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22 February 2019
Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Latoya Rosell, 34, of Flora, pled guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to embezzling mail matter during the course of her employment with the U.S. Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
Rosell was employed as a Rural Carrier Associate at the Ridgeland Post Office in Ridgeland, Mississippi. On August 15, 2018, agents were notified that expected mail matter was not being delivered along Rosell’s route. A subsequent operation run by investigators utilized monitored test pieces to confirm that Rosell was embezzling mail containing gift cards and U.S. currency. When confronted, Rosell admitted she had been embezzling the mail and immediately resigned her position. Agents recovered some but not all of the property embezzled by Rosell.
Rosell will be sentenced by Judge Reeves on May 22, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. She faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by agents from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Former Chief Operating Officer of Montgomery County Department of Economic Development Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $6.7 Million in County FundsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Byung Il Bang, a/k/a Peter Bang, age 59, of Germantown, Maryland, today to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for federal wire fraud and tax charges, in connection with a scheme in which he embezzled over $6.7 million from the Montgomery County government and failed to report the money as income on his tax returns. Judge Xinis continued the sentencing hearing concerning restitution and forfeiture until Friday, March 1, 2019, at which time the judgment will be finalized.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“Mr. Bang lied to his colleagues, government officials and the IRS over an extended period of time. The $6.7 million that he embezzled deprived Montgomery County taxpayers of funds that could have been used for schools, libraries, and other expenditures, and harmed the County’s reputation,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Corrupt public employees undermine everyone’s faith in government.”
“Through strong Federal and County cooperation and investigation we were able to bring Mr. Bang to justice. It is important that people who betray the public trust be held accountable. Today’s sentence is the next step in our effort to close this chapter of greed and corruption in the career and life of Byung Il “Peter” Bang,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from 2010 through July 2016, Bang was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Department of Economic Development for Montgomery County, Maryland (MC-DED). In 2016, the MC-DED was privatized and Bang’s position was moved to the Montgomery County Department of Finance, where he was employed until May 2017.
The MC-DED established business incubator and/or innovation centers throughout the County. As COO, Bang oversaw budgets for these incubators and was authorized to request disbursement of County funds to the incubators to further the program. Bang’s position also enabled him to authorize and direct the disbursement of money from County partners, including the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), and the Maryland Conference & Visitors Bureau, without any significant oversight or approval.
In 2010, Montgomery County and the Chungcheongbuk-Do province of South Korea entered into an agreement to develop an incubator fund. On July 20, 2010, Bang caused a company called Chungbuk Incubator Fund LLC to be incorporated in the State of Maryland and opened four bank accounts in the name of the company, listing his home address as the address of the LLC.
Bang admitted that between 2010 and 2016, he fraudulently authorized the disbursement of $6,705,669.37 from the Montgomery County government to the bank accounts of the fraudulent entities that Bang created and controlled. Bang admitted that most of the funds were used to fuel his gambling addiction.
Bang did not report the money he embezzled as income on his individual tax returns. His failure to report those funds as income resulted in $2,335,913 in taxes owed to the IRS.
Bang also lied on his County financial disclosure statements for the years 2012 through 2016, by failing to disclose his interest in the Chungbuk entities, including: property holdings; relationship with an income source; and the type and amount of income received.
Bang previously plead guilty to the following charges in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County: theft scheme over $100,000; and misconduct in office. His sentencing on those charges is scheduled for March 7, 2019. Judge Xinis ordered that Bang’s federal sentence will be served concurrent to whatever sentence is imposed on his state charges.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS-CI and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Erin B. Pulice who are prosecuting the case.
Five Men Indicted for Timber Theft Conspiracy on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against five people who allegedly conspired to cut and remove timber from tribal forestlands on the Menominee Indian Reservation in order to sell them to saw mills outside the reservation without consent from the tribe. The indictment named:
Name
Age
Residence
Melvin T. Caldwell,Jr.
43
Neopit
Arthur P. “Herman” Fish
49
Keshena
Chauncey J. Webster, Jr
49
Neopit
Derrin B. Webster
30
Neopit
Dugan R. Webster
41
Shawano
Caldwell, Fish, Chauncey Webster, and Derrin Webster are enrolled members of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Dugan Webster is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.
The indictment charges the defendants with Conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. If convicted, the defendants each face up to 5 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years on supervised release. The charge also carries a $100 special assessment.
According to the indictment, the defendants logged timber from designated areas on the Menominee Indian Reservation. On at least 100 occasions, the defendants and others cut down extra trees beyond those they were authorized to log. Fish then allegedly transported the extra timber to sawmills outside the boundaries of the reservation. Dugan and Derrin Webster allegedly received payments from the mills for the timber, which the defendants divided amongst themselves. The sawmills paid Dugan and Derrin Webster approximately $400,000 between January 2012 and September 2018 for the timber the defendants and others removed from the reservation without permission.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department, Menominee Conservation Department, United States Forest Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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First of Four IDOC Correctional Officers Sentenced to 37 Months for Crime Stemming from FBI StingRead the Press Release
BOISE - Yesterday, former IDOC correctional officer Robert Wallin, 36, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Wallin to serve three years’ supervised release after he is released from prison.
The case stemmed from a sting operation initiated by the FBI at IDOC’s request to weed out corruption among IDOC correctional officers. The FBI was able to locate corrupt prison guards by using undercover agents who invited the guards to commit crimes outside of IDOC’s facilities. The defendants believed that the undercover agents they were assisting were large‑scale drug traffickers. The guards provided security and completed other tasks for the undercover agents during staged deliveries of drug loads and drug money. No drugs were in the sole possession of the defendants, and no drugs or other contraband were brought into any IDOC facility as part of these operations.
Wallin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and abet drug trafficking. According to court records, Wallin joined co-defendant Timothy Landon, 36, in assisting the drug trafficking organization. This included participating in operations in which large quantities of drugs and cash were delivered to the purported drug trafficking organization.
Co‑defendants and former IDOC correctional officers Richard McCollough, 37, Erik Thompson, 38, and Landon also pleaded guilty to related crimes and are awaiting sentencing.
McCollough will be sentenced on February 25, 2019, Landon will be sentenced on February 26, 2019, and Thompson will be sentenced on April 7, 2019. Judge Winmill is the sentencing judge for all defendants.
In addition to the FBI, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the investigation.
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Fifteen Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging BARTOLO ALVAREZ-CRUZ, age 32, of Mexico, JORGE ALBERTO MALDONADO-BROON, age 35, of Mexico, ANTONIO CANDELA-SANTOS, age 42, of Mexico, ACELINO CORONA-ARAUJO, age 45, of Mexico, MARIO EXEQUIAS GARAY, age 44, of El Salvador, IVAN GONZALEZ-COLON, age 28, of Mexico, DENIS JOEL GUTIERREZ-RIVAS, age 34, of Honduras, RUBEN GUZMAN-VALERIO, age 34, of Mexico, RAMON HERNANDEZ-LOPEZ, age 44, of Mexico, DLADIMIR AQUILINO MORALES-DIAZ, age 22, of Guatemala, ELDER TOMAS MORALES-DIAZ, age 35, of Guatemala, ALEJANDRO OLIVA-HERNANDEZ, age 23, of Mexico, JESUS ORTIZ-JIMENEZ, age 28, of Mexico, ALEJANDRO PIZANA-MORONES, age 24, of Mexico, RAMON CRUZ-CRISANTO, age 34, of Mexico, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, ALVAREZ-CRUZ, found in Wake County, MALDONADO-BROON, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, CANDELA-SANTOS, previously deported seven times and found in Wake County, CORONA-ARAUJO, found in Wake County, GARAY, found in Wake County, GONZALEZ-COLON, found in Wake County, GUTIERREZ-RIVAS, previously deported three times and found in New Hanover County, GUZMAN-VALERIO, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, D. A. MORALES-DIAZ, found in Wake County, E.T. MORALES-DIAZ, found in Wake County, OLIVA-HERNANDEZ, found in Wake County, ORTIZ-JIMENEZ, previously deported twice and found in Johnston County, and PIZANA-MORONES, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
HERNANDEZ-LOPEZ, previously deported twice and found in Johnston County, is alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to a felony conviction (possession of cocaine). Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of illegal reentry subsequent to an aggravated felony (possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine), CRUZ-CRISANTO, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Federal Jury Convicts Boise Man Involved in Large Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today that a federal jury convicted Andrew Munoz, 34, of Boise, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, distribution of heroin, and distribution of methamphetamine. The jury acquitted Munoz of a separate count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Munoz was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 20, 2018. The trial began on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, and concluded on Thursday evening when the jury returned their verdicts. The case was tried before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
Munoz’s case stemmed from an investigation into a large drug trafficking organization that was moving methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico, through California and Nevada, up to the Boise area. Law enforcement discovered the conspiracy and began investigating. Munoz was a distributor for the organization, here in the Treasure Valley, and ultimately delivered methamphetamine and heroin on two occasions to an undercover officer.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2019, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise. The crime of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin is punishable by at least ten years, up to life, in prison and five years of supervised release. The crime of distribution of heroin is punishable by up to twenty years of prison and at least three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, and the Meridian Police Department.
This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada and Canyon County.
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Federal Court Bars Florida Tax Return Preparer and Business from Preparing Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Orlando, Florida, entered a permanent injunction against Ndaiziwei Kaya Chipungu and Society Financial Solutions LLC, barring them from preparing federal tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business, the Justice Department today announced. The order was signed by Judge G. Kendall Sharp of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The court also ordered that Chipungu and Society Financial Solutions LLC disgorge $487,879.24, representing the ill-gotten gains that they received for the preparation of tax returns.
