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12 March 2019
Gadsden County Tax Preparer Charged with Wire Fraud, Identity Theft, and Aiding in Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Jean-Gilles, 33, of Midway, was arraigned on Friday, March 8, 2019, in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with 27 counts of aiding in preparing false tax returns, four counts of wire fraud, and aggravated identify theft. The indictment was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that Jean-Gilles was the sole managing member and owner of USA Tax and Multi-Services, LLC, a tax preparation business in Tallahassee. Jean-Gilles caused the preparation of federal income tax returns, which falsely reported the taxpayer’s income, withholding, credits, and the refund due for the tax years 2012-2015. The indictment also alleges that he used the social security number and preparer tax identification number of another individual without proper authority.
The maximum penalty for aiding in preparing false tax returns is three years in prison. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. Jean-Gilles faces a 2-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for aggravated identity theft consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The trial is scheduled for April 15, 2019, at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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.
Fugitive from the District of Colorado arrested in the Republic of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
DENVER – Mr. Karen Nikolyan, age 35, and a citizen of Armenia, was arrested this weekend at the Tbilisi airport in the Republic of Georgia after flying from Istanbul, Turkey, announced United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn. Nikolyan had been a fugitive since 2008, when he fled the District of Colorado after he pleaded guilty to bank fraud in federal court. He was arrested in the Republic of Georgia by local authorities with support from United States federal law enforcement.
On June 6, 2007, Nikolyan was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver for a bank fraud scheme. In that case, beginning on April 11, 2007, and continuing through May 11, 2007, the defendant devised a scheme of making, in a short period of time and before liens were of record, multiple applications for home equity in a condominium owned by the defendant located in Aurora, Colorado. A total of 7 financial institutions were defrauded by over $600,000. On March 19, 2008, he pleaded guilty and was free on bond awaiting sentencing. He was scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2008. Nikolyan failed to appear for his sentencing hearing. Instead he fled the country. Thanks to the work of the U.S. Secret Service, FBI and other agencies, Nikolyan was found as he made reservations to fly from Turkey to the Republic of Georgia.
“Today’s arrest is due to the tireless work of our law enforcement partners at the Secret Service and the FBI, as well as our prosecutors and those at main justice,” said United States Attorney Jason Dunn. “We commend their hard work and long memory, ensuring that justice will be served after 11 years.”
The FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Georgia and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) worked quickly to obtain a “Joint Declaration On Extradition” between the Republic of Georgia and the United States, and OIA submitted a request for provisional arrest. Now that Nikolyan has been arrested, the two countries are working on extraditing Nikolyan to the United States to face the sentencing hearing from which he fled.
This matter was investigated with the U.S. Secret Service. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation and location of the defendant. AUSA Bob Brown is prosecuting the defendant.
Four South Carolina Men Sentenced for International Wildlife SmugglingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Steven Verren Baker, 38, of Holly Hill, South Carolina, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a Conspiracy to Smuggle Wildlife. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, imposed the sentence and ordered Baker to forfeit $263,225.00 in proceeds.
On February 27, 2019, Joseph Logan Brooks, 29, formerly of Holly Hill, was sentenced to five months incarceration and five months home confinement for his participation in the conspiracy. Likewise, on March 1, 2019, fellow conspirator Matthew Tyler Fischer, 26, of Holly Hill, was sentenced to six months home confinement and two years’ probation. William Fischer, age 48, of Harleyville, South Carolina, was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for a misdemeanor Wildlife Trafficking violation. All three participated in or facilitated Baker’s efforts.
Matthew Harrison Kail, age 30, of Pomona Park, Florida, and William Thomas Gangemi, age 26, of Freehold, New Jersey, have both pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Evidence presented previously established that Baker was the ringleader of an international syndicate of wildlife smugglers exchanging turtles protected by international agreements back and forth between the United States and China. The activity took place from January through June 2016. Baker obtained protected turtles from Hong Kong to distribute here in the United States, and he shipped protected turtles from the United States to Asia.
The transactions were set up using the Facebook text messaging feature. Shipments were made internationally through the United States Postal Service. Several packages were intercepted entering the United States at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Forty-year federal prison sentence for Serial armed robberRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced the sentencing of Kevin Ingram, 29, following his conviction in federal court for four armed robberies of Indianapolis area businesses. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Ingram to 496 months (40½ years) in federal prison.
“Indianapolis is a safer place with Kevin Ingram behind bars,” Minkler said. “He was a dangerous man who lived a life of lawlessness and violence. This sentence reflects the gravity of his choices throughout his life, culminating in threatening to shoot multiple women over the course of four armed robberies in our community. It also reflects this Office’s commitment to bringing the full weight of federal law enforcement brought to bear on those who choose to terrorize our community with violence.”
Following a trial in November 2018, a federal jury convicted Ingram of robbing four Indianapolis stores at gunpoint in an eight-day crime spree in October 2017. Two of the stores were beauty salons, where Ingram stuck a semi-automatic pistol in the faces and backs of two store workers and two customers. He demanded cash and threatened to shoot if they did not comply. The other two stores Ingram robbed were larger retail stores, which Ingram robbed in the middle of the afternoon, with the stores full of patrons, including children. All of those he threatened and robbed were women, and the jury heard testimony from each of them.
Ingram coerced his girlfriend to participate in one of the robberies. She testified at trial that he choked her and pointed a gun at her as she resisted him in the parking lot outside one of the salons. She ultimately went inside with him, taking money from the register while he held the store at gunpoint. At the time, she was six months pregnant with his child.
These robberies were part of lengthy criminal record that included multiple violent felonies. Ingram had eight juvenile adjudications before turning 17, including auto theft (twice) and battery resulting in bodily injury. At 17, he robbed a woman at gunpoint, for which he was convicted as an adult. After four years in prison, he committed another crime just three months later. Within less than a year, Ingram had robbed two more women in Indianapolis. After several more years in prison, he again continued committing crimes, including multiple offenses involving drugs and guns, before committing the October 2017 robberies.
Before being apprehended in this case, though, Ingram fled to Houston, Texas. Evidence was presented at sentencing that, while in Houston, Ingram robbed several more women at knifepoint, including a pregnant woman. Ingram still has active arrest warrants from there.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Linder and Lawrence Hilton, who prosecuted the case for the government, Ingram will serve at least 35 years of his sentence, even with good time credit. He must also repay the $3,125 he stole during the four robberies.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “This sentence should provide some comfort to Mr. Ingram’s victims whose lives were forever changed by his criminal and traumatizing actions,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. “The 40-years he received is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of our agents and law enforcement partners who worked hand in hand to ensure Mr. Ingram no longer poses a threat to the communities he terrorized.”
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who commit violent crimes involving firearms. (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan, Strategic Objective 2.3.)
Former Pittsburgh Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former City of Pittsburgh Police Officer and resident of Allegheny County pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of making false statements to government agents, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Antoine Cain, 49, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements to government agents before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that during the course of a federal investigation pertaining to an armed bank robbery that occurred on January 8, 2018 at the Citizens Bank in Crafton, PA, federal agents interviewed Cain, who was at the time a 25-year veteran police officer for the City of Pittsburgh. Through the course of their investigation, federal agents learned that Mr. Cain had been involved in a seven-year, on-again, off-again, relationship with a woman identified as Melissa Kane. Federal investigators had identified Melissa Kane as the mother of the lead suspect in the Citizens Bank armed robbery, Brent Richards.
The court was further advised that federal agents interviewed Cain on July 27, 2018, and July 31, 2018, wherein he made false statements to government agents. Namely, Cain told federal agents during both of these interviews that he did not know the identity of the individual who had robbed the Citizens Bank, when in fact he did. On September 18, 2018, federal agents spoke once again with Cain and advised Cain that their investigation revealed additional information indicating that Cain knew who robbed the Citizens Bank.
Cain was asked once again if he had any information regarding the identity of the bank robber, to which Cain admitted, during this interview, that he did. During this interview Cain explained to law enforcement that Brent Richards, who Cain knew through his relationship with Melissa Kane, had committed the Citizens Bank armed robbery. Cain further admitted that Brent Richards told him that he had "hit" a bank, which Cain understood to mean that Brent Richards had committed a bank robbery, and Melissa Kane told him that Brent Richards had robbed the Citizens Bank, wearing a mask and using a bb gun and that Brent Richards had been covered up so law enforcement could not prove that it was Brent Richards who had robbed the bank.
Judge Arthur J. Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 2, 2019 at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Eric G. Olshan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Antoine Cain.
Former Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Possessing 2 Stolen Firearms while on Parole for CarjackingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was sentenced in federal court to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on LaRon Hollaman, 29. Judge Bissoon also required that this sentence must be served consecutive to any state parole violation.
The court was advised that on May 6, 2017, a Robinson Police Officer observed Hollaman engage in suspicious drug activity in the parking lot of the Hilltop Inn. The officer then followed Hollaman to a nearby GetGo gas station where he approached the defendant to investigate further. When asked for his license and registration, Hollaman told the officer, "I just did six up at State," referring to his prior conviction. Hollaman continued to tell the officer, "There are two guns loaded underneath the front passenger seat." Hollaman was removed from the car and handcuffed. Police then recovered two loaded Glock firearms, which were reported stolen out of the City of Pittsburgh. At the time of his arrest, Hollaman was on Pennsylvania State parole for committing a carjacking and two separate illegal firearms possession charges.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Robinson Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the guilty plea and sentence in this case.
Former Miles City athletic trainer admits coercion, enticement chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Former high school athletic trainer James E. “Doc” Jensen, Jr., of Miles City, today admitted charges that he coerced or enticed multiple minors into sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced.
Jensen, 79, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement. There was no plea agreement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Sentencing is set for July 30 in Billings. Jensen is detained.
Jensen faces a maximum 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said evidence would show Jensen obtained information from the Internet to develop a so-called “Program” that he used to coerce minor male student-athletes into sexual activity saying it would increase their physical performance. Jensen also used the telephone to contact victims about “The Program.”
Jensen, who was an athletic trainer at the Custer County District High School in Miles City from the 1970s to about 1998, knew that the student athletes were minors. Victim interviews would confirm that Jensen engaged in this conduct until at least 1999 and after his association with Custer County District High School.
