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25 March 2019
Jackson Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Armed Robbery of Dollar General StoreRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Jalen Xavier Simmons, 19, of Jackson, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to serve 7 years and one day in federal prison for robbing a local Dollar General store in Jackson and brandishing a firearm during that crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Simmons was also sentenced to 4 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $1,000.00 fine.
On April 6, 2018, Simmons entered the Dollar General on Briarwood Drive in Jackson carrying a stolen 9mm pistol loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition. He robbed multiple shoppers of their cash and demanded Dollar General employees open the cash register. Jackson Police officers soon arrived on the scene and Simmons was arrested.
Simmons was charged in a federal indictment on September 29, 2018, with one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the crime of violence. He pled guilty without a plea agreement on December 17, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Harrison County woman admits to methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jessika Dawn Bishop-Holt, of Anmoore, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Bishop-Holt, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Bishop-Holt admitted to distributing methamphetamine in March 2018 in Harrison County.Bishop-Holt 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 Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Hanahan Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Using a Gun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Valdimere Rasheen Rivers, age 30, of Hanahan, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston sentenced Rivers to 137 months in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of court-ordered supervision.
Evidence presented to the court showed that agents of the U.S. Postal Service alerted the Charleston County Sheriff's Office and the Hanahan Police Department that Rivers was receiving suspicious packages from California, and he was arrested while returning from the post office with a box of marijuana in his vehicle. When officers stopped Rivers, he texted his girlfriend with instructions to retrieve money and additional marijuana from the couple's townhouse. As a surveillance team closed in on the residence, Rivers’ girlfriend dropped a container of marijuana into a nearby dumpster and loaded thousands of dollars of cash into one of Rivers' cars. She was arrested, and a search of the townhouse revealed additional marijuana and a loaded revolver. An additional shipment of marijuana addressed to one of Rivers' relatives was also intercepted. In all, authorities seized over five pounds of marijuana and more than $4,500.00 in cash.
The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Service, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, and the Hanahan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General announced the reinvigoration of PSN 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.
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GBK Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Brett Rodgers, 32, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the Greenway Boy Killas (GBK) street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Brett Rodgers conspired to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of $8,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Rachael Dizard are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Brett Rodgers.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Fraudulent Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison TermRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that Karen Tompkins was recently sentenced in federal court in Milwaukee for defrauding and conspiring to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns. The tax returns fraudulently claimed tax refunds to which the filers were not entitled, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2 and 371, and Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2).
United States District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced Tompkins, of Milwaukee, to one year and one day in prison. Tompkins was also ordered to pay $384,528 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, Tompkins and her coconspirators were employed as tax return preparers at a branch of Liberty Tax Services ("LTS") located at 3929 N. Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As tax return preparers, the conspirators aided, assisted, counseled, and advised in the preparation and filing of federal income tax returns. Tompkins was the office manager of that branch, and she and her coconspirators artificially inflated tax filer’s claimed income, typically by inventing Schedule C business income for non-existent business, such as "hair braiding" or "dancing" businesses. They also claimed false W-2 income and Additional Child Tax Credits to which the filers were not entitled. This caused the IRS to pay out larger tax refunds than it otherwise would have. In return for these inflated tax refunds, Tompkins and her coconspirators received kickbacks
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson.
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Fort Thompson Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Jacey Estes, age 24, was indicted on March 12, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 22, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison 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 November 3, 2018, Estes assaulted an individual with shod feet, and said assault resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
The charges are merely accusation and Estes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Estes was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Former Virginia State Police Special Agent Convicted of Bribery, Obstruction of Justice, and Lying to the FBI Following Five Day Jury TrialRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – Shade Carlton Workman, 46, a Virginia State Police Special Agent, who was recently the commander of the Tazewell County High Intensity Drug Task Force, was convicted on Friday, March 22, 2019, following a five-day jury trial, of federal bribery, obstruction of justice, and making a false statement to a federal agent, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced. The jury acquitted him of an additional charge of obstruction of justice and one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to commit a federal crime.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Workman, the former commander of the Tazewell County High Intensity Drug Task Force (HIDTA), a specialized multi-agency drug-enforcement unit partially funded through the National Office of Drug Control Policy, unlawfully solicited and received sexual favors from female confidential informants in exchange for agreeing to assist them with pending criminal charges. The evidence further showed that when these female confidential informants expressed their reluctance about having sex with him, Workman regularly threatened and implied that they would face lengthy prison terms and extended separation from their children. When the FBI interviewed Workman during the summer of 2018, he falsely denied having inappropriate or sexual relationships with confidential informants. Although Workman had deleted text messages evidencing inappropriate sexual relationships with informants from his Virginia State Police-issued phone—and had directed multiple informants to do the same—the FBI was able to recover a large number of text messages, which the government presented at trial.
“This defendant, who had sworn to uphold the Constitution and laws of Virginia, preyed on particularly vulnerable victims and abused the public’s trust,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “His aggravated criminal conduct also dishonored the men and women of the Virginia State Police who serve our Commonwealth with bravery, honor, and distinction. I am grateful for the FBI’s diligence and determination in investigating this corrupt cop and bringing him to justice.”
“The defendant’s conduct is certainly not indicative of the caliber and dedication of men and women who work at the Virginia State Police,” said Special Agent in Charge David W. Archey of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “Workman’s conviction demonstrates the commitment of our agencies to hold those who violate their oath accountable, and to find justice to those who place their trust in law enforcement.”
“The Department regards every allegation related to this case as very serious and most unacceptable in nature,” said Col. Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “As concerning as it is to have a state police employee found guilty of such criminal violations, this was an isolated situation and not representative of the respected quality and dedication demonstrated daily by our employees across the Commonwealth.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police with assistance from the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office. United States Attorney Cullen and Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary T. Lee and Lena Busscher tried the case for the United States.
Former Head of Organization Backed by Chinese Energy Conglomerate Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for International Bribery and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Chi Ping Patrick Ho, aka “Patrick C.P. Ho” and “He Zhiping,” was sentenced today to serve 36 months in prison for his role in a multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme to bribe top officials of Chad and Uganda in exchange for business advantages for CEFC China Energy Company Limited (“CEFC China”) Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York announced. Ho was convicted of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), money laundering, and conspiracy to commit the same, in December 2018, after a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who imposed today’s sentence.
In addition to his prison term, Ho, 69, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who resided in Hong Kong prior to his arrest in November 2017 and has been detained since his arrest, was fined $400,000. Following his prison sentence, Ho will be removed from the United States.
“Patrick Ho bribed officials at the highest levels of government in Chad and Uganda in pursuit of lucrative oil deals and other business opportunities, all while using a U.S.-based NGO to conceal his criminal scheme,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “This kind of corruption undermines world markets and tilts the playing field against law-abiding companies and individuals. The Department will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals and corporations that engage in foreign bribery. ”
“Patrick Ho schemed to bribe the leaders of Chad and Uganda in order to secure unfair business advantages for the Chinese energy company he served,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Berman. “His actions were brazen, including offering the president of Chad $2 million in cash, hidden in gift boxes. Foreign corruption undermines the fairness of international markets, erodes the public’s faith in its leaders, and is deeply unfair to the people and businesses that play by the rules. Today’s sentence recognizes the severe harm caused by Ho’s actions.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Ho orchestrated and executed two bribery schemes to pay top officials of Chad and Uganda in exchange for business advantages for CEFC China, a Shanghai-based multibillion-dollar conglomerate that operates internationally in multiple sectors, including oil, gas, and banking. During the course of the schemes, Ho served as the secretary-general of a non-governmental organization based in Hong Kong and Arlington, Virginia, and registered as a charitable entity in the United States, the China Energy Fund Committee (“CEFC NGO”), which held “Special Consultative Status” with the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council. CEFC NGO was funded by CEFC China.
In the first scheme (the Chad Scheme), Ho, on behalf of CEFC China, offered a $2 million cash bribe, hidden within gift boxes, to Idriss Déby, the president of Chad, in an effort to obtain valuable oil rights from the Chadian government. In the second scheme (the Uganda Scheme), Ho caused a $500,000 bribe to be paid, via wires transmitted through New York, New York, to an account designated by Sam Kutesa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, who had recently completed his term as the president of the UN General Assembly. Ho also schemed to pay a $500,000 cash bribe to Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, and offered to provide both Kutesa and Museveni with additional corrupt benefits by “partnering” with them and their families in future joint ventures in Uganda.
The Chad Scheme
The Chad Scheme began in or about September 2014 when Ho flew into New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly. At that time, CEFC China – a multibillion-dollar energy company based in Shanghai, China – was working to expand its operations to Chad, and wanted to meet with President Déby as quickly as possible. Through a connection, Ho was introduced to Cheikh Gadio, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, who had a personal relationship with President Déby. Ho and Gadio met at CEFC China’s suite at Trump World Tower in midtown Manhattan, where Ho enlisted Gadio to assist CEFC China in obtaining access to President Déby
Gadio connected Ho and CEFC China to President Déby. In an initial meeting in Chad in November 2014, President Déby described to Ho and CEFC China executives certain lucrative oil rights that were available for CEFC China to acquire. Following that meeting, Gadio advised Ho and CEFC China to send a technical team to Chad to investigate the oil rights and make an offer to President Déby grounded in factual data. Instead, Ho insisted on a prompt second meeting with President Déby. The second meeting took place a few weeks later, in December 2014. Ho led a CEFC China delegation, which flew to Chad on a corporate jet with $2 million cash concealed within several gift boxes. At the conclusion of a business meeting with President Déby, Ho and the CEFC China executives presented him with the gift boxes.
