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Wednesday 9 January 2019
An Illegal Aggravated Felon with A Prior Meth Conviction Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
ATHENS – An illegal aggravated felon was sentenced to 24 months today for re-entering the United States after being deported in 2014, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Dionicio Garcia Aguirre, of Mexico, was sentenced in Athens, Georgia federal court by the Honorable C. Ashley Royal. Mr. Aguirre will be deported for a second time following this latest term of imprisonment.
Mr. Aguirre was first convicted in Athens federal court on March 10, 2010 of Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of Methamphetamine. After serving a prison sentence, Mr. Aguirre was deported in June 2014. On November 2, 2017, U.S. Probation filed a petition to revoke Mr. Aguirre’s supervised release on the methamphetamine conviction after gaining knowledge of his illegal presence in Franklin County, Georgia. In February 2018, Mr. Aguirre was arrested for a traffic offense, and was later taken into federal custody.
“This convicted felon was deported by the government after serving a sentence for distributing a large quantity of illegal meth in our state, and then completely ignored the clear direction of the United States to never cross illegally into our country again,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “The illegal re-entry of criminals into our country is a serious offense, and we will continue to protect our citizens by enforcing the law. I want to thank investigators with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for their work in this matter.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett 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.
Tuesday 8 January 2019
Upshur County man indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cameron Dixon, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Dixon, age 26, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm as a Drug User” and one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm.” Dixon, who is prohibited from having a firearm, is accused of having a .45 caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol in September 2017 in Harrison County. The .45 caliber pistol is believed to be stolen.
Dixon faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tyler County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Desiree Morgan, of Paden City, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Morgan, age 23, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in October 2018. Morgan admitted selling methamphetamine in February 2017 in Tyler County.
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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., presided.
Two Maryland men indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Desmon Johnson and Kevin E. Burley, Jr., both of Parkville, Maryland, were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Johnson, age 34, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Violate Federal Firearm Laws,” one count of “Engaging in the Business of Firearms Without a License -Aiding and Abetting,” one count of “Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.”
Burley, age 33, was indicted on one count of “Conspiracy to Violate Federal Firearm Laws,” one count of “Engaging in the Business of Firearms Without a License -Aiding and Abetting,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.”
Both men are accused of traveling to Kentucky and West Virginia with the intent of purchasing firearms to then sell those firearms. The two are accused of shipping firearms for sale. Johnson and Burley are not licensed firearms dealers. The crimes allegedly occurred in the Northern District of West Virginia and elsewhere from July 2015 to September 2016.
Johnson and Burley each face up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the conspiracy and business charges and faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 on the unlawful firearms count. Johnson also faces up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the obliterated serial number charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Russian Attorney Natalya Veselnitskaya Charged with Obstruction of Justice in Connection with Civil Money Laundering and Forfeiture ActionRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging NATALYA VLADIMIROVNA VESELNITSKAYA, a national of the Russian Federation, with obstruction of justice.
VESELNITSKAYA was an attorney assisting the defendants against the Government’s claims for forfeiture and civil money laundering penalties in United States v. Prevezon Holdings, Ltd., et al., 13 Civ. 6326. In the Prevezon case, the Government sought to prove that VESELNITSKAYA’s clients had received and laundered a portion of the proceeds of a Russian tax refund fraud scheme involving corrupt Russian officials that was uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian legal adviser who had participated in reporting the fraud to Russian authorities but was then arrested in a retaliatory proceeding.
In the course of representing the defendants in the Prevezon action, VESELNITSKAYA submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Court”) an intentionally misleading declaration in opposition to a Government motion. VESELNITSKAYA’s declaration presented supposed investigative findings by the Russian government – findings purportedly exonerating VESELNITSKAYA’s clients – under the false pretense that these findings had been independently drafted by the Russian government. As alleged, however, VESELNITKSAYA concealed from the Court that she, as a member of the defense team in the Prevezon action, had participated in drafting those supposed exculpatory investigative findings in secret cooperation with a senior Russian prosecutor.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Fabricating evidence – submitting false and deceptive declarations to a federal judge – in an attempt to affect the outcome of pending litigation not only undermines the integrity of the judicial process, but it threatens the ability of our courts and our Government to ensure that justice is done. We take seriously our responsibility to protect the integrity of the judicial proceedings in this District, and we will not stand idly by while outside influences seek to corrupt and pervert that process.”
Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “Russian Attorney Natalya Veselnitskaya is now a wanted person in the United States for intentionally misleading U.S. investigators, regarding Prevezon Holdings’ role in the $230 million dollar tax fraud scheme perpetrated by a criminal organization that included in its ranks corrupt Russian officials. This investigation brought to light how Veslnitskaya secretly schemed with a senior Russian prosecutor to provide false information to U.S. law enforcement in an attempt to influence the legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York. The determined efforts of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office reflect how seriously we take the rule of law in the United States. Veselnitskaya is now on notice and will have to answer for her futile actions.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The Prevezon Action
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed the Prevezon action on September 10, 2013, seeking to recover several million dollars’ worth of property, mainly New York real estate, on the ground that this property was involved in laundering a portion of the proceeds of a Russian tax fraud scheme (the “Russian Treasury Fraud”).
The Complaint in the Prevezon action alleged that the Russian Treasury Fraud was an elaborate tax refund fraud scheme in which a criminal organization including corrupt Russian government officials defrauded Russian taxpayers out of approximately 5.4 billion rubles, or over $200 million. Among other things, the Complaint alleged that the Russian Treasury Fraud consisted of stealing the corporate identities of three companies held by a foreign investment fund advised by an investment company (“Investment Company-1”), manufacturing false contractual defaults against the stolen companies, and claiming tax refunds on the basis of those false corporate liabilities.
The Complaint also alleged that persons associated with Investment Company-1, including Sergei Magnitsky, attempted to report the Russian Treasury Fraud to Russian authorities but were subject to retaliatory prosecutions by the Russian government; that the proceeds from the Russian Treasury Fraud were moved through an elaborate network of shell companies; and that approximately $1.96 million was ultimately transferred by shell companies to a real estate company (“Real Estate Company-1”) that was a defendant in the Prevezon Action. VESELNITSKAYA, an attorney based in Russia, was retained to assist the defendants in the Prevezon Action.
The MLAT Request and the Russian MLAT Response
In March 2014, the U.S. Government sent the Russian Government a request pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (the “MLAT Request”), seeking – for use in the Prevezon Action – records proving the commission of the Russian Treasury Fraud and Russian bank records showing the flow of the Russian Treasury Fraud’s proceeds.
In August 2014, the Russian Government responded to the MLAT Request. Instead of providing the requested records, the Russian Government sent the U.S. Government a report from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office (the “Russian MLAT Response”).
The Russian MLAT Response consisted of a number of supposed investigative findings purportedly from a Russian government investigation. These supposed findings purported to exonerate all Russian government personnel of participating in the Russian Treasury Fraud; to exonerate Real Estate Company-1 of receiving proceeds of the Russian Treasury Fraud; and to accuse people associated with Investment Company-1 of committing the Russian Treasury Fraud. Among the persons the Russian MLAT Response purported to accuse of committing the Russian Treasury Fraud was Magnitsky.
The Veselnitskaya Declaration
In November 2015, the Government moved for partial summary judgment in the Prevezon Action, seeking a ruling that the Russian Treasury Fraud had occurred and constituted a predicate offense for money laundering. The defendants in the Prevezon Action responded, claiming that the motion should be denied because the Russian Treasury Fraud had supposedly been committed by people associated with Investment Company-1 without the involvement of any Russian government officials.
As support for these claims, the defendants in the Prevezon Action submitted a declaration by VESELNITSKAYA (the “Veselnitskaya Declaration”). The Veselnitskaya Declaration attached the Russian MLAT Response, characterized it as exculpatory evidence corroborating the defense’s claims, and claimed that VESELNITSKAYA had gone to great lengths to obtain a copy of it. According to her declaration, VESELNITSKAYA had sought a copy from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and been refused, leading her to file a Russian court action to obtain an order compelling the Russian prosecutors to furnish her with a copy.
Veselnitskaya’s Secret Cooperation with the Russian Prosecutor
As alleged, however, VESELNITSKAYA had secretly worked with a senior Russian prosecutor to help draft the Russian MLAT Response. Emails from an account used by VESELNITSKAYA reveal that she sent multiple drafts of the document to the personal email account of a Russian prosecutor in the Prosecutor General’s Office, which drafts made numerous edits and insertions to the Russian MLAT Response.
A number of the insertions VESELNITSKAYA sent the Russian prosecutor were incorporated – either in rephrased form or at times essentially verbatim – into the final Russian MLAT Response sent by the Russian Government to the U.S. Government. Among the insertions that VESELNITSKAYA sent to the Russian prosecutor – and that appeared in some form in the final Russian MLAT Response – were some claims that were featured in the Prevezon defendants’ opposition to the Government’s summary judgment motion. These claims were supposed evidence that persons associated with Investment Company-1, not corrupt Russian Government officials, committed the Russian Treasury Fraud.
In addition to working with VESELNITSKAYA to draft the Russian MLAT Response, the Russian prosecutor also sent VESELNITSKAYA a draft of a formal complaint against the Prosecutor General’s Office (i.e., against the office where the Russian prosecutor worked) seeking a copy of the Russian MLAT Response for VESELNITSKAYA. Such a formal complaint would falsely make it appear – consistent with the Veselnitskaya Declaration – that VESELNITSKAYA was only able to obtain the Russian MLAT Response through formal legal means and was not a party to its very drafting.
VESELNITSKAYA’s declaration did not disclose any of these facts to the Court. When VESELNITSKAYA characterized the Russian MLAT Response as exculpatory, she did not disclose that she had helped to write it. When she claimed that she had been refused a copy of the Russian MLAT Response by the Prosecutor General’s Office and resorted to a Russian court to obtain a copy of it, she did not disclose that she had helped to write it, or that a member of that office had helped her file a complaint against his own office to get a copy.
The Court denied the Government’s motion for partial summary judgment – the outcome VESELNITSKAYA had sought in submitting her declaration. The Prevezon Action continued and the case settled before trial.
