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5 March 2019
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Two Prior DeportationsRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being twice deported was sentenced today to almost four months in federal prison.
Pedro Matom-Matom, age 31, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 2, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Matom-Matom admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in April 2006 and November 2014 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Matom-Matom was found by immigration agents in October 2018 after he was charged in Linn County, Iowa, with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. That case is still pending.
Matom-Matom was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C. J. Williams. Matom-Matom was sentenced to 113 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Matom-Matom is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-112. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Fulton Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in firing shots at law enforcement officers and other motorists during a high-speed pursuit by law enforcement.
Russell Dean Moore, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 30 years in federal prison without parole.
On December 13, 2018, Moore plead guilty to one count of the destruction of a motor vehicle (a USF Holland, Inc., semi-tractor trailer), a second count of the destruction of a motor vehicle (a DCE Transportation, Inc., semi-tractor trailer), one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of knowingly possessing a stolen firearm, all alleged in an April 21, 2016, federal indictment.
Boone County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a Columbia, Mo., residence on the afternoon of April 6, 2016, for a stolen vehicle complaint. A woman told deputies that her 2007 Jeep, as well as firearms and other items, had been stolen from her residence. Among the items stolen was a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
At 2:44 a.m. the following morning, a sergeant with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department spotted the stolen Jeep in the parking lot of Midway Travel Center, 6401 E. Hwy. 40, Columbia. The sergeant drove over to the Jeep, which appear to be unoccupied, got out of his vehicle and walked towards the Jeep. As he did so, a woman appeared in the front passenger seat. She moved to the driver’s seat and drove away, stopping in the parking lot to allow Moore to get in the front passenger seat.
The sergeant pursued the Jeep with his emergency lights active. The Jeep turned onto Highway 40 and, as it was crossing Interstate 70, Moore shot at the sergeant multiple times. The Jeep turned onto Highway UU and stopped at the intersection of Sugar Creek Road. The sergeant saw Moore exit the Jeep and started shooting at him. Moore got back into the Jeep and the pursuit continued.
After the sergeant’s patrol vehicle was struck by at least one bullet, disabling it, other officers continued the pursuit of the stolen Jeep into the southern part of Columbia. The chase eventually moved onto Interstate 70 East, where officers continued to pursue the stolen Jeep into Callaway County. Throughout the pursuit, multiple shots were fired from the Jeep at various officers. Shots were also fired from the Jeep at four semi-trailer trucks traveling on Interstate 70, nearly striking one of the drivers.
The Jeep ran out of gas on County Road 172 in Callaway County and the occupants of the Jeep were arrested.
Moore told investigators that his intent when shooting at semi-trailer trucks on Interstate 70 East was to cause a serious accident, which would terminate the officers’ pursuit and aid in their escape. Two tractor trailers were shot during the pursuit. One of the drivers stopped his vehicle and discovered that his cab was damaged, and there was a 9mm bullet lodged behind the driver’s seat. Another driver told investigators he heard a pop and his truck engine began smoking and overheated. He pulled into a rest stop and called his employer. There was a hole in his tractor grill and the radiator, air cooler and condenser were damaged.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Fresno Resident Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Ricardo Rios-Angulo, aka Ricardo Perez-Lopez, was sentenced today to 220 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Beth Labson Freeman, United States District Judge.
Rios-Angulo, 33, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to the charges on June 19, 2018. At his change of plea hearing, Rios-Angulo admitted that on three occasions between May 2016 and April 2017, he conspired with others to sell over 21 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working for the DEA. The purchased substances later were tested and contained approximately 8,842.3 grams of 100% pure “crystal meth” (d-methamphetamine hydrochloride). During searches of Rios-Angulo’s two residences in Fresno, DEA agents found cocaine, heroin, and additional methamphetamine. In total, Rios-Angulo possessed over 12,875 grams of 100% pure “crystal meth,” over 107 grams of cocaine, and over 1 gram of heroin. Agents also found a Cobra .380 caliber handgun, a loaded Springfield Armory 1911 .38 caliber handgun, an AR-style assault rifle without a serial number with two high-capacity magazines, and various ammunition, including .380 caliber, .38 caliber, and .32 caliber bullets.
On May 4, 2017, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Rios-Angulo with three counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841. Rios-Angulo pleaded guilty to all six counts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release. Rios-Angulo has been in custody since his arrest and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Rios-Angulo’s co-defendant Sergio Antonio Padilla-Lopez also pleaded guilty today. Judge Freeman scheduled Padilla-Lopez’s sentencing hearing for June 18, 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Simeon prosecuted the case with the assistance of Tong Zhang. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.
Four Charged in Connection with Drug Activity at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4, Brattleboro, VermontRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on February 28, 2019, Francis Macie, Linda Wainwright, Desiree Wells-Cooper, and Juan A. Sanchez, Jr., all of Brattleboro, were arrested and charged with violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act in connection with drug activity at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4, in Brattleboro, Vermont.
According to Court records, from in or about December 2018 through in or about February 2019, Francis Macie rented, used, and maintained 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4, in Brattleboro, Vermont for the purpose of distributing and using controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. On December 28, 2018, law enforcement officers searched the residence at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4 and seized over 200 grams of cocaine base, approximately 70 Oxycodone/Morphine pills, and firearms and ammunition, among other things. On February 15 and 25, 2019, the Vermont State Police Vermont Drug Task Force, assisted by a confidential informant, purchased fentanyl from Desiree Wells-Cooper. Both purchases took place at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4. On February 20 and 22, 2019, the Vermont State Police Vermont Drug Task Force, assisted by a confidential informant, purchased heroin from Denise Wainwright. Both purchases took place at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4. On February 28, 2019, law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4, leading to the arrests of Macie, Wells-Cooper, and Wainwright. Also inside the residence was Juan A. Sanchez, Jr., who was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Macie is charged with renting, using, and maintaining 33 Oak Street, Apt. #4 for the purpose of using and distributing controlled substances. Wells-Cooper and Wainwright are charged with distributing controlled substances.
The case is being investigated by the Vermont State Police Vermont Drug Task Force, the Brattleboro Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The defendants made their initial appearances on February 28 and March 1, 2019 before U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy. Macie, Wells-Cooper, and Sanchez, Jr. were ordered detained. Wainwright is scheduled for a detention hearing on March 6, 2019.
If convicted, Macie, Wainwright, Wells-Cooper, and Sanchez, Jr. each face up to twenty years of imprisonment on each charge. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges contained in the complaints are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and John J. Boscia. Francis Macie is represented by John-Claude Charbonneau. Linda Wainwright is represented by Ernest Allen. Desiree Wells-Cooper is represented by Mark Oettinger. Juan A. Sanchez, Jr. is represented by Karen Shingler.
Former Oregon State University Student Sentenced for Threatening Campus ShootingRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—Christopher Adam Strahan, 33, of Corvallis, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to threatening a campus shooting and was sentenced to time served in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 27, 2018, the Director of Public Safety for Oregon State University (OSU) was notified of Twitter posts threatening a campus shooting at OSU. A request to Twitter revealed the account in question, "Hard Belly Dorm," was owned by Strahan. A detective from Oregon State Police (OSP) positively identified Strahan from the account’s profile photo. The detective was familiar with Strahan from an investigation in February 2017 for similar threats to OSU.
Later on February 27, a 911 tip produced a possible residential address for Strahan. OSP and FBI responded to the address in an attempt to locate him. While at the address, Strahan arrived in his own vehicle, was arrested and transported to the Benton County Jail.
Strahan was held in the Benton County Jail from February 27 until he was ordered detained pending trial in federal court and transferred to FCI Sheridan on March 27, 2018.
As a condition of Strahan’s supervised release, he is prohibited from contacting or entering the property of Oregon State University or the Linn Benton Community College.
Strahan was previously convicted in Benton County Circuit Court of second degree disorderly conduct for Twitter threats made in February 2017. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail, civilly committed to the state mental hospital for six months and ordered to pay $438.
This case was investigated by OSP, the Corvallis Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Amy Potter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Former Bank Tellers Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay Back $1.6 Million to the Peoples Bank in EatontonRead the Press Release
MACON – Two former bank tellers were sentenced today to prison and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million dollars to the institution they defrauded, announced Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Vicky Martin, 60, of Buckhead (Morgan County), and Brandy Mize, 42, of Eatonton, pled guilty in December to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud a Financial Institution. The Honorable Tillman E. “Tripp” Self sentenced Ms. Martin to 21 months imprisonment and Ms. Mize to 41 months imprisonment, five years supervised release and were ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally to The Peoples Bank in Eatonton, Georgia the entire amount stolen, $1,663,205.25. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
According to the plea agreement, Ms. Mize was the Head Teller and Ms. Martin was employed as the Assistant Head Teller at The People’s Bank. The defendants used their positions of trust starting sometime during 2012 or 2013 to embezzle and misapply bank money by transferring bank funds into their personal bank accounts or into the accounts of family members and associates. The defendants took cash from their teller drawers and, in Ms. Mize’s case, directly from the vault. The defendants also issued cashier’s checks for their benefit, all without valid checks or cash being deposited to the bank to support these transactions. The bank began their internal investigation in March 2016, following reports from colleagues regarding suspicious activity on the bank’s general ledger. The defendants were suspended on March 14, 2016. In all, $1,663,205.25 was stolen from The Peoples Bank.
