Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
22 March 2019
Shasta County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Friday, U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. sentenced James Jay Hitt, 51, of Anderson, to 40 years in prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, Hitt interacted with a 12-person network of child pornographers, managed a blog where he posted child pornography, and messaged people through a Russian website that served as a platform for child pornographers to trade and discuss child pornography. Based on a lead from the FBI in Ohio, investigators in California searched Hitt’s house on January 4, 2013. When they entered his house to conduct the search, he brandished a knife at them. They found over 4,000 images and dozens of videos of child pornography on a desktop computer, an 80 gigabyte internal hard drive, and several CDs. Hitt has been in custody since June 15, 2015. Hitt had a prior conviction for a crime relating to sexual abuse that enhanced his sentence.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Anderson Police Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roger Yang and Michael M. Beckwith prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Sex Offender Sentenced to Two Years for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced sex offender David Padilla-Rivera (39, Orlando) to two years in federal prison for failure to comply with the terms of his supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2017, Padilla-Rivera was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for failure to register as a sex offender pursuant to the requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Padilla-Rivera’s registration requirements stem from his 2010 state conviction, for the false imprisonment and attempted sexual assault of a 16-year-old female. Following his release from prison, on February 26, 2018, Padilla-Rivera violated the terms of his supervised release by failing to notify his probation officer regarding anticipated changes in address and employment. He was then sentenced to 14 months in federal prison.
Upon his release from prison on December 21, 2018, within 24 hours, Padilla-Rivera was found possessing a smartphone, in violation of the conditions of his supervised release. A forensic search of the phone revealed that Padilla-Rivera had visited pornographic websites between December 22, 2018 and December 27, 2018.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sanford Man Sentenced 15 Years for RobberyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced BRANDON RAUL NAVARRO, 29, of Sanford, North Carolina to 180 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
NAVARRO was named in an Indictment filed on August 1, 2018 charging him with robbery affecting interstate commerce and carjcacking. On December 12, 2018, NAVARRO pled guilty to the robbery charge.
On July 10, 2018, NAVARRO robbed the Dollar General located at 19805 NC 27 West in Cameron, North Carolina, at knifepoint. He also stole an employee’s truck by threatening her at knifepoint. He fled in the truck and ultimately led law enforcement officers on a multicounty, high-speed chase that at times exceeded 100 miles per hour. After officers made numerous attempts to stop him, NAVARRO finally crashed the truck, attempted to flee on foot, and was arrested.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017 the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
Rock Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Felon in Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On March 21, 2019, Maurice Lavon Cowan, age 26, of Rock Island, Illinois, was sentenced by United States Chief District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 70 months in prison on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Cowan was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, and pay $100 to the Crime Victim Compensation Fund. Cowan pleaded guilty on November 16, 2018.
On January 18, 2018, Davenport, Iowa, police officers attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Cowan. Cowan fled from officers and crashed his vehicle. Cowan then ran from the vehicle, throwing a loaded Ruger nine-millimeter pistol into the snow. Cowan had previously been convicted of felony offenses in 2011 (aggravated robbery) and in 2017.
This matter was investigated by the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office-Southern District of Iowa.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Rochester Nail Salon Owner Charged with Defrauding the SNAP ProgramRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Hang T. Lam, 46, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with the unauthorized use, transfer, acquisition, and possession of USDA food stamp benefits. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in April 2018, the Monroe County Department of Social Services (DSS) developed information that Young’s Nails, which is owned and operated by the defendant, was trafficking in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/food stamp benefits for cash, nail services, and other non-food items. Young’s Nails does not sell food and is not authorized to accept SNAP benefits.
Between April 19, 2018, and October 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General conducted five undercover transactions at Young’s Nails using a SNAP Electronic Benefits (SNAP EBT) card. Purchases included nail services such as manicures and pedicures, cigarettes, jewelry, and cash. Lam charged double the cost when a SNAP EBT card was used.
When the undercover purchases were made, the defendant used the Tanhong Du Supermarket on N. Clinton Avenue in Rochester, Ocean Garden Oriental Foods Inc. on S. Clinton Avenue in Rochester, and the Asia Food Market on Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road to process the undercover transactions. All three stores are approved to participate in the SNAP program.
On November 7, 2018, a search warrant was executed at Young’s Nails. Law enforcement officers seized SNAP EBT cards, dozens of handwritten notes containing four digit PIN numbers and various cash amounts, and SNAP EBT receipts from the Asia Food Market and other SNAP authorized stores. As a result, officers identified and interviewed SNAP clients involved in SNAP fraud with LAM at Young’s Nails. Eight of these individuals reported that they exchanged SNAP benefits for cash and nail services.
To date, approximately $26,000 dollars in fraudulent SNAP transactions that have been executed by LAM have been identified.
The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Monroe County Department of Social Services, under the direction of Commissioner Corinda Crossdale; and the New York State Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Welfare Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Rochester Man Sentenced for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Anjaneyulu Katam, 46, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of visa fraud, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison and fined $5,000 by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between 2011 and 2017, Katam ran businesses in which he falsified immigration documents for Indian nationals to enter the U.S. and work in tech industries involving computer programming. The defendant manipulated the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers temporarily to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. Katam falsified visa applications, work experience documents, and work contracts, which he then submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State, in order to secure illegal H-1B visas for Indian nationals. This resulted in the unlawful entry and employment of several Indian nationals within the United States.
As part of the investigation, federal agents identified multiple assets, including strip malls, and bank accounts, which were acquired by Katam utilizing proceeds of the visa fraud. The defendant will forfeit approximately $1,090,490.32 to the Government.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Michael C. Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Region; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office, Timothy Dumas.
# # # #
Repeat Federal Felon with 30+ Years of Criminal History Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Witness Tampering and Absconding from SupervisionRead the Press Release
A Seattle man with three prior federal convictions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 61 months in prison for witness tampering and absconding from federal supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. DAVID POSEY, 52, of Seattle, was arrested in June 2018 after he traveled to Portland, Oregon, without notifying his probation officer. POSEY had convinced an autistic woman whom he met at a local community college to travel with him. The investigation revealed that he pressured the 19-year-old victim to lie to law enforcement about sexual activity. The woman has a guardian because she is considered vulnerable and unable to make certain financial and personal decisions. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said POSEY “is a crook and a fraudster…. A fraudster taking advantage of a situation and manipulating it to his advantage.”
According to records filed in the case, POSEY was released into the community from his 65-month federal prison sentence on June 4, 2017. Barely a year later, an arrest warrant was issued when he failed to check in with his probation officer. POSEY was located and arrested June 20, 2018, in a Portland motel room with a developmentally disabled 19-year-old. Following his arrest, POSEY communicated repeatedly with the woman by mail and telephone to get her to change the information she provided to law enforcement. Ultimately, a court-authorized search of mobile phones belonging to POSEY revealed the truth of the sexual contact and his efforts to get the witness to lie to law enforcement. In November 2018, POSEY pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness.
POSEY has criminal convictions dating back to 1985, including federal convictions for: being a felon in possession of a firearm, mail fraud, and conspiracy (1997); two counts of mail fraud (2004); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful production of identity documents, and counterfeiting (2011).