* * *
NATALYA VLADIMIROVNA VESELNITSKAYA, 43, a citizen and resident of Russia, is charged with one count of obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the assigned judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and HSI.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit and its Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul M. Monteleoni and Benet J. Kearney are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Randolph County woman admits to drug distribution chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Melinda Sharon Higgins, of Elkins, West Virginia, has admitted to drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Higgins, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Hydromorphone.” Higgins admitted to distributing hydromorphone in Randolph County in April 2018.
Higgins faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Multi-Convicted Felon Charged with Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating the federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Mitchell Thompson, age 21, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on August 30, 2018, Thompson unlawfully possessed a Glock 9 millimeter pistol, after having been convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those convictions include one conviction for a firearms violation and one conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $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 Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Bureau and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wilkinsburg Police Department, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Moss Point Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – James Hurshell Dugger, 78, of Moss Point, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 11, 2017, deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to Dugger’s home after Dugger shot a man during an altercation. Upon searching Dugger’s home, deputies found 65 firearms, including silencers, a sawed-off rifle a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and firearms that were not registered in the National Firearms Registry. He also had over 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
Dugger has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of unregistered firearms.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Morgan County man indicted for failing to update sex offender registryRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Justin David Peters, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on a failure to register charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Peters, age 26, was indicted on one count of “Failure to Register.” Peters, having previously been convicted of possession of child pornography in Berkeley County Circuit Court, is accused of traveling to Florida without updating his sex offender registration as required by law. The crime allegedly occurred from June to September 2018.
Peters faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Finucane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.
Mexican citizen living in Massillon indicted for attempting to illegally ship eight firearms and ammunition from Canton to Laredo, TexasRead the Press Release
A Mexican citizen living in Massillon was indicted for attempting to illegally ship eight firearms and ammunition from Canton to Laredo, Texas.
Brian Isael Velazquez-Mata, 24, was indicted on one count of delivery of firearms and ammunition to common carrier without written notice for transportation or shipment in interstate commerce to unlicensed person.
Velazquez-Mata attempted to ship two packages containing eight firearms, body armor and ammunition from the UPS store at 7257 Fulton Drive NW in Canton, to Laredo, Texas, on December 7, 2018, according to the indictment.
Among the contents in the packages were: a Windham .308-caliber rifle; a Century Arms 7.62 x 39 mm rifle; a Smith & Wesson M&P-15 rifle; a Windham .223/5.56-caliber rifle; a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol; a Smith & Wesson 40-caliber pistol; a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol; a Glock .40-caliber pistol and ammunition, according to the indictment.
“This defendant attempted to illegally send an arsenal, as well as body armor and ammunition, from Canton to the southwest border,” said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman. “Law enforcement did an excellent job to stop the shipment of these firearms.”
The investigation is ongoing.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Medway Drug Enforcement Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron P. Howell.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mastermind of Mortgage Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The mastermind of a mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded financially distressed homeowners, investors, and financial institutions of nearly $1.5 million dollars was sentenced today to more than 13 years in federal prison.
Hasan Hussain, 57, of Princeton, N.J., masterminded a scheme that defrauded distressed homeowners, investors, and financial institutions of fees, rental income, mortgage payment funds, property ownership and/or proceeds from the sale of their properties.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Hussain to a total of 159 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years supervised release. Hussain was also ordered to pay more than $1.4 million dollars in restitution to the victims of his scheme.
Hussain, who pled guilty in September 2018, admitted to using various business entities to trick distressed property owners, who were seeking loan modifications, into paying him fees, moving out of their homes, and selling their homes in short sale transactions. Hussain further admitted that he convinced lenders to agree to artificially low sale prices for the distressed property owners’ homes by directing other individuals to damage the properties prior to the short sales. Thereby, Hussain, or individuals or businesses associated with him, acquired the properties at reduced prices, and then flipped them to investors at much higher prices.
At the time of his guilty plea, Hussain admitted that these investors were defrauded of their funds, or good credit, or both when they agreed to purchase properties from Hussain. Hussain further admitted that he assisted investors to acquire federally backed mortgages through fraudulent applications, ultimately resulting in losses to the lenders or the Federal Housing Administration. Some of the tactics employed by Hussain as part of the scheme included misuse of identities and cutting and pasting signatures on property deeds and financial documents.
Several individuals directly impacted by Hussain’s schemes appeared in federal court today and personally delivered victim impact statements to the Court.
Hussain’s sentence is announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Stephen Marks, Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the FBI Harold H. Shaw, and Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel Ann C. Assumpico.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert, Richard B. Myrus, and William J. Ferland.
Marion County man indicted on firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marcus Devaughn Coleman, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Coleman, age 35, was indicted on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Coleman, who is prohibited from having a firearm, is accused of having 9mm pistol in March 2018 in Marion County.
Coleman faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Marion County man indicted on drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James G. Moore, Jr., of Fairmont, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019 on drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Moore, age 41, was indicted on one count of “Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Moore is accused of having methamphetamine. Moore, who is prohibited from having a firearm, is also accused of having 9mm pistol. The crimes allegedly took place in February 2018 in Marion County.
Moore faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the drug count, and faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maple Heights woman indicted for robbing the same store on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere on consecutive daysRead the Press Release
A Maple Heights woman was indicted for robbing the same store on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere on consecutive days.
Rachelette McKissack, 26, was indicted on one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and two counts of interference with commerce through robbery.
McKissack robbed the Cleveland Consignment Shoppe at 28790 Chagrin Blvd. in Woodmere on November 15, 2018, according to the indictment.
The next day, McKissack brandished a firearm to again rob the Cleveland Consignment Shoppe, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Woodmere Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Kane.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Judge Sentences Clairton Woman to Probation for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years’ probation on her conviction of conspiring to distribute narcotics, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Dana McDougald, 33.
According to information presented to the court at the earlier guilty plea proceeding, between March and June 2017, McDougald, at the direction of her codefendant, Elliot Page, packaged, stamped and stored bags of fentanyl for further distribution at her residence. At the time of the imposition of sentence, the court stated that a sentence below the advisory guideline range was appropriate given McDougald’s lack of criminal history, her long-standing dedication to full-time employment, and her challenging childhood, that included periods in foster care.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. 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. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Jackson Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to over Three Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Randy Williams, 47, of Jackson, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 43 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Williams was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
On November 6, 2016, officers with the Jackson Police Department initiated a traffic stop of a black Nissan Sentra at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Highway 80 for disregarding a traffic device. During the stop, the driver, Randy Williams, was found to be in possession of a .38 caliber revolver. Williams has three prior felony convictions in the Circuit Court of Hinds County, which include sexual battery, possession of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.
The case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Hancock County man sentenced to 10 years for firearms violationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Shannon C. Thornton, of Weirton, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Thornton, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in October 2018. Thornton, having previously been convicted of felony “Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury” in North Carolina, admitted to possessing a .380 caliber pistol, 9mm caliber pistol, and a .45 caliber pistol in January 2018 in Hancock County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danae DeMasi-Lemon prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., presided.
Fourth defendant sentenced for role in Atlanta-based Mexican sex trafficking ringRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Severiano Martinez-Rojas has been sentenced for his role in the sex trafficking of three victims. The defendant is the fourth member of an Atlanta-based Mexican sex trafficking ring convicted for their roles in compelling young women from Mexico and Central America to engage in commercial sex.
"Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that exploits and traumatizes some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We stand united today with our colleagues at the Department of Justice, Eastern District of New York, and federal law enforcement partners, in applauding the courage of the three victims in this case who remained determined to see this prosecution to its conclusion. The lengthy prison sentence that this final defendant received is primarily the result of the valiant efforts of these human trafficking survivors to hold their traffickers accountable.”
“Human trafficking is disgraceful and unacceptable. The sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to combatting these crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This sex trafficking enterprise was extensive and resulted in the abuse of young women and girls. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is thankful for the hard work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, the FBI, and the Homeland Security Investigations team who helped deliver justice on behalf of the victims and survivors.”
"This case represents why sex trafficking is such a high priority matter for the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the non-government agencies who provide assistance to those with nowhere else to turn,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As one of the worst examples of human trafficking, this case should resonate with those who might consider this reprehensible criminal conduct acceptable. We urge anyone with information about human trafficking activities to contact authorities and help put an end to modern day slavery.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between 2006 and 2008, defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas and co-defendants Arturo Rojas-Coyotl and Odilon Martinez-Rojas, lured the three victims into fraudulent romantic relationships using false promises of love, marriage, and legitimate work. They then arranged for others to smuggle the victims across the border into the United States. Once illegally in the United States, the defendants used violence, threats, and intimidation to coerce the victims to perform countless commercial sex acts in the Atlanta area and Alabama, where defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas also operated a brothel.
Severiano Martinez-Rojas, 53, of Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman to 24 years, five months in prison for his role in the sex trafficking of three victims. Defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas was indicted in May 2013 but had remained a fugitive until his arrest in Mexico in November 2015 as part of a coordinated U.S.-Mexico bilateral enforcement action. The action also resulted in the arrests of seven other defendants in a related Eastern District of New York case. Martinez-Rojas was also charged, convicted, and sentenced in that case.
Martinez-Rojas, and co-defendants Arturo Rojas-Coyotl and Odilon Martinez-Rojas, previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and were sentenced to 16 years and 21 years and 10 months in prison, respectively. Both defendants were also ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution to the victims. A third co-defendant, Daniel Garcia-Tepal, pleaded guilty to alien harboring and received a sentence of time served.
Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims, and reunite victims with their children. These efforts resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of more than 170 defendants in multiple cases in Georgia, New York, Florida, and Texas since 2009, as well as numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta. Assistance with the arrest and extradition of defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas was provided by HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit, HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, and Interpol. The government of Mexico, including Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República and Policía Federal, also played a prominent role in advancing the bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts in this case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Chief of the Violent Crime & National Security Section for the Northern District of Georgia, and Deputy Director of Litigation Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Five men in the U.S. illegally are indictedRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Five men from Mexico, Peru, and Honduras were indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on January 8, 2019, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Four men are charged with one count of “Reentry of a Removed Alien.”