To the surprise of Ho and the CEFC China executives, President Déby rejected the $2 million bribe offer, but later agreed to accept the money as a charitable donation to the country. Ho subsequently drafted a letter to President Déby falsely claiming that the cash had really been intended as a donation to the people of Chad all along.
Ho and CEFC China did not obtain the unfair advantage that they had sought through the bribe offer, and by mid-2015, Ho had turned his attention to a different so-called “gateway to Africa”: Uganda.
The Uganda Scheme
The Uganda Scheme began around the same time as the Chad Scheme, when Ho was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly. Ho met with Sam Kutesa, who had recently begun his term as the 69th president of the UN General Assembly (“PGA”). Ho, purporting to act on behalf of CEFC NGO, met with Kutesa and began to cultivate a relationship with him. During the year when Kutesa served as PGA, Ho and Kutesa discussed a “strategic partnership” between Uganda and CEFC China for various business ventures, to be formed once Kutesa returned to Uganda.
In or about February 2016 – after Kutesa had returned to Uganda and resumed his role as Foreign Minister, and Yoweri Museveni (Kutesa’s relative) had been reelected as the president of Uganda – Kutesa solicited a payment from Ho, purportedly for a charitable foundation that Kutesa wished to launch. Ho agreed to provide the requested payment, but simultaneously requested, on behalf of CEFC China, an invitation to Museveni’s inauguration, business meetings with Museveni and other high-level Ugandan officials, and a list of specific business projects in Uganda in which CEFC China could participate.
In May 2016, Ho and CEFC China executives traveled to Uganda. Prior to departing, Ho caused CEFC NGO to wire $500,000 to the account provided by Kutesa in the name of the so-called “foundation,” which wire was transmitted through New York, New York. Ho also advised his boss, Ye Jianming, the then-chairman of CEFC China, to provide $500,000 in cash to Museveni, ostensibly as a campaign donation, even though Museveni had already been reelected. Ho intended these payments to influence Kutesa and Museveni to use their official power to steer business advantages to CEFC China.
Ho and CEFC China executives attended President Museveni’s inauguration and obtained business meetings in Uganda with Museveni and top Ugandan officials, including with the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources. After the trip, Ho requested that Kutesa and Museveni assist CEFC China in acquiring a Ugandan bank, as an initial step before pursuing additional ventures in Uganda. Ho also offered to “partner” with Kutesa and Museveni and/or their “family businesses,” making clear that both officials would share in CEFC China’s future profits. In exchange for the bribes offered and paid by Ho, Kutesa thereafter steered a bank acquisition opportunity to CEFC China.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice, Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
Trial Attorney Paul A. Hayden of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, FCPA Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Richenthal, Douglas S. Zolkind, and Catherine E. Ghosh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York’s Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Delgado Community College Financial Aid Officer Sentenced to Probation after Previously Pleading Guilty to Solicitation and Receipt of BribesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that DAVIN D. THOMAS (“THOMAS”), age 32, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, a former Delgado Community College ("DCC") Financial Aid Officer, was sentenced Thursday, March 21, 2019 to four years probation and ordered to pay $6,700 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon. THOMAS was also ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid community service. THOMAS previously pleaded guilty to a one count Bill of Information charging him with soliciting money from students in exchange for awarding students financial aid.
According to court documents, THOMAS was responsible for the verification of student financial aid applications and for identifying the students who were eligible for financial aid funds. From April 2014 through August 2016, THOMAS solicited funds from three DCC students in exchanged for awarding the students financial aid. THOMAS admitted to federal law enforcement that he accepted $6,700 in exchange for awarding the students financial aid.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Department of Education, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.
Former Chinese Diplomat and Head of U.S. Operations for Chinese Construction Business Convicted of Engaging in Forced Labor and Related Charges by A Federal JuryRead the Press Release
On Friday, March 22, 2019, following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict on all five counts against Dan Zhong, the head of U.S. operations of Chinese Liaoning Rilin Construction (Group) Co. Ltd. (also known as China Rilin) and U.S.-based subsidiaries, including U.S. Rilin, who was formerly a diplomat of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The counts of conviction were conspiracy to provide forced labor, providing and benefitting from forced labor, concealing passports and immigration documents in connection with forced labor (also known as document servitude), conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit visa fraud. The jury also found as a sentencing enhancement that Zhong engaged in the alien smuggling for commercial gain. Today, the jury separately concluded that six properties where the forced labor victims worked, including a high rise building in midtown Manhattan and a mansion on Long Island, are forfeitable. Zhong’s co-defendant in the indictment, Landong Wang, is a fugitive, believed to be in the PRC.
When he is sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly, Zhong faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and Timothy W. Dumas, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State (DSS), announced the verdict.
“Unlike Chinese Communist elites, Americans do not practice, condone or tolerate forced labor,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Mr. Zhong, a former long-time PRC diplomat, believed he could oppress and coerce Chinese construction workers in New York, forcing some to work for years without pay under the threat of physical harm and financial ruin. His crimes not only violate our laws, they contradict the values of this country.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his appreciation to the Department of State’s Office of Foreign Missions and the FBI’s Field Office in Newark, New Jersey, for their assistance on the case.
“These are human beings, forced to work seven days a week with no pay and forced to live in squalid housing with dozens of others, trapped by guards who would hunt them down and drag them back if they escaped,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “This didn’t take place in a foreign country, this happened here in Manhattan, on Long Island and New Jersey. No human being deserves to be treated this way, in any country. Mr. Zhong and others may have believed they could get away with human trafficking and forced labor in this country because of the Chinese government’s disregard of the laws where it operates, but they will now face justice for their crimes.”
“With the hopes of attaining the proverbial American dream, victims were brought to the U.S. by Zhong, only to be forced to live in cramped, unsafe conditions, with locks on the doors so they could not escape,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “Many worked 14 hour days for years, submitting to threats of financial ruin to their families or threats of violence. Forced labor simply put is modern day slavery and this investigation shed light on the willingness of criminals to exploit people for personal financial gain. We will seek prosecution of anyone who looks to increase their profit by forcing people to work with no pay.”
“This case illustrates the global reach of the Diplomatic Security Service and the effectiveness of federal agency collaboration to stop criminals from illegally obtaining U.S. visas to exploit foreign workers,” stated DSS Special Agent in Charge Dumas. “We’re committed to investigating visa fraud committed by U.S. business operators and others who facilitate criminal visa applications at U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world.”
The evidence at trial established that Zhong’s company performed construction work on a variety of PRC government facilities in the United States, including the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the United Nations, the Embassy of the PRC to the United States, and PRC Consulates General in the United States (collectively, the PRC Facilities). Initially, Zhong, and his co-conspirators required workers to turn over substantial “security deposits,” including the deeds to their family homes that were subject to forfeiture if they refused to work as a key element of “debt bondage” contracts the workers signed. Once in the United States, the workers also had to surrender their passports to the conspirators. The workers were forced to put in 14-hour days, seven days a week, for years without receiving any pay. Twenty or more workers were housed in one and two-family houses in Jersey City, New Jersey. Inspections of some of these houses revealed numerous fire code violations, as well as illegal locks to prevent the workers from escaping. Through this scheme, Zhong and his co-conspirators attempted to prevent escape by the workers, at times using violent force. Several workers testified about their families being threatened and forced out of their homes in the PRC by Rilin. One worker testified that after escaping and being re-captured, he was warned that his legs would be broken if he again tried to escape. More recently, Zhong and his co-conspirators abused the legal process in the PRC by photographing a worker and his wife in front of a pile of cash totaling RMB1 million belonging to Rilin and then obtaining from a PRC court an enforcement order against the worker’s wife for RMB1 million after the worker escaped.
Although the visa applications prepared for the workers provided that the workers would work only at PRC diplomatic facilities, the evidence at trial established that Zhong and his co-conspirators forced them to work on private construction projects, including a commercial building in midtown Manhattan and private residences in Queens and elsewhere on Long Island. Zhong also used these workers as personal servants, preparing meals, chauffeuring him, and performing yard work.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Ian C. Richardson and Craig R. Heeren are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Civil Division, which is responsible for the forfeiture aspect of the case.
The Defendant:
DAN ZHONG
Age: 49
Livingston, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-614 (AMD)
Federal Grand Jury Indicts 12 Members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)Read the Press Release
Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg has indicted 12 members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a Mexican-based criminal organization considered by the Department of Justice to be one of the five most dangerous transnational organizations in the world, on federal drug conspiracy charges, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced today.
“CJNG is one of the most dangerous drug cartels in the world, and its members and associates are actively operating in the Shenandoah Valley and Southside Virginia,” United States Attorney Cullen stated today. “Dismantling organized drug activity and staunching the flow of deadly substances like heroin and cocaine into our communities are among my top priorities as U.S. attorney. I am grateful that our federal, state, and local partners share this goal and for their hard work during the course of this investigation.”