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
North Carolina Mental Health Executive Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
A Raleigh, North Carolina, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for failing to report and pay employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr., for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
According to court documents, from 2010 to 2013, Sainte Deon Robinson failed to pay over federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages paid to employees of his business, the mental health service provider OneCare Inc. Robinson served in various positions at OneCare Inc., including President, and was obligated to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) such employment taxes on behalf of the company. He failed to report and pay over almost $1.7 million in employment taxes to the IRS.
In addition to prison, Robinson was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,686,360, and to serve three years of supervised release after the completion of his sentence.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Higdon commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Lauren Castaldi and Michael Boteler, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A North Carolina member of the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang, who was convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, was sentenced yesterday to more than 17 years in prison. Seventy four defendants have now either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial from this investigation, and 65 have been sentenced.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, made the announcement.
Shamon Movair Goins, aka Rugie, 28, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced by Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney to serve 210 months in prison. Goins pleaded guilty on Aug. 22, 2018 to RICO conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Goins was a local UBN leader, holding the rank of Four-Star General. Goins trafficked firearms and drugs for the gang, and participated in two different conspiracies to commit murder, including one in 2010 that resulted in the death of the victim.
“Today’s sentence sends an unmistakable message to Bloods members in North Carolina: gang activity, especially violent crime, will make you a priority target of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “With 74 defendants now judged guilty, the Department of Justice’s pursuit of the Nine Trey Gangsters continues to disrupt and weaken this violent prison and street gang, and serves as a testament to the effectiveness of federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation.”
“This was a local gang leader who conspired with others to murder those who broke the rules of the gang,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “With yet another violent offender behind bars, my office continues our work to dismantle criminal enterprises and to protect the people of the Western District from violent street gangs.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at the May 2018 trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red, and can also often be identified by common tattoos or burn marks. Examples include: a three-circle pattern, usually burned onto the upper arm, known as a “dog paw”; the acronym “M.O.B.,” which stands for “Member of Bloods”; the words “damu,” or “eastside”; the number five; the five-pointed star; and the five-pointed crown. UBN members have distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members. The Nine Trey Gangster set of the UBN refer to themselves as “Billies.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is governed by a common set of 31 rules, known as “The 31,” which were originally written by the founders of the UBN. Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. A percentage of these funds are transferred to incarcerated UBN leadership in New York; these funds also are used locally to conduct gang business. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, wire fraud, and bank fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activity. The Nine Trey Gangsters’ leadership proceeds in rank, from lowest to highest, from “Scrap,” “One-Star General” through “Five‑Star General,” “Low,” “High,” and “Godfather.”
In all, 74 defendants have been adjudicated guilty in this case, including three defendants who were found guilty at trial; 71 defendants have pleaded guilty in this investigation. Thirteen defendants in high-ranking leadership positions have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice; the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorneys Andrew L. Creighton and Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
North Carolina Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina member of the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang, who was convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, was sentenced yesterday to more than 17 years in prison. 74 defendants have now either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial from this investigation, and 65 have been sentenced.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, made the announcement.
Shamon Movair Goins, aka Rugie, 28, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced by Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney to serve 210 months in prison. Goins pleaded guilty on Aug. 22, 2018 to RICO conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Goins was a local UBN leader, holding the rank of Four-Star General. Goins trafficked firearms and drugs for the gang, and participated in two different conspiracies to commit murder, including one in 2010 that resulted in the death of the victim.
“Today’s sentence sends an unmistakable message to Bloods members in North Carolina: gang activity, especially violent crime, will make you a priority target of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “With 74 defendants now judged guilty, the Department of Justice’s pursuit of the Nine Trey Gangsters continues to disrupt and weaken this violent prison and street gang, and serves as a testament to the effectiveness of federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation.”
“This was a local gang leader who conspired with others to murder those who broke the rules of the gang,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “With yet another violent offender behind bars, my office continues our work to dismantle criminal enterprises and to protect the people of the Western District from violent street gangs.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at the May 2018 trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red, and can also often be identified by common tattoos or burn marks. Examples include: a three-circle pattern, usually burned onto the upper arm, known as a “dog paw”; the acronym “M.O.B.,” which stands for “Member of Bloods”; the words “damu,” or “eastside”; the number five; the five-pointed star; and the five-pointed crown. UBN members have distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members. The Nine Trey Gangster set of the UBN refer to themselves as “Billies.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is governed by a common set of 31 rules, known as “The 31,” which were originally written by the founders of the UBN. Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. A percentage of these funds are transferred to incarcerated UBN leadership in New York; these funds also are used locally to conduct gang business. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, wire fraud, and bank fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activity. The Nine Trey Gangsters’ leadership proceeds in rank, from lowest to highest, from “Scrap,” “One-Star General” through “Five‑Star General,” “Low,” “High,” and “Godfather.”
In all, 74 defendants have been adjudicated guilty in this case, including three defendants who were found guilty at trial; 71 defendants have pleaded guilty in this investigation. Thirteen defendants in high-ranking leadership positions have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; the North Carolina Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice; the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorneys Andrew L. Creighton and Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Niagara Falls Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Her Role in Debt Collection SchemeRead 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 Shauniqua Rodriguez, 40, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2014 and February 2017, Rodriguez conspired with others in a debt collection scheme that was spearheaded by co-defendant Joseph Ciffa.
Specifically, the defendant was an intermittent employee of the debt collection agency, which operated under various names, including Lakeside Mediations, Lincoln Mediation, Valentine Legal Mediation, First Point Mediation, State Filing and Legal Services, and Elite Services. Rodriguez placed telephone calls to “debtors” throughout the United States, using various fraudulent tactics and misrepresentations, including false representations as to her identity, false threats of arrest, and claims of criminal charges against the “debtors,” to induce the “debtors” to make payments. The “debtors” were often directed to other employees posing as attorneys and were provided with payment instructions, supposedly to settle their outstanding debts. In addition to making collection calls, the defendant also served as an informal trainer for other, less experienced employees.
Rodriguez and the employees she worked with and trained routinely collected on debts which they knew had already been satisfied, and collected money from “debtors” from whom they had already collected payment, who were deemed to be “easy targets.” “Debtors” were instructed to make payment to the various debt collection businesses through various means, including MoneyGram payments, bank wire transfers, and debit/credit card payments.Between 2015 and 2016, the debt collection scheme brought in more than $3,000,000.
Rodriguez was charged along with five other defendants. To date, four have been convicted, including Joseph Ciffa who is awaiting sentencing.
Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special-Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Joseph W. Cronin.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
# # # #
New York Main Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Crack Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Sharoz Haywood, a/k/a “Baby Dreads,” a/k/a “Rah,” 22, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and distribution of heroin.
According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, Haywood conspired with others from Rochester and Central Maine to distribute crack and heroin. The drugs were acquired in Rochester and sold by Haywood and others in Central Maine. On July 14, 2017, Haywood sold heroin to an individual working with law enforcement.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, between three years and life on supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. The case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s program to combat the opioid epidemic.
Montgomery Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Cleddie Ferlisi Stone, 41, of Montgomery, Alabama, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Stone was previously indicted on this charge by a federal grand jury.
On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, a detention hearing was held in federal court to determine whether Stone would remain in custody pending a trial. According to evidence presented at the hearing, Stone had a violent encounter with an individual after a previous disagreement between the two. Stone used a firearm during the encounter and the victim was seriously injured. The encounter was recorded by a nearby surveillance video camera. Stone has previous felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a gun.
