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Thursday 17 January 2019
Cleveland man indicted for selling fentanyl and heroin last year that resulted in a fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was indicted in federal court for selling fentanyl and heroin last year that resulted in a fatal overdose.
Kadeem Davis, 28, was indicted on one count of distribution of fentanyl and heroin, with a sentencing enhancement allegeing the sale resulted in death, one count of use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of possession of fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute.
Davis sold a mixture of fentanyl and heroin on August 21, 2018 that resulted in a fatal overdose, according to the indictment.
Davis on August 22, 2018 possessed fentanyl and heroin with the intent of distributing the drugs, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by the Lakewood Police Department and the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force (NOLETF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa T. Darden.
The NOLETF is a long standing multi-agency task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the police departments of Broadview Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Euclid, Independence, North Royalton, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiatives. HIDTA supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Butler County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 500,000+ Images and Videos Depicting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Mars, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
David McAnally, 63, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that McAnally unlawfully possessed, on September 4, 2015, in excess of 500,000 still images and videos in computer graphics files depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom were under the age of 12. McAnally received and distributed the images through Bit Torrent, a peer-to-peer Internet file-sharing network.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. McAnally remains on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McAnally.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brian T. Moran Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran became the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Washington today, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. U.S. Attorney Moran will lead the office of 76 attorneys and 67 professional staff dedicated to prosecuting federal criminal cases, and serving as legal counsel for the U.S. government. Mr. Moran comes to the office with a deep record of public service at both the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
“I'm truly humbled and honored to lead this office of dedicated professionals,” U.S. Attorney Moran said. “I am pleased to return to public service in an office whose sole mission is to serve the citizens of the Western District of Washington.
I also want to thank Annette Hayes for serving in the interim as U.S. Attorney until her successor could be confirmed. Annette has ensured that the important work of the office continued seamlessly and she has been an invaluable resource to me as I transition into office.”
U.S. Attorney Moran previously served as Chief Deputy Attorney General for the Washington State Attorney General, managing more than 500 attorneys and 27 legal divisions. In that role, he played a significant role in shaping legal strategy in areas such as consumer protection, privacy and data breach investigations. Mr. Moran was a key partner and legal advisor for state and local law enforcement. Prior to his selection as the Chief Deputy, Mr. Moran served as the Chief Criminal Prosecutor for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. As Chief Criminal Prosecutor, he and his staff assisted Washington’s 39 county prosecuting attorneys’ offices, pursuing criminal cases and civil commitment of sexually violent predators.
Prior to his work with the Washington State Attorney General, Mr. Moran served as a Senior Deputy Prosecutor with the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office. His extensive trial experience includes prosecuting numerous high profile murder cases, white-collar fraud cases and the prosecution of environmental crimes.
U.S. Attorney Moran earned his law degree in 1987 from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University Law School). He is a graduate of Middlebury College.
Wednesday 16 January 2019
U.S. Attorney's Office partnering with community organizations to provide active shooter and hate crimes trainingRead the Press Release
You are invited to
SECURE AND SAFE: AN EVENING OF PREPARATION
Concrete Ways to Help Family, Employees and Houses of Worship
Active Shooter Training
Hate Crime Information
Security Best Practices
Co-Sponsored by ADL, U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI, and Jewish Federation of Cleveland
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019
7:00 pm
STONEHILL AUDITORIUM
MANDEL JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
26001 S.Woodland Rd
Beachwood,OH 44122
Free and open to all faiths and denominations.
For security purposes, please RSVP to [email protected].
Any questions may be directed to ADL staff at the email address above.
U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes to Step DownRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes announced that she is stepping down from the U.S. Attorney post on January 17, 2019, when Brian T. Moran is sworn in as the Senate confirmed, politically appointed U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Hayes became Acting U.S. Attorney on October 1, 2014. She was subsequently appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder, and then the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to serve on an interim basis as U.S. Attorney until a presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney was confirmed by the Senate.
“As my tenure as U.S. Attorney comes to a close, I want to reiterate what an honor it has been to lead an office of dedicated public servants focused on seeking justice and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Whether it was dismantling complex drug trafficking organizations, taking dangerous guns off our streets, bringing cyber criminals to justice, protecting civil rights, or a host of other impactful work, this office has worked tirelessly with our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to protect our Western Washington communities, and the nation as a whole. I am pleased to turn over the helm of the office to its next leader, Brian T. Moran.”
Under U.S. Attorney Hayes’s leadership, the office successfully prosecuted multiple international cyber intrusion cases including obtaining the conviction at trial of Russian hacker Roman Seleznev. The office also prosecuted public corruption cases including that of an IRS agent soliciting bribes from a marijuana business owner, and the fraud case against former state Auditor Troy Kelley. The office expanded its work in Indian Country, using new legal tools to prosecute habitual domestic abusers and increasing resources to combat the opioid epidemic. The office also continued to grow its efforts to enforce civil rights laws and provide alternative paths for protecting public safety, including supporting district-wide prisoner reentry efforts and our innovative federal drug court. In addition, as U.S. Attorney, Hayes worked closely with state and local counterparts to secure funding for programs to take guns out of the hands of dangerous felons, and combat violent gangs and drug trafficking organizations.
During her tenure, U.S. Attorney Hayes also was a member of several Attorney General Advisory Subcommittees focused on addressing issues of concern to the Department as a whole and the U.S. Attorney community in particular. From 2014 through early 2017, she was one of the co-chairs of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee Working Group on Marijuana. In addition to other assignments, throughout her tenure as U.S. Attorney, she was a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee Native American Issues Subcommittee, Border and Immigration Subcommittee, and Cyber and Intellectual Property Subcommittee.
Annette L. Hayes joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1997 as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division. She prosecuted a range of drug cases including large-scale, international trafficking and cartel related cases. In 2002, she became the Deputy Supervisor of the Complex Crimes Unit where she prosecuted cyber hacking and intellectual property cases while working with law enforcement on outreach to the private sector. In 2005, she became one of the supervisors of the General Crimes Unit where she worked closely with, and trained many new attorneys on a range of federal crimes including child exploitation, drug, fraud, identity theft, immigration and violent crimes cases. In 2010, Ms. Hayes became the First Assistant U.S. Attorney serving as second-in-command in the U.S. Attorney’s Office responsible for – among other things – overseeing and managing the criminal, civil, appellate and administrative divisions in the office.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Hayes spent her first six years as an attorney handling a variety of civil litigation matters at international law firms in Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Ms. Hayes is a graduate of Cornell Law School and Williams College.
Two Men Charged in Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikaela Weber (619) 546-9734 or Stephen Wong (619) 546-9464
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 16, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Earlier this week, federal prosecutors charged two men with Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death. The charges arise out of a 41 year-old woman’s fatal overdose from fentanyl-laced heroin on October 24, 2018.
As detailed in the criminal complaint, on October 24, 2018, officers responded to a 911 call regarding the suspected overdose of a San Diego woman identified in court documents as J.C.G. When officers and paramedics arrived, they attempted CPR without success and pronounced the woman dead. The complaint alleges that the San Diego County Medical Examiner conducted an examination and confirmed that the woman’s cause of death was a fentanyl and heroin overdose.
The case was immediately assigned to a multi-agency task force, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which investigates drug overdose deaths in San Diego County. According to the criminal complaint, within 24 hours of the woman’s death, task force agents and officers traced the fentanyl-laced heroin back to defendant Travis Ray Ballou, who was arrested on October 25, 2018. The complaint alleges that Ballou sold heroin to J.C.G. on three occasions—October 22, 23, and 24. On October 23, J.C.G. overdosed and went to the hospital, where she was revived with Narcan, an opioid blocker used for the rapid reversal of opioid overdose. The following day, on October 24, J.C.G. told Ballou about overdosing the day before and requested additional heroin, which Ballou supplied. That evening, J.C.G. overdosed on heroin and fentanyl and died.
Investigators quickly identified defendant Tony Davis as the person who supplied Ballou with heroin and fentanyl. Among other evidence, the complaint quotes a text message that Ballou sent to Davis on October 24, 2018 informing Davis that one of his (Ballou’s) customers – J.C.G. – had overdosed and had to be revived with Narcan, and telling Davis: “your stuff def has fetnal [sic] in it.” During a court-authorized search of Davis’ residence, law enforcement officers found evidence of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as syringes and payment ledgers.
“As the opioid epidemic continues to rage across the nation, we are committed to doing everything we can to save lives,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “That includes investigating overdose deaths as homicides and pursuing charges against dealers of the poison that is killing people every single day in this country.” According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner, deaths caused by fentanyl analogs more than doubled in San Diego County in 2017, rising from 33 to 84, and the office expects a slight increase in 2018 when pending investigations are finalized.
Task force agents and officers arrested Davis on November 15, 2018. Defendant Tony Davis made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez on January 15, 2019. Defendant Travis Ray Ballou is expected to make his initial appearance sometime next week.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong and Mikaela Weber.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19-mj-0142
Tony Davis Age: 63
Travis Ray Ballou Age 40
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(b)(1)(C)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison up to life
AGENCIES
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office
San Diego District Attorney’s Office
Homeland Security Investigations
Department of Health Care Services
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National City Police Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Individuals Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for A CarjackingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. - Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced that United States District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Miguel Angel Martinez-Ramos and Michael Rosa-Rodríguez to 23 years of imprisonment for carjacking and for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On April 25, 2018, Miguel Angel Martínez-Ramos and Michael Rosa-Rodríguez were charged with carjacking; using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; possession of a machinegun in relation to a crime of violence; and illegal possession of a machinegun.