The government alleged that the defendants prepared tax returns making false or fraudulent claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The government further alleged that the defendants prepared tax returns that falsely claimed the customers had non-existent businesses. Defendants also allegedly prepared returns with fabricated unreimbursed employee business expenses to falsely lower customers’ reported taxable income.
The court concluded that the government’s allegations established that the “Defendants engaged in business practices that violate the Internal Revenue Code, that the Government is entitled to a permanent injunction, and that Defendants unjustly enriched themselves through their wrongful conduct.”
The IRS has information on its website about selecting a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Federal Complaint Filed Against San Diego Man for Temple Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
In Waco, 49–year-old Ronnie Lee Tanner, Jr., of San Diego, CA, remains in federal custody charged with robbing a Wells Fargo Bank branch located in Temple, TX, on Wednesday, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, and Temple Police Chief Floyd O. Mitchell.
A federal criminal complaint unsealed today alleges that on the afternoon of February 20, 2019, Tanner entered the bank located on South 31st Street, handed a robbery note to a teller, then exited the bank with approximately $4,000.
Acting on information supplied by the public, Temple Police officers were able to locate Tanner and arrest him without incident yesterday.
Tanner faces up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for 1:30pm on March 4, 2019, in federal court in Waco.
The FBI, together with the Temple Police Department, is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Government.
It is important to note that a complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
February Grand JuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 29 indictments charging 36 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Andres Barrera-Solis, age 46, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about January 15, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Thonny Escobar Castaneda, age 34, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about January 18, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Anahi Chan-Cruz, age 20, of Omaha, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with false representation of a social security number on or about July 22, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with fraud and misuse of visas and other documents on or about July 22, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with false claim of citizenship on or about July 22, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Anthony James Hanel, age 29, of Orting, Washington, and Courtney Laparele Clark, age 32, of Arlington, Washington, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendants with illegal possession of device-making equipment on or about February 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hanel with felon in possession on or about February 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendants with possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number on or about February 5, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christopher E. Collins, age 27, of Omaha, Marcus D. Evans, age 24, of Omaha, and Ervin L. Smith, Jr., age 23, of Omaha, are charged in a five-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendants with Robbery by force from an employee at Bucky’s Gas on or about January 1, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendants with brandishing a firearm on or about January 1, 2019. The possible penalty if convicted is 7 years’ to Life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendants with Robbery by force from an employee at Kwik Shop on or about January 1, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges the defendant with Robbery by force from an employee at Phillips 66 on or about January 1, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges the defendants with discharging a firearm on or about January 1, 2019, during the Phillips 66 robbery. The possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ to Life imprisonment consecutive to the other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Sean Odean, age 35, of Kearney, Nebraska, and Sara Duncan, age 33, of Kearney, Nebraska, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on November, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, 4-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Santiel Flores Trejo, age 29, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about February 3, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Kelmin Gonzalez-Mendoza, age 31, of Freemont, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with false representation of a social security number on or about December 18, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges the defendant with fraud and misuse of visas and other documents on or about December 18, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with false claim of citizenship on or about December 18, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Edgar Alberto Guerra Palomares, age 35, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about October 12, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with illegal reentry after deportation on or about October 12, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Esteban Hirales-Murillo, age 48, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about January 17, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Max Kerkman, age 29, of Oakdale, Nebraska, is charged with unlawful user in possession of a firearm on or about June 20, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Mark H. King, age 56, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with receipt and distribution of child pornography on or about January 17, 201,9 through February 6. 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 5-years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession of child pornography on February 6, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christopher D. Longo, age 37, of Columbus, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with receipt and distribution of child pornography on or about April 23, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, 5-years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession of child pornography on or about November 1, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Michael Dean McCullar, age 47, of Dwight, Nebraska, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with production of child pornography on or about January 5, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, 5-years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of child pornography on or about October 25, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 years Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of child pornography on or about November 29, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession of child pornography on or about October 25, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 years to Life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Cesar Medina, age 30, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about November 20, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Roberto Ochoa-Andrade, age 41, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about February 5, 2019, following an aggravated felony conviction. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Hannah Pauly, Dustin Pauly and Jose Santos-Zepeda, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, between on or about December 21, 2018 and January 11, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hannah Pauly with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about January 11, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Santos-Zepeda with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about January 11, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, 4-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Martell W. Runningshield, age 32, of Macy, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Counts I-III charges the defendant with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine on or about October 24, 2017 through July 11, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment on each count, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release each count, and a $100 special assessment each count.
* Adela Sabino Perez, age 20, and Ivan Ventura Sabino, age 42, are charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I charges Sabino Perez with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine between on or about June, 2018 and about October 29, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Sabino Perez with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about October 29, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Ventura Sabino with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about October 29, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, 4-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Sabino Perez with illegal reentry after deportation on or about October 29, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ramon Simpson, age 48, of Norfolk, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. In Counts I and II defendant is charged with false statement on or about November 8, 2018 continuing through November 21, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Linzy M. Swisher, age 23, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about November 19, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, NLT 10-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Dilson Villatoro, age 35, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about October 18, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, $10,000,000 fine, NLT 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Joseph Lloyd James, age 47, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Court I charges James with murder in Indian Country from on or about November 5, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is mandatory Life in prison, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges James with felony murder in Indian Country. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is mandatory Life in prison, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges James with kidnapping resulting in death. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is mandatory Life in prison or the death penalty, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges James with carjacking resulting in death. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to Life in prison or the death penalty, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment
* Luis Enrique Perez-Osuna, age 26, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation from on or about February 6, 20199. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Francisco Pelaez-Melo, age 54, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about February 12, 2019, following an aggravated felony conviction. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Justin Beall, age 36, of Omaha, is charged with interstate communications with intent to extort on or about November 27, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Mena-Valdez, age 35, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about October 30, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years’ imprisonment, $5,000,000 fine, 4-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime on or about October 30, 2018. The possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ to Life imprisonment consecutive to the other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment..
* Timothy R. Cessor, age 27, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, is charged with threats against the President of the United States on or about February 4, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Steven McCain, age 38, of Omaha is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition on or about January 15, 2019. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Former English Language Teacher in China Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A previously convicted child pornography offender was sentenced today to 96 months in prison followed by seven years of supervised release for distributing child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Special Agent in Charge R. Justin Tolomeo of the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office, made the announcement.
Christopher Eklund, 47, formerly an English language teacher in China, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Nov. 2, 2018 to one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, between approximately Dec. 2014 and July 2015, Eklund advertised and shared thousands of images of child pornography, which was discovered during an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography over an internet file-sharing network. Eklund also used the network to write detailed, sexualized blog posts discussing his affinity for child pornography. FBI agents in Milwaukee reviewed these postings and downloaded several child pornography files that Eklund was sharing over the network.
During the investigation, the FBI learned that Eklund was a U.S. citizen who was living in Wuhan, China, teaching English classes to children. The FBI then provided investigative information to Chinese authorities. In Oct. 2016, after conducting their own investigation, Chinese authorities charged and convicted Eklund for child pornography offenses. In May of 2018, after Eklund was released from prison in China, he was deported to the United States for prosecution.
The case was investigated by the FBI Milwaukee Crimes Against Children Task Force, including participants from the Milwaukee Police Department, West Allis Police Department, Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department, and Milwaukee County Sherriff Department, with the cooperation of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and Public Security Bureau.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin W. Proctor of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Ex-Probation Officer Sentenced for Obstructing Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former probation officer was sentenced today to nearly four years in prison for obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into armed drug traffickers and gang members.
According to court documents, Abass Conteh, 28, of Dumfries, served as a Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officer working in Prince William County in 2017. As part of his duties, Conteh met with law enforcement officers and discussed ongoing criminal investigations, including with a Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) gang detective. During the course of 2017, Conteh used his cell phone and social media accounts to convey confidential law enforcement information about ongoing federal investigations into drug traffickers and gang members. Conteh learned this information from the PWCPD detective and other sources. During these communications, Conteh provided advice to individuals under investigation on how to avoid being prosecuted.
For example, Conteh informed his cousin Nasiru Carew, a multi-time convicted felon who was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison in August 2018, that federal law enforcement were investigating the individuals who supplied local rappers with guns, money, and drugs. Conteh revealed further information to Carew which he learned from the PWCPD detective, including revealing the identities of several individuals who the "FEDS" were investigating, as well as the strategy of the investigation.
In March 2017, Conteh informed Carew that federal law enforcement were investigating Tarvell Vandiver, who was the leader of the Imperial Gangsta Blood gang. Carew later passed this information to Vandiver, who he had conspired with to distribute controlled substances. Vandiver was later sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
In December 2017, the PWCPD Detective informed Conteh that federal law enforcement were investigating Alpha Kamara, who was later sentenced to five years in federal prison, and his sources of supply for narcotics. Shortly thereafter, Conteh revealed the information to Carew and later another individual. Conteh wrote, “[The PWCPD detective] brought All their names up. He never brought their names up until Alpha got womped. The feds goal is to find the supplier for the guns and drugs… They can’t do [expletive] to nobody if alpha [Kamara] don’t snitch”.
Conteh, Carew, Vandiver, and Kamara were prosecuted as part of Operation Tin Panda, which has resulted in 48 federal convictions and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (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, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye and Carina A. Cuellar 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-367.
Eviction Notice Leads to 60 Month Prison Sentence for Manitowoc ManRead the Press Release
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 20, 2019, Anthony C. Moore (age: 33), of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was sentenced for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Moore previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
According to court documents, a Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to enforce a court ordered eviction of Moore from his residence observed drug remnants and drug paraphernalia inside the apartment. That deputy contacted a detective assigned to the Manitowoc Metro Drug Unit who obtained a search warrant for the residence. A search turned up small amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as a .380 Taurus handgun with a loaded magazine. Further investigation revealed that Moore had engaged in drug dealing at the residence.
