Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 5 February 2019
Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Photography of U.S. Naval Installation in Key West, FloridaRead the Press Release
A People’s Republic of China (PRC) foreign national was sentenced to prison today for illegal photography of the U.S. Naval Air Station Key West, Joint Interagency Task Force, South (JIATF-South).
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Zhao Qianli, 21, of Shanxi, PRC was sentenced today to the statutory maximum term of 12 months in prison, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release, by Chief U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore, after previously pleading guilty to one count of photographing defense installations (Case No. 18-10035-CR).
According to the court record, in September 2018, Zhao Qianli was apprehended after illegally entering JIATF-South. At the time of his arrest, Zhao Qianli was observed taking photographs of JIATF-South and associated military hardware. A search warrant of Zhao Qianli’s cellular telephone and digital camera revealed multiple photographs and video footage of the Key West military installation.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
California Man Sentenced to Almost 20 Years for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Juan Pablo Zamora Gomez, 32, of Modesto, California, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Keith Starrett to 235 months in federal prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gomez was also ordered to pay a $20,000.00 fine.
The investigation into Gomez started after agents with the DEA executed a search warrant at Jermaine Newell’s property in Soso, Mississippi. Agents located 951 grams of heroin in Newell’s possession. After Newell’s arrest, agents learned that he received the heroin from Gomez and Vincente Manuel Ruiz. Agents obtained audio recordings of Gomez discussing heroin and setting up a meeting to further the conspiracy. During the investigation, agents also learned that Gomez, Ruiz, and Newell were involved with sending marijuana and methamphetamine from California to Mississippi.
Prior to Gomez’s sentencing, Jermaine Newell and Manuel Ruiz both pled guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $5,000.00 fine.
The case was investigated by the DEA in Gulfport. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
Brockton Man Charged with Computer Fraud and AbuseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with an August 2018 computer intrusion of a Massachusetts company.
Colby Anderson, 25, was indicted on one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization. In October 2018, Anderson was arrested and charged by complaint; he was released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, in July 2018, Anderson was terminated from his position as a Network Operations Center Technician at Blueport Wireless, a high speed internet access provider. Following his termination, Anderson subsequently used his former colleagues’ account login information to delete approximately 120 customer configuration profiles, causing widespread internet service issues at customer facilities.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Lelling’s Cybercrimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed Felon Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Hutchinson man with a felony conviction record was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for a firearm violation, U.S. Attorney Stephan McAllister said.
Lucas Adam Wade Hall, 32, Hutchinson, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In his plea, he admitted that he was arrested with a Taurus 9 mm pistol, a Beretta 9 mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .44 caliber revolver.
In April 2011, Hall was convicted in Reno County District Court of attempted kidnapping, aggravated intimidation of a witness and aggravated battery. In September 2014, he was convicted in Reno County District Court of aggravated assault.
This case was prosecuted as part of Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood, which targets armed offenders with a record of felony convictions.
McAllister commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.
Acting Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security Submit Joint Report on Impact of Foreign Interference on Election and Political/Campaign Infrastructure in 2018 ElectionsRead the Press Release
Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen yesterday submitted a joint report to President Donald J. Trump evaluating the impact of any foreign interference on election infrastructure or the infrastructure of political organizations, including campaigns and candidates in the 2018-midterm elections.
The classified report was prepared pursuant to section 1(b) of Executive Order 13848, Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Influence in a United States Election, which the President issued on Sept. 12, 2018.
Throughout the 2018 midterm election cycle, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security worked closely with federal, state, local, and private sector partners, including all 50 states and more than 1400 local jurisdictions, to support efforts to secure election infrastructure and limit risk posed by foreign interference. Efforts to safeguard the 2020 elections are already underway.
Although the specific conclusions within the joint report must remain classified, the Departments have concluded there is no evidence to date that any identified activities of a foreign government or foreign agent had a material impact on the integrity or security of election infrastructure or political/campaign infrastructure used in the 2018 midterm elections for the United States Congress. This finding was informed by a report prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) pursuant to the same Executive Order and is consistent with what was indicated by the U.S. government after the 2018 elections.
While the report remains classified, its findings will help drive future efforts to protect election and political/campaign infrastructure from foreign interference.
Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker Statement on the State of the Union AddressRead the Press Release
Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s second State of the Union Address:
“President Trump’s speech presented a hopeful, optimistic vision for this country. An America with a secure southern border would be an America with less crime, less addiction, and better wages for working families. The Department of Justice is working every day to bring us closer to that kind of future by prosecuting criminals, interdicting drugs, and defending the rights of the American people in court. As we continue these efforts, I am hopeful that our elected leaders in Congress will come together on a bipartisan basis to support this law-and-order agenda for the good of the country.”
Monday 4 February 2019
Yucaipa Man Who Participated in ‘White Glove Bandits’ Robbery Spree Sentenced to over 200 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A San Bernardino County man who participated in a series of armed robberies attributed to the “White Glove Bandits” – because the thieves wore white, latex gloves in some of the robberies – was sentenced today to nearly 17 years in federal prison.
Sheyenne Lee Parsons, 38, of Yucaipa, was sentenced to 201 months in prison by United States District James V. Selna. In addition to the prison term, Judge Selna ordered Parsons to serve four years of supervised release and pay $34,656 in restitution to the victimized banks and stores.
Parsons pleaded guilty in August to two counts of armed bank robbery and one count of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. But in a plea agreement, Parsons admitted to participating in three armed bank robberies and three retail store robberies – two of which were armed.
During one of the armed robberies, a father and his 7-year-old son walked into a Toys “R” Us in Redlands while Parsons and his cohorts were robbing the store. Store employees had difficulty opening the register during the robbery, so the robbers took the entire register with them.
Parsons and his co-conspirators committed the robberies between April 14, 2015, and July 21, 2015. The spree started with a failed attempt to rob a bank on April 13, 2015. In addition to the Toys “R” Us robbery, Parsons was involved in robberies of a Community Valley Bank branch in Palm Desert, a Boot Barn in Upland, a David’s Bridal in Ontario, a Wells Fargo branch in Irvine, and a Chase Bank branch in Banning. During the take-over robbery of the Wells Fargo branch on June 11, 2015, Parsons collected more than $20,000 from victim-tellers, while another robber pointed a gun at bank employees and demanded money.
“These robberies – particularly the armed robberies – terrified the employees and any customers present at the time,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed with the court.
In 2016, Parsons was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Culver City on April 30, 2015. Parsons is currently serving a five-year state court sentence for robbing the bank by using a demand note and wearing white gloves. The federal prison sentence imposed today will run concurrent with the portion of the state prison sentence Parsons has yet to serve.
Two other men were charged with being part of the White Glove Bandits robbery spree. The cases against them are pending.
The case against Parsons is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During this investigation, the FBI received substantial assistance from the Redlands Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Ontario Police Department, the Culver City Police Department, the Banning Police Department, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, the Irvine Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vibhav Mittal of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Willard Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Willard, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Lyndall Clarence Shive, 75, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine since Feb. 9, 2016.
The government asserts in today’s plea agreement that Shive is responsible for possessing more than 5.4 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Shive, who was on parole for first degree robbery and drug distribution at the time, was stopped by law enforcement officers in West Plains, Mo., on Dec. 14, 2016. A state trooper searched his vehicle and found three individual bags of methamphetamine that weighed approximately an ounce each, for a total of 82.91 grams of methamphetamine.
On Dec. 27, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the former Elkland, Mo., residence of co-defendant Dallas Ray Pendergrass, 71, now a resident of Willard. Officers seized approximately 25 pounds of marijuana and approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. Pendergrass admitted that Shive was his source for obtaining the methamphetamine. Pendergrass said he had been getting approximately one to two ounces of methamphetamine a week from Shive for approximately the past year (approximately 52 ounces or 1.474 kilograms). Pendergrass said he was paying $850 per ounce.
Pendergrass pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on Nov. 27, 2018. In a separate but related case, Phillip Duane George, 32, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years and two months in federal prison without parole.
Under federal statutes, Shive is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Central Missouri Drug Task Force, the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET), the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the West Plains, Mo., Police Department and the Mountain Grove, Mo., Police Department.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues to Prioritize Reducing Violent Crime During Lapse in Government FundingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today, “I am thrilled that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been able to return to full operations this week following the lapse in government funding. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and to our federal law enforcement partners, the vast majority of whom worked without pay for the duration of the shutdown. They exhibited dedication, determination, and perseverance throughout this difficult period as they worked to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice across our State. I am particularly proud of ongoing efforts to aggressively prosecute the most violent offenders who continue to unlawfully possess firearms. This office will never fail in its mission to protect the safety and security of the residents of South Carolina.”
Below is a summary of some of the matters the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted during the lapse in government funding as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Charges. Trent Jerrod Daniels, age 31, of Columbia, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court in Columbia to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Evidence presented in court established that on May 8, 2018 deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department attempted a traffic stop after observing what they believed to be drug deals between an individual in a vehicle and others in the roadway. A high-speed chase ensued, during which the driver was observed throwing a bag out of the window of the vehicle. Ultimately, the vehicle was stopped and the driver was determined to be Daniels.
Deputies recovered the bag thrown from the vehicle and found it contained a loaded Hi-Point .380 caliber handgun, marijuana, and digital scales. Deputies also found a small quantity of crack cocaine in the vehicle and counterfeit money in Daniels’ pocket. Daniels admitted to making drug sales earlier and to throwing the bag containing the marijuana and loaded gun out of the car during the chase. A ballistics examination found that the recovered firearm had been used in a shooting during a burglary in December 2017.
Daniels, who was on state parole at the time of the instant offense, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (two separate counts), use of a motor vehicle without owner’s permission, grand larceny over $1,000, but less than $5,000 (2 separate counts), strong arm robbery, and distribution of crack cocaine.
Daniels faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and three years of court-ordered supervision on the felon in possession charge. Due to a prior felony drug offense, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and four years of court-ordered supervision on the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charge.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
Gaston Man Pleads to Federal Firearm Charge Following High-Speed Chase. Jason C. Dix, age 41, of Gaston, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court in Columbia to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented in court showed that on June 8, 2018, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) deputies on patrol attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Dix for a traffic violation. Dix led deputies on a high speed chase – clocking as high as 104 miles per hour – before Dix ran two red lights and crashed into an uninvolved vehicle, sending two to a nearby hospital. LCSD deputies found a Ruger 9mm pistol and two firearm magazines loaded with ammunition in the vehicle driven by Dix.
Federal law prohibits Dix from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon prior state convictions for Assault & Battery of a High & Aggravated Nature, Possession of Methamphetamine/Crack, three convictions for Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle, three convictions for Driving Under the Influence, Criminal Domestic Violence, Maintaining Drug Dwelling, Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors, Trafficking Methamphetamine, and two convictions for Manufacturing Methamphetamine, among others.
Dix faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and three years of court-ordered supervision. The charge against Dix was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office and Special Assistant United States Attorney Casey Rankin Smith of the Lexington County Solicitor’s Office are prosecuting the case.