The evidence revealed that on April 14, 2018, the defendants stole the victim’s vehicle and Rosa-Rodriguez shot the victim twice, once on the neck and once on his back. The third shot missed him. The victim, a school teacher, dragged himself on the street and was able to signal someone in an incoming vehicle who agreed to help him and took him to the emergency room where he had to receive emergency surgery.
On October 10, 2018, both defendants pled guilty to Counts One and Two of the indictment.
The criminal prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Daynelle Alvarez and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Carjackings and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Joseph Dixon, Jr., 22, St. Louis, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for carjacking and possessing a firearm during a federal crime of violence. He appeared in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2017, a citizen of the City of St. Louis exited his 2016 Dodge Charger, which was parked at 2406 13th Street. Dixon armed with a semi-automatic pistol approached the citizen, pointed the pistol at him, and demanded the keys to the car. The citizen complied and Dixon entered the Charger and drove off. When the citizen looked around he saw a KIA Soul also drive off. The Charger was recovered being driven by another individual in the beginning of August.
Subsequent investigation led member of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to arrest the defendant in the end of May, 2018 and interview him. He told the officers who drive the KIA Soul to the carjacking and that he used that person’s Glock 23 firearm to steal the Charger.
Dixon pled guilty on October 4, 2018 on the two counts of carjacking and possession a firearm.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
St. Louis Man Admits Stealing Credit Cards at the Plaza Frontenac CinemaRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Alfred L. Ford, Jr., 30, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to three counts - conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ford appeared before Judge Ronnie White today who accepted his plea and set his sentencing for April 17, 2019.
According to his plea agreement, between May 27, 2017, and continuing until at least January 27, 2018, Ford and others stole and obtained without authorization credit and debit cards of individual patrons at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema in St. Louis, Missouri. Ford and his co-conspirators then used the stolen credit and debit cards, without permission of the true account holders, to make purchases at various Walmart stores within the Eastern District of Missouri. The total loss amount from the conspiracy to commit access device fraud is $36,514.57.
Ford faces not more than five years, fine of not more than $250,000 on the conspiracy charge; not more than 10 years, fine of not more than $250,000 on the access device fraud; and two years in addition to the punishment provided for the offenses of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Restitution to any victims of Ford’s conduct is also mandatory.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle T. Bateman is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Six Defendants Arrested for Distributing Heroin in the East New York Section of Brooklyn and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging five defendants for their participation in a heroin distribution ring operating in the East New York section of Brooklyn and elsewhere. A sixth defendant was arrested and charged in a complaint with possessing heroin as part of the operation. The defendants were arrested this morning in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island and will be arraigned this afternoon before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“As alleged in the indictment and complaint, these defendants distributed high purity heroin in our communities, with life-threatening consequences,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “With today’s arrests, their drug trafficking operation has been dismantled, and the defendants will now face justice for their crimes.”
According to the indictment, complaint and other court filings, the defendants regularly acquired kilograms of heroin to process, repackage and distribute on the streets of Brooklyn and elsewhere. The defendants routinely tested the quality of the heroin to ensure it was sufficiently potent. On one occasion, as captured in court-authorized messages, defendant Dino Sanchez texted co-defendant Melvin Sanabria using coded terms to indicate he had a “bentley” and a “phantom” for Sanabria. Thereafter, in a court-authorized intercepted call, Sanabria complained that a subsequent sample Sanchez provided was inferior quality, stating, “I don’t rent hondas or acuras … around here we drive benz and lambos.”
Earlier this morning, law enforcement executed search warrants at three of the defendants’ residences, two additional stash houses and two vehicles, and seized over four kilograms of heroin, three firearms (including one with a defaced serial number), more than $100,000 in U.S. currency and various drug paraphernalia, including over 10,000 glassine envelopes.
The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Edelman is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
DINO SANCHEZ (also known as “Dinito”)
Age: 40
East New York, BrooklynALEX AYBAR
Age: 47
Bayside, QueensRALIEK BROWN (also known as “Burger”)
Age: 36
East New York, BrooklynMELVIN SANABRIA (also known as “Mel”)
Age: 42
East Rockaway, New YorkROGELIO VARGAS (also known as “Macho”)
Age: 43
East New York, BrooklynE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-14 (AMD)
RAMON SANABRIA (also known as “Junior”)
Age: 48
South Ozone Park, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-MJ-36
Robert S. Brewer, Jr. Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Southern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 or Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 16, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Robert S. Brewer, Jr., a decorated Vietnam War veteran, former prosecutor and prominent San Diego litigator for decades, was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.
Mr. Brewer took the oath of office in federal court this morning before an audience that included family members, lifelong friends, members of the legal community, judges and staff from the court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. As the United States Attorney, Mr. Brewer is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for prosecuting and defending the interests of the United States in one of the busiest judicial districts in the nation.
“It is one of my life’s great honors to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California,” Mr. Brewer said in a statement. “I am committed to fairness, equality, justice and above all the rule of law. I will draw on my valuable life experiences to uphold these principles and protect our community and our border. It will be a privilege to work with the skillful and dedicated attorneys and staff in the office. I also want to highly commend Adam Braverman who served as U.S. Attorney for the past 14 months and Alana Robinson who served as U.S. Attorney from January to November 2017. Both served with distinction and brought great credit to the office.”
President Trump nominated Mr. Brewer to serve as U.S. Attorney for this district on June 25, 2018, upon the recommendation of U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein. The full Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment on January 2, 2019.
During today’s swearing in, Judge Moskowitz noted Mr. Brewer’s many contributions to his country and community – from heroic actions as a combat veteran in Vietnam to volunteer work for the American Red Cross, the San Diego Humane Society and Canine Companions for Independence.
He also praised Mr. Brewer’s legal accomplishments. “I’ve known Bob Brewer for 33 years,” Judge Moskowitz said. “He is one of the five best lawyers I have ever met.”
Until recently, Mr. Brewer, a native of Ithaca, New York, was a litigation attorney at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek. He previously served as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County from 1975 to 1977, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California from 1977 to 1982, where he successfully prosecuted a variety of cases including espionage, bank robbery, murder for hire and aircraft hijacking. He also held various management positions, including Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division. He received the Attorney General’s Commendation Award in 1981.
From 1982 through the present, Mr. Brewer has been in private practice, including from 1991 to 2009 as a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, and from 2009 to 2014 as a partner at Jones Day. Before attending law school, Mr. Brewer served in the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer and received the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for his combat service in the Vietnam War. Mr. Brewer has been a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1999. He received the Daniel T. Broderick Award from the San Diego County Bar Association in 2009 and the Distinguished Graduate Award from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2016. Mr. Brewer earned his B.A. from St. Lawrence University, and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Brewer is married to retired U.S. District Judge Irma Gonzalez, the nation’s first Mexican-American female federal judge.
Because of the lapse in appropriations, information about possible media availability will be provided at the conclusion of the government shutdown.
Randolph County woman admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Christine Kay Woods, of Elkins, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Woods, age 57, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute More than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine.” Woods admitted to distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine in Randolph County from the fall of 2016 to July 2018.
Woods faces up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the Elkins 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.
Nationwide Sting Operation Targets Illegal Asian Brothels, Six Indicted for RacketeeringRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Oregon has returned two indictments charging six people with running sex trafficking organizations operating in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The indictments were unsealed today following a series of arrests by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) resulting from a multi-district takedown operation on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
The FBI partnered with local law enforcement agencies in more than a dozen cities across the nation to coordinate sting operations targeting the organizations operated by defendants under indictment in Oregon, along with other Asian sex trafficking networks. As part of the takedown operation, the FBI seized the primary website used by one of the organizations, www.supermatchescort.com, and about 500 other associated domains, including 25 location-specific sub-sites.
In addition to the arrests, the FBI assisted five victims in Oregon. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office victim services programs worked with local non-profits to ensure the victims have access to social, medical and legal services.
Zongtao Chen aka Mark Chen, 46, of Toronto, Canada; Weixuan Zhou aka Marco Zhou, 37, of Guangzhou, China; Yan Wang aka Sarah Wang, 33, of Temecula, California; Chaodan Wang, 32, of Beaverton, Oregon; and Ting Fu, 35, of Beaverton, Oregon, are charged with conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on or facilitate a racketeering enterprise. In a separate indictment, Hui Ling Sun, 40 of Portland, is charged with using interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on or facilitate a racketeering enterprise.
“Protecting vulnerable foreign nationals from criminal traffickers seeking to exploit them for profit is a critically important law enforcement mission. Trafficking adults for sex can at times be overlooked by our society because some believe the adult victims have a choice. This notion is false. These victims are powerless and often thousands of miles away from their home, native language and personal connections who might help them escape. We have always and will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who exploit vulnerable victims,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“Vulnerable women looking for a new life in the U.S. instead find traffickers who cash in on their cultural isolation by profiting from the sale of sex services. In many cases, these women lack the language skills and understanding of American civil rights to ask for help or assistance from law enforcement. For that reason, we need community members who suspect such illegal activity to come forward to help us identify these instances of human trafficking so we can recover the victims and provide them the social, medical and legal services they need,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
According to the indictments, Mark Chen headed a criminal enterprise that recruited women, primarily from China, to travel to the U.S. and elsewhere to engage in prostitution and other sex trafficking activities. Within the cities the organization was operating, a “boss” would oversee and manage a local brothel in a hotel or apartment complex. Customers seeking to engage in acts of illegal prostitution would call a number listed on www.supermatchescort.com or related websites, or send a message by text, email, or WeChat, an encrypted internet messaging service based in China. The organization employed dispatchers who would receive incoming requests from potential customers to set up “dates.” The dispatchers would coordinate and schedule the “dates” with women working at the various brothels.