The judge ordered that Stone be held without bail pending his trial date, which has not yet been set. If convicted, Stone will be facing a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
An indictment is merely a method of alleging that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Wendell is prosecuting the case.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead 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 David Flores-Torres, 25, a citizen of Mexico living in Dunkirk, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Upon completion of his sentence, the defendant is subject to deportation proceedings.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy V. Murray, who is handling the case, stated that on June 5, 2018, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in Dunkirk, NY. Law enforcement officers seized the defendant’s Samsung Galaxy S3 cellular telephone which contained 79 images and 14 videos of child pornography. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors or minors less than 12 years-old, as well as depictions of violence. Torres also received and distributed images constituting child pornography from and to others with whom he communicated using a cellular telephone and the internet.
As part of his plea, the defendant admitted that he engaged in sexual contact with two minor victims under the age of 18 (minor victim 1 and minor victim 2). Between April 1, 2018, and June 1, 2018, Torres engaged in sexual contact with minor victim 1 on two separate occasions. Between June 1, 2017, and December 30, 2017, the defendant had sexual contact with minor victim 2.Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2019, before Judge Villardo.
# # # #
Marion County man admits to methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandon Mays, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Mays, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Mays admitted to distributing methamphetamine in October 2017 in Monongalia County.Mays 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 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.
March Grand JuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 19 indictments charging 21 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Devin L. Ashford, age 32, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with sex trafficking of a minor on or about March 1, 2018 and on or about June 13, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years-Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with production of child pornography on or about October 1, 2016 and on or about December 14, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15-30 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with sex trafficking by means of force, threat, fraud or coercion on or about March 19, 2014 and on or about June 8, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years-Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges the defendant with interstate travel for prostitution on or about March 19, 2014 and on or about February 27, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Brandi J. Baxter, age 39, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with theft of Government money, property, or records on or about February 28, 2011 and continuing through November 1. 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with false documents on or about August 24, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with theft of Government money, property, or records on or about June, 2013 and continuing through on or about October, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Tristen A Coleman, age 30, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with Bank Robbery by force from an employee at Bank of the West on or about May 2, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on or about May 2, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 7 years-Life consecutive to any other term imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Sender Joel Escobar-Soto, age 36, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 26, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Tyler R. Goehring, age 26, is charged in a seven-count Indictment. Counts 1-7 charge the defendant with Wire Fraud on or about November 4, 2016, and continuing through at least on or about June 5, 2017. The Indictment alleges Goehring defrauded American Airlines of payments by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses causing losses of $44,666.71. The maximum possible penalty if convicted of Counts 1-7 is 20 years imprisonment for each count, a $250,000 fine for each count, a 3-year term of supervised release for each count, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Jose Alfredo Huertas-Estrada, age 26, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 23, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Terrance Ice, age 40, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Max Kant, age 47, of Norfolk, Nebraska, is charged in a two-Count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with Bank Fraud on or about July 28, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with Bank Fraud on or about April 25, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Travis Allen Larkin, age 28, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with enticement of a minor on or about January 25, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with commission of an offense involving a minor by a Register Sex Offender on or about January 25, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment consecutive, a $250,000 fine, 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jorge Alberto Machuca Lozano, age 37, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about March 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Pedro Mejia-Guardado, age 35, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 27, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Oscar Molina Mendez, age 38, of Sioux City, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 1, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Noe Morales Carrion, age 42, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about February 26, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Orlando Olaya-Morales, age 22, of Bloomfield, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about April 2, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Amilcar Sauzo Guerrero, age 40, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about March 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jorge Trejo-Rodriguez, age 26, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with being an Illegal Alien in possession of a firearm on or about September 4, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about March 12, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Emmanuel Urrutia-Ramos, age 26, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about March 1, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Isaac Johnson, age 49, Anthony Moore, age 47, and Amanda Ferrell, age 31, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine from October, 2017 and continuing through February 17, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is also an allegation to forfeit United States currency and a 2011 Nissan Altima seized on or about February 17, 2019.
* Robert Lee Wright, age 36, of Cleveland, Tennessee, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with transportation of child pornography on or about December 1, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, Life term of supervised release, a $100 special assessment and a $5,000 additional special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with possession of child pornography on or about December 23, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, Life term of supervised release, a $100 special assessment and a $5,000 additional special assessment.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces the Appointment of Deputy U.S. Attorney and Chief Counsel to the U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced the selection of Audrey Strauss as Deputy U.S. Attorney and Craig A. Stewart as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Attorney. Ms. Strauss will replace Robert Khuzami on his departure April 12. Rob will return to his home in Washington DC after commuting to the Office weekly while serving as Deputy U.S. Attorney.
Mr. Stewart, who is leaving his partnership at Arnold & Porter, will return to the Office on March 25, 2019. At that firm, his work consisted primarily of representing companies and individuals in connection with civil and appellate litigation and investigations by federal and state prosecutors and regulators. Mr. Stewart served as an Assistant United States Attorney from August 1987 through October 1998 and worked in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions. During his tenure, Mr. Stewart spent more than three years in the Civil Division, handling a mix of affirmative and defensive litigation, and then eight years in the Criminal Division, where he worked in the General Crimes, Narcotics, Special Narcotics, and Organized Crime units. He also held a number of supervisory positions, including Chief of the Narcotics Unit, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and, finally, Chief Appellate Attorney. Mr. Stewart earned his Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School in 1983, and also holds bachelor of arts and masters degrees from Yale University, where he graduated suma cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Following his graduation from law school, Mr. Stewart worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Constance Baker Motley, then the Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
In making the appointments, Manhattan U.S Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Rob Khuzami is an extraordinary and brilliant lawyer who has upheld the ideals of integrity and professionalism that characterize the work of this Office. There can be no higher praise. As an example of his extraordinary commitment to the Office, Rob has been commuting weekly from Washington, D.C., since January 2018. While his desire to continue to serve remains strong, he understandably has decided to return home to his family. Audrey Strauss, who has been invaluable as Senior Counsel, will undoubtedly continue the important work of the Deputy U.S. Attorney. Additionally, I am pleased that Craig Stewart will be joining my leadership team as Chief Counsel. I am certain that Audrey and Craig will support the Office with excellence and insight.”
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Nestor Santiago Torres, 33, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the evening of January 31, 2018, a New Hampshire State Trooper made a traffic stop of a Ford Expedition on Interstate 93 in the Salem. The defendant was a passenger in the vehicle. During a consensual search of the vehicle, a Trooper located a clear plastic package beneath the front passenger’s seat that contained approximately 373.8 grams of fentanyl. Multiple sandwich bags and a digital scale also were recovered from the motor vehicle. During a later interview, the, defendant Torres admitted that the drugs belonged to him and that he had been engaged in the distribution of drugs.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9th 2019.
“The illegal distribution of fentanyl poses an immediate and ongoing threat to people of New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to eliminate this threat, we will continue to work closely with the entire law enforcement community to identify and prosecute those who are responsible. I commend the State Police for their highway enforcement work in this case. Their efforts prevented a substantial amount of this deadly substance from being distributed in the Granite State.”
“This prosecution is another win for the people of New Hampshire and our region,” said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI and our law enforcement partners stand ever-ready to fight against the plague of opioid and fentanyl trafficking in our communities.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Davis.