Feliciano Pelagio Mariluz-Tafur, age 43, a citizen of Peru
Bruno Mauricio-Solis, age 24, a citizen of Mexico
Javier Rosario-Azamar, age 43, a citizen of Mexico
Jose Cristino Cubas-Zavala, age 29, of HondurasThe four are accused of being in Harrison County in December 2018 after having previously been removed from the United States.
An additional defendant, Guillermo Santiago-Francisco, age 24, a citizen of Mexico, along with Cubas-Zavala are each charged with one count of “Fraud and Misuse of Document.” They are accused of forging a document used as evidence of legal entry or authorized stay for employment in the United States in December 2018 in Harrison County.
The reentry charges carry a sentence of up to two years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. The fraud charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Diplomatic Security Services investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Richard Dale Ingram Jr., age 31, of Fayetteville, was sentenced yesterday to 110 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $3,900.00 fine on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, on March 28, 2018, detectives with the Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force in Washington County, Arkansas conducted a search of the Fayetteville, Arkansas residence of Ingram. Ingram is a convicted felon currently on state supervision with the Arkansas Department of Correction and as such has consented to a search of his residence at any time.
When detectives made entry in Ingram's residence, Ingram attempted to flee out a back window and was apprehended. During their search of the residence, detectives located an Iver Johnson .22 caliber pistol in the toilet tank in the bathroom. Ingram admitted that the firearm belonged to him and that he procured it "on the street".
Ingram was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2018 and entered a guilty plea in June 2018.
This case was investigated by the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Denis Dean prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Fargo, ND, Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Multiple Offenses Involving Transportation of a One-Year-Old Child for the Purpose of Sexual Abuse and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on January 8, 2019, United States District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier, District of South Dakota, sentenced Dustin William Kewley, age 36, Fargo, North Dakota, to serve 35 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the charges of Conspiracy to Transport a Minor, Transportation of a Minor, Distribution of Materials Containing Child Pornography, and Possession of Materials Containing Child Pornography. Kewley was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,640 to the victim and $400 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
This case was brought to the attention of law enforcement after Kewley began communicating with an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Police Department – FBI Child Exploitation Task Force in Washington, DC. During their conversations, Kewley relayed that he was preparing to sexually abuse a one-year-old child during which time he would produce a visual depiction of such conduct. In addition, Kewley electronically sent the undercover officer a child pornographic video depicting a prepubescent female being sexually abused by an adult male.
After the FBI Task Force identified Kewley as residing in Fargo, North Dakota, it immediately notified the FBI’s field office in Fargo, North Dakota, for further investigation. The FBI and the North Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force immediately responded to Kewley’s residence to rescue the child. A subsequent search of Kewley’s residence produced Kewley’s computer and cellphone. A subsequent forensic examination of Kewley’s computer and cell phone revealed child pornography, as well as text conversations between Kewley and the co-defendant, Bryan Hogle, from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Further investigation revealed that on May 22, 2017, Kewley transported the one-year-old child from Fargo, North Dakota, to Moorhead, Minnesota, to meet Hogle who traveled from Las Vegas, Nevada, the previous day. Specifically, the two men met at a hotel in Moorhead where together they sexually abused the child.
In July 2018, Hogle pled guilty to the offenses of Conspiracy to Transport a Minor, and Coercion and Enticement. Hogle will be sentenced January 25, 2019.
This case was investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; Fargo Police Department; and FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Executive Director of Private Club Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William Cheung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced that MICHAEL GYURE, the executive director of a private club in Manhattan, pled guilty today to filing false federal income tax returns. GYURE pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted in court today, while serving as the executive director of a private club in Manhattan, Michael Gyure ripped off the IRS. Gyure’s filing of false tax returns is no laughing matter, and he now awaits sentencing for this crime.”
IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge William Cheung said: “Gyure’s attempt to evade tax by filing false tax returns was a theft from the American public. It is a felony that carries severe consequences. As we start the tax filing season, it is a timely reminder of the overarching principle of IRS’s enforcement strategy: We protect the integrity of the tax system by ensuring everyone pays the right amount of tax.”
According to allegations contained in the Information to which GYURE pled guilty and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
At all times relevant to the conduct outlined in the Information, GYURE was the executive director of a private club (the “Club”) located in Manhattan. In 2012, GYURE entered into an employment agreement with the Club entitling him to the payment of certain personal expenses. Between 2012 and 2016, GYURE received more than approximately $273,000 in reimbursements and direct payments from the Club to pay for personal expenses including, among other things, the purchase of wine sent to GYURE’s home, international travel for GYURE and his family members, and purchases of clothing and groceries. Additionally, during this same period, the Club reclassified more than $160,000 in loans that had previously been made to GYURE as additional compensation, above and beyond GYURE’s salary. The payments for personal expenses made to GYURE and the reclassification of loans as additional compensation to GYURE came at a time when the Club was attempting to address a decrease in revenues and cash management issues. By in or about 2015, for example, the Club was asking vendors to accept reduced or late payments and, during the period between 2015 and 2016, the Club failed to pay several hundred thousand dollars in sales taxes to the State of New York.
In each of tax year 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, GYURE caused to be filed with the IRS income tax returns that understated his income by failing to report the income he earned from the Club as payments of personal expenses and additional compensation due to reclassification of loans. During the period between tax years 2012 and 2016, GYURE caused losses to the IRS of more than $150,000.
* * *
GYURE, 50, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of filing false federal income tax returns, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. GYURE has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of at least $156,920, which represents the additional tax due and owing as a result of GYURE’s underpayment of income taxes for the tax years 2012 through 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2019, at 2:45 p.m., before Judge Buchwald.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Reilly and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendants Charged Separately in Fentanyl Death Overdose & Pill Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 8, 2019
SAN DIEGO – Today, federal prosecutors filed drug trafficking charges against four individuals following a successful undercover operation in which agents acquired over 10,000 potentially deadly fentanyl pills that were smuggled through San Diego Ports of Entry. In a separate matter, a local San Diego defendant was charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the July 18, 2018 death of a San Diego resident.
According to the pill ring trafficking complaint, in December 2018, federal undercover agents negotiated with a known drug trafficker based in Tijuana to purchase approximately 4,000 fentanyl pills for $24,000. Following that conversation, the trafficker arranged for defendants to smuggle fentanyl pills through the San Diego Ports of Entry. On January 7, 2019, defendant Dianna Dominguez arrived in a vehicle with defendants Felix Inzunza-Dominguez, Jr. and Norma Macias-Dominguez. Inzunza-Dominguez., Jr. eventually exited the vehicle with a bag and headed to the nearby Frye’s parking lot, where he delivered about 4,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent, expecting to receive $24,000. As alleged in the complaint, the bag also contained two condoms, believed to be the smugglers’ method of concealing the fentanyl as they entered the United States. Defendants Macias-Dominguez and Inzunza-Dominguez, Jr. had previously each delivered 1,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent, in exchange for $8,000 per transaction.
Following the above incident, the undercover agent told the trafficker in Mexico that he did not receive the fentanyl pills and requested another 2,000 fentanyl pills. According to the complaint, after that exchange, defendant Tanairi Ponce placed 2,000 fentanyl pills in her bra, crossed the border, and delivered 2,000 pills to the agent, at which point she was arrested.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Office assisted in the undercover investigation targeting the fentanyl smuggling ring.
Following their arraignment this afternoon before Judge Michael Berg, all four defendants entered not guilty pleas. The court scheduled their detention hearing on January 11, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.
In a separate action, defendant Christopher James Stracuzzi was arraigned today in federal court on the charge of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The federal complaint was unsealed in federal court following his afternoon arraignment before Judge Michael Berg. The complaint alleges that on July 18, 2018, at approximately 8:43 p.m., the San Diego Police Department ("SDPD") received a 911 call in reference to an unconscious male who was laying on the floor in his apartment, unresponsive. Paramedics arrived on scene and unsuccessfully attempted resuscitation. The individual was pronounced deceased at 9:12 p.m.
The deceased’s roommate later advised investigators that Stracuzzi sold the deceased 12 tablets, which the roommate believed were oxycodone pills. They both took one and fell asleep. After learning from the Medical Examiner's Office that her roommate had died of a fentanyl overdose, she suspected the oxycodone (Percocet) tablets were counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. She gave agents the remaining 10 tablets, which the DEA Southwest Regional Laboratory analyzed and found to contain fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Health Care Services, along with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are part of a team that investigates and prosecutes fatal overdose cases.
Stracuzzi entered a not guilty plea, following his arraignment this afternoon, before Judge Michael Berg and is scheduled for a detention hearing on January 11, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.
“When drug traffickers smuggle or distribute black market pills laced with fentanyl, they are inviting buyers to play Russian roulette with their lives,” said Adam L. Braverman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California. “Stopping the importation and sale of these exceedingly dangerous pills remains one of the Department’s most important priorities. We won’t rest until we take every pill and every dealer off the street.”
“Tragic cases of overdose deaths caused by fentanyl will leave scars on families in our communities for decades to come,” said HSI San Diego SAC Dave Shaw. “HSI is committed to working with our partners to remove this scourge from our streets. We urge everyone to take the time to learn about these deadly drugs and take the steps necessary to protect their families and loved ones.”
“DEA continues to encounter an alarming amount of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl in San Diego County – pills that look exactly like legitimate prescription pills,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “If you didn’t obtain the prescription pill from an authorized medical practitioner, you are playing Russian roulette. Fentanyl is deadly. Don’t wait to learn the lesson from the Medical Examiner.”
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri Walker Hobson.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19 MJ 0071
Dianna Dominguez (San Diego)
Felix Inzunza-Dominguez, Jr. (Tijuana)
Norma Macias-Dominguez (Tijuana)
Tanairi Ponce (Tijuana)
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 21 U.S.C. Section 841(a)(1) Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute
Maximum penalty: Life in custody, with a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19 MJ 0049
Christopher James Stracuzzi (San Diego)
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a) & 841(b)(l)(C) Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death
Title 18 U.S.C. § 2 Aiding and Abetting
Maximum penalty: Life in custody, with a mandatory minimum penalty of twenty years.
AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
San Diego Police Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Health Care Services
Monday 7 January 2019
U.S. Postal Service Mail Carrier Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to one year in prison for bribery.