While pronouncing Moore’s sentence, Chief District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the inherent danger that exists when those who sell controlled substances possess firearms. He further stated his belief that a 60-month prison sentence was just punishment for Moore who has not previously been to prison. Following his 5-year prison sentence, Moore will serve 3 years on federal supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Ethiopian Human Rights Abuser Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining U.S. Citizenship by Admitted Series of Lies in Naturalization Process, Including Failure to Disclose Participation in Persecution During the Red Terror Period in EthiopiaRead the Press Release
A naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Alexandria, Virginia pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of having fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C made the announcement.
Mergia Negussie Habteyes, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully procuring naturalization contrary to law before U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia. A sentencing hearing before Judge Ellis is scheduled for May 17, 2019. Negussie was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on Aug. 14, 2018.
By his own admission, Negussie participated in the persecution of detainees in Ethiopia from roughly 1977 to 1978 during the “Red Terror,” a campaign of brual violence during which Ethiopia’s ruling military council, the Derg, and its affiliates arrested, extra-judicially detained, interrogated and tortured tens of thousands of members, perceived members and supporters of political opposition groups. Negussie injured and abused detainees on account of their political opinion by beating them with weapons including belts, rods, and other objects, causing in many instances permanent scarring and injury. During these beatings, Negussie questioned the detainees about their affiliation with the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and opposition activities of the EPRP, which was the Derg’s primary political opponent at the time.
Negussie came to the United States in 1999 after telling a series of lies to U.S. immigration officials in the course of obtaining authority to enter the United States as a refugee. He ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008. At his plea hearing, Negussie specifically admitted that, during his sworn naturalization interview, he falsely stated that he had never persecuted persons because of their political opinion, and he failed to disclose that he had committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested. Additionally, Negussie admitted that he falsely stated that he had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit and that he had never lied to U.S. immigration officials to gain entry or admission into the United States.
Negussie’s materially false representations in sworn statements to U.S. immigration officials resulted in his procurement of naturalization contrary to law.
“Individuals who participate in the kind of brutal human rights violations perpetrated by this defendant should not be able to find safe haven in the United States by misrepresenting themselves and their past,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Justice Department and its partners will continue to pursue those, like Negussie, who seek to subvert the U.S. immigration and naturalization system this way.”
“Negussie sought to outrun his past by employing deception to fraudulently obtain United States citizenship,” said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger. “We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting criminal immigration cases, including those involving human rights violators.”
“The conscious choice to become a citizen is a great pillar and a richly beautiful tradition of the United States,” said HSI SAC Lechleitner. “It is the highest and most egregious offense to this special fabric of our country to commit fraud in order to obtain that citizenship, but it is immeasurably deplorable for Negussie to have willfully concealed his participation in raw inhumanity.”
Conviction will result in automatic revocation of Negussie’s U.S. citizenship.
The case was investigated by HSI Washington, D.C. with the support of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation or the use or recruitment of child soldiers. The HRVWCC leverages the expertise of a select group of agents, lawyers, intelligence and research specialists, historians and analysts who direct the government’s broader enforcement efforts against these offenders. The HRVWCC comprises ICE HSI’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit, ICE’s Human Rights Law Section, FBI’s International Human Rights Unit and the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP).
The case was jointly prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jamie Perry of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Blanchard of the Eastern District of Virginia with assistance from HRSP Historian Dr. Christopher Hayden and HRSP paralegal specialist Claire Garvin and EDVA paralegal specialist Angela Lawrence.
Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
Eagle Butte Woman Charged with Assault and Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury to a Child and Child Abuse.
Leilih Smart, age 31, was indicted on February 13, 2019. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 20, 2019, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between December 31, 2018, and January 1, 2019, Smart abused and assaulted a child under the age of 7 years old, causing serious bodily injury to the child.
The charges are merely accusations and Smart is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Smart was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Domestic Violence Offender Federally Charged for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Kyle Steven Moody, 32, of Fairbanks, has been charged in federal court with one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
The federal indictment alleges that, on Dec. 6, 2018, Moody knowingly possessed a .22 caliber Ruger Mark IV handgun, despite having a previous domestic violence conviction in the State of Alaska. According to state court documents, law enforcement received a report of an assault and that Moody was in violation of his conditions of release, where the court had ordered that he have no contact with the victim.
Moody has a history of domestic violence offenses in the State of Alaska involving the same victim, and currently has pending state charges against him in connection with the events leading to the federal charges. As someone previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Moody was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
If convicted, Moody faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Alaska State Troopers (AST) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Tansey.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Doctor Convicted in Manhattan Federal Court of Nine Counts in Connection with Oxycodone and Fentanyl Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction yesterday of ERNESTO LOPEZ, a New York-licensed medical doctor who wrote thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl over an approximately three-year period, following an eight-day trial before the Honorable Denise L. Cote. LOPEZ was remanded into custody following his conviction. Audra Baker, a medical assistant who worked in one of LOPEZ’s medical offices, and who was tried with LOPEZ, was acquitted of all charges against her.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “As the jury unanimously recognized, Ernesto Lopez betrayed his patients and the public, peddling dangerous opioids to addicts and drug dealers for his own personal financial profit. His flagrant drug dealing is all the more shocking coming as it did from a licensed medical professional who has taken an oath to do no harm to his patients.”
As reflected in the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial:
From approximately 2015 until his arrest in November 2017, LOPEZ operated medical clinics in New York, New York, Jackson Heights, New York, and Franklin Square, New York, where LOPEZ, who purported to specialize in pain management, wrote thousands of prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl in exchange for cash payments. In total, LOPEZ wrote prescriptions for nearly one million oxycodone pills, with a street value of approximately $20 million. LOPEZ typically charged $200 to $300 in cash for patient visits, despite the fact that nearly 80 percent of his patients had health insurance. During many patient visits, LOPEZ neither performed a meaningful physical examination of patients, nor attempted to diagnose them. Instead, a typical such patient visit consisted primarily of recording a patient’s vital signs and sometimes involved the brief movement of a patient’s limbs. LOPEZ then prescribed large quantities of oxycodone, most frequently 120 30-milligram tablets, and fentanyl patches.
In addition to prescribing oxycodone and fentanyl patches to patients without a legitimate medical need, LOPEZ also prescribed to many patients a fentanyl-based spray, called Subsys, which was intended to treat breakthrough cancer pain, for which those patients – many of whom did not have cancer – had no legitimate medical need. In connection with these prescriptions, LOPEZ submitted an application to INSYS Therapeutics to join a so-called “speaker’s program,” where doctors received payments in exchange for prescribing the fentanyl-based spray to patients.
LOPEZ also provided loose oxycodone pills, without a prescription, directly to at least one patient on multiple occasions, instructed an employee to fill a prescription for oxycodone pills and then to give the pills to LOPEZ, and instructed the same employee to crush an oxycodone pill and put the resulting powder into a urine sample, so as to cheat a drug test.
At the time of LOPEZ’s arrest, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, hundreds of fentanyl sprays and patches from his residence, along with approximately $729,000 in cash in boxes.
After the verdict was announced, Judge Cote said: “Lives were destroyed and damaged. People have suffered enormously because of what the doctor chose to do for those years.”
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LOPEZ, 75, of Flushing, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical need, and eight counts of distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical need. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by Judge Cote on June 11, 2019.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Tactical Diversion Squad. Mr. Berman also thanked the New York City Police Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, the New York City Human Resources Administration, the Nassau County Police Department and Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the New York County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York State Department of Financial Services for their work on the investigation.
Parts of this case were conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Folly, Elizabeth Hanft, and Michael McGinnis are in charge of the prosecution.
Convicted Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing Machine Gun and Ammunition in His Lake County HomeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A convicted felon was charged today with federal firearm violations for allegedly illegally possessing a machine gun, silencers and ammunition in his Lake County home.
GREGORY DOMENICO, 35, of Wauconda, is charged with one count of illegal possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of illegal possession of an unregistered machine gun and three silencers. Domenico possessed the machine gun, silencers and five rifle cartridges at his residence in December 2018 and January 2019, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Domenico was arrested Thursday, and law enforcement carried out a court-authorized search of his residence.
Domenico made an initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila Finnegan in Chicago and was ordered to remain in federal custody. A detention hearing was scheduled for Feb. 27, 2019, at 10:30 a.m.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; John Idleburg, Lake County Sheriff; and David Wermes, Chief of the Wauconda Police Department. The case was investigated by the Lake County Gang Crimes Task Force. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam.
According to the complaint, an undercover law enforcement officer made several purchases of unregistered firearm parts from Domenico. The sales occurred at Domenico’s residence, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Domenico sold the undercover officer two silencers on Dec. 13, 2018; a silencer and an auto-sear, which is designed to convert a semi-automatic pistol into a machine gun, on Dec. 18, 2018; and five rifle cartridges on Jan. 22, 2019. Domenico was previously convicted of a felony and could not lawfully possess a firearm, firearm parts, or ammunition. Domenico has never held a federal firearms license nor has he registered the possession and transfer of any items with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, the complaint states.
Colombian Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Genaro Cuero (64, Buenaventura, Colombia) today pleaded guilty to a conspiracy violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. He faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Cuero was responsible for arranging the transportation of several maritime cocaine smuggling ventures in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. He represented the head of a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) and assisted with the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine. In April 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessel that had been dispatched from Colombia by the DTO. The mariners aboard the SPSS vessel scuttled it, but the USCG successfully recovered 93 kilograms of cocaine.
