they owned and controlled, and ultimately to themselves, by disguising the transfers as licensing fees, salaries, expenses, and other items. They also tried to conceal the source of the kickbacks through the creation of fictitious entities and documents.
Ultimately, Lee County disbursed approximately $4.7 million in FIRST grant funds to VR Labs, but the manufacturing facility was never completed or operational.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Michael Leeman.
U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction and Sentence of New Hampshire Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Charges Arising Out of Saco Home InvasionRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that the First Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed the conviction and 20 years plus life in prison sentence of Gregory Owens, 62, formerly of Londonderry, New Hampshire, imposed in July 2016 in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen. After a 10-day jury trial in February 2016, Owens was convicted of interstate domestic violence and using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with a home invasion shooting in Saco, Maine on December 18, 2014.
According to trial testimony, Owens drove from New Hampshire to Maine intending to kill his wife who was an overnight guest at the home of friends living in Saco. During the home invasion, Owens shot his wife and the male home owner with a 9mm pistol. Both survived their injuries.
On appeal, Owens primarily challenged the district court’s suppression rulings, the sufficiency of the evidence at trial, and his sentence.
“This was an egregious crime by a remorseless criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank. “As the First Circuit recognized, it was solved by great police work. The Saco (ME) Police Department; the Londonderry (NH) Police Department; the Maine and New Hampshire State Police; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory are all to be commended for their great work in solving this difficult case.”
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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement Partners Announce Expansion of “Project EJECT” to NatchezRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. - Today, Mike Hurst, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, along with the Natchez Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the local District Attorney’s Office, and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, announced the expansion of an initiative to combat violent crime called "Project EJECT" into Adams County and the City of Natchez.
Launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi in December 2017 in the City of Jackson under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN") initiative, Project EJECT is designed as an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates decades of experience in bringing various levels of law enforcement together with stakeholders in the community, with the overall goal of producing a long-term, meaningful reduction in and prevention of violent crime.
In expanding the initiative into other parts of the Southern District of Mississippi, Project EJECT now stands for: "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together."
Joined by law enforcement in Natchez, U.S. Attorney Hurst described the project as a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach that combines law enforcement arrests and prosecutions of violent criminals with prevention efforts, rehabilitation and reentry, educational initiatives, and improved communication.
"Project EJECT will serve as a force multiplier in the City of Natchez and Adams County, bringing federal agents, prosecutors, training and additional services to help the citizens of Natchez tackle and prevent violent crime. We have a simple messages to criminals: if you violate our laws and terrorize our neighbors, you will be ejected from our community. But, we also intend to work with offenders to help them get back on their feet before they are released, and we will work with the youth to educate them on making the right choices. At the end of the day, we all want safer communities," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The mission of Project EJECT is to reduce violent crime and make Natchez neighborhoods safer for all to enjoy. Part of the project will include discussions with the public and encouraging communities to help law enforcement in this effort, as well as communicating to the criminals that they will be prosecuted and punished for gun crimes and violent crimes. The Project will also seek to support locally-based efforts to stop violence and crimes before they occur and to help those who have been punished to reenter society as law-abiding citizens.
Project EJECT is comprised of a number of federal law enforcement agencies, as well as task force officers from various state and local investigative agencies, who will interact regularly with the Natchez Police Department and the District Attorney’s Offices to identify and respond to violent crimes when they occur. Cases arising from these crimes will then be presented to the local District Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
For the first time ever, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is specifically dedicating an Assistant United States Attorney to prosecute violent crime in the City of Natchez under this project.
Project EJECT follows a directive from former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to the U.S. Department of Justice to reinvigorate DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods with the intent to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America. Project EJECT is the Southern District of Mississippi’s PSN initiative specifically tailored to address violent crime throughout the district.
In December 2018, at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) National Conference, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker presented the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and its law enforcement partners with the award for Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force for Project EJECT. Only 16 awards were given during the annual PSN National Conference, which recognize individuals and groups for their dedication and contribution to the success of PSN. Project EJECT was one of only two recognized as the best partnerships or task forces in the nation.
In expanding Project EJECT into Natchez, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to lead the Project, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Criminal Chief Courtney Coker guiding the task force initially, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway serving as the primary prosecutor for violent cases under Project EJECT in Natchez, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry in Jackson serving as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for the entire Southern District of Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney Stands with Middle District Law Enforcement, Crimestoppers for Safer CommunitiesRead the Press Release
MACON –United States Attorney Charles “Charlie” E. Peeler stood alongside law enforcement leadership from across the Middle District of Georgia today in support of the region’s collective efforts to make communities safer and deter crime. Macon Regional Crimestoppers, a community-run organization dedicated to increasing the safety of citizens, announced on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 a new quarterly initiative offering a $1,000 reward for the Top 15 Most Wanted within an eight-county area. U.S. Attorney Peeler joined Bibb County Sheriff David Davis and U.S. Marshal John Cary Bittick in vocal support of the non-profit’s dedicated efforts to reduce criminal activity.