According to court documents, Darryl Harding, 61, was a postal carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Hampton. Harding was receiving money from members of a marijuana conspiracy to deliver packages containing marijuana sent from Seattle to addresses in Hampton on Harding’s mail route. Harding would intercept the packages and deliver them to members of the conspiracy in return for cash. Harding was paid as much as $300 for each package he delivered.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Paul Bowman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-48.
Tyler County man sentenced for connection to a drug distribution operation in Wetzel and Tyler CountiesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Boyd Williamson, of Middlebourne, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for his involvement in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williamson, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in July 2018. Williamson admitted selling methamphetamine in December 2017 in Wetzel County.
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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Navy Officer Sentenced to Prison for $2.7 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach naval officer was sentenced today to over four years in prison for his role in a $2.7 million procurement fraud scheme, and for lying on his federal income tax return.
According to court documents, Randolph M. Prince, 45, was a Navy officer at a Naval Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit based in Virginia Beach in charge of procurement. From Spring 2014 until Fall 2015, Prince took advantage of his role within his command to steer government contracts to businesses of his choosing. These businesses were companies formed by Prince’s associates and purporting to be legitimate sub-vendors of military equipment, despite being vendors of nothing at all.
In order to steer said contracts, Prince and others rigged bids, substituted products on purchase orders, and used fraudulent invoices and delivery documents to make the purchases appear legitimate. In the end, Prince ensured his command spent upwards of $2.7 million dollars on purchase orders to the sham companies, knowing all along that the Navy would receive nothing in return. The items ostensibly purchased for Prince’s unit were “inert training aids” and are destroyed in routine training for Navy EOD units. Because Prince was responsible for the ordering of goods up-front, and confirming their delivery on the back-end, he was able to perpetrate the scheme for over 18 months without his command becoming aware. Prince and others pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars from the scheme, money that Prince failed to report as income on his 2014 tax return.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge for Defense Criminal Investigative Service Mid-Atlantic Field Office, Cliff Everton, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Layne prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-116.
Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery and Multiple Bomb HoaxesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pleaded guilty today to armed bank robbery and making false bomb threats.
According to court documents, in August 2018, Oscar Von Alston II, 31, made multiple bomb threats throughout Hampton and Newport News in an effort to divert authorities and emergency resources away from his armed robbery of the Virginia Educators Credit Union (VECU). During the evacuation of the threatened locations, Von Alston robbed the VECU at gunpoint. He was apprehended less than 20 minutes after the robbery with over $22,000 from the VECU.
Von Alston faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and maximum of life in prison when sentenced on April 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-79.
Fourth Defendant Sentenced for Role in Atlanta-Based Mexican Sex Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Severiano Martinez-Rojas, 53, of Mexico, was sentenced on Friday by United States District Judge Edward R. Korman to over 24 years in prison for his role in the sex trafficking of three victims. The amount to be paid in restitution will be announced at a later date.
The defendant is the fourth member of an Atlanta-based Mexican sex trafficking ring convicted for their roles in compelling young women from Mexico and Central America to engage in commercial sex. Co-defendants Arturo Rojas-Coyotl and Odilon Martinez-Rojas previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and were sentenced to 16 years and 21 years and 10 months in prison, respectively. Both defendants were also ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution to the victims. A third co-defendant, Daniel Garcia-Tepal, pleaded guilty to alien harboring and received a sentence of time served.
“Human trafficking is disgraceful and unacceptable. Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to combatting these crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This sex trafficking enterprise was extensive and resulted in the abuse of young women and girls. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is thankful for the hard work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, the FBI, and the Homeland Security Investigations team who helped deliver justice on behalf of the victims and survivors.”
“Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that exploits and traumatizes some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We stand united today with our colleagues at the Department of Justice, Eastern District of New York, and federal law enforcement partners, in applauding the courage of the three victims in this case who remained determined to see this prosecution to its conclusion. The lengthy prison sentence that this final defendant has received in this case is primarily the result of the valiant efforts of these human trafficking survivors to hold their traffickers accountable.”
“This case represents why sex trafficking is such a high priority matter for the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the non-government agencies who provide assistance to those with nowhere else to turn,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As one of the worst examples of human trafficking, this case should resonate with those who might consider this reprehensible criminal conduct acceptable. We urge anyone with information about human trafficking activities to contact authorities and help put an end to modern day slavery.”
According to documents filed in court, between 2006 and 2008, defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas and co-defendants Arturo Rojas-Coyotl and Odilon Martinez-Rojas, lured the three victims into fraudulent romantic relationships using false promises of love, marriage, and legitimate work. They then arranged for others to smuggle the victims across the border into the United States. Once illegally in the United States, the defendants used violence, threats, and intimidation to coerce the victims to perform countless commercial sex acts in the Atlanta area and Alabama, where defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas also operated a brothel.
Defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas was indicted in May 2013 but had remained a fugitive until his arrest in Mexico in November 2015 as part of a coordinated U.S.-Mexico bilateral enforcement action. The action also resulted in the arrests of seven other defendants in a related Eastern District of New York case. Martinez-Rojas was also charged, convicted, and sentenced in that case.
Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. The Initiative seeks to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims, and reunite victims with their children. These efforts resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of more than 170 defendants in multiple cases in Georgia, New York, Florida, and Texas since 2009, as well as numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta. Assistance with the arrest and extradition of defendant Severiano Martinez-Rojas was provided by HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit, HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, and Interpol. The government of Mexico, including Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República and Policía Federal, also played a prominent role in advancing the bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts in this case.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak of the Northern District of Georgia, FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hacker, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan, announced the sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Chief of the Violent Crime & National Security Section for the Northern District of Georgia, and Deputy Director of Litigation Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Five Members of Mexican Sex Trafficking Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Five members of an international criminal organization known as the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization (the “Organization”) were sentenced last week in federal court in Brooklyn to prison terms of 15 to 25 years by United States District Court Judge Edward R. Korman. The amount to be paid in restitution will be announced at a later date. Three additional defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2019. The defendants previously pled guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking and other federal charges following their arrests in Mexico and the United States. Between December 2004 and November 2015, the Organization, based in Tenancingo, Tlaxcala, Mexico, smuggled numerous young women and girls from Mexico and Central America into the United States, and forced them to engage in prostitution for the Organization’s profit, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars that were then laundered back to Mexico.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Derek Benner (HSI), announced the sentences.
“These well-deserved sentences reflect the gravity of the human trafficking crimes these defendants committed,” stated Acting Attorney General Whitaker. “The defendants operated an extensive sex trafficking enterprise that preyed on vulnerable young women and girls, deceiving them with false promises, coercing their compliance, and compelling them into submission through beatings, threats, isolation, and intimidation. This prosecution is the result of strong partnerships among the Eastern District of New York, the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the New York Office of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, and our Mexican law enforcement counterparts. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our unwavering commitment to working across international borders to dismantle transnational trafficking networks and seek justice on behalf of victims and survivors.”
“These sentencings are the latest chapter in this Office’s long-term commitment to eradicate human trafficking and all forms of modern-day slavery,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The crimes committed by the members of the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization were brutal and shocking, and I hope that the sentences give the victims in this case some sense of justice. We will not tolerate the exploitation of women and girls for profit or sexual servitude.”
“These individuals will now face the consequences of their callous criminal actions exploiting women and girls whom they forced into sex slavery for profit. The investigation and prosecution that led to today’s sentencings speak to the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico, in which both nations are committed to holding accountable those engaged in the ruthless act of human trafficking,” said Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Derek Benner. “Investigating human trafficking remains a priority for HSI, whose primary focus is to rescue victims and release them from the grip of their captors. HSI will continue leveraging all of its investigative capabilities to disrupt human trafficking syndicates no matter where in the world they operate.”
The defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms:
- Jovan Rendon-Reyes, aka Jovani, 32, of Mexico, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to court documents, the defendant forced a minor to perform countless commercial sex acts for a substantial period using violence, manipulation and fear. Among other abusive acts, he raped the victim, and he repeatedly and severely beat her when she did not earn enough money. He also contributed directly to the Organization’s victimization of other women and girls.
- Saul Rendon-Reyes, aka Satanico, 41, of Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to court documents, the defendant forced a victim to perform commercial sex acts for a substantial period, including shortly after she gave birth, using violence, manipulation and fear. Among other abusive acts, he severely and repeatedly beat the victim, and deprived her of food. He also contributed directly to the Organization’s victimization of other women and girls, on one occasion depriving a victim of food to force her to have sex with him.
- Felix Rojas, 48, of Mexico, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. According to court documents, the defendant forced two victims to perform countless commercial sex acts for substantial periods using violence, manipulation and fear. Among other abusive acts, he kidnapped the first victim and her child, bringing them to Tenancingo. He then left the child with other members of the Organization, and smuggled the victim into the United States. While in the United States, he threatened to harm the victim’s child to force her to prostitute. On one occasion, when he learned that the victim was pregnant, he severely beat her until he caused a miscarriage, terminating the pregnancy. With respect to the second victim, he withheld food for her and her newborn if she refused to prostitute, and he severely and repeatedly beat her. He also contributed directly to the victimization of other women and girls.
- Odilon Martinez-Rojas, aka Chino or Saul, 47, of Mexico, was sentenced to 293 months in prison. According to court documents, the defendant forced three victims to perform countless commercial sex acts for substantial periods, using violence, manipulation and fear. Among other abusive acts, he raped the first victim, and severely and repeatedly beat her, including with a bat, when she did not earn enough money. With respect to the second victim, he threated to force her friend, who was a virgin, to prostitute, and he beat her when she tried to protect her friend. With respect to the third victim, when he learned that she was pregnant, he forced her to take pills to induce a miscarriage, terminating the pregnancy, and then violently and brutally beat her, dragging her by the hair, throwing her down stairs and stomping on her face when she did not immediately return to prostituting. In addition, when he was arrested in 2013 as part of a separate case in the Northern District of Georgia, he and Severiano Martinez-Rojas obstructed the investigation by causing the victim to refuse to cooperate with law enforcement. He also contributed directly to the Organization’s victimization of other women and girls. Odilon Martinez-Rojas previously was sentenced to 262 months in prison in a separate Northern District of Georgia case. The sentence imposed last week will run concurrent with his prior sentence.
