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Monday 10 December 2018
Member of Quileute Tribe Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Vehicle Assault on Tribal Police OfficerRead the Press Release
A 33-year-old member of the Quileute Tribe was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 6 years in prison for assaulting a federal officer and stealing a car on tribal land, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JUANITA ELENA PENN-SALAZAR, was arrested April 11, 2018, after a police chase on the Quileute Reservation in La Push, Washington. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton imposed three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
According to records filed in the case, PENN-SALAZAR stole a Toyota Camry outside a small store on the reservation. She had asked the car’s owner for a ride and when the owner refused, PENN-SALAZAR smashed the car window and took the vehicle. A Tribal police officer responded to the report of a stolen car. As he drove on the reservation looking for the vehicle, PENN-SALAZAR pulled out from a subdivision and struck the patrol car. PENN-SALAZAR fled in the stolen car at speeds over 80 miles-per-hour. PENN-SALAZAR drove the stolen Camry into the patrol car two more times – the final time pinning the officer in the car. Other law enforcement officers pursued PENN-SALAZAR through the reservation. At one point, she aimed and accelerated the stolen vehicle at an officer who was placing spike strips to try to stop the car. Fortunately, that officer was able to jump out of the way. Ultimately, PENN-SALAZAR was taken into custody.
Toxicology reports show PENN-SALAZAR was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana at the time of the chase.
In September 2018, PENN-SALAZAR pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer and theft of a motor vehicle.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Cohen.
Man admits assaulting Fort Belknap law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Hays man admitted assault charges on Monday in federal court after he attempted to stab a Fort Belknap law enforcement officer with a pair of scissors in a confrontation during which he got shot in the shoulder, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Cody Michael Anderson, 24, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Judge Morris set sentencing for March 21, 2019. Anderson is detained.
Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
On May 7, 2018 south of Hays on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Anderson attacked a tribal officer with a pair of scissors. The officer thought the scissors was a knife because all he could see was something long and metal shining in the sunlight.
The assault occurred after tribal officers responded to a 911 call from Anderson, who had driven off a road and was stranded in Mission canyon. During the call, Anderson said the cops were taking too long and threatened to shoot a cop or tow truck he saw them. The officers treated the situation as a gun call.
At the scene, Anderson told one of the officers he should have kept going, pulled a pair of scissors from his backpack and made multiple attempts to slash or stab the officer. The officer attempted to taze Anderson and then shot him in the shoulder while trying to protect himself. Anderson remained combative after getting shot but eventually threw the scissors toward another officer and surrendered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart is prosecuting the case, which was investigated FBI and the Fort Belknap Tribal Police.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
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Man Who Detonated Explosive Device in Tampa Pleads Guilty to Federal Destructive Device ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Joseph David Caltagirone (61, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered destructive device. Caltagirone faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2018, members of the Tampa Police Department Bomb Squad were conducting training on North 12th Street in Tampa when they heard a loud explosion. The officers observed a large greyish-white smoke plume several blocks away, rising above East Columbus Drive. They canvassed the neighborhood, eventually ending up at Caltagirone’s residence.
Inside that residence, officers discovered PVC piping, a hobby fuse, and precursor chemicals such as potassium nitrate, air float charcoal, and sulfur. Officers also discovered an assembled destructive device resembling a “pipe bomb.” The device had been constructed using a PVC pipe and an improvised wire initiator. The pipe contained an explosive mixture called Tannerite. Exploding the device would have projected PVC fragments at high velocities in all directions. Caltagirone admitted to having designed, constructed, and possessed the devices.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank 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.
Madera Woman Indicted for Credit Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Leah Guillen, 35, of Madera, charging her with use of unauthorized debit cards, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in early 2018, Leah Guillen obtained the name, social security account number, and date of birth of a specific victim. Guillen then used this information to impersonate the victim and fraudulently gain access to her bank accounts at Golden 1 Credit Union. Using an unauthorized debit card, Guillen drained the victim’s bank accounts over a three-month period between April 18, 2018, and June 30, 2018, causing a loss in excess of $210,449.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Madera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of bank fraud, Guillen faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, and she faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the use of unauthorized debit cards. If convicted of the aggravated identity theft, Guillen faces two 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 defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lyons Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Joshua Huffman, 32, a resident of Lyons, Nebraska, was sentenced today, in Omaha, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp for the crime of bank fraud. Senior Judge Smith Camp sentenced Huffman to 3 months’ imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release, and ordered Huffman to make restitution to the United Bank of Iowa and the Washington County Bank.
During the period from December 2014 through May of 2015, the Defendant submitted a series of false and fraudulent financial statements to United Bank of Iowa in Ida Grove, Iowa, and Washington County Bank in Blair, Nebraska, to obtain loans for his farming operation. These financial statements contained false information that ultimately resulted in the loans going into default. United Bank of Iowa suffered a loss of approximately $320,000 while Washington County Bank suffered a loss of almost $14,000.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Long-time Project Safe Neighborhoods Facilitators Represent the USVI at the National Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference in Kansas City, MORead the Press Release
Three seasoned Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers and U.S Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert represented the Territory at last week’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The Conference brought together federal prosecutors and their law enforcement partners from across the nation and included speeches by President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and former Attorney General John Ashcroft. The PSN Conference was the first of its kind in eight years and underscores the commitment of the Department of Justice to reducing violent crime and fostering public safety for all Americans.