“It is imperative that our citizens know there are safe ways for them to report criminal activity, and that many times our cases are founded on the courage of one citizen willing to report a crime,” said Charles “Charlie” E. Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I am thankful for community groups like Crimestoppers who demonstrate a high level of support for our law enforcement. Crimestoppers relentlessly keeps a spotlight on the most dangerous wanted individuals in our community, and they are making a difference.”
“The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshals and Macon Regional Crimestoppers in this new crime fighting initiative,” said David Davis, Bibb County Sheriff. “We owe it to our communities to make every effort to keep innocent citizens out of harm’s way by putting dangerous perpetuators behind bars.”
“Reducing violent crime is a priority for the USMS. I believe that partnerships with the community and our state, local and federal law enforcement partners are the backbone of any effort that will significantly reduce crime,” said John Cary Bittick, U. S. Marshal for the Middle District of Georgia. “I am committed to providing the time and resources of my office to this and any other program that will accomplish this task for middle Georgia.”
“Macon Regional Crimestoppers is committed to helping keep our Communities safe,” said Warren Selby, Jr., Chairman of Macon Regional Crimestoppers. “The removal of these individuals, from our Neighborhoods, will help us achieve this goal. We need our Citizens to help us locate these Criminals. Make the Call!"
This quarter’s Top 15 Most Wanted can be viewed at the Macon Regional Crimestoppers website at www.crimestop.us. All of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Macon Regional Crimestoppers is a local non-profit serving the Bibb, Baldwin, Houston, Jones, Twiggs, Crawford, Monroe, and Peach regional areas. The organization partners with law enforcement agencies and community groups to provide anonymous rewards for tips that lead to criminal arrests. Citizens can safely and anonymously report tips at 1-877-68CRIME.
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.
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against 11 Defendants for Sex Trafficking and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Geraldine Hart, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging 11 defendants with 15 counts of participating in the sex trafficking of, and related conduct victimizing, at least 10 young women. Nine defendants were arrested today and will be presented this afternoon before the Honorable Ona T. Wang, United States Magistrate Judge. Two additional defendants are in state custody and will be presented in federal court on a future date.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The alleged conduct of these 11 defendants against women is as callous as it is alarming. Today’s indictment alleges they operated a pay-for-sex business with their clients, while they threatened, intimidated, and coerced their female ‘employees’ to participate in commercial sex acts for money. The unconscionable crime of sex trafficking is a societal problem that disproportionally preys upon our communities’ most vulnerable: women and children. If you have knowledge of sex trafficking crimes, you should immediately call 212-384-5000.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “There is a common belief that the victims of human sex trafficking aren’t truly victims. However evidence in this investigation shows the suspects allegedly used whatever means necessary to control and abuse these victims just to make money. The FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force not only goes after the pimps and others involved in human trafficking, but we do all we can to help those girls who are being sold to start their lives again.”
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said: “The takedown of this alleged sex trafficking ring in Suffolk County is crucial in stopping predators who target the vulnerable for financial gain as well as support the victims in getting the necessary assistance they deserve. The success of this operation is why we work with our law enforcement partners and I commend the commitment of our department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, NYPD, and the FBI, which led the investigation.”
New York City Police Commissioner James P. O'Neil said: “Today’s charges further affirm the NYPD’s unwavering commitment to protecting the survivors of sex trafficking. This crime is among the most heinous in our society. Our job is to ensure that anyone who would seek to profit through the abuse and exploitation of another human being be brought to justice swiftly and successfully. To that end, I thank and commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, the FBI, and the Suffolk County Police Department for their support in building this critical case. Together, we will continue to make the safest large city in the nation even safer.”
As alleged, defendants LORENZO RANDALL, JUSTIN RIVERA, DWAYNE ANTHONY CONLEY, RICARDA DIAMOND, and BRIAN SMITH conspired to commit sex trafficking through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion. In furtherance of the conspiracy, RANDALL allegedly punched, choked, and spit on certain of the victims. The indictment further alleges that RIVERA physically assaulted and brandished a dangerous weapon at a second victim. Allegedly knowing that this second victim was addicted to heroin, RIVERA withheld heroin from her unless she engaged in commercial sex acts at his direction and for his profit. Similarly, CONLEY is alleged to have physically assaulted a third victim, who was also a heroin addict, and provided her with heroin in exchange for her engagement in commercial sex acts on his behalf.
DIAMOND allegedly conspired with RANDALL to transport a victim to locations where she engaged in commercial sex acts caused by RANDALL’s force and threats of force. And SMITH allegedly arranged for hotels rooms to be used by women, including the first victim, who were engaging in commercial sex acts on RANDALL’s behalf.