Bennettsville Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison on Federal Gun Charge. Tommie Brenda McLaurin, age 36, of Bennettsville, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced McLaurin to 46 months in federal prison, with three years of court-ordered supervision to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented to the court established that on November 17, 2016, members of various law enforcement agencies from South and North Carolina collaborated on executing a state search warrant at McLaurin’s residence in Bennettsville. McLaurin was arrested on scene for an outstanding warrant out of North Carolina and admitted to possessing a loaded Zastava pistol that was recovered from the residence. The firearm was listed as stolen. Federal law prohibits McLaurin from possessing firearms or ammunition based on prior state convictions for trafficking in cocaine and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
The charges against McLaurin were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office (SC), the Rockingham Police Department (NC), the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office (NC), the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (NC), and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (SC). Assistant United States Attorneys Everett McMillian and Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Following Myrtle Beach Armed Robberies. Jeremy Lamar Hayes, age 29, and Kennedy Boggs, age 26, pled guilty in federal court in Florence to federal robbery and gun charges. Hayes pled guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery (robbery affecting commerce) and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence. Boggs pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Aiding and Abetting the Brandishing of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on January 29, 2018, officers from the Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD) responded to an armed robbery at a dry cleaner in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register and the victim’s wallet. Hayes took money from the register, the victim’s wallet and cell phone, and the store phone and then fled in a vehicle.
The next day, MBPD officers responded to an armed robbery at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, SC. Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register. He took cash from the register and an employee’s cell phone. Hayes then forced employees to lay on the ground and count while Hayes exited the store and fled in a vehicle.
After the restaurant robbery, MBPD located a vehicle matching the description of the get-away vehicle. The driver, Kennedy Boggs, failed to stop, and after a pursuit, both Boggs and Hayes were detained. MBPD found in the vehicle clothing matching the description of clothing worn by Hayes during the robberies. Hayes’ fingerprint was also located at the scene of the restaurant robbery. Boggs admitted that she had driven Hayes to the robberies and that during the vehicle pursuit, the firearm was thrown out of the window. Officers later recovered the firearm.
Hayes and Boggs face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The charges against Hayes and Boggs were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Surfside Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (NC), and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (NC). Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office is prosecuting the case.
West Columbia Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm. Felix Martinez-Melquisdes, age 35, of West Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Columbia after pleading guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Martinez to 20 months in prison, to be followed by two years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented to the court established that Martinez was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a Mexican citizen who had entered and was living in the United States illegally. The investigation of Martinez began as the result of email and telephone conversations Martinez had with a girl in Kentucky. The girl was about to graduate from high school and Martinez wanted to pick her up and take her to South Carolina, but she did not want to go. Martinez responded on May 12, 2018, by threatening to attend her graduation and shoot everyone there. This resulted in an arrest warrant for Terrorist Threats being issued in Kentucky. Graduation was scheduled for May 19, 2018, and agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Martinez at his job on May 16. At the time of his arrest, Martinez was carrying a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol.
The case was investigated by agents of SLED, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
Longs Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm Charge. Quinn Hakeem McCray, age 29, of Longs, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced McCray to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented in court established that on June 28, 2018, officers with the Horry County Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempting to locate McCray in reference to an outstanding arrest warrant spotted him riding as a passenger in a vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. When the vehicle came to a stop, McCray fled on foot, and police noted that he was carrying a pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his hand. After a brief foot chase, police caught up to McCray and arrested him. Federal law prohibits McCray from possessing firearms or ammunition based on his prior state convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, pointing and presenting a firearm, and strong arm robbery.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Horry County Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney David P. Caraker, Jr. of the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case.
Florence Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug Charges. Chadrick Letran James, age 29, of Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced James to 63 months in federal prison with five years of court-ordered supervision to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on September 1, 2017, a corporal with the Florence Police Department conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle James was driving. The corporal could smell an odor of marijuana coming from both James and the vehicle. James admitted to smoking marijuana and having marijuana in the vehicle’s cup holder. A search of the vehicle also revealed a plastic bag in the driver’s side door believed to be used to package narcotics and a book bag that contained several bags of marijuana, a bottle of crack cocaine, a bag of cocaine, a set of digital scales, and a Smith and Wesson, model SW40VE, .40 caliber pistol loaded with 14 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
The charges against James were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
North Charleston Man Faces Federal Charges in Tavern & Table Robbery and Shooting. Brandon Lloyd Daniels of North Charleston, South Carolina, was charged in a five-count indictment arising out of the April 4, 2018, robbery of Tavern & Table, a Mt. Pleasant restaurant located on Shem Creek. The superseding indictment alleges that Daniels and another man robbed the restaurant at gunpoint and shot an employee in the back. Daniels, who was previously indicted for possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm, now faces additional charges including robbery affecting interstate commerce and the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, Daniels faces a maximum penalty of up to life in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Schoen, Matt Austin, and Jim May are prosecuting the case.
All charges in this indictment are merely accusations, and Daniels is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
#####
U.S. Attorney Recognizes the Service and Sacrifice of Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, takes time to stop, remember, and recognize all federal, state and local law enforcement officers and pay tribute to their service and sacrifice. Law enforcement has the difficult and dangerous task of making our communities safer, while placing their own lives and well-being at risk.
Sadly, each year many officers make the ultimate sacrifice and give their lives in performance of their duties. In the State of Alabama, three officers have been shot and killed over the past year, with two of those deaths taking place in the last month. Mobile Police Officer Sean Paul Tuder, was shot and killed on January 20, 2019 while attempting to serve an arrest warrant. Just a week before, on January 13, 2019, Sergeant Wytasha Carter of the Birmingham Police, was also shot and killed attempting to make an arrest. Last year, Mobile Police Department Officer Justin Billa was killed while assisting in the apprehension of a murderer.
We know that law enforcement is the foundation of a safe community. They work diligently each day to maintain order while risking everything for the greater good. Far too many are killed each year for simply doing their jobs. We must also never forget that it is not only the officers that deserve our respect and support, but their families as well. Officers always have our backs and we should always have theirs, including their loved ones.
“An assault on a police officer is an assault on the rule of law and our democratic principles,” said U.S. Attorney Moore. “The citizens of Alabama have an interest in helping us to get the word out that you do not shoot a police officer. That needs to start at home and in our schools. This has become a national problem that all of us need to address together.”
U.S. Attorney Keefe Announces New Management Team for the Northern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that he has installed a new management team to assist him in fulfilling his pledge to work with the women and men of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice for the people of North Florida and the nation.
Jeffrey Tharp will serve as the First Assistant to the U.S. Attorney. David Goldberg was appointed Senior Litigation Counsel. Nancy Hess will serve as Criminal Chief, Kathryn Drey as Civil Chief, Karen Rhew-Miller as Appellate Chief, and Eric Mountin as Deputy Criminal Chief. This group brings a wealth of experience, skill, and knowledge to the management team and looks forward to serving law enforcement and the citizens of North Florida under U.S. Attorney Keefe’s guidance.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Two Men Sentenced in Federal Court for Roles in Bi-Coastal Marijuana Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jeremy David Grove, 30, of Greenville, South Carolina, and Jaspal Singh Grewall, 40, of Anaheim, California, have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracy operating between the East Coast and California. On December 12, 2017, the men were charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, and conspiracy to structure financial transactions.
Grove pled guilty to the marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, and Grewall pled guilty to conspiracy to structure financial transactions. United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Grove to 5 years in federal prison and 4 years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. For his role in the offense, Grewall received a 3-year probationary sentence. A third man charged, Tyler James Durney, 36, also of Greenville, awaits sentencing.
According to U.S. Attorney Lydon, Grove and Durney devised multiple schemes to pay for and to transport, via the United States Postal Service and commercial carriers, hundreds of pounds of California-sourced high-grade marijuana to South Carolina. Beginning in November 2014, the defendants deposited and caused to be deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds into “funnel” or “pass through” bank accounts held by Grewall, in amounts at or under $10,000.00 to circumvent the reporting requirement regarding cash transactions over $10,000.00.
During the guilty plea hearing, the defendants admitted using multiple bank accounts in a coordinated manner to funnel the illicit currency from South Carolina for immediate withdrawal in California. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Grewall has forfeited over $780,574.00 in cash and real property to the government.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspector, and the Greenville City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leesa Washington of the Greenville office.
#####
Two Men Indicted in “SIM Swapping” Scheme to Steal CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury indicted Ahmad Wagaafe Hared and Matthew Gene Ditman with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, extortion, and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge John Bennett.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Hared, 21, of Tucson, Ariz., and Ditman, 23, of Las Vegas, Nev., engaged in a scheme to obtain by fraud and extortion cryptocurrencies and other money and property owned and controlled by executives of cryptocurrency-related companies and cryptocurrency investors. The indictment alleges Hared, Ditman, and their co-conspirators used fraud, deception, and social engineering techniques to induce representatives of cellphone service providers to provide information about the SIM cards of the conspirators’ victims. A SIM card—short for Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identification Module—is a technology used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile phone devices. The conspirators allegedly convinced the representatives of cellphone service providers to transfer or port cellphone numbers from SIM cards in the devices possessed by victims to SIM cards in devices possessed by the conspirators, a practice known as SIM swapping. The indictment further alleges that after Hared, Ditman, and others gained control of victims’ cellphone numbers, they used additional deceptive techniques to gain access to email, electronic storage, and other accounts of victims and ultimately to cryptocurrency accounts of victims. Hared, Ditman, and their co-conspirators also extorted victims of the SIM swapping scheme.
Hared was arrested in Tucson and made his initial appearance in the District of Arizona on January 31, 2019. He was released on a $100,000 bond. His next scheduled appearance is at 9:30 a.m. on February 13, 2019, before the Honorable Laurel Beeler, U.S. Magistrate Court Judge.
Ditman was arrested in Las Vegas and made his initial appearance in the District of Nevada on January 31, 2019. He was released on bond. His next scheduled appearance is at 9:30 a.m. on February 6, 2019, before Judge Beeler.
The indictment charges the defendants with the following crimes and, if found guilty, they are subject to the following maximum statutory penalties:
Count
Charge
Maximum Penalties
One
18 U.S.C. § 1030(b) – Conspiracy to Commit Computer Fraud and Abuse
Five years of imprisonment; $250,000 fine or not more than twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss; three years of supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture; and restitution
Two
18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(7) – Threatening to Damage a Protected Computer
Five years of imprisonment; $250,000 fine or not more than twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss; three years of supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture; and restitution
Three
18 U.S.C. § 875(d) – Interstate Communications with Intent to Extort
Two years of imprisonment; $250,000 fine or not more than twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss; one year of supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture; and restitution
Four
18 U.S.C. § 1029(b)(2) – Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud
Five years of imprisonment; $250,000 fine or not more than twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss; three years of supervised release; $100 special assessment; forfeiture; and restitution
Five
18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1) – Aggravated Identity Theft
Two-year mandatory minimum consecutive sentence
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Leach is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mimi Lam and Rebecca Shelton. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Twelve people from Mahoning County indicted for conspiracy to obtain large amounts of cocaine, which they sold in and around YoungstownRead the Press Release
Twelve people from Mahoning County were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to obtain large amounts of cocaine, which they sold in and around Youngstown.