###
Man with Extensive Criminal Record Sent Back to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man with an extensive criminal history, who was released from federal prison in October 2018 after having served nearly 18 years, was sentenced March 19, 2019, to serve an additional two years in prison.
Andre Tyrone Griffith, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after the court found he violated several conditions of his supervised release.
In December 2018, while on supervised release, Griffith was found to have illegally used marijuana and was ordered to serve two weekends in jail. At a hearing held in federal court on March 19, 2019, Griffith admitted he again violated the conditions of his supervised release by: interacting with a person engaged in criminal activity; failing to participate in drug abuse testing as ordered by the court; failing to follow his probation officer’s instructions; failing to report as directed by his probation officer; and by again unlawfully using marijuana. In addition, the court found Griffith had possessed a dangerous weapon and committed new violations of law by assaulting his girlfriend and preventing her from leaving her apartment or calling for help in the course of the assault.
Evidence presented at the hearing showed that on February 12, 2019, Griffith entered the residence of his girlfriend and became upset when she expressed displeasure with Griffith’s recent behavior. Griffith then began to choke his girlfriend, pulled her hair, hit her in the chest, and knocked her across the room onto a couch where he then sat on top of her. When the girlfriend attempted to use her cell phone to call for help, Griffith took the phone from her and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming for help. At a later point during the encounter, Griffith held a butcher knife to his own throat, causing the girlfriend to fear that Griffith may turn the knife on her. After about two and a half hours, Griffith agreed to call a felon friend of his to take his girlfriend to the hospital. However, before allowing the girlfriend to be taken to the hospital, Griffith demanded she write him a check or give him something valuable to be held as insurance that the woman would not report his conduct to his probation officer.
On February 19, 2019, Griffith was charged in Iowa District Court in and for Linn County with one count of assault causing bodily injury (domestic abuse) (strangulation) and one count of obstruction of emergency communications. A no contact order was filed on February 23, 2019. The state charges remain pending.
Griffith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Griffith was sentenced to serve two years imprisonment, the maximum sentence the court could impose. The court also ordered that the sentence should be served consecutive to any sentence imposed in Iowa District Court.
In sentencing Griffith, Judge Reade noted she fully credited the victim’s account of the assault and having been prevented from leaving her apartment or seeking medical assistance for more than two and half hours. Judge Reade found that Griffith’s conduct was “outrageous” and that no one had a right to engage in such conduct. Judge Reade noted Griffith had an extensive criminal record. Griffith’s criminal record includes multiple burglary convictions, prior assaults, and other violent conduct, including an assault on a woman with whom he had cohabitated that included striking the woman and grabbing her by the throat, and had 22 disciplinary reports while in prison. The court also found that Griffith violated the terms of his supervision by associating with at least five convicted felons without permission, and that the sentence imposed was justified by all of Griffith’s violations of supervision, not just the assault of his girlfriend.
Griffith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Murphy.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 01-04.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Who Detonated Explosive Device in Tampa Sentenced to One Year in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Joseph David Caltagirone (61, Tampa) to 12 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered destructive device. Caltagirone pleaded guilty on December 10, 2018.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2018, members of the Tampa Police Department Bomb Squad were conducting training on North 12th Street, in Tampa, when they heard a loud explosion. They saw a large greyish-white smoke plume several blocks away, rising above East Columbus Drive. Officers canvassed the neighborhood, eventually locating Caltagirone’s residence.
Inside that residence, law enforcement officers discovered PVC piping, a hobby fuse, and precursor chemicals such as potassium nitrate, air float charcoal, and sulfur. Officers also discovered an assembled destructive device resembling a “pipe bomb.” The device had been constructed using a PVC pipe, sealed at each end by PVC end caps, and an improvised initiator. The pipe contained Tannerite, an explosive mixture. Had the device exploded, it could have projected PVC fragments at high velocities in all directions.
Caltagirone admitted to having designed, constructed, and possessed the devices. He also admitted to having detonated an explosive device in the backyard of his residence—a house in a densely populated neighborhood just north of Ybor City and only a few blocks from a middle school.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Magoffin County Man Convicted of Oxycodone Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Danny Porter, of Salyersville, Kentucky, was convicted by a federal jury this week, for conspiring with two Indiana women to traffic oxycodone pills in Magoffin County. The jury also convicted Porter of possessing oxycodone pills with the intent to distribute them. Porter was acquitted of a firearm offense.
The proof at trial established that, for two years, Porter had been making monthly trips to Indiana to obtain hundreds of oxycodone pills, which he brought back to sell in Magoffin County. The investigation culminated in a search of Porter’s residence, where oxycodone pills, twenty firearms, and over $40,000 in cash were seized.
Katherine Redlark and Tonya Owens, both of Indiana, were subsequently stopped in Magoffin County and found to be in possession of over two hundred oxycodone pills that they were preparing to sell to Porter. Both Redlark and Owens have previously pled guilty to conspiring with Porter to distribute oxycodone.
Porter faces up to twenty years in prison.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Robert Brown, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge for the Louisville Field Division; Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police Commissioner; Carson Montgomery, Magoffin County Sheriff; and Christopher Edmonds, Chief of the Pikeville Police Department, jointly made the announcement. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
Las Vegas Tax Business Owner Indicted for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A North Las Vegas man who operated two tax preparation businesses was arrested last night and appeared in federal court today for devising a fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of dollars from the sale of his businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
King Isaac Umoren, 38, was indicted for six counts of wire fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, and five counts of money laundering. He was arrested and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. An arraignment has been scheduled for March 26, 2019.
As alleged in the indictment, from on or about May 2016 to May 2018, Umoren devised a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from a prospective buyer, and the buyer of his tax preparation business, Universal Tax Services, by fraudulently misrepresenting that the business had a vastly greater client base and annual revenue than it actually did. In furtherance of the scheme, Umoren provided the victims fraudulent bank and financial statements, personal income tax returns, and assorted financial records. The bank statements and financial records provided to the victims had been forged to reflect millions of dollars on deposit when in fact the accounts held little or no money. And the income tax returns showing Umoren earning millions of dollars through the business also were forgeries. Umoren never filed with the Internal Revenue Service in tax years 2014 and 2015. Umoren also stole client information from unrelated tax preparation businesses, including the names, social security numbers, and confidential taxpayer information of those businesses’ clients. In August 2017, as a result of the scheme, Umoren was able to fraudulently sell the business to one of the victims for $6.7 million, of which he received approximately $4,050,000.
At the time of sentencing, the maximum statutory penalty is $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss caused by the offense. The indictment seeks a criminal forfeiture judgment of at least $4,050,000, including amounts of $1,999,875; $888,855.17; $192,325; and $97,807.75 seized from various bank accounts, as well as real property located in Henderson, Nevada, and a 2018 Honda Accord sedan.
Umoren is also currently pending trial in a separate 2016 federal case where he is alleged to have stolen refund money from his tax preparation clients, impersonated an FBI agent, and possessed a firearm while being a prohibited person.
An indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns and Trial Attorney Sarah Kiewlicz of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division.
###
Jackson Woman Sentenced to 18 Months for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Erika Shanta Kelly, 42, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New Orleans Division. Kelly was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Kelly previously pled guilty to conducting three separate financial transactions with proceeds from drug trafficking. On April 22, 2014, March 3, 2015, and September 4, 2015, Kelly used money obtained from drug trafficking to purchase and make payments on vehicles. The purchases and payments made were to conceal or disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the money.