Defendants RANDALL, CARL ANDREWS, GERALDINE FAUSTIN, and FRANKLYN FRANCISCO are alleged to have been members of a second conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion. As alleged, FRANCISCO recruited a victim to engage in commercial sex acts on behalf of ANDREWS, knowing that the victim was addicted to controlled substances. ANDREWS is alleged to have falsely represented to that victim that ANDREWS would compensate her financially for engaging in commercial sex acts on his behalf. ANDREWS is also alleged to have withheld from that victim the controlled substances to which she was addicted unless she engaged in commercial sex acts at his direction and for his profit. RANDALL allegedly reserved a hotel room for the purpose of the fourth victim engaging in a commercial sex act, and FAUSTIN allegedly transported the fourth victim to locations where she engaged in commercial sex acts.
In addition, RANDALL is charged with four separate counts of sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, in connection with the trafficking of three victims. ANDREWS is also charged with one count of sex trafficking of a victim by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion.
Defendants ANTHONY DARBY and KARI PARKER are charged with two counts of violating the Mann Act for knowingly transporting two victims to multiple states, including New York and Connecticut, with the intent that those victims engage in prostitution. DIAMOND is also charged with a violation of the Mann Act for knowingly transporting a victim to multiple states, including New York and Connecticut, with the intent that the victim engage in prostitution.
Along with defendant MAGEN MOREAU, DARBY is further charged with conspiracy to violate the Travel Act. Specifically, MOREAU and DARBY allegedly published advertisements on the Internet offering commercial sex acts in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.
DARBY and PARKER are also charged with conspiracy to violate the Travel Act. As alleged, DARBY and PARKER used an account held by PARKER with a classifieds website to publish advertisements on the Internet offering commercial sex acts in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.
In addition to the six charges against him discussed previously, RANDALL is charged with two counts of conspiring to violate the Travel Act. With respect to the first of those conspiracies, RANDALL allegedly used a telephone to direct a co-conspirator not named in the indictment to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of prostitution. Regarding the second, RANDALL allegedly instructed ANDREWS – who is also charged in the second Travel Act conspiracy – how to purchase and publish an advertisement for a commercial sex act on the Internet, which ANDREWS ultimately did. Lastly, in the ninth charge filed against him in the indictment, RANDALL is charged with violating the Travel Act, with respect to illegal prostitution.
According to the indictment, at least 10 young women were victims of the defendants’ crimes. The charged conduct occurred, as detailed in the indictment, between 2012 and 2018.
* * *
Charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department, and Special Agents from the FBI’s New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Wolf and Benjamin Woodside Schrier are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
DEFENDANT(S)
AGE & PLACE OF RESIDENCE
MAX. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT
Count One: Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking
(18 U.S.C. § 1594(c))
Lorenzo Randall
Justin Rivera
Dwayne Conley
Ricarda Diamond
Brian Smith
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Age 50, Bay Shore, NY
Age 37, Mastick, NY
Age 30, Central Islip
Life
Count Two: Conspiracy to Commit sex Trafficking
(18 U.S.C. § 1594(c))
Lorenzo Randall
Carl Andrews
Geraldine Faustin
Franklyn Francisco
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Age 45, Bay Shore, NY
Age 30, West Babylon, NY
Age 38, Central Islip, NY
Life
Count Three: Sex Trafficking by Force, Threats of Force, Fraud, or Coercion (18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a), (b)(1) and 2)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 15 Years
Count Four: Sex Trafficking by Force, Threats of Force, Fraud, or Coercion (18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a), (b)(1) and 2)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 15 Years
Count Five: Sex Trafficking by Force, Threats of Force, Fraud, or Coercion (18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a), (b)(1) and 2)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 15 Years
Count Six: Sex Trafficking by Force, Threats of Force, Fraud, or Coercion (18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a), (b)(1) and 2)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 15 Years
Count Seven: Sex Trafficking by Force, Threats of Force, Fraud, or Coercion (18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a), (b)(1) and 2)
Carl Andrews
Age 45, Bay Shore, NY
Life; Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 15 Years
Count Eight: Mann Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2421(a) and 2)
Anthony Darby
Kari Parker
Age 26, Mastick, NY
Age 22, Mastick, NY
10 Years
Count Nine: Mann Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2421(a) and 2)
Anthony Darby
Kari Parker
Age 26, Mastick, NY
Age 22, Mastick, NY
10 Years
Count Ten: Mann Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2421(a) and 2)
Ricarda Diamond
Age 37, Mastick, NY
10 Years
Count Eleven: Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Anthony Darby
Magen Moreau
Age 26, Mastick, NY
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
5 Years
Count Twelve: Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Anthony Darby
Kari Parker
Age 26, Mastick, NY
Age 22, Mastick, NY
5 Years
Count Thirteen: Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
5 Years
Count Fourteen: Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Lorenzo Randall
Carl Andrews
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
Age 45, Bay Shore, NY
5 Years
Count Fifteen: Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 371)
Lorenzo Randall
Age 29, Bay Shore, NY
5 Years
Two More IDOC Correctional Officers Sentenced for Crimes Stemming from FBI StingRead the Press Release
BOISE - This week, two more former IDOC correctional officers were sentenced for committing drug trafficking crimes as part of a public corruption sting operation, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Richard McCollough, 37, to 97 months in prison and Timothy Landon, 36, to 41 months in prison. Both will be placed on supervised release for three years after their release from prison.