In July 2014, the USCG interdicted a go-fast vessel dispatched from Colombia by the DTO. During that intercept, the USCG seized approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine out of a total load of 200 kilograms, most of which had been jettisoned.
Cuero was arrested in Colombia in November 2017 and extradited to the United States in December 2018.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Embassy, Bogotá, Colombia, assisted with the extradition process. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
City Councilman, Former Rochester Housing Authority Chair Charged with Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Adam C. McFadden, and George H. Moses, both of Rochester, NY, were charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; money laundering; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, McFadden is a member of the Rochester City Council, and Moses is the former Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Rochester Housing Authority (RHA), which provides housing opportunities and services for the Rochester community and a board member of the Rochester Housing Charities (RHC). The RHA has an annual contract with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from which it receives millions of dollars.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, on March 25, 2015, Moses, as Chairperson of the Board of RHA, caused that Board: (a) to appoint him as one of the three new board members of the RHC, and (b) to approve a loan by the RHA to the RHC in the amount of $300,000.
On July 7, 2015, the RHC entered into an $87,500 one year contract with Capital Connection Partners LLC (CCP) in Washington, D.C. for various services including: (a) advocating at the local, state and federal level of government for policy and legislation, reviewing best practices, and issuing presentations to elected officials; and (b) finding self-sufficient resources to include creating entrepreneurial opportunities and workforce development, developing revenue streams for residents, and applying for federal home loan bank grants.
The following day, on July 8, 2105, McFadden, on behalf of his company, Caesar Development LLC, executed a contract with CCP entitled the Pass Through Funding and Services Agreement, which provided that CCP would pass through 75% of the funds it received from the RHC to Caesar Development LLC.
The defendants caused the RHC to enter into the RHC/CCP contract knowing that CCP and McFadden would not be providing the majority of the services required under the terms of the contract. The defendants also concealed that CCP would be diverting most of the funds received from the contract to McFadden.On August 3, 2015, the RHA on behalf of the RHC paid CCP $43,750, which represented the first installment payment under the terms of the RHC and CCP Contract. Thereafter, on August 8, 2015, CCP paid $32,812.50 to Caesar Development LLC, which represented 75% of the funds CCP had just received from the RHA.
Subsequently, on December 23, 2015, the RHC paid $43,750 to CCP, which represented the second installment payment under the terms of the RHC and CCP Contract. On the following day, December 24, 2015, CCP paid $32,812.50 to Caesar Development LLC, which represented 75% of the funds CCP had just received from the RHC.
To deceive the RHA and the RHC into making the payments to CCP, the defendants caused fraudulent invoices from CCP to be submitted to the RHC that falsely stated that CCP had provided various services required under the terms of the RHC/CCP contract, when in fact, such services had not been performed.
In October 2018, Moses was also charged with making false statements to Special Agents of the FBI in connection with the investigation, those charges remain pending.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Kennedy noted that, “the charges contained in the criminal complaint filed today should serve as a reminder to all public officials and holders of public office—you are elected to serve, not to take. If you put your own financial interests above the public trust, then your payback may well be the filing of federal criminal charges.”
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brad Geary, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Citizen of Guatemala Pleads Guilty to Immigration ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECTOR OVIDIO DIAZ GARRIDO, 41, a citizen of Guatemala last residing in Norwalk, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz Garrido, who has never held legal status in the U.S., was deported from the U.S. to Guatemala in June 2011 following his March 2010 conviction in Connecticut Superior Court in Norwalk for felony assault on a police officer.
In April 2012, Diaz Garrido was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Weslaco, Texas. His prior order of removal was reinstated and he was again deported to Guatemala.
On November 6, 2014, Diaz Garrido, using the name “Jimy Diaz,” was arrested by the Norwalk Police Department and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol. On March 20, 2015, Diaz Garrido, again using the name “Jimy Diaz,” was arrested by Norwalk Police on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under suspension. Diaz Garrido’s true identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis in November 2018 after he was convicted of operating while under the influence, operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, and three separate counts of failure to appear, and he had served his state sentence.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2019, at which time Diaz Garrido faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 336 Months for Distributing MethamphtamineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — Rodney Jackson, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday, by United States District Judge David Bunning, to 336 months in federal prison for possessing Methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Jackson was convicted in October 2018, following a two-day jury trial. According to the evidence, Covington Police conducting a traffic stop and found multiple baggies that contained more than 23 grams of crystal methamphetamine packaged for sale. Because Jackson had prior felony convictions for drug trafficking, he qualified as a “career offender,” pursuant to the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which subjected him to an increased sentence. Jackson was also on supervised release, for a prior federal firearms conviction, at the time of this offense.
Under federal law, Jackson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a term of eight years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Covington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tony Bracke.
Carjacker Who Shot Lakeland Police Officer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Terrest Colston (28, Polk County) today pleaded guilty to carjacking, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking charge, a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, and up to life, in prison for the brandishing charge, and a maximum term of 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on July 11, 2018, an individual was parked in his sedan on East Lemon Street in Lakeland. Colston approached the driver’s side window of the vehicle, pointed a loaded revolver at the victim, and told him to get out of the car. The victim, in fear for his life, complied. Colston then got into the sedan and drove away. A few hours later, an officer with the Lakeland Police Department spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted to pull it over. Colston crashed the car and fled on foot. The officer caught up with Colston, and Colston shot the officer. The officer survived and returned fire, striking Colston in the leg. Additional officers arrived and took Colston into custody.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Canadian Man Sentenced in Absentia on Marijuana ConvictionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robin Williams, 56, of Canada, who was convicted of unlawfully importing marijuana in the form of hashish, was sentenced, in absentia, to serve 41 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on November 21, 2006, the defendant attempted to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry with a quantity of marijuana. Some of the marijuana was found in Williams’ pants pocket. Also located in the defendant’s truck was an additional 108 pounds of marijuana.
Williams pleaded guilty on August 1, 2007, to the charge and sentencing was scheduled for November 14, 2007. However, the defendant failed to appear for sentencing. In light of Williams’ continued failure to appear for sentencing, Judge Arcara granted a motion filed by the Government to have the defendant sentenced in absentia.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charger Kevin Kelly.
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Canadian Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Ecstasy Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Canadian who smuggled ecstasy (MDMA) into the U.S. by hiking across rugged areas of the northern border was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to seven years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. NATHAN HALL, 41, was identified as the second smuggler in an unsuccessful attempt to bring more than 20 kilos of ecstasy into the U.S. in April 2013. HALL was identified by his co-defendant, Border Patrol agents, and information in a backpack dropped at the scene. Authorities believe HALL was the second suspect who fired a shot when confronted by agents. HALL denies he was the gunman but admits that he did carry a firearm on an earlier smuggling run in March 2013. The presence of the firearm strapped to his thigh was captured by a trail camera near the border. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik noted HALL “has a history of chronic lying, using fake ID, and ignoring court orders.”
According to records filed in the case, HALL was a member of a conspiracy that transported ecstasy in backpacks by hiking over rough rural terrain at the border. The ecstasy was then transported to California for distribution. On a smuggling run in April 2013 near Sumas, Washington, two smugglers wearing camouflage clothing were confronted by Border Patrol Agents. One smuggler, Jeffrey Laviolette, was taken into custody and ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison. The second smuggler fired a shot, dropped his backpack, and ran back into Canada. The backpack contained identification documents with HALL’s photo but a fake name. HALL was later arrested in Canada. The process of extraditing HALL from Canada took more than five years. In November 2018, HALL pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MDMA and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. HALL continues to deny he is the smuggler who fired the shot but admits carrying a firearm previously.
HALL will likely be deported following his prison term. He can petition for treaty transfer back to Canada.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Coast Guard Investigative Services, and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Abbotsford Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Vogel and Marie Dalton.
Bomb Plotter Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Already sentenced to prison for his role in a bomb plot, Patrick Stein, 50, of Wright, Kan., pleaded guilty today and was sentenced to an additional 44 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Stein pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted investigators found up to 149 images of children engaged in sexual activities on his laptop computer and USB drives.
Investigators found the child pornography after obtaining a warrant to search Stein’s computer for evidence of his part in a plot to detonate multiple bombs at an apartment complex in Garden City where Somali refugees were living.
In January, Stein was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his role in the bomb plot. He will serve the sentence in the child pornography consecutively with the sentence in the bomb case.
McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Baggage Handler at Newark International Airport Convicted of Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms Offenses in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TYRONE WOOLASTON was found guilty yesterday of conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and using a firearm in furtherance of cocaine trafficking, in connection with a multi-year scheme to smuggle cocaine into the United States through Newark International Airport. A unanimous jury convicted WOOLASTON after a two-week trial before United States District Judge Robert W. Sweet.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As proven at trial, Tyrone Woolaston abused his position as an airline employee with secure access to restricted areas of Newark International Airport. In reality, Woolaston was also a drug dealer, who smuggled large cocaine shipments through the airport and into the United States. To protect his drug dealing operation, Woolaston possessed an arsenal of weapons, including a .40 caliber Glock pistol equipped with a laser sight. Thankfully, Woolaston now stands convicted and faces at least 15 years in prison.”
According to court documents and the evidence at trial:
WOOLASTON was a lead baggage handler for a commercial airline at Newark Liberty International Airport (the “Airport”). From in or about 2013 through February 2018, WOOLASTON conspired to smuggle shipments of cocaine into the United States. WOOLASTON abused his secure access to the restricted areas of the airport to remove suitcases containing shipments of multiple kilograms of cocaine from international flights and smuggle them through the Airport for distribution in the New York City area.