Jensen admitted in a September 2018 interview the basic tenants of “The Program,” saying he got information for its administration from the Internet and had applied it to hundreds of minor children.
A relative of Jensen also told law enforcement about seeing apparent computer print-outs of “The Program” among Jensen’s possessions. Another witness told law enforcement about seeing Jensen online and deceptively attempting to contact minor children, particularly boys, by creating a false identity. Internet searches on Jensen’s computer were consistent with sexual interest in children.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
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Former Lee's Summit Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Lee’s Summit, Mo., police officer who led officers on a 100-miles-per-hour vehicle pursuit pleaded guilty in federal court today to armed bank robbery.
Richard W. Hagerty, 35, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Hagerty was a police officer with the Lee’s Summit Police Department from 2007 to 2016.
Hagerty entered Central Bank of the Midwest, located at 1305 N.W. Arborwalk Blvd. in Lee’s Summit, on Aug. 28, 2018. Hagerty, wearing a camouflage balaclava-style mask that covered part of his face and black gloves, pointed a Glock .40-caliber pistol at a customer and yelled, “Everybody get down on the floor, this is a robbery.” He demanded cash from two tellers, pointing the handgun at them while he was demanding money. Hagerty stole about $7,000 then fled from the bank on foot.
A Lee’s Summit police officer located Hagerty driving a dark gray Mazda on Hook Road and 139th Street shortly after the robbery. When the officer activated his emergency equipment, Hagerty accelerated and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit stretched from Lee’s Summit to Grandview, Mo., in the middle of the day, on busy thoroughfares. Hagerty drove erratically during the pursuit, according to court documents, by reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour on those busy roads, passing through school zones, and crossing into oncoming traffic.
After the vehicle was finally stopped, the officer gave verbal instructions for the occupant of the Mazda to exit the vehicle. After a short delay, Hagerty exited through the driver's side door of the vehicle with his hands raised above his head. The officer immediately recognized Hagerty, who was arrested.
Inside the vehicle, officers saw a large amount of cash on the driver’s seat and the front driver’s and passenger’s floorboard. They also recovered the Glock handgun from the vehicle.
Under federal statutes, Hagerty is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for armed bank robbery, plus a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, up to life in federal prison, for brandishing the firearm. 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 Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Five Charged with Using Fake and Stolen Social Security Numbers to Get Credit, Lease Cars and ApartmentsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Criminal complaints were unsealed today that charge three men and two women with using false or stolen Social Security numbers to lease cars and apartments and get approximately $200,000 of credit.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Tracey Thanos, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Hilliard Police Chief Robert Fisher announced the complaints which were unsealed after the suspects were arrested.
The criminal complaints charge the following five central Ohio residents:
Tommy Edwards Jr., 28, allegedly used three fake Social Security numbers – including two numbers belonging to children – and other fake identity documents to lease a car and three apartments in the Columbus area in 2016 through 2018.
Kiara Mitchell, 28, is charged with using a Social Security number belonging to a child to rent an apartment in Groveport.
Isaiah Burnley, 19, allegedly used false Social Security numbers and forged paycheck stubs to rent apartments in 2018
Wayne Hamler, 34, allegedly used a forged Social Security card to lease a car in 2018.
China Hester, 36, used a fake Social Security number to rent an apartment in the Columbus area in 2018.
The complaints also allege that Edwards, Mitchell, Burnley and Hamler used the false documents to get almost $200,000 in loans and credit cards. False representation of a Social Security number is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
Defendants were arrested today and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the charges.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry, who is representing the United States in the case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Felon Sentenced to 30 Months for Possessing Two Guns & AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Raymond Jackson, 52, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 30 months in federal prison for possessing two firearms and ammunition as a felon. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge on December 17, 2018.
On January 28, 2017, Price County law enforcement recovered two firearms and ammunition from Jackson’s vehicle during a traffic stop for operating while intoxicated. Jackson initially was charged in state court, but he absconded from his pretrial supervision and failed to appear for court. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested by law enforcement in Chicago in September 2018.
In selecting a 30-month sentence, Judge Peterson noted Jackson’s lengthy criminal history, which included prior convictions for burglary, robbery, possession of a controlled substance, theft, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, criminal damage to property, and domestic battery. Judge Peterson also noted that one of the firearms Jackson possessed had an obliterated serial number.
The charge against Jackson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Price County Sheriff’s Office; Phillips Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Chicago Police Department Fugitive Apprehension Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Price County District Attorney’s Office. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that District Judge John W. DeGravelles sentenced CORY CONRAD, a 30 year-old resident of Magnolia, Mississippi to 46 months in federal prison following his conviction of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced CONRAD to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm be forfeited.
On March 16, 2018, Baton Rouge Police Officers stopped CONRAD, who was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen. CONRAD was the only occupant of the vehicle. Upon stopping the vehicle, officers asked CONRAD to step out of the vehicle at which time CONRAD told the officers that he had a firearm in his lap. The firearm, a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Shield, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, serial number HKY3107, fell as CONRAD exited the vehicle, and the officers recovered it from the driver’s area of the vehicle.
CONRAD has five prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing a firearm.
On March 12, 2012, in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana, CONRAD pled guilty to simple burglary and attempted simple robbery. On March 25, 2008, in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana, CONRAD pled guilty to simple burglary. On March 20, 2007, in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana, CONRAD pled guilty to possession of Alprazolam. On July 18, 2011, in the Twenty-third Judicial District Court of Louisiana, CONRAD plead guilty to theft of a motor vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Our office takes seriously the issue of guns in the hands of career criminals. We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state and local partners to protect our district from chronic offenders. I want to thank our prosecutors, the ATF, and the Baton Rouge Police Department for their work on this case.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baton Rouge Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Thornhill.
Federal Jury Finds Greenbrier County Man Guilty on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A federal jury has convicted a Greenbrier County man on federal gun charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. In January 2018, Ronald Collins, 39, lied on ATF form 4473, indicating that he had never been committed to a mental institution, and thereafter purchased a firearm. The jury returned guilty verdicts on charges of making a false and fictitious written statement on an ATF Form 4473 in order to acquire a firearm, and of being in possession of a firearm after being committed to a mental institution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.
“Collins is prohibited from possessing a firearm by virtue of having previously been committed to a mental institution,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “This is a prime example of how enforcing existing gun laws keeps guns out of the wrong hands. I want to thank ATF, the West Virginia State Police and my prosecutors for their exemplary work in this case.”
Collins posted several videos of himself with the firearm on social media, including one of him shooting the firearm, which were shown to the jury. Collins now faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 10, 2019.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Loew and Alex Hamner handled the prosecution.
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Federal Jury Convicts Former Chicago Police Officer of Participating in Robbery and Extortion CrewRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a former Chicago Police Department sergeant of participating in a robbery and extortion crew that targeted suspected drug dealers.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Monday convicted EDDIE C. HICKS, also known as “David Rose,” 70, on all eight counts against him, including conspiracy to commit racketeering; drug conspiracy; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and crime of violence; theft of government funds; and failure to appear for a judicial proceeding. The conviction is punishable by up to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow did not immediately schedule sentencing. A status hearing is set for April 10, 2019.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Michigan, U.S. Marshals Service, Detroit, Mich., Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, Bolingbrook Police Department, and Alsip Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morris Pasqual and Grayson Walker.
Hicks served as a Chicago Police officer from 1970 to 2000, ultimately attaining the rank of sergeant. In the 1990s, he was assigned to CPD’s Narcotics Section. Evidence at trial revealed that for nearly a decade Hicks and three other law enforcement personnel participated in a robbery ring that targeted suspected drug dealers under the guise of legitimate police investigations. The four-person crew staged phony drug raids and automobile stops of suspected dealers, threatened them with arrest, then kept the drugs, cash or weapons they discovered. From the early 1990s to 2001, the scheme netted the crew thousands of dollars in cash, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and several firearms.
The three other crew members were previously convicted: LARRY HARGROVE, a former Chicago Police sergeant, was sentenced to 13 years in prison; MATTHEW L. MORAN, a former investigator for the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, was sentenced to seven years and ten months in prison; and LAWRENCE W. KNITTER, a former CPD electrical mechanic, was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.
The failure-to-appear charge against Hicks stemmed from his flight on the eve of trial when it was originally scheduled in June 2003. Hicks was free on bond when he failed to appear in court. He remained a fugitive until his arrest in Detroit, Mich., in September 2017.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to possessing suboxone, a Schedule III controlled substance, while in federal prison.
According to court documents, James Pixley, 29, of Leonardtown, was in the visiting area of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution in July 2018 when he received 35 12mg suboxone strips from a visitor. Suboxone is a controlled substance that is available only by prescription. Prison officials recovered the suboxone from Pixley immediately after the visit.
Pixley pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited object by a federal inmate and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison when sentenced on April 9. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and John I. Dixon III, Chief of Petersburg Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-011.
Father and Son Conviceted of Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal jury found a father and son guilty Friday of multiple charges for their roles in investment fraud and bank fraud schemes in which they stole over $10 million from individual investors—including multiple former professional athletes—and Alamerica Bank of Birmingham, Alabama.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town of the Northern District of Alabama and Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. of the FBI Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
Donald Watkins Sr., 70, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted on seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy. Donald Watkins Jr., 46, of Birmingham was convicted on one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Sentencing is set for July 16 before U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre of the Northern District of Alabama, who presided over the trial.
“The jury’s verdict today sends a clear message: Donald Watkins Sr. and Donald Watkins Jr. are frauds, plain and simple,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “They induced their victims to part with more than $10 million of supposed ‘investment capital’ and used it to support their lavish lifestyle. I want to thank the prosecutors and law enforcement agents for their hard work investigating and prosecuting this case.”
“This was a case about deception and greed at the expense of too many,” said U.S. Attorney Town. “The findings of guilt for these two individuals should forewarn anyone who would seek to defraud investors so brazenly. We appreciate the labor of the jurors whose role as citizens in this process is so critical to our system of justice. We are also grateful to the Alabama Securities Commission and the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section for allowing their personnel to engage in this prosecution.”