“This investigation demonstrates the extensive reach of Mexican drug cartels and the dangers posed by their presence and activities in the Western District of Virginia and across the Commonwealth,” said Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Washington Field Division. “The DEA will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to hold these powerful cartels accountable for the destruction they cause.”
In an indictment returned under seal on March 5, 2019, and unsealed today following the initial court appearance of two defendants, the grand jury charges:
- Ramon Carillo-Ruvalcaba, a.k.a. “The Barber” one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Eduardo Contreras-Devora, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Daniel Gomez-Barajas, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Roman Idearte-Bolanos, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Alberto Jijon, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Miguel Angel Patricio-Cajero, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Isdro Ramos-Bojorquez, a.k.a. “Chilo” one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Jesus Rogelio Ramirez, a.k.a. “Jesse” one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Jonathan Rocas-Osorio, a.k.a. “Oscar Osorio-Munoz” one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Ana Bella Sanchez-Rios, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana and one count of money laundering.
- Ritchie Triplett, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
- Ernesto Valenzuela-Flores, a.k.a. “Juan Flores-Arrellano” one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
According to the indictment, between January 2015 and February 2019, the defendants trafficked multiple kilograms of cocaine, heroin and marijuana from Mexico into the United States. As part of the alleged conspiracy, CJNG members recruited individuals from Mexico to reside in Axton and Winchester, Virginia to facilitate the distribution of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that the defendants maintained a series of residential properties in and around Axton for the purpose of receiving, storing, packaging, and distributing multiple kilograms of cocaine and multiple pounds of marijuana which they had received directly from members of CJNG. These drugs were then allegedly shipped to Winchester, and elsewhere throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, for redistribution.
In addition, the indictment charges Sanchez-Rios, who owns and operates a money transmitting business, with money laundering. Between May 2016 and September 2018, Sanchez-Rios transmitted funds that she knew had been derived from a criminal offense, specifically drug trafficking.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (NWVRDGTF), the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police. Assistance was provided by the Winchester Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin M. Kulpa and Sean Welsh are prosecuting the case for the United States.
This investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. 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.
The NWVRDGTF uses the combined efforts of local, state, and federal agencies to actively pursue those groups or individuals who manufacture, distribute, or sell illegal narcotics. The NWVRDGTF is comprised of the Virginia State Police, the Winchester Police Department, the Front Royal Police Department, the Strasburg Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that Friday in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced DENNIS ROBINSON, 26, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to 124 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
ROBINSON was named in an Indictment filed on August 14, 2018, charging him with possession with intent to distribute AB-FUBINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid, and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. On November 15, 2018, ROBINSON pled guilty.
According to the investigation, ROBINSON possessed distributable amounts of AB-FUBINACA and marijuana, as well as three rifles in December 2017. ROBINSON had previously been convicted of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon in 2013.
This case was implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Fayetteville Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Lucy Partain represented the government.
Erie Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Crimes relating to the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years (60 months) in prison and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $3,000 on his conviction of federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jonathan Scott Boynton, 31, 3420 Clifton Drive, Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Boynton received and possessed computer images and movies depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Boynton.
Eleventh and Final Defendant in Baltimore Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Eric Adams, age 43, of Odenton, Maryland today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“This case removed 11 drug dealers, a significant quantity of narcotics, and guns from the streets of Baltimore,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Disputes between rival drug gangs often lead to shootings and murders in Baltimore City. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent drug dealers from our communities.”
According to his plea agreement, Adams and co-conspirators Claudis Lassiter and Kevin Murchison stored and processed wholesale quantities of cocaine in an apartment on Whetstone Way in the McHenry Row complex in Baltimore. Adams and his co-defendants supplied narcotics to others, including co-defendants DeAngelo Keith, Stanley Dunham., and others. Law enforcement located the apartment after a GPS tracking device was placed on one of Lassiter’s vehicles.
As detailed in Adams’ plea agreement, on May 5, 2017, investigators installed two cameras within the Whetstone apartment. From May 4, 2017 through May 13, 2017, Adams was captured on video processing narcotics inside the kitchen of the Whetstone apartment on at least five occasions. On May 11, 2017, investigators observed Adams process narcotics within the Whetstone apartment, then leave, meet with Stanley Dunham, and conduct a suspected drug transaction in Dunham’s vehicle. Investigators stopped Dunham following this meeting. Law enforcement located 30 grams of heroin in Dunham’s vehicle, which confirmed the drug transaction.
According to his plea agreement, on May 13, 2017, Adams brought a large suitcase into the Whetstone apartment and proceeded to process narcotics. When Adams left the Whetstone apartment, he was arrested and investigators searched the Whetstone apartment. Law enforcement recovered approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, almost three kilograms of heroin, over two kilograms of cocaine, a twenty-ton kilogram press, and other processing equipment and drug-cutting agents from the apartment.
Investigators also searched Adams’ residence and recovered in the master bedroom one .38-caliber revolver, loaded with five rounds of ammunition; a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, loaded with sixteen rounds; as well as a receipt, addressed to Eric Adams, for a 5x8x8 interior storage unit. On May 15, 2017, investigators served a subpoena to the manager of the storage company, who confirmed that Adams was renting storage unit 120. A short time later, a canine scan was conducted in the storage unit and the canine alerted positive to the presence of narcotics in storage unit 120. Investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on the storage unit and found another kilogram press, as well as a .22-caliber revolver.
Adams admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that members of the conspiracy would distribute between three and 10 kilograms of heroin. Ten co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy, and were sentenced to between 12 months and 126 months in prison.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Goo and Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Wallner, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Eagle Butte Man Charged with Larceny and Possession of Ammunition by a FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Larceny and Possession of Ammunition by a Felon.
Judson His Law, age 24, was indicted on March 12, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 20, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison 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 November 3, 2018, His Law stole another person’s pickup truck. The Indictment further alleges that His Law, having previously been convicted of a felony, possessed fifty rounds of ammunition, which he took from the pickup.
The charges are merely accusations and His Law is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
His Law was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Duke University Agrees to Pay U.S. $112.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Scientific Research MisconductRead the Press Release
Duke University has agreed to pay the government $112.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting applications and progress reports that contained falsified research on federal grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Justice Department announced today.
“The resources utilized by NIH and EPA to fund important research and clinical programs across the nation are limited,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that knowingly falsify research and undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions.”
“Taxpayers expect and deserve that federal grant dollars will be used efficiently and honestly. Individuals and institutions that receive research funding from the federal government must be scrupulous in conducting research for the common good and rigorous in rooting out fraud,” said Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “May this serve as a lesson that the use of false or fabricated data in grant applications or reports is completely unacceptable.”
Duke is a private university located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke receives millions of dollars in funding from NIH and the EPA for hundreds of grants each year. The settlement resolves allegations that between 2006 and 2018, Duke knowingly submitted and caused to be submitted claims to the NIH and to the EPA that contained falsified or fabricated data or statements in thirty (30) grants, causing the NIH and EPA to pay out grants funds they otherwise would not have. Specifically, the United States contends that the results of certain research related to mice conducted by a Duke research technician in its Airway Physiology Laboratory, as well as statements based on those research results, were falsified and/or fabricated.
“Duke knowingly, the government contended, falsified data to claim millions of grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold such grantees fully accountable regardless of the length or complexity of the investigations.”
“This settlement sends a strong message that fraud and dishonesty will not be tolerated in the research funding process,” said EPA Acting Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “We will continue to take appropriate legal measures to ensure a fiscally sound system that protects grant funds.”
The allegations were originally brought in a lawsuit filed by Joseph Thomas, a former Duke employee, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The Act permits the government to intervene in and take over the whistleblower’s suit, or, as in this case, for the whistleblower to pursue the action on the government’s behalf. Mr. Thomas will receive $33,750,000 from the settlement.
The investigation and settlement in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of North Carolina and the Western District of Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Thomas v. Duke University, et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-276 (M.D.N.C.).
Duke University Agrees to Pay U.S. $112.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Scientific Research MisconductRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Duke University has agreed to pay the government $112.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting applications and progress reports that contained falsified research on federal grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Justice Department announced today.
“The resources utilized by NIH and EPA to fund important research and clinical programs across the nation are limited,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Department of Justice will pursue grantees that knowingly falsify research and undermine the integrity of federal funding decisions.”
“Taxpayers expect and deserve that federal grant dollars will be used efficiently and honestly. Individuals and institutions that receive research funding from the federal government must be scrupulous in conducting research for the common good and rigorous in rooting out fraud,” said Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “May this serve as a lesson that the use of false or fabricated data in grant applications or reports is completely unacceptable.”
Duke is a private university located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke receives millions of dollars in funding from NIH and the EPA for hundreds of grants each year. The settlement resolves allegations that between 2006 and 2018, Duke knowingly submitted and caused to be submitted claims to the NIH and to the EPA that contained falsified or fabricated data or statements in 30 grants, causing the NIH and EPA to pay out grants funds they otherwise would not have. Specifically, the United States contends that the results of certain research related to mice conducted by a Duke research technician in its Airway Physiology Laboratory, as well as statements based on those research results, were falsified and/or fabricated.