Named in the 95-count indictment are: Kevin Clinkscale, 32; Keilan Clinkscale, 30; Rochelle Garron, 51; Jeanne George, 48; Deonne Gilbert, 35; Vernon Robinson, 45; Edward Lee DuBose Jr., 37, of Boardman; Edward Lee DuBose Sr., 58; Anthony W. Howell, 30; Jermaine Stroughter, 39; Eric T. Gilford, 27, and Troy Pollard, 35.
All the defendants live in Youngstown except DuBose Jr., who lives in Boardman.
All 12 are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
The DuBoses and Gilbert face additional charges of distribution of crack cocaine. DuBose Jr. faces additional charges of distribution of heroin. Gilbert is charged with maintaining a drug premises on West Judson Avenue in Youngstown. There are additional charges for using telephones in furtherance of drug trafficking activity.
According to the indictment:
Robinson obtained cocaine and distributed it to Gilbert, who cooked some of the cocaine into crack. Gilbert distributed crack cocaine and powder cocaine to the DuBoses, Pollard, Kevin Clinkscale, Garron and Stroughter.
DuBose Jr. sold crack and powder cocaine to Howell, DuBose Sr. and Gilford.
Kevin Clinkscale sold crack and powder cocaine to Keilan Clinkscale, Garron and George.
Gilbert used a home on West Judson Avenue to store and distribute drugs.
This conspiracy took place between May and November 2017.
“These defendants sold crack and powder cocaine all over Youngstown, and used a home in the city to stash and sell their drugs,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.
“This group of dangerous drug dealers brought violence and fear to Youngstown and the surrounding communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith “Law enforcement agencies joined efforts and now these menacing individuals will be held accountable and our neighborhoods will be rid of their threatening criminal behavior.”
Youngstown Police Chief Robin Lees said: “This case is an example of local and federal law enforcement working together to make Youngstown safer.”
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Katz.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Topeka Man Sentenced for Selling Stolen Guns to Undercover AgentRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 40 months in federal prison for selling stolen guns to an undercover agent, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Timothy Michael Hisey, 32, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of firearms following a felony conviction. In his plea, he admitted he sold firearms to an agent working undercover for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The firearms included five shotguns and three rifles.
Hisey was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a 2016 felony drug conviction in Shawnee County District Court.
McAllister commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.
The case was prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
Three Cameron Residents Among Five Pleading Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Cameron, Mo., residents are among five defendants who have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Benjamin W. Clark, 26, of Cameron, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charge contained in a Nov. 16, 2017, federal indictment.
Clark is the fifth defendant to plead guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendant Jalie J. Brinlee, 28, of Cameron, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2019. Co-defendants Felicia C. Ward, 23, of Cameron; Robert J. Keegan, 26, of Harrisonville, Mo.; and Frank E. Hundley, 34, of Kansas City, Mo.; pleaded guilty on Dec. 28, 2018. Brinlee and Keegan also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
All five of the co-defendants admitted they participated in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from January to May 24, 2017. Clark and Brinlee purchased methamphetamine from various suppliers and distributed it to customers in Cameron, Kansas City and elsewhere.
On May 12, 2017, Keegan was stopped by law enforcement and was found in possession of a Hi-point .40-caliber handgun and a duffel bag containing approximately 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.
On May 24, 2017, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped Ward, who was carrying a Glock 9mm handgun in her purse. Ward had retrieved the handgun from the vehicle where Clark and Brinlee were located, and Brinlee admitted to possessing the firearm prior to transferring it to Ward. Also found in Ward's purse was approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, which Brinlee also admitted to possessing at the time of the traffic stop.
Under the terms of their plea agreements, Clark, Brinlee and Keegan each will be sentenced to 18 years in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
Under federal statutes, Ward and Hundley each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Texas Doctor Indicted for Illegally Distributing Opioids and Laundering MoneyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Dr. Robert A. Wiemer, 72, of Stephensville, Texas, was recently indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Mississippi, charging him with fifty-one (51) counts of distributing and dispensing controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice, one (1) count of conspiracy to do the same, six (6) counts of money laundering, and one (1) count of maintaining a premises for the purpose of illegally distributing controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith.
Wiemer was arrested by agents this morning and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Robert H. Walker in Gulfport this afternoon for his arraignment on the charges.
“Physicians who violate our criminal laws by illegally dispensing dangerous drugs to our colleagues, neighbors and families are literally destroying lives and contributing to the opioid epidemic. One of the primary ways to reverse the opioid crisis is to prosecute those who illegally distribute prescription narcotics. Our office will continue to protect the public by pursuing and prosecuting doctors and others who seek to profit off addiction and the misery of others,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
“It is disheartening when trusted medical professionals like Dr. Robert Wiemer are charged with engaging in the diversion of controlled substances,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith. “Doctors have an obligation to ensure that medications are getting into the hands of legitimate patients. The arrest of Dr. Wiemer is the result of DEA’s continued commitment to hold accountable those who participate in illegally dispensing pharmaceuticals in our communities.”
According to the indictment, Dr. Wiemer was writing prescriptions for opiate pain killers, benzodiazepenes, and carisoprodol without a legitimate medical purpose outside the scope of professional practice. The indictment further alleges that he was laundering the funds derived from his illegal business.
The defendant is scheduled for trial on March 11, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden in Gulfport.
The maximum penalty varies by count from not more than five years to not more than twenty years per count in prison and between a $250,000 fine and $1,000,000 fine per count.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation and seeks to forfeit any proceeds and property involved in or traceable to the criminal activity and any and all property used to facilitate the unlawful activity, if convicted.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Squad. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Meynardie, Chief of the Narcotics Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The public is reminded that a criminal indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. It is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
State Assemblyman, Lobbyist, Indicted on Bribery ChargesRead 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 a federal grand jury has returned a six count indictment charging New York State Assemblyman Joseph A. Errigo, 79, of Conesus, NY, and Lobbyist Robert Scott Gaddy, 48, of Albany, NY, with conspiracy, receiving a bribe concerning programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and using a facility in interstate commerce to carry on and facilitate unlawful activity. Defendant Gaddy is also charged with agreeing to pay a bribe concerning programs receiving federal funds and offering and paying a bribe concerning programs receiving federal funds. The charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, Gaddy, a lobbyist registered with the State of New York, owns and operates the lobbying firm Excelsior Advocates, LLC. At various times, Excelsior Advocates maintained lobbying contracts with the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, and the Rochester City School District.
During an investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption involving a large re-development project in the City of Rochester, the FBI identified potential corrupt acts by Gaddy and various public officials. As a result, Special Agents began an investigation into the relationship between Gaddy and Assemblyman Errigo.
Working with an individual known to the FBI, Special Agents arranged for that individual to approach Gaddy about paying a bribe to Member A, a member other than Errigo, in order to introduce certain legislation.
On September 4, 2017, the individual met with Gaddy who and stated that he represented a wealthy client who wanted to stop the proposed development in Monroe County and was willing to pay $15,000 in order to do so. The defendant responded, “Yeah . . . yeah, no problem.” Over the next few weeks, the individual met with Gaddy to discuss and plan the bribery scheme, including the roles of Assemblyman Joseph Errigo and Member A.
On February 9, 2018, Gaddy arranged for a meeting between the individual and Errigo at Errigo’s Pittsford, NY office. During that meeting, the individual gave $1,500 cash to Errigo and $2,500 to Gaddy. On March 16, 2018, the individual gave Errigo another $2,000.
On March 27, 2018, Errigo introduced a bill consisting of the proposed legislation, which was assigned bill number A10227. The individual paid Gaddy another $2,000. On April 13, 2018, the individual paid Errigo another $2,000.
The individual paid Errigo and Gaddy a total of $10,500 to obtain the introduction of proposed legislation in the New York State Assembly, and begin the process of obtaining passage of a State law.
Errigo and Gaddy used cellular telephones and the internet to carry out their bribery activities.
Gaddy was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions. Assemblyman Errigo will be arraigned on February 5, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Payson.
“Citizens deserve to have representatives who act in the public’s interest, not for their own personal financial gain,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Today’s indictment represents one way to continue to remind those who seek to undertake legislative acts in exchange for the payment of bribes and in hopes of personal financial gain of what laws that exist for the public interest provide.”
“Bribery crimes are fueled by greed and power,” said Gary Loeffert, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Buffalo Office. “When a person or group can simply buy legislation from a public official, it corrupts our system of government, and the community and constituents pay the price.”
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
St. Lucie County Resident Sentenced for Falsely Claiming Veteran Status and Theft of Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
A St. Lucie County resident was sentenced in federal court, on January 28, 2019, for falsely claiming to be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, in order to apply for employment and obtain free medical services.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division (VAOIG CID), Southeast Field Office, and John A. Bolduc, Chief, Port St. Lucie Police Department, made the announcement.
On November 9, 2018, Edward Louis Liroff, 47, of St. Lucie County, pled guilty to theft of government property and making false claims of military accomplishments (Case No. 18-14049-CR). U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg sentenced Liroff to four years’ probation and ordered him to pay over $4,000 in restitution.
According to the court record, including an agreed upon factual proffer, in March of 2018, Liroff submitted two job applications with the city of Port St. Lucie, claiming to be a decorated military combat veteran, in order to obtain veteran’s preference in hiring. As proof of his veteran’s status, Liroff presented a fraudulent and forged DD Form 214 “Certificate of Release and Discharge From Active Duty,” which is the document the U.S. Department of Defense issues upon a military service member's retirement, separation, or discharge from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. Liroff supplemented his application with a resume, claiming to be a highly decorated retired U.S. Army Ranger, Combat Medic and Recruiter, holding a top-secret security clearance.
In addition, in January of 2013, Liroff used the same fraudulent DD Form 214 and claimed, to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, that he was awarded numerous Army medals, including two Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and an Air Medal for Valor. As a result of his false representation of being a Purple Heart recipient, Liroff received free health care benefits from the VA, in excess of $4,000, including prescriptions, outpatient and inpatient services. A Purple Heart recipient receives medical treatment priority, and is never responsible for a copay for medical treatment.
In truth and fact, Liroff never served in the U.S. military.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the VAOIG-CID and the Port St. Lucie Police Department in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
St. Francis Woman Sentenced for Simple Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, woman convicted of Simple Assault of a Minor was sentenced on January 31, 2019, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Tara Red Kettle, a/k/a Tera Red Kettle, age 20, was sentenced to 9 months and 18 days in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Red Kettle was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2018. She pled guilty on January 31, 2019.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on April 6, 2018, wherein Red Kettle threw her infant child on a bed in frustration, causing the child’s head to strike a wall.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Red Kettle was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
South Bay Resident Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and Witness Tampering in Connection with Scheme to Sell Stolen Computer PartsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Kenneth Tam pleaded guilty today to money laundering and witness tampering in connection with a scheme to sell stolen computer parts announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Kareem Carter. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Judge.
According to the plea agreement, Tam, 59, formerly of San Jose, admitted that from January 2006 through July 2010, he was an employee of a San Francisco Bay Area manufacturer of computer parts. During that period, and until at least the end of 2010, Tam knowingly obtained stolen merchandise from his employer and sold it to his co-conspirator, Cuong Cao Dang. Dang owned a company whose business was overwhelmingly that of buying and selling merchandise stolen from Tam’s employer. Tam admitted that in most instances, he would take cash from Dang as payment for delivery of stolen computer parts. Tam further admitted that he would deposit the proceeds from the stolen equipment into accounts owned by a foreign national who had given Tam power-of-attorney over the accounts.