“Both of the men found guilty today are financial predators who truly represent pure greed,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sharp. “We are pleased that the defendants in this case are being held accountable for their crimes and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who commit these types of financial crimes.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between approximately 2007 and 2013, Donald Watkins Sr. sold “economic participations” and promissory notes connected with Masada Resource Group, a company that he ran as manager and CEO. Investors paid millions of dollars after Donald Watkins Sr. and Donald Watkins Jr. falsely represented that the money would be used to grow Masada, which Donald Watkins Sr. described as a “pre-revenue” company that supposedly had technology that could convert garbage into ethanol. Instead of investing the money into Masada, however, Donald Watkins Sr. and Donald Watkins Jr. diverted funds to pay personal bills and the debts of their other business ventures. The evidence showed that victim money was used to pay for Donald Watkins Sr.’s alimony, hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, personal loan payments, a private jet and clothing purchased by Donald Watkins Jr. and his wife. Emails introduced at trial also showed that Donald Watkins Jr. and Donald Watkins Sr. planned to obtain millions of dollars for these purposes from one victim on multiple occasions, when they knew that their victims trusted them to put their money to use in growing Masada. The defendants’ scheme eventually grew to include another business venture, Nabirm Global, a company that Donald Watkins Sr. claimed held mineral rights in Namibia.
Donald Watkins Sr. also defrauded Alamerica Bank, an entity in which Donald Watkins Sr. was the largest shareholder, the evidence showed. In order to pay hundreds of thousands in litigation expenses associated with another one of Donald Watkins Sr.’s business ventures, Donald Watkins Sr. executed a plan to use a straw borrower to take out money from Alamerica Bank and give it to them. This straw borrower—Donald Watkins Sr.’s long-time mentor and a prominent figure in the Birmingham community—took over $900,000 in loans from Alamerica Bank and then immediately permitted Donald Watkins Sr. and Donald Watkins Jr. to use those funds for their personal benefit.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office. Trial Attorney Kyle C. Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd C. Peeples III, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau Brown (on detail from the Alabama Securities Commission) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier O. Carter Sr. of the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case.
Equine Insurance Agent Sentenced in $1.3 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Middletown insurance agent/owner specializing in providing equine insurance coverage who admitted to operating various schemes which defrauded customers, insurance companies, and finance companies of approximately $1.3 million dollars was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in federal prison.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Randall N. Levesque, 57, of Middletown, owner of Equine Insurance Services, LLC and Randall Levesque Agency, to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration and to pay restitution to the victims of his schemes totaling $1,382,815.08.
Levesque pled guilty on December 12, 2018, to wire fraud.
Levesque’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Stephen Marks, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel James M. Manni.
At the time of his guilty plea, Levesque admitted to the Court that he overbilled and double-billed customers when billing their credit cards for premiums due on policies, some of which the client did not request or did not agree to finance, at times forging the customers’ signature; collected premiums on insurance policies issued by at least two insurance companies but, upon receipt from customers, did not forward the payments to the insurance companies; and, at times, financed premiums and received funds on behalf of customers without the customers’ consent or knowledge, and submitted financing agreements to finance companies for fictitious customers, for whom there were no policies.
According to Court documents, Levesque collected but did not remit to insurance companies over $800,000 in premiums; fraudulently obtained over $500,000 in financed premiums from at least two finance companies; and charged customers’ credit cards a total of approximately $80,000 for premiums that he failed to provide to insurance companies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Rhode Island State Police.
Employee of Federal Contractor Facing Federal Charges for Allegedly Accepting Cash to Falsify Urinalysis Results to U.S. Probation and Pretrial ServicesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Michael Andre Brown, age 47, of Waldorf, Maryland, was arrested today on federal charges alleging that Brown accepted bribes and illegal gratuities, in connection with his employment with a federal contractor in which he administered urinalysis tests to individuals on federal probation, supervised release and pre-trial supervision. The criminal complaint was filed on March 11, 2019, and unsealed at Brown’s initial appearance today.
The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Brown was an employee at a company in Camp Springs, Maryland, which was a federally contracted business tasked with, among other things, administering urinalysis tests to individuals on federal probation, supervised release, and pre-trial supervision on behalf of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office of the District of Maryland. Brown was a urinalysis technician for the company. According to the affidavit, on December 26, 2018, an FBI undercover task force officer (UC) posing as a federal probationer who had been ordered to submit to urine analysis as part of his/her probation, met with Brown at the company in Camp Springs. The UC indicated to Brown that he/she expected to have a positive urinalysis result. Brown allegedly told the UC that he was willing to work with the UC. According to the affidavit, Brown subsequently took the UC to a bathroom to perform the urinalysis. The UC added a substance to the urine sample that would produce a positive result for marijuana. Brown inspected the cup and indicated to the UC that it was positive for drug use, but again said that he would “take care of” the UC. The UC expressed his appreciation to Brown and placed $100 on the bathroom sink. Brown took the money.
According to the affidavit, Brown then gave instructions to the UC on how to check in on his/her next date for urine analysis, but also informed the UC that his/her next date would be December 28, 2018, two days away, and that Brown would be working again on that date. Such dates are assigned daily and are not supposed to be divulged to the probationers until the evening before.
The affidavit alleges that on December 28, 2018, the UC provided another urine sample to Brown, but instead of checking it, Brown told the UC, “Go ahead and pour it [the urine] out,” “Cause if it was dirty the other day, it’s gonna be dirty today.” The UC again expressed appreciation to Brown and asked if Brown “needed anything.” The affidavit alleges that Brown then accepted $100 from the UC and indicated that he would do so on future dates, as well. Neither Brown, nor anyone else from his company ever contacted the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office to alert them that the UC had tested positive for drug use. Brown allegedly also accepted $150 from the UC on February 11, 2019, without requiring Brown to submit a urine sample at all, before causing a negative urinalysis result to be reported. On February 15, 2019, a representative of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office contacted Brown’s employer and was informed by a representative of the company that the UC had tested negative for drugs on February 11, 2019. All of the meetings between the UC and Brown were audio- and video-recorded.
If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for bribery, and a maximum of two years in prison for accepting an illegal gratuity. At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms ordered that Brown be released pending trial.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright, who is prosecuting the case.
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Diamondhead Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Brian Galbreth, 40, of Diamondhead, Mississippi, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guriola, Jr. to serve 360 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans. Galbreth was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
An investigation by HSI and DEA revealed that, beginning in 2012, Brian Galbreth conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in the Hancock County, Mississippi area. The investigation revealed that Galbreth supplied over 15 kilograms of methamphetamine to numerous distributors. As a result, Galbreth pled guilty on December 11, 2018, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Convicted Felon Handed Federal Prison Term for Illegal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Ricardo Diego Garza pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Garza to 110 months in custody to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that each of the previous sentences of incarceration had not deterred the defendant’s criminal conduct.
On April 14, 2018, law enforcement responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a business located in the 5800 block of Weber in Corpus Christi. Witnesses had reported a male in a white vehicle had pointed a black handgun with an extended magazine at another individual at that location.
Upon arrival, officers approached Garza who was attempting to exit the driver’s seat of the vehicle, at which time officers observed and seized a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun containing an extended magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.
Garza was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Centralia, Illinois Woman Sentenced to 20 Years on Methamphetamine-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Anthonette Strowder, a/k/a "Big Mama," 59, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced this afternoon to 240 months in federal prison on methamphetamine related charges.
Strowder’s sentence follows her guilty plea late last year to six counts of a seven-count federal indictment. Count 2 charged that on June 15, 2017, Strowder possessed with the intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine. Counts 3 and 4 charged her with distribution of methamphetamine on June 13 and 14, 2017. Counts 5, 6, and 7 charged her with distribution of cocaine on November 18, 2014 (twice) and November 21, 2014. All of the events occurred in Marion County, Illinois.
Strowder has been in custody since December 7, 2018. After her prison sentence is completed, Strowder will begin serving a five-year term of supervised release.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Centralia Police Department.
Buffalo Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Selling Drugs Which Resulted in Overdose DeathRead 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 Dontrell Wise, 32, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted following a federal jury trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl; and distribution of fentanyl causing death, was sentenced to serve life in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that between mid-November of 2017 and November 23, 2017, the defendant distributed fentanyl which caused the death of a 28 year old female in Cheektowaga, NY. The evidence at trial established that Wise sold approximately 10 grams of a substance containing fentanyl which ultimately was injected by the woman, resulting in her overdose death. Hours later, the Cheektowaga Police Department responded to the scene to find the victim dead, and a wax envelope with fentanyl residue left behind.
Two weeks earlier, on November 9, 2017, the defendant was stopped by Buffalo Police officers in a rental vehicle with heavily tinted windows. Wise was found in possession of over $8,000 in cash, while a co-conspirator, Jerell Weathersby, had a quantity of butyryl fentanyl. The evidence further established that the defendant was a central member of a larger conspiracy crossing state lines, involving the distribution of narcotics in both Buffalo, NY, and Bradford, PA.
Wise was arrested along with co-defendants Lemario Jones and Jerell Weathersby. Jones was convicted of distribution of a controlled substance and sentenced to 63 months in prison. Weathersby was convicted of possession with attempt to distribute butyryl fentanyl and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan; and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David J. Zack.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MollyRead 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 Joshua Castro, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, was sentenced to serve three years’ probation to include six months home detention by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between February 2015 and January 28, 2016, the defendant conspired with others to possess and distribute “Molly,” a Scheduled I controlled substance. Castro sold “Molly” on three separate occasions (February 5, February 18, and March 25, 2015) to a confidential source.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly and the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, which includes the Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police, Peel Regional Police and Toronto Police Services.
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Bradenton Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Roselle Fitzgerald to 21 months in federal prison for theft of government funds and counterfeit or forged securities. As part of her sentence, the court entered a money judgment of $185,731.71, the proceeds of the theft of criminal conduct, and ordered Fitzgerald to pay restitution.
Fitzgerald had pleaded guilty on December 11, 2018.
According to court documents, Fitzgerald worked as a title-closer at various law firms, while simultaneously receiving Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits to which she was not entitled. Fitzgerald also made material false statements to employees of the Social Security Administration regarding her work activity. In addition, she possessed counterfeit or forged checks from the law firms where she was employed and used the means of identification of others in connection with the counterfeit or forged checks. In total, Fitzgerald received approximately $184,400 in Disability Insurance Benefits to which she was not entitled, as well as $9,910.50 in Medicare benefits to which she was not entitled. The total loss to the law firms as a result of Fitzgerald’s counterfeit or forged checks was $7,685.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Billings man admits drug trafficking, firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man accused of selling methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone admitted to drug and firearms charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kevin James Maslen, 55, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will recommend Maslen’s plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, who is hearing the case. Maslen was a released pending sentencing.