“Duke knowingly, the government contended, falsified data to claim millions of grant dollars from the National Institutes of Health,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold such grantees fully accountable regardless of the length or complexity of the investigations.”
“This settlement sends a strong message that fraud and dishonesty will not be tolerated in the research funding process,” said EPA Acting Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “We will continue to take appropriate legal measures to ensure a fiscally sound system that protects grant funds.”
The allegations were originally brought in a lawsuit filed by Joseph Thomas, a former Duke employee, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The Act permits the government to intervene in and take over the whistleblower’s suit, or, as in this case, for the whistleblower to pursue the action on the government’s behalf. Mr. Thomas will receive $33,750,000 from the settlement.
The investigation and settlement in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of North Carolina and the Western District of Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Thomas v. Duke University, et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-276 (M.D.N.C.).
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Defendant Who Exploited Opioid Addictions of Young Women Convicted of Crimes Related to Drug Trafficking and ProstitutionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – After a three-day trial, a federal jury in Concord, New Hampshire, found Steven Tucker, 33, of Manchester, New Hampshire, guilty on March 22 of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and of using interstate facilities to promote a prostitution business enterprise and maintaining a drug-involved premise. The verdict was announced by Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray for the District of New Hampshire, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Boston.
Evidence presented at trial established that, between October 2013 and June 2014, the defendant operated drug and prostitution businesses in the Manchester area. He sold heroin to numerous individuals, including young women and a minor. Witnesses described how the defendant used their addictions to cause them to prostitute for his profit. The defendant would often front heroin to the women and then arrange prostitution “dates” for them. The women were required to give the defendant half of the proceeds and then purchase heroin from him with the remainder.
On other occasions, the defendant withheld heroin from the women, causing them to suffer painful withdrawal symptoms, and then instructed them to prostitute to earn money to purchase heroin from him. The defendant’s scheme guaranteed that he had a steady source of drug customers and money. Some of the women were required to help the defendant sell his heroin and received heroin in exchange. The defendant used violence and threats to maintain control of the women. The investigation began in 2014, when the mother of one of the women called the Manchester Police Department after the defendant beat her daughter.
“Motivated by greed, the defendant preyed on young, vulnerable women, selling them heroin, exploiting their addictions, and prostituting them for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Civil Rights Division and its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit will continue its vigorous efforts to work with our federal and state partners to hold human traffickers accountable, vindicate the rights of their victims, and eradicate this despicable and inhumane exploitation from our country.”
“This case demonstrates the power of opioids to support criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray. “This defendant took advantage of young women, using heroin and violence to induce them to commit acts of prostitution for his personal profit. His conduct was even more disturbing because he victimized a minor. We will continue to work closely with the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force and all of our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and prosecute those who engage in this type of unlawful and exploitive activity.”
“We’re grateful that the Jury has brought back this verdict.” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “This case, where the offender cruelly exploited his victims through drug addiction and violence to induce them to prostitute, was disturbing on several levels. The strong partnership among our HSI Special Agents, the Manchester Police Department, victim advocates, and the members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force was critical in investigating this case. We hope this verdict can serve as some small measure of healing for the victims of this dangerous threat to the community.”
This prosecution is the result of the joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU). The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office provided victim assistance in the case.
The New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force is a multidisciplinary effort comprised of law enforcement as well as social, medical, and legal services for victims of human trafficking. The Task Force is funded by a grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and Bureau of Justice Programs (BJA).
The core team members of the Task Force are the Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen for the District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao for the Civil Rights Division’s HTPU, with assistance from HTPU Trial Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky.
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19-0265
Defendant Who Exploited Opioid Addictions of Young Women Convicted of Crimes Related to Drug Trafficking and ProstitutionRead the Press Release
After a three-day trial, a federal jury in Concord, New Hampshire, found Steven Tucker, 33, of Manchester, New Hampshire, guilty on March 22 of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and of using interstate facilities to promote a prostitution business enterprise and maintaining a drug-involved premise. The verdict was announced by Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray for the District of New Hampshire, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Boston.
Evidence presented at trial established that, between October 2013 and June 2014, the defendant operated drug and prostitution businesses in the Manchester area. He sold heroin to numerous individuals, including young women and a minor. Witnesses described how the defendant used their addictions to cause them to prostitute for his profit. The defendant would often front heroin to the women and then arrange prostitution “dates” for them. The women were required to give the defendant half of the proceeds and then purchase heroin from him with the remainder.
On other occasions, the defendant withheld heroin from the women, causing them to suffer painful withdrawal symptoms, and then instructed them to prostitute to earn money to purchase heroin from him. The defendant’s scheme guaranteed that he had a steady source of drug customers and money. Some of the women were required to help the defendant sell his heroin and received heroin in exchange. The defendant used violence and threats to maintain control of the women. The investigation began in 2014, when the mother of one of the women called the Manchester Police Department after the defendant beat her daughter.
“Motivated by greed, the defendant preyed on young, vulnerable women, selling them heroin, exploiting their addictions, and prostituting them for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Civil Rights Division and its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit will continue its vigorous efforts to work with our federal and state partners to hold human traffickers accountable, vindicate the rights of their victims, and eradicate this despicable and inhumane exploitation from our country.”
“This case demonstrates the power of opioids to support criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray. “This defendant took advantage of young women, using heroin and violence to induce them to commit acts of prostitution for his personal profit. His conduct was even more disturbing because he victimized a minor. We will continue to work closely with the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force and all of our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and prosecute those who engage in this type of unlawful and exploitive activity.”
“We’re grateful that the jury has brought back this verdict.” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Boston. “This case, where the offender cruelly exploited his victims through drug addiction and violence to induce them to prostitute, was disturbing on several levels. The strong partnership among our HSI Special Agents, the Manchester Police Department, victim advocates, and the members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force was critical in investigating this case. We hope this verdict can serve as some small measure of healing for the victims of this dangerous threat to the community.”
This prosecution is the result of the joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU). The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office provided victim assistance in the case.
The New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force is a multidisciplinary effort comprised of law enforcement as well as social, medical, and legal services for victims of human trafficking. The Task Force is funded by a grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and Bureau of Justice Programs (BJA).
The core team members of the Task Force are the Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen for the District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao for the Civil Rights Division’s HTPU, with assistance from HTPU Trial Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky.
Dallas County Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Possession of a Firearm After Conviction of a FelonyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jadarius Moore, a 25 year old resident of Selma, Alabama, was sentenced to 57 months of incarceration for possession of a .40 caliber Glock pistol.
On December 18, 2018, Moore entered a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement and admitted in open court that on January 19, 2018, a Selma, AL police officer saw Moore in the Vaughn Hospital parking lot driving a white Dodge truck. The officer believed Moore had outstanding arrest warrants and attempted to stop him by activating the police vehicle’s emergency lights. Moore sped away in his vehicle in an effort to flee the police. As he fled, Moore threw a pistol and white substance out of the driver’s side window. The officer then radioed that a gun and a white substance had been thrown out of Moore’s vehicle and the location of the items. After speeding for a few blocks, Moore stopped the vehicle and fled on foot. The Officer stopped and used a K-9 to track Moore. After searching for approximately 100 yards, the K-9 located Moore under a vacant building. Officers then called to Moore to come out and give himself up. Moore did so and was arrested. The pistol was recovered but not the white substance as it was splattered in the wind. The firearm was a .40 caliber Glock pistol. Moore was previously convicted of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree, on September 29, 2014, in the Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama, case number CC-2014-000110.
Officers of the Selma, Alabama Police Department along with special agents of the ATF investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney Gina S. Vann.
Cynthiana Man Sentenced to 210 Months for Attempting to Entice Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Cynthiana man, who previously admitted to attempting to entice minors to permit him to engage in illicit sexual conduct, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove sentenced Jeremy Wayne Martinez, 28, for using the Internet, with his cellular telephone, to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor, to engage in sexual activity.
According to the plea agreement, Martinez previously admitted to communicating with an undercover law enforcement agent, who responded to an ad Martinez had posted on Craigslist.com. The undercover officer portrayed herself as the mother of two daughters, ages three and seven. Martinez engaged in text conversations on Kik Messenger, during which he indicated his interest in engaging in sexual intercourse with both of the fictitious minors. He traveled to a meeting place, in Frankfort, designated by the undercover officer, on October 19, 2017. He was arrested at that time. Martinez admitted that he was the person who had been communicating with the officer, and that those communications contained sexually explicit conversations.
Martinez pleaded guilty to the charge in October of 2018.
Under federal law, Martinez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years, following his release from federal prison.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Richard F. Ferretti, Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Office, United States Secret Service, and Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Cyber Crimes Branch of the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Marye represented the federal government in the case.
Credit Card Fraudster Sentenced to More Prison Time for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN PRESTON, 27, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 14 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately 2010, Preston operated a scheme in which he used the internet and other sources to obtain personal identifying information of several prominent individuals, including entertainers and professional athletes, and used that information to pose as these individuals to gain access to their credit card accounts. Through this scheme, Preston and another individual made more than $500,000 in unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals.
Preston was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 27, 2014, Judge Shea sentenced Preston to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison in August 2017.