The case stems from a sting operation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers. The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities. The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers. The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money. No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.
McCollough pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He joined Landon and co-defendant Erik Thompson, 37, in several operations for the purported drug trafficking organization. This included participating in moving large quantities of drugs and counting large amounts of cash that were delivered to the purported drug trafficking organization.
Landon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking. He participated in one major operation with McCollough and Thompson before splitting off to conduct other operations with co-defendant Robert Wallin, 36, who was sentenced to 37 months in prison on February 21, 2019.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2019 before Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.
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Two Defendants Charged in Connection with Alleged Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two individuals were charged in an indictment filed today for their alleged roles in a multimillion-dollar scheme involving purported investments in a start-up financial technology company.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank of the District of Maine, Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta of the FBI’s Boston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) in Boston made the announcement.
Michael A. Liberty, 58, of Windermere, Florida, and Paul E. Hess, 63, of Braintree, Massachusetts, were each charged in an indictment filed in the District of Maine with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. In addition, Liberty was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of money laundering.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in 2010, Liberty and Hess solicited investments in Mozido, a privately held financial technology start-up company that offered users an ability to make payments using their mobile phones. Liberty and Hess allegedly raised millions of dollars from investors telling them, among other things, that their money would be used to fund Mozido’s business operations and that Hess was not being paid to raise the money. The indictment alleges that a substantial amount of the money did not go to Mozido, that a portion of the money was diverted to pay Liberty’s personal expenses, and that Hess received commissions and other payments in return for the money he raised from investors.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Portland, Maine Resident Agency and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Michelle Pascucci and Matthew Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Clark of the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
Individuals who believe they may be a victim in this case should contact the Victim Witness Services Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine at (207) 780-3257 for more information.
Tuskegee Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Defrauding Online Shoppers and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama- On February 25, 2019, Tanya Lee English, (a/k/a Tanya Roberts and Tanya Wilson), 44, of Tuskegee, Alabama, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and federal firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., and Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division Adrian Gonzalez. There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, English is subject to three years of supervision once released and was ordered to pay $119,550.15 in restitution.
Evidence showed that English ran a wire fraud scheme out of her home from April 2013 to July 2017. As part of that scheme, English posted ads on Craigslist and eBay listing high-end baby strollers such as “Uppababy Vista” and “Bugaboo Donkey” for sale. These strollers retailed for $900 to $1,500 each. English listed pictures of these strollers with a sale price range from $599 to $900, or sometimes she would have the buyers bid on the strollers. After English and a buyer agreed on a price and shipping details, English asked them to send the money through PayPal. After the buyer wired the money to English, they would never hear from her again and never received a stroller.
English would deposit the money she received onto General Purpose Reloadable (GPR) cards issued by various banks. Once the money was deposited on these GPR cards, English would either make ATM cash withdrawals or use the cards to make purchases.
Approximately 200 buyers submitted a payment to English for a stroller. Additionally, 600 more buyers attempted to send a payment to English, but PayPal fraud investigators were able to stop the transactions and reverse payment back to the buyers. PayPal’s actual loss from this scheme was $119,550.51. However, had all the additional transactions gone through, the loss would have been over $277,000.00.
Another part of this scheme was that English used the personal identifying information of real people to create forty-one different PayPal accounts. The accounts were discovered after they were sent to collections due to a negative balance. At that point, the innocent individuals reported they did not have a PayPal account and that their identities had been stolen. Agents confirmed this by linking the Pay Pal accounts to English through her internet IP address, her name, and a shipping address in Tallassee, Alabama.
While executing the arrest warrant for the wire fraud and identity theft charges, agents found a number of firearms and ammunition in the home of English and her husband, Timothy Andre English. Both English and her husband had previous felony convictions and were each charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Timothy English was sentenced to 18 months in prison back in July of 2018.