Maslen faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said evidence showed that beginning in June 2017, an undercover agent bought methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone from Maslen. In one of the buys, the undercover agent bought morphine and two firearms from Maslen. A search warrant was executed on Maslen’s residence in May 2018 and law enforcement found about 30 grams of meth, 83 oxycodone tablets and additional firearms. Maslen admitted to dealing in meth and pills during an interview with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The total amount of meth seized was about 78 grams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the DEA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers Wins Outstanding Prosecutor AwardRead the Press Release
On March 14, 2019, Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jack Lammers will receive the Midwest HIDTA program’s outstanding prosecutor award from Jeff Stamm, the program director. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), first established in 1990, is a drug enforcement program run by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy. The program’s mission is to enhance and coordinate America's drug-control efforts among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in order to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.
In addition to consistently working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of drug related crimes in the Northern District of Iowa, AUSA Lammers recently led the investigation and prosecution of three individuals responsible for the sale and distribution of heroin which subsequently led to the death of Ty Olsen in October 2017. Shelton Oliver, Don Glen and Earl Jackson all from Chicago, Illinois, were arrested in early April 2018. Glen pled guilty and was sentenced to 113 months’ imprisonment, Jackson also pled guilty and is facing a lengthy prison sentence. Oliver took his case to trial, where he was convicted, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 300 months’ imprisonment.
“Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers represents the very best in public service,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan. “Our entire office is very pleased that he is being honored with the Midwest HIDTA Outstanding Prosecutor Award. Jack has worked tirelessly for more than two decades to protect our communities from the dangers of drugs and violent drug dealers. He is an accomplished trial lawyer, a skilled mentor and instructor, and a valued friend and colleague. I offer my thanks to the Midwest HIDTA board for recognizing Jack with this well-deserved award.”
The award will be presented at 11:00 a.m. on March 14, 2019, at the United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux City.
Arrests Made in Nationwide College Admissions Scam: Alleged Exam Cheating & Athletic Recruitment SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Dozens of individuals involved in a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits were arrested by federal agents in multiple states this morning and charged in federal court in Boston. Athletic coaches from Yale, Stanford, USC, Wake Forest and Georgetown, among others, are implicated, as well as parents and exam administrators.
William “Rick” Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., was charged with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Singer owned and operated the Edge College & Career Network LLC (“The Key”) – a for-profit college counseling and preparation business – and served as the CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF) – a non-profit corporation that he established as a purported charity.
Between approximately 2011 and February 2019, Singer allegedly conspired with dozens of parents, athletic coaches, a university athletics administrator, and others, to use bribery and other forms of fraud to secure the admission of students to colleges and universities including Yale University, Georgetown University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, and Wake Forest University, among others. Also charged for their involvement in the scheme are 33 parents and 13 coaches and associates of Singer’s businesses, including two SAT and ACT test administrators.
Also charged is John Vandemoer, the head sailing coach at Stanford University, Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, the former head soccer coach at Yale University, and Mark Riddell, a counselor at a private school in Bradenton, Fla.
The conspiracy involved 1) bribing SAT and ACT exam administrators to allow a test taker, typically Riddell, to secretly take college entrance exams in place of students or to correct the students’ answers after they had taken the exam; 2) bribing university athletic coaches and administrators—including coaches at Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, the University of Southern California, and the University of Texas—to facilitate the admission of students to elite universities under the guise of being recruited as athletes; and (3) using the façade of Singer’s charitable organization to conceal the nature and source of the bribes.
- College Entrance Exam Cheating Scheme
According to the charging documents, Singer facilitated cheating on the SAT and ACT exams for his clients by instructing them to seek extended time for their children on college entrance exams, which included having the children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain the required medical documentation. Once the extended time was granted, Singer allegedly instructed the clients to change the location of the exams to one of two test centers: a public high school in Houston, Texas, or a private college preparatory school in West Hollywood, Calif. At those test centers, Singer had established relationships with test administrators Niki Williams and Igor Dvorskiy, respectively, who accepted bribes of as much as $10,000 per test in order to facilitate the cheating scheme. Specifically, Williams and Dvorskiy allowed a third individual, typically Riddell, to take the exams in place of the students, to give the students the correct answers during the exams, or to correct the students’ answers after they completed the exams. Singer typically paid Ridell $10,000 for each student’s test. Singer’s clients paid him between $15,000 and $75,000 per test, with the payments structured as purported donations to the KWF charity. In many instances, the students taking the exams were unaware that their parents had arranged for the cheating.
- College Recruitment Scheme
It is further alleged that throughout the conspiracy, parents paid Singer approximately $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators to designate their children as purported athletic recruits, thereby facilitating the children’s’ admission to those universities. Singer allegedly described the scheme to his customers as a “side door,” in which the parents paid Singer under the guise of charitable donations to KWF. In turn, Singer funneled those payments to programs controlled by the athletic coaches, who then designated the children as recruited athletes – regardless of their athletic experience and abilities. Singer also made bribe payments to most of the coaches personally.
For example, during a call with one parent, Singer stated: “Okay, so, who we are…what we do is we help the wealthiest families in the U.S. get their kids into school…My families want a guarantee. So, if you said to me ‘here’s our grades, here’s our scores, here’s our ability, and we want to go to X school’ and you give me one or two schools, and then I’ll go after those schools and try to get a guarantee done.”
As part of the scheme, Singer directed employees of The Key and the KWF to create falsified athletic “profiles” for students, which were then submitted to the universities in support of the students’ applications. The profiles included fake honors that the students purportedly received and elite teams that they purportedly played on. In some instances, parents supplied Singer with staged photos of their children engaged in athletic activity – such as using a rowing machine or purportedly playing water polo.
- Tax Fraud Conspiracy
Beginning around 2013, Singer allegedly agreed with certain clients to disguise bribe payments as charitable contributions to the KWF, thereby enabling clients to deduct the bribes from their federal income taxes. Specifically, Singer allegedly instructed clients to make payments to the KWF in return for facilitating their children’s admission to a chosen university. Singer used a portion of that money to bribe university athletic coaches to designate the children as student athletes. Thereafter, Masera or another KWF employee mailed letters from the KWF to the clients expressing thanks for their purported charitable contributions. The letter stated: “Your generosity will allow us to move forward with our plans to provide educational and self-enrichment programs to disadvantaged youth,” and falsely indicated that “no good or services were exchanged” for the donations. Many clients then filed personal tax returns that falsely reported the payment to the KWF as charitable donations.
The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater and restitution. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, and of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of 250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Appendix
- William Rick Singer, 58, of Newport Beach, Calif., owner of the Edge College & Career Network and CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation, was charged in an Information with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice. He is scheduled to plead guilty in Boston before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on March 12, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.;
- Mark Riddell, 36, of Palmetto, Fla., was charged in an Information with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering;
- Rudolph “Rudy” Meredith, 51, of Madison, Conn., the former head women’s soccer coach at Yale University, was charged in an Information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud as well as honest services wire fraud;
- John Vandemoer, 41, of Stanford, Calif., the former sailing coach at Stanford University, was charged in an Information with racketeering conspiracy and is expected to plead guilty in Boston before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel on March 12, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.;
- David Sidoo, 59, of Vancouver, Canada, was charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Sidoo was arrested on Friday, March 8th in San Jose, Calif., and appeared in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California yesterday. A date for his initial appearance in federal court in Boston has not yet been scheduled.
The following defendants were charged in an indictment with racketeering conspiracy:
- Igor Dvorskiy, 52, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., director of a private elementary and high school in Los Angeles and a test administrator for the College Board and ACT;
- Gordon Ernst, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University;
- William Ferguson, 48, of Winston-Salem, N.C., former women’s volleyball coach at Wake Forest University;
- Martin Fox, 62, of Houston, Texas, president of a private tennis academy in Houston;
- Donna Heinel, 57, of Long Beach, Calif., the senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California;
- Laura Janke, 36, of North Hollywood, Calif., former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California;
- Ali Khoroshahin, 49, of Fountain Valley, Calif., former head coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California;
- Steven Masera, 69, of Folsom, Calif., accountant and financial officer for the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation;
- Jorge Salcedo, 46, of Los Angeles, Calif., former head coach of men’s soccer at the University of California at Los Angeles;
- Mikaela Sanford, 32, of Folsom, Calif., employee of the Edge College & Career Network and the Key Worldwide Foundation;
- Jovan Vavic, 57, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., former water polo coach at the University of Southern California; and
- Niki Williams, 44, of Houston, Texas, assistant teacher at a Houston high school and test administrator for the College Board and ACT.