- Severiano Martinez-Rojas, 53, of Mexico, was sentenced to 293 months in prison. According to court documents, the defendant forced a victim to perform countless commercial sex acts for a substantial period using violence, manipulation and fear. Among other abusive acts, he severely and repeatedly beat her when she refused to prostitute or tried to leave. In addition, he operated a brothel out of a trailer in Alabama, where many victims of the Organization were forced to prostitute. He also contributed directly to the Organization’s victimization of other women and girls, raped one of the victims, and threatened another victim to prevent her from cooperating with law enforcement after Odilon
- Martinez-Rojas was charged in a separate case in the Northern District of Georgia. Severiano was likewise charged in the Northern District of Georgia, which case was transferred to the Eastern District of New York for entry of his guilty plea, and the cases were consolidated for last week’s sentencing proceeding.
The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action and extraditions of the defendants apprehended in Mexico were coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice and restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims. These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 170 defendants in multiple cases in New York, Georgia, Florida and Texas, in addition to numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. The convictions in this case are also the latest development in the Eastern District of New York’s comprehensive anti-trafficking program, which has to date indicted more than 80 defendants, assisted more than 150 victims, including 45 minors, reunited 19 victims’ children with their mothers and secured restitution orders of over $4 million on behalf of trafficking victims.
The investigation of the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization was led by HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, with assistance from HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, Interpol and the New York City Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the FBI’s Atlanta Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The government of Mexico, including Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República (“PGR”) and the Mexican Federal Police, also played a prominent role in advancing the bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts in this case. Non-governmental victim service providers and advocates also dedicated efforts to restore and improve the lives of survivors of trafficking and their families. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taryn A. Merkl and Margaret Lee of the Eastern District of New York and Deputy Director for Litigation Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Five Members of Mexican Sex Trafficking Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Last week in federal district court in Brooklyn, New York, five members of a notorious international criminal organization, known as the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization, were sentenced to prison terms of 15 to 25 years by United States District Court Judge Edward R. Korman. The amount to be paid in restitution will be announced at a later date. Three other defendants are set to be sentenced on Jan. 15. The defendants previously pled guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking, and other federal charges following their arrests in Mexico and the United States, where they were residing illegally. For over a decade, the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization, based in Tenancingo, Tlaxcala, Mexico, smuggled numerous young women and girls from Mexico and Central America into the United States and forced them to engage in prostitution for the Organization’s profit, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds that were then laundered back to Mexico. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.
“These well-deserved sentences reflect the gravity of the human trafficking crimes these defendants committed,” said Acting Attorney General Whitaker. “The defendants operated an extensive sex trafficking enterprise that preyed on vulnerable young women and girls, deceiving them with false promises, coercing their compliance, and compelling them into submission through beatings, threats, isolation, and intimidation. This prosecution is the result of strong partnerships among the Eastern District of New York, the Civil Right Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the New York Office of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, and our Mexican law enforcement counterparts. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our unwavering commitment to working across international borders to dismantle transnational trafficking networks and seek justice on behalf of victims and survivors.”
“These sentencings are the latest chapter in this Office’s long-term commitment to eradicate human trafficking and all forms of modern-day slavery,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The crimes committed by the members of the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization were brutal and shocking, and I hope that the sentences give the victims in this case some sense of justice. We will not tolerate the exploitation of women and girls for profit or sexual servitude.”
“These individuals will now face the consequences of their callous criminal actions exploiting women and girls whom they forced into sex slavery for profit. The investigation and prosecution that led to today’s sentencings speak to the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico, in which both nations are committed to holding accountable those engaged in the ruthless act of human trafficking,” said Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Derek Benner. “Investigating human trafficking remains a priority for HSI, whose primary focus is to rescue victims and release them from the grip of their captors. HSI will continue leveraging all of its investigative capabilities to disrupt human trafficking syndicates no matter where in the world they operate.”
The defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms: Jovan Rendon-Reyes, aka Jovani, 32, of Mexico, was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Saul Rendon-Reyes, aka Satanico, 41, of Mexico, was sentenced to 15 years in prison; Felix Rojas, 48, of Mexico, was sentenced to 25 years in prison; Odilon Martinez-Rojas, aka Chino or Saul, 47, of Mexico, was sentenced to over 24 years in prison; and Severiano Martinez-Rojas, 53, of Mexico, was sentenced to over 24 years in prison. Severiano Martinez-Rojas was also sentenced in a related case in the Northern District of Georgia. Those proceedings were transferred to the Eastern District of New York for entry of the defendant’s guilty plea last year, and the cases were consolidated for last week’s sentencing. Defendants Jose Rendon-Garcia, aka Gusano, 35, of Mexico, Guillermina Rendon-Reyes, 48, of Mexico, and Francisco Rendon-Reyes, aka Pancho, 30, of Mexico, will be sentenced on Jan. 15.
According to documents filed in court, between December 2004 and November 2015, members of the Rendon-Reyes Organization, including the defendants, enriched themselves by forcing multiple young women and girls, including the 12 referenced in court documents, to perform countless commercial sex acts throughout the United States and Mexico. The Organization targeted vulnerable women and girls, some as young as 14, from impoverished areas of Mexico and Central America. Male members of the Organization typically used false promises of love and marriage to lure the victims into fraudulent romantic relationships. In some instances, they forcibly abducted the victims, and on one occasion, a victim’s child. Members of the Organization frequently arranged for others to smuggle the victims across the border and into the United States. Once in the United States, members of the Organization utilized different methods to force the victims to engage in prostitution, including severe and repeated beatings, sexual assaults, forced abortions, threats to the victims, their families and children, and psychological harm. Members of the Organization forced the victims to perform as many as 45 sex acts a night and took all of the prostitution proceeds, funneling the money back to Mexico.
The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action, and extraditions of the defendants apprehended in Mexico were coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, and restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims. These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 170 defendants in multiple cases in New York, Georgia, Florida, and Texas, in addition to numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. The convictions in this case are also the latest development in the Eastern District of New York’s comprehensive anti-trafficking program, which has to date indicted more than 80 defendants, assisted more than 150 victims, including 45 minors, reunited 19 victims’ children with their mothers, and secured restitution orders of over $4 million on behalf of trafficking victims.
The investigation of the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization was led by HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, with assistance from HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, Interpol and the New York City Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the FBI’s Atlanta Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia. The government of Mexico, including Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República and Policía Federal, also played a prominent role in advancing the bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts in this case. Non-governmental victim service providers and advocates also dedicated efforts to restore and improve the lives of survivors of trafficking and their families.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director Derek Benner made the announcement today.
The case against the Rendon-Reyes Trafficking Organization was investigated by HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taryn A. Merkl and Margaret Lee of the Eastern District of New York and Deputy Director for Litigation Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Everett Simpson Charged with Federal KidnappingRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that federal charges were filed today against Everett Simpson, 41, formerly of St. Albans, Vermont for his involvement with the kidnapping of a New Hampshire woman over the weekend.
According to the unsealed complaint filed in the Federal District Court for the District of Vermont, Simpson is alleged to have kidnapped a woman and her young child from New Hampshire and transferred her to Vermont. The victims were subsequently released. The complaint charged a violation of the federal kidnapping statute, 18 U.S.C. §1201(a)(1), which carries a penalty of up to life in prison.
Simpson was arrested in Pennsylvania on Sunday. An arrest warrant was issued in connection with the federal charges. After his federal arrest, the government will seek to have Simpson transferred to Vermont in custody. The contents of the complaint are allegations only. Simpson is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Simpson also faces charges in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Windsor County, Vermont.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont thanks the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Vermont and New Hampshire, the Vermont State Police, the Hartford Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Police Department for their efforts in investigating and apprehending Mr. Simpson. The case will be handled by AUSA Matthew Lasher.
Friday 4 January 2019
Ten Members of "24/7 Boyz" Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that 10 of 12 defendants who were indicted for their roles in a Myrtle Beach-area retail drug distribution organization have pled guilty to federal firearms and narcotics charges.
The evidence presented by Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian reflects that each of these defendants were participants in a Myrtle Beach-based drug distribution network known by the name “24/7 Boyz.” The organization operated as a dispatch service, wherein drug customers placed telephone calls to a dispatch number and a dispatcher then directed the customer to a specific location in the Myrtle Beach area to purchase user quantities of crack cocaine and/or heroin. A delivery driver would then meet the customer at the location, where the drug sale was completed. As the name implies, this organization made illegal drugs available to customers at any time and on any day of the week. The organization operated for years in the Myrtle Beach area, beginning in or around June 2003 and continuing in various forms until the federal indictment was handed down in July 2018.
During the height of the investigation, officials used confidential sources to conduct more than 30 controlled purchases of illegal narcotics from the organization using the dispatch service described above. The covert purchase operations resulted in the recovery of various quantities of illegal controlled substances from multiple locations and, toward the latter end of the investigation, fentanyl that was packaged and sold as heroin. Several search warrants and traffic stops were also conducted on members of the organization, which resulted in the combined seizure of kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine and significant quantities of other illegal drugs. Additionally, nine firearms were seized from the group along with tens of thousands of dollars in suspected drug proceeds.
The investigation involved significant coordination between a number of local, state, and federal agencies, primarily including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Police Department, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and South Carolina 15th Judicial Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit. The investigation was also supported by counter-drug intelligence analysts assigned to the South Carolina and Alabama National Guards.
The following defendants have pled guilty in federal court: Michael Alfonso Hatten; Joseph Luis White; Byron Allen Gidney; Ivan Kedric Chatman; Devinee Kathryn Boyle; Dominique Leconte House, Jr.; Domain Wilbert Johnson; Santhony Marzine Thigpen; Eleanor Jane Carter; and Kristin Joan Milby. U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that Hatten was the leader of the organization, and he was assisted by mid-level participants White, Gidney, and Chatman. For their roles in the conspiracy, each of these four lead defendants faces a possible sentence ranging from 10 years to life in federal custody. House, Johnson, Boyle, Thigpen, Carter, and Milby played lesser roles, such as delivering drugs to retail customers and renting vehicles and storage locations for the organization. They potentially face up to 20 or 30 years in prison, depending on their prior criminal histories.