On November 28, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for conspiracy to launder money and using proceeds from drug trafficking to purchase vehicles for another person.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Pipeline,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in central Mississippi involving cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Texas and Mississippi.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This OCDETF operation was a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson Police Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Israeli Man Sentenced to Prison Term for His Role in Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yossi Avitan, a resident and citizen of Israel, has been sentenced to a five-month term of imprisonment for taking part in an international conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Sally Luttrell, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Avitan, 33, pled guilty in November 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was sentenced on March 19, 2019 by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the period of incarceration, Avitan was ordered to pay a fine of $4,000, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $9,178.
An unlicensed money transmitting business, broadly defined, is a business involved in the transfer of money or funds affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any manner, which is either operated without an appropriate money transmitting license from the District of Columbia or without complying with federal money transmitting business registration requirements. Avitan was one of seven co-defendants charged in relation to the conspiracy. Four of the co-defendants were arrested as part of a large international takedown in which 19 individuals, who were indicted in four separate cases involving allegations of fraud and money laundering activities, were arrested world-wide in early March 2017.
Four of Avitan’s co-defendants -- Itzhak Salama, Golan Chkechkov, Moshe Amir, and Haviv Arazi -- have pled guilty to charges relating to the illegal money transmitting business and are awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant, Michael Admon, was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2019, for a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business to a two-year term of probation, which included Admon’s residence in a reentry center for a term of 30 days and location monitoring for a period of five months. The remaining co-defendant, Ori Saadon, was extradited from Israel on or about February 7, 2019, after an earlier request was made by the United States for Saadon’s temporary surrender to the United States in order for Saadon to face the conspiracy charge in this matter. Saadon’s case is pending before the Court.
According to the statement of offense proffered during the plea hearing, Avitan was part of an illegal international money transmitting network, commonly referred to as a “hawala network,” which clandestinely moved money for other individuals in interstate and foreign commerce without registering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury or obtaining licensure with the various States, including the District of Columbia. Avitan did not obtain licensure or register himself or any business as a licensed money transmitter pursuant to the laws of the District of Columbia and federal law. The FBI conducted undercover operations in which Avitan was responsible for coordinating the transfer of more than $95,000, but less than $150,000 of funds, in three separate transactions through a hawala network. Avitan’s role in the hawala network was to arrange for the receipt and/or delivery of money on behalf of other individuals and Avitan received a fee for conducting the monetary transactions.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Acting Assistant Inspector General Luttrell commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Elizabeth Swienc, and C. Rosalind Pressley, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, who prosecuted the case. Assistance in the investigation and prosecution was also provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 21 was:
JAMES KEITH BELLROCK, JR., 43, of Hardin, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner and assault of a dating partner by strangulation. Bellrock is detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bellrock faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-11.
FRED LEWIS CUTSINGER, 31, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cutsinger is detained. If convicted of the most serious crime, Cutsinger faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-16.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Illegal possession of firearms sends Billings man to prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Billings resident William Thomas Fischer, Jr., was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release on Thursday for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Fischer, 58, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The prosecution said that on July 2, 2018, a Billings Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop in which Fischer was the driver and was wanted on an arrest warrant. The officer saw Fischer place two small bindles of suspected methamphetamine in his mouth and removed Fischer from the vehicle in an attempt to prevent him from swallowing the bindles. Officers were unable to locate the bindles.
A BPD K9 dog gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics, and the vehicle was seized pending a search warrant issued later the same day. During the search, officers found two firearms, a 12-gauge shotgun and an SKS semi-automatic rifle. Two days later, Fischer told a woman in a recorded call from jail that, “there were two guns in the car.”
Fischer was convicted in 2003 for felony possession of a firearm by an unlawful user and addict of a controlled substance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
XXX
Illegal Aliens admit to reentry violationsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Bruno Maurico-Solis and Javier Rosario-Azamar, both citizens of Mexico, have admitted to reentering the country illegally, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Maurico-Solis, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of Removed Alien.” Maurico-Solis admitted to being in Harrison County, West Virginia illegally in December 2018 after being removed twice before from the United States for illegal reentry.Rosario-Azamar, age 43, pled guilty to one count of :Reentry of Removed Alien.” He admitted to being in Harrison County, West Virginia illegally in December 2018 after being removed once before from the United States.
Maurico-Solis and Rosario-Azamar were sentenced to time served and 12 months of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Semiautomatic RifleRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 27-year-old Mexican National Rolando Martinez to 106 months in federal prison for a 2017 shooting spree that resulted in five people being injured, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, Houston Division, and Austin Police Chief Brian Manley.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered that Martinez pay $2,240 restitution to his victims.
On December 4, 2018, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. According to court records, beginning in the early morning hours of November 4, 2017, the Austin Police Department received numerous 911 calls regarding a Hispanic male driving a black vehicle while firing a semiautomatic rifle at persons and vehicles. Based on information provided to law enforcement, members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force were able to identify and apprehend the defendant that evening on outstanding warrants. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers also located Martinez’s vehicle abandoned near Interstate 35 and East Highway 290 in Austin. Inside the vehicle, they discovered a semiautomatic rifle which matched a description provided by victims and witnesses. During a subsequent search of the defendant’s residence, authorities discovered a “Firearms Transfer Bill of Sale” made out to the defendant for an AR-15 with the same serial number found on the weapon seized from inside the defendant’s vehicle. Martinez later admitted that he had been drinking at a local bar the night before and did not remember much prior to waking up in a grassy median approximately 200 feet from where his vehicle was discovered abandoned.
“In this case, a person who should not have been in this country got drunk, got his hands on an AR-15, and started shooting at random people in Austin. Thank God no one was killed,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
The ATF, together with the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Idaho Man Indicted for Guiding Without a License in Noatak Preserve and Filing False Hunting DocumentsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Paul Silvas, 51, resident of Nampa, Idaho, has been charged in a four-count indictment with multiple felony Lacey Act violations.
According to the indictment, Silvas violated the Lacey Act by illegally guiding, filing false state of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) hunt records in order to conceal the illegal take of brown bears and to conceal illegally guided hunts, along with transporting illegally taken game across state lines.
The indictment alleges that, on Sept. 5, and Sept. 12, 2014, as well as Sept. 25, 2013, within the Noatak National Preserve, Silvas knowingly guided illegal hunts for other residents of Idaho that did not possess the appropriate permits. In order to lawfully hunt brown bears within the Noatak National Preserve, a non-resident hunter would be required to have contracted with a licensed big game guide, possess the appropriate ADFG draw permits as well as purchasing the appropriate big game tags from ADFG. Silvas was neither a licensed big game guide, nor did he nor any of his clients possess the appropriate big game tags.
If convicted, Silvas faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Steven E. Skrocki.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hudson Woman Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Angela A. Curtis, 32, of Hudson, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to theft of mail.
Court records reveal that in June and July, 2018, Curtis stole mail from mail boxes in Glenburn, Bangor, Hudson, Hampden, and Charleston, Maine. The mail that she stole included checks. She altered several of those checks to add her name but her theft was discovered before any of the checks were negotiated.