“Scheming to make money by lying and defrauding others will land you in prison,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “It’s a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect law abiding citizens and businesses from fraud. The money these defendants stole should have been used to benefit the bank and its employees, shareholders and account holders, not to enrich Ms. Mize and Ms. Martin. With the assistance of our law enforcement partners, we will continue to uncover these conspiracies and prosecute people who abuse their positions of trust.”
“Greed got the best of these two bank employees and this sentencing should make it clear that it wasn’t worth it,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “People in positions of trust must realize if they violate that trust the FBI and federal prosecutors will use every resource possible to make sure they are held accountable.”
"Today's sentence demonstrates the importance of holding people accountable for their crimes, especially those in positions of trust that financial institutions and customers rely on daily to ensure the safety and soundness of banks," said FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles. "We thank our law enforcement partners for their cooperation in bringing this case to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Atlanta and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta. Assistant United States Attorney Paul McCommon is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Former Baltimore Police Sergeant Facing Federal Indictment for Allegedly Assisting A Member of the Baltimore Police GTTF by Planting A Gun at the Scene of an Arrest and for Allegedly Telling A Witness to Lie During the Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted former Baltimore Police Sergeant Keith Allen Gladstone, age 51, of New Park, Pennsylvania, on federal charges of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, and witness tampering. The indictment was returned on February 27, 2019, and unsealed today at the defendant’s initial appearance and arraignment.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Moore of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Prosecuting criminals who work in police agencies is essential both to protect our communities and to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This is not about policing, it is about a criminal conspiracy.”
Keith Allen Gladstone joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) as an officer on November 20, 1992, and was promoted to Sergeant on December 16, 2011. Gladstone retired from the BPD on December 25, 2012, but was subsequently reinstated as a Sergeant on December 9, 2013. In March 2014, Gladstone was the officer-in-charge of a Special Enforcement Section (SES) unit assigned to BPD’s Western District. Gladstone retired from the BPD for a second time on May 1, 2017.
According to the indictment, on the evening of March 26, 2014, Gladstone, who was on duty, was having dinner with Officer 1 when he received a call on his cell phone from W.J., who was also a Sergeant in the BPD and the officer-in-charge of an SES unit assigned to BPD’s Western District. W.J. was in a panic because he had just deliberately run over an arrestee, D.S., in the front yard of a home in Northeast Baltimore. Gladstone allegedly retrieved a BB gun from the trunk of the BPD vehicle he was driving, and drove with Officer 1 to the site of D.S.’s arrest on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road in Northeast Baltimore City. The indictment alleges that Gladstone dropped the BB gun near a pickup truck where D.S. lay injured on the ground, unable to use his legs. Gladstone told W.J., in Officer 3’s presence, “it’s over by the truck,” or words to that effect, and told W.J. to have someone search by the truck. Gladstone left the scene and drove away with Officer 1. According to the indictment, W.J. told another officer to move the BB gun under the pickup, closer to the victim. The BB gun was ultimately recovered by the BPD’s crime lab unit. Based on a false statement of probable cause written by W.J. in another officer’s name, D.S. was subsequently charged with possession, use, and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that Gladstone planted at the scene of D.S.’s arrest, and a number of drug offenses. D.S. was detained on those charges until at least April 2, 2014. On January 16, 2015, the charges were disposed of by nolle prosequi, which is a form of dismissal.
The indictment alleges that as a result of his actions, Gladstone conspired to deprive D.S. of his liberty without the due process of law, and conspired to commit offenses against the United States, specifically to impede, obstruct, and influence an investigation.
Finally, the indictment alleges that after W.J. and six other officers who had been members of the GTTF were arrested on federal racketeering charges, Gladstone told Officer 1 that if questioned by federal law enforcement about the events on March 26, 2014, Officer 1 should tell federal investigators that Gladstone and Officer 1 were at the crime scene for “scene security,” which Officer 1 knew was not true.
If convicted, Gladstone faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to violate civil rights, a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for witness tampering. At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Gladstone be released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who are prosecuting the case.
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Former Adidas Executive, Former Adidas Consultant, and Aspiring Manager All Sentenced to Prison Terms for Their Roles in Defrauding Adidas-Sponsored NCAA Division I UniversitiesRead the Press Release
Robert S. Khuzami, the Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that former Adidas director of global sports marketing for basketball, JAMES GATTO, a/k/a “Jim,” was sentenced to nine months in prison, former Adidas consultant MERL CODE was sentenced six months in prison, and sports business manager CHRISTIAN DAWKINS was sentenced to six months in prison, after having been found guilty in October 2018 by a federal jury of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges. The defendants were sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who also presided over the jury trial.
Attorney for the United States Robert Khuzami said: “The sentences imposed today only begin to reflect the magnitude of the harm these defendants caused through a scheme that not only defrauded multiple public universities but upended the lives of young student-athletes and corrupted a game cherished by so many. Today’s sentences send a clear message to those who might be similarly tempted to corrupt collegiate athletics for their own personal gain that defrauding schools in connection with athletic scholarships is not just a rules violation but a crime, one that will result in a prison term.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Indictment, Superseding Indictment, evidence presented during the trial, and statements made in Manhattan federal court:
Overview of the Scheme
GATTO, CODE, and DAWKINS, including with the assistance of Thomas Gassnola, a former Adidas consultant, and Munish Sood, a financial adviser, brokered and facilitated payments funded by Adidas to the families of high school and college-aged basketball players in connection with decisions by those players to commit to Adidas-sponsored schools and a promise that the players also would retain the services of DAWKINS and sign lucrative endorsement deals with Adidas upon turning professional. The payments, which the defendants took great lengths to conceal from the victim-universities, served to defraud the relevant universities in several ways.
First, because the illicit payments to the families of student-athletes rendered those student-athletes ineligible to participate in collegiate athletics, scheme participants conspired to conceal these payments from the universities, thereby causing them to provide or agree to provide athletic-based scholarships and financial aid under false and fraudulent pretenses. Indeed, the defendants and their co-conspirators, who included the families of the student-athletes and, in certain instances, one or more corrupt coaches at the universities, knew that, for the scheme to succeed and the athletic scholarships to be awarded, the illicit payments had to be concealed from the universities, and that certifications would be submitted to the universities falsely representing that the student-athletes were eligible to compete in Division I athletics.
Second, the scheme participants further defrauded the universities by depriving the universities of significant and necessary information regarding the non-compliance with NCAA rules by the relevant student-athletes and their families, and, in some cases, by certain corrupt coaches involved in the scheme. In doing so, the scheme participants interfered with the universities’ ability to control their assets and created a risk of tangible economic harm to the universities, including, among other things, decision-making about the distribution of their limited athletic scholarships; the possible disgorgement of certain profit-sharing by the NCAA; monetary fines; restrictions on athlete recruitment and the distribution of athletic scholarships; and the potential ineligibility of the universities’ basketball teams to compete in NCAA programs generally, and the ineligibility of certain student-athletes in particular.
The University of Louisville Scheme
Beginning in approximately May 2017, GATTO, CODE, DAWKINS, and others worked together to illicitly funnel approximately $100,000 from Adidas to the father of Brian Bowen, then a top-rated high school basketball player, in connection with Bowen’s commitment to play at the University of Louisville, a school whose athletic programs are sponsored by Adidas. Because the payments to the family of Bowen were both in violation of NCAA rules and illegal, the defendants took steps to conceal them from the University, including funneling the money indirectly through an amateur team affiliated with CODE and a corporation controlled by DAWKINS. The payments were all funded by Adidas pursuant to phony invoices approved by GATTO, and the first installment was delivered to Bowen’s father in cash in July 2017 in a parking lot in New Jersey.
The University of Kansas Scheme
Between 2016 and 2017, GATTO and Gassnola worked together to funnel approximately $90,000 from Adidas to the family of Billy Preston, then a high school basketball player, in connection with Preston’s commitment to play at the University of Kansas, a university whose athletic programs are sponsored by Adidas. To conceal the payments from the University, GATTO routed the money to Billy Preston’s family indirectly, through an Adidas-sponsored amateur team affiliated with Gassnola, and pursuant to sham invoices approved by GATTO.
In addition, in the summer of 2017, GATTO and Gassnola agreed to funnel money to the legal guardian of Silvio De Sousa, then a high school basketball player, in connection with De Sousa’s commitment to play at the University of Kansas. In one instance, GATTO and Gassnola were intercepted over a wiretap discussing a $20,000 payment to the legal guardian.