On February 22, 2019, Preston was arrested by Hartford Police on fraud, larceny and identity theft charges. The investigation revealed that Preston fraudulently obtained an American Express card for an account belonging to a prominent entertainer’s business, and then used the card to make multiple charges and attempted charges, causing a loss of $13,296.93.
At the conclusion of today’s sentencing proceeding, Judge Shea ordered Preston remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Preston will be on supervised release for 22 months when he is released from prison.
The state charges against Preston are pending.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Couple Charged with Aiding and Abetting Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aiding and Abetting Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Julia Pease, age 24, of Fort Thompson, South Dakota, and Chad Pease, age 44, of Chamberlin, South Dakota, were indicted on March 12, 2019. Both appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 21, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on July 6, 2015, and September 1, 2015, the Defendants engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor.
The charge is merely an accusation and both are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Both were released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Lee Andrew “Bokie” Henderson, 31, of Canton, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to 37 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Henderson was also ordered to pay a $1,000.00 fine.
On May 5, 2018 Henderson was stopped by a Jackson Police officer for driving around a barricade in the area of Mill Street near Monument Street. The officer smelled marijuana in the car and the passenger admitted to having marijuana. The officer searched the car and found a .45 caliber pistol under the front passenger seat. Henderson admitted that the gun was his and later gave a recorded statement to law enforcement officers again admitting that he was in possession of the gun. Henderson has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault in Madison County, Mississippi.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Connecticut Landlord Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY A. VALENTINO, 76, of Palm City, Florida, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Valentino is a real estate investor who owns property in Connecticut and New York, including a 100-unit apartment complex in Naugatuck, Connecticut. From 2011 to 2013, Valentino deposited more than $1.1 million of rental real estate receipts, paid in cash or checks, into his personal bank accounts in Connecticut and New York, and failed to report the receipts on his personal and partnership federal tax returns.
For the 2011 through 2013 tax years, Valentino only reported $42,815 in taxable income on his tax returns, and he failed to report $1,008,125 in taxable income. As a result, he evaded payment of $302,449 in income taxes.
The investigation also revealed that, in 2013, Valentino made or caused to be made 27 cash deposits totaling $247,100 into his savings account in Connecticut. Many of the cash deposits, which ranged in amounts from $7,000 to $9,900, were made on the same day at different times, or on consecutive days.
Federal law requires all financial institutions to file a Currency Transaction Report (“CTR”) for currency transactions that exceed $10,000. To evade the filing of a CTR, individuals will often structure their currency transactions so that no single transaction exceeds $10,000.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2019, at which time Valentino faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Valentino has paid restitution to the U.S. Treasury of $302,339, but still owes substantial interest and penalties. He also has agreed to forfeit $100,000 related to his structuring of cash deposits.
Valentino was released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hartford and Stamford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
Citrus County Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Funds and Making False Statements to the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Ruth S. Sprake (60, Crystal River) today pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and making false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA). She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the theft offense and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the false statements charge. Sprake was indicted on November 7, 2018. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Sprake is a former rural route carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Since September 2002, she has been receiving full workers’ compensation disability benefits from the Department of Labor (DOL) for a work-related injury. Each year, since 2013, Sprake was required to submit a report to the DOL detailing her sources of income and any employment activities. However, from 2013-2018, Sprake failed to report her income from her dog-breeding business, as well as her clerical work for a real estate company. As a result, Sprake obtained more than $192,000 in benefit payments to which she was not entitled.
Further investigation revealed that, in December 2015, Sprake also made false written statements to the SSA in which she had underreported her personal and household income in an effort to obtain increased disability benefit payments from that agency.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Chicago Man Arrested for Theft from Sycamore BankRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Chicago man was arrested Friday after being indicted on charges of bank theft.
BRANDON MOORE, 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford on March 19, 2019. According to the indictment, on June 28, 2018, Moore stole more than $1,000 belonging to the Heartland Bank and Trust in Sycamore. Moore has been in custody since his arrest and was scheduled to appear at 2:00 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston.
The arrest was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Jim Winters, Chief of the Sycamore Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.
The charge of bank theft carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to three years following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from that offense, whichever is greater, plus full restitution. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Billings man sentenced to eight years in prison in heroin, meth conspiracyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident Clayton James Edwards, who admitted making multiple drug runs to Salt Lake City to get heroin and methamphetamine for redistribution back in Billings, was sentenced on March 21 to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Edwards, 35, pleaded guilty on Oct. 9 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
Prosecution evidence showed that during a six-month period, from January to June 2017, Edwards and another person made trips to Salt Lake City about every five days to get heroin and meth from multiple suppliers. Edwards told investigators that he would use and sell the heroin. The prosecution said Edwards was being held accountable for a conservative estimate of 24 ounces of heroin, which is the equivalent of about 6,800 doses, and eight pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of about 28,992 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Belton Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Following Police ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm after leading police officers on a vehicle pursuit that ended when he drove through residential yards and disabled his vehicle after striking several trees.
Gregory P. Middaugh, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Belton police officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on Feb. 10, 2017. Middaugh was kicking at the front door of his estranged girlfriend’s residence, attempting to make entry into the residence. Middaugh fled from the scene in a black Mercedes Benz C280.
Belton police officers attempted to stop Middaugh as he fled from the residence. Middaugh refused to stop and fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. While fleeing, Middaugh hit several parked vehicles. He then left the roadway and continued to drive through yards, where he struck several trees. Middaugh’s vehicle was eventually disabled, and he was taken into custody.
Officers searched the vehicle after Middaugh’s arrest and found a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol with a laser sight attachment lying on the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. The firearm was reportedly stolen.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Middaugh has two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for stealing, and prior felony convictions for domestic violence, robbery, armed criminal action and assault on a state Department of Corrections employee.
Under federal statutes, Middaugh is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. If the court determines that Middaugh is an armed career criminal, he would be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Jason Mannix, a/k/a “Boston”, 39, of Bangor pled guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”
According to court records, between January 2016 and July 2017, Mannix conspired with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl and crack transported to Penobscot County from Waterbury, Connecticut. The defendant sold the drugs and served as a “runner” for other members of the conspiracy, delivering the drugs to others in Penobscot County. He also transported members of the conspiracy to Connecticut to obtain more drugs.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison term, three years to life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Baltimore man admits to role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin Jackson, of Baltimore, Maryland, has admitted to his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jackson, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Jackson admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2017 in Harrison County.Jackson faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Baldwin County Woman and Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Michael Daniel Kirk, age 56, of Lake Mary, Florida, and Jennifer Weekley, age 38, of Bay Minette, Alabama, were sentenced on March 22 after earlier pleading guilty to two counts charging violations of 18 USC Section 2251(a), Production of Child Pornography.
A concerned citizen reported to the Bay Minette Police Department that he had found images on a woman’s phone of her engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a six year old and a three year old. The investigation revealed that Weekley met Kirk on a dating website for adults, PlentyofFish.com. They began a sexual relationship until Kirk moved to Sandford, Florida. Kirk then instructed Weekley to perform sexual acts on the young children and photograph them. Weekley then transmitted the images of sexual abuse to Kirk.
At sentencing, the United States argued that the defendants had caused serious harm to these young children and recommended a sentence of thirty years. Judge Kristi DuBose found that because of the nature and seriousness of the crimes, a high sentence was appropriate and ordered that they each be imprisoned for 30 years. Following their release from prison, Kirk and Weekley will each be supervised by the United States Probation Office for 25 years, and each will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Bay Minette Police Department, the Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Augusta Man Sentenced to Eight Months for Making False Statements to a Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Richard Quattrone, 50, of Augusta, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release for making false statements to a federal firearms licensee.
According to court records, in March, 2017, Quattrone bought a firearm from a Kennebec County firearms dealer. During the transaction, Quattrone made false statements about his current residence and unlawful use of marijuana.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Atchison Man Sentenced for Trafficking in MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - An Atchison man was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Earnest Preston Crawford, III, 30, Atchison, Kan., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, Crawford admitted that investigators arranged to make a series of controlled buys from Crawford at his residence in the 600 block of North 10th Street in Atchison.
Investigators learned Crawford was getting his methamphetamine from members of the Satan’s Disciples street gang. He was regularly purchasing pounds of methamphetamine for $6,000 to $10,000.
McAllister commended the Atchison Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug for their work on the case.
Alleged Dark Web Child Pornography Facilitator Extradited to the United States to Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Irish authorities extradited Eric Eoin Marques, age 33, to the United States to face federal charges that he allegedly conspired to advertise and distribute child pornography on the dark web. Marques, a dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland, arrived in the United States on March 23, 2019, and had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. An amended criminal complaint was filed on August 8, 2013, and unsealed today at Marques’ initial appearance. At that hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sullivan ordered that Marques be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
The extradition and federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director Robert Johnson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division..
“Criminals cannot hide on the dark web or in foreign countries,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will find them and bring them to justice. We are grateful to Irish authorities for their assistance to bring Eric Marques to the United States to face these charges.”
“Child exploitation sites on the dark web present a grave danger to children and unprecedented challenges to the world’s law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The complaint unsealed today demonstrates the Department’s commitment to pursuing those accused of serious child pornography offenses wherever they may hide on the web and in the world, and to seeking justice for the countless children that are victimized by those who facilitate this horrendous conduct.”