Dispatchers used a computer program to schedule and track all of the prostitution dates. This computer program had a customer database that logged more than 30,000 customer phone numbers with details from previous dates. In Oregon, defendant Zongtao “Mark” Chen promoted illegal prostitution activities that occurred at brothels in Portland, Tigard and Beaverton.
Hui Ling Sun made her initial appearances in federal court in Portland on January 15, 2019 and was detained pending trial. Ting Fu is expected to appear in Portland today. Yan Wang, arrested by the FBI’s Los Angeles Division, made an appearance before a magistrate judge in the Central District of California on January 15, 2019. The Toronto Police Service Human Trafficking Enforcement Team and Fugitive Squad have provisionally arrested Chen in Canada with a view towards extradition. Investigators believe Weixuan Zhou is in China and Chaodan Wang’s location is unknown.
Anyone with information on these investigations or who would like to report a federal crime may contact the nearest FBI office or submit information online at https://tips.fbi.gov.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI Portland’s CETF investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Omaha, Nebraska. The Toronto Police Service, which maintained a parallel investigation, also provided assistance. CETF member organizations who participated in the takedown include Portland Police Bureau, Beaverton Police Department, Tigard Police Department and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations—many of them undercover—in coordination with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
The National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) assisted in the seizure of the websites related to the Chen investigation. The NCFTA, established in 2002, is a nonprofit partnership between private industry, government and academia for the sole purpose of providing a neutral, trusted environment that enables two-way collaboration and cooperation to identify, mitigate and disrupt cybercrime.
Scott Kerin and Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, are prosecuting the case.
Please Note: During the lapse in appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is required to curtail some operations pursuant to applicable law and policy. Nevertheless, the office continues to fulfill its law enforcement responsibilities by prosecuting criminal cases. The office will provide public information about certain significant cases including those impacting public safety and national security.
U.S. v. Chen et al. Indictment U.S. v. Sun IndictmentMethamphetamine Addict Sentenced to Prison for Multiple Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of North Versailles, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 2½ years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Brandon Mlinac, 27. According to information presented to the court, the White Oak Police responded to a 911 call on January 6, 2018, requesting assistance removing Mlinac from his then-girlfriend’s residence. The caller reported that Mlinac was high on crystal meth and informed law enforcement that Mlinac had a firearm stored under the mattress in the bedroom. When officers arrived at the residence, they recovered an unregistered New England Firearms 20 gauge sawed-off shotgun, with an obliterated serial number, and a Remington 20 gauge shell. They also observed drug paraphernalia. Officers were advised that Mlinac had possessed the firearm at the residence on or about January 2, 2018. Mlinac was prohibited from possessing a firearm at that time due to an outstanding protection from abuse order entered against him on December 12, 2017.
The court was further advised that on December 9, 2017, Mlinac was subject to a traffic stop and a Savage Arms 17 caliber rifle was found in the backseat of his car. A hospital blood test following the traffic stop confirmed that Mlinac was unlawfully using methamphetamine at the time of the traffic stop. Federal law prohibits unlawful users of controlled substances and those addicted to controlled substances from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the White Oak Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mlinac. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Martinsburg, West Virginia Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking, Distributing Fatal Dose of Fentanyl and Evidence TamperingRead the Press Release
Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg, West Virginia, man, who used heroin as a means to control numerous women he trafficked as part of a commercial prostitution ring that operated in the Western District of Virginia, and elsewhere, was convicted this week following a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen made the announcement.
Kendall Demarko Wysinger, 42, was convicted on January 14, 2019, of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of interstate transportation for prostitution, one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of evidence tampering, following a six-day jury trial. At sentencing, Wysinger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life.
“An individual who preyed on vulnerable victims and destroyed numerous lives through opioid distribution and sex trafficking will now spend the better part of his life in federal prison,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We are extremely grateful for the hard work and persistence of the FBI, the Virginia State Police, and our numerous local law-enforcement partners in bringing him to justice.”
“The I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force continues to work vigorously to identify and bring to trial the perpetrators of these heinous crimes; and partner with victim service providers to ensure victims are able to obtain the necessary care to recover and rebuild their lives,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge, MaryJo Thomas.
According to evidence presented at trial, Wysinger operated a prostitution ring with at least six victims in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Through the course of the conspiracy, Wysinger used heroin to coerce his victims into engaging in commercial sex, and employed threats and intimidation to ensure he maintained power and control over those victims. Wysinger routinely advertised these victims for commercial sex using online classified ads in Winchester, Virginia, and Shenandoah County, Virginia, and used social media accounts to target and recruit women into his sex-trafficking operation. The defendant demanded his victims provide him nearly all of the money they received from commercial sex in order to pay their drug debts to him and his charges for transporting them to prostitution dates.
On one occasion, the heroin Wysinger distributed resulted in two overdoses. Wysinger gave what he said was heroin to one victim of his sex trafficking ring and her friend. The substance was actually fentanyl, a far more powerful synthetic opioid, and both victims overdosed after ingesting it. One victim died as a result of the fentanyl poisoning. Wysinger was with both victims when they overdosed and destroyed the evidence from the crime scene.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force (I-81 HTTF), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (NWRDGTF). Assistant United States Attorneys Erin M. Kulpa and Rachel Swartz prosecuted the case for the United States.
The I-81 HTTF is a collaborative effort of law enforcement and community partners focused on identifying instances of human trafficking along the I-81 corridor in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland; prosecuting those responsible; and, providing assistance to the victims impacted by these crimes. The I-81 HTTF includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, and Shenandoah as well as the cities and towns of Front Royal, Hagerstown, and Frederick, Maryland and Lord Fairfax Community College.
The NWRDGTF uses the combined efforts of local, state, and federal agencies to actively pursue those groups or individuals who manufacture, distribute, or sell illegal narcotics. The NWRDGTF is comprised of the Virginia State Police, the Winchester Police Department, the Front Royal Police Department, the Strasburg Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.
MEDIA ADVISORY -- Release of statements for arrest of Hasher TahebRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and the Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker of the FBI Atlanta Field Office have released the following statements in regards to the arrest of Hasher Taheb:
U.S. Attorney Pak:
“Investigating and prosecuting individuals who seek to cause mass casualties is law enforcement’s top priority. Today, the Joint Terrorism Task Force partners, led by the FBI, arrested Hasher Taheb, 21, of Cumming, Georgia after a thorough investigation into his plans to attack federal buildings. As articulated in the affidavit supporting the complaint, his alleged intent was to attack the White House and other targets of opportunity in the Washington DC area. Mr. Taheb has been charged with violating Title 18USC 844(f)(1) -- attempt to damage by means of an explosive any building owned, possessed, or leased by the United States or any department or agency thereof, or any institution or organization receiving federal financial assistance. The JTTF initiated the case after receiving a tip from the community. Because the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and numerous Federal, state and LE partners are active participants in the JTTF, all potential threats have been neutralized and under control from the inception of this case. Again, I want to clarify that there were no threats posed to any targets located in Northern District of Georgia, nor was the upcoming Super Bowl a target of his alleged activity,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.
FBI Statement:
"It is important to point out that this investigation and arrest were the direct result of a tip from the community, another example of how important it is to contact law enforcement if you see or hear something suspicious," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Taheb is charged as the result of a year-long investigation by FBI Atlanta's Joint Terrorism Task Force. We want to thank the Forsyth County Sheriff Office and Gwinnett County Police Department for assisting us with his arrest. The investigation is continuing, but at this stage it is believed Taheb was acting on his own."
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Individual Arrested for Threatening the President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Yesterday federal authorities arrested Migdoel Cruz-Ruiz for threatening the life of the President of the United States. The complaint charges Cruz-Ruiz with threatening to kill the President of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 871, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The FBI is in charge of the investigation.
The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint states that on January 12, 2019, Migdoel Cruz-Ruiz contacted the Federal Bureau of FBI National Threat Operations Center via telephone, and made threats to kill President Trump, destroy Newark, Boston, Colorado, and the White House “very soon.” Cruz-Ruiz claimed that this was being done in vengeance for things the United States did to the people of Pakistan, India and Iran. On January 14, 2019, FBI agents arrested the defendant without incident.
“Federal authorities will continue to prosecute those who use means of communication to threaten, promote, or incite violent acts,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, Cruz-Ruiz faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The public is reminded that criminal complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Hanover Man Sentenced for Dumping Sewage into West Virginia StreamRead the Press Release
Defendant received 15 months of incarceration for dumping truckloads of sewage into Little Huff Creek in Wyoming County
BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Mike Blankenship, 54, of Hanover, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for Clean Water Act violations, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. A federal jury convicted Blankenship of two felony Clean Water Act violations in April 2018. United States Attorney Mike Stuart praised the work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), who were also assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
“No one wants crap in their creek but that’s exactly what they got in this case,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Clean water and public sewage - especially in West Virginia- is still much too hard to come by in some of our more rural communities. Blankenship operated his business with total disregard of environmental laws putting raw sewage in the very water sources our good people depend on.”