The following defendant was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud:
- Michael Center, 54, of Austin Texas, head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Texas at Austin
The following defendants were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud:
- Gregory Abbott, 68, of New York, N.Y., the founder and chairman of a food and beverage packaging company;
- Marcia Abbott, 59, of New York, N.Y.;
- Gamal Abdelaziz, 62, of Las Vegas, Nev., the former senior executive of a resort and casino operator in Macau, China;
- Diane Blake, 55, of San Francisco, Calif., an executive at a retail merchandising firm;
- Todd Blake, 53, of San Francisco, Calif., an entrepreneur and investor;
- Jane Buckingham, 50, of Beverly Hills, Calif., the CEO of a boutique marketing company;
- Gordon Caplan, 52, of Greenwich, Conn., co-chairman of an international law firm based in New York City;
- I-Hin “Joey” Chen, 64, of Newport Beach, Calif., operates a provider of warehousing and related services for the shipping industry;
- Amy Colburn, 50, of Palo Alto, Calif.;
- Gregory Colburn, 62, of Palo Alto, Calif.;
- Robert Flaxman, 62, of Laguna Beach, Calif., founder and CEO of real estate development firm;
- Mossimo Giannulli, 55, of Los Angeles, Calif., fashion designer;
- Elizabeth Henriquez, 56, of Atherton, Calif.;
- Manuel Henriquez, 55, of Atherton, Calif., founder, chairman and CEO of a publicly traded specialty finance company;
- Douglas Hodge, 61, of Laguna Beach, Calif., former CEO of investment management company;
- Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, Calif., an actress;
- Agustin Huneeus Jr., 53, of San Francisco, Calif., owner of wine vineyards;
- Bruce Isackson, 61, of Hillsborough, Calif., president of a real estate development firm;
- Davina Isackson, 55, of Hillsborough, Calif.;
- Michelle Janavs, 48, of Newport Coast, Calif., former executive of a large food manufacturer;
- Elisabeth Kimmel, 54, of Las Vegas, Nev., owner and president of a media company;
- Marjorie Klapper, 50, of Menlo Park, Calif., co-owner of jewelry business;
- Lori Loughlin, 54, of Los Angeles, Calif., an actress;
- Toby MacFarlane, 56, of Del Mar, Calif., former senior executive at a title insurance company;
- William McGlashan Jr., 55, of Mill Valley, Calif., senior executive at a global equity firm;
- Marci Palatella, 63, of Healdsburg, Calif., CEO of a liquor distribution company;
- Peter Jan Sartorio, 53, of Menlo Park, Calif., packaged food entrepreneur;
- Stephen Semprevivo, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., executive at privately held provider of outsourced sales teams;
- Devin Sloane, 53, of Los Angeles, Calif., founder and CEO of provider of drinking and wastewater systems;
- John Wilson, 59, of Hyannis Port, Mass., founder and CEO of private equity and real estate development firm;
- Homayoun Zadeh, 57, of Calabasas, Calif., an associate professor of dentistry; and
- Robert Zangrillo, 52, of Miami, Fla., founder and CEO of private investment firm.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Woonsocket man who on at least four occasions in March and April 2017 arranged for the sale and delivery of crack cocaine, and who was found to be in possession of heroin and two loaded firearms during a search of his residence, was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates.
Joshua Withee, 41, was arrested by Woonsocket Police on April 19, 2017, after a court-authorized search of his residence resulted in the seizure 13.8 grams of fentanyl laced heroin, 95 grams of crack cocaine, two loaded firearms, and assorted items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.
In the weeks leading up to the search of Withee’s residence and his arrest, a person assisting law enforcement in the investigation into Withee’s drug trafficking activities made four controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Withee.
On December 4, 2018, Withee pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to a four-count information charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Today, United States District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., imposed a sentence of 96 months in federal prison to be followed by three years supervised release.
According to court records, Withee was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court and imprisoned on felony assault, drug, arson, and firearm charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates acknowledge and thank the FBI for their assistance in preparing this case for prosecution in federal court.
Anthony Smith Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison after a Jury Finds him Guilty of being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Anthony Smith, age 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was convicted after a four-day jury trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Reiss sentenced Smith to two concurrent 45-month sentences following guilty verdicts on each of the two counts of the indictment and an additional 18 months for having violated the terms of his federal supervised release.
The evidence presented at trial revealed that in April 2016, Smith was asked to travel to Vermont to collect on a debt owed by a Vermont-based addict. Smith, who was on supervised release at the time in connection with a prior drug conspiracy conviction, traveled overnight with a mother and her young child to Vermont. When they arrived in the early hours of April 19, 2016, Smith directed the mother to drive him to the home of the debtor where he later confronted the man about repaying the debt. A neighbor noticed the suspicious vehicle in the driveway and reported it to the police. The debtor left his home seeking to collect money with which to pay Smith, during which time Smith waited at the On-The-Run convenience store in St. Albans. The Vermont State Police were on the lookout for the suspicious vehicle and promptly located it. Smith was questioned at the scene and a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a Colt .22 caliber handgun together with twenty-four rounds of matching .22 caliber ammunition. The jury concluded that Smith possessed the gun and ammunition.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives as well as the Vermont State Police. The Vermont State Police were instrumental in the defendant’s arrest having located the vehicle Smith occupied, as well as the weapons.
U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan stated: “We are committed to protecting Vermont communities from gun violence. This case arose from not only strong police work, but through the efforts of a vigilant civilian neighbor who noticed the suspicious vehicle and alerted the police. Firearms in the hands of convicted felons are an inherent danger to public safety, and we urge our citizens to continue to be on the lookout for suspicious gun activity and to err on the side of reporting to law enforcement. We will continue to work collaboratively with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prevent gun crime and bring to justice those who fail to comply with our gun laws.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Owen C.J. Foster and Wendy Fuller tried the case on behalf of the United States. Mark Kaplan represents Anthony Smith.
5 Arrested in Scheme that Hired People to Take English Proficiency Exam on Behalf of Chinese Nationals Seeking Student VisasRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities this morning arrested five defendants linked to a scheme that helped Chinese nationals obtain student visas by hiring individuals who used fake Chinese passports to take an English proficiency test for the foreign students.
The arrests were made pursuant to a 26-count indictment returned on Friday by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to use false passports, using false passports, and aggravated identity theft as part of the scheme to impersonate Chinese nationals who were required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to obtain a student visa.
The five defendants were taken into custody this morning without incident. They are:
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Liu Cai, 23, of Woodland Hills, who allegedly facilitated the scheme, took at least five TOEFL exams himself and is residing in the United States on a student visa;
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Quang Cao, 24, of San Francisco, who allegedly took at least four TOEFL exams with false identification, and who was arrested today in Stockton, California;
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Elric Zhang, 24, of Los Angeles, who allegedly took at least five TOEFL exams as part of the scheme;
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Mohan Zhang, 24, of Cerritos, who allegedly took at least two TOEFL exams under the names of foreign nationals; and
- Samantha Wang, 24, of Corona, who allegedly took at least two TOEFL exams.
The four Southern California defendants are expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Cao is expected to make an initial appearance this afternoon in the Eastern District of California.
The sixth defendant in the case – Tuan Tran, 33, who allegedly took at least one TOEFL exam with a false identification document – is believed to be currently residing in Taiwan.
The United States requires foreign citizens who wish to enter the United States on a temporary basis to study at a college or university to first obtain an F-1 student visa. To obtain a student visa, foreign citizens must first apply to study at a school that has been authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll foreign students. In the United States, many SEVP-certified schools require foreign citizens whose first language is not English to certify proficiency in English by achieving a particular score on the TOEFL.
When the foreign national goes to a TOEFL testing location, the test taker must present an original, non-expired, government-issued identification document recognized by their home country. According to the indictment, all six defendants used counterfeit People’s Republic of China passports to impersonate 19 different Chinese nationals at various TOEFL testing locations in and around Los Angeles.
The indictment further alleges that Cai paid for and registered 14 Chinese nationals for TOEFL exams over a one-year period in 2015 and 2016. Following the tests, Cai allegedly paid three co-defendants approximately $400 per test from his PayPal and Venmo accounts.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The conspiracy count in the indictment carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge of using a false passport carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection National Security Section. The Educational Testing Service, which administers the TOEFL exam, has provided assistance during the investigation.
This matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Ryan of the General Crimes section.
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35 Defendants Charged in Joint Federal and State Investigation into Heroin and Fentanyl Delivery Service in Chicago AreaRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Thirty-five individuals are facing criminal charges as part of a joint federal and state investigation into heroin and fentanyl trafficking in Chicago.
During the multi-year investigation, dubbed “Operation Road Rage,” law enforcement seized a kilogram of heroin, most of which contained fentanyl, approximately $100,000 in cash, five firearms, and four vehicles. Much of the alleged drug trafficking occurred in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. Many of the defendants allegedly distributed heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin to customers in the Chicago area, with drivers dispatched to make deliveries after customers placed orders on a telephone hotline.
The investigation was jointly conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA). The task forces partner with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations.
Criminal complaints unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago charge 22 defendants with federal drug offenses. Many of the federal defendants were arrested Thursday, and detention hearings will be held this week in federal court in Chicago. Thirteen other defendants were charged in state complaints, and many of them were also arrested Thursday. The state defendants have begun making initial appearances in Cook County Criminal Court.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kimberly M. Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney; Brian McKnight, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; Nicholas Roti, Director of HIDTA; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty Wright and Shy Jackson represent the government.
Fourteen federal defendants are charged in U.S.A. v. Robinson, et al (19 CR 201). The complaint describes a drug trafficking organization in which heroin hotline operators and dispatchers often referred to themselves as “Sean.” Customers intending to purchase heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin called a designated telephone number operated by members of the “Sean” drug trafficking operation, the complaint states. The dispatchers then sent the organization’s many distributors to various West Side locations to conduct the drug deals, the complaint states. Undercover law enforcement officers disrupted the Sean organization by conducting approximately 50 narcotics purchases after calling the Sean phones and meeting with the distributors, according to the complaint. Charged with drug conspiracy are four individuals who, at various times, were responsible for dispatching the distributors: THOMAS CLEVELAND, 27, of Chicago, FREDERICK GILES, 26, of Chicago, AMELIA SMITH, 30, of Country Club Hills, and MICHAEL ROBINSON, 24, of Country Club Hills; as well as ten alleged distributors: WILLIE BLAIR, 32, of Chicago, LAWRENCE CLARK, 26, of Chicago, CARDELL COLEMAN, 21, of Chicago, JOLISA GAINES, 29, of Chicago, D’ANGELO GILES, 21, of Chicago, TYRELL KELLY, 27 of Chicago, KEITH MANNING, 27, of Bellwood, DEVONTE SMITH, 26, of Chicago, KAJUAN SMITH, 30, of Chicago, and DESMOND WHITE, 25, of Chicago.
Two federal defendants are charged in U.S.A. v. Chose, et al (19 CR 202). Charged with drug conspiracy are ANNA T. CHOSE, 54, of Morris, and ROXANNE E. CONN, 56, of Wilmington. The charges accuse the pair of being regular customers of the Sean drug trafficking organization. The complaint describes three instances in the summer of 2018 when Chose and Conn purchased distribution quantities of narcotics from Robinson, and alleges that they regularly purchased narcotics from the Sean drug trafficking organization.