Curtis faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Hartford Man Admits Selling Cocaine and HeroinRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NATHAN WOOD, 26, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possessing with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June and July 2017, Wood sold distribution quantities of cocaine and heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer in Hartford.
Wood is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on June 26, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Wood was arrested on September 28, 2018. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
Harrison County man admits to role in methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Solomon Cottrill, of Salem, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cottrill, age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Cottrill admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2017 in Harrison County.Cottrill faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The United States Marshal Service assisted.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guilford Landscaper Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that LOUIS POCOGRANO, 58, of Guilford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pocograno owns Poco & Son Lawn Care, LLC, a landscaping and snowplowing business based in Guilford. Between approximately 2013 and 2016, Pocograno cashed numerous checks from clients that were made payable to him rather than his business, and he failed to report this income to the IRS. He also used a portion of the cash to pay undocumented workers he employed, and failed to collect and pay over the employment taxes for these employees.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019, at which time Pocograno faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Pocograno has agreed to pay the IRS restitution of $33,383, which represents income tax that is due for the 2013 through 2016 tax years, and an additional $250,364.59, which represents the employment tax that is due for those years, plus interest and penalties.
This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Gambino Crime Family Soldier Sentenced to 28 Months’ Imprisonment for Loansharking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Paul Semplice, a member of the Gambino organized crime family, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen at the federal court in Brooklyn for conducting a loansharking scheme in which he extended extortionate loans with annual interest rates up to 54 percent.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Semplice targeted victims desperate for loans and used his status as a Mafia soldier to make sure they paid the exorbitant interest rate,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “With today’s sentence, the defendant will pay for his crimes in prison.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department for their investigative work on this case.
Semplice, a long-time made member of the Gambino crime family, engaged in a conspiracy with others to make extortionate extensions of credit to multiple victims. During one recorded conversation with a cooperating witness (CW), Semplice boasted that he had a “very special relationship,” “like brothers,” with a captain in the family and “answer[ed] to nobody but him.” In another recorded conversation with the CW, Semplice explained that in connection with a $200,000 loan to victim John Doe #1, he collected $9,000 interest per month, or 54 percent, and personally kept $8,000. Semplice called the arrangement “a beautiful thing.”
On November 18, 2016, during a lawfully intercepted conversation, Semplice talked about abusing victim John Doe #2. “I started abusing him, right. He was in his forties…. Once I – I had to smack him. I go, ‘What?’ Bang! I go, ‘I’ll smack you again.’ He goes, ‘Why?’ ‘Cause I shouldn’t have to come see you.’ ”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Drew G. Rolle are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PAUL SEMPLICE
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-612 (PKC)
Fruitland Park Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening Members of CongressRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. Senior District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Richard Mel Phillips (36, Fruitland Park) to 18 months in federal prison for transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. Phillips had pleaded guilty on November 8, 2018.
According to court documents, Phillips sent a series of threatening phone calls and voicemails to members of Congress. In the most recent of these voicemails, Phillips threatened to travel to a member of Congress’s home district to kill them, and threatened to “slaughter” any law enforcement agents that were sent to Phillips’ home. In a subsequent interview with the FBI, Phillips admitted to making the threatening voicemail.
This case was investigated by the FBI–Daytona Beach Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Four Set to Appear on Charges Related to Deadly Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against four Houston men for robbery and using firearms during the crimes of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. During one of the alleged offenses, an elderly employee was shot and killed.
Those charged include Melvin Jones, 20, Daivion Gully, 18, Deanjelo Wells, 19, and Artavius Johnson, 29, all of Houston. Previously in state custody on related charges, all were transferred to federal custody and are set to make their initial appearances this morning at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy. A federal grand jury returned the indictment March 14, 2019.
The indictment alleges four separate robberies of local convenience stores, during which the defendants stole U.S. currency before fleeing.
On Nov. 3, 2018, Jones, Gully, Wells and Johnson allegedly robbed the Sunny Food Mart at gunpoint on 9075 South Dairy Ashford in Houston. During the violent crime, two suspects discharged their firearms several times, killing a 66-year old store clerk.
The following month, the indictment alleges Jones and Wells committed two more armed robberies, both on Oct. 24, 2018. The first occurred at the Chevron station at 8265 Richmond Avenue, according to the charges. Less than two hours later, they allegedly targeted Gulf Gas located on 3300 Yellow Stone. The indictment further alleges Gully and Wells had robbed the same Gulf Gas convenience store at gunpoint just a month prior - on Sept. 26, 2018.
All four defendants were captured and arrested Nov. 7, 2018.
They are all charged with aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting use, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in federal prison for the robbery charges. The firearm offense alleged in the robbery of the Sunny Food Mart, which resulted in death, carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison, or the possibility of death which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. The remaining firearms charges carry a mandatory and consecutive minimum of seven years up to life imprisonment. Each conviction also carries the possibility of a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the recently announced Crime Gun Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Jill J. Stotts are prosecuting the case.
The indictment is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts, and enhancing training, public awareness and education.
The cases are brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Calvin Taylor, 51, of Yazoo City, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to embezzling parcels of mail during the course of his employment with the U.S. Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
Taylor was contracted to deliver mail between Jackson and various rural post offices, including those in Mayersville and Rolling Fork. In December 2016, agents were notified that expected mail was not being delivered along Taylor’s route. A subsequent operation run by investigators, utilizing monitored pieces of mail and surveillance, revealed that Taylor was taking parcels of mail that contained clothing and shoes. When stopped and confronted, Taylor admitted he had been taking parcels from the mail. Agents recovered the monitored pieces of mail and some additional items that were previously reported missing.
Taylor will be sentenced by Judge Reeves on June 25, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
Former Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Monthly Pension Payments by Commandeering Retirees’ Online AccountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Florida man pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal monthly pension payments from victims enrolled in pension plans managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Inspector General Robert A. Westbrooks of the PBGC made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kessey Reggie Durand, 27, of Miami, Florida, used personally identifiable information (PII) he obtained while working as a contractor at the PBGC’s Miami Field Office to create or take over online MyPBA accounts of pension plan participants. After commandeering those accounts, Durand changed the associated electronic direct deposit information in order to funnel victims’ monthly pension payments into accounts Durand controlled. In other cases, Durand tried to change participants’ electronic direct deposit information through social engineering, using stolen PII to call into the PBGC call center to trick operators into believing he was the participant requesting the change.
“Over a five-month span, Durand stole the confidential information of elderly retirees and then used it to commandeer their retirement accounts for his own benefit,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski, “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud by those who have been entrusted with access to sensitive financial and personal information, especially when that fraud harms vulnerable senior citizens.”
"Kessey Reggie Durand took advantage of his position as a PBGC contractor to use the personal information of retired workers and to steal their monthly pension payments,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Our office will aggressively prosecute those who seek to deprive retirees of what may be their only form of income.”
“PBGC’s retirees rightfully expect that their pension accounts are secure and their personal information is safeguarded—especially from insider threats,” said Inspector General Westbrooks. “We will continue to make data protection a top priority and greatly appreciate the support of the Justice Department in helping to ensure the integrity of PBGC’s MyPBA online system.”