The North Carolina State University Scheme
In approximately November 2015, GATTO and Gassnola agreed to funnel approximately $40,000 from Adidas to the family of Dennis Smith Jr., then a high school basketball player, in order to stop Smith Jr. from de-committing from North Carolina State University, a university whose athletic programs are sponsored by Adidas. Gassnola flew to North Carolina to personally deliver the money in cash to a basketball coach at North Carolina State University, who then routed the money to Smith Jr.’s family. After Gassnola made the payment, GATTO reimbursed Gassnola via his Adidas-sponsored amateur team.
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In addition to the prison sentences, Judge Kaplan ordered CODE, 45, of Greer, South Carolina, and DAWKINS, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, to each pay restitution to the University of Louisville in the amount of $28,261. The court reserved the decision on the restitution for GATTO, 48, of Wilsonville, Oregon, and set a conference for April 9, 2019, at 10 a.m. Each of the three defendants was sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Gassnola and Sood have previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentence.
Mr. Khuzami thanked the FBI and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York for their tireless efforts during the investigation and prosecution of this case.
The case was prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward B. Diskant, Noah Solowiejczyk, Eli J. Mark, and Aline R. Flodr are in charge of the prosecution.
Final Defendant Sentenced for Membership in Plattsburgh Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Danielle Conners, age 33, of Plattsburgh, New York, was sentenced today to time served (7 days in jail), 3 years of supervised release, including 50 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Clinton County Sheriff David Favro.
Conners was convicted following a trial in November 2018. She was charged along with nine other people in two related indictments related to a heroin-distribution ring that transported heroin from Schenectady and Annapolis, Maryland, and sold it in the Plattsburgh area. The nine other defendants, all of whom pled guilty, were sentenced as follows:
Defendant
Sentence
Jimolo Coates, a.k.a. “Lo,” Marlo,” “Brodie,” age 25, of Annapolis, Maryland
188 months in prison, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release
Kyle Touchstone, age 31, of Plattsburgh
84 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release
Melissa Kusalonis, age 37, of Plattsburgh
41 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release
Anthony DeFilippo, a.k.a. “Flip,” age 37, of Schenectady
46 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release
Tynaejah Thompson, a.k.a. “Naee,” age 20, of Annapolis
18 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release
Charles Adams, a.k.a. “Chuck,” age 33, of Peru, New York
37 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release
Travynn Ippolito, a.k.a “Trav,” age 31, of Plattsburgh
30 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release
Kiara Scott, age 29, of Annapolis
3 years of probation, including 6 months of home detention
Luke Kiroy, age 34, of Saranac, New York
3 years of probation and a $1,000 fine
The convictions are the result of a nearly yearlong investigation led by the DEA Task Force in Plattsburgh, which consists of law enforcement officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, New York State Police, Clinton County Sherriff’s Office, Essex County Sheriff’s Office, and the Plattsburgh Police Department. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, as well as the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, also assisted in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Katherine Kopita.
Federal Jury Finds Fentanyl Dealer Guilty of Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Corey Damond Smith, Jr. (23, Tampa) guilty of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Smith faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on November 13, 2017, Smith sold what he said was “heroin” to T.M. who took the drugs to her boyfriend and, at his request, helped him to use them. Smith had actually sold T.M. fentanyl. The boyfriend died from the drugs.
This case was investigated by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office with assistance by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
East Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting, Gun TraffickingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL VAZQUEZ, also known as “Chino,” 21, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a gun trafficking ring and a shooting in 2016.
This matter stems from an investigation headed by the ATF and East Hartford Police Department into drug trafficking and related acts of violence by a group of individuals operating out of the Mayberry Village housing complex in East Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, sometime in or before 2014, Vazquez and others were robbed at gunpoint while they were attempting to purchase marijuana that they intended to redistribute. On July 6, 2016, Vazquez saw the person who had robbed him driving a car at the intersection of Tolland Street and Moore Avenue in East Hartford and shot at him. Vazquez was arrested on that date, and a search of his residence revealed a Ruger LC93 9mm handgun, which he had used in the shooting, and a Taurus 9mm handgun.
The investigation revealed that Courtney Johnson had moved from East Hartford to Minot, North Dakota. In late June 2016, Lawrence Christie, an East Hartford resident who was staying with Johnson in Minot, contacted Vazquez and asked him to drive from Connecticut to North Dakota to assist Christie in purchasing firearms. Vazquez and Justin Gay, also from East Hartford, then drove to North Dakota where they stayed with Johnson. In Minot, Vazquez, Christie, Johnson, Gay and others, sometimes using counterfeit currency, purchased firearms from sellers who had advertised the guns for sale on a website. Vazquez, Christie and Gay then transported five firearms from North Dakota to Connecticut. Two of the five guns purchased in North Dakota were found in Vazquez’s residence on July 6, 2016.
To date, investigators have traced a total of nine firearms that were obtained in North Dakota and transported to Connecticut. Some of the guns have been used in shootings in the Hartford area. Investigators also purchased and seized quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana during the investigation.
Vazquez has been detained since his arrest on July 6, 2016. He previously pleaded guilty in state court to possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle and was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration. On November 13, 2018, Vazquez pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Johnson, Christie and Gay have pleaded guilty to firearm and drug offenses related to this scheme and await sentencing.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the ATF and East Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction and the Minot (N.D.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Deported Illegal Alien Charged with Re-entering United States without PermissionRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of re-entry of an illegal alien, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Francisco Covias-Lopez, 39.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on December 1, 2018, Covias-Lopez, an alien who had been deported from the United States on June 22, 2012, was found in Cambria County, Pa. He had unlawfully re-entered this Country without receiving permission to do so from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of two 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
4 March 2019
“No More Deaths” Volunteers Plead Guilty to Civil Violations on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife RefugeRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 4, 2019, Caitlin Persis Deighan, Zoe E. Anderson, Logan Thomas Hollarsmith, and Rebecca Kate Grossman-Richeimer entered into a plea agreement in which the defendants pled guilty to a civil infraction, and the United States agreed to dismiss the criminal charges against them. Each defendant was also ordered to pay a $280.00 fine.
On Aug. 19, 2017, United States Fish and Wildlife Service officers encountered the defendants on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Ajo, Ariz. The defendants did not have a valid permit to enter the refuge. Deighan admitted to driving the group to an area known as Charlie Bell Well, which is located in a Congressionally-designated wilderness refuge.
“Our office is pleased that this matter was resolved through civil enforcement in which the defendants fully accepted responsibility for their illegal actions on a wilderness refuge specifically safeguarded by Congress,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “Our office will continue to review violations of federal law occurring within protected federal lands on a case-by-case basis.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the prosecution was handled by Anna Wright and Nathaniel Walters, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-00340MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-023_ No More Deaths Vols Plea
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Woodinville, Washington, Winery and Concert Venue Agrees to Make Modifications to Increase AccessibilityRead the Press Release
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery has agreed to make numerous improvements to its public spaces following an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint from a patron who uses a wheelchair, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. The patron complained to the U.S. Attorney’s Office after encountering physical barriers during her attendance at a summer concert at the venue. She also alleged that she was told she had to purchase more expensive concert tickets in order to obtain wheelchair accessible seating. In response, investigators and an outside architectural firm reviewed plans for the facility in June 2017 and made a site visit in October 2017, confirming barriers to accessibility. Although Chateau Ste. Michelle disputed the complainant’s ticketing claims, it has agreed to make numerous structural changes to its facilities by June 2019 and to conduct training for its public-facing employees to better serve patrons with disabilities.
“I commend Chateau Ste. Michelle for recognizing the need to correct barriers to equal access in its facilities, so that all those who want to visit the winery or enjoy a concert can do so,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “Equal access is a bedrock of our society and seemingly simple things like heavy doors, loose carpets, or table heights can significantly limit access for people using mobility devices.”
Under the agreement, some of the improvements Chateau Ste. Michelle has agreed to make include: multiple changes to bathrooms at the winery to make them accessible; improvements to table and threshold heights in the tasting room; securing loose rugs which can impede assistive devices and pose a tripping hazard; increasing the width of aisles and of accessible seating areas in the amphitheater; increasing the number of accessible parking spaces, and improving the slope and paths from the parking spaces to the amphitheater. In addition, the winery has agreed to pay the original complainant $500 to settle the claims.
DOJ will monitor compliance for one year following the improvements. If no further issues arrive the matter will be closed.
The settlement was negotiated for the U.S. Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Christina Fogg.
Wetzel County man sentenced for his role in a drug distribution operation in Wetzel and Tyler CountiesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Wilson Longwell, of Littleton, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 78 months incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution operation that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Longwell, age 27, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances” in July 2018. Longwell admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base from 2016 to April 2018 in Wetzel County and other locations in the southern district of West Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Victorville Correctional Officer Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Took Bribes and Smuggled Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer who was a lieutenant assigned to investigate wrongdoing by inmates and officers at the Federal Correctional Complex, Victorville, has been arrested on federal charges alleging he took thousands of dollars in cash bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison.