United States District Court Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing presentence reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was selected for federal prosecution in coordination with the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which had pending state charges on many of the participants, as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian of the Florence office and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Caraker of the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
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Project Safe Neighborhoods Prosecution Results in Tulsa Man Pleading Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
On January 4, 2019, 37 year old Tyrone Lee, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to robbery of the Forest Acres liquor store on February 22, 2018. During the robbery, Lee, who threatened the store employees with a loaded sawed off shotgun, was shot by the two store employees. Lee pled guilty to all four counts of the Indictment which included the use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, possession of an unregistered firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. There was no plea agreement in the case.
U.S. Chief District Judge Gregory Frizzell set sentencing in the matter for April 4, 2019. Lee faces up to life imprisonment, fines up to $1,000,000 and up to 14 years supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores stated: “The Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative was designed to hold accountable violent “alpha criminals” like Tyrone Lee. Today, he stood before a federal judge and admitted to violently robbing a local store with a sawed off shotgun. The actions of the two store clerks were courageous as they fought for their lives against an aggressive and violent shotgun-toting robber. I am thankful neither clerk suffered more serious physical injury. When sentencing occurs, the United States will ask the court for a lengthy sentence that reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the violent nature of this defendant.
This is the result of a joint investigation with the Tulsa Police Department, FBI and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fries prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the nationwide federal initiative to disrupt gun violence strategically and comprehensively, using all available enforcement and prosecutive tools. The initiative involves a partnership of federal, state, and local authorities, uniting their efforts and leveraging existing and new resources. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners tailor their efforts to meet their own district’s unique needs, helping ensure the safety of communities in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Piedmont Felon Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Alfred Wayne Cash, Jr., age 57, of Piedmont, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. United States District Court Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Greenville accepted Cash’s guilty plea and imposed a sentence of 97 months in federal prison, followed by court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented to the court established that on November 20, 2015, a shooting occurred at Cash’s residence and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation. A search of the residence revealed multiple firearms and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits Cash from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for various offenses to include housebreaking and a prior felon in possession of a firearm conviction.
The case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
Owner of California Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Bribe an Alabama LegislatorRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On Friday, January 4, 2019, G. Ford Gilbert, 71, of Carmichael, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bribery of a state official, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division Adrian Gonzalez, and Special Agent in Charge James Jewell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mobile Division.
According to court documents, when he committed his offense, Gilbert was the owner of a California-based company, Trina Health, LLC (Trina Health). At outpatient clinics, Trina Health provided a form of diabetes treatment known as the “Artificial Pancreas Treatment.” In 2014 and 2015, Trina Health and associated business entities opened three clinics in Alabama—one in Foley, one in Fairhope, and one in Hoover. Micky Ray Hammon, who, at the time, was the majority leader of the Alabama House of Representatives, was a part-owner of the Hoover clinic.
Shortly after the Foley and Fairhope clinics opened and just before the Hoover clinic began operations, the state’s largest health insurer informed Trina Health that it would not cover the treatments provided at these clinics. Throughout 2015 Gilbert tried unsuccessfully to persuade the health insurance company to reconsider. In early 2016, Gilbert developed a scheme to force the insurer to change its position.
Specifically, he came up with a plan to push a bill through the Alabama Legislature’s 2016 session, which, had it passed, would have required the health insurer to cover Trina Health’s Artificial Pancreas Treatments. Gilbert looked to Hammon to assist in the passage of the bill. Hammon, who by this point had sold his ownership interest in the Hoover clinic, informed Gilbert that it would create an appearance of impropriety for him to publicly support the legislation. However, Hammon was willing to use his influence in the House of Representatives to quietly generate support for Gilbert’s bill. To persuade Hammon to do this, in April 2016, Gilbert paid Hammon $2,000. Thereafter, Hammon arranged for various other legislators to speak in support of the Trina Health-supported legislation at a public hearing. Despite Hammon’s efforts, the bill did not advance out of committee.
Gilbert’s sentencing will be scheduled at some point in the coming months before United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson. At sentencing, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
“Mr. Gilbert thought that it would take only a small payment to turn the Alabama House of Representatives into a tool for solving his own business problems,” stated United States Attorney Franklin. “Fortunately, Gilbert was not successful in persuading the legislature to pass this tainted bill. Nevertheless, it is my hope that this case sends a strong message to business owners and special interest groups who might seek to obtain legislative assistance through improper means. My office will do whatever it takes to ensure that the citizens of this state are served by the state legislature they deserve—one committed to doing only the people’s work.”
Mr. Franklin added, “I wish to express my tremendous gratitude to the United States Postal Inspection Service for the superior work the postal inspectors put into this prosecution. This case would not have been possible without the Postal Inspection Service’s dogged investigation and steadfast commitment to ensuring that this conduct did not go unpunished. Thanks is also owed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI’s special agents provided crucial assistance in the investigation of this case.”
“Public trust in government is essential to our democracy,” stated Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division Adrian Gonzalez. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has an extensive history of protecting the integrity of government and will vigorously investigate those attempting to undermine that trust and hold them accountable. This investigation was complex and multifaceted, and it underscores the reason we are committed to working to dismantle any and all public corruption schemes.”
“The FBI will continue to aggressively assist our state, local, and federal partners in the public corruption arena,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
As noted, the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross, Joshua Wendell, and Stephanie C. Billingslea are prosecuting the case.
Oconee Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison on Child Porn ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Randy Quinn, age 31, of Westminster, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Quinn to 68 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented to the court established that law enforcement conducted a proactive investigation involving a file-sharing network used by individuals with an interest in child pornography. An undercover officer downloaded child pornography that Quinn was sharing.
Based on the downloads, search warrants were obtained and executed at Quinn’s house. During the search, a Samsung tablet was discovered and a manual search of it by investigators revealed large quantities of videos and still images of child pornography. Additional images were discovered on Quinn’s cell phone. In total, over 10,000 images of child pornography were recovered from Quinn’s devices.
The case was investigated by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Multi-Kilogram Drug Trafficker from Mexico Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving the distribution of kilogram-level amounts of controlled substances on behalf of co-conspirators located overseas and throughout the United States.
According to court documents, Gilberto Paz Madrid, 33, traveled to Northern Virginia in June 2018 with another Mexican citizen to distribute controlled substances on behalf of co-conspirators located in Mexico, the Washington, D.C. area, and elsewhere. Following a successful operation, law enforcement agents from Homeland Security Investigations interdicted and seized nearly 9 kilograms of heroin.
In June 2018, the Virginia State Police attempted a traffic stop of a sport utility vehicle that Madrid was driving along the Capital Beltway after he and a co-conspirator paid thousands of dollars for what they believed were numerous bricks of illicit narcotics. Madrid accelerated away from a pursuing law enforcement vehicle. His vehicle then collided into several cars and continued to flee from law enforcement until officers successfully arrested both individuals.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Virginia State Police as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-317.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Christopher Younger, 37, of Jackson, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana K. Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Younger was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including house burglary, embezzlement, and auto burglary. On January 31, 2018, Younger was found in possession of a firearm when members of the U.S. Marshals’ Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force went to arrest him for violating his parole from the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Younger will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on April 4, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Murray and Andrew W. Eichner.
This case is part of Project EJECT, a nationally-recognized initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Former Mexican State Attorney General Pleads Guilty to International Narcotics Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Edgar Veytia, the former Attorney General for the State of Nayarit, Mexico, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to one count of international conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 963, 960(b)(1)(A), 960(b)(1)(B)(ii), 960(b)(1)(G), 960(b)(1)(H) and 959(d), for his involvement in a 2013 to 2017 scheme to import illegal drugs from Mexico into the United States. When sentenced, Veytia faces up to life in prison.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), Brian Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), David J. Downing, Special Agent-in-Charge, Los Angeles Division (DEA), Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigation, New York (HSI), and Matt DeSarno, Special Agent-in- Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI and HSI as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. 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.
Veytia pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment, charging him with an international drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States. According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, from January 2013 until February 2017, Veytia used his official position as State Attorney General to assist and abet drug trafficking organizations operating in the Mexican State of Nayarit in exchange for bribes. Veytia, who was responsible for Mexican state law enforcement authorities charged with investigating crime in Nayarit, used his official position to protect drug trafficking activities related to distribution into and within the United States and obstructed legitimate investigations and prosecutions of drug trafficking members in Mexico, for example by preventing the arrest of drug traffickers or unlawfully releasing those who had been arrested by Mexican law enforcement authorities.
The government’s case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Hereen, Ryan Harris, Alicia Washington and Temidayo Aganga-Williams of the EDNY, together with Deputy Chief of Litigation Amanda Liskamm and Trial Attorneys Jason Ruiz and Anthony Aminoff of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The Defendant:
Edgar Veytia
Age: 48EDNY Docket No. 17-CR-115 (CBA)
Former GBI inspector pleads guilty to charging over $60,000 on government credit cardsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sandra J. Stevens, a/k/a Sandra J. Putnam, has pleaded guilty to making more than 325 personal charges totaling over $60,000 on government credit cards when she was a high-ranking member of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
“The GBI, law enforcement, and the public placed great trust in Stevens based on her high-ranking position and years of service,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Stevens, however, betrayed that trust for material possessions.”
“Sandra Stevens took an oath to uphold the laws of the state of Georgia. Instead, she violated the public’s trust when she defrauded the government for personal gain. Public corruption will not be tolerated in Georgia and the GBI remains committed to working with our federal partners in these types of investigations,” said Interim GBI Director Scott Dutton.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court: the GBI is a statewide agency that provided assistance to the criminal justice system in the areas of criminal investigations, forensic laboratory services, and computerized criminal justice information.
In October 1994, Stevens joined the GBI as an Intelligence Technician. On June 3, 1999, after becoming a Special Agent, Stevens took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitutions of the U.S. and the State of Georgia; to maintain public trust and abide by the GBI’s Code of Ethics; and to obey the laws of the land and the regulations of the GBI.
As a Special Agent with the GBI, Stevens held several prestigious and high-ranking leadership positions, including being the Special Agent in Charge of the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, where she supervised approximately 25 GBI employees; and an Inspector of the Investigative Division, where Stevens supervised approximately 55 GBI employees. As the Inspector of the Investigative Division, Stevens earned more than $100,000 per year.