“Today’s extradition of Eric Marques demonstrates that no matter where you are in the world, the FBI and its international law enforcement partners will be diligent in their efforts to hold you accountable for your criminal activity,” said FBI Assistant Director Johnson. “The FBI will never stop working to ensure justice is served for the vulnerable child victims who are unable stand up for themselves.”
According to the amended criminal complaint, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise and to distribute child pornography, and aided and abetted the advertising and distribution of child pornography, by allegedly operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the “dark web”, an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable. The AHS allegedly hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse, and bestiality.
According to the amended criminal complaint, as of July 12, 2013, one site hosted on the AHS reported that there were almost 1.4 million files that were uploaded and accessible by individuals who visit the hidden service. During 2012 and 2013, FBI agents and employees using computers in Maryland downloaded more than one million files from that website. As part of the investigation, those files were reviewed and nearly all of the files depict children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude and/or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, in various states of undress, or depict child erotica. A substantial majority of the images downloaded by the FBI depict prepubescent minor children who are fully or partially nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The complaint alleges that during the time of the conspiracy, the IP address associated with the AHS was assigned to a computer server associated with and exclusively used by Marques.
If convicted, Marques faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 in prison for conspiracy to advertise child pornography and for aiding and abetting the advertising of child pornography; and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute child pornography and for aiding and abetting the distribution of child pornography.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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 Attorney’s 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commended the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Section and Legal Attaché London, Irish law enforcement authorities, An Garda Síochána and EUROPOL. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.
Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Thomas M. Sullivan, and Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
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Alleged Dark Web Child Pornography Facilitator Extradited to the United States to Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Irish authorities extradited a dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland to the United States to face federal charges that he allegedly advertised and distributed child pornography on the dark web.
The extradition and federal charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur for the District of Maryland and Assistant Director Robert Johnson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
Eric Eoin Marques, 33, arrived in the United States on March 23, and had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland. An amended criminal complaint was filed on Aug. 8, 2013, and unsealed today at Marques’ initial appearance. Marques is charged with conspiracy to advertise child pornography, conspiracy to distribute child pornography, aiding and abetting the advertising of child pornography, and aiding and abetting the distribution of child pornography. At the hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sullivan ordered that Marques be detained pending trial or a detention hearing scheduled for March 27, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.
“Child exploitation sites on the dark web present a grave danger to children and unprecedented challenges to the world’s law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The complaint unsealed today demonstrates the Department’s commitment to pursuing those accused of serious child pornography offenses wherever they may hide on the web and in the world, and to seeking justice for the countless children that are victimized by those who facilitate this horrendous conduct.”
“Criminals cannot hide on the dark web or in foreign countries,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will find them and bring them to justice. We are grateful to Irish authorities for their assistance to bring Eric Marques to the United States to face these charges.”
“Today’s extradition of Eric Marques demonstrates that no matter where you are in the world, the FBI and it’s international law enforcement partners will be diligent in their efforts to hold you accountable for your criminal activity,” said FBI Assistant Director Johnson. “The FBI will never stop working to ensure justice is served for the vulnerable child victims who are unable stand up for themselves.”
According to the amended criminal complaint, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise and distribute child pornography, and aided and abetted the advertising and distribution of child pornography, by allegedly operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the dark web, an area of the internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable. The AHS allegedly hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse, and bestiality.
According to the amended criminal complaint, as of July 12, 2013, one site hosted on the AHS reported that there were almost 1.4 million files that were uploaded and accessible by individuals who visit the hidden service. During 2012 and 2013, FBI special agents and employees using computers in Maryland downloaded more than one million files from that website. As part of the investigation, those files were reviewed and nearly all of the files depict children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude and/or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, in various states of undress, or depict child erotica. A substantial majority of the images downloaded by the FBI depict prepubescent minor children who are fully or partially nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The complaint alleges that during the time of the conspiracy, the IP address associated with the AHS was assigned to a computer server associated with and exclusively used by Marques.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 U.S. Attorney’s 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Section and Legal Attaché London, Irish law enforcement authorities, An Garda Síochána and EUROPOL. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Thomas M. Sullivan of the District of Maryland.
24 March 2019
Opioid crisis demands full-court-pressRead the Press Release
By: G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
The Virginian-Pilot
When Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appeared on “60 Minutes” on March 10, he cited the opioid crisis as a threat to our country’s economic strength. He noted that opioid addiction has contributed to the “unusually large number of people in their prime working years who are not in the labor force” in the United States, which now “has a lower labor force participation rate than almost every other advanced country.”
His comments should remind Americans that the opioid epidemic not only destroys lives, but threatens the strength and viability of our nation. In my role as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, I see the alarming dimensions of this crisis daily. I have observed the emergence of a triple threat: 1) increasingly potent opioids dealt at the street level; 2) Chinese sourced fentanyl illicitly pressed into pills and disguised as legitimate prescription drugs; and 3) the diversion of prescription drugs onto the street. Users are at an increased risk because they are either unaware of what they are buying or they are using illicit narcotics with far more power than their bodies can withstand.
All across the Eastern District of Virginia, including here in Hampton Roads, I have made it one of my top priorities to prosecute opioid related cases. I make it known to my law enforcement partners that we do not have quantity threshold requirements for prosecuting fentanyl and heroin distribution cases. Further, any amount of fentanyl or heroin that results in an overdose has my prosecutors’ full attention and will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
To maximize impact, we also have emphasized prosecutions of health care fraud and dirty doctors who betray their oath and add fuel to the opioid fire. We prosecute suppliers whether they are based in Virginia, Mexico, or hiding in the deep crevices of the Dark Web. We are 100 percent committed to attack this threat from every angle because we fully understand the fatal tragedies that unfold every day.
While multiple areas of the country are beginning to benefit from community-wide education and prevention efforts, these approaches must be buttressed by robust enforcement. This will remain true as long as local drug dealers, backed by a worldwide network of suppliers, continue to profit by poisoning our communities. On March 14, one such individual, a wholesale supplier of this poison was sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in dealing fentanyl that led to multiple overdoses, including one that killed a young Virginia Beach woman. The dealer knew of the death, but instructed one co-conspirator to continue “business as usual.”
More and more, we are seeing dealers who know of the deaths they are causing and who do not hesitate to continue their drug dealing. That fatal combination of callousness and greed cries out for punishment as well as the specific and general deterrence that the federal prosecution affords. Let it be known that when drug dealers such as Michelle Best pursue their greed even in the face of the death they cause, we will pursue them to the fullest extent of the law. The results in this case should be a reminder to those in the community engaged in criminal activity of what they can and should face should they choose to peddle this poison.
While I pledge to you that my office will remain committed to our relentless approach to hold drug dealers accountable, I also recognize the vital importance of partnering with all sectors of the community for an all hands on deck approach. When we look back on this tragic chapter in our country’s history, those communities that will be seen to have led the country out of this dark crisis will have been those promoting a multi-faceted approach.
As a community and as a commonwealth we must remain vigilant in our efforts to combat this crisis and continue to press for robust enforcement, prevention, and treatment. My heartfelt thanks to all the women and men who are currently engaged in this fight, including devastated parents turned advocates, courageous law enforcement officers, treatment professionals, faith leaders, and so many others. We stand with you, and together we will prevail.
https://pilotonline.com/opinion/columnist/guest/article_e53221c0-4aad-11e9-83fa-abf26ab9b794.html
22 March 2019
Wyatt Inmate Sentenced on Firearm Charge, Attempting to Possess and Possessing Prohibited ItemsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Donald W. Wyatt (Wyatt) Detention Center inmate has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a concurrent term of 24 months in federal prison for attempting to possess a controlled substance and possessing an 8-inch shank while detained at the Wyatt Detention Center.
On Wednesday, Jason Jones, 25, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to serve two years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
According to information presented to the Court, in July 2017, Newport Police Department detectives arrested Jones when, during a pre-arranged meeting to sell an individual a firearm, Jones, a convicted felon, was found to be in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
On July 18, 2017, Jones was charged by way of a federal indictment with felon in possession of a firearm, and he subsequently pled guilty to that charge. In November 2018, Jones was ordered detained at the Wyatt Detention Facility for violating conditions of his release.
While Jones was detained at the Wyatt Detention Center, the U.S. Marshals Service notified the FBI that Jones was believed to be conspiring to smuggle drugs into the facility. An outgoing letter sent by Jones to his girlfriend, Joselin Tavarez, 45, of Providence, and obtained by the FBI, included instructions on how to put what was believed to be strips of suboxone on incoming mail. Jones directed her to make the mail appear to be legal mail coming from his attorney, then an Assistant Federal Defender. Additionally, during several prison telephone conversations, Jones also instructed his girlfriend to send contraband into the facility.
At the request of the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island Department of Health analyzed several items of incoming mail addressed to Jones, three of which were confirmed to contain MMB-FUBINACA, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Additionally, in February 2019, during a search of Jones’ cell and mattress, guards discovered an 8-inch shank tucked inside a slit in the mattress.
Joselin Tavarez, signed a plea agreement, and has been charged by way of an information with providing and attempting to provide a prohibited object, a Scheduled I controlled substance, to an inmate of a prison. Her change of plea has yet to be scheduled.