On September 29, 2015, a sewage truck owned by Blankenship was seen dumping untreated sewage into Little Huff Creek, a tributary of the Guyandotte River in Southwestern West Virginia. Inspectors with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) responded to the truck’s location in Hanover, West Virginia. They saw the sewage truck with a hose placed in the creek, observed sewage in the water and on the ground, and quickly requested the assistance of the West Virginia State Police. Returning to the truck, WVDEP agents were able to take samples from the truck and pad. Lab tests confirmed the presence of fecal coliform, an indicator of raw or untreated sewage. Later, agents with the FBI, EPA, and WVDEP spoke to Mike Blankenship. Blankenship owns a porta-john and sewage business under the name Hanover Contracting Company. Blankenship admitted that it was his sewage truck dumping sewage into the water on the day the WVDEP inspectors observed it. Blankenship also admitted to dumping sewage into Little Huff Creek on other occasions. Neighbors provided photographic evidence that they testified showed Blankenship’s trucks dumping sewage and porta-john waste into the creek on various dates in 2015 and 2016. The April 2018 federal jury also heard testimony from the law enforcement agents and experts in water quality assessment.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel represented the United States at sentencing and during the jury trial. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Festus Man Convicted of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Jerris M. Blanks, 39, of Festus, was convicted by a jury today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis for one count of receipt of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. Blanks’ trial took place before U.S. District Court E. Richard Webber and set a sentencing hearing for April 16, 2019.
According to testimony at trial, in 2011 a St. Louis County Detective engaged in a peer-to-peer contact with Blanks as part of an undercover operation. Blanks was found to have over 500 pornographic images of minor children on his computer and another 60 such images on a CD. Later in 2015, another investigation found that Blanks’ possessed more pornographic images of minor children.
Possessing child pornography carries up to 20 years and a fine of $250,000 and receiving child pornography carries a minimum of 5 years to 20 years and a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Festus Police Department. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Livergood and Kyle Bateman and Investigator Donya Jackson.
DuBois, Pa. Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of DuBois, Pa. pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Vincent L. Ruchlewicz, 58, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on Mar. 1, 2018, he was found in possession of numerous firearms. On Feb. 28, 2011, Ruchlewicz had been convicted in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Probation Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ruchlewicz.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Issues Memo to U.S. Attorneys on the Recently Published OLC Opinion “Reconsidering Whether the Wire Act Applies to Non-Sports Gambling”Read the Press Release
In the January 15, 2019 memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys, the Deputy Attorney General set a 90-day grace period on implementing the Office of Legal Counsel's (OLC) new opinion during which federal prosecutors should not apply the Wire Act to non-sports-related betting or wagering. This 90-day grace period will allow anyone affected to review the opinion and bring their gambling-related operations into compliance, if necessary. The Deputy Attorney General also indicated that, to ensure continuity across the country, any Wire Act charges must be reviewed and approved by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. This new review-and-approval requirement will be codified in the Justice Manual.
Tuesday 15 January 2019
Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on January 15, 2019, Taffin Monae Nuss, 30, and currently an inmate at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York, Nebraska, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture between January of 2013, and April of 2017. This sentence was ordered to run concurrent with (at the same time as) the remainder of a sentence of 4-10 years imposed by the Lancaster County District Court on March 1, 2018. Following her prison term, Nuss will serve five years on supervised release.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Nuss was responsible for the distribution of at least 5 kilograms, (11 pounds) of methamphetamine mixture and at least 35 grams (1 ¼ ounces) of actual/pure methamphetamine. In April of 2017, Nuss was stopped for driving on a suspended license. During a search of her vehicle, at least 40 grams of actual methamphetamine were found.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Washington, D.C. man admits to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Roger Anthony Williams, of Washington, D.C., has admitted to firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williams, age 38, pled guilty to two counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Williams, having previously been convicted of second-degree murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland, admitted to having a 9mm pistol in October 2017 in Berkeley County. He also admitted to having .45 caliber pistol and .45 caliber ammunition in September 2018 in the District of Columbia.
Williams faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 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.
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 Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Two Ukrainian Nationals Indicted in Computer Hacking and Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionRead the Press Release
Two Ukrainian men have been charged for their roles in a large-scale, international conspiracy to hack into the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) computer systems and profit by trading on critical information they stole.
In a 16-count indictment unsealed today in the District of New Jersey, Artem Radchenko, 27, and Oleksandr Ieremenko, 26, both of Kiev, Ukraine, are charged with securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, computer fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and computer fraud. The SEC also filed a civil complaint today charging Ieremenko along with several other individuals and entities.
The indictment alleges that Radchenko and Ieremenko hacked into the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) system and stole thousands of files, including annual and quarterly earnings reports containing confidential, non-public, financial information, which publicly traded companies are required to disclose to the SEC. The defendants and others then profited by selling access to the confidential information in these reports and trading on this stolen information prior to its distribution to the investing public.
“The defendants allegedly orchestrated sophisticated computer intrusions to steal non-public information from the SEC, compromising the integrity of the market and depriving honest investors of a level playing field,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will aggressively pursue and prosecute those who attack our financial markets and seek to profit unfairly, no matter where such offenders reside.”
“The defendants charged in the indictment announced today engaged in a sophisticated hacking and insider trading scheme to cheat the securities markets and the investing public,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “They targeted the Securities and Exchange Commission with a series of sophisticated and relentless cyber-attacks, stealing thousands of confidential EDGAR filings from the Commission’s servers and then trading on the inside information in those filings before it was known to the market, all at the expense of the average investor.”
“Today’s indictment sends a strong message to those criminals who choose to use the cyber-world to profit from network intrusion,” Mark McKevitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Newark Field Office, said. “The Secret Service will continue to aggressively investigate cyber-enabled financial crimes and develop innovative ways to combat emerging cyber threats.”
“This indictment is a testament to the countless hours of hard work and dedication by law enforcement in the fight against cyber criminals,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “Cybercrime knows no boundaries. Dismantling these operations are possible only by working closely with our partners.”
According to the indictments unsealed today:
From February 2016 to March 2017, Radchenko, Ieremenko, and others conspired to gain unauthorized access to the computer networks of the SEC’s EDGAR system, which is used by publicly traded companies to file required disclosures, such as annual and quarterly earnings reports. These filings contained detailed information about the financial condition and operations of the companies, including their earnings. Such information can, and often does, affect the stock price of the companies when it is made public, and is therefore highly confidential prior to its disclosure to the general public.
The EDGAR system allows companies to make test filings in advance of a public filing. These test filings often contain information that is the same as, or similar to the information in the final filing. The defendants stole thousands of test filings before they were released to the public, and sought to profit from their theft by using the information in the test filings to trade before the investing public learned the information.
To gain access to the SEC’s computer networks, the defendants used a series of targeted cyber-attacks, including directory traversal attacks, phishing attacks, and infecting computers with malware. Once the defendants had access to the test filings on the EDGAR system, they stole them by copying the test filings to servers they controlled. For example, between May 2016 and October 2016, the defendants extracted thousands of test filings from the EDGAR servers to a server they controlled in Lithuania.
Ieremenko was previously charged in a hacking and securities fraud scheme in an indictment in the District of New Jersey. That indictment charged Ieremenko with being part of a large-scale, international conspiracy to hack the computer systems of three newswire organizations and steal press releases containing confidential non-public financial information relating to hundreds of companies traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE from three newswires. The members of the conspiracy profited from the theft by trading on the news ahead of its distribution to the investing public. The indictment unsealed today alleges Ieremenko employed some of the same methods to hack the SEC.
Radchenko recruited to the scheme traders who were provided with the stolen test filings so they could profit by trading on the information before the investing public. Armed with the stolen information, the traders profited by executing various trades in brokerage accounts they controlled. In one instance, a test filing for “Public Company 1” was uploaded to the EDGAR servers at 3:32 p.m. (EDT) on May 19, 2016. Six minutes later, the defendants stole the test filing and uploaded a copy to the Lithuania server. Between 3:42 p.m. and 3:59 p.m., a conspirator purchased approximately $2.4 million worth of shares of Public Company 1. At 4:02 p.m., Public Company 1 released its second quarter earnings report and announced that it expected to deliver record earnings in 2016. Over the next day, the conspirator sold all the acquired shares in Public Company 1 for a profit of more than $270,000.
The wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts with which the defendants are charged carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The securities fraud conspiracy, computer fraud conspiracy, and substantive computer fraud counts with which the defendants are charged carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
This case was investigated by the U.S. States Secret Service and special agents of the FBI, with assistance from the SEC’s Market Abuse and Cyber Units and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Aarash Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Shapiro; Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit Justin S. Herring; Attorney-in-Charge, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton Nicholas Grippo; and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn O’Connor.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Ukrainian Nationals Indicted in Computer Hacking and Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Ukrainian men have been charged for their roles in a large-scale, international conspiracy to hack into the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) computer systems and profit by trading on critical information they stole, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
In a 16-count indictment unsealed today Artem Radchenko, 27, and Oleksandr Ieremenko, 26, both of Kiev, Ukraine, are charged with securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, computer fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and computer fraud. The SEC also filed a civil complaint today charging Ieremenko along with several other individuals and entities.
The indictment alleges that Radchenko and Ieremenko hacked the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) system and stole thousands of files, including annual and quarterly earnings reports containing confidential, non-public, financial information, which publicly traded companies are required to disclose to the SEC. The defendants and others then profited by selling access to the confidential info in these reports and trading on this stolen information prior to its distribution to the investing public.
“The defendants charged in the indictment announced today engaged in a sophisticated hacking and insider trading scheme to cheat the securities markets and the investing public,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “They targeted the Securities and Exchange Commission with a series of sophisticated and relentless cyber-attacks, stealing thousands of confidential EDGAR filings from the Commission’s servers and then trading on the inside information in those filings before it was known to the market, all at the expense of the average investor.”