Clark and three other federal defendants are charged in U.S.A. v. Pitts, et al (19 CR 204). Charged with drug conspiracy and distribution offenses are MICHAEL PITTS, 33, of Bellwood, TEVIN FORD, 27, of Chicago, and JHAMAAL HANEY, 26, of Chicago. According to the complaint, the four defendants conspired to distribute approximately 94.8 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer from August 2017 to March 2018. The charges also hold Pitts personally responsible for distributing a total of approximately 386.5 grams of heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin to undercover officers from August 2017 to May 2018. One of Pitts’ customers suffered a drug overdose in May 2018 after Pitts distributed 1.13 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin to him, the complaint states. The man appeared to be unconscious when Pitts pulled him out of a vehicle and left him at a nearby bus stop, the complaint states. Chicago Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene and worked to successfully revive the man, the complaint states.
Three other federal defendants are charged with narcotics offenses as part of the investigation: JUSTIN BANASIAK, 35, of Chicago; JACLYN ROWLEY, 31, of Michigan City, Ind.; and MATTHEW ROSOLIK, 32, of Trail Creek, Ind.
The charges in the complaints carry maximum penalties of between 20 years and life imprisonment. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
26 Charged in Series of Federal Indictments in South Carolina and Georgia for Drugs, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
Aiken, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that 26 individuals, many of them associates of a violent criminal street gang, have been indicted on drug and firearms charges after a series of investigations in South Carolina and Georgia.
The investigation and arrests were announced in a joint press conference held at the Aiken Department of Public Safety by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of South Carolina and the Southern District of Georgia.
The investigation was initiated by the Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement (RAGE) Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It began in 2017 as an investigation of a member of a criminal street gang who is alleged to have coordinated continued criminal activity while being held in the Aiken County Detention Center awaiting retrial for murder in a 2008 drug-related home invasion.
From 2017 to the present, ATF agents in South Carolina and Georgia identified multiple targets in the investigation, many of them linked by association with the street gang. Nine defendants were named in three separate indictments by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while 17 additional defendants have been indicted in the District of South Carolina.
“We will not stand by and let violent criminal enterprises continue victimizing our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina is locking arms with our law enforcement partners, and we will spare no resource to take back our neighborhoods from criminal actors who are mixing violence and illegal drug distribution. I am proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia, and I applaud their excellent work in these cases.”
“Our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors continue our relentless and unwavering effort to identify, arrest and prosecute associates of violent criminal street gangs and remove them from our neighborhoods,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “City limits, county lines and state borders are no barrier to the professionals who fight tirelessly to eliminate drug-dealers and illegal firearms from our communities.”
The 17 defendants charged in South Carolina are:
Ronald Gartrell, a/k/a “RJ,” 33, of Aiken, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
Heather Collins, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine and Crack Cocaine;
Cornelious F. McKie, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine;
Reihn Dracon Jennings, a/k/a “Red,” 28, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
Christopher Johnson, a/k/a “Crip,” 32, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
Quinton De’Shaun White, a/k/a “Q,” 29, of North Augusta, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
Kevin D. Sheppard, a/k/a “Bean O”, 35, of Jackson, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm
During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Benjamin Roper, 42, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Jerome Morris Simmons, 38, of Aiken, charged with Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Antonio Maurice Scrivens, a/k/a “Bucko,” 34, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Keith Williams, 29, of Beech Island, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Larry Thomas, 20, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Charlie Edward Carter, 31, of Beech Island, charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;
Rudolph Keith Scott, 27, of Beech Island, charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Ray Hampton Baughman, 48, of New Ellenton, South Carolina, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
Xavier Mathaney, 26, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and
Rashad Lundy, 27, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
The defendants indicted in Georgia are:
George Edward Powell, 51, of Blythe, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Keldrick Demonta Streetman, 36, of Augusta, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Cocaine, and Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Jermarce Antonio Smith, 32, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Brandon Jermal Jenkins, 29, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Carl Walker, 56, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
Gwendolyn Johnson-Hill, 53, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;
John Willie Powell, 39, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine;
Ziquane Sandford, 21, of Hephzibah, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, False Statements in Acquisition of Firearms, Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Short-Barreled Shotgun, and False Statements Concerning Information Kept by Firearms Dealer;
Jacquetta Yarbray, 23, of Hephzibah, charged with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, False Statements in Acquisition of Firearms, and False Statements Concerning Information Kept by Firearms Dealer.
U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that all charges in the indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton R. Bourne in the District of South Carolina and Assistant United States Attorney Tara Lyons and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Marchman in the Southern District of Georgia.
Led by ATF’s RAGE Unit, the law enforcement entities listed below participated in the investigation and the arrests today. The ATF Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement (RAGE) Unit is a joint gang/violent crime task force with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, North Augusta Department of Public Safety, Aiken Department of Public Safety, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Participating law enforcement and prosecution agencies:
State of South Carolina:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Charlotte Field Division
Aiken County Sheriff’s Office
Aiken Department of Public Safety
North Augusta Department of Public Safety
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole
State of Georgia:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Atlanta Field Division
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
Burke County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office
Georgia Department of Community Supervision
United States Marshals Service (USMS)
Georgia State Patrol Aviation
State of West Virginia:
Wheeling Police Department
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Wheeling WV Satellite Office
Federal and State Prosecuting Entities:
United States Attorney’s Offices – The District of South Carolina and The Southern District of Georgia
South Carolina Second Judicial Circuit – Solicitor Strom Thurmond, Jr.
Superior Court of Augusta Judicial Circuit – District Attorney Natalie Paine
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10 Co-Defendants Plead Guilty in Historic Warner Robins Drug Ring BustRead the Press Release
MACON— The co-defendants involved in what is considered to be the largest heroin and fentanyl bust ever in Warner Robins have all pleaded guilty to their crimes in federal court, said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. These defendants entered pleas in February and March 2019. The final co-defendant, Jonathan Haslem, entered a guilty plea on Friday, March 8, 2019 in Macon federal court before The Honorable Marc Treadwell. Sentencing dates have not been set. The co-defendants are as follows:
- Travis Cyntelle McKenzie a/k/a “Showtime”, 39, of Warner Robins, GA (Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances)
- Thomas Jeffery Locke, 53, Taylor County, GA (Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin)
- Justin High, 31, of Warner Robins, GA (Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 50 Kilos of Marijuana)
- Clarence Bogan a/k/a “Bush”, 39, of Warner Robins, GA (Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine)
- Jonathan Haslem, 38, of Warner Robins, GA (Conspiracy)
- Tamika Lashawn Hickey, 36, of Warner Robins, GA (Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine)
- Esha Hill, 29, of Warner Robins, GA (Misprision of a Felony)
- Kimseing Le, 30, of Warner Robins, GA (Conspiracy with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine)
- LaTray McKenzie, 20, of Warner Robins, GA (Two Counts of Use of a Communications Device to Facilitate Drug Trafficking)
- Kaelin Varrett, 24, of Warner Robins, GA (Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine)
Travis “Showtime” McKenzie was the ring leader of the operation, according to his signed plea agreement. Mr. McKenzie admitted to leading a drug trafficking organization in Warner Robins, primarily storing and distributing large quantities of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, alprazolam and marijuana. The Houston County Sheriff’s Office began investigating this conspiracy in December 2014, and from March 2015 until the time of Mr. McKenzie’s arrest on June 28, 2017, more than seventy undercover controlled drug purchases were made, often with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
The drugs came from various sources and were sold in multiple locations in Warner Robins. Mr. McKenzie directly controlled the sale of these narcotics, and also supplied and facilitated other co-conspirators selling directly from these locations, with near daily sales. When search warrants were executed at these and other locations connected with the drug trafficking organization, large quantities of narcotics, currency, firearms and items connected with the distribution of narcotics were found. Inside the trunk of Mr. McKenzie’s BMW 750LI, agents found $33,500, 2.8 kilograms of marijuana, 355 grams of crack cocaine, 700 alprazolam pills, 3051 grams of fentanyl, 1276 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, 3178 grams of meth, an AK47-style assault pistol, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol along with a number of items related to the packaging and sale of narcotics. In Mr. McKenzie’s storage unit, law enforcement seized $187,996 cash, 21.2 kilograms of marijuana, 1864 grams of fentanyl, 634 grams of crack cocaine, 276 grams of heroin, as well as ammunition and 16 firearms including rifles, shotguns and pistols.
“A thriving illegal drug ring has been put to an end in Middle Georgia,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our law enforcement partners with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry Police Department, the Warner Robins Police Department and the FBI spent more than two years investigating this dangerous operation. Middle Georgia is safer because of their efforts, and I thank them for it. Dismantling drug trafficking operations continues to be a priority of this office.”
“It’s now ‘Showtime’ for Travis McKenzie and members of his drug organization as they face a federal judge to learn how long they will be separated from society,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the combined investigative efforts of the U.S. Attorney Middle District of Georgia, the FBI’s Macon Resident Agency and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office this organization will no longer wreak havoc on the good citizens of Warner Robins.”
“A joint investigation between the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations has resulted in dismantling the Travis McKenzie Drug Organization. This case is a perfect example of a successful collaboration between local and federal agencies,” said Cullen Talton, Houston County Sheriff. “This operation seized what I believe to be the most heroin and fentanyl in the history of Houston County. I want to thank all of the law enforcement and judicial agencies who contributed to this successful operation.”
This case was investigated by the Houston County S.O., the Perry Police Department, the Warner Robins Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Robert McCullers is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
11 March 2019
Vice Detective Arrested and Charged with Depriving Victims' Civil Rights, Witness Tampering, Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus Vice Detective has been arrested and charged with crimes related to kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest and forcing those victims to engage in sex for their freedom.
Andrew K. Mitchell, 55, of Sunbury, was arrested this morning by federal agents. A grand jury indicted Mitchell on March 7. The case was unsealed at Mitchell’s initial appearance in federal court today at 1:30pm.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Interim Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the charges.
Mitchell has been employed by the Columbus Division of Police since 1988 and is currently assigned as a detective in the Vice Unit. He has been assigned to that unit since March 2017. As part of his duties, Mitchell conducts law enforcement actions for solicitation offenses.
According to the indictment, Mitchell, while acting under color of law, deprived victims of their civil rights, namely, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.
Specifically, in July 2017, under the guise of an arrest, Mitchell allegedly kidnapped a victim and transported the victim to a location where the victim performed oral sex for their freedom.
In September 2017, Mitchell allegedly deprived a second victim of their Constitutional rights and transported the second victim to a location where he forced that victim to have vaginal sex for their freedom.
Again in summer 2018, it is alleged that Mitchell kidnapped the second victim under the guise of an arrest and transported the victim to a location where he forced the victim to engage in anal sex for their freedom.