In 2017 and 2018, agents from the New Jersey Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) conducted an undercover operation to investigate cocaine smuggling at the Airport. As part of the investigation, a confidential source met with WOOLASTON to arrange a cocaine shipment, and WOOLASTON agreed to bring a suitcase containing five kilograms of cocaine through the Airport. On February 10, 2018, HSI agents placed a suitcase containing approximately five kilograms of sham cocaine on an international flight from the Cayman Islands to the Airport. WOOLASTON was working on the tarmac when the flight arrived at the Airport, and took possession of the suitcase and carried the sham cocaine shipment through the Airport, evading customs screening. The following day, WOOLASTON carried a .40 caliber Glock pistol, equipped with a laser sight, to deliver the sham cocaine to the confidential source.
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WOOLASTON, 35, of Orange, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of narcotics trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Newark Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Port Authority Police Department assisted in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thane Rehn and Alison Moe are in charge of the prosecution.
Atlantic County, New Jersey, Man Admits Distributing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Carlos Santiago-Gomez, 29, of Absecon, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court to one count of distributing images of child pornography and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 27, 2018, law enforcement officers from the FBI’s Atlantic City Child Exploitation Task Force executed a search warrant at Santiago-Gomez’s residence in Absecon, New Jersey, and seized multiple items of digital evidence, including cell phones, CD discs, thumb drives, hard drives and computers, which contained thousands of images of child sexual abuse. Agents also located evidence showing that in July and August 2017, Santiago-Gomez posted videos of child sexual abuse on at least two KIK instant message groups, while also acting as the administrator of one of those groups.
The count of distribution of child pornography is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner; the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Scheffler; and N.J. Human Services Police, under the direction of Director Timothy J. Gallagher, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel: Brenden T. Shur Esq., Northfield, New Jersey
12 Aliens Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY & PENSACOLA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that 12 previously deported aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.
U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Enforcing immigration laws is a priority of the Department of Justice, along with protecting all members of our community. Although our office regularly charges illegal reentry cases, the cases below represent an unprecedented number of illegal reentry cases charged in our district at a particular time during the past five years. The Northern District of Florida, along with our law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorneys Offices throughout the country, are committed to upholding our federal immigration laws to ensure that only those entering our country through a lawful process are allowed access.”
Yony Javier Barraona Lopez, 25, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in December 2018, after being deported in 2011, 2013, and 2015. He was located in Crestview.
Erick Geovanni Carrillo-Franco, 46, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2014. He was located in Pensacola.
Freddy David Chavez-Lopez, 31, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2006 and 2010. He was located in DeFuniak Springs.
Juan Alejandro Cortes-Sabillon, 47, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2004 and 2005. He was located in Panama City.
Javier Gonzalez-Valdivia, 56, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2010. He was located in Okaloosa County.
Fransis Leonei Lima-Sanchez, 25, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2017. He was located in Okaloosa County.
Ricardo Alejandro Maldonado-Lopez, 35, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2003, 2009, and 2014. He was located in Panama City.
Jose Luis Ortiz-Maradiaga, 27, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2016 and 2017. He was located in Crestview.
Danis Ramiro Sanchez-Sandoval, 28, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2012. He was located in Panama City Beach.
Juan Sopino-Sanchez, 41, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in November 2018, after being deported in 2011 and 2012. He was located in Okaloosa County.
Juan Vasquez-Reymundo, 34, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2009. He was located in Panama City.
Gabriel Villela, 30, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally in January 2019, after being deported in 2008 and 2012. He was located in Milton.
The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Cortes-Sabillon faces an enhanced maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on his prior criminal history, which includes a felony conviction. Lima-Sanchez, Maldonado-Lopez, and Sanchez-Sandoval face an enhanced maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, due to prior criminal records with aggravated felony convictions.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office, and the Panama City Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Aine Ahmed, Michelle K. Daffin, Alicia H. Forbes, Edwin F. Knight, J. Ryan Love, and James M. Ustynoski are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
"Operation Smooth Criminal” Receives National OCDETF AwardRead the Press Release
Indianapolis B United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that the Southern District of Indiana was the recipient of the 2018 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) National Award for Innovative Investigation Efforts for the multi-agency investigative work conducted during “Operation Smooth Criminal.” This prestigious national award most exemplifies the mission and spirit of the OCDETF Program and recognizes the many agencies within the Southern District of Indiana involved in “Operation Smooth Criminal.”
Recognized for their contribution to this successful investigation were investigators Louis Arona, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), DeMarkus Calhoun, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Seth Murray, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS - CI), and Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy J. Cho and MaryAnn T. Mindrum.
“The Department’s OCDETF successes would not be possible but for the courageous sacrifices made by dedicated public servants like the agents and AUSAs assigned to this operation,” said United States Attorney Minkler. “After more than 20 years, I continue to be impressed with these tireless commitments to safety and the rule of law. We especially appreciate this recognition of creative and innovative enforcement oftentimes necessary to meet criminals where they hide.”
“The false sense of anonymity provided by the Dark Web and the subterfuge practiced by the suspects in this case was no match for the combined efforts of federal law enforcement,” said Patricia Armstrong, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division. “The investigative work that led to the distinguished national OCDETF award for Operation Smooth Criminal serves as a model for tackling these complex cases through utilizing innovation.”
“The strength of the DEA has always, and continues, to thrive from the partnerships forged with our various law enforcement counterparts. This award marks a pivotal point in law enforcement history. While today’s traffickers are taking advantage of enhanced technology like encryption and virtual currencies, the men and women of our modern-day law enforcement community are exploring new and innovative ways to dismantle these operations,” said DEA’s Brian M. McKnight.
“IRS Criminal Investigation has dedicated resources to understanding and tracking financial transactions in the cyber environment,” said Gabriel Grchan, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “Special Agent Seth Murray’s work on Operation Smooth Criminal is a fine example of our successes in the evolving area of cyber financial crime. Criminals often think they can exploit the anonymity of the cyber world; however, IRS-CI and our partners are right there to shut them down. I am proud of the work of Special Agent Murray and everyone who was a part of this outstanding investigative team. I congratulate Seth and all the award recipients for their exemplary efforts.”
“Operation Smooth Criminal” was an investigation spanning over four years that ultimately dismantled a heroin and cocaine distribution ring supplying drugs regionally and throughout the country. What began as an investigation into drug trafficking on the Dark Web led to the ultimate arrest and conviction of Burnett, a/k/a “Doe,” the leader of a major heroin and cocaine distribution ring in the Indianapolis area and elsewhere. In October 2013, federal law enforcement agencies shut down the Dark Web site Silk Road. Through a joint investigation by DEA, USPIS, and the IRS-CI, law enforcement learned that Lee Gray, a Camby, Indiana, resident at the time, was selling heroin and cocaine in exchange for bitcoins on Silk Road, and later other Dark Web sites such as Black Bank. Gray shipped the drugs to customers located throughout the United States using the U.S. mail. Gray then laundered his bitcoins using foreign bitcoin-exchange companies to wire U.S. currency into multiple bank accounts in his own and other names. He also sold bitcoins on the Dark Web to other users in exchange for cash that the other users mailed to him. Gray obtained his supply of heroin and cocaine from Burnett. From at least 2012 through August 18, 2015, Burnett obtained heroin and cocaine directly from a Mexican source of supply, and would pay the Mexican source by delivering large bags of money to Mexican couriers. Burnett distributed the drugs to drug distributers, including Gray and Alan Duncan (a/k/a “Al Gore”), another drug distributor in the Southern District of Ohio, who sold these drugs within and outside of their local communities. Burnett was responsible for distributing at least 17 kilograms of heroin and 25 kilograms of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Burnett received a sentence of 188 months imprisonment. Gray received a sentence of 75 months. Gore received a sentence of 150 months imprisonment in Ohio.
This investigation’s success was possible due to the collaborative efforts by multiple organizations, including the DEA Indianapolis Office, USPIS, IRS - CI, DEA Dayton Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
21 February 2019
Worcester Food Market Settles Allegations of Food Safety Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A retail food market in Worcester – warned on four occasions since October 2013 by federal investigators about food safety violations – has entered into a consent decree with the government stipulating that it will not violate food safety laws, and that it will be subject to strict penalties if violations are found in the future.
Boaben Enterprises Inc., d/b/a J&W Aseda Marketplace, and its owners, Vida Causey and Wilton Causey, have entered into a consent decree that permanently enjoins them from violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA). The government filed its complaint after a series of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) surveillance activities of J&W Aseda Marketplace showed that the defendants had purchased, offered for sale, and sold meat products that were not inspected by the FSIS, and that they had failed to maintain appropriate business records concerning the purchase and sale of these products. The proposed consent decree was filed with the court and is awaiting judicial approval. Under the consent decree, USDA investigators will continue to have broad access to the premises of J&W Aseda Marketplace or any other establishment where Vida Causey and/or Wilton Causey sell, or offer for sale, meat food products. The defendants will also face significant financial penalties for any further violations of the FMIA.
“The sale of uninspected meat products is a significant health risk to consumers,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “This consent decree is designed to prevent this business, and its owners, from further jeopardizing the health of customers.”
“FSIS investigators are working hard every day to protect consumers,” said Carmen Rottenberg, FSIS Administrator. “We take our job to protect public health very seriously with swift action to ensure that American families have safe food to eat.”
U.S. Attorney Lelling and FSIS Administrator Rottenberg made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Sharobem of Lelling’s Civil Division handled the case.