Beginning in 2017, all 93 United States Attorneys were directed to implement enhanced violent crime reduction programs that incorporate the lessons learned since the original PSN program launch in 2001 and to develop new strategies to reduce violent crime. According to U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F Shappert, "The goal of the enhanced PSN program is to bring together all levels of law enforcement and community stakeholders to reduce violent crime and make communities safer for everyone. PSN uses a comprehensive approach to public safety--one that includes prevention, enforcement, and reentry efforts-- while ensuring that federal prosecutors focus on the work they do best: investigating and prosecuting crimes. As federal prosecutors, we intend to bring the full extent of criminal sanctions to bear on violent offenders, deterring future crime, and empowering our law enforcement and community partners to ensure public safety."
The USVI delegation to the PSN National Conference included strong VIPD leadership with considerable experience in community-based policing. Jacqueline Freeman is the Director of the VIPD Crime Prevention Bureau and serves as the Chair of the USVI PSN Law Enforcement Planning Commission Board. Director Freeman has also worked extensively with the USVI Weed and Seed initiative which assists under-served communities to identify and leverage resources to support public safety. During her tenure, she has coordinated annual gang awareness trainings, supervised development of the highly acclaimed documentary "Gangs in Paradise", worked with law enforcement and community partners to improve communication, and facilitated numerous community discussions of public safety issues. Edith Christopher is currently assigned as the Community Oriented Police (COP) Officer in the Grove Place Weed and Seed site on St. Croix, which is part of the VIPD Crime Prevention Unit. Officer Christopher has conducted extensive anti-bullying trainings in the schools and the community and has worked to expand the
Neighborhood Watch Program on St. Croix. Captain Sandra Colbourne, a 30-year veteran with VIPD, is part of the Management and Supervision Team responsible for the VIPD Consent Decree implementation. She also serves as Co-Chair of the USVI PSN Law Enforcement Planning Commission Board during her years with VIPD, Captain Colbourne has worked with PSN and the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC) to identify grant resources and funding streams which support community outreach efforts. She has also been instrumental in facilitating constructive dialog between law enforcement and vulnerable communities in St. Thomas and St. John.
"The Territory is fortunate to have such dedicated and experienced VIPD representatives who are committed to public safety and to the PSN initiative," Shappert said. "The training we received in Kansas City will enable us to incorporate effective law enforcement strategies and the principles of PSN into our crime-fighting efforts in the USVI. We recognize that community buy-in is essential to our success, and we intend to increase our community engagement."
Pictured from left to right: USVI PSN representatives from left to right: Director Jacqueline Freeman, Officer Edith Christopher, U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert, and Captain Sandra ColbourneLong Island Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Securities Fraud and Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Steven Pagartanis pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme over the course of 18 years.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the charges.
“Pagartanis perpetrated his fraud scheme against elderly investors who could least afford to lose their life savings,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Protecting older Americans from financial predators like the defendant is a priority of the Department of Justice.”
As admitted at his guilty plea and as detailed in court documents, from January 2000 to March 2018, Pagartanis, a formerly licensed financial advisor and affiliate of a registered broker-dealer, solicited elderly victims to invest in real estate-related investments, including those affiliated with publicly traded entities, a Canadian company and an international hotel conglomerate. Pagartanis promised the victims that their principal would be secure and earn a fixed return, which he typically claimed to be between 4.5 to 8 percent annually. At Pagartanis’s direction, the victims wrote checks payable to an entity secretly controlled by Pagartanis. Pagartanis utilized a network of bank accounts to launder the stolen funds, which he used to pay personal expenses, buy luxury items and make the guaranteed “interest” or “dividend” payments to other victims. Pagartanis created fictitious account statements reflecting ownership interests in the purported investments to induce investment and conceal the scheme. In all, the victims invested over $13 million and sustained actual losses of over $9 million. Many lost substantial portions of their life savings as a result of the scheme.
When sentenced, Pagartanis faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The SEC has filed a civil case against Pagartanis, which was stayed pending resolution of the criminal case.
The government’s criminal case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
STEVEN PAGARTANIS
Age: 58
East Setauket, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-374 (DRH)
Lexington Man Sentenced to 43 Months for Trafficking in FentanylRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Marvin Lee Foxx, 50, of Lexington, was sentenced Friday, to 43 months federal in prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In April 2018, the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant at Foxx’s Lexington residence, locating 28 grams of fentanyl, two grams of cocaine, and a firearm. On September 7, 2018, Foxx entered a guilty plea, admitting to possession with intent to distribute the fentanyl. Foxx has a prior conviction, for a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, from the United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, from 2008.
Under federal law, Foxx 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 six years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
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 PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 190 Months for Armed Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Andre Stackhouse, 47, of Lexington, was sentenced Friday, to 190 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In January 2018, detectives with the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant at Stackhouse’s Lexington residence, locating 244 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mix and two firearms. Stackhouse was arrested and admitted to the distribution of heroin and to possessing the firearms for protection during his drug trafficking. Stackhouse has six prior felony convictions, including drug trafficking, from Chicago.
Under federal law, Stackhouse 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 eight years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
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 PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Lewis County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Roger Lee Clem, II, aka “Woody,” of Weston, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Clem, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm” in July 2018. Clem admitted to having a stolen .45-caliber pistol in Lewis County in October 2016.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Attorney General’s Office has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General’s Office announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.KC-Area Man Convicted of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., area man was found guilty at the conclusion of a bench trial today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Seneca Harrison, 36, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Harrison was in possession of a loaded Maverick by Mossberg 12-gauge pump action pistol grip shotgun.