“The defendants allegedly orchestrated sophisticated computer intrusions to steal non-public information from the SEC, compromising the integrity of the market and depriving honest investors of a level playing field,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will aggressively pursue and prosecute those who attack our financial markets and seek to profit unfairly, no matter where such offenders reside.”
“Today’s indictment sends a strong message to those criminals who choose to use the cyber-world to profit from network intrusion,” Mark McKevitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Newark Field Office, said. “The Secret Service will continue to aggressively investigate cyber-enabled financial crimes and develop innovative ways to combat emerging cyber threats.”
“This indictment is a testament to the countless hours of hard work and dedication by law enforcement in the fight against cyber criminals,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “Cybercrime knows no boundaries. Dismantling these operations are possible only by working closely with our partners.”
According to the indictments unsealed today:
From February 2016 to March 2017, Radchenko, Ieremenko, and others conspired to gain unauthorized access to the computer networks of the SEC’s EDGAR system, which is used by publicly traded companies to file required disclosures, such as annual and quarterly earnings reports. These filings contained detailed information about the financial condition and operations of the companies, including their earnings. Such information can, and often does, affect the stock price of the companies when it is made public, and is therefore highly confidential prior to its disclosure to the general public.
The EDGAR system allows companies to make test filings in advance of a public filing. These test filings often contain information that is the same or similar to the information in the final filing. The defendants stole thousands of test filings before they were released to the public, and sought to profit from their theft by using the information in the test filings to trade before the investing public learned the information.
To gain access to the SEC’s computer networks, the defendants used a series of targeted cyber-attacks, including directory traversal attacks, phishing attacks, and infecting computers with malware. Once the defendants had access to the test filings on the EDGAR system, they stole them by copying the test filings to servers they controlled. For example, between May 2016 and October 2016, the defendants extracted thousands of test filings from the EDGAR servers to a server they controlled in Lithuania.
Ieremenko was previously charged in a hacking and securities fraud scheme in an indictment in the District of New Jersey. That indictment charged Ieremenko with being part of a large-scale, international conspiracy to hack the computer systems of three newswire organizations and steal press releases containing confidential non-public financial information relating to hundreds of companies traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE from three newswires. The members of the conspiracy profited from the theft by trading on the news ahead of its distribution to the investing public. The indictment unsealed today alleges Ieremenko employed some of the same methods to hack the SEC.
Radchenko recruited to the scheme traders who were provided with the stolen test filings so they could profit by trading on the information before the investing public. Armed with the stolen information, the traders profited by executing various trades in brokerage accounts they controlled. In one instance, a test filing for “Public Company 1” was uploaded to the EDGAR servers at 3:32 p.m. (EDT) on May 19, 2016. Six minutes later, the defendants stole the test filing and uploaded a copy to the Lithuania server. Between 3:42 p.m. and 3:59 p.m., a conspirator purchased approximately $2.4 million worth of shares of Public Company 1. At 4:02 p.m., Public Company 1 released its second quarter earnings report and announced that it expected to deliver record earnings in 2016. Over the next day, the conspirator sold all the acquired shares in Public Company 1 for a profit of more than $270,000.
The wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts with which the defendants are charged carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The securities fraud conspiracy, computer fraud conspiracy, and substantive computer fraud counts with which the defendants are charged carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt, Newark Field Office; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment. He also thanked the SEC’s Market Abuse and Cyber Units under the direction of Robert Cohen, Joseph Sansone, and Carolyn Welshhans, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Shapiro; Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit Justin S. Herring; Attorney-in-Charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton Nicholas Grippo; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn O’Connor; and DOJ Trial Attorney Aarash Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Toledo men charged in federal court for stealing dozens of guns in firearms store burglaryRead the Press Release
Two Toledo men were charged in federal court after allegedly stealing dozens of guns from a firearms store in Oregon, Ohio.
Emmanuel Riley, 27, and Sevario Whitaker, 36, were each charged with theft from a federal firearms licensee and possession of a stolen firearm.
“These defendants are accused of breaking into a store in the middle of the night and stealing dozens of firearms,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said.
“There is no place in our society for those who use firearms for violent purposes, including those who steal firearms to further their criminal pursuits,” said Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels to bring those individuals to justice.”
According to an affidavit filed in the case:
A federal firearms licensee doing business as Towers Armory was burglarized on November 19, 2018. Approximately 46 firearms, six suppressors and four gun bags were missing from the store. Video surveillance from the store showed two men entered the store at approximately 3:24 a.m. after gaining access through the ventilation system on the roof and began removing firearms. They returned to the store several times in the early morning hours and continued removing firearms.
Investigators obtained additional footage from a nearby business that showed the two men entered a Toyota Camry and drove away. A Toledo police detective recognized the vehicle as one that was used by Riley.
The vehicle was towed from Riley’s mother’s house and Oregon police executed a state search warrant. Inside the vehicle they recovered gloves, a hat, a face mask and Friday the 13th-style mask consistent with what the burglars on the store surveillance footage were wearing. Whitaker was arrested on an outstanding warrant and also found to be wearing a sweatshirt consistent with what one of the burglars was wearing.
DNA testing revealed Whitaker’s DNA could not be excluded from a red pry bar left behind at the burglary scene and the DNA of both men could not be excluded from DNA taken from the face mask recovered from the Camry.
A search of cell tower records indicates both Riley and Whitaker’s phones connected with a cell tower within one mile of the firearms store around the time of the burglary.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oregon Police Department and the Toledo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko.
A charge is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Texas Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for 'Sextorting' Minors in Eight States; 28 Minors in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A northeastern Texas man, Mark P. Barnwell, has been ordered to serve 35 years in prison for producing child pornography in 2016 and threatening minor victims in Illinois and seven other states while he was required to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade sentenced Barnwell on Jan. 9, 2019, to 25 years for production of child pornography to be followed by 10 years for having committed the crimes while he was required to register as a sex offender. Barnwell was ordered to remain on supervised release for the remainder of his life after he completes the 35-year prison term.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Barnwell, 36, lived in a shed behind a relative’s house in Whitehouse, Texas. Barnwell’s victims included minor-aged girls, including 28 from Central Illinois communities, and victims from California, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Barnwell entered his pleas of guilty on Aug. 29, 2018. Barnwell admitted that while he was a registered sex offender, he exploited minors online by using false personas on Facebook. Barnwell controlled multiple female-presenting profiles which he used to contact female Facebook users, including minors, and advertised a modeling opportunity he claimed would pay up to thousands of dollars per photo shoot.
At Barnwell’s urging, the minors who accepted the offer then took, and sent to him, photographs which they believed were being produced for the purposes of a modeling portfolio. The minor victims believed they would be paid by cash, check, or direct deposit once they completed the modeling portfolio process. At Barnwell’s explicit direction, the photographs taken by the minors progressed from various stages of undress to sexually suggestive and/or sexually explicit photographs of themselves.
Once he obtained compromising images, Barnwell threatened to injure the minor victims’ reputations and embarrass them by posting their nude pictures online if they failed to comply with his demands for additional images. In total, Barnwell used this scheme to obtain nude photographs from 43 minor victims located in nine judicial districts across eight states.
In addition to the videos and images related to sexual exploitation of children on Barnwell’s devices, law enforcement authorities found multiple videos captured by Barnwell, including several where he filmed up women’s skirts in public or attempted to do so, and a large number of videos where Barnwell surreptitiously filmed women using public bathrooms. Authorities also discovered what is believed to be the hidden camera he used to capture the videos.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, the Peoria Police Department, and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Vital assistance was provided by the United States Attorneys’ offices for the Central District of California, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Nevada, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Washington, Northern District of Iowa, and Southern District of West Virginia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald Hanna and Katherine Legge of the Central District of Illinois, Peoria Division, and Trial Attorney William Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Tacoma Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Dealing Drugs on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
A 31-year-old Tacoma, Washington man was sentenced today to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for his scheme to distribute MDMA and LSD on the dark web, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. TRAVIS PHILLIPS, was identified in April 2017, as a drug vendor on the dark web. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that PHILLIPS was caught with more than 8600 tabs of MDMA, as well as guns. “Every time that you sold MDMA, that could be the start of a downward cycle for a young person,” Judge Jones said. “When you have firearms and drugs the reason is you are fearful someone will come after you.”
“Drug dealing on the dark web is the new drug dealing frontier,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Those too frightened to make a face-to-face purchase may feel emboldened to purchase via the web, expanding the circle of those who fall prey to the scourge of drug addiction. Dark web drug dealers should know they are not safe – they will be found and held to account just like anyone else peddling dangerous drugs in our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, in April 2017, the Dutch National Police alerted U.S. authorities of a shipment of 7000 tablets of MDMA headed to a private mail facility in Renton. Law enforcement seized the drugs and left the box for the recipient. The package had been shipped to a fake name. On May 2, 2017, PHILLIPS arrived to pick up the package –he had a young child in his car. Law enforcement followed PHILLIPS to his home and ultimately detained PHILLIPS. PHILLIPS allowed law enforcement to search his car and home. Agents seized MDMA powder, 155 hits of LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, fake ID and a semi-automatic handgun and rifle. PHILLIPS had also been investigated for internet drug dealing in 2016 in California.
PHILLIPS pleaded guilty in May 2018.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods and Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Silvio. Mr. Silvio is an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to prosecute international trafficking cases in federal court.
Man Subject to Victim Protective Orders Charged with Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – CHAD WAYNE KASPEREIT, 34, of Oklahoma City, has been charged with one count of lying on a federal form to purchase firearms, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm while subject to a victim protective order, announced Robert J. Troester of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury on December 4, 2018, was unsealed today after Kaspereit’s arrest.