Additionally, evidence at English’s sentencing indicated that while she was on release in the fraud and firearms case, the United State Postal Inspector Service and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office became aware of citizen complaints in Lee County that English was again engaging in fraudulent activities. The new allegations indicate that English was employing a scheme to solicit donations for domestic violence victims, such as baby items, items for women, and gift cards for her own benefit. Testimony indicated that she profited from the collection and re-sale of the donated items, and was allegedly using the gift cards and some of the items for her own personal use.
“Ms. English, like many thieves, prey on their victims using the internet,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “She swindled legitimate buyers out of their hard earned money, and tried to cover her tracks using the stolen identities of innocent people. My office is committed to working with law enforcement to identify these crooks and make them pay for their crimes. Consumers should always be cautious when making online purchases and report any unusual activity immediately. Banks and online payment systems have fraud departments that can limit losses if they are notified in time to take action.”
“When Ms. English received bank cards delivered by the Postal Service and then used those items to commit fraud, that small detail drew the attention of Postal Inspectors,” said Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, Houston Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners while protecting the sanctity of the U.S. Mail for public commerce.”
The wire fraud and aggravated identity theft case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The felon in possession of a firearms case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Both cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney, Denise O. Simpson.
Three Albany Men Charged in Connection with Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three Albany men were charged today in connection with an armed robbery yesterday of an M&T Bank branch in the Town of North Greenbush, in which a bank employee was shot.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Keith M. Corlett, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police; Chief David Keevern of the Town of North Greenbush Police Department; Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department; and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple.
The complaint charges Christopher J. Cohn and Ulysses J. Walls, both age 25, with armed bank robbery. The complaint also charges Quardel E. Valentine, age 28, with conspiracy to commit bank robbery.
The defendants were quickly arrested yesterday following the robbery and appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered them detained pending detention hearings scheduled for Friday, March 1.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The complaint alleges that Cohn and Walls entered an M&T Bank in North Greenbush yesterday morning, each wearing a ski mask and brandishing a gun. In the course of the robbery, Cohn fired multiple shots, including one that grazed an employee of the bank. Valentine drove Cohn and Walls to the bank, waited during the robbery, and helped them flee following the robbery.
The charges filed against Cohn and Walls carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. The charge filed against Valentine carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, the New York State Police, the Town of North Greenbush Police Department, the Albany Police Department, and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
The Northern District of Indiana’s U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $6,016,074.83 in Civil and Criminal Actions for U.S. Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2018Read the Press Release
HAMMOND- U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II announced today that the Northern District of Indiana collected $6,016,074.83 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2018. Of this amount, $2,974,660.68 was collected in criminal actions and $3,041,414.25 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the Northern District of Indiana forfeited in excess of $1.3 million dollars in civil and criminal forfeitures.
As a whole, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in collections in FY 2018 represents nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Education.
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Statement of United States Attorney Mike Stuart Regarding Meeting with Attorney General William BarrRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement after meeting with Attorney General William Barr:
“Today, I had the honor of meeting with Attorney General Barr at his office in Washington to discuss matters of critical importance to the people of West Virginia. He understands West Virginia and our unique challenges. This Attorney General truly appreciates West Virginia and is committed to ending the opiate crisis, supporting law enforcement, and reducing crime for our families and communities. He is very supportive of my efforts in West Virginia to aggressively attack the drug scourge, violent crime, public corruption, health care fraud and other critical priorities. I look forward to working directly with Attorney General Barr and his team to advance the priorities of the Department of Justice and this Administration throughout the great state of West Virginia. I believe it is fair to say that the people of West Virginia have a great friend and champion in Attorney General Barr.”
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St. Thomas Resident Indicted for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – On February 21, 2019, a federal Grand Jury returned an indictment against Jeffrey Cole, 57, of St. Thomas, charging him with failing to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced. Cole appeared in court today before Federal Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller where he entered a plea of not guilty. Cole’s trial date is scheduled for April 15, 2019.
According to the indictment and court records, Cole was convicted for voyeurism in the State of Ohio in 2009. He moved to the State of Georgia where he registered as a sex offender. Cole relocated to the Virgin Islands in 2018, and failed to register.
Under federal law, Cole faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the United States Marshal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
South Park Man Charged with Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of possession and distribution of materials depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on February 26, named Michael Moran, 60, South Park, PA.
According to Indictment, from on or about August 16, 2018 through on or about September 2, 2018, Moran distributed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and on October 24, 2018, Moran possessed images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. A number of the images Moran distributed, as well some of the videos and images he possessed, depicted the sexual exploitation of minors under the age of twelve.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Moran remains in custody pending the resolution of state charges.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Soldier Creek Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Soldier Creek, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of Child Abuse.
Robert Staples, Jr., age 35, was indicted on February 13, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 26, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on September 14, 2018, Staples unlawfully killed another human being, while operating a motor vehicle, in a grossly negligent manner. The Indictment further alleges Staples abused, exposed, tortured, tormented, and cruelly punished children who had not attained the age of seven years old.