A Blue Springs, Mo., police officer conducted a traffic stop of Harrison’s vehicle on April 9, 2018. Harrison was driving a silver GMC Yukon eastbound on 40 Highway. When Harrison stopped his vehicle, he got out of the vehicle and began to walk away. The officer told Harrison to return to his vehicle, but Harrison continued walking away. When the officer attempted to detain Harrison, he resisted by pulling away and pushing the officer. During this interaction, the officer observed the strong odor of alcohol coming from Harrison’s breath.
Another officer arrived on the scene and saw the shotgun in the driver’s seat of Harrison’s vehicle. Harrison was arrested. Harrison kicked the rear door of the patrol vehicle while he was being transported to the Blue Springs jail and yelled at the officers. Upon arrival at the jail, Harrison continued to be combative as he threatened and cursed at the officers.
While at the jail, an empty prescription pill bottle that contained residue that field tested positive for methamphetamine was located in Harrison’s cell. Harrison said, “Oh yeah that’s mine. It’s got my name on it.” Harrison continued to be combative and refused to provide a breathe test. He was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for a blood draw. While at the hospital, Harrison said, “I’m kinda glad you guys got me. You knew I was going to kill someone tomorrow. I was about to go away for a long time.” Harrison uttered this multiple times in various ways.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harrison has two prior felony convictions burglary and prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, stealing, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of marijuana. He was on parole for the unlawful possession of a firearm conviction at the time of the federal offense.
Under federal statutes, Harrison is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough announced the verdict at the close of the trial that began this morning.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Moeder and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Walmart Store in Fort Worth, TexasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Walmart Inc. The agreement resolves claims that a Walmart store in Fort Worth, Texas, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by unlawfully requesting specific work authorization documents from non-U.S. citizens based on their citizenship status.
The Department initiated an investigation after a lawful permanent resident filed a charge alleging that Walmart fired her on her first day of work because she could not fulfill a human resources employee’s request for a document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), even though she had already provided other documents sufficient to establish her work authorization. When the worker protested her firing, a regional supervisor and hiring staff member at another nearby store incorrectly reaffirmed the unnecessary request for a DHS-issued document. IER’s subsequent investigation concluded that the human resources employee had a practice of requesting unnecessary DHS documents from non-U.S. citizens to establish their work authorization because of their citizenship status. The INA prohibits employers from (a) rejecting valid work authorization documents, (b) limiting workers’ choice of documentation to present for employment verification, and (c) subjecting workers to different or unnecessary documentary demands, based on the workers’ citizenship, immigration status, or national origin.
After the Department initiated its investigation, Walmart provided $1,944 in back pay to the worker and reinstated her employment. Under the terms of the settlement, Walmart will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train staff in Fort Worth-area stores, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
“Employers should not ask employees for unnecessary work-authorization documents because of their citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “We are pleased that Walmart has agreed to work with the Department and to provide additional training to relevant employees.”
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship/immigration status or national origin, or discrimination based on their citizenship/immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Indian National Arrested and Charged with Smuggling Foreign Nationals into the United States via Commercial FlightsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Indian national has been arrested on charges that he conspired to smuggle foreign nationals into the United States via commercial airline flights, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Bhavin Patel, 38, of India, was arrested by special agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Dec. 7, 2018 at Newark Liberty International Airport. He is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to bring in and harbor aliens and six counts of smuggling foreign nationals into the United States for private financial gain and is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 18, 2018, before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
HSI learned that a smuggling operation run by Patel was attempting to find methods to illegally smuggle foreign nationals from India into the United States. The investigation revealed that the smuggling organization recruited Indian nationals and others to pay fees in exchange for passage to the United States.
Beginning in October 2013, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a smuggler began meeting with Patel in Bangkok, Thailand. Patel told the undercover law enforcement officer that he wanted to smuggle Indian nationals into the United States. On three occasions, Patel or his conspirator transported the Indian nationals to an airport in Thailand, at which point the undercover law enforcement officer would purportedly use his contacts to smuggle them into the United States via commercial airline flights. Patel agreed to wire down payments for each individual to be smuggled into the United States and to pay a balance of tens of thousands of dollars for each individual once the foreign nationals arrived in the United States. Over the ensuing months, Patel arranged for six Indian nationals to be brought to Thailand for smuggling into the United States via Newark Liberty International Airport.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison. Each substantive charge of smuggling carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Theft of Social Security and Medicare BenefitsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Andres Arteaga Perez (50, Casselberry) to 13 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $423,602.80, the proceeds of the crime, and ordered Perez to pay restitution.
Perez had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2018.
According to court documents, Perez, a Mexican citizen with no legal status in the United States, used a Georgia man’s name and Social Security number to apply for and receive Social Security disability benefits. Perez also applied for and received Medicare benefits, using the identity of the same individual. In total, Perez stole or converted approximately $56,000 in Social Security benefits and approximately $367,000 in Medicare benefits to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Honduras citizen admits illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS—A citizen of Honduras who was arrested while working in Havre admitted in federal court on Monday to having illegally reentered the United States, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Jose Alex Ventura-Padilla, 41, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing. Judge Morris set sentencing for Jan. 23, 2019. Ventura-Padilla is detained.