According to Count 1 of the indictment, Kaspereit made a materially false statement on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Form 4473 when he falsely represented that he was not subject to a victim protective order. He allegedly knew when he completed the form that he was subject to such an order in Stephens County, Oklahoma. He is alleged to have made the false statement on December 7, 2017, at Academy Store 246 in Yukon, Oklahoma, before he purchased a Taurus Judge .45 caliber revolver and a Taurus PT 738 .380 pistol. Form 4473, entitled Firearms Transaction Record, is required of individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers.
Counts 2 and 3 charge Kaspereit with the felony of possessing a firearm while subject to a victim protective order. Count 2 alleges he possessed the Taurus Judge .45 caliber revolver and the Taurus PT 738 .380 pistol between December 7, 2017, and February 26, 2018, when he was subject to the Stephens County protective order. Count 3 alleges he possessed the Taurus PT 738 .380 caliber pistol on October 16, 2018, when he was subject to a separate victim protective order in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.
If convicted, Kaspereit faces on each count up to ten years in prison, in addition to a fine of up to $250,000. He would also be subject to up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
These charges are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with assistance from the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney K. McKenzie Anderson, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime. To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that Kaspereit is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public filings for further information.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Randall Alan Hughes, 58, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 38 years in prison by Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for production of child pornography. After serving his prison sentence, Hughes will then be required to be on supervised release for the remainder of his life and register as a sex offender.
In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security received information that an ISP subscriber who resided in Lincoln, Nebraska was uploading child pornography in a chat room. A federal search warrant was served at Hughes’s residence in Lincoln, for evidence relating to production, distribution and possession of child pornography. As a result of the search, cellular telephones and other computer storage media were seized for forensic analysis and investigators found evidence that proved Hughes has been producing child pornography involving prepubescent minor victims.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Last of Four Michigan Men Sentenced on Federal Charges in Connection with Jared the Galleria of Jewelry RobberyRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Robert Scott was sentenced today to 65 months for his part in the robbery of Jared the Galleria of Jewelry on Monday, December 4, 2017.
According to court records, on December 4, 2017, at approximately 8:21 p.m., Robert Scott and three co-defendants, dressed in clothing intended to disguise their identities, entered the jewelry store, Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, in Richmond Heights, Missouri. While a co-defendant held the door, Scott and two other co-defendants armed with hammers, yelled for the store employees to get down. Using the hammers to smash the glass display cases that showcased jewelry, the defendants grabbed loose diamonds and watches. Scott, along with the three others, then fled. However, due to the presence of police officers in the area on an unrelated incident, the four robbers were not able to reach their getaway driver and were quickly apprehended. Grove was arrested at a nearby business behind the Boulevard St. Louis parking garage. The diamonds and watches were recovered from a backpack carried by one of the co-defendants which were valued at approximately $60,000.
Co-defendants Tyran Gray, Darrell Lee and Xavier Grove were all previously sentenced – 42 months; 36 months; and 34 months, respectively.
The case was being investigated by the Richmond Heights Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John Ware handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jury Convicts Two Cousins of Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted two cousins today on charges of aiding and abetting armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in addition to convicting one cousin of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, John Campbell, 45 of Richmond, and Alhakka Campbell, 45, of Knightdale, North Carolina, stormed into a Wells Fargo Bank in Henrico shortly after the bank opened on Nov. 17, 2017. While John Campbell threatened employees with a firearm, Alhakka Campbell vaulted the teller counter, removing approximately $5,197 in cash from teller drawers and putting it in a black bag. The cousins then fled the bank in a stolen pickup truck that they later abandoned. When Alhakka Campbell removed the cash, he unknowingly grabbed two GPS tracking devices, which broadcast the location of the stolen currency to law enforcement. Law enforcement immediately responded to the location of the GPS trackers, leading to the arrest of both men, and the recovery of the firearm used by John Campbell during the robbery.
The Campbell are scheduled for sentencing on April 18. Each face a statutory maximum of 25 years for the bank robbery conviction, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least 5 years for using or carrying a firearm in relation to the bank robbery. John Campbell will also be sentenced for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense, which carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. 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.
This 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and MaryJo Thomas, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gill and Gabrielle Michalak are 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. 3:18-cr-124.
Former Federal Prison Official Sentenced for Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Jarrod Grimes, 40, of Inverness, Florida, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons official, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for unlawfully engaging in sexual activity with female inmates at the Federal Prison Camp at Alderson. Grimes will also be required to register as a sex offender. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The Bureau of Prisons is staffed with correctional officers that perform their duties with honor and integrity every day. However, Grimes, who abused his position and power, was not one of them,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Grimes was in a position of trust and near absolute authority over inmates who had absolutely no ability to flee or escape. Any and all instances of gross and egregious corruption like this will be prosecuted by my office and we will seek the maximum penalties permitted by law.”
Grimes pled guilty in June to four counts of sexual abuse of a ward and two counts of abusive sexual contact involving a ward. He admitted to having sexual intercourse with four inmates and other sexual activity with two other inmates between about November 2016 and December 2017. Grimes was a captain when the crimes occurred, and was in charge of the correctional and security functions at the prison. Under federal law, the inmates were not legally capable of giving consent to engage in any sexual activity with Grimes. Grimes resigned from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in December 2017.
“This man used his position as a Captain with the Bureau of Prisons to take advantage of women,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones. “Corrections officers have a duty to protect the inmates at the prisons where they work. This sentence reaffirms our commitment to hold anyone who abuses their power responsible and that corruption, no matter where it is, will not be tolerated.”
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence on January 9, 2019. Assistant United States Attorney John File handled the prosecution.
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David L. Anderson Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – David L. Anderson took the oath of office today to become the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Mr. Anderson on August 16, 2018, and the United States Senate confirmed Mr. Anderson on January 2, 2019. United States District Judge Richard Seeborg swore in Mr. Anderson in a private ceremony.
Twice previously Mr. Anderson served in the office that he now leads. From 1998 to 2002, he was an Assistant United States Attorney, and from 2008 to 2010, he was First Assistant United States Attorney.
For 20 years, while not in government service, Mr. Anderson practiced at a large law firm. While in private practice, Mr. Anderson worked on criminal and civil cases around the country for individual and corporate clients. He chaired the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel in the Northern District of California. He served as a Criminal Justice Act panel attorney. He taught securities regulation at Hastings College of the Law and testified before Congress successfully in support of securities litigation reform legislation.
Mr. Anderson clerked for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the United States Supreme Court in 1991-1992. He clerked for Chief Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1990-1991 and Judge George H. Aldrich of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands in 1992-1993.
Mr. Anderson graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School in 1990 and San Jose State University in 1985.
California man charged after receiving a shipment of one kilogram of suspected fentanyl while staying in ClevelandRead the Press Release
A California man was charged in federal court after receiving a shipment of one kilogram of suspected fentanyl while staying in Cleveland.
Alan Gabriel Barba-Sanchez, 30, of San Diego, was charged with one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to an affidavit filed in the case:
A Cuyahoga County Deputy Sheriff seized a parcel containing one kilogram of fentanyl in Middelburg Heights on January 11. Homeland Security agents were contacted to do a controlled delivery of the package, which was addressed to 5400 Tillman Ave. in Cleveland.
An undercover agent delivered the package later that day. About an hour later, an individual later identified as Barba-Sanchez walked up to the front porch of the residence, picked up the package and carried it inside. Barba-Sanchez left the residence approximately 13 minutes later and walked south on West 54th Street.
Barba-Sanchez was arrested. He was carrying three iPhones, approximately $2,000 in cash and a key to a downtown hotel at the time of his arrest.
“When you look at the streets and neighborhoods of this district, fentanyl has had the same effect as a weapon of mass destruction,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This seizure has already saved lives in Northeast Ohio, and law enforcement will continue prosecuting those who traffic in deadly narcotics while working with other partners to make help available for people who want it.”
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Cronin.
A charge is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
A Mexican National, with Prior Drug Convictions in Metro Atlanta, Pleads Guilty to Distributing Meth Behind BarsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, GA – A Mexican citizen serving a sentence in a Georgia prison, pleaded guilty Thursday on a federal charge of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Jose Calderon, 40, of Mexico entered a guilty plea on January 10, 2019 before the Honorable Leslie Gardner in Albany federal court. Prior to his federal plea, Mr. Calderon was convicted in Gwinnett County Superior Court on January 22, 2004 for Trafficking in Methamphetamine. He was convicted again in Clayton County Superior Court on December 22, 2010 for Trafficking in Cocaine and Trafficking in Methamphetamine. Mr. Calderon will be sentenced by Judge Gardner on April 11, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Albany. Mr. Calderon’s possible federal sentence will increase to a minimum of 15 years in prison as a result of his state convictions, including deportation.
According to the plea agreement, Mr. Calderon was actively serving sentences for both state offenses at the Wheeler Correctional Facility. In 2016, while an inmate, Mr. Calderon used a contraband cell phone to broker the illegal distribution of kilos of methamphetamine to known major drug dealers across the state, including Borris Fuller, of Moultrie, GA, and Antron Miles of Tifton who were each previously sentenced to 360 months in federal prison in October 2018 Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Federal agents obtained authorization to wiretap cell phones, and use visual and electronic surveillance, in order to identify Mr. Calderon’s illegal activities from prison. Several of these operations resulted in the seizure of kilos of methamphetamine before they hit the streets for distribution. Mr. Calderon directed another inmate to distribute ½ to 1 kilogram of meth, three times a week, to Mr. Fuller. Under Mr. Calderon’s orders, meth was distributed in communities across the state, including Atlanta, Moultrie and Tifton, and parts of Florida.