An information is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jones’ sentence and the charge against Joselin Tavarez are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Kelly D. Brady, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, and Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter involving Jones’ possession of firearm was investigated by the Newport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The matters involving Jones and Tavarez’s alleged criminal activity of providing a Schedule I controlled substance to Jones while incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Center and Jones’ possession of an 8-inch shank while incarcerated at the Wyatt Detention Center were investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and officials from the Wyatt Detention Center.
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Warwick Man Sentenced to 260 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man who admitted to producing child pornography involving prepubescent children on multiple occasions over more than ten years was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence to 260 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and North Kingstown Police Chief Patrick Flanagan.
Thomas Goodman, 45, was arrested by detectives from the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force on May 17, 2018, after Electric Boat Security confiscated Goodman’s cell phone when he violated company policy by using the cell phone on Electric Boat property. While conducting a search of the phone, Electric Boat Security discovered a vast quantity of child pornography. The phone was turned over to a North Kingstown Police Department Detective who confirmed that the phone contained child pornography.
According to information presented to the Court, a subsequent investigation by members of the ICAC Task Force, including a court-authorized search of Goodman’s residence, a forensic examination of his electronic devices, and interviews with the defendant, determined that Goodman possessed approximately 7,800 images and 370 videos of child pornography. ICAC Detectives determined that at least 62 of the videos and 135 of the images of child pornography involved prepubescent minors, and that they were created by Goodman between September 2007 and February 2018.
In interviews with law enforcement, Goodman also admitted to having had sexual contact with at least three prepubescent females.
Goodman, who has been detained since his arrest on May 17, 2018, pled guilty on October 11, 2018, to eight counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Goodman to 260 years in federal prison. Goodman was also ordered to pay a mandatory assessment of $5,000 on each of the nine counts he pled guilty to as provided for in the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
U.S. Citizen Led an International Counterfeit Currency Operation Headquartered in UgandaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A United States citizen who resided in the Republic of Uganda pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to manufacture/pass/transfer/sell counterfeit currency, conspiracy to launder money, and committing counterfeiting acts outside the United States, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Ryan Andrew Gustafson, aka Jack Farrel, aka WillyClock, age 31, pleaded guilty to three counts before Chief United States District Judge Mark Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Ryan Gustafson was leading an international counterfeit U.S. currency operation headquartered in the Republic of Uganda, which flooded the United States and Uganda with more than $2 million in counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. Although counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes were being manufactured and distributed in Uganda, by December 2013, these Ugandan-manufactured counterfeit bills were being passed in Pittsburgh-area retail stores and businesses, specifically, in Oakland, Carnegie and McCandless Township. The scheme quickly spread to cities around the country. The bills were being advertised, bought and sold on a Dark Net website created by Gustafson called Community-X that was dedicated to the selling and passing of these counterfeit bills.
According to additional information provided to the court, the participants were producing counterfeit $100, $50 and $20 bills, packaging the counterfeit currency disguised as "Give a Child Hope Today" pamphlets, and shipping the packages to individuals they met through online criminal forums. In total, approximately $1.8 million fake notes were passed and seized in Uganda. In the U.S., approximately $270,000 in counterfeit currency was passed and seized. The criminal conspirators were passing the counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in exchange for legitimate currency in the United States, Uganda and other countries.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2019. The law provides for a total sentence of 45 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ryan Andrew Gustafson.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues Carjacking Initiative to Reduce Violent Crime with Multiple Recent IndictmentsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Six local individuals have been indicted for multiple carjackings involving the use and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictments today.
In October, 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office along with federal and local law enforcement partners held a joint press conference to announce the district’s Carjacking Initiative, implemented to reduce violent carjacking crimes in Memphis and Shelby County. That press conference announced the federal indictments of five men for nine separate carjacking and armed robbery events.
Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to respond to the recent increase in these crimes by obtaining additional indictments against six individuals responsible for multiple violent carjacking incidents involving the possession and use of firearms within the past six months.
The six defendants listed are:
• Isaiah Miller,18, Memphis, TN
• Edward Brown, 25, Memphis, TN
• Eric Cole, 20, Memphis, TN
• Daterious Gipson,19, Memphis, TN
• Sir Millbrook, 20, Memphis, TN
• Vince Fuller, 19, Memphis, TNIsaiah Miller
The indictment charges that during the period of October 10-17, 2018, Isaiah Miller, being aided and abetted by others, including juvenile offenders, committed four (4) separate carjackings by brandishing a firearm during each of those crimes of violence at various locations in Memphis.
If convicted of all counts, the defendant faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years for each carjacking, and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 28 years for the brandishing of the firearms.
Edward Brown, Eric Cole and Daterious Gipson
The indictment charges that on September 30, 2018, Edward Brown, Eric Cole and Daterious Gipson aided and abetted each other by discharging a firearm during a carjacking in Memphis.
If convicted of all counts, the defendants face a possible sentence of up to 15 years for the carjacking and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years for the discharge of the firearms.
Sir Millbrook and Vince Fuller
The indictment charges that on November 28, 2018, Sir Millbrook and Vince Fuller aided and abetted each other by brandishing a firearm during a carjacking in Memphis.
If convicted of all counts, the defendants face a possible sentence of up to 15 years for the carjacking and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 7 years for the brandishing of the firearms.
Sentencing for each defendant is individual, and is based upon a number of statutory factors under the federal sentencing guidelines, including but not limited to prior conviction history, which may enhance or mitigate the ultimate sentence imposed by the Court.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "While recent reports indicate that violent crime rates in all major categories are declining, carjacking offenses in Memphis have spiked and increased at an alarming rate in the past year. This disturbing trend cannot continue, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is continuing to coordinate with our federal and local law enforcement partners to prioritize and target carjacking cases for aggressive federal prosecution. These cases demonstrate our resolve to incapacitate the most violent offenders, uphold the rule of law, deter criminal conduct with a strong message of significant consequences, and make us all safer."
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms (ATF), and the Memphis Police Department Violent Crimes Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers, Gregory Allen, and Neal Oldham are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Michigan men admit to roles in a drug distribution operation in Monongalia CountyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Michigan men have admitted to their involvement in a heroin, oxycodone, and cocaine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Travon Evans, of Detroit, Michigan, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm.” Evans admitted to distributing heroin in June 2018 in Monongalia County. He also admitted to making a false statement in the attempted purchase of a 5.56 mm caliber pistol in May 2018 in Monongalia County.Raymond Edison, of Detroit, Michigan, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone within 1,000 feet of Protected Location.” Edison admitted to selling oxycodone near Suncrest Middle School in Monongalia County in October 2017.
Evans faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the drug count and faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Edison faces no less than one year and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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 cases on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Two Elkhart, Indiana, Police Officers Charged with Federal Civil Rights OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cory Newland, 35, and Joshua Titus, 30, officers with the Elkhart, Indiana, Police Department, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Hammond for using excessive force against an arrestee.
The indictment charges Newland and Titus with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242, for using unreasonable force against arrestee “M.L.”
According to the allegations set forth in the indictment, M.L. was brought into the booking area of the Elkhart Police Department and seated in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back. While sitting in the chair, M.L. spat in the direction of Newland. The indictment alleges that Newland and Titus then repeatedly struck M.L. in the face, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor, at which point Newland and Titus continued to punch him repeatedly while M.L. remained handcuffed on the floor. The indictment further alleges that Newland and Titus’s actions resulted in bodily injury to M.L.
“My Office takes allegations of civil rights violations seriously, including use of excessive force by police officers sworn to uphold the law,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch. “Maintaining integrity in the criminal justice system by investigating and prosecuting police officers who step out of bounds with the law, while working with, training and promoting good relationships with law enforcement who operate within the law are important functions of my Office.”
“Today’s indictments send a clear message that the FBI won’t tolerate the abuse of power or victimization of citizens by anyone in law enforcement,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The alleged actions by these individuals went against everything in the oath they took to serve and protect."
This charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for both defendants. An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Zachary Dembo of the Civil Rights Division.
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Two Elkhart, Indiana, Police Officers Charged with Federal Civil Rights OffenseRead the Press Release
Cory Newland, 35, and Joshua Titus, 30, officers with the Elkhart, Indiana, Police Department, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Hammond for using excessive force against an arrestee.
The indictment charges Newland and Titus with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242, for using unreasonable force against arrestee “M.L.”
According to the allegations set forth in the indictment, M.L. was brought into the booking area of the Elkhart Police Department and seated in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back. While sitting in the chair, M.L. spat in the direction of Newland. The indictment alleges that Newland and Titus then repeatedly struck M.L. in the face, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor, at which point Newland and Titus continued to punch him repeatedly while M.L. remained handcuffed on the floor. The indictment further alleges that Newland and Titus’s actions resulted in bodily injury to M.L.
“My Office takes allegations of civil rights violations seriously, including use of excessive force by police officers sworn to uphold the law,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch. “Maintaining integrity in the criminal justice system by investigating and prosecuting police officers who step out of bounds with the law, while working with, training and promoting good relationships with law enforcement who operate within the law are important functions of my Office.”