The charging document also says Mitchell attempted to corruptly tamper with two additional victims, who are witnesses in this case. Likewise, Mitchell allegedly attempted to influence, delay and prevent the testimony of a fifth victim in an official proceeding before a federal grand jury.
Finally, it is alleged that Mitchell provided false information to FBI agents in September 2018 at the John Glenn International Airport by stating he had never had sex with a prostitute. In fact, it is alleged that Mitchell has had sex with numerous prostitutes, including having paid women money for sex.
The seven-count indictment charges Mitchell with three counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under the color of law (up to life imprisonment), two counts of witness tampering (up to 20 years in prison), one count of obstructing justice (up to 10 years in prison) and one count of making false statements to federal agents (up to five years in prison).
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Ohio Auditor’s Office and Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica H. Kim and Kevin W. Kelley, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If you believe you are a potential victim related to this case, or have any relevant information, please call the FBI at 614-849-1777.
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United States Attorney Lydon Hosts Discussion on China’s Threat to America’s National SecurityRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that she hosted a discussion entitled, “China’s Threat to Our National Security: An Economic and Private Sector Perspective.” The discussion featured William R. Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) in Washington, DC; Douglas Hemminghaus, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of National Security and Cyber in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia field office; and David P. Burns, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. In this first-of-its-kind meeting, NCSC and the Justice Department briefed members of the legal and business communities, heads of chambers of commerce, academics, and legislators about China’s threats to our nation’s economic prosperity.
More than 90% of the Department of Justice’s cases alleging economic espionage over the past seven years involved China. Over two-thirds of the Department’s cases involving thefts of trade secrets are connected to China. The talk aimed to educate attendees about economic threats posed by China, build bridges between law enforcement and law-abiding members of the business community, and ensure that attendees and their employers know that the federal government stands ready to help should they face data breaches, insider threats, or trade secret theft.
“The Department of Justice and the FBI will use all available tools to respond to China’s economic aggression and the threat that these actions pose to the prosperity and security of the United States and other nations that respect the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “Law enforcement cannot fight this battle alone, however. We need our corporate citizens to be informed and vigilant about protecting themselves from victimization in this area. The conversation we had today is just the first step in what will be an ongoing dialogue with the business community.”
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Two Men Charged with Conspiring to Steal Automobiles and Sale or Possession of Stolen AutomobilesRead the Press Release
Two men have been charged in an indictment with conspiring to steal Volkswagen and Audi vehicles from a lot in Pontiac, Michigan, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Charged were Romane Porter, 42, of Farmington Hills, Michigan and Daniel Onorati, 41, of Eastpointe, Michigan. Onorati was arraigned last week on the charges in federal court in Detroit and was released on an unsecured bond. Porter is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on April 12, 2019. The charges stem from an investigation initiated by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit.
According to the seven count indictment, beginning in March, 2017 and continuing through September, 2017, Porter and Onorati conspired with each other and others to steal approximately 61 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles that were parked in a lot at the site of the former Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Once in possession of the stolen vehicles, the defendants and others stored and sold or attempted to sell many of these stolen vehicles. Of those 61 stolen vehicles, the Indictment alleges that 46 left the state of Michigan.
If convicted on the charge of sale or possession of stolen motor vehicles, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. If convicted on the charge of conspiracy, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of no more than five years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.
“The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI have done an outstanding job of working together on this complex criminal case,” United States Attorney Schneider stated. “We are fortunate to have such outstanding public servants on our law enforcement team."
"These indictments are the result of an exceptional collaborative investigation by the FBI's Detroit Metropolitan Identity Theft Task Force and the Oakland County Sheriff Office's Auto-Theft Unit," said SAC Slater. "The FBI is committed to working with our State and County partners to hold those who break the law to account."
“I am grateful for the partnership between our Auto Theft Unit, the FBI, and the US Attorney’s Office who brought this organized auto theft activity to a close,” said Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard. “These individuals were bold in their behavior in stealing such a large volume of vehicles from a well-known location. These criminals deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit. The Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit is comprised of investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Southfield Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, Hazel Park Police Department, Farmington Hills Police Department, and Detroit Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hank Moon.
Two Lower Brule Men Sentenced for BurglaryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Lower Brule, South Dakota, men convicted of First Degree Burglary and Aiding and Abetting have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Jaron Grassrope, age 19, was sentenced on October 15, 2018, to 14 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. James Felicia, age 21, was sentenced on March 4, 2019, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Grassrope and Felicia were also ordered to pay $450 in restitution.
Grassrope and Felicia were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 17, 2017. Grassrope plead guilty on July 25, 2018, and Felicia plead guilty on August 20, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on July 2, 2017, when Grassrope and Felicia entered an occupied structure and stole a PS4 and attempted to take a television. When the owner of the home confronted Grassrope and Felicia, he and another individual that was in the home, were stabbed. Grassrope and Felicia fled from the residence and were apprehended later in the day.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Grassrope and Felicia were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Tucker County man admits to methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Allen Poling, of Hambleton, West Virginia, has admitted to drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Poling, age 52, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Poling admitted to selling methamphetamine in December 2017 in Tucker County.
Poling faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Tualatin Man Sentenced for Money Laundering and Defrauding InvestorsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Ronald Eugene Stover, 65, of Tualatin, Oregon, was sentenced today to five years of probation including two years’ house arrest for money laundering and engaging in a scheme to defraud investors.
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken also ordered Stover to pay more than $3.2 million in restitution to his victims and $168,883 to satisfy a forfeiture money judgment. The court cited Stover’s age and poor health in issuing a probationary sentence.
According to court documents, beginning in 2010, Stover began soliciting short-term loan investments to fund various Xtreme Iron capital projects. Stover claimed to have a long track records of success in real estate development, business and banking and relied heavily on investor introductions made by other professional intermediaries to establish his credibility. Xtreme Iron owned a heavily-leveraged fleet of Caterpillar and John Deere heavy equipment in Frisco, Texas and maintained an office in Wilsonville, Oregon.
At Stover’s urging, investors sent funds to Tri-Core Funding Group, an entity wholly owned and controlled by Stover. Stover falsely claimed the company had a sound business model, strong growth opportunities and manageable debt exposure. In addition to Stover’s many false claims about the business’s health and viability, he advanced many falsehoods about the nature of the investment opportunity including, but not limited to: investor funds would be used exclusively for business purposes, Stover himself would provide additional capital sourcing from his own funds and investors would receive short-term repayment of their loan notes plus interest.
In May 2012, Stover emailed a victim soliciting funds to purchase heavy equipment from Caterpillar. In response to the solicitation, Stover executed a 30-day loan note promising repayment plus interest. The victim wired $175,000 to Tri-Core Funding Group the next day. Unbeknownst to the victim, Stover never intended to use the money as promised. Immediately after receiving the funds, Stover used the funds to make over a year’s worth of mortgage payments on his residence in Tualatin, which was on the brink of foreclosure. Stover never repaid his victim.
Stover previously pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering on November 13, 2018.
The IRS and FBI investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Donna Brecker Maddux and Julia E. Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Tohono O’odham Tribal Member Sentenced to Prison for Assault by Strangulation and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 11, 2019, Brian Xavier Oliver, 26, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of three years supervised release. Oliver previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate and dating partner by strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On Aug. 28, 2016, Tohono O’odham Police Department officers responded to a residence in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation regarding a domestic violence assault. Officers found the victim in severe pain with a severely lacerated lip that was hanging by a small piece of skin. She stated that during an argument she had with Oliver, he threw her down on the bed, choked her with one hand, and then bit her bottom lip.
The investigation in this case was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raquel Arellano and Stefani K. Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00106-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-030_Oliver
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 11, 2019, Brian Xavier Oliver, 26, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a term of three years supervised release. Oliver previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate and dating partner by strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On Aug. 28, 2016, Tohono O’odham Police Department officers responded to a residence in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation regarding a domestic violence assault. Officers found the victim in severe pain with a severely lacerated lip that was hanging by a small piece of skin. She stated that during an argument she had with Oliver, he threw her down on the bed, choked her with one hand, and then bit her bottom lip.
The investigation in this case was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raquel Arellano and Stefani K. Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00106-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-030_Oliver
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three Men Charged with Possessing and Selling Cocaine, Heroin, and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Otis L. Lyons, Jr., a/k/a Cracks, a/k/a C, 31, of Lockport, NY, Bryheem Edwards, a/k/a Philly, a/k/a Leroy, 28, of Buffalo, NY, and Dalvin Brant, a/k/a Turtle, 26, also of Buffalo, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine; and, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between May 2018 and January 10, 2019, the defendants unlawfully conspired to possess with intent to distribute amounts of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. During this time period, investigators identified these individuals as significant controlled substance dealers in the Buffalo and Lockport areas.
On May 17, 2018, and May 31, 2018, defendants Lyons and Edwards unlawfully distributed amounts of cocaine. On October 23, 2018, defendants Edwards and Brant unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Niagara County Sherriff’s Office and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Voutour.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tax Preparers Admit Roles in Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK – Two Union County, New Jersey, tax preparers today admitted their respective roles in conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false personal tax returns, and witness tampering, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Samuel Davis Jr., 52, of Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS by aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns, one count of filing false personal tax returns, and one count of witness tampering. Kyna Felder-Ruiz, 35, also of Plainfield, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS by aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Davis was the owner and operator of Get Organized Tax & Accounting (GOTA), a tax preparation business in Plainfield. Davis retired as a detective sergeant from the N.J. State Police in 2016 after 28 years. Felder-Ruiz, who was employed by the N.J. State Police as a public safety dispatcher for approximately two years, was employed as a tax preparer at GOTA. For tax years 2011 to 2016, Davis and Felder-Ruiz prepared false individual income tax returns for various GOTA clients. They used a number of fraudulent practices, including falsely claiming deductions and fabricating educational credits in order to obtain refunds for their clients in amounts substantially greater than those to which the taxpayers were entitled.
For tax years 2012 through 2014, Davis filed false personal income tax returns by underreporting business income that he derived from GOTA. By doing so, Davis defrauded the IRS of tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. He also admitted that in October 2018 he became aware that his son had received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury. Davis admitted attempting to persuade his son to provide false testimony to the grand jury.