Ventura-Padilla faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
On Sept. 27, the Havre Sector Intelligence Unit of the U.S. Border Patrol received information that there was a crew working on a large water tank in Havre and that about a dozen of the workers were illegally in the country. Some of the workers had been deported multiple times. An investigation found that a North Carolina business was a subcontractor and had workers on the job.
Border Patrol agents observed one of the North Carolina company’s work trucks at a local restaurant. Three of the suspected water tower workers came out of the restaurant and walked toward the truck. An agent approached, identified himself and asked if the men were part of the crew working at the water tower. The men, including Ventura-Padilla, responded yes. Ventura-Padilla told the agent he was in the country illegally and did not have immigration documents.
Ventura-Padilla has two prior convictions for illegal reentry. He was last deported in 2010 after having served time on federal convictions and re-entered in 2015.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
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Honduran Man Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that FREDY ANTONIO MENDOZA-CHIRINOS, age 26, a native of Honduras, was charged Friday, December 7, 2018 in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, MENDOZA-CHIRINOS was previously removed from the United States on August 18, 2017. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on November 21, 2018 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
If convicted, MENDOZA-CHIRINOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 2 years, a fine of $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
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Heroin and Crack Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for conspiring to manufacture and deal heroin and crack cocaine throughout Hampton Roads.
According to court documents, Anthony Michael Covil, 33, was a member of a drug-trafficking conspiracy that operated primarily in Chesapeake. In the last five years, Covil distributed at least 700 grams of heroin, some of which was mixed with fentanyl, at least 2 kilograms of crack cocaine, at least 4 kilograms of powder cocaine, and marijuana. He was arrested during a buy-bust in possession of two bags of heroin and fentanyl, two bags of cocaine, one bag of marijuana, and $300 cash in police buy money from previous controlled purchases. Covil also carried firearms during at least two drug transactions.
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 Department reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-133.
Hartford Apartment Manager Sentenced to Prison for Allowing Building to be Used by Drug RingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANKLYN NIEVES, 63, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for allowing a Hartford apartment building he managed to be used as a drug trafficking hub.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a drug trafficking organization used 8-10 Hamilton Street, a six-unit apartment building in Hartford, to store, process and distribute heroin and fentanyl. Nieves, who managed the building and resided in one of the apartments, was aware of the drug trafficking activity at the building, helped to secure the basement of the building for the trafficking organization’s drug activities, and knew that a 17-year-old was working for the organization and serving drug customers at the building.
Nieves was arrested on December 7, 2017. On May 14, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
Nieves, who is released on a $50,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on January 16, 2019.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Harrison County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael A. Spino, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Spino, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2018. Spino, having been previously convicted of two felonies, admitted to having an unregistered 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun in January 2018 in Harrison County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Attorney General’s Office has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General’s Office announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia Probation Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Hampden Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Marena Mushero, 28, recently of Hampden, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to enter a marriage in order to evade U.S. immigration laws.
According to court records, Mushero, a United States citizen, posted an advertisement on an on-line forum, in which she offered to marry a person in need of permanent resident status in exchange for money. On June 13, 2018, she received a response from a Nepalese citizen who was lawfully in the U.S. and living in another state. Mushero agreed to marry him in exchange for cash payments so that he could get a “green card.” On June 25, 2018, Mushero and her coconspirator were married in Brewer, Maine. Before and after the wedding, Mushero received hundreds of dollars via wire transfers from her coconspirator, who continued to live and work in another state.
Mushero faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the U.S Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Brewer Police Department.
Grand Jury Charges Denver Men for Possessing Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
DENVER — A Federal Grand Jury returned indictments last week against two Denver men, Jose Eduardo Trujillo and Andres Jaquin Luna III, charging them with firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn, and ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston.
Both defendants Luna and Trujillo were originally charged by criminal complaints on November 27, 2018. According to the affidavits filed in support of the criminal complaints, Luna and Trujillo sold firearms without serial numbers to undercover agents in July, August, and October of this year. The firearms included machine guns and silencers without serial numbers. Both defendants were arrested in November. On December 4, 2018, a Federal Grand Jury in Denver charged the defendants with possession of unregistered firearms and possession of machine guns. In addition, defendant Luna was charged with distribution of methamphetamine, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This investigation was conducted by ATF Denver. The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celeste Rangel and Kelly Winslow.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.
This enforcement action is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Case Number: 18-cr-555-PAB
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Fraudster Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Scamming Elderly Victims of Almost $400,000 Through Advance Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Onijah Crighton, age 23, of Chillum, Maryland, today to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud more than 100 elderly victims through an advance fee scheme, specifically, by falsely representing that the victims had won a lottery or sweepstakes and demanding taxes or other fees before the victims could receive the prize. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Xinis also ordered that Crighton must pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is $396,157.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Matthew J. DeSarno; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.
“Criminals like Onijah Crighton target vulnerable individuals with these types of advance fee schemes,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur. “Our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting and deterring elder fraud schemes like this one.”
According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2013, Crighton and a co-conspirator began contacting Victim 1, an elderly man living in Virginia who suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Crighton falsely told Victim 1 that he was the second-place winner of the $10 million “grand prize draw” that Publishers Clearing House and the Better Business Bureau sponsored. Crighton fraudulently represented that the second-place prize was $2.5 million. Over the following months, Crighton and his co-conspirator contacted Victim 1 hundreds of times, convincing Victim 1 to send the conspirators 44 payments totaling approximately $112,000. Victim 1 made the payments through Western Union, by adding money to Green Dot cards controlled by Crighton and a co-conspirator, or by sending cash in the mail.