Tam’s plea agreement describes various aspects of the money-laundering scheme. For example, on February 3, 2010, Dang provided Tam with a check for $500,000 made out to the foreign national whose name Tam was using as the nominal owner of the accounts. The check was provided to Tam for payment of previously provided stolen parts, as well as in pre-payment for additional stolen parts that Tam planned to provide. Nevertheless, Tam instructed Dang to write “loan” on the memo line of the check; this was an effort to disguise the true purpose of the payment. Then, after Tam learned there was an investigation into Dang’s company, Tam gave Dang a backdated check for $500,000 to make it appear as though a loan was made and re-paid.
Tam also admitted various aspects of his scheme to tamper with witnesses. For example, Tam told Dang that he would lie to his employer and to any investigators about his knowledge and involvement with Dang and Dang’s company. Tam also contacted the foreign national who owned the accounts in which Tam deposited the funds from the stolen equipment; Tam provided the foreign national with a false cover story to use if she was contacted by law enforcement agents investigating the accounts.
On October 26, 2017, a federal grand jury handed down a superseding indictment charging Tam with two counts of witness tampering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1), as well as one count each of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349; money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956; structuring financial transactions, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(1) and (a)(3); making a false statement to government agents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001; and contempt, in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 401(3). Tam pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of witness tampering. The remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing if Tam complies with the terms of the plea agreement.
Judge Davila scheduled Tam’s sentencing for May 6, 2019. Tam faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, and a fine of $500,000 for the money laundering count and a maximum sentence of up to $250,000 for the witness tampering count. However, the court will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553, prior to imposing a sentence.
On December 11, 2015, Dang pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and on October 31, 2017, Judge Davila sentenced Dang to 90 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amie Rooney and Robert Leach are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman and Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS-CI and the Santa Clara REACT Task Force.
Sixteen Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that sixteen previously deported aliens were indicted separately on January 16 and 30, 2019, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States. These matters arose in counties throughout the District including Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lebanon, and York.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Juan Conrado Gonzalez-Martinez, age 47, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico six times, the most recent being in August 2012. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States again sometime after August 2012, and was found in the United States in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Isaias Flores-Lagunes, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in October 2016. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after October 2016, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Teresa Cruz-Campos, age 51, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2012. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after December 2012, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Oscar Virgen-Mejia, age 36, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in November 2018. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after November 2018, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Martin Cuellar-Perez, age 34, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in September 2009. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after September 2009, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Ermes Alexander Diaz-Nolasco, age 34, of El Salvador, was previously deported from the United States to El Salvador in November 2017. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after November 2017, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Adelmo Morales-Deleon, age 36, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in May 2013. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after May 2013, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Antonio Diego Cerano, age 44, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2010. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2010, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Jesus Flores-Hernandez, age 27, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in May 2014. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after May 2014, and was found in the United States in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Estela Lento-Santiago, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2018. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after December 2018, and was found in the United States in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Benito Ruiz-Quiroz, age 40, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2010. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2010, and was found in the United States in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Enoe Davila-Tenorio, age 43, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in February 2016. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after February 2016, and was found in the United States in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Apolonio Robles-Jimenez, age 60, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in July 2013. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after July 2013, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Pedro Meza-Martinez, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2010. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2010, and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Jose Refugio Gonzalez-Bonilla, age 25, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in July 2013. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after July 2013, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Mario Ruiz-Ruiz, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2010. He is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after April 2010, and was found in the United States in Adams County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Under federal law, defendants face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Silver Springs Man Going to Prison for over 16 Years Following Conviction on 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 Ronald Caryl, 26, of Silver Springs, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to produce child pornography, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison and 20 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and Stephanie O. Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that on February 14, 2017, the defendant began communicating on MeetMe.com, a social networking service, with a 23-year-old woman in Nashville, Tennessee. During the conversation, the two began to discuss Caryl providing the woman with $300 to have sex with her. The woman wrote, “just $300 and u do what u want to me.” The defendant replied, “do you have a young girl who could join I’ll pay more...you into young girls”? The woman responded, “as long as they r 18 and older,” to which Caryl replied, “Ya I meant younger I’ll pay 6000.” The woman replied, “I can’t put things in her mouth she gets sick she’s disabled.” The defendant went on to say, “show me your daughter,” and then the woman allegedly sent a picture to the defendant. Caryl continued to press the woman to send naked pictures of her one-year-old daughter.
The victim’s mother was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Tennessee. She has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing in federal court in Tennessee.
A MeetMe.com staff member identified the possible endangerment of a minor and illegal content and notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) who in turn notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The depravity of the conduct by both the defendant and the disabled infant’s mother is unthinkable,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Child predators, such as the defendant, belong in cages so they cannot continue to victimize children. Parents, such as the victim’s mother, who fail to wrap their arms around their children in order to protect them in the face of such predators, deserve to have those arms handcuffed behind their back.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert. Additional assistance was also provided by the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David J. Zack, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James R. Voutour.
# # # #
Seventeen Individuals, Including Several Members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, Plead Guilty for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces guilty pleas by the following individuals in four separate cases:
United States v. Barbara Caylor-Hernandez et al., Case No. 6:18-cr-184-Orl-37TBS
Name Age/City Date of Plea Pleaded Guilty to the Following ChargeBarbara Caylor-Hernandez
a/k/a “Barb”
a/k/a “Barbie”
47, Ormond Beach
1/9/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ramiro Fraire-Chavarria
44, Dalton, GA
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Michael Babin
47, Daytona Beach
1/20/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Melanie Kerr
28, Daytona Beach
1/30/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Keith Simmons
41, Oak Hill
1/16/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 or more grams of methamphetamine.
Carla Ray
51, Oak Hill
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Spencer Burkard
49, New Smyrna Beach
1/31/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 or more grams of methamphetamine.
Robert Foster
357, St. Augustine
1/24/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 or more grams of methamphetamine.
Daniel Barbarino
54, Daytona Beach
1/28/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Andrew Shettler
a/k/a “Yeti”
33, Palm Coast
1/30/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Brian Burt
a/k/a “Sledge”
47, Port Orange
1/16/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Lawrence Sann
55, Bunnell
1/25/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
United States v. Keith Kirchoff et al., Case No. 6:18-cr-183-Orl-37DCI
Name Age/City Date of Plea Pleaded Guilty to the Following ChargeAndrew Shettler
a/k/a “Yeti”
33, Palm Coast
1/30/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Michael Andrews
a/k/a “Clutch”
33, Palm Coast
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
United States v. Cindy Bledsoe et al., Case No. 6:18-cr-182-Orl-37KRS
Name Age/City Date of Plea Pleaded Guilty to the Following ChargeJason Stringer
38, Daytona Beach
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Michael Andrews
a/k/a “Clutch”
33, Palm Coast
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
United States v. Salvador Rivas et al., Case No 6:18-cr-213-Orl-37TBS
Name Age/City Date of Plea Pleaded Guilty to the Following ChargeSalvador Rivas
a/k/a “Shadow”
29, Jacksonville
1/31/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Melissa Ford
35, Daytona Beach
1/28/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 or more grams of methamphetamine.
Theodore Bilski
53, Daytona Beach
1/29/2019
Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Caylor-Hernandez, Fraire-Chavarria, Babin, Kerr, Simmons, Ray, Burkard, Foster, Barbarino, Burt, Shettler , Andrews, Rivas, Ford, and Bilski each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Sann and Stringer each face a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in April 2017, the FBI, and later the DEA, began an investigation into the drug trafficking organizations (DTO) that had supplied motorcycle clubs, including the Pagans Motorcycle Club, operating in the Middle District of Florida with distribution amounts of methamphetamine.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Caylor-Hernandez was one of the leaders of a DTO distributing kilogram amounts of methamphetamine to other DTOs and individuals located in central Florida. Members of the Caylor-Hernandez DTO transported methamphetamine from Georgia to various cities in central Florida, including St. Augustine, Holly Hill, and Daytona Beach, for further distribution.
One of the members of the Caylor-Hernandez DTO, Kerr, then distributed the methamphetamine to Burt and Shettler. At the time, Burt was a member of the Pagans’ Mother Chapter, a group of 13 members that direct the Pagans’ criminal activities throughout the United States. Shettler was a member of the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club, a club affiliated with the Pagans.
Law enforcement also learned that Andrews, who was the sergeant-at-arms or enforcer for the local Pagans’ chapter located in Daytona Beach, received distribution amounts of methamphetamine from several sources, including a DTO operating in both Georgia and central Florida. That DTO transported large amounts of methamphetamine from Georgia to central Florida for further distribution.
These cases were investigated by the FBI, DEA, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.
Sandy Child Molester Sentenced to over 18 Years in Federal Prison for Online Enticement and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Larry Lewis Hudson, 46, of Sandy, Oregon, was sentenced today to 220 months in federal prison for the attempted enticement of children online and possession and distribution of child pornography. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Hudson will be on supervised release for 20 years, during which he will be subject to stringent conditions of supervision, including a requirements that he participate in and complete sex offender treatment, and that he register as a sex offender.
“This defendant has now been convicted twice for exploiting and abusing children,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “His first prison sentence was not enough to deter him from victimizing more children. This 18-year sentence will do just that—protect our most vulnerable community members from a known predator.”
According to court documents, Hudson’s crimes were identified by independent law enforcement investigations conducted by agencies in four different states.
The earliest began in July 2015, when a father in Louisiana reported that a person using the name “Brian Johnson” had exchanged sexually explicit messages with and received at least one explicit photo from his 13-year-old daughter using the Kik Messenger mobile application. Later, in January 2016, a mother in Illinois called police after learning that her developmentally disabled 16-year-old daughter had sent explicit images of herself to “Brian Johnson” using Kik. In March 2016, a detective in Arizona who was posing online as a 15-year-old girl was contacted by “Brian Johnson” who claimed to be a 22-year-old living in Sandy. A few days after that exchange, “Brian Johnson” contacted an investigator in Texas posing online as a 14-year-old girl from Georgia. Hudson was later identified as the person calling himself Brian Johnson.
During online exchanges with the two detectives, Hudson repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent them child pornography and asked them if they would engage in the depicted sex acts with him. He asked them for explicit images of themselves, told the detective in Arizona that he planned to move there and asked if she would get together with him to have sex.
On March 29, 2017, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Hudson’s residence in Sandy. They seized a number of electronic devices including two cell phones. A forensic examination of the phones revealed 49 explicit images depicting children engaged in sexual acts with adults, including many of the images Hudson sent to the detectives. Hudson later admitted to using the “Brian Johnson” alias and sending sexually-explicit materials to minors.
Hudson pleaded guilty to one count each of attempted online enticement of a minor, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography on July 17, 2018.
In December 2000, Hudson was convicted in Clackamas County Circuit Court of unlawful sexual penetration with a foreign object and first degree sexual abuse after repeatedly molesting a girl under 12 over a seven month period. Hudson was sentenced to and served three years in prison. His prison sentence was followed by a 10-year term of post-prison supervision during which he repeatedly violated his supervision conditions.