The charges are merely accusations and Staples is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Staples was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Six federal inmates charged with lewdly exposing themselves to prison staffRead the Press Release
Brunswick, GA – Six federal inmates face having more time added to their prison sentences after lewdly exposing themselves to prison staff.
The inmates, serving federal prison sentences at Federal Correctional Institution Jesup in southeast Georgia, are charged with Public Indecency as filed in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Ga., said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Many of the inmates have prior records of lewdly exposing themselves to staff members.
The charges are classified as misdemeanors, and can extend the inmates’ scheduled release date by up to 12 months, along with a year of supervised release and substantial fines.
Those charged are:
- Lesly Richard, 28, of Los Angeles, serving a sentence for being a felon in possession of firearm, with a scheduled release date of Jan. 12, 2022;
- Doniel Porter, 30, of Brunswick, Ga.; serving a sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, with a scheduled release date of Dec. 24, 2021;
- Henry Watson, 38, of Milton, Fla.; serving a sentence for possession and distribution of more than 38 grams of cocaine and illegal possession of a firearm, with a scheduled release date of Oct. 31, 2028;
- James Thornton, 50, of Rock Island, Ill., serving a sentence for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, with a scheduled release date of April 29, 2022;
- Patrick Turner, 34, of Margate, Fla., serving a sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with a scheduled release date of Oct., 24, 2028; and,
- Tracy McCants, 35, of Jonesboro, Ga., serving a sentence for conspiracy to possess more than 280 grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, with a scheduled release date of July 10, 2023. .
“The staff members at our federal correctional institutions serve honorably and under often difficult conditions as they maintain safe environments for incarcerated felons,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “These prosecutions should send a message to all inmates that this reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated – and will result in more time behind bars.”
“The number of incidents of inmate abuse of female prison staff is unacceptable,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to making sure those numbers decrease dramatically by setting an example with cases like this, that if you choose to act out in perverse ways you will extend your stay in prison.”
Federal inmate abuse of female staff members has increased in recent years, with more than 850 cases of exposure in 2016, more than 1,000 in 2017 and 1,269 in 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Marcela C. Mateo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katelyn Semales prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Shooter in 2014 Midland Homicide Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
In Midland today, 39-year-old Odessa, TX, resident Noe Garcia Galan pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge in connection with the murder of Sean Michael Lamb in 2014, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division; and, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge David Counts, Galan pleaded guilty to one count of murder resulting from the use and discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
By pleading guilty, Galan admitted that on May 13, 2014, he fatally shot Lamb. According to court records, Galan and others were responsible for the abduction and death of Lamb because they suspected that Lamb and others had stolen a large amount of “crystal” methamphetamine from co-defendants Liz Hernandez and her brother, Ruben James Hernandez.
“Along with our law-enforcement partners, we seek justice for all victims of crime. I am pleased that we were able to obtain a guilty plea in this case and I look forward to sentencing,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
Ruben Hernandez, age 38 of Odessa, remains a fugitive in this case. Liz Hernandez, age 39 of Odessa, is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of murder during the course of a drug trafficking crime. Her 22-year-old son, Brian Hernandez, is back in federal custody after violating conditions of his supervised release, including failing a drug test. In February 2017, Hernandez completed his 41-month federal prison term after he pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge. Four other Odessan co-defendants—44-year-old Raymond Hernandez Olgin, Jr., 41-year-old Rudolfo Romero Parades, 44-year-old Stacey Louise Castillo and 41-year-old Anthony Ryan Gonzales—are serving life, 27 years, 25 years, and 27 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. In April 2015, a federal jury convicted those four of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and one count of murder during the course of a drug trafficking crime.
“The Odessa Police Department would like to thank all of the assisting agencies for the time and effort dedicated in bringing charges in this case. This was truly a joint effort and could not have been accomplished without their help,” stated Odessa Police Chief Gerke.
Galan, who remains in federal custody, faces between ten years and life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for 2:00pm on May 29, 2019, in Midland before Judge Counts.
The Odessa Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas Rangers, and the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Lewis, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Twenty YearsRead the Press Release
Dandre R. Brown, 30, of Godfrey, Illinois, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Brown, who originally hails from Douglasville, Georgia, had been charged in a six-count federal indictment with five counts of bank robbery and one count of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines. He pleaded guilty to the charges back in November 2018.
Documents filed in federal district court revealed that over a span of six weeks, Brown committed five bank robberies in Madison County, Illinois
Date
Victim Bank
City
Amount Taken
November 29, 2017
U.S. Bank
Alton
$2,910
December 20, 2017
Reliance Bank
Godfrey
$2,246
December 22, 2017
Regions Bank
East Alton
$13,774
January 2, 2018
U.S. Bank
Wood River
$7,550
January 10, 2018
1st MidAmerica Credit Union
Edwardsville
$8,882
As part of his guilty plea, Brown further admitted robbing a U.S. Bank in Florissant, Missouri, on December 11, 2017. On that occasion, Brown made off with $1,625 and then fled back to Illinois in a stolen car.