The tax fraud conspiracy charge to which Davis and Felder-Ruiz pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The witness tampering charge to which Davis pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing both defendants is scheduled for June 11, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan L. O’Neill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Protection Unit.
Defense counsel: Davis: Thomas Ashley Esq., Newark
Felder-Ruiz: Anthony Iacullo Esq., Nutley, New JerseySt. Thomas Resident Pleads Guilty to Calling in Bomb ThreatsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Rudy Cook, 51, of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty in District Court before Judge Curtis V. Gomez, to two counts of calling in bomb threats, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to court documents, on or around September 18, 2018, Cook called in a bomb threat to the Ritz Carlton Hotel on St. Thomas stating that three bombs planted at the hotel would explode at noon. On that same day Cook made a 911 call stating that there were bombs located at the Ritz Carlton that would explode and kill a lot of people.
Cook faces a maximum sentence of 10 year incarceration and a maximum period of supervised release of 3 years. In addition, Cook faces a maximum fine of $250,000. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
St. Thomas Man Charged with Bank BurglaryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Clement Bougouneau, 51, of St. Thomas, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller today, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Bougouneau is charged with having committed bank burglary and larceny from Banco Popular de Puerto Rico on September 4, 2017. According to court documents, he allegedly entered the bank and stole in excess of $ 1,000 in property and money.
If convicted, Bougouneau faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an Information is merely a formal charging document, and it is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
St. Louis Man Charged with Drug Trafficking after Officers Seized 31 Pounds of Meth from LuggageRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Louis, Mo., man traveling by bus from Los Angeles, Calif., was charged in federal court today with possessing methamphetamine to distribute after more than 31 pounds of methamphetamine was found in his luggage at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station.
Cregg L. Matthews, 52, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Matthews, who was arrested on Saturday, March 9, 2019, remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were conducting drug interdiction activities at a local bus station at about 10:27 p.m. Saturday, March 9, 2019. A bus arrived from Los Angeles en route to St. Louis, and a Kansas City, Mo., police detective used a service canine to check the luggage under the bus in the luggage bins. When all the passengers were off the bus, they also checked the luggage in the passenger compartment.
The police service canine alerted to Matthews’s suitcase, which was in the overhead bin above his seat on the bus. In the meantime, another detective had already stopped Matthews because he could smell marijuana on him. Matthews was carrying a black bag, the affidavit says, to which the police service canine also alerted. Matthews also had some methamphetamine and marijuana in his pants pocket.
When investigators searched the black bag Matthews was carrying, the affidavits says, they found 10 bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of 10 pounds and some marijuana. In the suitcase retrieved from the bus, investigators found 16 bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of 21.6 pounds.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce A. Rhoades and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by MoWIN (the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force) and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City Interdiction Task Force.
Shrimp boat seized after fraud conviction has been soldRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A shrimp boat seized in a federal fraud investigation has a new home with a North Carolina seafood company.
Assistant United States Attorneys with the Southern District of Georgia’s Asset Recovery Unit recently completed the sale of the 80-foot trawler to Lee Bland Williams of Scranton, N.C.
Williams and his wife, Madge, own Hobo Seafood, a commercial fishing operation in Swanquarter, N.C. He purchased the boat for $15,000, and said despite significant repairs the craft needs to make it seaworthy, he plans to have it ready for this summer’s shrimping season.
The boat, dubbed the Emily & Anna-Marie by its previous owner, had been docked in Port Royal, S.C., since its seizure. It had been offered for sale by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office under court approval for disposal of seized property, and the boat’s condition increased the challenge of finding a buyer.
“This is just one example of the kind of innovative thinking and litigating our office’s Asset Recovery Unit conducts as they move forward rapidly to make victims whole,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Williams, who operates a small fleet of fishing vessels, said his crew also repairs and maintains the boats – and he expects to have the 50-year-old trawler back in working order in time for the July start of shrimping season.
The boat was seized in March 2018 after the conviction in federal court of its previous owner, Michael Brian Anderson of Tybee Island, Ga., on multiple counts of false statements, mail fraud and money laundering. Anderson is serving a 77-month sentence in federal prison and was ordered to pay $818,234 in restitution. Proceeds from the sale of the boat will go toward paying that debt.
Anderson, a shrimper and fisherman, was convicted of submitting multiple fraudulent claims seeking millions of dollars in subsidies under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, a federal program that allowed American shrimp producers to apply funding to reimburse income they lost due to foreign competition. The investigation in the case showed that the program paid Anderson more than $800,000 to which he was not entitled.
The Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) of the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier A. Cunningham, is conducting post-judgment enforcement in the case. In building a strategy for enforcing Anderson’s Restitution Order, Financial Litigation Unit Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Robichuax filed a first-of-its-kind motion on behalf of the government to seek an order from U.S. District Court to enable sale of Anderson’s boat.
“We chose this unique path because the shrimp boat was rapidly depreciating,” Robichaux said. “The extra time and cost it would have taken to involve another agency or service to sell the boat would have resulted in a net loss from the vessel’s sale. It was also doubtful that another agency or broker would have touched the sale for this very reason, and it left us in a predicament over the optimal way to maximize profits to apply them to Anderson’s restitution balance. Requesting and obtaining authority to sell the boat ourselves was the best course of action given all of these headwinds.”
Cunningham said it’s just another day at the office.
“It took teamwork along with novel and creative thinking in order to complete this enforcement action,” he said. “Such tenacity is the hallmark of the USAO SDGA, where maximizing recovery for crime victims and completing the lifecycle of justice is paramount.”
Serial Robber Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Seven Robberies in North and South CarolinaRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ron Luclaire Houser, 42, of Mathews, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Houser committed multiple armed robberies from November 2016 through January 2018 throughout North and South Carolina. In all, Houser robbed six Dollar General stores and a gas station. The robberies occurred in Fort Mill, Lancaster, and Lugoff, South Carolina, and Monroe and Ansonville, North Carolina. In each robbery, Houser threatened employees at gunpoint.
Houser faces of maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The charges against Houser were the result of an extensive and coordinated investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office of South Carolina and the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Oakboro Police Department, Thomasville Police Department, and Stallings Police Department in North Carolina.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Romanian National Sentenced for ATM SkimmingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to covertly steal and utilize illicitly obtained debit card data by placing skimming devices on ATMs inside QuikTrip stores in Olathe, Kan., Kansas City, Kan., and Riverside, Mo.
David Velcu, also known as Luca Antoni, 24, a citizen and national of Romania who is illegally present in the United States, residing in Anaheim, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Velcu to pay $5,904 in restitution.
On Sept. 13, 2018, Velcu pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit unauthorized access devices. Velcu admitted that he possessed 78 re-encoded magnetic strip gift cards. Velcu engaged in a scheme using skimmers and pin cameras installed on ATMs in order to capture credit/debit card account numbers as well as the associated pin number. These account numbers were then transferred onto magnetic strip cards, using a computer and reader encoder, with the purpose of using the fraudulent access devices and associated PINs to withdraw money from the stolen accounts.
Between April 7 and 9, 2018, ATM skimming devices were located on three ATMs at Quick-Trip locations in Olathe, Kansas City, and Riverside. The investigation revealed that two juveniles who placed the skimming device on the ATM in Olathe on April 7, 2018, arrived at that location in a silver Audi A6 registered to Luca Antoni, an alias used by Velcu. That evening, Velcu entered the store and proceeded directly to the ATM, which by then had an “Out-of-Service” sign. After staring at the ATM, Velcu bought some food items and left the store, departing in a silver Audi A6.
Law enforcement investigators located Velcu’s vehicle on April 10, 2018, and Independence, Mo., police officers conducted a traffic stop. Velcu, the driver, presented a counterfeit Italian driver’s license bearing the name of Luca Antoni. When officers searched Velcu, they found a wallet with a Romanian identification card with his real name. Velcu’s wife, infant son, and 17-year-old brother-in-law were also in the vehicle. Velcu’s wife told officers that she and her brother had entered the United States illegally.
Officers searched Velcu’s vehicle and found three re-encoded magnetic strip cards with stickers on the front depicting four-digit codes, three tubes of Super Glue and two small crow bars. Upon deploying a card reader to ascertain the data on the magnetic strips, a federal agent was able to ascertain that each one of them contained a 16-digit account that was different than the 16 digit number embossed on the cards.
Investigators also searched Velcu’s hotel room, where he was staying with his family and the two juveniles, and found 78 re-encoded gift cards and three laptop computers that contained more than 1,000 compromised card numbers. They also found other equipment needed to install skimming devices and to re-encode the gift cards, including memory chips/cards, circuit boards, super glue, plastic fascia plates, lithium battery packs, cutting tools, and cables.
According to court documents, the fraudulent magnetic strip cards found in Velcu’s possession were analyzed by the U.S. Secret Service. Eighteen account holders were identified involving 17 different banks located in California.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, the Riverside, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations.
Randolph County woman indicted on drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Julie Ann Cutright, of Elkins, West Virginia, was arraigned today after being indicted by a federal grand sitting in Elkins on February 20, 2019, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cutright, age 33, was indicted on one count of “Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.” Cutright is accused of maintaining a home at 113 Riverview Drive in Elkins that was used for distributing methamphetamine, also known as “ice” from October 2017 to November 2017.
Cutright faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Randolph County residents indicted on methamphetamine and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Patsy Meredith DeMary, of Beverly, West Virginia, and Scott Jackson Hamrick, of Elkins, West Virginia, were indicted by a federal grand sitting in Elkins on February 20, 2019 on drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
DeMary, age 41, had her initial appearance in federal court today. DeMary was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Possess a Firearm in Futherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.”
Hamrick, also known as “Basic,” age 38, was named in the same indictment, charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Possess a Firearm in Futherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.”
DeMary and Hamrick are accused of conspiring with one another to distribute methamphetamine in Randolph County in the Spring of 2017.
DeMary and Hamrick each face at least five years and up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000 for the conspiracy count, up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the distribution count, and at least five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Randolph County man indicted on methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Eric Allen Harris, of Beverly, West Virginia, was arraigned today after being indicted by a federal grand sitting in Elkins on February 20, 2019 on drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Harris, age 38, was indicted on two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Harris is accused of distributing methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” in April, May, and September 2018 in Randolph County.
Harris faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.