“Mr. Calderon was orchestrating major meth deals behind bars, and thanks to the combined efforts of DEA, GBI and the Georgia Department of Corrections, law enforcement put an end to his illegal dealings and the illegal dealings of his distributers,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our law enforcement agencies do not tolerate illegal activities happening within our jails and prisons, and we will continue to pursue and prosecute prisoners engaging in criminal behavior while serving prison sentences.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and Georgia Department of Corrections. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the United States.
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.
Monday 14 January 2019
Woman Sentenced to Prison for Possessing RicinRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A South Carolina woman was sentenced today to 35 months in prison for the unregistered possession of ricin, a highly dangerous toxin.
According to court documents, Debbie Siers-Hill, 63, of Ladson, knowingly possessed the following items in a storage unit that she rented and controlled: Ricin, held in a container wrapped in towels and double wrapped in plastic bags; syringes, including one containing identifiable traces of ricin; numerous other liquid chemicals and powdered caffeine; latex gloves; packages of castor plant seeds; and three firearms, one of which had an obliterated serial number. In addition, two more castor seeds were found in Siers-Hill’s car, and agents also found castor seed hulls in the house where she lived. Ricin is an extremely dangerous toxin contained within the seed of the castor plant. As a “select agent”—along with such materials as the Ebola virus, anthrax, and the 1918 pandemic influenza strain—it is not available to the general public, and there is no known antidote to ricin poisoning.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan M. Salsbury and Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted 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. 2:18-cr-62.
Randolph County residents admit to drug distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Elkins, West Virginia residents have admitted to drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jeffrey Lynn Woods, age 58, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute More than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine.” He admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” from the fall of 2016 to July 2018 in Randolph County.
Crystal Key Hensley, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises.” Hensley admitted to using a place in Elkins to distribute methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in August 2017.
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, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force; and the Elkins 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.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge in GBK InvestigationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Balon Kenney, age 25, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a wiretap investigation, primarily targeting the GBK street gang and drug trafficking in and around an area known as the Greenway Projects, located in the West End of the City of Pittsburgh. The wiretap investigation revealed that from in and around November 2017 through in and around June 2018, Balon Kennedy conspired to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2019 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Rachael Dizard are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly led the multi-agency investigation, which also included the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Robinson Township Police Department, Stowe Township Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department, that led to the prosecution of Balon Kennedy.
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.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Rosalio Perez, 33, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha. Senior United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Perez to 10 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Perez will begin a five-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Perez was convicted in 2012 of possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to two years. In June 2016, Perez used an online messenger service to upload child pornography. On July 7, 2016, agents with Homeland Security Investigations searched Perez’s home and seized his phone. Agents discovered 46 videos and 77 images of child pornography on his phone.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Baker’s and Mega Mart RobberiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Edward Sherrod, Jr., age 37, was sentenced in federal court today in Omaha, Nebraska, for two counts of robbery. The Senior United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Sherrod to 8 ½ years of imprisonment. She further ordered him to pay $19,444.00 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Sherrod will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On July 5, 2018, Sherrod robbed the Baker’s customer service counter at 5555 North 90th Street. He went into the store with what was later found to be a toy gun, nylon mask on his face, and gloves. He demanded money from the clerk and was given $3,607.00.
On July 24, 2018, Sherrod entered the Mega Mart at 1357 NW Radial Highway, with a black nylon covering his face. He was carrying a similar fake gun and demanded to know where the safe was. The safe was closed, but not locked and $26,007 was taken. Law enforcement officers were able to recover part of the money. Law enforcement officers were able to catch Sherrod when he returned a rental car used in the Mega Mart robbery.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Great Plains Violent Crimes Task Force and Omaha Police robbery unit.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Result of Joint DEA and Local Law Enforcement InvestigationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on January 14, 2019, Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Ramon Penunuri-Noriega, of Mexico, to a 168-month term of imprisonment, to be served in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Penunuri pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and use of facilities in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering. During the first few months of 2018, Penunuri conspired with others to distribute multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Penunuri further agreed as part of his plea agreement to be removed from the United States to Mexico by immigration authorities upon completion of the term of imprisonment.
The case was primarily investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Omaha Field Division, the Omaha Police Department, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force.
Gun Crime Sends Belleville Man to Federal Prison for Eight YearsRead the Press Release
Anthony J. LeFlore, 54, of Belleville, Illinois, has been sentenced to 96 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. LeFlore pleaded guilty to the charge without a plea agreement in October 2018.
At his plea hearing, LeFlore admitted that on November 6, 2017, he illegally possessed and sold a .22 caliber rifle to another person in Cahokia, Illinois. LeFlore also admitted that he illegally possessed a magazine with 10 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, a plastic bag with 20 more rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, and another plastic bag with one round of 9mm caliber ammunition.
Federal law prohibits LeFlore from possessing any firearms or ammunition because of a 2011 conviction he sustained in St. Clair County for second-degree murder.
Upon release from imprisonment, LeFlore will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William E. Coonan.
Gang member sentenced to prison for illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Jermaine Courtney Brown, a member of the Gangster Disciples gang, has been sentenced to prison for possessing a firearm while a convicted felon.
“Brown’s criminal conduct and the behavior of other suspected members of his violent street gang plague our community and jeopardize the safety of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to combat gang violence and those who illegally possess firearms.”
“Brown clearly has not learned from prior convictions and continues to threaten the safety of our citizens,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI would like to thank the Cedartown Police Department for their diligence in arresting Brown once again. Because of their efforts Brown will have more time in prison to think about his future path.”
“The multi-jurisdictional cooperation encouraged and facilitated by Project Safe Neighborhoods is making a difference in the quality of life of our citizens. The Cedartown Police Department will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer,” said Jamie Newsome, Chief of Police, Cedartown Police Department.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: On January 30, 2018, Cedartown Police Department officers observed Brown walking along an intersection in Cedartown, Georgia. The officers were familiar with Brown based on his prior contacts with law enforcement and his association with the Gangster Disciples, a well-known violent street gang suspected of being involved in numerous violent and drug-related crimes. The officers were also aware of an outstanding failure to appear arrest warrant for Brown, stemming from an arrest in February 2017 for possessing a firearm as a felon.
Brown ran when he saw the officers and the officers pursued him on foot and by a patrol car. Brown threw away his cellphone and jacket as he ran, but they were later recovered. After a short chase, Brown was apprehended. As the officers took Brown into custody, he stated that he was carrying a gun in his pants. He also asked one of the officers, “can’t you just throw [the firearm] in the bushes? I already have too many charges on me.”
In addition to recovering a loaded Taurus Millennium PT145PRO .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, the officers recovered approximately 26.9 grams of marijuana and a digital scale. A court authorized a search of Brown’s cellphone, which revealed photos of Brown and other suspected gang members as well as a photograph of Brown pointing directly into the camera a firearm with a drum magazine that typically holds approximately 100 rounds of ammunition.
In addition to several misdemeanor convictions, Brown was convicted in 2008 of the felony offense of possession of cocaine in the Superior Court of Floyd County, Georgia. On March 19, 2018, Brown was also convicted in Floyd County, Georgia, of felon in possession of firearm for the February 2017 arrest.
Jermaine Courtney Brown, 28, of Cedartown, Georgia was sentenced January 10, 2019, to three years, one month in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Brown pleaded guilty to the indictment on September 12, 2018, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harold L. Murphy.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cedartown Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzette A. Smikle prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Loaded Assault Rifle During Officer-Involved Shooting at East St. Louis McDonaldsRead the Press Release
Antoine D. Johnson, Jr., 28, of East St. Louis, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm after sustaining a felony conviction, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge. Sentencing is scheduled for April 16, 2019, before United States District Judge Staci M. Yandle.
The federal case against Johnson arose on February 18, 2018, after police received a report of multiple shots fired into a family-occupied home in Washington Park earlier that morning, with injuries to two adults. During the ensuing investigation, officers with the East St. Louis Police Department surrounded a vehicle as it sat idling in the drive thru of the McDonald’s restaurant on State Street. Johnson was sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle holding a loaded Norinco SKS semi-automatic assault rifle. After Johnson and the driver refused to comply with commands to exit the vehicle, and upon observing Johnson’s rifle pointed in their direction, the officers opened fire. The driver attempted to flee but crashed the car into a pole beside the restaurant. Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested at the scene. Johnson sustained a gunshot wound to his hip and shrapnel damage to one of his eyes. The driver and the responding officers were uninjured.
At the time of his offense, Johnson was on probation in St. Clair County for a 2015 aggravated robbery conviction. Investigators were able to link both Johnson and the rifle to the Washington Park shooting, and as part of his plea deal with the United States, Johnson admitted firing 11 rounds into the residence on February 18 and agreed to plead guilty in St. Clair County Circuit Court to one count of aggravated battery with a firearm. His sentence in that case is expected to run consecutively to his federal sentence.
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.
This prosecution is the result of a collaborative investigation by the East St. Louis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Piper, Jr.
Federally charged Gangster Disciples member arrested after being fugitive for three monthsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Federal agents arrested the last of seven, recently indicted members and associates of a national gang —the Gangster Disciples — on federal racketeering charges stemming from a superseding indictment returned on October 25, 2018 by a federal grand jury. The newly arrested defendant, Antarious Caldwell, had been on the run since October. Caldwell was arrested in Clayton County on January 9, 2019 based on a tip after media attention and billboards alerted the public to Caldwell’s wanted status. Caldwell is now being held without bond.