Woman sentenced for firearms violationsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A California woman who was stopped in Chouteau County while driving a stolen vehicle was sentenced today to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for conviction on a firearms crime, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Nikki Graham, 31, of Ventura, Calif., pleaded guilty in November to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
Prosecutors said Graham was stopped on Dec. 5, 2017 by a Chouteau County sheriff’s deputy while driving a stolen Chevy Tahoe. Three other persons, including two juvenile males, also were in the vehicle. Graham had a .40-caliber handgun. She handed the firearm to one of the juveniles, telling him to take it because as a juvenile, he would not get into as much trouble as she would. Graham, who has felony convictions in California for burglary, possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Rocky Boy’s Tribal Police and Choteau County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Wilmington Gang Leader Sentenced on Drug and Gun Charges Following Undercover OperationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced Victor Eugene Dorm, 30, of Wilmington to 240 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On November 14, 2018, DORM pled guilty to five counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; distribution of a quantity of heroin; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base; use and carry a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
DORM was the fourth of six co-defendants to be sentenced in this case. Three men have received sentences ranging from 60 to 204 months:
- On May 23, 2018, Eugene Telphia Grady, Jr., was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and 6 years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to a charge of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.
- On October 3, 2018, James Flowers was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release, following a guilty plea to conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess cocaine and 28 grams of more of crack cocaine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; and use and carry a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Also on October 3, 2018, Sylvester Lorenzo Hooper, Jr., was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and distribution of a quantity of crack cocaine.
Two additional co-defendants have entered guilty pleas and have sentencing hearings pending:
- On July 9, 2018, Rufus “Rudy” Parker pled guilty to six counts of distributing cocaine, and on November 30, 2018, he pled guilty to an additional count of conspiring to distribute powder cocaine.
- On January 22, 2019, Joseph Anthony Vaught pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Parker and Vaught are currently scheduled to be sentenced in April of this year.
These convictions are the result of a long-term undercover operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers of the Wilmington Police Department, beginning in December 2016 and continuing until the return of the federal indictment in August of 2017. Victor DORM, a principal target of the investigation, was a leader of a subset of the Bloods street gang known as the Bounty Hunter Bloods. DORM held a leadership role in the gang and had three prior state felony drug convictions and two prior state convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement was able to conduct a large numbers of controlled purchases of contraband from each of the six co-defendants, as well as from five additional men who have pled guilty in separate federal cases. The confidential informant and undercover agents conducted roughly three-dozen transactions, purchasing cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, counterfeit currency, and multiple firearms. DORM himself made 13 of the sales. In transactions dating from December 14, 2016, to July 10, 2017, DORM sold the CI nearly 600 doses of heroin, 100 doses of fentanyl, 4 grams of crack cocaine, over $1,000 in counterfeit currency, an M4 assault rifle, a second rifle, and five handguns, including two M-11 9mm pistols with high capacity magazines. On another occasion, law enforcement witnessed DORM manufacturing crack cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jake D. Pugh represented the government.
Vermont Man Charged with Attempting to Meet a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –John Curley, age 48, of Chester, Vermont, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of meeting a minor for sex.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to a criminal complaint, Curley used an internet-based, adult-oriented social networking service to solicit sex from someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl, but who was actually a police investigator acting in an undercover capacity. Curley was arrested in Fort Ann, New York, where Curley believed he was going to meet the 12-year-old girl for sex. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Curley appeared yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted, Curley faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
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/.
Vallejo Couple Indicted for Manufacturing Methamphetamine Pills at Elder Care FacilityRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Henry Benson, 37, and Roselle Cipriano, 35, of Vallejo, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Benson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Benson and Cipriano manufactured pills inside a building that also housed an eldercare facility that they owned and operated in Vallejo. They manufactured the pills in various colors and shapes, including the Kool-Aid smiling pitcher, a likeness of President Donald J. Trump’s face, the Tesla emblem, and minions. Although the pills were sold as MDMA, they were found to contain methamphetamine.
When the eldercare facility was searched on February 7, 2019, agents seized a pill press, 31 pounds of methamphetamine pills, 17 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, various other powders and manufacturing equipment, and a shotgun within three feet of the pills. A search warrant executed the next day at a storage facility rented by Benson and Cipriano turned up five additional pill presses, hazmat clothing, and additional powder suspected of containing narcotics.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Benson and Cipriano are in custody pending trial. If convicted, they each face 10 years to life in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney’s Office continues its commitment to youth through leadership leagueRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler will celebrate the graduation of the second USAO Leadership League class at Daniel Webster Elementary School during a ceremony this week. Leadership League is a six-week, after-school program that teaches conflict resolution through lessons and hands-on activities. A collaborative effort, Leadership League paired fifth and sixth grade students with mentors from the United States Attorney’s Office, the United States District Court, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Aero Industries. With the help of Peace Learning Center Facilitator Francesca Keesee, the group learned the “STEPS” of conflict resolution: Staying calm, Telling your story, Exploring other points of view and Problem Solving.
“Empowering these young men and women with non-violent conflict resolution skills will help guide and prepare them for life,” said Minkler. “Society portrays violence as a way to solve issues. The Leadership League gives options that will translate into success in school, the community, and in the City of Indianapolis.”
The 2019 graduates include: NaTaiyah Bean, Jose Gomez, Tamarus Gray, Jarrell Green, Tyree Jarrard, La-Zavion Horns, Xaviea Lewis, Jayme Orner, Haylie Parrott, Nevaeh Russell, Madison Sterrett, Allyssa White, and Donnavon Williamson.
Leadership League mentors were: USAO employees Taylor Kirklin, Lindsay Karwoski, Jeffrey Preston, Janelle Peters, Shaquanna Shockley, Michelle Butler, Stephanie Lloyd, Jennifer Ross, and Deb Mathies; USDC law clerks Michael Mohler and Landyn Rookard; IMPD Officers William Young and Jason Norment; and AERO Industries employees Michelle Gent and Melissa Reisinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Rota conceptualized and led the program in partnership with the United States Attorney’s leadership team.
This effort marks the fifth time that USAO-SDIN has collaborated to provide programming with Daniel Webster Elementary School. Previous projects include: The Pledge Against Gun Violence, the You Are Beautiful Project, and the Courage Project. The first Leadership League class graduated in May 2018.
This year’s graduation will be held February 22, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. at Daniel Webster Elementary School #346, 1450 S. Reisner Street, Indianapolis, IN 46221. The public is invited.
Leadership League demonstrates our office’s continued commitment to maintaining support for community outreach program with the help of our community partners. (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 10.2).
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Washington Collects more than $11 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions for U.S. Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2018Read the Press Release
Seattle - U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran announced today that the Western District Washington collected $11,162,511 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2018. Of this amount, $6,797,143 was collected in criminal actions and $4,365,367 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Western District of Washington worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $39,535,912 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $15,751 was collected in criminal actions and $39,519,761 was collected in civil actions.
As a whole, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in collections in FY 2018 represents nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the ninety-four U.S. Attorneys’ offices.
“While you cannot put a price on justice, sometimes a just result means victims and taxpayers get restitution thanks to the diligent work of our attorneys and professional staff,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. “Even years after the criminal conviction or civil settlement, members of our Financial Litigation Unit work hard to identify assets that should go to those who are victimized by fraud and other crimes.”
“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
Some of the largest collections involve false billings and fraud on government programs. In August 2018, International Marine and Industrial Applicators LLC and Marine Equipment Supply LLC paid $2.8 million to settle claims for work which it had fraudulently billed the Navy at Puget Sound Naval shipyards. In a second case, prominent tourist ship captain Paul D. LaMarche paid $354,769 as part of a civil settlement and criminal penalty for defrauding the Railroad Disability program. Some of last year’s collections were from cases prosecuted as early as 2013. Last year, the office secured $114,661 for victims of investment fraud figure Mark Spangler and $188,820 for victims of Enumclaw financial advisor Aaron Travis Beaird.
In addition to restitution and civil settlements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington forfeited property totaling $2,178,980. That amount includes forfeitures in U.S. v. ONG where the government seized more than $1 million in bitcoin and $235,000 in cash.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights, or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Education.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement Partners Announce Expansion of “Project EJECT” to Mississippi Gulf CoastRead the Press Release
Moss Point, Miss. – Today, Mike Hurst, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, along with the Moss Point Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the local District Attorney’s Office, and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, announced the expansion of an initiative to combat violent crime called "Project EJECT" into Jackson County and the City of Moss Point.
Launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi in December 2017 in the City of Jackson under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN") initiative, Project EJECT is designed as an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates decades of experience in bringing various levels of law enforcement together with stakeholders in the community, with the overall goal of producing a long-term, meaningful reduction in and prevention of violent crime.
In expanding the initiative into other parts of the Southern District of Mississippi, Project EJECT now stands for: "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together."
Joined by law enforcement in Moss Point, U.S. Attorney Hurst described the project as a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach that combines law enforcement arrests and prosecutions of violent criminals with prevention efforts, rehabilitation and reentry, educational initiatives, and improved communication.
"We are excited about the potential for this successful crime fighting initiative to help the citizens of Moss Point and Jackson County. By working together with our law enforcement and community partners, Project EJECT will effectively address this increase in violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. The message to violent criminals is simple - if you violate our laws and terrorize our neighborhoods, you will be ejected from our community. In the federal system, we will immediately lock you up, we will move to detain you without bond, and you will serve a significant prison sentence without parole. But, we will also seek to prevent crimes before they occur and will work with offenders to help them get back on their feet. At the end of the day, we all want safer communities," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The mission of Project EJECT is to reduce violent crime and make Moss Point neighborhoods safer for all to enjoy. Part of the project will include discussions with the public and encouraging communities to help law enforcement in this effort, as well as communicating to the criminals that they will be prosecuted and punished for gun crimes and violent crimes. The Project will also seek to support locally-based efforts to stop violence and crimes before they occur and to help those who have been punished to reenter society as law-abiding citizens.