“Today’s indictments send a clear message that the FBI won’t tolerate the abuse of power or victimization of citizens by anyone in law enforcement,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The alleged actions by these individuals went against everything in the oath they took to serve and protect."
This charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for both defendants. An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Zachary Dembo of the Civil Rights Division.
Tulalip Tribal Member Sentenced to more than 5 Years in Prison for Repeated Domestic Violence AssaultsRead the Press Release
A 36-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was sentenced March 21, 2019, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 71 months in prison for multiple horrific assaults on his intimate partner, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. MORGAN BRYANT pleaded guilty in December 2018 to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault by strangulation, assault with a dangerous weapon, and domestic assault by a habitual offender. According to records filed in the case, BRYANT assaulted his live-in partner on numerous occasions: punching her, kicking her, hitting her with a hammer and a wrench, and strangling her. When treated by medical professionals, the victim had a broken wrist, broken ribs, and broken bones in her face. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, “He cannot do this ever again to any woman.”
“Such violent, vicious assaults deserve significant federal prison time,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “The Tribal Liaisons in my office are using important tools such as the Habitual Offender Domestic Assault statute to ensure domestic violence assaults are investigated, prosecuted and punished to protect the vulnerable in our Tribal communities.”
According to records filed in the case, in March 2018, the victim sent her family and friends text messages asking for help. She included a photo that showed she had one black eye, an eye swollen shut, and bruises on her face. Tulalip Tribal Police responded to check on the victim. Because no one inside would answer the door, the police obtained a search warrant. Inside they found the victim with severe injuries, including a bloody head-wound with a towel super-glued in place, and broken bones in her face. The victim was taken to the hospital and later disclosed months of abuse, including a November 2017 fight where BRYANT broke her wrist and a January 2018 argument where BRYANT punched and kicked her, struck her with a wrench and hammer while keeping her locked in a bathroom for hours, strangled her, and hit her over the head with a plate. Finally, in the March 2018 assault that led to his arrest, BRYANT repeatedly punched her leaving her bruised and bloody.
BRYANT has previous convictions in Everett Municipal Court and Tulalip Tribal Court for domestic violence assaults on other victims.
The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Cohen.
Tonawanda Man Sentenced for Distributing FentanylRead 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 Dominique McDowell, 27, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of butyryl fentanyl and U-47700, was sentenced to serve 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who handled the case, stated that the investigation began with the overdose death of an individual in the Town of Amherst. Subsequent investigation determined that between March 30, 2017, and April 18, 2017, the defendant sold butyryl fentanyl and U-47700 to undercover law enforcement officers on four separate occasions in the Town of Amherst and Tonawanda. In addition, between December 2016 and April 18, 2017, McDowell sold heroin to confidential sources on multiple occasions.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John C. Askey; the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Uschold; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy.
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Three Men Found Guilty of Drug Conspiracy Charges Involving Open Drug Market from D.C. BarbershopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Three men have been found guilty by a jury of federal narcotics charges following an investigation into a drug market that was operated out of the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Anthony Fields, 45, of Washington, D.C., Lonnell Tucker, 42, of Temple Hills, Md., and Abdul Samuels, 45, of Washington, D.C., were found guilty on March 21, 2019, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. All three were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), heroin, fentanyl, buprenorphine (suboxone), marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids. Fields also was found guilty of six additional narcotics offenses and Samuels was found guilty of two additional narcotics offenses and a firearms charge. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta has not yet scheduled sentencing dates for the defendants.
A fourth defendant was found not guilty by the jury. A fifth, Lacy Hamilton, 42, of Camp Springs, Md., pled guilty during the trial to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids. Judge Mehta scheduled his sentencing for May 16, 2019.
As established at trial, in June 2017, ATF began investigating the trafficking of narcotics from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and adjoining property above. Through surveillance, controlled purchases from inside and outside the barbershop, residential search warrants, cellphone searches, arrests, jailhouse calls, pleas, and cooperating witnesses, law enforcement was able to establish a coordinated drug trafficking operation that was centered at the barbershop and extended into Maryland. The investigation established that drug traffickers would use the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location.
The investigation led to a series of arrests beginning in February 2018 as well as the recovery of three firearms from the barbershop and one firearm in a residence. Law enforcement seized more than $7,000 in cash, and without packaging, more than 300 grams of PCP, more than 150 grams of heroin, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, boxes of suboxone strips, and more than 100 grams of a cutting agents. Samuels was convicted of narcotics and firearms charges relating to a search of his residence in Southeast Washington on May 10, 2018, in which ATF recovered a firearm, ammunition, extensive drug paraphernalia, and packaged crack cocaine.
During the trial, in addition to ATF and MPD agents and officers, current and former law enforcement officers from Prince George’s County, Md., and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority testified relating to separate arrests of Fields and Samuels in 2017 and 2018, respectively, in which law enforcement recovered various forms of drug paraphernalia, packaged narcotics, and U.S. currency.
Two other defendants – Darryl Smith, 41, of Washington, D.C., and James Venable, 47, of Fort Washington, Md., earlier pled guilty to federal charges. Another defendant remains at large as a fugitive. Smith managed the barber shop. Smith was sentenced to 80 months in prison relating to his possession of narcotics in the barbershop on Feb. 1, 2018 and for his possession of packaged fentanyl and a loaded firearm following an arrest by MPD in December 2017 outside of the barbershop. Venable was sentenced to a 37-month prison term following his possession of narcotics and a firearm in both Washington, D.C. during a December 2017 arrest by MPD and in his residence in Maryland on February 1, 2018. Venable also acknowledged selling narcotics to an ATF confidential informant in July 2017.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Benedict, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those involved in the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Three Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 28 Gallons of Liquid MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury has indicted EDUARDO VILLA-ALVAREZ, 22, JOSE MANUEL SOTO-OCHOA, 22, and KRISTNADEVY MENDOZA-ZAMBRANO, 22, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On March 19, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Villa-Alvarez, Soto-Ochoa, and Mendoza-Zambrano. Count One charges all three defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine from November 2018 through March 7, 2019. Count Two charges Villa-Alvarez and Soto-Ochoa with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 7, 2019, in Oklahoma City. Count Three charges Mendoza-Zambrano with possession with intent to distribute on March 7, 2019, in Garvin County, Oklahoma. Count Four charges Villa-Alvarez with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime related to the charge in Count Two.
If convicted on Counts One, Two, or Three, each defendant could be imprisoned for life and fined up to $10,000,000. A conviction on any of these counts would also result in a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. If convicted on Count Four, Villa-Alvarez could be imprisoned for life and fined up to $250,000. A conviction on Count Four would also result in a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed in this case.
This indictment follows a criminal complaint filed in federal court on March 8, 2019. According to an affidavit filed in federal court in support of that complaint, law enforcement stopped a maroon Ford Escape with Oklahoma plates on March 7 south of Oklahoma City, between Purcell and Pauls Valley. The vehicle had been the subject of a judicially-approved tracking device and was traveling from the area of Mesquite, Texas. Defendant Mendoza-Zambrano is alleged to have been driving the vehicle. According to the complaint, a search yielded approximately 77 liters (20 gallons) of liquid methamphetamine.
That same day, agents and officers with the DEA’s North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program ("HIDTA") executed a search warrant at a residence in south Oklahoma City. According to the complaint, Villa-Alvarez and Soto-Ochoa were the only occupants of the residence. Law enforcement is alleged to have observed Soto-Ochoa placing in the back of a black Ford Escape a box with baggies containing a white substance. They also are alleged to have observed Villa-Alvarez and Soto-Ochoa using a broom and dust pan to sweep up a white substance. According to the complaint, when investigators approached Villa-Alvarez, he attempted to flee and tossed a firearm near the back yard. Investigators seized from the residence and the vehicle more than 25 kilograms (approximately 55 pounds) of a white crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and more than 30 liters (approximately eight gallons) of suspected liquid methamphetamine. The complaint states investigators believe Mendoza-Zambrano was working with Villa-Alvarez and Soto-Ochoa.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the North Texas HIDTA, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the El Reno Police Department, and the District 21 Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Anderson is prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public filings for further information.
South Carolina women indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Peggy Louise Farrington and Jacqueline Lee Weigland, both of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, appeared in federal court this week on drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Farrington, age 54, and Weigland, age 57, were each indicted on March 5, 2019 by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” The women are accused of possessing fentanyl in January 2019 in Berkeley County.
Farrington and Weigland each face not less than five and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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 Lara K. Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Slidell Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that BRIA DAVIS, age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to Theft of Mail by an Officer or Employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
According to court documents, DAVIS was a U.S. Postal Service Postal Support Employee/Sales Distribution Clerk at the Slidell Post Office, and worked at the retail window counter and performed a variety of tasks including Postal sales, delivering mail to customer P.O. Boxes, and assisting customers with P.O. Box related business. After an investigation by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service, it was determined that on various dates from September 2016 to January 2017, DAVIS stole several pieces of mail containing checkbooks, gift cards, cash, and checks. Postal agents also discovered approximately ten additional articles of stolen mail in DAVIS’s personal vehicle.
DAVIS faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $250,000.00 fine. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for June 27, 2019.
The case was investigated by special agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”). Additionally, the Slidell Police Department assisted the USPS-OIG in the DAVIS matter. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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