The superseding indictment added seven defendants, most of whom were high-ranking Gangster Disciples leaders, who resided across the United States, and charged them with a variety of federal offenses, including conspiracy to violate the federal racketeering statute (RICO conspiracy), narcotics trafficking, fraud and other offenses.
“This defendant was on the run since October, including allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase with an infant in his car before once-again escaping,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “The FBI caught up with Caldwell, showing that trying to hide from arrest is useless. The superseding indictment adds to what the grand jury already found against the Gangster Disciples — that members allegedly commit numerous types of crimes, including murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and large-dollar fraud.”
"The FBI would like to thank the media and the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia (OAAG) for helping us with a publicity campaign that directly led to the arrest of Caldwell," said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "We would also like to thank the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office for assisting us in his arrest. The main objective of the FBI's Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation is to dismantle the Gangster Disciples and we feel we have made significant progress toward that goal with an extensive series of federal indictments and arrests."
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Forty-one defendants were named in the indictments. The initial indictment, which included 34 defendants, was returned by the grand jury in April 2016. Since then nine defendants have entered guilty pleas in district court. The 2016 indictment alleged that defendants named in a RICO conspiracy charge committed murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, arson, firearm crimes, drug trafficking, wire fraud, bank fraud, credit card fraud, prostitution and obstruction of justice and other crimes in furtherance of the Gangster Disciples enterprise and to raise funds for the gang. It also alleged that the Gangster Disciples were organized into different positions, including board members, who were national leaders, governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers, and chief of security for each state where Gangster Disciples were active; and coordinators and leaders within each local group. To enforce discipline among Gangster Disciples and adherence to the strict rules and structure, members and associates were routinely fined, beaten, and even murdered, for failing to follow rules.
The October 2018 superseding indictment maintained all those allegations, and added allegations of murder, robbery, drugs and fraud involving the seven new defendants. The seven newly-indicted defendants, each named in the RICO conspiracy, were:
- Roy Farrell, 59, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, held the rank of Gangster Disciples “Board Member.
- Mario Jackson, 38, of Jacksonville, Florida, held the rank of the Gangster Disciples “governor” of Florida and a national enforcer for the gang.
- Damien Madison, 32, of Denver, Colorado, was the Gangster Disciples “governor” for Colorado.
- Lawrence Grice, 32, of Houston, Texas, held the rank of a Gangster Disciples “governor” for Texas.
- Anthony Blaine, 36, of Smyrna, Georgia, was a recent Gangster Disciples “governor’ for Georgia.
- Antarious Caldwell, 25, of DeKalb County, Georgia, was a member of “HATE Committee,” an enforcement team for the Gangster Disciples.
- Condelay Abbitt, 34, of Birmingham, Alabama, was the personal assistant to a Gangster Disciples “board member.”
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. Each defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cobb County Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, and DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Section for the Northern District of Georgia, and Ryan K. Buchanan, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crime & National Security Section for the Northern District of Georgia, along with Conor Mulroe, Trial Attorney, of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Gang Section, are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
- Roy Farrell, 59, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, held the rank of Gangster Disciples “Board Member.
Federal Jury Convicts South Florida Resident of Participating in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A West Palm Beach resident was convicted by a federal jury today of participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Office, and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.
Balmy Lincoln Joseph, 24, of West Palm Beach, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing heroin (Case No. 18-CR-80153). Joseph is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas on March 21, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale.
According to the court records, including evidence introduced at trial, on July 18, 2018, a search warrant was executed by PBSO personnel at Joseph’s residence in West Palm Beach. The investigation revealed that Joseph had rented his apartment using a stolen identity. During the course of the search, law enforcement discovered 14 grams of fentanyl and 59 grams of heroin in the pockets of a jacket hanging in Joseph’s closet. In Joseph’s bathroom, officers discovered empty capsules, a cutting agent, and a scale associated with heroin trafficking. Joseph shared the residence with his co-defendant, Delson Marc. In Marc’s room, which was open and accessible to Joseph, law enforcement found a garage door clicker and keys that opened a locked garage freezer. Law enforcement executed a second search warrant in the detached garage and found 7.1 kilograms of heroin in the freezer, with an estimated street value of 1.4 million dollars. Ketamine and fentanyl were also found in the freezer.
Marc previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2019 by Judge Dimitrouleas.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and PBSO in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parnofiello.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Aaron Weisman Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - Aaron L. Weisman took the oath of office today to become the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. President Donald Trump announced Weisman’s nomination on October 10, 2018, and the United States Senate confirmed him on January 2, 2019. Weisman was sworn in by United States District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith in a private ceremony.
“I am humbled to have received the nomination from the President and the unanimous support of the United States Senate to serve the citizens of Rhode Island as United States Attorney,” said Aaron L. Weisman. “I am especially grateful to Senator Jack Reed and to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for their steadfast support in allowing me the privilege of continuing to serve Rhode Islanders.”
A career prosecutor, Mr. Weisman, served as an assistant attorney general and Chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s criminal appeals unit under four attorneys general, beginning in 1993. Prior to being named Chief of the criminal appeals unit, Mr. Weisman served for two years as a special assistant attorney general in the criminal appeals unit.
During Mr. Weisman’s tenure at the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, he represented Rhode Island’s criminal justice interests before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island in hundreds of felony cases, including the appellate litigation of many of Rhode Island’s most consequential criminal justice matters. Mr. Weisman also represented the State of Rhode Island in federal court, including an appearance before the Supreme Court of the United States, to defend Rhode Island’s interest in the finality of its criminal convictions.
Prior to his appointment as a special assistant attorney general, Mr. Weisman worked at Jones Associates, a Providence law firm specializing in appellate practice.
Mr. Weisman, a graduate of Brandeis University, received his Juris Doctorate from Cardozo School of Law.
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Sunday 13 January 2019
Kirby Cleveland, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleads guilty to murdering tribal police officer in 2017Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Kirby Cleveland, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Prewitt, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to second-degree murder for killing Houston James Largo, a tribal police officer for the Navajo Nation.
Cleveland pleaded guilty to an information charging him with killing Largo, with malice aforethought, in McKinley County, New Mexico, on March 11, 2017. According to public court records, Cleveland became drunk and angry while at home with his common law wife and children. His common law wife called the police and Officer Largo responded to the home. Cleveland went outside carrying a rifle and shot Largo in the head, killing him. Cleveland then went back inside the house where he admitted shooting an officer before fleeing the scene. State, local, and tribal law enforcement conducted a large-scale search for Cleveland and located him the next morning hiding under a rock about 1.5 miles away.
Cleveland is currently in custody awaiting sentencing currently scheduled for March 20, 2020. He faces up to life in prison for second-degree murder.
Cleveland also pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his supervised release from a previous assault conviction involving an attack on a woman with a baseball bat. Cleveland failed to abstain from alcohol and complete a residential reentry program as ordered by the court. He faces up to two years in prison for this offense
The Gallup and Albuquerque offices of the FBI and the Crownpoint, Shiprock and Chinle offices of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Spindle and Jeremy Peña are prosecuting the case.
Friday 11 January 2019
Two Arrested for Possession of A Machinegun During Shooting Committed in Isla Verde on January 6, 2019Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today federal authorities arrested Julio Rodríguez-Febres and Angel Luis Olmos-Vargas, participants in the shooting which occurred on Three Kings Day in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. The Complaint charges Julio Rodriguez-Febrez with one count for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and Angel Luis Olmos-Vargas with one count for possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Police of Puerto Rico Bureau (PRPD), as part of the Trigger Puller Initiative, conducted the investigation along with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.
The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint states that on January 6, 2019, at Zokku’s Lounge Restaurant in Isla Verde at least eight individuals exchanged gunfire with and killed another man. A review of surveillance camera recordings, and law enforcement investigation, showed that Angel Luis Olmos-Vargas and Julio Rodriguez-Febres were involved in the shooting.
If convicted, defendants face a maximum term of ten (10) years of imprisonment. Assistant United States Attorney Alberto Lopez and Vanessa Bonhomme are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
“Today’s arrests should serve as a clear warning to those who think they own our streets. State and federal law enforcement officers are working together to get them off our streets and we will not rest until our citizens feel safe again. I must commend the tireless work of all the agents and prosecutors who investigated this case; through their collaboration they were able to arrest these individuals only five (5) days after the Three Kings Day murder in front of Zokkus lounge in Isla Verde,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“These arrests clearly demonstrate that the federal government will not turn a blind eye to criminality in Puerto Rico and we will not tolerate the delinquency that impacts the lives of all people in Puerto Rico. I could not be prouder to lead the men and women of ATF who work every day with our devoted partners from the Police of Puerto Rico. The arrest of these violent individuals means all Puerto Ricans are safer,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Ari C. Shapira.
“As I have previously stated and specifically expressed yesterday, the initiatives—together and in coordination with the federal agencies—are on track, having effect, and we are starting to see the results of our joint efforts. With these actions, we have taken these criminals off our streets. Many more will also be surprised,” said the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, Héctor M. Pesquera.
“These arrests are the result of the effective teamwork between state and federal law enforcement agencies. We shared information with the federal agencies to solve this case and we will continue working together for the prosecution of state and federal charges related to this incident, which has been under investigation since day one. State authorities will continue with the investigation in order to press charges for the murder of Gregorio Cruz Pérez, along with any other state violation. We will continue undeterred in our fight against crime,” said Attorney General of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez Garced.
The public is reminded that criminal complaints and indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.