Project EJECT is comprised of a number of federal law enforcement agencies, as well as task force officers from various state and local investigative agencies, who will interact regularly with the Moss Point Police Department and the District Attorney’s Offices to identify and respond to violent crimes when they occur. Cases arising from these crimes will then be presented to the local District Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
For the first time ever, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is specifically dedicating an Assistant United States Attorney in Gulfport to prosecute violent crime in the City of Moss Point under this project.
Project EJECT follows a directive from former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to the U.S. Department of Justice to reinvigorate DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods with the intent to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America. Project EJECT is the Southern District of Mississippi’s PSN initiative specifically tailored to address violent crime throughout the district.
In December 2018, at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) National Conference, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker presented the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and its law enforcement partners with the award for Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force for Project EJECT. Only 16 awards were given during the annual PSN National Conference, which recognize individuals and groups for their dedication and contribution to the success of PSN. Project EJECT was one of only two recognized as the best partnerships or task forces in the nation.
In expanding Project EJECT into Moss Point, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to lead the Project, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Criminal Chief Courtney Coker guiding the task force initially, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Carter in Gulfport serving as the primary prosecutor for violent cases under Project EJECT in Moss Point, long-time Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams in Gulfport serving as a senior advisor and prosecutor, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry in Jackson serving as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for the entire Southern District of Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Agreement with Rider University to Resolve Allegations Under the American with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The United States has reached an agreement with Rider University to settle allegations that the school violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures for students with food allergy-related disabilities, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
The matter originated from a complaint by a former Rider student with celiac disease, which is triggered by consumption of gluten. Celiac disease can cause permanent damage to the surface of the small intestines and an inability to absorb certain nutrients, leading to vitamin deficiencies that affect the brain, nervous system, bones, liver and other organs. According to the complaint, Rider University did not provide reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures regarding its dining program.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by public accommodations, including colleges and universities. Under the ADA, a disability is any mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, and the ADA includes a wide range of major life activities – including eating – and the operation of major bodily functions, like the immune system. The ADA requires colleges and universities to reasonably modify their policies, practices or procedures when necessary to avoid disability discrimination, unless such entities can demonstrate that the modifications being sought would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods and services of the university.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office determined that Rider University failed to provide reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures for students with food allergy-related disabilities and failed to adequately train its staff on appropriate policies for accommodating individuals with food allergies. Since the beginning of the investigation, Rider University has worked cooperatively to develop and amend its policies and practices to comply with the ADA.
The settlement agreement requires Rider University to adopt policies for accommodating students with food allergy-related disabilities instead of relying on the limited policies of a food service vendor, make certain structural changes to food service areas to provide allergen-free food preparation areas in its dining facilities, employ a full-time dietician to advise the University and its students on ways to address food allergy-related disability issues, and create a “pre-order” option for students with food allergies.
“We commend Rider University on working to ensure that its students with severe food allergies have options that meet their needs,” US Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “This agreement will improve the experience of students with food allergy-related disabilities and help them to focus on getting an education.”
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Meyler and Michael E. Campion, chief of the Civil Rights Unit, of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Division in Newark.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Complaint Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Collects over $20 Million on Behalf of U.S. Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2018Read the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that the Middle District of Pennsylvania collected $20.2 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2018. Of this amount, $4 million was collected in criminal actions and $16 million was collected in civil actions. The $20.2 million collected in FY 2018 represents approximately double the appropriated budget for the office.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $1.1 million in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $14,637 was collected in criminal actions and $1.1 million was collected in civil actions.
In November 2018, the Middle District of Pennsylvania received $70 million as part of the settlement in U.S. v. MoneyGram International, Inc. as a result of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement including a forfeiture settlement. MoneyGram will be charged by information for knowingly and intentionally aiding and abetting wire fraud and willfully failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering program. Forfeiture of the $70 million will be processed administratively by the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the district will be credited for an out of court forfeiture settlement. MoneyGram was involved in consumer fraud schemes perpetrated by corrupt MoneyGram agents and others. In the fraud scams, which generally targeted the elderly and other vulnerable groups, perpetrators contacted victims in the United States and falsely posed as victim’s relatives in urgent need of money, falsely promised large cash prizes, or promised items for sale over the internet at deeply discounted prices. The perpetrators required the victims to send funds through MoneyGram’s money transfer system.
As a whole, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in collections in FY 2018 represents is nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion ($2,136,750,000) budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices.
“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
“The men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are dedicated to the protection of our fellow law-abiding citizens, whether we are battling the scourge of drugs and violent crime or attacking scams designed to defraud government agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Freed. “I am pleased that our collection efforts both in the District and nationwide have far exceeded our cost to the taxpayers”.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Education.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Collects More Than $5 Billion in Fiscal Year 2018Read the Press Release
BOSTON - U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling announced today that the District of Massachusetts collected more than $5.213 billion in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2018. Of this amount, more than $4.9 billion was collected by the District alone - $25,028,095 in criminal actions, and $4,906,284,211 in civil actions.
The District of Massachusetts also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $282,208,233 in cases pursued jointly. As a whole, the Justice Department collected nearly $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018. The $14,839,821,650 in collections in FY 2018 represents nearly seven times the appropriated $2.13 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
In addition to these civil and criminal collections, the District of Massachusetts was also responsible for the forfeiture of $20,788,659 in criminal proceeds, or other property involved in crimes, in Fiscal Year 2018.
“I’m proud of the work the prosecutors in my office have done to secure more than $5 billion in civil and criminal collections, and asset forfeitures, in 2018 alone,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “The District of Massachusetts has long been a leader in financial recoveries in the areas of health care fraud, securities fraud and civil settlements, and we will continue to aggressively pursue collections that return money to victims of crime and U.S. taxpayers, and that deprive criminals of their ill-gotten gains.”
“The men and women of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country work diligently, day in and day out, to see that the citizens of our nation receive justice. The money that we are able to recover for victims and this country as a whole is a direct result of their hard work,” Director James A. Crowell, IV, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
In August 2018, the District of Massachusetts announced a $4.9 billion settlement with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which was the largest penalty ever imposed on a single entity by the Justice Department for financial crisis-era misconduct.
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws, or fines for other fraudulent conduct. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Education.
Two Individuals Charged with Attempted Robbery of Smithgall’s Pharmacy in Lancaster, PARead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Brandon Galette, 24, of Harrisburg, PA, and Andrew Garrett, 24, of Steelton, PA, were charged today by Indictment with one count of attempted robbery which interferes with interstate commerce and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Galette is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Indictment charges Galette and Garrett for their alleged participation in the October 23, 2018 attempted robbery of Smithgall’s Pharmacy in Lancaster, PA, during which they allegedly attempted to steal prescription opioids.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of lifetime imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison, to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, plus five years of supervised release. Additionally, Galette faces a $750,000 fine and a $300 special assessment, while Garrett faces a $500,000 fine and a $200 special assessment.
“Stemming the tide of violent crime in our communities is a top priority of the Department of Justice and my Office,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “People looking to make a quick buck by robbing convenience stores, pharmacies, and other businesses beware: this conduct is a federal crime, and if you are convicted, you will face stiff penalties under federal law.”
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lancaster City Bureau of Police, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Stengel.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Defendants Sentenced in Drug Conspiracy InvestigationRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA –Two members of a drug distribution organization that trafficked methamphetamine, heroin, oxycodone, cocaine, and other drugs from Georgia into Southwest Virginia were sentenced recently in federal court in Abingdon on drug conspiracy charges. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring made the announcement today.
“Opioids and crystal methamphetamine are highly addictive and potentially deadly drugs,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to stanch the flow of these substances into Southwest Virginia and prosecute the individuals and organizations responsible for trafficking in them.”
“Reducing the availability of crystal methamphetamine and other drugs in Southwest Virginia remains a high priority for my office. We work diligently with our law enforcement partners to crack down on those who transport dangerous drugs into the Commonwealth for distribution,” Virginia Attorney General Herring said today. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners and will continue to aggressively prosecute those who endanger the lives of our citizens.”
In a hearing last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Christy Marie Doffermyer, 47, of Kingsport, Tenn., was sentenced, to 168 months in federal prison. Doffermyer previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as heroin and oxycodone.
On February 15, 2019, Timothy Allen Barr, 51, of Coeburn, Va., was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Barr previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing oxycodone.
In all, 11 individuals are charged as part of this drug trafficking conspiracy. Seven additional defendants have pled guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in the coming months.
According to court records and evidence presented at previous hearings by Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, these defendants conspired to traffic a variety of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, morphine, oxycodone, and alprazolam, from sources in Watkinsville, Athens, and Augusta, Georgia, into Southwest Virginia for redistribution. The organization operated primarily in Lee and Wise counties from November 2016 through March 1, 2018. Arrests on March 1, 2018, resulted in the seizure of approximately 197 grams of crystal ice methamphetamine, in addition to heroin, cocaine, morphine, and oxycodone. Doffermyer admitted she was responsible for conspiring to distribute, possessing with the intent to distribute, and actually distributing 1,000 grams of crystal ice methamphetamine, as well as quantities of heroin and oxycodone. Barr admitted to distributing 900 dose units of 30 milligram oxycodone tablets, which he obtained and distributed during the course of this conspiracy.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Police Department, Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals also assisted with the execution of search warrants and arrests connected with this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.
Traveling Nurse Who Worked in Roanoke Sentenced for Tampering with FentanylRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A traveling nurse, who tampered with vials of fentanyl and replaced the drug with saline, was sentenced last week in federal court to 42 months in prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.