During the course of the conspiracy, Crighton e-mailed a “leads list provider” to purchase a list of names and personal identification information that Crighton could use to mass-market the lottery scam to elderly individuals across the country. Crighton and other members of the conspiracy successfully defrauded over 100 elderly victims of at least $396,157.
Crighton admitted that, beginning in 2012, he also used the personal identifying information of elderly individuals to fraudulently enroll debit cards in their names without their knowledge or consent. To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Crighton listed a number of different e-mail addresses on the debit card applications, and listed street addresses on the applications that belonged to others involved in the scheme. In this manner, Crighton enrolled or caused to be enrolled hundreds of debit cards that were applied for using the stolen identities of at least 10 elderly individuals.
The Department of Justice, through its Elder Justice Initiative, which includes the work of many Department components, is working on multiple fronts to protect older Americans from physical, emotional, and financial abuse. The Department has aggressively prosecuted mass mailing fraud schemes, such as Jamaican lottery and psychic scams, many of which target seniors and are international in nature. The Department also launched 10 regional Elder Justice Task Forces across the country, including in Maryland, to enhance the ability of federal, state, and local authorities to work together to combat elder financial fraud and to pursue those nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their Medicare and Medicaid residents. The Department actively supports state and local efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse in a variety of ways, including helping older victims and their families by connecting them to available resources, assistance and information on its Elder Justice website: www.elderjustice.gov.
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners also conducted the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history that involved more than 250 defendants and over one million American victims, most of whom were elderly.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Dana J. Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.
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Fourth Defendant Arrested in Credit Card ‘Bust-Out’ Scheme that Spent $2 Million on Luxury Watches, Liquor, Cars and Cemetery PlotsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – With the surrender this morning of the final defendant, federal authorities have taken into custody four people named in a grand jury indictment that alleges a “bust-out” scheme in which the defendants fraudulently charged nearly $2 million in less than a year to credit cards often opened with “synthetic identities.”
Gayane Hakobyan, 69, of Hollywood Hills, was taken into custody this morning and is expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court.
Previously in this case, Mikayel Hovhannisyan, 36, of North Hollywood, surrendered on December 3. The other two defendants in the case – Mikayel Hmayakyan, 41, of Glendale; and Vahan Aloyan, 43, also of Glendale – were arrested on November 20. During their arraignments, all three of these defendants entered not guilty pleas and were freed on bond.
The defendants allegedly conspired to carry out a wide-ranging credit card fraud scheme, using the fraudulently obtained cards to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of liquor and luxury watches. The 22-count indictment alleges a bust-out scheme in which the defendants obtained credit cards – sometimes under their real names, but often with synthetic identities created with a combination of real and fictitious information – that were run up to the credit limit. Members of the scheme then allegedly “paid down” by submitting payments from accounts with insufficient funds or through fake accounts to restore the credit line, which allowed them to make additional purchases.
All four defendants allegedly used the fraudulently-obtained credit cards to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars in alcoholic beverages on behalf of the now-closed Liquor Spot in Glendale, where Aloyan was a manager.
The indictment also charges Hmayakyan with bank fraud for using fraudulent credit cards in the names of various aliases – including “Liam Sarcozzy” – to purchase plots at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, which he then sold at a profit. Hmayakyan is also accused of conspiring with others to fraudulently apply for loans under an alias to obtain a Kia Optima and in a real person’s name for a 2016 Lexus GX460. The indictment alleges that Hmayakyan never intended to pay any credit card bills nor made any payments on the loans.
During the execution of a search warrant in 2016, law enforcement seized more than 37,000 bottles of alcoholic beverages, worth approximately $300,000, from the Liquor Spot. They also seized nearly $13,000 in U.S. currency from the store, as well as nearly $13,000 and 37 watches and other jewelry items from Aloyan’s residence.
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 10 counts of bank fraud. Hmayakyan is charged separately with six additional counts of bank fraud. Hmayakyan and Aloyan also are charged with possessing “unauthorized access devices,” which included credit cards, debit cards, bank account information and Social Security numbers belonging to other people. Hmayakyan is also charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft.
Each count of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The charge of possession of unauthorized access devices carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years.
United States District Judge George H. Wu has scheduled a trial in this case for early January.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Glendale Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Poonam G. Kumar of the Major Fraud Section.
Former Waterloo Resident Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Mark A. Brueggemann, 60, of Waterloo, Illinois, has been convicted of knowingly receiving child pornography, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Brueggemann pleaded guilty to a one-count federal indictment without a plea agreement. He faces a prison sentence of 5 to 20 years on the charge. Sentencing is set for March 27, 2019, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service’s Springfield Electronic Crime Unit-Southern Illinois Cyber Group. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert.
Former Non-Profit President Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional TripRead the Press Release
The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Kemal Oksuz, aka "Kevin Oksuz," 49, and previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. Oksuz will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan for the District of Columbia.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Oksuz lied on disclosure forms filed with the Ethics Committee prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. Oksuz admitted to, in truth, orchestrating a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and then concealed the true source of funding, which violated House travel regulations.
A five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed in September. Oksuz was recently extradited from Armenia where he was detained by authorities, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler and Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistance in the investigation was provided by Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorney Natalya T. Savransky of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition request to Armenia. The Office of International Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Armenian authorities provided substantial assistance with the extradition.