Paul James Hayes II, 49, of Victorville, who voluntarily has been on leave from his job since October 2018, was arrested on Thursday and has been charged with two felonies: acceptance of a bribe by a public official, and conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison. Hayes was a lieutenant with the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigation Services (SIS), which investigates illegal activity by correctional officers and inmates. He made his initial court appearance on Friday in United States District Court and is expected to be released today on $170,000 bond.
According to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint on Thursday, beginning in June 2018, SIS employees reviewed suspicious emails and telephone conversations between an inmate and his girlfriend, Angel Marie Wagner, 42, of Buena Park. The conversations referenced Wagner meeting a BOP staff member outside a Home Depot store in Victorville on July 15, 2018, the affidavit states. A review of other inmate communications revealed that money transfers were being made to Wagner, according to court documents. On July 15, agents covertly watched Hayes arrive at the Victorville Home Depot in his Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, the affidavit said. The agents allegedly also observed Wagner walk from her rental vehicle to Hayes’s SUV, then hand Hayes a brown-colored envelope, which Hayes took and placed inside his vehicle.
When federal agents interviewed Wagner on Thursday, she identified Hayes from a photographic lineup and said she had met him multiple times in 2018, the affidavit said. Wagner also said she believed she provided Hayes with a total of approximately $40,000 in cash across their various meetings in 2018, court documents state. Wagner allegedly also admitted to receiving wire transfers of money, which she later would withdraw in cash and place in an envelope and give to Hayes. On other occasions, Wagner said she received from third parties envelopes with cash as well as wrapped items that she suspected were controlled substances or cellular telephones, the affidavit said. Wagner allegedly admitted giving the cash and the wrapped items to Hayes.
A review of money transfer service records and emails showed that Wagner received money from people associated with the bribery conspiracy, the affidavit said. There allegedly also were cash deposits totaling $12,520 made into Hayes’s bank account on at least seven occasions between March 8 and August 7, 2018, including one deposit for $4,800 on May 29, 2018.
Wagner, who was arrested on Friday, has been charged with conspiracy to bribe a public official, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison. She was released on $50,000 bond.
If convicted of all charges, Hayes faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison while Wagner faces a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean D. Peterson of the Riverside Branch Office.
Utah Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender in IdahoRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Michael Keith Pilgrim, 44, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Pilgrim was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Nye. Pilgrim pleaded guilty on November 30, 2018.
According to court records, Pilgrim was convicted in October 1999, of sexual abuse of a child in Utah. As a result of the conviction, he was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA requires that sex offenders register and keep current their registration in each jurisdiction where they reside. In early March 2018, Pilgrim moved from Utah to Preston, Idaho. He lived in Preston for approximately two months. In July 2018, he returned to Preston and was apprehended on July 27, 2018. During the time he lived in Idaho, he failed to register with the Idaho Sex Offender Registry.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of local and state law enforcement agencies in eastern Idaho, including the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Preston Police Department.
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United States Attorney’s Office Collects over $10 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2018Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin collected $10,164,702.99 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2018. Of this amount, $5,209,589.92 was collected in criminal actions and $4,955,113.07 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Wisconsin worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $10,418,733.97 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $14,075.03 was collected in criminal actions and $10,404,658.94 was collected in civil actions.
As a whole, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in collections in FY 2018 represents is nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices.
“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
“Protecting taxpayers’ funds and making crime victims whole are among our top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger. “We are committed to recovering any funds owed to the United States and ensuring that wrongdoers do not keep their ill-gotten gains.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Education.
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U.S. Attorney Requests Opioid Prescribers to Review Their Prescription PatternsRead the Press Release
Harrisburg—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has asked more than 300 doctors to review their opioid prescriptions patterns, as part of its ongoing effort to combat the opioid epidemic. In a letter sent last week, U.S. Attorney David J. Freed informed each of the providers that their opioid prescribing patterns for Medicare Part D patients appears to be significantly different from peers within the same medical specialties. The U.S. Attorney refers the prescribers to educational materials on the opioid crisis prepared by the U.S, Drug Enforcement Administration; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service; and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Beyond criminal and civil enforcement efforts, I am committed to help educate prescribers regarding the dangers of excessive opioid use and the consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “I strongly urge prescribers to utilize all resources available, including the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), to ensure that they are doing all they can to reduce serious prescription opioid abuse, while maintaining patient access to appropriate pain medications.”
A recent DEA report found that, in 2017, more than 5,450 people died in the Commonwealth from drug overdoses. That equates to 43 deaths per 100,000 Pennsylvanians or nearly twice the national average of 22 overdose deaths per 100,000 persons. Between 2015 and 2017 drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania increased 65 percent. In 2017, 1,093 Pennsylvanians died due to a prescription opioid overdose and 2,065 people died from heroin overdoses. The CDC notes that 3 out of 4 heroin users abused prescription opioids before turning to heroin.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made no determination, at this time, that prescribers who receive these letters have violated the law. Nor is the U.S. Attorney suggesting that the prescriptions written are not medically appropriate.
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U.S. Attorney Keefe Celebrates African-American History MonthRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Keefe shows Martin Luther King Jr. picture to studentsTALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – During the month of February, Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, recognized the contributions of African Americans by participating in the events below and looks forward to future collaboration and outreach opportunities throughout the year.
U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “National African-American History Month is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the year-round accomplishments of African Americans in Northern Florida, especially in our law enforcement communities. I am grateful for the staff in my office and in our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe on a daily basis.”
North Florida Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Monthly Meeting
On February 19, U.S. Attorney Keefe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winifred L. Acosta attended the monthly meeting of the North Florida Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). NOBLE was founded in September 1976 to create a unified voice for black law enforcement executives discussing important issues in the criminal justice system. U.S. Attorney Keefe briefly spoke about his commitment to listening to and learning from the unique perspectives of the black law enforcement community.
Tonja Bryant-Smith, President of the North Florida Chapter of NOBLE and Supervising agent at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said: “The North Florida Chapter of NOBLE is committed to promoting positive law enforcement interactions within the community and our designated area. We make a point to engage our community and law enforcement partners to assist with that endeavor. It is always a pleasure to share our success stories with members of the community, and we will continue to fulfill this goal.”
10th Annual African American History Month Celebration
On February 21, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida hosted its 10th annual African American History Month celebration. Organized yearly by Diversity Committee Chair and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winifred L. Acosta, this year’s event featured a special performance from Brownsville Preparatory Institute students, led by Mrs. Rita Brown. The event’s theme was “Honoring African Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.).” Special guests included Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil; Tonja Bryant-Smith, President of the North Florida Chapter of NOBLE and Supervising agent at FDLE; Federal Public Defender Randolph P. Murrell; courthouse staff; and local, state, and federal law enforcement.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Two Men Charged in Seizure of over 20 Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two men who are charged based on the seizure of more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl made their initial court appearances in Newark federal court today, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Luis Aponte, 48, of Hesperia, California, and Denny Diaz, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by complaint with one count conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Dickson in Newark federal court. The defendants were detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Aponte allegedly drove a truck to a rest stop in Bloomsbury, New Jersey, on March 1, 2019. The next day, he and Diaz met in a car and, once inside, Aponte gave Diaz approximately seven kilograms of fentanyl. Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested the two men and searched Aponte’s truck. They found an additional 13 kilograms of fentanyl and five kilograms of heroin inside.
The count with which the defendants are charged carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department and New York State Police. U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, New York Division; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; and N.Y. State Police Acting Superintendent Keith M. Corlett with the investigation leading to the arrests.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Macurdy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Two Illegal Aliens sentenced for reentry chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Feliciano Pelagio Mariluz-Tafur, a citizen of Peru, and Jose Cubas-Zavala, a citizen of Hondura, admitted to being in the country illegally and were sentenced today, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Mariluz-Tafur pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of Removed Alien.” Mariluz-Tafur admitted to being removed from the United States twice before and being in Harrison County in December 2018. He was sentenced today to time served and one year supervised release.
Cubas-Zavala pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of Removed Alien” and one count of “Fraud and Misuse of Document.” Cubas-Zavala admitted to being removed from the United States twice before and being in Harrison County in December 2018 with false documentation. He was sentenced today to time served and three years supervised release.
Both men have been in federal custody since January 11, 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty in Ugandan-Made Counterfeit Currency SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A Tennessee resident waived indictment and pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to conspiracy and transferring counterfeit currency, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Cole M. Harris, aka Ink, 23, of Knoxville, TN pleaded guilty to two counts before Chief United States District Judge Mark Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Harris was a reshipper in the United States for the distribution of Ugandan-manufactured counterfeit currency that was being sold online by an individual using the moniker Willy Clock. Harris traveled to Uganda and smuggled the counterfeit currency into the United States.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service, assisted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cole.