Brown’s six bank robberies all followed the same basic modus operandi. Brown would enter the bank alone wearing something covering his head. He would present the teller with a note and then flee with the money to a vehicle parked a block or two away. On four occasions, when demanding money from the bank tellers, Brown told the tellers he knew where they lived, intimating that he might come after them personally if they did anything to thwart his crimes.
Investigators were able to identify Brown because of outstanding police work at the local and federal level. After robbing the U.S. Bank in Alton, Brown dropped the demand note he had presented the teller. The note read, "Give me all the money NO Die Packs I have a weapon." Officers with the Alton Police Department found the note in the grass across the street from the bank and sent it to the FBI crime lab, where four latent fingerprints and one latent palm print were discovered and subsequently matched to Brown. A federal arrest warrant was issued, and the United States Marshals Service tracked Brown to Atlanta, Georgia, where they apprehended him on January 23, 2018.
Before Brown was sentenced, the district court received statements from several of the victim bank tellers, who reported their experiences as "very damaging and traumatizing." One teller was so affected by Brown’s threats that she became uncomfortable in her home and had difficulty sleeping. The experience led another victim to leave her employment at the bank. The woman whose car was stolen told the court that for a week afterward she was too afraid to go home because, along with her car, Brown had stolen her house keys.
Brown’s criminal record includes a 2006 conviction for armed robbery in St. Louis, and he was on parole for theft when he committed the bank robberies. His federal sentence includes a three-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $35,000 in restitution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address violent crime, the Justice Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN ("PSN 2.0") and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
This prosecution is the result of a collaborative investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Illinois State Police, Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the following police departments: Granite City, Alton, St. Louis County, Godfrey, East Alton, Wood River, and Edwardsville. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Piper, Jr. and Alexandria M. Burns.
Scheule Boys Gang Member Convicted of RICO Conspiracy Going to Prison for 30 YearsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Aaron Hicks, a/k/a Boog, a/k/a Boogy, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. In addition, Judge Arcara ordered the defendant to forfeit $10,400,000 in proceeds from illegal drug trafficking activity.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Parisi and Wei Xiang, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that Hicks was a member of the Schuele Boys Gang which operated in the Schuele Street area of the East Side of Buffalo. The gang is believed to be responsible for multiple acts of violence and the distribution of illegal narcotics including cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.
As a member, the defendant was the Buffalo-based main point of contact for the gang’s cocaine and marijuana supplier, Julio Contreras of McAllen, Texas. Hicks’s co-defendant, Roderick Arrington, was previously convicted following a jury trial in 2017 of the shooting murder of Quincy Balance, a/k/a Shooter, at the intersection of Northland and Stevens in Buffalo on August 30, 2012. Hicks, Arrington, and other Schuele Boys members believed that Balance was involved in the shooting murder of one of their associates on nearby Carl Street four days earlier. Arrington was sentenced to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering.
“This defendant is the last, of more than two dozen individuals, to be sentenced in our prosecution of a violent street gang that terrorized the East Side of Buffalo and its citizens for a number of years, “ said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Our office is determined to bring the leaders, members, and associates of these street gangs to justice. We realize that these gangs spread something much more ruinous to our communities than large amounts of drugs and countless acts of violence. These gangs spread despair. By taking them on, we hope to restore the community’s faith not only in the rule of law but in the possibility for a more productive and positive future.”
Hicks is one of 28 Schuele Boys Gang members and associates to be charged and convicted in this case and the final defendant to be sentenced.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy. Additional assistance was provided by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the Edinboro University Police Department in Pennsylvania, the West Tennessee Judicial Drug Task Force, the City of McAllen, Texas Police Department, HSI Harlingen, Texas, and the FBI offices in Houston, Texas and Jackson, Mississippi.
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SCDC Prisoner and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Dark Web Mail Bomb PlotRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Michael James Young Jr., 32, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 43 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to purchase a mail bomb from prison over the Dark Web. Co-conspirator Tyrell Fears, 23, of Irmo, South Carolina, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
Evidence presented to the court revealed that while incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Young obtained a contraband cellphone smuggled into the Broad River Correctional Institution. Young used that contraband cellphone to run a drug business distributing marijuana he obtained from a California supplier and from the Dark Web. Drugs purchased by Young were shipped to a conspirator’s residence before being picked up by co-defendant Vance Volious for re-distribution.
While this drug conspiracy among Young, Volious, and others was operating, the conspirators also plotted to kill Young’s ex-wife. This was not the first time that Young had tried to kill her; he was serving a 50-year sentence after having been convicted of attempting to kill her and of murdering her father in 2007.