The FBI investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Y. Sussman, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the District of Oregon.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations – many of them undercover – in coordination with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The Portland FBI’s CETF consists of agents and task force officers from the Beaverton Police Department, Portland Police Bureau, Tigard Police Department, Hillsboro Police Department, and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI’s CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering underage victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at www.fbi.gov/tips.
Rosebud Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Jonathan Anthony Jones, a/k/a D.J. Jones, age 29, was indicted on January 22, 2019. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 31, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on November 16, 2018, Jones did forcibly assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a law enforcement officer who was employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and that such conduct involved the use of a dangerous weapon.
The charge is merely an accusation and Jones is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Jones was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rockingham Man Sentenced to 54 Months Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl and Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Randy Holmes, 28, of Rockingham, Vermont, was sentenced on January 18, 2019, to 54 months imprisonment by United States District Court Chief Judge Geoffrey Crawford, in U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vermont. Judge Crawford also sentenced Holmes to a three-year period of supervised release by the U.S. Probation Office, which begins when Holmes is released from prison. Finally, the Court ordered the forfeiture of $34,000 of drug proceeds seized from Holmes.
Holmes previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession of firearms by a felon. Holmes agreed to the 54-month sentence. Holmes was facing a maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment for the drug conspiracy and ten years imprisonment for the firearms offense.
According to court records, Holmes admitted that from March 2017 to March 2018, he conspired with others to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Springfield, Vermont area. On March 22, 2018, the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and the Springfield Police Department executed a search warrant at Holmes’ residence on Randall Hill Road in Rockingham, Vermont. Law enforcement seized approximately 400 bags containing heroin and fentanyl, ten firearms, over 100 marijuana plants, and $34,000 in cash drug proceeds. The average weight for a “bag” of heroin is approximately 24 milligrams.
The Vermont Drug Task Force investigation revealed that Holmes was selling bags of a heroin/fentanyl mixture that were stamped “Hardball” and “Renegade.” In early 2018, heroin/fentanyl bags stamped “Renegade” were prevalent in Windsor and Windham Counties and were linked to several overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal.
This matter was investigated by the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, Troopers from the Westminster Barracks, the Springfield Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Perella. Holmes is represented by David McColgin, Esq. of the Federal Defenders Office in Burlington.
Rochester Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Assisting in Fentanyl TransactionRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Tasha Loaiza, 25, of Rochester, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2018, Loaiza met with a cooperating individual and directed the individual to an address in Manchester, New Hampshire. There, Loaiza introduced the cooperating individual to a third person, from whom the individual bought a quantity of fentanyl.
Loaiza previously pleaded guilty on November 5, 2018.
“Fentanyl traffickers distribute a lethal substance that endangers the health and safety of all of our citizens” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The FBI has done an excellent job of advancing efforts to combat this menace. We will continue to coordinate with FBI agents and all of our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of illegal drugs.”
“Fentanyl is the #1 cause of drug-related deaths in New Hampshire, and the FBI will continue to use every resource available to identify individuals like Ms. Loaiza who are contributing to the opioid crisis by facilitating the sale of this deadly drug,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.
###
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Felony Child Abuse and NeglectRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Felony Child Abuse and Neglect was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Joseph Briseno, age 41, was sentenced on January 28, 2019, to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Briseno was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2017. The conviction stems from Briseno inappropriately touching his stepdaughter between 2013 and 2016.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Briseno was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Randallstown Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On February 1, 2019, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Kenneth M. Smith, age 40, of Randallstown, Maryland, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in which Smith sexually abused a young boy and took photographs on his phone documenting the abuse. Judge Russell ordered that, upon his release from prison, Smith must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell Morant of ICE Homeland Security Investigations; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, on September 8, 2015, an electronic communications service reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) that one of its users had uploaded an image of known child pornography and that user’s account was related to others associated with Smith. It was determined that Smith’s account was active on an image-sharing website that contains child pornography and erotica. The IP address used to access the account was assigned to Smith’s mother’s residence in Randallstown, Maryland, where he was living at the time.
On October 12, 2015, the Baltimore County Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence and discovered Smith’s laptop, which was powered on and had an anonymous file-sharing platform open on the screen. The file-sharing program was active and downloading child pornography files. A downloads folder was also open and contained numerous files of child pornography.
During an interview with investigators, Smith admitted to sexually abusing a young boy when he was between five and eight years old, and taking pictures of the abuse with his smartphone. Investigators located the photographs of Smith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the boy. Smith further admitted to engaging in sexual activity with two other minors, including a young girl in Washington County, Maryland. In September 2017, Smith was convicted after a trial in Washington County Circuit Court for a third-degree sex offense, and for unnatural or perverted practice. The minor victim was required to testify at the trial. In November 2017, Smith was sentenced to 16 years in state prison on those charges. Smith’s federal sentence will be served concurrent to his state sentence.
Investigators recovered thousands of other videos and images of children being sexually abused, including images and videos of the rape of children, including infants and toddlers. Smith also used his e-mail accounts to send and receive child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.
# # #
Raleigh Man Sentenced to 8 Years on Firearm Charge Following Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
NEW BERN — The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Lafiamma Deonte Diboh, 31, of Raleigh to 96 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. DIBOH pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on September 11, 2018.
In the early morning hours of January 29, 2017, Raleigh Police Department (RPD) officers responded to a disturbance call on Bragg Street in Raleigh. There, they found a woman standing in the middle of the street holding a towel to a laceration over her eye. The investigation revealed that earlier that night, the woman had gotten into a verbal altercation with the defendant’s girlfriend in a nearby apartment. DIBOH had violently intervened by pointing a handgun at the woman. When the woman pushed the gun away, DIBOH struck her four times in the face with the gun’s handle and dragged her outside of the apartment. Once outside, he again pointed the gun at her, then lowered the gun and fired a round. The gunshot grazed the woman’s leg, requiring minor medical attention. Officers at the scene recovered the shell casing.
Three days later, on February 1, 2017, an RPD officer was conducting a patrol in the South Park Community in Raleigh. At around 2:00 a.m., he noticed a large number of individuals loitering in an area known for gang and drug activity. As the officer approached, one man, later identified as DIBOH, walked away into an apartment complex, which had placed multiple complaints to the Raleigh Police Department regarding trespassers. The officer approached to question DIBOH. As he did, DIBOH pushed the officer in the chest and fled on foot. During a brief chase, prior to being apprehended, DIBOH tossed aside a loaded .380 caliber handgun. Law enforcement subsequently test fired the firearm to analyze its shell casings, finding them to match the shell casing from the January 29, 2017, shooting incident on Bragg Street.
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Raleigh Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Jake D. Pugh and Daniel Smith represented the government.
Pittsburg residents sentenced for transporting more than 15 pounds of cocaine through Calcasieu ParishRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man and woman from Pittsburgh were sentenced last week for transporting cocaine through Calcasieu Parish.
Joseph Wilbon, 52, and Marva L. Flenory, 59, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on January 31, 2019 to 78 months and 57 months in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. They were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the July 19, 2018 guilty pleas, Louisiana State Police pulled over the vehicle Wilbon was driving on June 8, 2016 in Calcasieu Parish. Wilbon and his passenger, Flenory, were traveling east at the time. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a large red suitcase, which contained six brick-like bundles of cocaine totaling 15.96 pounds.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
Pentec Health, Inc. to Pay $17 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Pentec Health, Inc. (“Pentec”) has agreed to pay the United States $17 million to settle allegations that Pentec submitted false claims to Medicare and other government healthcare programs.
Headquartered in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, Pentec furnishes a range of renal and specialized pharmacy compounding services, including the compounding of its drug, Proplete, and the provision of intradialytic parenteral nutrition (“IDPN”) and intraperitoneal nutrition (“IPN”) to individuals with end stage renal disease.
The United States alleges that from 2007 to 2018, Pentec billed Medicare and other federal healthcare programs for excessive amounts of product wasted during the compounding of Proplete, and Pentec routinely waived patient copayments and deductible obligations in order to induce the prescription and use of Proplete. Pentec also submitted duplicate and improperly coded claims to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
Along with this Settlement, Pentec has also signed a Corporate Integrity Agreement (“CIA”) with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) that will require regular monitoring of its billing practices for a period of five years.
“We are committed to ensuring that compounding pharmacies appropriately bill Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Pentec allegedly padded its bottom line through several improper means, including by charging the government for quantities of medication that its patients did not actually need or receive. Those who engage in these practices will be held accountable.”
“Compounding pharmacies play an integral role in the delivery of quality health care services and are required to follow rules designed to protect patients and prevent the waste of taxpayer funds,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG in Philadelphia. “We will continue to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of taxpayer funds.”
This settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act (FCA) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Jean Brasher, a former employee of Pentec, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, which permit private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and obtain a portion of the government’s recovery. The FCA also permits the government to intervene and take over the lawsuit. Ms. Brasher was represented by David Bocian, Esq. of Kessler Topaz Melzter & Check, LLP.
“We thank the relator for her invaluable contribution in this case. Together with her lawyers, they provided vital assistance to the government throughout this case. Without information from citizens like the relator, detecting fraud and conserving government program funds would be far more difficult,” said U.S Attorney McSwain.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from Health Care Fraud auditor George Niedzwicki, HHS-OIG, the United States Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General.
The case is captioned United States et al. ex rel. Jean Brasher v. Pentec Health, Inc. No. 13-cv-05745 (E.D.Pa.). The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability
Orono Man Sentenced to 87 Months of Prison for Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of SCOTT PHILLIP FLYNN, 57, to 87 months of federal prison. He was also ordered to pay over $5 million in restitution. FLYNN was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery on January 24, 2019, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On June 4, 2018, FLYNN pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and one count of tax evasion.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between 2005 and 2015, FLYNN evaded the assessment of millions of dollars in income taxes by fraudulently hiding millions of shares of stock that he obtained for himself. In 2006 and 2008, FLYNN assisted two privately-held Wisconsin-based companies, Tower Tech Systems, Inc. and Advanced Fiberglass Technologies, in becoming publicly traded through stock-for-stock “reverse merger” transactions. As compensation for FLYNN’S work, millions of shares of publicly-traded stock in the resulting public companies were transferred to “Integritas, Inc.” and “Diversified Equities Partners,” both of which were controlled by FLYNN. FLYNN, who exercised control over the stock, which had considerable value, was required to, but did not, report the receipt of the shares of stock as income on his individual income tax returns.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in order to conceal his control and ownership of the stock, and to evade paying income taxes, FLYNN caused a portion of the stock to be put in the names of Australian nominees recruited by FLYNN’S co-conspirator. The Australian nominees, who never actually owned or controlled the stock, were directed to open brokerage accounts in the United States to receive the shares, but FLYNN possessed their login and password data so he could maintain control of the accounts and the shares of stock.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, during the course of the conspiracy, when FLYNN needed money, he caused the Australian nominees to sell shares of stock and transfer the proceeds to entities in the United States controlled by FLYNN, which in turn made payments to FLYNN or on his behalf. These sales generated millions of dollars in income, which FLYNN purposely failed to report to the IRS. For example, in 2007, FLYNN received approximately $2.7 million of the proceeds from the Australian nominees to buy a house in Orono, Minnesota, which was considered income to FLYNN. That year, in a tax return FLYNN acknowledged was materially false at his guilty plea hearing, FLYNN reported only $26,136 of total income.