Storm Lake Man Convicted of Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography pled guilty March 4, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
James Gailey, 49, from Storm Lake, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Gailey admitted that in October 2017 he utilized a Dropbox account to receive child pornography. Gailey further admitted that in January 2018 he utilized a second Dropbox account to receive child pornography. Gailey also admitted that he received images and videos of sexual abuse or exploitation of victims as young as infants or toddlers.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gailey was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Gailey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-4065. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Stone County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Eddie James Rhodes, 62, of Stone County, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent-in-Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
In February 2013, the Stone County/City of Wiggins Narcotics Task Force received information that Eddie Rhodes and Stacey Bond purchased pseudoephedrine on multiple occasions and in multiple locations in order to manufacture methamphetamine. Rhodes’ home was subsequently searched pursuant to a search warrant, revealing precursor chemicals, equipment and material consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine in what would be commonly referred to as a “clandestine meth lab.”
Law enforcement officers seized pseudoephedrine, chemicals, equipment and materials used to manufacture methamphetamine, along with firearms and ammunition, inside a hidden compartment under a trapdoor in the floor. Further investigation revealed that Rhodes and Bond conspired together to make pseudoephedrine purchases later used by Rhodes to manufacture meth, some of which Rhodes would distribute to Bond.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) joined the investigation and determined that one of the firearms seized was a 20-gauge, double barrel shotgun that had both barrels sawed off, creating a short-barrel shotgun. The other firearm was a .22 caliber firearm manufactured as a rifle with the stock cut off or removed, creating a ‘pistol grip’ handle. The ATF verified that Rhodes has had multiple felony convictions, making it unlawful for him to possess any firearm or ammunition.
Rhodes will be sentenced by Judge Guirola on June 4, 2019. He faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison plus a $250,000 fine and 5 years of supervised release.
Bond pled guilty on January 30, 2019, to using a communications facility in facilitating the commission of an act constituting a felony under the Controlled Substances Act (aiding and abetting). Bond will be sentenced by Judge Guirola on April 30, 2019, and faces a maximum of 4 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, the Wiggins Police Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan Harris and Annette Williams.
St. Clair County Man Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Andrew Wigfall, III, of East St. Louis, Illinois, has been charged by indictment with production of child pornography, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. The one-count federal indictment alleges that the offense occurred in St. Clair County between December 1, 2018, and January 26, 2019. Wigfall, 47, made his initial appearance in federal district court late last week and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was ordered held without bond pending an April 30, 2019 jury trial.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Because Wigfall has a previous conviction for a sex offense, he is subject to an enhanced sentence. If convicted, Wigfall faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a term of supervised release from five years to life, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the United States Secret Service. The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office and the police departments of East St. Louis, Cahokia, Belleville, Dupo, Granite City, O’Fallon, and Swansea have also assisted in the investigation.
Southington Woman Charged with Embezzling $370K in Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that, on February 27, 2019, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a five-count indictment alleging that LYDIA CABRERA, 36, of Southington, embezzled from her employer.
As alleged in the indictment and in statements made in court, from approximately August 2016 to August 2018, Cabrera was employed by A2Z Home Medical Supplies (“A2Z”) as a bookkeeper. As a bookkeeper, Cabrera was given access to A2Z’s online merchant payment system. Approximately 10 days after being hired by A2Z, Cabrera began to use A2Z’s online merchant payment system to steal from the company by falsely representing that customers of A2Z had sought a return of their funds. On more than 200 occasions, Cabrera input her personal debit card information as the card to which the funds should be returned. Through this scheme, Cabrera embezzled approximately $370,000.
Cabrera was arrested on March 1. Following her arrest, she appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained.
The indictment charges Cabrera with five counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Social Security Administration Employee Admits Falsifying Records and Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Social Security Administration employee today admitted unlawfully accessing the Social Security accounts of individuals and falsifying their records in order to steal funds for his own use, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Nicholas Pao, 37, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of theft of government funds and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pao was a 10-year employee of the Social Security Administration who worked as a claims technical expert in the Social Security Administration’s office in Egg Harbor Township. Pao was responsible for determining eligibility and payment amounts, processing difficult cases, assisting in case reviews, and making special payment approvals. From December 2014 to July 2018, Pao used his credentials to access the confidential records of several individuals without their knowledge or authority. He altered their records and made fraudulent changes that caused the Social Security Administration to issue benefits to these individuals. Pao would then intercept these benefits, which were issued by way of a Direct Express account and credit card. Pao depleted the funds issued on the Direct Express accounts without the knowledge or consent of the individuals. Pao stole approximately $100,000 in Social Security funds.
The count of theft of government funds is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft counts are punishable by a mandatory prison sentence of two years that must be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed for the violation of theft of government funds. Each of the counts is also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2019.
If anyone in the public believes that they might have been the victim of Nicholas Pao's Social Security fraud scheme, they are advised to call the Office of the Inspector General at 888-487-9917.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration, under the direction of John F. Grasso with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Defense counsel: Thomas Young Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Shreveport felon sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing 2 firearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Tyvon D. Taylor, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. Taylor was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
According to the guilty plea, Taylor was involved in a shooting on August 12, 2017, and was arrested on August 15, 2017 in connection with this incident. During his arrest, police found a Springfield Armory .40-caliber pistol, a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol and ammunition in his possession. Taylor has prior felonies from September 2013 and January 2016 for simple burglary. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Taylor pleaded guilty October 4, 2018.
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.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
San Diego County Man Who Laundered Ransom Money Paid by Kidnapping Victims’ Families Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A National City man convicted of conspiracy was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today for laundering the money of a violent kidnapping organization that held two dozen Mexican nationals hostage.
Luis Francisco Murillo Morfin, 33, also was ordered by United States District Judge John F. Walter to pay $62,000 in restitution to the victims. After a two-day bench trial in October 2018, Walter found Murillo guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In August 2015, Murillo’s co-conspirators recruited victims in Mexico under the false pretense of being smuggled into the United States. The victims were picked up in northern Mexico, were driven in the trunks of cars through a fake border “checkpoint,” then were taken to a Tijuana stash house where they were threatened, beaten and raped, according to trial testimony.
The kidnappers then extorted their victims’ relatives in the United States for ransom money, ordering them to send the money via wire transfers to Mexico or to make cash deposits into U.S. bank accounts – including an account that belonged to Murillo, a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Extortion victims testified at trial that they were threatened that their relatives would be beaten, murdered or disemboweled if the ransom money wasn’t paid.
As the kidnapping victims’ relatives deposited the money, Murrillo twice drove from Mexico to the United States and withdrew ransom payments from his bank account so he could deliver the money to his co-conspirators in Mexico.
Murillo opened a Wells Fargo bank account in his name on April 30, 2015, and made monthly payments to keep it open, but did not use the account until August 4, 2015 – one day after his co-conspirators kidnapped and held for ransom nine of their victims, according to evidence presented at trial.
On August 4 and 5, 2015, extortion victims deposited $62,000 in ransom money into Murillo’s account from bank branches in Ontario, Santa Maria, Northern California, Idaho and Mississippi. Less than 48 hours later, Murillo had withdrawn all $62,000, leaving only the $10 minimum to keep the account open, and lied to a Wells Fargo bank employee about how he needed the money to pay for cars.
After his arrest, Murillo told law enforcement that he believed the money he withdrew from the Wells Fargo account was from illegal activity, specifically, human smuggling, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Murillo was charged along with four other Mexican nationals, all of whom are believed to be residing in Mexico. The other defendants are: Jesus Antonio Rivera Gaxiola, a.k.a. “The Cook”; Manuel Roman Velazquez, a.k.a. “The Caller”; Alberto Jimenez Bautista, a.k.a. “Jefe”; and Luis Perez Martinez.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Victoria Degtyareva and Carley Palmer of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section.
Remaining EPMI Property Managers Sent to Prison for Defrauding Homeowner AssociationsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Kelsey Powell, 47, of Lemon Cove, Calif. and her former husband, Michael Powell, 53, of Wellsville, Ohio were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to over one year in prison. Rachel Ellerbrock, 46, of Gilbert, Ariz., was sentenced to probation. The Powells and Ellerbrock had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for using stolen Homeowners Association (HOA) fees to enrich themselves. Last month, Harlow White - the father of Kelsey Powell and Rachel Ellerbrock - was sentenced to prison for 15 months and ordered to pay $291,420 in restitution.
White was formerly the President and CEO of Eagle Property Management, Inc., a property management company whose clients included HOAs throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. Kelsey Powell, Michael Powell, and Ellerbrock had management roles at Eagle. In 2005, White transferred ownership to Kelsey Powell, who operated the company as EPMI. Between January 2010 and May 2014, at White’s direction, Kelsey Powell stole at least $1.2 million directly from HOA clients’ bank accounts. The stolen funds were used to pay the personal expenses of the Whites, Powells, and Ellerbrock, including large American Express credit card bills. The defendants were ordered to pay restitution to the victim HOAs including $439,000 from Kelsey Powell, $152,000 from Michael Powell, and $110,000 from Ellerbrock.