According to court documents, Durand’s scheme spanned approximately five months and targeted over $100,000 in monthly pension payments. Sentencing is set for June 28, 2019, before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the PBGC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami Gardens Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joss Nichols, on detail from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Former Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Monthly Pension Payments by Commandeering Retirees’ Online AccountsRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal monthly pension payments from victims enrolled in pension plans managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Inspector General Robert A. Westbrooks of the PBGC made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kessey Reggie Durand, 27, of Miami, Florida, used personally identifiable information (PII) he obtained while working as a contractor at the PBGC’s Miami Field Office to create or take over online MyPBA accounts of pension plan participants. After commandeering those accounts, Durand changed the associated electronic direct deposit information in order to funnel victims’ monthly pension payments into accounts Durand controlled. In other cases, Durand tried to change participants’ electronic direct deposit information through social engineering, using stolen PII to call into the PBGC call center to trick operators into believing he was the participant requesting the change.
“Over a five-month span, Durand stole the confidential information of elderly retirees and then used it to commandeer their retirement accounts for his own benefit,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski, “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud by those who have been entrusted with access to sensitive financial and personal information, especially when that fraud harms vulnerable senior citizens.”
“Kessey Reggie Durand took advantage of his position as a PBGC contractor to use the personal information of retired workers and to steal their monthly pension payments,” said U.S. Attorney Liu, “Our office will aggressively prosecute those who seek to deprive retirees of what may be their only form of income.”
“PBGC’s retirees rightfully expect that their pension accounts are secure and their personal information is safeguarded—especially from insider threats,” said Inspector General Westbrooks, “We will continue to make data protection a top priority and greatly appreciate the support of the Justice Department in helping to ensure the integrity of PBGC’s MyPBA online system.”
According to court documents, Durand’s scheme spanned approximately five months and targeted over $100,000 in monthly pension payments. Sentencing is set for June 28, 2019, before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the PBGC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami Gardens Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joss Nichols, on detail from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Former Officers and Employees of Indiana Loan Packager and Servicer Charged in Alleged $10 Million Scheme to Defraud the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
Five former officers and employees of an Indiana loan packaging and servicing company were charged for their alleged roles in a 13-year-long conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) in connection with its programs to guarantee loans made to small businesses.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler of the Southern District of Indiana, Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Inspector General Jay Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
Kerri Agee, aka Kerri Agee-Smith, 43, of Noblesville, Indiana, former president, chief executive officer and founder of Banc-Serv Partners LLP (Banc-Serv); Kelly Isley, 38, of Westfield, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s former chief operating officer; Matthew Smith, 50, of Westfield, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s co-founder; Chad Griffin, 46, of Carmel, Indiana, Banc-Serv’s former chief marketing officer; and Nicole Smith, aka Nicole Smith-Kelso, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, a former Banc-Serv employee, were charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of conspiracy to make false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests. Additionally, Agee was charged with four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; Isley was charged with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; Griffin was charged with one count of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests; and Nicole Smith was charged with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements in loan-guarantee applications and purchase requests.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2004 until October 2017, the defendants helped originate SBA loans on behalf of various financial institutions. On multiple occasions, the defendants fraudulently obtained guarantees for loans that the SBA deemed ineligible, the indictment alleges. The indictment also alleges that the defendants hid signs of ineligibility from the SBA by knowingly misrepresenting the use of SBA loan proceeds and unlawfully diverting previously denied loan applications into expedited approval channels. Matthew Smith left Banc-Serv in or around the end of 2005, and he founded and became the managing director of a non-bank lending company. According to the indictment, Smith knowingly caused false and fraudulent loan applications that were prepared by Banc-Serv employees and guarantee requests to be transmitted to the SBA.
The indictment further alleges that when a fraudulently guaranteed loan defaulted, the defendants caused other Banc-Serv employees to transmit requests to the SBA to purchase the defaulted loans from investors and lending institutions, thereby shifting losses on the ineligible loans to the SBA.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators originated dozens of loans, totaling over $10 million in disbursements, which were not eligible for SBA guarantees.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The SBA-OIG, the FDIC-OIG and the FBI investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General also assisted in the investigation.
Former Mount Pleasant Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Re-EntryRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On March 21, 2019, Ricardo Macias Saucedo, age 29, formerly of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, was sentenced by United States Chief District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to prison in the amount of time already served on the charge of unlawful re-entry into the United States, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Due to the length of time that Macias Saucedo has already been incarcerated in this case, he will soon be released to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Macias Saucedo pleaded guilty on November 8, 2018.
On May 9, 2018, ICE agents encountered Macias Saucedo while executing a federal search warrant in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Macias Saucedo was administratively questioned by ICE agents, and it was determined that he was not authorized to enter, live, or work in the United States. Agents further determined that on January 23, 2008, immigration officials had previously removed Macias Saucedo from the United States. Subsequent to the 2008 removal, Macias Saucedo had not applied for, or received permission, to re-enter the United States.
This matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office-Southern District of Iowa.
Former Greensburg Attorney Sentenced to 8 Years, Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United States District Court Chief Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced, Campbellsville, Kentucky, attorney, Danny Butler, to 8 years in federal prison followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,293,072.84 in restitution for a scheme to obtain money from clients of his legal practice, by means of misappropriating funds, in order to pay personal expenses including gambling losses, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Lawyers have a solemn duty to protect their clients’ interests and at a minimum, be trustworthy,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Danny Butler abandoned these principles and will pay a steep price.”
Butler was indicted on November 15, 2017. According to a sentencing memo before the Court, from August 2009 through October 2016, Butler used his position as an attorney to steal funds from his clients causing a loss of over $1.2 million dollars to his client victims who were a combination of estate and general civil law practice clients.
During the period of the theft, Butler incurred approximately $1.5 million in gambling losses. Butler used the stolen money to fund his gambling habits as well as to fund payments to other clients in a “Ponzi” type fashion. Butler used the theft from his clients to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
Butler misappropriated funds from the following clients:
- Approximately $148,106 from the estate of L.A.;
- Approximately $29,987.07 from the estate of L.P.;
- Approximately $401,500 from the representation of B.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the representation of D.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the estate of D.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the representation of J.R.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the estate of E.U.;
- Approximately $25,000 from the estate of E.M.;
- Approximately $59,000 from the representation of J.W.S.;
- Approximately $25,000 for the representation of E.S.; and
- Approximately $125,000 from the estate of L.P.M.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Calhoun and Nicole Elver, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
####
Former GE Engineers Charged with Conspiring to Steal Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – An indictment unsealed today charges Jean Patrice Delia, age 43, of Montreal, Canada, and Miguel Sernas, age 40, of Mexico City, Mexico, of conspiring to steal trade secrets belonging to the General Electric Company (GE). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The indictment alleges that Delia, while employed by GE Energy in Schenectady, New York, stole thousands of electronic files belonging to GE, including proprietary tools GE developed to calibrate GE-manufactured turbines used in power plants around the world. Delia and Sernas, operating as ThermoGen Power Services, used the stolen materials to compete against GE. Sernas had also previously worked for GE. The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Delia was arraigned today in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. Sernas was arraigned in January.
The charge filed against Delia and Sernas carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
Former Bond Advisor Charged in Fraudulent SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Porter Bingham, 57, of Roswell, Georgia, was arrested today in Georgia by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Bingham is charged in a federal criminal indictment with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering arising from his role as a the Financial Advisor for the City of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in connection with the issuance of municipal bonds in 2015. The indictment charges that Bingham fraudulently obtained an additional $33,000 of the bond proceeds to which he was not entitled.