In February 2017, Young accessed the Dark Web from prison on his contraband cellphone and started a dialogue with an undercover FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign explosives dealer. Young paid for a mail bomb to be sent to a conspirator’s residence in Irmo and for the re-shipment label addressed to his ex-wife to be sent to Volious’ house in Columbia.
Fears obtained the labels from Volious, armed the mail bomb, and was surveilled by the FBI delivering the inert explosives package to the Post Office in Irmo on June 6, 2017. After a United States Postal Inspector recovered the mail bomb, Young, Volious, and Fears were arrested on federal charges.
Young and Volious were convicted by a federal jury in April 2018 for conspiracy, transport of an explosive with the intent to kill, mailing a non-mailable explosive with the intent to kill, and carrying an explosive during the commission of another felony. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Young to 525 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision. Judge Childs sentenced Fears—who pleaded guilty to carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony and conspiracy—to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision. Volious will be sentenced at a later date.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Division of Police Services, State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Country Sheriff’s Department, Irmo Police Department, USC Division of Law Enforcement and Safety, and Columbia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office and former Assistant United States Attorney Jay Richardson, with assistance from Dan Goldberg of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
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Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Chansen Diaz, 30, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal mail before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that Diaz was employed by a U.S. Postal Service contractor at the Greater Rochester International Airport. While performing his job, the defendant conspired with two other individuals, co-defendants Cordell James and Michael Harris, to steal gift cards and cash from the mail. The three men then used the stolen items to finance their lifestyles.
Charges remain pending against Cordell James and Michael Harris. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of a joint investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, Pittsburgh, PA, and Inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Philadelphia man admits to role in a methamphetamine distribution operation in Monongalia CountyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Oscar Aaron Watkins, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has admitted to his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Watkins, also known as Eric Oscar Watkins, age 58, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Watkins admitted to participating in a drug distribution operation in October 2018 in Monongalia County.Watkins faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Morgantown Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Philadelphia Man Convicted of Multiple Offenses at Trial Including Bribery and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Bakary Camara, 32, of Philadelphia, was convicted today by a jury of one count of conspiracy to produce identification documents without lawful authority, one count of bribery of an agent from PennDOT, two counts of misuse of a Social Security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The defendant bribed his co-conspirator Henry Gibbs (a former PennDOT agent) in order to unlawfully obtain Pennsylvania learner’s permits and non-commercial and commercial driver’s licenses for foreign nationals and others. Some of the individuals for whom the defendant assisted in getting a driver’s license did not speak English and could not pass the DMV knowledge tests. The defendant obtained and attempted to obtain licenses for at least one individual who entered the country illegally. In return for the bribes, Gibbs entered false information into the PennDOT system indicating the individuals passed the required tests, even though they had never taken them.
Moreover, the defendant falsified documents (including utility bills, cellular phone bills, tax notices, and insurance documents) to make it appear that some non-Pennsylvania residents lived in Pennsylvania. The defendant gave the individuals the falsified documents to provide to Gibbs, who accepted the falsified documents and uploaded them into the PennDOT system. The defendant unlawfully assisted at least 30 immigrants and foreign nationals in obtaining Pennsylvania learner’s permits and driver’s licenses through Gibbs. The defendant charged these individuals $300 to $7,000 to assist them with obtaining a Pennsylvania driver’s license and provided Gibbs at least $5,000 in bribes.
“This kind of bribery and fraud will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “It is incredibly dangerous to provide driver’s licenses to those who have not even passed a driving test. In his scheme, the defendant committed a fraud on the government and created a true danger to public safety. We are grateful that the jury held him accountable for his crimes.”
“Today’s guilty verdict highlights Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia continued vigilance against corruption schemes that damage the trust the public places in our state institutions,” said Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “This case is another excellent example of federal, state and local cooperation to combat fraud in our community.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Social Security Administration, with special assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright.
Parma man sentenced to more than two years in prison for making false statements in order to collect $47,000 in Social Security fundsRead the Press Release
A Parma man was sentenced to more than two years in prison for making false statements in order to collect $47,000 in Social Security funds.
David Fievet, 53, was sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft of government property, Social Security fraud and obstruction of justice.
His wife, Gerolyn Fievet, 54, was sentenced to five years of probation. She previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The Fievets conspired to wrongfully receive 88 monthly Supplemental Security Income checks between January 2010 and April 2017, totaling $47,556, for the benefit of the couple’s disabled son. In order to obtain more benefits than they were legally entitled, the Fievets falsely reported David was not living in the family home when, in fact, he was. Fievet was working as a firefighter at the time, according to court documents.
Special Agent Kelly Clark from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian prosecuted the case.