The investigation in this case was conducted by U.S. Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Monica B. Edelstein , Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-01083-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2019-024_Powell etal
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Pittsburgh Woman Pleads Guilty in DEA Wiretap Investigation into Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of attempted distribution of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Ada Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Ada Johnson was indicted in connection with a DEA wiretap investigation. The intercepted wiretap communications revealed that in June 2016, Johnson traveled to Mechanicsburg, PA to meet with a heroin supplier to attempt to bring nearly 400 bricks of heroin back to Pittsburgh for distribution of the heroin by members of the conspiracy.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for July 26, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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. United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Decades-Long Career of Dealing Cocaine and Laundering MoneyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH -A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges regarding his trafficking of cocaine and money laundering, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Richard Stuart Wright, 76, pleaded guilty to three counts before President United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty pleas of Wright and his co-defendant, 69-year-old Walter John Amman, III, the court was advised that Wright had been purchasing kilogram level amounts of cocaine each month for over two decades. The defendant would process the cocaine by packaging it in smaller quantities and converting some into crack. In more recent years, co-defendant Walter Amman would help the defendant with the processing, packaging and distribution of the cocaine. Two controlled purchases of cocaine were made from Amman, helping the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Branch, Homeland Security Investigations and Pittsburgh Police obtain search warrants for locations attributable to Amman and Wright. The January 11, 2017 searches resulted in law enforcement locating items which included:
- In the defendant’s residence: cocaine prepackaged for sale and color-coded for size; multiple firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition; large amounts of cash; multiple vehicles registered to Amman and his family;
- In the defendant’s garage: amounts of powder cocaine; numerous inositol bottles and material to convert cocaine into crack; large amounts of cash; three pistols (including one registered to Amman); and a safe imbedded into the concrete floor; and
- At Amman’s residence: firearms; prepackaged amounts of crack and cocaine in a jacket with Amman’s name on it; keys to a truck (in the jacket); in the truck was approximately $1,000 and additional prepackaged cocaine.
Wright and Amman both utilized the same color-coded bread-tie system to signify the quantities in the baggies. In this way, the defendant was both a buyer of large quantities and a street-level dealer, keeping all of the middleman profits for himself. The drugs located by police included 5,864.588 grams (5.9 kilos) of cocaine and 289.607 grams (1/4 kilo) of crack cocaine. Wright admitted to all of the drugs, while Amman agreed that he was personally responsible for between 700 grams and one kilogram of cocaine, as well as the 5.767 grams of crack cocaine found at his property.
The court was also advised that Wright and others commonly laundered his drug money by structuring it. In one example, Wright deposited $10,000 in cash into another person’s account, added it to $40,000 of that person’s "legitimate" money and used it to make a $50,000 deposit on a Daytona Beach house. They paid the next $100,000 off by buying multiple postal money orders - for $1,000 each, at multiple different locations, in short periods - and then used them to pay the monthly amount due on the property. They also financed the purchase of vehicles and many other items listed in the Indictment similarly. Wright also cashed paychecks in return for cocaine.
The government forfeited numerous items from the defendants including a residence, automobiles, motorcycles and large amounts of cash.
President Judge Hornak scheduled Wright’s sentencing for July 18, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. and Amman’s sentencing was scheduled for June 7, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 60 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of a defendant.
After considering Wright’s frail health and recent hospitalization, the Court agreed to allow the defendant to remain on Electronic Home Monitoring (with a house arrest bracelet) pending his sentencing. Co-defendant Amman is incarcerated pending his sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Richard Stuart Wright and Walter John Amman, III.
Palmyra Man Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that David Gfeller, 34, of Palmyra, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on February 12, 2019, Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations in Buffalo received information from an international law enforcement network that child pornography had been recovered by authorities in various countries, including Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and France, depicting a prepubescent minor who was possibly located in Western New York.
With assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, HSI Agents used data associated with the images to locate the residence in which the images were produced. On March 1, 2019, Agents executed a search warrant at the residence in Palmyra, where they located the victim and arrested Gfeller for his role in producing the child pornography.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and is being held pending the outcome of a detention hearing, which is scheduled for March 5, 2019.The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the New York State Police.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Non-Profit Organization Operator Pleads Guilty for Her Role in Armenian for-Profit U.S. Visa Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Stella Boyadjian, 48, of Rego Park, New York pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to unlawfully bring in aliens, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara in the Eastern District of New York for her role in a multi-year visa fraud scheme that brought Armenian citizens into the United States for profit.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York and U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Director Christian J. Schurman, made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Boyadjian, led a transnational network of co-conspirators who engaged in a widespread visa fraud scheme to bring Armenian citizens into the United States by fraudulently claiming to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the Armenians were members of performance groups, and thus qualified for P-3 “Culturally Unique Artist” visas.
The P-3 nonimmigrant visa classification allows foreign nationals to temporarily travel to the United States to perform, teach or coach as artists or entertainers, under a program that is culturally unique. A U.S. employer or sponsoring organization is required to submit a USCIS Form I-129 Petition for a Non-Immigrant Worker, along with supporting documentation, attesting that the performances in the United States are culturally unique.
In February 2018, Boyadjian, Hrachya Atoyan, 31, of Glendale, California; and Diana Grigoryan, aka “Dina Akopovna,” 42, of the Republic of Armenia were charged in a 15-count indictment with visa fraud and with conspiracy to: defraud the United States, commit visa fraud, and illegally bring aliens into the United States. Boyadjian and Grigoryan were also charged with related money laundering charges, and Boyadjian was charged with aggravated identity theft.
As alleged in the indictment, Boyadjian ran a non-profit organization called Big Apple Music Awards Foundation (BAMA) based in Rego Park, New York. Boyadjian used the Big Apple Music Awards Foundation as well as formal and informal music industry contacts in the United States and Armenia to perpetuate the scheme. Boyadjian and others solicited Armenian citizens who wanted to come to the United States and charged them between $0 and $10,000 to be included on the Form I-129 Petitions. Boyadjian and other associates in Armenia then acquired fraudulent performer certificates and organized staged photo sessions where the aliens wore traditional Armenian folk outfits to make it appear as though they were traditional Armenian performers. After being trained how to defeat U.S. visa interviews, the individual aliens presented these certificates and photos to U.S. consular officers during their visa interviews. Once the Armenians entered the United States, some would pay Boyadjian and her associates additional money to be included in another fraudulent petition asking for P-3 visa extensions.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled for Boyadjian.
This case was a joint investigation by the DSS’s Criminal Fraud Investigations and Overseas Criminal Investigations Divisions with assistance from the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security, Center Fraud Detection Operations in Vermont. Trial Attorney Sasha N. Rutizer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gopstein of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to False Statements to H.U.D. ProgramRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANDREA HARRISON, age 57, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty Thursday, February 28, 2019 before Chief United States District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown to a one-count indictment for false statements in relation to programs under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser.
According to court documents, a property owned by HARRISON received HUD grant funds as long as it was rented to low-income families. HARRISON submitted false documentation to make it appear that the property was being rented as required, when in truth and in fact, he was living in the property.
HARRISON faces 5 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Supervisor, General Crimes.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Hancock Whitney Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JOHN L. MURRAY, age 65, was charged Thursday, February 28, 2019 in a one-count indictment for bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
According to the indictment, MURRAY robbed the Hancock Whitney Bank located in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 13, 2019.
If convicted, MURRAY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
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Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force Methamphetamine Investigation Results in Two Federal Prison SentencesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Emmanuel Garza, 25, of Rupert, Idaho, and Adolfo Mata-Lopez, 28, of Paul, Idaho were sentenced in U.S. District Court to federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
Garza received a 100-month prison sentence on February 27, 2019, for his part in the conspiracy. Mata-Lopez, sentenced in January 2019, received a 108-month sentence for his part in the conspiracy.
According to court records, Garza was the subject of a drug trafficking investigation by the Mini-Cassia drug task force between January and November 2017. Mata-Lopez and Garza were arrested on November 4, 2017, when detectives from the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Mata-Lopez’s residence in Paul. The detectives caught Garza and Mata-Lopez in the middle of a drug deal inside. Garza, Mata-Lopez, and another occupant of the home fled and were caught. Mata-Lopez had two ounces of methamphetamine, packaged into two one-ounce baggies, in his shirt pocket. In the house, police found 475 grams of actual methamphetamine, part of which Mata-Lopez had agreed to distribute to Garza. Garza admitted that he intended to re-sell the methamphetamine. Detectives also recovered firearms, scales, and drug distribution paraphernalia in the home.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s specially deputized Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership and the State of Idaho. The Eastern Idaho Partnership is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho. The Partnership provides approximately 30 percent of the SAUSA’s salary and benefits; the State of Idaho through the Idaho Department of Correction contributes the remaining 70 percent.