As a state agency, the GBI participates in Georgia’s Visa Purchasing Card (P-Card) Program. P-Cards are credit cards provided to Georgia employees for official business purchases, such as: supplies, materials, equipment, and services for official use. State policy expressly prohibits using P-Card for personal purchases. P-Card users are required to reconcile all purchases by electronically uploading receipts for each P-Card transaction.
In 1998, the GBI issued Stevens a P-Card for business-related purchases and expenses. As P-Card holder, Stevens signed an agreement stating that “under no circumstances will [she] use the Purchasing Card to make personal purchases, either for [her]self or for others.”
Nevertheless, from approximately May 9, 2013 to August 17, 2016, Stevens used her P-Card and the P-Cards of other GBI employees to make more than 325 unauthorized purchases of goods and services for her personal benefit or the personal benefit of others, including: a seven-piece dining set for $562.99, a corn hole game set for $229.99, two chaise lounge chairs for $399.99, and a 65-inch ultra HD smart television for $1597.99. Stevens also submitted altered receipts to the GBI in which she changed the description of the items purchased, the addresses to which the items were shipped, or both the item description and the shipping address.
For example, on May 27, 2016, Stevens used another GBI employee’s P-Card to order a $930.12 sofa from Amazon.com that was delivered to her home in Covington, Georgia. Subsequently, Stevens submitted a false receipt to the GBI in which she misrepresented the item description as 12 anti-spyware software discs, rather than a sofa, and misrepresented the shipping address as the GBI’s Headquarters in Decatur, Georgia, rather than her home address.
In total, the GBI paid over $60,000 for more than 325 unauthorized purchases made by Stevens on at least six GBI P-Cards. As a result of Stevens’s scheme to defraud, federal money from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants was impacted.
On May 8, 2018, a grand jury charged Sandra J. Stevens, 46, of Covington, Georgia, with four counts of mail fraud and three counts of federal program theft. On January 3, 2019, Stevens pleaded guilty to mail fraud.
This case is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis, Chief of the Public Integrity and Special Matters Section, and Jolee Porter are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Columbia Man Indicted on Federal Charge for Dumping Hazardous WasteRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Michael Greene, age 44, of Columbia, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count Indictment by a federal Grand Jury in Columbia with a knowing violation of the Clean Water Act.
According to the Indictment, Greene worked for an environmental company offering hazardous waste disposal services. Greene’s job was to transport the liquid runoff from solid waste at an Eastover landfill to the Florence Wastewater Management Facility. Instead, he illegally dumped the liquid runoff, or ‘leachate,’ into the Leesburg Branch Creek on multiple occasions in mid-2017.
Greene faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison, with a potential fine up to $250,000.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Chicago Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute One Kilogram of HeroinRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- On January 4, 2019, Juan Mercado Arriaga, 41, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 70 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
On June 18, 2018, Mercado Arriaga was arrested in Crown Point, Indiana, in possession of approximately 3.7 kilograms of heroin.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
Canton man with history of firearms and gang violence sentenced to nearly six years in prison for having loaded gunRead the Press Release
A Canton man with a history of firearms and gang violence was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for having a firearm.
Jeremy Pleasant, 35, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster. Pleasant previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
Pleasant was released from state prison in January 2018 after serving seven years in prison for shooting a rival gang member. On March 24, 2018, Pleasant was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for a traffic violation. Pleasant ran from the car and was Tased.
Pleasant had a loaded Ruger 9 mm in his jeans pocket when he was arrested. Pleasant was forbidden from having a firearm because of the 2011 conviction for felonious assault with a firearms specification, as well as a 2003 conviction for felonious assault with a firearm specification from another shooting.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron P. Howell following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Canton Police Department.
Canton Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Angela Maxine Lee, 41, of Canton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 84 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Lee pled guilty to the charge on October 3, 2018.
On March 8, 2018, Jackson Police officers conducted a traffic stop of a black Infiniti on Cooper Road in Jackson, Mississippi. Lee was a passenger in the vehicle and was directed to exit the vehicle. She was arrested for possession of marijuana and the purse she was holding was searched incident to the arrest. In her purse was a Rossi revolver containing two live rounds of ammunition. Lee has prior felony convictions for grand larceny in Pike County, Mississippi in 2001; for robbery in Pike County, Mississippi in 2003; and for felon in possession of a firearm in Hinds County, Mississippi in 2012.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.
It is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Brandon Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm Under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Donovan Scott Flaherty, 28, of Brandon, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On January 16, 2018, Jackson Police officers were dispatched to the intersection of Prentiss Street and Capers Avenue in Jackson. Flaherty had arrived at the location as a passenger in a truck. Following interaction with the officers, Flaherty was taken into custody for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Flaherty had prior felony convictions in Rankin County for grand larceny and auto burglary in 2011, and for grand larceny in 2016.
Flaherty will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on March 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Belton Felon Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Marty Lee Vaughn, age 37, of Belton, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. United States District Court Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Greenville accepted Vaughn’s guilty plea and imposed a sentence of 51 months in federal prison, followed by court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented by the government established that on April 21, 2017, Liberty Police Department Officers responded to a vehicle stuck in a ditch and found Vaughn asleep in the driver’s seat. As Vaughn was awakened and removed from the car, officers observed ammunition fall from Vaughn’s lap to the ground. Officers also observed the top of a firearm beside the driver’s seat. As the vehicle was inventoried prior to being towed from the scene, an officer recovered the .357 caliber pistol from beside the seat.
Federal law prohibits Vaughn from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for offenses to include burglary.
The case was investigated by the Liberty Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Thursday 3 January 2019
Year in Review: 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – As 2018 has drawn to a close, Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, reviews the district’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) cases.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “We are committed to pursuing public safety in the Northern District of Florida through prosecutions of violent criminals, and collaborations with the community and other law enforcement agencies. We will also continue public outreach through programs such as BLAST, which encourages students to build positive relationships with law enforcement officers. As evidenced by the long list of law enforcement partners who investigated PSN cases, it takes a team approach to fight violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe places to live, work, and go to school.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida has developed a Project Safe Neighborhoods public service announcement that we encourage you to watch and share:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9vgkiijXGw.
The following are highlights of PSN cases:
In February 2018, Savario Beshawn Champion, 30, a Pensacola convicted felon, was sentenced to 147 months in prison for armed carjacking. Champion carjacked two men from Georgia at gunpoint at a local hotel in Escambia County. Read more.
In April 2018, Terrell Jerome Cochran, 43, of Crestview, Florida, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Read more.
In June 2018, Marcus Andre Robinson, 35, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. While serving a term of state probation, he was found to be in possession of more than 40 grams of methamphetamine, a Taurus 9 millimeter pistol, a Remington .243 caliber rifle, and various rounds of ammunition.
In July 2018, Gregory S. Rothwell Jr., 32, of Fort Walton Beach, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison after having been found guilty of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Read more.
In August 2018, Jonta Terrell Carter, 29, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In April 2018, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Carter while he was driving a vehicle in a Pensacola parking lot. Carter fled in the vehicle until the vehicle struck a curb, and then he fled on foot while trying to conceal a firearm in his waistband. This case is part of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
In August 2018, Robert Wayne Cornwell, 46, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During a traffic stop for suspected DUI, Cornwell attempted to flee after failing a field sobriety test. During a struggle with officers, he attempted to grab an officer’s service pistol from the holster. He was eventually restrained and taken into custody.
In August 2018, Kenneth Ray McLemore, 29, of Destin, Justin G. Reimche, 40, of Lorain, Ohio, and Alex A. Mena, 30, of Stockton, California, were sentenced to 106 months, 120 months, and 131 months respectively in federal prison for marijuana conspiracy and firearm offenses. McLemore, Reimche, and Mena were charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. McLemore and Mena were each charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Mena was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Read more.
In September 2018, Jermaine Carl Curtis, 35, of Old Town, was sentenced to 125 months in prison, and William Lonnie Jenkins, of Old Town, 24, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone and 100 grams or more of a heroin mixture, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Curtis was arrested on this charge after his release from prison, when he moved to Dixie County and into the house of co-conspirator Jenkins. Curtis and Jenkins bought pills from sources who had prescriptions for controlled substances. Curtis and Jenkins sold the pills and were armed during the transactions. As the supply of prescription drugs became more scarce, Curtis and Jenkins began selling Dilaudid and heroin.
In October 2018, Keenan J. Boggan, 30, of Mary Esther, Florida, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A state trooper noticed a vehicle weaving and traveling at speeds of 101 mph in a 65 mph zone. The trooper attempted to catch the vehicle, which merged onto another road, but was unsuccessful. Two other troopers responded to the area, and all of them discovered that the vehicle had crashed and was now empty. Boggan’s co-defendant was lying face down on the ground next to the passenger side door. An assault rifle was visible in the backseat, and a loaded pistol and three black ski masks were also located in the vehicle. Law enforcement officers began a tracking search for the driver and found a man’s jacket and a GPS monitor belonging to Boggan along the way. Five hours later, a canine team captured Boggan in a forested area. He was on release for unrelated state charges when this event took place.
In October 2018, Gary Deshon Shepard, 45, of Tallahassee, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shepard is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in Tallahassee. Shepard was identified as part of a drug distribution network trafficking up to kilogram quantities of cocaine, which were transported from South Florida for further distribution in the Tallahassee area. After a series of undercover drug purchases involving Shepard, a federal search warrant was executed at his Southwood residence during which investigators discovered and seized over a kilogram of powder cocaine, “crack” cocaine, multiple stolen firearms, and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.
In November 2018, Darcy Andrew Darby, 26, of Fort Walton Beach, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in Pensacola. Darby’s former roommate, W.F., contacted law enforcement officers and reported the theft of firearms from his residence. An investigation revealed that Darcy had taken the firearms and later disposed of them by having different individuals pawn them.
In November 2018, Ronald Gray, 31, of Carrabelle, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and transmitting a threat to injure in interstate commerce. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in Tallahassee. While in custody for shooting multiple rounds at an occupied vehicle, Gray threatened to kill the sheriff and his family. Gray was found in possession of two rifles and over a hundred rounds of assorted ammunition when he was arrested.