Former Non-Profit President Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional TripRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 49, and previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. Oksuz will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2019 before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Oksuz lied on disclosure forms filed with the Ethics Committee prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. Oksuz admitted to, in truth, orchestrating a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and then concealed the true source of funding, which violated House travel regulations.
A five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed in September. Oksuz was recently extradited from Armenia where he was detained by authorities, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, and Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistance in the Investigation was provided by Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorney Natalya T. Savransky of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition request to Armenia. The Office of International Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Armenian authorities provided substantial assistance with the extradition.
Former Director of Healthcare Services Company Charged in Alleged $300 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former member of the board of directors of a publicly traded healthcare services company was arrested at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport over the weekend for allegedly participating in a wide-spread scheme to defraud investors and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with a merger transaction designed to convert the company into a private entity, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey announced.
Pavandeep Bakhshi, 41, of the United Kingdom, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. Bakhshi was arrested Saturday evening at JFK Airport after arriving on a flight from London. Bakhshi’s initial court appearance is today at 2:30 p.m. EST before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre for the District of New Jersey.
According to the complaint unsealed this weekend:
From May 2015 through September 2017, Bakhshi and co-conspirators Parmjit Parmar, aka “Paul Parmar” (“Parmar”), Sotirios Zaharis, aka “Sam Zaharis” (“Zaharis”), and Ravi Chivukula (“Chivukula”), allegedly orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company (Company A) traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up $82 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million. The scheme allegedly utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of Company A and trick others into believing that Company A was worth substantially more than its actual value.
The complaint alleges that to present a positive picture of the company’s financial wealth, the conspirators allegedly sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund Company A’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In reality, the complaint alleges, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators allegedly funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The money from one of the offerings was instead used to make it appear as if the operating subsidiary had substantial customer revenue when, in fact, the funds were simply transfers of the money that had been raised in the secondary offering, the complaint alleges. The conspirators allegedly went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers.
The conspirators allegedly:
- Created fictitious operating companies that Company A purportedly acquired in sham acquisitions;
- Falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Company A’s revenue streams;
- Generated fake income streams and phony customers of Company A and its subsidiaries; and
- Made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others.
The defendants’ alleged actions caused the private investment firm and others to value Company A at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take the company private.
The alleged scheme was uncovered around September 2017, when the conspirators resigned from their positions with Company A or were terminated. On March 16, Company A and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme.
The United States filed a criminal complaint against Parmar, Zaharis and Chivukula on May 16 for their alleged roles in the scheme. Zaharis and Chivukula currently are fugitives. The United States also filed a separate civil complaint on the same date seeking forfeiture of four properties that Parmar owns or controls, including a house in Colts Neck and three apartments in New York City. Separately, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint on May 16 against Parmar, Zaharis and Chivukula.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office provided assistance in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Chief Paul A. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the Economic Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Money Laundering Unit and Trial Attorney Leslie Lehnert of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section,.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Director of Healthcare Services Company Charged in Alleged $300 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The Defendant And His Conspirators Allegedly Inflated Company’s Value and Revenue to Defraud Investors
NEWARK, N.J. – A former member of the board of directors of a publicly traded healthcare services company was arrested at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport over the weekend for allegedly participating in a widespread scheme to defraud investors and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with a merger transaction designed to convert the company into a private entity, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced.
Pavandeep Bakhshi, 41, of the United Kingdom, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. Bakhshi was arrested Saturday evening at JFK Airport after arriving on a flight from London. He is scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint unsealed this weekend:
From May 2015 through September 2017, Bakhshi and co-conspirators Parmjit Parmar, aka “Paul Parmar,” Sotirios Zaharis, aka “Sam Zaharis,” and Ravi Chivukula allegedly orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company (Company A) traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up $82 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million. The scheme allegedly utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of Company A and trick others into believing that Company A was worth substantially more than its actual value.
The complaint alleges that to present a positive picture of the company’s financial wealth, the conspirators allegedly sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund Company A’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In reality, the complaint alleges, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators allegedly funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The money from one of the offerings was instead used to make it appear as if the operating subsidiary had substantial customer revenue when, in fact, the funds were simply transfers of the money that had been raised in the secondary offering, the complaint alleges. The conspirators allegedly went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers.
The conspirators allegedly:
• Created fictitious operating companies that Company A purportedly acquired in sham acquisitions;
• Falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Company A’s revenue streams;
• Generated fake income streams and phony customers of Company A and its subsidiaries; and
• Made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others.The defendants’ alleged actions caused the private investment firm and others to value Company A at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take the company private.
The alleged scheme was uncovered around September 2017, when the conspirators resigned from their positions with Company A or were terminated. On March 16, Company A and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme.
The United States filed a criminal complaint against Parmar, Zaharis and Chivukula on May 16 for their alleged roles in the scheme. Zaharis and Chivukula currently are fugitives. The United States also filed a separate civil complaint on the same date seeking forfeiture of four properties that Parmar owns or controls, including a house in Colt’s Neck and three apartments in New York City. Separately, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint on May 16 against Parmar, Zaharis and Chivukula.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office provided assistance in the investigation.The case is being prosecuted by Chief Paul A. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Money Laundering Unit and Trial Attorney Leslie Lehnert of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defense counsel: Alex Spiro Esq., New York
Former CEO at Long Island Mortgage Lender Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for $8.9 Million FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Matthew T. Voss, formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Long Island mortgage lender Vanguard Funding, LLC (Vanguard), was sentenced by United States District Judge Sandra J. Feuerstein to 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years’ supervised release. The amount of restitution will be ordered by the Court at a later date. In February 2018, Voss pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud in connection with the diversion of more than $8.9 million of warehouse loans that Vanguard had fraudulently obtained purportedly to fund home mortgages and mortgage refinancing.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Maria T. Vullo, Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), announced the sentence.