The Partnership’s goal is to federally prosecute serious drug trafficking, firearm, and violent crime in eastern Idaho, focusing on persistent offenders. Individuals ordered to serve federal prison sentences serve their sentences in federal prisons, rather than in Idaho-funded prisons and jails. Federal sentences are served out of state, which helps to disrupt criminal networks. Additionally, prosecuting offenders in federal court allows law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue longer sentences through the federal sentencing structure.
Minidoka County Sheriff Eric Snarr said, “We thank the diligent detectives in the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, our local prosecutors, the Eastern Idaho Partnership SAUSA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their cooperation. The investigation was well done, and we are thankful to have the backing of our federal partners to hold serious drug dealers in our community accountable.”
Minidoka County Prosecuting Attorney Lance Stevenson said, “This case demonstrates the valuable benefit of the collaboration between Minidoka County Prosecutors Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Eastern Idaho Partnership SAUSA, and the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force in helping to successfully prosecute criminals and protect the citizens of our community.”
U.S. Attorney Davis said, “We are continually proud to have such a productive working relationship with our Eastern Idaho Partners and the State of Idaho’s Department of Correction. This case demonstrates what we can achieve by combining smart tactics with dedicated support from the community, law enforcement, and political leaders.”
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. 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.
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Mexican National Men Plead Guilty to Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two Mexican national men pled guilty to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, 26, and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz, 24, will be sentenced on April 8, 2019. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Four prior deportations between the two brothers,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And they’ll soon share six deportations between them. I hope they get the message – if you want to come into the United States, follow the legal process – you’ll stay longer.”
On December 19, 2018, both men were found in Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia. Federal agents with ICE had received a tip that a person was working illegally at a Hurricane restaurant. ICE agents investigated and located the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers walking to the restaurant. Believing one of the men to be the target of the investigation, ICE agents requested identification. Both men immediately admitted that they were not in the United States legally and had no identification documents. ICE agents took Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz into federal custody.
Fingerprinting matched Carlos to three prior removals from the United States in 2014, 2015, and 2018. Huber has one prior removal from the United States in 2014 that his fingerprints matched. In all cases, the Rodriguez-Diaz brothers were found by immigration judges to be in the United States illegally and they were deported to Mexico. Neither man had obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Both Carlos and Huber Rodriguez-Diaz further admitted to ICE agents that they were Mexican citizens.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for both of the prosecutions. United States District Judge Robert C Chambers presided over the hearings.
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Mercer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Anastasia C. Vandergriff, 37, pleaded guilty today, to a single count of producing child pornography. A co-defendant, Rafael W. Poynter, pleaded guilty to the same offense last week.
In their plea agreements, Vandergriff and Poynter admitted to sexually abusing a minor and producing videos of the abuse using a cellular telephone. The abuse was discovered on January 21, 2017, when deputies with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about the possible sexual assault of a juvenile. Deputies obtained a search warrant to search Poynter and Vandergriff’s residence in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where they located Poynter’s cell phone. During the forensic examination of that cell phone, agents located multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse, which was perpetrated by Vandergriff and directed and filmed by Poynter.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Field Office; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Bradley.
Vandergriff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2019. Poynter is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2019. Production of Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years.
Member of Violent Grape Street Crips Gang Sentenced to 19 Years for Witness Intimidation and Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips was sentenced today to 19 years in federal prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy that involved using other gang members to intimidate a witness during a state criminal trial, as well as conspiracies to distribute heroin and crack-cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ahmed Singleton, a/k/a “Gangsta-Moo,” a/k/a “Gangsta,” a/k/a “Mooshie,” 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to three counts in the sixth superseding indictment charging him with RICO conspiracy and separate conspiracies to distribute one kilogram of heroin and 280 grams or more of crack-cocaine. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Singleton was charged in November 2016 in a 22-count indictment charging 14 members and associates with, among other things, seven murders, numerous attempted murders, and numerous other violent and drug trafficking crimes committed as part of the racketeering conspiracy. The gang’s leader, Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” a/k/a “Blaze,” a/k/a “Blizzie,” a/k/a “Castor Troy,” 41, of Belleville, New Jersey, and two other violent gang members were convicted in July 2018 following a two-month trial. Thirteen of the 14 defendants charged in the indictment have been convicted. One remaining defendant, Khalil Stafford, is pending trial.
An additional 68 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation. Sixty-six individuals also have been convicted, and charges remain pending against two.
According to the documents filed in this case and other cases and the evidence presented at trial:
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Singleton admitted that he used fellow members of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips to intimidate a witness against him by having those gang members sitting in the gallery of the courtroom as the witness took the stand. Singleton was facing criminal charges brought by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a firearm for a shooting that occurred in April 2013. As a result of Singleton’s effort, the witness refused to testify against him and the charges were dismissed.
Afterwards, Singleton was intercepted over a wiretap bragging to a fellow gang-member: “Who you know cause a ruckus on these motherfuckin’ streets, come home, do whatever the fuck they want, and still be out here, son?”
Singleton also admitted to participating in conspiracies to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 280 grams or more of crack-cocaine.
The Grape Street Crips controlled drug trafficking and other criminal activities in various areas of Newark, including the area of 6th Avenue and North 5th Street and public-housing complexes at Pennington Court, Oscar Miles, the Millard Terrell Homes, the John W. Hyatt homes and the former James Baxter Terrace complex.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Singleton to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens 3rd, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for work on the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry A. Kamar of the Criminal Division, and and Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Mass. Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Malden, Mass., man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence today to 84 months in federal prison for transporting, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Fetahe Makonnen, 35, was arrested in October 2017, shortly after he provided an undercover Rhode Island State Police Detective with two computer thumb drives containing approximately 1,300 images and videos depicting child pornography involving prepubescent children.
Makonnen travelled to Rhode Island on October 28, 2017, with the intention of sharing images and videos of child pornography, and with the hope of securing additional images and videos of child pornography. He traveled to Rhode Island after communicating via the Internet and by telephone in July and September 2017 with an individual he believed interested in viewing and sharing child pornography. The individual was in fact a detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Makonnen pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018, to transportation of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. smith also ordered Makonnen to serve 10 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Restitution will be determined at a later date to known victims whose images appear in some of the photographs and images of child pornography seized from Makonnen.
Makonnen’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Colonel James M. Manni, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than One Kilogram HeroinRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Roberto Molina, 38, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen to 57 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, on January 19, 2018, Molina was arrested in Hammond, Indiana, in possession of 1.75 kilograms of heroin for distribution.
This case was investigated by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Dean R. Lanter.
Man Indicted for Kidnapping, Harboring an Illegal Alien, and ExtortionRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On February 28, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Héctor Sánchez-Morales for kidnapping, harboring of an illegal alien, and extortion, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The FBI is in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that on February 3, in the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Sánchez-Morales did unlawfully and willfully seize, confine, and hold for ransom A.G., an adult female, and in furtherance of the commission of the offense, used a telephone and vehicle, facilities of interstate commerce. On February 3, 2019, A.G., a citizen from the Dominican Republic, arrived at Rincón, Puerto Rico, by boat, and entered the island illegally. After A.G. disembarked the boat, defendant Sánchez-Morales approached her and offered to help her if she went with him. A.G. agreed and the defendant transported her to his house in Añasco, Puerto Rico. After A.G. bathed, Sánchez-Morales raped her twice.
After Sánchez-Morales sexually assaulted A.G., he kept her against her will until the next day, when he told her that she needed to leave by that evening, or else he would kill her. The defendant also demanded that she call her friends so they could pay him money for her release. Later that evening A.G.’s friends arrived to the agreed upon place with the defendant, paid him $400, and he released the victim to her friends. After a few days of investigation, the FBI arrested Sánchez-Morales.
The defendant is facing one count for harboring an illegal alien. On February 3, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien, A.G., had entered and remained in the United States in violation of law, Sánchez-Morales concealed, harbored, and shielded A.G. from detection for private financial gain, and in doing so caused her serious bodily injury. Sánchez-Morales is also facing one count for extortion for requesting and receiving U.S. Currency as ransom and reward for the release of his victim whom he had kidnapped.
“The FBI is actively investigating all cases involving human trafficking or kidnappings in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands regardless of the immigration status of the victims,” said Douglas A. Leff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-San Juan Field Office” “Public tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Citizens with information on human trafficking or other federal crimes are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-754-6000, or to submit tips through the FBI’s tip line available on our website at Tips.FBI.Gov. Tipsters can remain anonymous.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon, Deputy Chief, Immigration, Cybercrimes, and Child Exploitation. If convicted, the defendant faces up to life in prison for the kidnapping charge, up to 20 years for harboring an alien, and up to five years for extortion. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Man Charged in Albany for Threatening to Kill Employees and Residents of a Veterans NonprofitRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Fred Hood, age 56, appeared today in court on a charge that he threatened to kill employees and residents of a Massachusetts veterans services program.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Chief Thomas Gibbons of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police in Albany.