Joseph Howard, 34, of Ashland, Ky., previously pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer producer that affects interstate commerce, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or serious injury.
“Fentanyl and other powerful opioids are being abused at epidemic rates across the country,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “Hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and manufacturers must do everything in their power to track and control every dose of these addictive and often-abused drugs to ensure they are being used in accordance with limited prescribed uses.”
“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the proper treatment from those entrusted with providing their medical care,” said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “As part of the FDA’s comprehensive work to address the opioid epidemic, the agency will continue to hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with drugs needed by their patients, especially when such tampering could cause unnecessary pain and suffering.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer, Howard worked as a traveling nurse in Roanoke between November 2017 and December 2017. During that time, the defendant tampered with vials of liquid fentanyl, extracted the fentanyl for his personal use and replaced it with saline. Howard caused the diluted vials to be available for use by patients at the hospital where he worked.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration-OCI, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Three Men Charged with Armed Robbery Spree Spanning Multiple Counties in New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three Union County, New Jersey, men have been charged with robbing liquor stores at gunpoint in November 2018, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Paul Jimenez, 29, Jaime Fontanez, 41, and Vincent Chan-Guillen, 28, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, are all charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Jimenez is also charged with five substantive counts of Hobbs Act robbery and Fontanez and Chan-Guillen are charged with four substantive counts of Hobbs Act robbery. Jimenez and Fontanez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court on Feb. 20, 2019, and were detained. Chan-Guillen is expected to make his initial appearance at a later date.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The FBI investigated a string of armed robberies of liquor stores that took place in Middlesex, Union and Essex counties beginning in November 2018. During each of the robberies, one of the defendants allegedly brandished a handgun at the store clerk while another defendant went behind the counter and stole money from the cash register.
During one of the robberies in Essex County, one of the robbers fired a shot as they ran from the store. No one was injured in that incident. That firearm was later found in Chan-Guillen’s possession on Nov. 30, 2018.
The Hobbs Act charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. The discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrests. He also thanked the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Brennan; the Rahway Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Rodger; the Woodbridge Police Department, under the direction of Director Robert Hubner; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Samuel A. DeMaio; the Linden Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Hart; the Kenilworth Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Zimmerman; the Union Police Department Police Department, under the direction of Director Dan Zieser; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan for their work on this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Men Charged in Red Lake Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy Resulting in the Shooting Deaths of Two IndividualsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced an indictment charging FRANKLIN JACKSON, a/k/a “Frankie,” 23, KRISTOPHER SULLIVAN, a/k/a “Blood Money,” 24, and BRYAN BOARDMAN, a/k/a “Boon,” 24, with conspiracy to distribute heroin. SULLIVAN and BOARDMAN were also charged with using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to the indictment, between October 1, 2018, and October 21, 2018, JACKSON, SULLIVAN, and BOARDMAN conspired with each other to distribute heroin on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On October 21, 2018, the defendants’ drug trafficking activities resulted in the shooting deaths of two individuals, identified in the indictment as J.R. and R.B.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey S. Paulsen and Julie E. Allyn are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
FRANKLIN JACKSON, a/k/a “Frankie,” 23
Unknown
Charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
KRISTOPHER SULLIVAN, a/k/a “Blood Money,” 24
Minneapolis, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
- Using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
BRYAN BOARDMAN, a/k/a “Boon,” 24
Minneapolis, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
- Using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Indicted for Firearms Offenses in Sacramento and Solano CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that a federal grand jury returned indictments today in the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.
Jedidiah Nathaniel Smith, 40, of Fairfield, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on December 5, 2018, police officers stopped a car with an expired registration that Smith was traveling in. After their initial contact with Smith, they learned that he was carrying a loaded revolver in his waistband. Smith cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an investigation by the Suisun City Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
Jesus Aguilar Jr., 34, of Fairfield, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on November 19, 2018, police officers responded to emergency calls reporting that a man was trying to open motorists’ doors while the cars were stopped at an intersection. After the officers arrived on scene and tried to contact Aguilar, he discarded the handgun and was arrested moments later. Aguilar cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an investigation by the Suisun City Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
Nassir Michaels, 39, of Reno, Nevada, is charged with one count of unlawful dealing in firearms and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, between September 16, 2018, and October 12, 2108, Michaels engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without having an appropriate license. The firearms involved in the charged transactions included three assault rifles, one of which was capable of accepting a high-capacity magazine. Michaels is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento and Las Vegas Divisions, Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Special Services Unit (SSU) and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza Rabenn is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty for the felon in possession of a firearm charge of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the unlawful dealing in firearms charge, Michaels faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Three Florida Residents Charged with Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Three Florida residents have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Anthony Rosa, Chief, Sunrise Police Department, made the announcement.
Zyheem Ian Smith, of Orlando, Gedeon Joseph, of Clermont, and Watverly Mortimer, of West Park, were charged by indictment with offenses related to the December 24, 2018 armed robbery of the Yard House restaurant at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida (Case No. 19-CR-60055-UNGARO). The defendants have been arrested and had their initial hearings. Mortimer was detained after a detention hearing on February 15, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt in Ft. Lauderdale. Smith and Joseph are currently being detained, following a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas B. Smith in Orlando. They are awaiting transport to the Southern District of Florida for a subsequent hearing.
According to court records, including allegations contained in the complaint and indictment, Smith and Joseph entered the Yard House on the morning of December 24, 2018, before the restaurant had opened, through a back door that was opened by Mortimer, a Yard House employee. Smith and Joseph went upstairs to the manager’s office, pointed a Glock 19X handgun at the manager, and grabbed the manager’s cellphone. They threatened to shoot the manager if he did not empty the safe. Smith and Joseph left with approximately $22,000.
An indictment is only an accusation and every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and the Sunrise Police Department in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Juman.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Tampa Man Indicted for Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Terrance Maurice Goss (32, Tampa) with four counts of bank robbery, two counts of attempted bank robbery, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Goss faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the robbery and attempted robbery charges, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Goss that the United States intends to forfeit the $6,462 he stole from the banks, as well as the firearm he possessed.
According to the
indictment , between January 11 and January 25, 2019, Goss robbed four banks. On January 11, 2019, he robbed the Wells Fargo Bank located at 2699 Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater. He robbed a second Wells Fargo Bank, located at 5250 East Bay Drive in Clearwater, on January 15, 2019. Two days later, he robbed the Centennial Bank on Fruitville Road in Sarasota). On January 25, 2019, Goss robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Davenport. Additionally, Goss attempted to rob the TD Bank located at 6108 U.S. Highway 98 North in Lakeland on January 17, 2019, and the SunTrust Bank located at 1075 Carpenters Way in Lakeland on January 25, 2019.Finally, the indictment charges that Goss, a previously convicted felon, possessed a firearm on January 25, 2019.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Largo Police Department, the Clearwater Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Syracuse Woman Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud Department of LaborRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK - Linda Sue Parnell, age 64, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced today to 5 years of probation and to pay restitution to the federal government in the amount of $72,207.16, after previously pleading guilty to four counts of wire fraud for submitting fraudulent claims for mileage reimbursement between 2010 and 2016.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Sean J. Smith, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Northeast Field Office.
An investigation revealed that Parnell, years after claiming to have sustained a back injury while working at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was approved to receive compensation benefits from the U.S Department of Labor relating to her claim. The Department of Labor authorized Parnell to obtain a reimbursable membership to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse and to seek reimbursement for miles driven to and from the YMCA for the purpose of exercising to strengthen her back. The Department of Labor also authorized Parnell to seek reimbursement for miles driven to and from covered medical appointments.
Parnell defrauded the Department of Labor by submitting reimbursement claims for trips that she did not actually make to the YMCA, and by significantly inflating the mileage for those trips she did take to the YMCA and also to covered medical appointments. Parnell claimed to have visited the YMCA more than 1,700 times between 2010 and 2016, though she actually visited the YMCA on approximately 50 occasions during this time. The investigation also established that Parnell claimed to visit the YMCA on holidays when it was closed and on days she was traveling out of state, including dozens of times over a several-month period during which she resided in Pennsylvania. From her fraud scheme, Parnell received $72,207.16 in reimbursement for mileage claims that were fraudulent.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd imposed Parnell’s sentence today in Utica.
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Tamara Thomson.
Sweeny Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 33-year-old resident of Sweeny has admitted he employed sexually-oriented websites advertising three minors as young as 15 for commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Joseph Church pleaded guilty today on the first day trial was set to begin before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr.
The young girls were induced into posing for pictures used in online advertisements for sex and engaged in commercial sex acts for money. Church and others collected all of the money the girls earned. Church transported victims to commercial sex dates and used motels to harbor the minors. Cell phone applications were used to monitor the victims and post on-line advertisements featuring the minors. Church and his co-defendants were aware that the victims were under the age of 18 when they were caused to engage in commercial sex.
Church, the leader of the group, was the last of seven to plead guilty in this case.
Several others have pleaded guilty for their respective roles on the conspiracy, gun charges, and the posting of the commercial sex ads - Angela Marks, 25, of Sweeny; Jamaal Crane, 26, of Angleton; Norris Moon, 25, and Christopher Walton, 24, both of Brazoria; Alisa Kimbler, 26, of Freeport; and Eric Page, 20 of Sherman.
Church has been detained since his arrest and will remain in custody until his sentencing scheduled for May 15,2019.
Church faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Potentially, he could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and serve at least five years and up to life on supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance of sheriff’s offices in Brazoria and Galveston Counties and police departments in Galveston, Sherman, Wharton, La Marque and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri Zack and Sebastian Edwards prosecuted the case.