“With today’s sentence, Matthew Voss has been held accountable for using his extensive knowledge of the mortgage industry to deceive banks that trusted and relied upon him as a business partner and divert money for his personal use,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who commit fraud to advance their own financial interests at the expense of businesses and residents of our community.”
“A compromised banking system threatens economic stability and the safety of the mortgage industry, which puts communities and the American institution of homeownership at risk,” stated FBI Assistant-Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Thanks to the dedicated work of our law enforcement partners, today’s sentence proves that those who use their expertise to deceive others for their own financial gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“As New York’s financial services regulator, DFS is proud to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to hold this defendant accountable for his actions,” stated DFS Superintendent Vullo. “DFS will continue to combat fraud and bring criminals to justice in order to safeguard the industry and protect consumers.”
Between August 2015 and March 2017, Voss and his co-conspirators at Vanguard engaged in a scheme whereby they obtained more than $8.9 million in short-term loans, referred to as warehouse loans, by falsely representing that the loan proceeds would fund specific mortgages, or refinance specific mortgages, for Vanguard clients. Instead, Voss and his co-conspirators diverted the funds to pay personal expenses and compensation, and to pay off loans they had previously obtained through false loan applications.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitman G.S. Knapp and Elizabeth Losey Macchiaverna are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MATTHEW T. VOSS
Age: 43
Northport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-027 (SJF)
Former Barry County Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Traveling to Tennessee for Illicit Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Barry County, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for traveling from Missouri to Tennessee to engage in an illicit sexual relationship with a 15-year-old victim, who became pregnant and bore his child.
Michael Douglas Peterson, 35, of Morristown, Tenn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, to 17 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 25, 2018, Peterson pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Peterson admitted that he moved from Missouri to Tennessee in June 2014 because the child victim, who was then 15 years old, moved to Tennessee. Peterson lived with the child victim and her mother and helped to pay for rent and groceries. Peterson engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the child victim, who became pregnant and gave birth to their child on Feb. 26, 2015.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Ford County Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of Multiple ChildrenRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A 78-year-old Ford County, Ill., man, Toetim Cizmar, of Cabery, has been ordered to serve consecutive sentences that total 140 years in prison for sexual exploitation of multiple children. On Dec. 7, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow ordered Cizmar to serve four consecutive 30-year sentences for sexual exploitation of a child followed by a 20-year sentence for possession of child pornography.
On June 23, 2017, Cizmar entered pleas of guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a child, involving three different children, aged three to six-years-old, from January through March 2014. Cizmar engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the children to produce visual depictions of the conduct. Cizmar also pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography images at the time of his arrest, in December 2016. Cizmar has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
According to court documents, Cizmar presented himself to friends and family as a “humble” and “kind” elderly man and “loving” father. The government argued, however, that the evidence showed Cizmar’s private personae is “a manipulative pedophile, who consumes children for his own sexual pleasure.” The government argued for a life sentence stating that Cizmar groomed young children and their parents by presenting himself as a man of faith who dedicated his life to being an educator and gaining unfettered access to their young children. The government argued that Cizmar directed the children’s games “toward his perverted sexual desires” and based on his lack of remorse, there is reason to believe that Cizmar will never be rehabilitated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Florida man sentenced for fraud charges involving gas station skimmersRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Yarai Fuentes Quinones, of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced today to 36 months incarceration for his involvement with a gas station skimming fraud scheme, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Quinones, age 27, pled guilty today to one count of “Access Device Fraud-Use of Unauthorized Access Device” in June 2018.
He admitted to his role in a conspiracy spanning four states that involved using skimming devices at gas pumps, using technology to upload the account information, and creating fraudulent cards with said accounts to make unauthorized transactions at different businesses in West Virginia and elsewhere.
Quinones was also ordered to pay $61,844.66 in restitution.
The United States was granted forfeiture of the following:
a. approximately thirty-three (33) gift cards containing an unknown value;
b. approximately $72,495.73 in United States Currency;
c. approximately $28,498.00 worth of Western Union money orders;
d. approximately $10,300.00 worth of MoneyGram money orders;
e. one magnetic stripe card reader-writer-encoder
f. two laptops
g. six cell phonesAssistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, West Virginia State Police, and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Florida Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Role in Mail Fraud Scheme That Victimized SeniorsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Florida sentenced Eugene Marotta, 49, to 46 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for his role in a mail fraud scheme that victimized seniors and other vulnerable victims, the Department of Justice announced today. The court also ordered restitution to victims. Marotta is due to surrender to authorities to begin his sentence on Jan. 28, 2019.