United States Attorney MacDonald thanked the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS who investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Maclaughlin and Benjamin F. Langner who prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
Scott Phillip Flynn, 57
Orono, Minnesota
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to defraud the IRS, 1 count
- Tax Evasion- 2007, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 87 months (60 months on Count 1 and 27 months on Count 3 to run consecutively)
- 2 years of supervised release
- $5,392,442.87
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
North Charleston Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Mt. Pleasant Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Leonard Franklin Clark, 31, of North Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in three Mt. Pleasant robberies. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented by the Government established that on May 9, 2017, Leonard Clark and his codefendants robbed a grocery store located on SC Highway 41 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Kalee Lynn-Bishop entered the store hours before the robbery to surveil the robbery location. During the robbery, three masked men, including Leonard Clark and Cortlyn Brown, entered the grocery store while Kamal Backman remained in a vehicle to serve as the lookout and getaway driver. The men that entered the grocery store carried firearms, brandishing the firearms in furtherance of the robbery. The gunmen ordered the employees to lay face down on the floor while pointing the weapons to their heads. The men stole $9,109.00 from the store.
On May 12, 2017, Leonard Clark, Cortlyn Brown, and Kamal Backman robbed a bank located on Park West Boulevard, Ace Area 6 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Kalee Lynn-Bishop entered the bank prior to the robbery to surveil the location. At approximately 3:56 p.m., four masked men entered the bank armed with firearms and demanded money. The men pointed their guns at the employees, brandishing the firearms in furtherance of the robbery. The defendants stole $21,238.00 and an employee’s cell phone and purse.
On July 11, 2017, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Leonard Clark and a second man robbed a bank on Anna Knapp Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Both men carried firearms and pointed the weapons at the bank tellers in furtherance of the robbery. The men stole $13,227.00 from the bank, but a bank teller was able to insert a dye pack into the stolen money.
The next day, Leonard Clark deposited $1,440.00 in dye-stained money into his bank account through an ATM in West Ashley. That same day, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office performed a traffic stop on the defendant’s registered vehicle while he was the sole occupant and driver of the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a Springfield 9mm firearm with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds and one in the chamber. The firearm was reported stolen from Coastal Firearms in Cainhoy, South Carolina. Officers also located $2,735.00 in cash on Leonard Clark’s person.
On July 21, 2017, investigators obtained a search warrant for Leonard Clark’s North Charleston residence. The sink in the master bathroom was covered in red dye, and investigators recovered dye-stained cash from numerous areas in the master bedroom. Investigators also located an empty Smith & Wesson box, black gloves, a black and camo mask, and bank documents for Leonard Clark in the master bedroom.
Shortly thereafter, officers initiated a traffic stop on Leonard Clark’s vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed items consistent with Clark’s involvement in the robberies: a white and black bandana and a black ski mask in the back seat, black gloves with blue trim, a loaded Smith & Wesson magazine, and a silver and black Smith & Wesson handgun stained with red dye. The handgun had the same serial number as the empty Smith & Wesson box located in Clark’s bedroom at the North Charleston residence.
The Honorable Richard M. Gergel, who sentenced Clark, previously sentenced Clark’s three codefendants, Cortlyn DaQuan Brown, 23; Kamal De’Andrea Backman, 21; and Kalee Lynn-Bishop, 25, all of Mt. Pleasant, for their roles in the grocery store and bank robberies. Cortlyn Brown received a 10-year federal prison sentence on November 6, 2018. Kamal Backman received a 108-month sentence on January 25, 2019. Kalee Lynn-Bishop received a 44-month sentence on November 6, 2018.
The convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office and JD Rowell of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
#####
North Carolina man sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to recruit people to launch attacks on behalf of ISISRead the Press Release
Erick Jamal Hendricks, 38, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
A jury in Akron, Ohio, convicted Hendricks last year of attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
“This defendant sought to create a cell of ISIS supporters, train those people and then launch attacks from inside the United States,” U.S. Attorney Herdman said. “This defendant posed a very real threat to the safety of our community and nation.”
“Erick Jamal Hendricks represents the significant online ISIS threat that we face daily – a US citizen that became radicalized online and attempted to recruit and train individuals to commit jihad, all while living in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Smith. “The FBI urges the public to report information regarding individuals pledging their allegiance to ISIS or other identified terrorist groups. The FBI is pleased that Hendricks was stopped before he was successful and now will spend a significant amount of time behind bars.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, Hendricks tried to recruit people to train together and conduct terrorist attacks in the United States on behalf of ISIS.
Amir Al-Ghazi was arrested in the Northern District of Ohio in June 2015 after attempting to purchase an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition from an undercover law enforcement officer. Al-Ghazi had pledged allegiance to ISIS in social media and made statements expressing interest in conducting attacks in the U.S.
Hendricks had contacted Al-Ghazi over social media to recruit him in the spring of 2015. Hendricks allegedly told Al-Ghazi that he “needed people” and wanted to meet in person; that there were several “brothers” located in Texas and Mexico; that he was attempting to “get brothers to meet face to face;” and that he wanted “to get brothers to train together,” according to court documents and trial testimony
Al-Ghazi said Hendricks tested his religious knowledge and commitment, inquiring about his willingness to commit “jihad,” to die as a “martyr” and his desire to enter “jannah” (paradise). Al-Ghazi understood these statements to mean that Hendricks was recruiting people to train together for the purpose of conducting a terrorist attack in the U.S. and to see if Al-Ghazi was suitable for recruitment, according to the allegations. Al-Ghazi believed that Hendricks and the “brothers in Texas and Mexico” may have been responsible for a thwarted terrorist attack in Garland, Texas, on May 3, 2015, and therefore he decided to stay away from social media for a period following the attack to minimize detection by law enforcement.
Hendricks also communicated over social media with several other people, including an undercover FBI employee (UCE-1). Hendricks on April 16, 2015 instructed UCE-1 to download the document “GPS for the Ghuraba in the U.S.”, which included a section entitled “Final Advice” which advocated that “brothers and sisters” should not allow themselves to go to jail. This section also allegedly encouraged Muslims to die as a “Shaheed” (martyr), to “Boobie trap your homes,” to “lay in wait for them” and to “never leave your home without your AK-47 or M16.” Hendricks also directed UCE-1 to communicate online with other people and stated “It’s hard to sift through brothers;” “Allah chooses only the few;” and “Everyday I do this day in and day out,” according to court documents and trial testimony.
Hendricks told another person that his goal was to create a sleeper cell to be trained and housed at a secure compound that would conduct attacks in the U.S. He mentioned that potential targets included military members whose information had been released by ISIS and the woman who organized the “Draw Prophet Mohammad contest,” and he claimed to have 10 members signed up for his group, according court documents and trial testimony.
On April 23, 2015, Hendricks used social media to contact Elton Simpson, who, along with Nadir Hamid Soofi, was inspired by ISIS and launched the attack on the “First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest” in Garland. Simpson and Soofi opened fire, wounding a security guard, before Garland police returned fire and killed both Simpson and Soofi. Hendricks also connected UCE-1 with Simpson via social media, communicated with UCE-1 about the contest in Garland, and directed UCE-1 to go to the contest. Hendricks said: “If you see that pig (meaning the organizer of the contest) make your ‘voice’ heard against her.” He also asked UCE-1 a series of questions related to security at the event, including: “How big is the gathering?” “How many ppl?” “How many police/agents?” “Do you see feds there?’ “Do you see snipers?” and “How many media?” Shortly thereafter, Simpson and Soofi committed the attack on the cartoon drawing contest.
Al-Ghazi is serving a 16-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and being a felon in possession of firearms.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s offices in Cleveland; Columbia, South Carolina; Baltimore; and Charlotte, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Maryland, District of South Carolina and the Western District of North Carolina.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Mark S. Bennett and Trial Attorney Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Erick Jamal Hendricks, 38, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
A jury in Akron, Ohio, convicted Hendricks last year of attempting and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Hendricks tried to recruit people to train together and conduct terrorist attacks in the United States on behalf of ISIS.
“Hendricks used social media to recruit others to plan and carry out attacks on our homeland in the name of ISIS, with the goal of creating a sleeper cell on our soil,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, Hendricks’ plan was thwarted, and with today’s sentence, he is being held accountable for his terrorist activities.”
“This defendant sought to create a cell of ISIS supporters, train those people and then launch attacks from inside the United States,” U.S. Attorney Herdman said. “This defendant posed a very real threat to the safety of our community and nation.”
“Erick Jamal Hendricks represents the significant online ISIS threat that we face daily – a US citizen that became radicalized online and attempted to recruit and train individuals to commit jihad, all while living in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Smith. “The FBI urges the public to report information regarding individuals pledging their allegiance to ISIS or other identified terrorist groups. The FBI is pleased that Hendricks was stopped before he was successful and now will spend a significant amount of time behind bars.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, Hendricks tried to recruit people to train together and conduct terrorist attacks in the United States on behalf of ISIS.
Amir Al-Ghazi was arrested in the Northern District of Ohio in June 2015 after attempting to purchase an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition from an undercover law enforcement officer. Al-Ghazi had pledged allegiance to ISIS in social media and made statements expressing interest in conducting attacks in the U.S.
Hendricks had contacted Al-Ghazi over social media to recruit him in the spring of 2015. Hendricks allegedly told Al-Ghazi that he “needed people” and wanted to meet in person; that there were several “brothers” located in Texas and Mexico; that he was attempting to “get brothers to meet face to face;” and that he wanted “to get brothers to train together,” according to court documents and trial testimony
Al-Ghazi said Hendricks tested his religious knowledge and commitment, inquiring about his willingness to commit “jihad,” to die as a “martyr” and his desire to enter “jannah” (paradise). Al-Ghazi understood these statements to mean that Hendricks was recruiting people to train together for the purpose of conducting a terrorist attack in the U.S. and to see if Al-Ghazi was suitable for recruitment, according to the allegations. Al-Ghazi believed that Hendricks and the “brothers in Texas and Mexico” may have been responsible for a thwarted terrorist attack in Garland, Texas, on May 3, 2015, and therefore he decided to stay away from social media for a period following the attack to minimize detection by law enforcement.
Hendricks also communicated over social media with several other people, including an undercover FBI employee (UCE-1). Hendricks on April 16, 2015 instructed UCE-1 to download the document “GPS for the Ghuraba in the U.S.”, which included a section entitled “Final Advice” which advocated that “brothers and sisters” should not allow themselves to go to jail. This section also allegedly encouraged Muslims to die as a “Shaheed” (martyr), to “Boobie trap your homes,” to “lay in wait for them” and to “never leave your home without your AK-47 or M16.” Hendricks also directed UCE-1 to communicate online with other people and stated “It’s hard to sift through brothers;” “Allah chooses only the few;” and “Everyday I do this day in and day out,” according to court documents and trial testimony.
Hendricks told another person that his goal was to create a sleeper cell to be trained and housed at a secure compound that would conduct attacks in the U.S. He mentioned that potential targets included military members whose information had been released by ISIS and the woman who organized the “Draw Prophet Mohammad contest,” and he claimed to have 10 members signed up for his group, according court documents and trial testimony.