Bingham appeared earlier today before a United States Magistrate Judge in Atlanta, Georgia. He was released on a $15,000 bond and will appear in federal court in Jackson before United States Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson on Monday, April 1, 2019, at 1:30 pm. The case is currently scheduled for trial in Jackson before United States District Judge Tom S. Lee during the May trial term.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Flagler County Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Sean Patrick Farrelly (47, Palm Coast) with sex trafficking of a minor girl. If convicted, Farrelly faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between approximately March 2018 and February 2019, Farrelly recruited, enticed, transported, obtained, maintained, patronized, and solicited a girl under the age of 18 years old to engage in a commercial sex act.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Flagler Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts San Antonio Man for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, federal authorities arrested Edward C. Wagner, who faces federal charges for allegedly conducting a fraudulent investment scheme and attempting to evade paying over $1 million in taxes, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, Houston Field Office.
The indictment charges Wagner, owner and operator of Pharmacogenetics, EcoChem, Leaf 23 and Nutrecs, with eleven counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and six counts of tax evasion. The indictment alleges that from June 2011 to September 2016, Wagner collected approximately $645,000 from company investors under false and fraudulent pretenses and converted it to his own personal use. The indictment also alleges that from 2007 to 2016, Wagner willfully attempted to evade paying income tax due to the United States for those calendar years. From 2007 through 2010, Wagner accrued a total of $744,186 in unpaid taxes and penalties based on taxable income of $1,410,112. The indictment further alleges that Wagner intentionally disguised his actual income by hiding his sources of income, using nominee financial institution accounts, dealing extensively in cash and cashier’s checks, and creating a false loan document. The indictment further alleges that Wagner has failed to file an income tax return for calendar years 2013 through 2016.
“Our capitalist system works only when our legal rules against fraud are vigorously enforced. That is why DOJ relentlessly pursues those who defraud investors,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
“Wagner is charged with exploiting his investors’ trust by using those monies meant for his businesses for his own personal gain. In this case, IRS-Criminal Investigation is not only enforcing the nation's tax laws, but also holding an individual accountable for violating the trust of his investors,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Kull.
Each wire fraud charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction. Each money laundering charge calls for up to ten years in federal prison upon conviction. And, each tax evasion charge calls for up to five years in federal prison upon conviction.
Agents with the IRS—Criminal Investigation conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fentanyl conspiracy.
Maximo Diaz Tejada, 44, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 70 months in prison. Diaz Tejeda will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In November 2018, Diaz Tejada pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On Dec. 14, 2017, Diaz Tejada and his co-conspirator delivered over half a kilogram of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Diaz Tejada’s residence in Lawrence, where they seized an additional 977 grams of fentanyl, 141 grams of heroin, 103 grams of Tramadol, and a small amount of cocaine, as well as drug packaging tools and materials. Diaz Tejada was previously deported from the United States in October 2013 and used multiple aliases while he was in the United States.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Cheng of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 40 ½-Year Prison Term for Killing Man in Navy Yard Area of Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Babajide Pittman, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 40 ½-year prison term on first-degree murder while armed and other charges for a mid-day shooting in Southeast Washington on Thanksgiving weekend of 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pittman was found guilty by a jury in October 2018 of murder, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2016, at approximately 1 p.m., Pittman was standing on the corner of 7th and L Streets SE, outside the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks Annex. The homicide victim, Anthony Young, Jr., was the passenger in a car being driven by his girlfriend. They were headed to a friend’s house nearby. Pittman and Mr. Young knew each other, and had been in a prior argument. Mr. Young got out of the car and argued on the sidewalk with Pittman for about two minutes.
When Mr. Young opened the passenger door of the car to leave, Pittman ran up behind him and fired 12 shots into the car. Mr. Young was struck eight times, in the back, arm, and legs, and his girlfriend was struck once in the leg.
Mr. Young, 27, died within minutes of being shot. His girlfriend was transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was treated for the gunshot wound. She sustained permanent nerve damage in her foot.
Pittman fled the area on foot. He was arrested early the following morning, and has been held in custody since.
Personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps assisted the victims and the responding police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police.
A homeowner who lived down the street from the shooting had a Nest surveillance system, with audio and high-definition video, that captured the shooting. This video was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting the case. This prosecution reflects the value of the District of Columbia’s Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which encourages residents to install security cameras to assist law enforcement.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mannarino, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and intern Cara Clark.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Seth Gilmore, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – D’Angelo Davis, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for killing a man during a robbery last summer in an alley in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in January 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 19 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Davis accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2018, at approximately 4:45 a.m., Davis encountered the victim, Michael Miller, in the 1600 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. The two men did not know each other. Mr. Miller, 37, who was driving a gray Lexus sedan, initiated a friendly conversation with Davis, who was on foot. The men agreed to meet nearby and continue the conversation. However, by that point, Davis had already determined that he wanted to steal Mr. Miller’s car. After Mr. Miller parked his car, the two men met in a nearby rear alley.
In the alley, Davis took out a .380 semi-automatic pistol, pointed it at Mr. Miller, and demanded the car keys. Mr. Miller grabbed for the pistol and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the gun went off and the bullet his Mr. Miller in the neck, killing him. After the shooting, Davis went into Mr. Miller’s pockets and removed cash and the car keys. He then stole the vehicle and left the scene. Officers discovered Mr. Miller’s body at about 9:15 a.m.
The Lexus was recovered on July 30, 2018. As a result of the search, Davis’s fingerprints were found in the vehicle. On Nov. 15, 2018, Davis was arrested in an unrelated matter, but he agreed to speak with MPD detectives about the murder. After providing several false statements, he confessed to the slaying. He has been in custody ever since.
At the time of the murder, Davis was on probation for a 2016 drug offense. His probation has been revoked in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bruckmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in December 2015 Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kimberly N. Thompson, 61, of Woodbridge, Va., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and related firearms charges for killing a man in broad daylight in December 2015 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict, returned late March 21, 2019, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2019. Thompson faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 10, 2015, at about 1:30 p.m., Thompson drove his Mercedes to the 1900 block of Bennett Place NE and confronted the victim, Charles Anthony Mayo, who was sitting outside. Within seconds, Thompson fired his gun at Mr. Mayo eight times, hitting him with three bullets. Mr. Mayo managed to get away and into a nearby alley.
Shortly after the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene. They found Mr. Mayo and asked him if he knew who his attacker was. He nodded yes. When asked who it was, he responded with only, “I can’t breathe.” Mr. Mayo, 53, slipped out of consciousness and was never able to identify his murderer. He died a week later in the hospital.
Two days after the murder, Thompson was stopped by police in his Mercedes and the car was seized. A subsequent search of the car revealed a handgun secreted deep inside the trunk that was later determined to be the handgun that fired two cartridge casings that were recovered at the crime scene. Thompson was arrested in January 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST).
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Silvia Gonzalez Roman, Ahmed Baset, Monica Trigoso, Chrisellen Kolb and John Mannarino; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Stephen R. Prest, Special Counsel for Discovery Policy and Litigation; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Tameka Garcia and Alesha Matthews; former Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Witness Security Specialist M. LaVerne Perry; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Christian Natiello, who investigated and prosecuted the case.