In November 2018, Justice Lewis, 24, of Tallahassee, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. When law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle with an expired registration, Lewis, the rear passenger, fled on foot. Officers pursued Lewis, and after jumping a fence into a neighboring wooded area, used a Taser to apprehend Lewis. Officers observed a loaded pistol underneath Lewis. In Lewis’s pockets, officers found tied sandwich bags containing a combined total of approximately 29 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, another baggie containing approximately 7 grams of cocaine, $340 in currency, and two cellular telephones.
In November 2018, Ryan Stuart Madden, 36, of Pace, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Madden, a convicted felon, met a confidential informant (CI) and an undercover agent (UC) and sold them six firearms. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.
In December 2018, Emil Joseph Bayus, 55, from various locations in Ohio, pleaded guilty to bank robbery. A man (who was later determined to be defendant Louis Martin Cillo) informed a bank teller “this is a robbery” and slid a note to the teller with “robbery” written on it. After receiving approximately $2,090, Cillo left the building, ran across the parking lot through a retention pond, and got into a vehicle which drove away. The next day, a law enforcement officer from another state advised that the vehicle and tag matched a bank robbery committed by Bayus that occurred in Ohio. Bayus was the getaway driver in the Pensacola robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in Pensacola.
In December 2018, Ben Granberry, 56, of Graceville, Florida, after a day and a half trial, was convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Granberry is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee. A confidential informant (CI) traveled to the Atlanta area along with two other people to pick up drugs for Granberry. The CI decided once there not to participate and abandoned the other people. After the CI’s mother contacted law enforcement officers, the CI told them that Granberry had given the CI a firearm that Granberry now wanted returned to him. At the officers’ direction, the CI delivered the firearm to Granberry’s residence. Additional firearms and methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, including glass pipes and scales, were recovered in the residence.
In December 2018, Brian M. Stadelmaier, 30, of Webster, Florida, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Late one night, an Escambia County sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle with three occupants and no lights turned on, parked on a street that has no residences. As the deputy approached the vehicle on foot, he noticed the sole backseat passenger (Stadelmaier) had a firearm next to him. Stadelmaier was removed from the vehicle. The firearm had been stolen as part of a burglary in Pensacola along with approximately 50 other firearms. Stadelmaier’s firearm was loaded, and he possessed methamphetamine on his person.
These cases were investigated by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
- Drug Enforcement Administration;
- Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement;
- Florida Highway Patrol;
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission;
- Eglin Air Force Base;
- Escambia County Sheriff’s Office;
- Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office;
- Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office;
- Franklin County Sheriff’s Office;
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office;
- Leon County Sheriff’s Office;
- Taylor County Sheriff’s Office;
- Pensacola Police Department;
- Gulf Breeze Police Department;
- Carrabelle Police Department;
- Tallahassee Police Department;
- Perry Police Department;
- Lorain City Police Department (Ohio); and
- Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
Learn more about PSN in the Northern District of Florida.
Learn more about the national initiative.
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 available 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.
Toledo couple indicted for conspiracy to use explosives and firearms to kill and injure othersRead the Press Release
A Toledo couple was indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to use explosives and firearms to kill and injure others.
Elizabeth Lecron, 23, and Vincent Armstrong, 23, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to transport or receive an explosive with intent to kill, injure or intimidate any individual , and maliciously damage or destroy by fire or explosive; conspiracy to use a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence; conspiracy to use firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Armstrong faces an additional count of making false statements while Lecron is also charged with transporting explosives in interstate commerce.
“According to the allegations in the indictment, this pair obtained firearms and components to make explosives as part of a plot to kill and maim others,” said Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Law enforcement worked together to thwart this alleged plot, and we will remain vigilant to protect the public from all threats.”
“The arrest of Elizabeth Lecron and Vincent Armstrong and their prosecution interrupted their alleged desire to engage in acts of death and destruction,” said Robert E. Hughes, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office. “This case is a testament to the value of an ever vigilant public, which had the courage to alert law enforcement as to the alleged goals and intentions of these suspects."
Toledo Police Chief George Kral said: “These arrests should send a sobering message to everyone that there is no city, large or small, that is immune to these types of hate-filled attacks. I am incredibly proud of the response by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Toledo Police Department, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. This is yet another example of a well-coordinated, local/federal law enforcement partnership. Toledo is a safer city because of the dedication of these hardworking law enforcement professionals.”
According to the indictment and other documents filed in the case:
Lecron and Armstrong came to the attention of law enforcement last year after Armstrong expressed a desire to conduct a violent attack. Further investigation revealed Lecron frequently posted voluminous photographs and comments on social media glorifying mass murderers, including the Columbine shooters and Dylann Roof.
After her Tumblr account was shut down because of offensive content, Lecron started a new profile -- “CharlestonChurchMiracle,” -- where she continued to post photos and comments about mass casualty attacks.
Armstrong and Lecron flew together in August 2018 to visit sights related to the shooting at Columbine High School.
During a search of their home that month, law enforcement found an AK-47, shotgun, multiple handguns, ammunition and end caps purchased by Armstrong, which can be used in the manufacture of pipe bombs. Law enforcement also found journal entries by Lecron and Armstrong discussing a violent attack. On June 8, Armstrong wrote: “Now I have these thoughts…These memories. They haunt me. I have a vision. A vision to kill. To hunt the unwilling...”
Undercover FBI agents and confidential sources communicated with Lecron. In August, she stated she and Armstrong had devised a plan to commit an “upscale mass murder” at a Toledo bar. She stated she knew the bar only had two ways in or out, which could be a tactical advantage when police arrived.
Around this time, Lecron also began corresponding with Roof and attempted to send him Nazi literature.
Lecron stated she wanted to meet other anarchists in order to form a team. She stated she wanted to damage a livestock farm to set livestock free. She later confirmed she was willing to sabotage anything that harms the environment.
On August 28, she reiterated she wanted to attack a farm that raises pigs or cows. The next day, Lecron stated she could not locate such a farm and was going to focus on something else.
In September, Lecron met with undercover FBI agents and stated she and an associate started to make a pipe bomb. She stated she “definitely want(ed) to make a statement up here” and thought the place where she worked could be a good target because she believed they were polluting the river behind the plant.
On December 4, Lecron has discussions with an undercover agent regarding a pipeline bombing. Lecron agreed to buy black powder needed to make a bomb.
On December 8, Lecron met with a source at a retail sporting good stores, where she entered the store by herself and purchased two pounds of Hodgson Triple Seven Muzzleloading Propellant. She then went to a larger retailer in Perrysburg, where she purchased 665 screws of various sizes, some as large as three inches.
Lecron said to the source: “So I guess I’ll talk to you when the deed is done?” She later said: “I’m very excited...stick it to him man…be safe.”
On December 10, law enforcement searched the residence Armstrong and Lecron share on Willow Run Drive, as well as their vehicles. The trunk of Armstrong’s vehicle had a duffel bag that contained a tactical vest with two loaded magazines for an AK-47, two loaded magazines for a pistol, a gas mask, printouts of instructions how to construct various bombs, and other items.
In the residence, law enforcement removed a shotgun, a handgun and an AK-47 with the stock removed.
Armstrong was interviewed on December 10. He denied discussing with Lecron plans to launch an attack. He also denied purchasing items that could be used to make a bomb.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Toledo Police Department, is leading the ongoing investigation. They were assisted by the FBI’s office in Denver. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman and Michelle Baeppler.
If convicted, the defendants’ face up to life in prison. Their sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.Rutland Man Charged with Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that David Hughes, 37, of Rutland, Vermont, was charged by criminal complaint in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Hughes was arrested and made his initial appearance to answer the complaint in federal court on December 27, 2018. At the January 2, 2019 hearing on the government’s motion for pretrial detention, U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy granted the motion and ordered Hughes detained without bail pending trial. Hughes is next scheduled to appear in Federal court on January 10, 2019, at 3:00 pm.
According to court records and proceedings, in 2014, the Rutland Police Department investigated a report that Hughes had sexually assaulted a three-year old little girl while playing a game called “Find the kitty.” Hughes was a friend of the family of the victim. The investigation did not result in charges brought against Hughes.
In late November 2018, a family member of the victim in the 2014 case discovered a box in his mother’s basement belonging to Hughes that contained video tapes of child pornography. Specifically, the video tapes showed the 2014 victim and two other minor family members being exploited and sexually assaulted by Hughes. In one of the tapes, Hughes encouraged the three-year victim to pull down her pants as they played a game called “Find the kitty.” In a statement given to Rutland Police Department officers after discovery of the tapes, Hughes admitted to exploiting and sexually assaulting the children depicted in videos. He admitted to producing the videos and explained that he “made the videos so it would keep going on.” Rutland PD officers executed a search warrant at Hughes’ residence. At that time, Hughes identified a desktop computer as belonging to him. Investigators obtained a warrant to search that computer. Approximately nine images of child pornography, including some images depicting infants, were found on that computer during a “preview” search.
Hughes was charged in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland with one count of aggravated sexual assault of a victim less than 13 years old, and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. Hughes pleaded not guilty to both charges prior to his arrest on federal charges. That case is being prosecuted by Rutland County Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Peter M. Bevere. The lead state investigator is Rutland Police Department Detective Ryan Ashe.Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the Federal prosecution of Hughes. The lead Federal investigator is Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Caitlin Moynihan. Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth K. Quinn represents Hughes.
U.S. Attorney Nolan emphasized that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Hughes’ sentence will be determined by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nolan commended the efforts of the Rutland Police Department, Castleton Police Department, Rutland Unit for Special Investigations at the Child First Advocacy Center, Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Nolan noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jasper County Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Unregistered Machine GunRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – James Christopher Varner, 39, of Stringer, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 84 months in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun that was not registered, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On January 22, 2018, deputies with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence call at a home in Stringer, Mississippi. Once there, they found a female who had been injured, along with several firearms. When Deputies tracked down Varner, they found additional firearms, along with controlled substances, a KKK robe, hood and literature. With the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a total of 46 firearms were seized, including 4 machine guns, 2 sawed-off rifles, multiple silencers, multi-round magazines, machine gun conversion kits, and other weapons.
Hurst commended the incredible work of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.