According to the complaint, Hood sent multiple electronic messages from a VA facility in Albany to employees and residents of Soldier On, a nonprofit veterans services organization, threatening to commit a shooting attack at a Soldier On residence on the campus of the Northampton VA Medical Center in Leeds, Massachusetts.
The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge in the complaint filed against Hood carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Hood appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, who ordered Hood detained pending further proceedings.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Long Beach Man Who Led Crew That Committed 10 Armed Robberies of Verizon Stores in Two States Pleads Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The ringleader of a crew that committed 10 armed robberies of Verizon stores across Southern California and Arizona, netting approximately $340,000 worth of stolen smartphones and other merchandise in the process, pleaded guilty on Friday to three federal felonies.
Zachary David Wade, 41, of Long Beach, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfering with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. United States District Judge David O. Carter has scheduled a July 8 sentencing hearing, where Wade will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to his plea agreement, from July 2017 until February 2018, Wade planned, organized and supervised the armed robberies of Verizon stores in Tarzana, Torrance, Fullerton, Long Beach, Corona, San Pedro, Corona del Mar, as well as in Arizona.
Wade admitted to selecting which Verizon stores would be robbed and instructing his co-conspirators on how the robberies should occur, including identifying entrance and exit routes. He also admitted to providing equipment such as duffle bags and loaded firearms, which his co-defendants then used during the robberies. Wade also admitted to exclusively determining how much each robbery participant would get paid. The typical robbery netted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of smartphones and other merchandise, which Wade later sold to a buyer in Glendale, California, the plea agreement states.
On January 31, 2018, Wade planned and organized the robbery of a Verizon retailer in Tucson, Arizona, but was arrested the next day in Glendale, California while attempting to sell the stolen smartphones and other merchandise for cash.
Eight of Wade’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy, robbery, and firearms charges. They are: Daniel Joseph Smith, 30, of Long Beach; Sean Keith Rivers, Jr., 25, of Long Beach; Marques Alphonse Petty-Wright, 31, of Long Beach; Randall Lee Tate, Jr., 30, of Long Beach; Andre Dierre Stovall II, 24, of Long Beach; Drae Tamar Wright, 27, of Long Beach; Sylvester Edwards, Jr., 29, of Lancaster; and Jeffrey Kevin Duran, 50, of Bellflower.
Tate was sentenced in September 2018 to 51 months in federal prison. The other co-defendants await sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott D. Tenley and Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Long Beach Man Arrested on Federal Charges for Bombing Aliso Viejo Spa that Killed Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – Law enforcement authorities associated with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force on Sunday arrested a Long Beach man on federal charges stemming from an explosion last year that destroyed a day spa in Aliso Viejo, killed the man’s former girlfriend, and caused serious injuries to two spa clients.
Stephen William Beal, 59, was arrested pursuant to a federal criminal complaint filed on Friday that charges him with malicious destruction of a building resulting in the death of Ildiko Krajnyak.
“This was a horrific intentional attack that killed an innocent woman and severely injured two others who will live with the physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “We will do everything we can to obtain justice for these victims and hold the perpetrator accountable.”
“The FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, with the assistance of many JTTF partners, brought full forensic resources to bear on the case in order to process an enormous amount of evidence recovered from the crime scene and related searches,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Though Mr. Beal has been charged, our work will continue to ensure justice is done in this case for the victims who continue to endure the loss and the pain of this horrific attack.”
“During this extensive investigation, we have worked seamlessly with our local and federal partners,” said Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. “We are grateful for the many dedicated agencies who worked together to meticulously investigate and arrest the suspect. This will provide much-needed closure to our community.”
The charge against Beal relates to the May 15, 2018 explosion at the Magyar Kozmetica spa in Aliso Viejo. When first responders arrived on the scene, they discovered human remains outside of the building and noted major damage to building, according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint. A woman who survived the blast told investigators that the explosion was the result of the spa’s owner/operator, Ms. Krajnyak, opening a cardboard box.
Later that day, Beal contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and identified himself as the co-owner of the spa that was operated by his “ex-wife.” Sheriff’s deputies and FBI personnel responded to Beal’s residence, where he consented to a search that led to the discovery of chemicals used to manufacture explosives, according to the affidavit. Pursuant to a search warrant obtained the day after the explosion, investigators recovered approximately 130 pounds of explosive precursors.
Further investigation at the scene of the bombing led to the recovery of a partially destroyed battery and bits of wire that the FBI laboratory determined were part of the explosive device, according to the affidavit. FBI laboratory personnel determined that there were “no meaningful differences” between the bits of wire recovered from the explosion site and wire removed from a homemade device found at Beal’s residence, according to the affidavit. Investigators determined that Beal purchased a battery consistent with the partially destroyed battery found at the blast scene at a store in Long Beach one week prior to the explosion. And, eight days before the explosion, Beal purchased three cardboard boxes very similar to the box the deceased victim was opening when the bomb detonated.
Furthermore, chemicals detected at the explosion scene were similar to those detected inside Beal’s car, which he purchased only three months before the incident and which he drove to Magyar Kozmetica spa four days before the blast, the affidavit states.
In addition to the forensic evidence, the affidavit outlines statements of three friends of Ms. Krajnyak. One of those witness told investigators that Ms. Krajnyak said “that her boyfriend was jealous, controlling, and possessive of her,” and “she was scared because he would threaten her.” While that witness did not know the name of the boyfriend, Ms. Krajnyak had sent her a photo of the boyfriend, which was identified as Beal.
Beal is expected to make his initial appearance in this case this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If he were to be convicted of the crime of malicious destruction of a building resulting in death, Beal would face a potential sentence of life without parole in federal prison.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes special agents with the FBI and deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Task Force members who participated in the investigation included IRS Criminal Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Long Beach Police Department; the Irvine Police Department; the Anaheim Police Department; and the Orange County Fire Authority.
The case against Beal is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla and Annamartine Salick of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
Logan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – A Logan man pled guilty to a federal firearms charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joshua Stephen Nida, 35, pled guilty to being in possession of a stolen firearm. The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
On July 28 2017, the West Virginia State Police received a call from an individual in Holden, Logan County, West Virginia that his gun was stolen. The Trooper identified the individuals who were present when the gun was stolen. The Trooper tracked down Nida and was able to determine who purchased the stolen gun. Nida admitted being in possession of the stolen firearm and knowing that the firearm was stolen.
Nida faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 30, 2019.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Arthur is handling the prosecution.
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Lexington Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Garry Sean Ramone Drake, Jr., 26, of Lexington, was sentenced Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 300 months in federal prison, following his conviction for distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of Mason Reppen, 22, on November 30, 2017.
Drake is the second individual convicted of distributing fentanyl that resulted in Mr. Reppen’s death. Phillip Clayton Jennings, 23, of Crestwood, Kentucky, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 180 months in prison. Proof gathered during the investigation showed that both defendants were in the chain of distribution for the fentanyl mixture that led to the death. The Lexington Police Department and the DEA jointly investigated the death, which led to the federal charges.
Drake will be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence imposed. Upon his release, he is required to be under supervision by the United States Probation Office for a period of five years.
“Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs continue to devastate our community with tragic outcomes,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We have made the prosecution of overdoses a core priority in our effort to combat this epidemic. We simply must use all the tools available to us to confront this grave problem. Our strong law enforcement partnerships in this District are critical to the effort. We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting these cases to hold those accountable who distribute this poison.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Lexington Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 260 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Michael J. West, 39, of Lexington, was sentenced today, by U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood, to 260 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, two counts of possession with the intent to distribute, three counts of distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On April 11, 2018, Lexington police officers executed a search warrant at West’s apartment, where they located a safe in the refrigerator containing approximately 231 grams of heroin, 150 grams of fentanyl, 78 grams of cocaine, and 22 grams of crack cocaine. In West’s bedroom, officers located cutting agents, a blender with white powder residue, digital scales, naloxone, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. Officers also located two loaded semi-automatic pistols and more than $37,000 in cash.
During the course of the investigation, officers conducted multiple controlled buys of heroin and fentanyl from conspiracy members and learned that West and his co-conspirators, Timothy Darnell Bryant, 48, of Detroit, Kezzle Cortez Reeves, 37, of Detroit, and Jerry Lee Tolbert, 55 of Lexington, were traveling to Detroit, to obtain heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances, which they would then transport back to Lexington for distribution. The defendants used West’s apartment as a stash house where they would store the drugs prior to distributing them.
Previously in December 2018, Bryant pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin. Tolbert pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. And, on December 6, 2018, Reeves was convicted of distributing heroin and fentanyl after a three-day jury trial. West’s co-defendants are awaiting sentencing.
West will be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence imposed. Upon his release, he will be under supervision by the United States Probation Office for a period of 6 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Bradley and Rajbir Datta prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.