On April 23, 2015, Hendricks used social media to contact Elton Simpson, who, along with Nadir Hamid Soofi, was inspired by ISIS and launched the attack on the “First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest” in Garland. Simpson and Soofi opened fire, wounding a security guard, before Garland police returned fire and killed both Simpson and Soofi. Hendricks also connected UCE-1 with Simpson via social media, communicated with UCE-1 about the contest in Garland, and directed UCE-1 to go to the contest. Hendricks said: “If you see that pig (meaning the organizer of the contest) make your ‘voice’ heard against her.” He also asked UCE-1 a series of questions related to security at the event, including: “How big is the gathering?” “How many ppl?” “How many police/agents?” “Do you see feds there?’ “Do you see snipers?” and “How many media?” Shortly thereafter, Simpson and Soofi committed the attack on the cartoon drawing contest.
Al-Ghazi is serving a 16-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and being a felon in possession of firearms.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s offices in Cleveland; Columbia, South Carolina; Baltimore; and Charlotte, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Maryland, District of South Carolina and the Western District of North Carolina.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Mark S. Bennett and Trial Attorney Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Myrtle Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Heroin and Cocaine “Speedball” That Caused Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that James Latron Sumter, a/k/a “T”, age 35, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has pled guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, the use of which resulted in serious bodily injury or death. This charge potentially carries a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life in federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian presented evidence that reflects Sumter was contacted on December 29, 2017, by co-conspirator Charles Rayford Hunt, Jr., who was seeking to purchase what is commonly called a “speedball”—a potent combination of cocaine and heroin—for $100 for a female acquaintance of Hunt’s. Hunt met the female while working as an Uber driver and had a short-lived romantic relationship with her for two days prior to this incident. As reflected in text messages between Hunt and Sumter and statements from witnesses, Hunt drove the female victim to an apartment where Sumter provided the drugs sometime after 9:00 pm. The victim later used the drugs and immediately thereafter showed signs of an overdose.
Upon seeing her reaction, Hunt contacted Sumter and returned to pick him up. Not wanting to take the overdosing victim home to her father with whom she lived, Hunt and Sumter drove around and eventually stopped at Magoo’s Sports & Spirits to play pool sometime after midnight—leaving the overdosing victim passed out in the back seat of the car. After playing pool, Hunt took Sumter back to the apartment complex and drove around the Myrtle Beach area with the victim still passed out in the back seat of his car. Eventually, Hunt realized the victim had quit breathing at which time he “panicked” and dumped her body in a wooded area just across the North Carolina border during the early morning hours of December 30. Hunt then drove back to Myrtle Beach, throwing the victim’s cell phone into the intercostal waterway on the way back. He took the victim’s purse and belongings to another conspirator, Jose Anthony Ortiz, Jr., who destroyed many of the victim’s personal items in a burn pit at Hunt’s request.
On December 31, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration learned of the incident. Working together, the FBI and DEA quickly collaborated with detectives from the Horry County Police Department and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina to unravel the scheme. Hunt was located, promptly confessed his role in the event, and led officials to the victim’s body. An autopsy and toxicology report later confirmed the victim died as a result of a heroin and cocaine overdose. Further investigation uncovered that Sumter had conspired with several other individuals in the Myrtle Beach area during 2017 to distribute cocaine and heroin on other occasions.
Hunt and Ortiz were prosecuted for their roles in covering up the overdose. Both men pled guilty and were sentenced to 21 and 27 months in federal prison, respectively.
This case is part of a concentrated effort to disrupt and dismantle the flow of illegal opioids and other narcotics in the Myrtle Beach area. By joining with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who deal in illegal narcotics, especially those individuals who distribute opioids that cause serious bodily injury or death to others.
#####
Multi-State Drug Smuggling Prison Ring DismantledRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 27 defendants, many of whom are serving federal prison sentences or were recently released from federal prison sentences, with committing drug trafficking and money laundering crimes and with engaging in interstate travel and transmissions in aid of racketeering, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The 8-count Indictment, returned on January 18, 2019, charges 25 defendants with conspiring from January 2017 to January 2019 to distribute large volumes of drugs, including 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 1 kilogram or more of heroin, fentanyl and a fentanyl analog, oxycodone, synthetic cannabinoids, and buprenorphine, commonly known as SubOxone.
The 25 defendants charged in Count 1 are Noah Landfried (age 34 of Moon Township), Mario Allen (age 40 at USP-Lee in Virginia), Larry Benavides (age 43 at the Clinton County Jail in Pennsylvania), Dashawn Burley (age 20 of Monroeville), Michel Cercone (age 45 of Sewickley), Ahmad Fletcher (age 26 at FCI-Gilmer in West Virginia), Michael S. Frawley (age 47 of Pittsburgh), Christopher Gahagan (age 35 of Ambridge), Richard Georgelos (age 34 of Santa Cruz, Arizona), Nicholas Giammichele (age 34 at FCI-Danbury in Connecticut), Robert Korbe (age 49 at FCI-Loretto in Pennsylvania), Ross Landfried (age 37 at USP-Lee in Virginia), Sterling Marshall (age 24 at USP-Lee in Virginia), Darren Martin (age 30 of Aliquippa), Harold Novick (age 38 of Ambridge), Paul Nuara (age 51 of Erie), Omari Patton (age 39 at FCI-Fort Dix in New Jersey), James Perry (age 52 of Ambridge), John Ramsey (age 47 at FCI-Ray Brook in New York), Donnell Steward (age 49 at FCI-Otisville in New York), Quoc Boa Trinh (age 39 at FCI-Otisville in New York), Terrell Williams (age 39 of Pitcairn), Richard Wood (age 39 of Pittsburgh), Shayla Yates (age 38 of Dinwiddie, Virginia), and Krystian Zarate (age 27 of Santa Cruz, Arizona).
"Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team of investigators and prosecutors, we have dismantled one of the largest prison drug smuggling rings in the country," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "This drug trafficking organization, which consists largely of repeat offenders, peddled dangerous drugs in prisons and in our communities. If this type of conduct doesn’t demonstrate the need for tougher drug sentences, I don’t know what does."
As part of the drug trafficking scheme, narcotics were smuggled into federal prisons facilities by saturating paper (including into printed court opinions and greeting cards) and mailing the paper to inmates. The prisoners paid for the drugs through an elaborate money laundering scheme involving the inmates’ financial accounts at the prison. The indictment seeks forfeiture of those accounts, among other things. The Indictment charges 9 defendants with conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds from January 2017 to January 2019. The nine defendants charged in Count 2 are Noah Landfried, Allen, Benavides, Cercone, Fletcher, Ross Landfried, Marshall, Perry, and Yates.
The Indictment charges Angelo Williams (age 33 of FCI-Cumberland in Maryland) and Priyanka Kumar (age 32 of Potomac, Maryland) in Count 3 with engaging in interstate travel and transmissions in aid of racketeering from January 2017 to January 2019.
Counts 4, 6, and 7 of the Indictment charge Gahagan with distributing cocaine in September 2017, January 2018, and April 2018. Count 5 charges Benavides with possessing a fentanyl analog and synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute in November 2017. Count 8 charges Noah Landfried with distributing heroin in June 2018.
The Indictment seeks forfeiture of the proceeds of the crimes as well as property that was acquired with the proceeds or was used to commit the crimes.
The law provides for minimum and maximum sentences for the counts in the Indictment ranging from at least 10 years to up to life in prison for Count 1, up to 20 years for Count 2, up to 5 years for Count 3, and up to 30 years for each of Counts 4 through 8. Fines ranging from $250,000 to up to $20,000,000 may also be imposed. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal histories, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, CPA Admits Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, certified public accountant today admitted that he underreported his income on his personal tax return, avoiding paying more than $672,000 in taxes, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Amit Govil, 58, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to Count 1 of an indictment charging him with making and subscribing a false tax return.According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Govil, licensed as a CPA in New York and New Jersey, operated P&G Associates, a business headquartered in East Brunswick, New Jersey, providing risk management and audit services to community banks. Govil admitted that for the tax year 2010, he underreported and failed to report the gross receipts or sales of P&G Associates on Schedule C of his personal tax return, avoiding more than $672,000 in taxes.
The count of making and subscribing a false tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the IRS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney A. Howard and Catherine R. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel: Jeffrey Alberts Esq., New York
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Reentering the U.S. after Being Deported Multiple TimesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE LUIS MERINO HERNANDEZ, also known as “Jose Mendez,” 50, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to seven months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. Merino Hernandez is a citizen of Mexico last residing in Waterbury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2005, Merino Hernandez was removed from the U.S. to Mexico after he sustained convictions in New York. He illegally reentered the U.S. and was encountered by ICE while he was incarcerated in New York in November 2010. He was again removed to Mexico in January 2011.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents encountered Merino Hernandez in Tucson, Arizona, three times in May and June 2011. After the third encounter, he was charged in the District of Arizona with illegal reentry. He was convicted of the offense, sentenced to 120 days of imprisonment, and removed to Mexico in October 2011.
On June 9, 2018, Merino Hernandez was arrested in Waterbury and charged with four counts of risk of injury of a minor, one count of interfering/resisting arrest, one count of breach of peace and one count of assault 3rd degree. He has been detained since his arrest. On September 10, 2018, Merino Hernandez pleaded guilty in state court to one count of reckless endangerment in the first degree. He was sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment, execution suspended, and three years of probation.
On November 19, 2018, Merino Hernandez pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to one count of reentry of a removed alien.
Merino Hernandez will be removed to Mexico when he completes his federal sentence.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to eight months in prison.
Alfonso Salazar-Ruiz, age 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Eagle Grove, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 5, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been convicted of a felony offense.
At the guilty plea, Salazar-Ruiz admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in October 2017 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Salazar-Ruiz was found by immigration agents in October 2018 after he was charged in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interference with official acts. That case is still pending. Salazar-Ruiz provided a false name to law enforcement when he was arrested. Fingerprint analysis confirmed Salazar-Ruiz’s identity and prior removal from the United States. Salazar-Ruiz has prior convictions in Wright County, Iowa, for possession of methamphetamine in 2015, two convictions for driving while license under suspension in 2017, and one conviction for driving while barred, habitual offender in 2017. Salazar-Ruiz has also been convicted nine times for driving without a valid driver’s license.
Salazar-Ruiz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Salazar-Ruiz was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Salazar-Ruiz 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 Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-3052-CJW.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Methamphetamine Trafficking in the Fox Valley Region of Wisconsin Leads to Prison Sentences for Seven IndividualsRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that seven individuals received sentences for drug trafficking in the Fox Valley Region of Northeastern Wisconsin. The sentences, imposed by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, were the result of guilty pleas by the seven individuals between June 14, 2018 and September 18, 2018:
Defendant
Charge of Conviction
Sentencing date
Months of Prison
Months of Supervised Release
Robert Losse (35), formerly of Menasha, Wisconsin
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
9/17/2018
180
84
Lee H.A. Carter (38) formerly of Menasha, Wisconsin
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
10/2/2018
132
120
Anthony Cabrera-Santiago (31) formerly of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
12/10/2018
120
96
Joshua Murphy (39) formerly of Bruce, Wisconsin
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
9/7/2018
120
72
Andrew Thede (31) formerly of Appleton, Wisconsin;
Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine
12/11/2018
120
72
Craig Hannemann (35) formerly Menasha, Wisconsin
Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine
9/17/18
80
60
Zachary Dittmer (24) formerly of Fox Crossing, Wisconsin
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
1/29/2019
42
72
The investigation revealed that between December 2016 and November 2017, the defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others, and to distribute a large quantity of methamphetamine in the Fox Valley. Evidence collected throughout the case suggests the amount of methamphetamine attributable to the group exceeded 200 pounds.
Numerous controlled purchases and multiple search warrants led to the recovery of controlled substances, packaging material, drug ledgers, firearms, and ammunition, including:
- 6,188.74 grams of methamphetamine
- 24.01 grams of heroin
- 131 prescription opioid pills
- $16,021.56 in US Currency
- $1,500.00 in “motion picture” currency
- Two .22 caliber handguns
- Two .40 caliber handguns
- Two 9mm handguns
- One .380 caliber handgun
Chief Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crimes the defendants committed, remarking that the sale and distribution of “poison” that “took away people’s freedom” required stiff sentences as a deterrent to those who would consider engaging in this sort of activity. Chief Judge Griesbach also pointed out the defendants’ direct and indirect support of international drug cartels who perpetrated horrific violence against innocent citizens throughout the United States and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group-Drug Unit and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Appleton Police Department, Oshkosh Police Department, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, and Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
#####
Man Pleads Guilty in Pennsylvania to Trafficking Protected TurtlesRead the Press Release
David Sommers pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to trafficking protected turtles.
On July 10, 2018, a grand jury charged Sommers with smuggling a package containing diamondback terrapins to Canada and several Lacey Act offenses for mislabeling the package and trafficking turtles domestically. Sommers pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Lacey Act and agreed to forfeit nearly 3,500 diamondback terrapin hatchlings. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits falsely labeling packages containing wildlife, fish, or plants.
Sommers acknowledged that he falsely labeled and trafficked turtles taken from their New Jersey marsh habitat from Aug. 7, 2014, through Oct. 24, 2017. According to the plea agreement, Sommers admitted to sending a package to Canada in 2014 containing 11 terrapin hatchlings. Sommers mislabeled the package as a book and underreported its value to avoid detection by customs authorities. Wildlife authorities from Environment and Climate Change Canada intercepted the package.
Sommers faces a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution to New Jersey for the value of the turtles. The government agreed to dismiss the remaining charges against Sommers at sentencing, which is scheduled for May 15, 2019.
Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are a semi-aquatic species of turtle native to brackish waters in eastern and southern United States. They are not found in the wild in Pennsylvania, where Sommers resided, but have a dwindling habitat range in neighboring New Jersey. The terrapins are prized in the reptile pet trade for their unique, diamond-shaped shell markings. The turtles are protected under New Jersey law and by an international treaty, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The United States, Canada, and approximately 181 other countries are signatories to CITES, which provides a mechanism for regulating international trade in species whose continued survival is threatened by such trade. Due to declining populations, CITES listed the diamondback terrapin as threatened in 2013, and New Jersey banned collecting, possessing, and transporting them in 2016.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. The government is represented by Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan Burnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Madison Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that a complaint has been filed against a Madison, Wisconsin resident for sexual exploitation of a child to produce a visual depiction. Bryan Rogers, 31, was charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison today with knowingly persuading a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, and such visual depiction was transported from Tennessee to Wisconsin.
Rogers will make an initial appearance in federal court in Madison at 3:00 p.m. today.
The affidavit supporting the complaint alleges that Rogers came into contact with a minor in Tennessee through an online game who told him that she was being sexually assaulted. The affidavit alleges that Rogers persuaded the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to make a video recording of the conduct, and send the video recording to him. The affidavit further alleges that Rogers traveled to Tennessee and returned to Wisconsin with the minor.
If convicted, Rogers faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Madison Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and Monroe County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Pfluger and Elizabeth Altman.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Laredo Man Gets Massive Sentence for Carjacking and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old Laredoan has been ordered to federal prison for a carjacking and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence which occurred in September 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Rodrigo Garza-delaCruz pleaded guilty June 19, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Rodrigo Garza-delaCruz to serve a total of 300 months in federal prison - 120 months for the carjacking and another 180 months for the related firearm offense to be served consecutively. The sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
“Protecting our community from the most violent offenders is at the core of the ATF mission,” said Milanowski. “Taking criminals off the street who prey on our citizens while using firearms will continue to remain an ATF priority.”
On Sept. 14, 2017, Garza-delaCruz entered a park in Laredo where he shot and killed one individual.
He then carjacked an 81-year-old man while fleeing the scene. He approached the man in his vehicle and threatened to kill him if he did not drive him to Mexico. Garza-delaCruz fled with the vehicle before officers tracked him down to a residence in Laredo.
Garza-delaCruz engaged in a three-hour standoff with SWAT and a hostage negotiations team before he was ultimately apprehended.
He is also facing related charges in Webb County.
Garza-delaCruz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The ATF and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys April Ayers-Perez and Alfredo DeLaRosa prosecuted the case.
Lansing Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for International Identity Theft and Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — On Tuesday, January 29, 2019, Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker sentenced Oghenevwakpo Igboba to a total of 162 months’ in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release, $514,823 in restitution, a money judgment of $48,205, and $1800 in court assessments.
In September 2018, a jury found Igboba guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of wire fraud, eight counts of making a false claim to the United States, and eight counts of aggravated identity theft. Igboba used other individuals’ personally identifying information to access tax information using an Internal Revenue Service website. He then took that sensitive tax and personal information and used it to file false federal income tax returns directing the IRS to pay fraudulent refunds to bank accounts he controlled.
"My office will seek appropriate punishment for those who undermine the functioning of Internal Revenue Service systems and steal refunds owed to other hard-working Americans," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Byerly Birge. "This crime harms the individual tax payers whose identities were stolen in connection with the fraud, but it also harms all Americans who place their trust in the proper functioning of the tax system and expect an orderly and prompt payment of tax refunds. This defendant stole from all of us."
By filing Form 1040s before the real taxpayers, Igboba managed to direct hundreds of thousands of dollars to himself. IRS systems stopped many of the stolen returns from being issued, but Igboba personally received at least $57,000 as a result of his crime. He used personally identifying information to access tax information for more than 100 individuals through IRS systems. The evidence introduced at trial demonstrated that the defendant conspired with numerous individuals, both in the United States and abroad, to compile personal information and direct the tax returns to numerous bank accounts.
"The defendant’s theft of hundreds of tax transcripts from the IRS in furtherance of a scheme to enrich himself at the expense of the American people is a grave violation of federal law and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. "I am proud of our investigators, including those in our cybercrimes division, for cracking this case, their counterparts at IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s office for helping us bring this individual to justice."
Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel, IRS - Criminal Investigation, stated, "This sentencing demonstrates that combating identity theft remains a priority for the IRS. IRS will not tolerate stealing the identities of innocent taxpayers. Stealing from the government and its taxpayers is not acceptable and with the start of the tax filing season, you can rest assured that IRS will be vigilant and work to protect taxpayers’ identities this tax season."
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and IRS - Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Sally J. Berens and Christopher M. O’Connor prosecuted the case.
END
La Crosse Woman Sentenced to 130 Months for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Roberta Draheim, 51, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced on Friday, February 1 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 130 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Draheim pleaded guilty to this charge on October 23, 2018.
Draheim was responsible for the shipment of more than 35 packages of methamphetamine from California to the La Crosse area over a 15-month period. Many of those packages consisted of multiple pound-level quantities of methamphetamine. During sentencing, Judge Conley stated that Draheim used her friends in California to obtain high quality methamphetamine at a low cost so she could supply people in the La Crosse area; she was feeding addictions. While this was Draheim’s first criminal conviction in over 20 years, the court found that she was an organizer of the conspiracy and sentenced her accordingly.
Draheim and five other individuals were charged for their roles in this methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Five of the six individuals charged in the indictment have pleaded guilty; Draheim is the second to be sentenced.
The charge against Draheim was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Wisconsin and California; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; La Crosse Police Department; Prairie du Chien Police Department; and Dane County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper.
Kaukauna Man Sentenced for Federal Wildlife ViolationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 31, 2019, Christopher J. Hietpas (age: 35), of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced for violating Title 16 United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(2), of “the Lacey Act.”
According to court documents, in September of 2015, Hietpas travelled to Saskatchewan, Canada, purportedly to hunt on First Nation Lands located within the province. Hietpas and the others in his hunting party employed the use of Little Pine First Nation guides, which would have allowed Hietpas and the others to legally hunt Mule Deer on First Nation Lands. Geolocation evidence taken from a cellular telephone, however, showed that Hietpas shot and killed two Mule Deer approximately 175 miles from the nearest First Nation boundary, in violation of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Act. Hietpas later acknowledged that he was not hunting on First Nation Lands when he shot the Mule Deer. The two Mule Deer antlers and capes (skin from the nose to shoulder) were then exported from Saskatchewan in violation of the Lacey Act, ultimately ending up at Hietpas’ residence in Kaukauna.
Federal Magistrate Judge James R. Sickel ordered Hietpas to pay a $5,000 fine to the “Lacey Act Reward Fund,” as well as restitution in the amount of $5,600 CAD (Canadian dollars) to the Province of Saskatchewan’s “SaskTip” program. Further, the Mule Deer mounts were ordered forfeited and will be turned over to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. Finally, Hietpas was also ordered to forfeit his hunting rifle and scope used to illegally kill the animals.
The case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
#####
Iowa Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Attempting to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Ames, Iowa sex offender was sentenced in federal court today on child sexual exploitation charges.
John Jordan Lundberg, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Lundberg to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On Sept. 24, 2018, Lundberg pleaded guilty to attempting to produce child pornography. Lundberg was previously convicted on Sept. 15, 2017, for enticement of a minor for indecent purposes. Lundberg, who was granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for three years, was arrested on Oct. 10, 2016 at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino during an undercover operation when he responded to a Craigslist advertisement and arranged a sexual encounter with a (fictitious) 15-year-old female.
According to court documents, just weeks prior to pleading guilty in Iowa to enticing a minor, Lundberg began committing the federal offense in this case. Lundberg was arrested in this case for almost identical behavior just 44 days after pleading guilty and being placed on probation for the Iowa matter.
Lundberg admitted that he responded on Sept. 3, 2017, to an online advertisement that was posted by an undercover Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department detective in an effort to seek out potential sexual predators. The undercover officer posed as a mother offering her 13-year-old daughter for sex. The undercover officer also posed as the 13-year-old daughter, and Lundberg communicated with the “daughter” via text messages.
Lundberg admitted that he sent the “daughter” sexually explicit photos and video of himself as well as adult and child pornography. Lundberg also admitted that he encouraged the “daughter” to send him nude photos of herself.
In an e-mail to the undercover detective, Lundberg described himself as “a fan of incest.” He claimed to have begun sexually molesting his niece when she was 8 years old, and to have had sexual intercourse with her when she was 12 years old.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."