The sentence imposed by United States District Judge Beth Bloom follows a guilty plea on Sept. 24, 2018, in which Marotta admitted that he participated in a mail fraud scheme that deceived thousands of victims into sending money to claim a falsely promised $350,000 prize. The mailings sent to victims purportedly were from a business called Art Masters LLC, d/b/a Palm Beach Liquidation Gallery (PBLG). Marotta was the registrant of PBLG, a shell company, and was responsible for receiving payments from victims and handling other administrative responsibilities for the scheme. In his plea, Marotta admitted that victims had in fact won no prizes and never received anything for their submitted money. The scheme caused more than $1,000,000 in victim losses. At sentencing, Judge Bloom noted that Marotta and his co-conspirators targeted the elderly and vulnerable.
“The Department of Justice will pursue those who defraud Americans through false promises and fraudulent schemes,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Schemes like this often target the elderly and vulnerable, and shutting them down remains a top priority for the Department.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years,” said Criminal Investigations Group Inspector in Charge Delany De Leon-Colon. “Deceptive solicitations take advantage of the American public with promises of large prizes, when in reality, the scammers are the only ones winning. Investigations like this one let the American public know that Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect them and ensure their confidence in the U.S. Mail.”
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, The Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past February the Department announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 200 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
Trial Attorney Ehren Reynolds of the department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted this case. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Fitzgerald man Pleads Guilty to Selling MethRead the Press Release
Albany – A Fitzgerald man, just released from prison after serving ten years for manslaughter, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in Albany federal court Monday, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Billy Ray Stafford, 37, of Fitzgerald, Georgia entered a guilty plea before The Honorable Leslie J. Abrams on December 10, 2018. The offense carries a maximum possible sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. A sentencing date has not yet been set in the case.
According to the plea agreement, investigators with the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office received information from a Confidential Informant (CI) about Mr. Stafford selling methamphetamine and marijuana from The Garden Inn Motel in Fitzgerald. On February 9, 2018, the CI purchased $50 worth of methamphetamine from Mr. Stafford inside a Garden Inn motel room. Later that day, agents executed a search warrant for that same room. Mr. Stafford exited the room in possession of a bag he attempted to hide in some brush outside the motel, which was caught on motel surveillance video. Agents recovered the bag and found about $3300 cash, including money given to the CI for the earlier buy, and multiple bags of meth and marijuana. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic chemist tested the meth to weigh 25.9 grams and contain 71.5% pure methamphetamine.
Later Mr. Stafford told investigators, in a video-recorded statement, that he had recently been released from prison after serving ten years on a manslaughter conviction. He said working conditions at his former employer were bad, and the pay was low, so he quit to make money selling meth.
“Our citizens expect people to make an honest living. Trying to make quick money selling meth on our streets goes against the values of our citizens,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “This kind of illegal drug trafficking is costing our communities too much, with people paying the ultimate price with their lives. We pledge to stand with our law enforcement colleagues within the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office and across the state as we continue to fight illegal meth distribution.”
This case was investigated by the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Supplying Unqualified Armed Guards to IRS’s Fresno FacilitiesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Scott T. Carlton, 49, of Visalia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the government and making a false statement, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, the IRS’s Fresno campus is a national center for processing federal tax returns. Carlton was an employee of E&A Protective Services, which had the government contract to supply 24-hour-a-day armed security guards to the IRS’s Fresno campus. When it became apparent that many of the guards could not achieve the firearms shooting score required under the contract, Carlton conspired to falsify scores and supply unqualified guards to the IRS facilities. Over a three-year period, E&A was paid over $2 million on fraudulent invoices submitted to the IRS for security guards who were not qualified to work under that contract.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
Two co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty. Matthew L. Cocola, 47, of Clovis, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2016, to making a false statement and was sentenced to a term of probation. Robert J. Bejarano, 49, of Kingsburg, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2018, to conspiracy and making a false statement and is scheduled to be sentenced May 6, 2019.
Carlton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 25, 2019. Carlton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making a false statement. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Three-Count Indictment on Former Memphis Police Officer and co-conspirator for Criminal Civil Rights Violations, Including Robbery and KidnappingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On December 6, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted a formerMemphis Police Officer, Sam Blue, and co-conspirator, Anthony Davis, on federal criminal civil rights violations which include the violent crimes of robbery and kidnapping. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.
As charged in Count 1 of the indictment, from January 2014 to July 13, 2018, officer Sam Blue and Anthony Davis conspired to deprive persons of civil rights under color of law by injuring, oppressing, threatening, and intimidating them. The civil rights violations included taking property from persons suspected to be in possession of narcotics or drug proceeds by using force, violence, and intimidation, thereby committing robbery and kidnapping.
Prior to the planned robberies, officer Blue would provide his civilian co-conspirators with targeting information of the victims, as well as police equipment, including an official MPD badge, and a car dashboard blue light to use during the planned robberies so that they could falsely appear to be law enforcement officers.
In Count 2, Blue and Davis are charged with knowingly conspiring with each other during the same time period to unlawfully obstruct, delay and affect commerce and the movement of articles and commodities by robbery and threatened physical violence to other persons, in furtherance of plan and purpose to commit robbery. Under federal law, it is illegal to interfere with interstate commerce by unlawfully taking property belonging to another by physical violence, under color of official right.
In Count 3, Blue and Davis are charged with depriving an individual of his civil rights by kidnapping. On July 13, 2018, Blue and Davis, along with other individuals posing as law enforcement kidnapped the victim, demanding to know the whereabouts of drugs or drug proceeds.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "A very low percentage of law enforcement officers engage in official misconduct and corruption, but when they do, it tarnishes the entire criminal justice system and damages the trust and confidence of citizens in proper police authority. When police officers use their badges to violate and oppress civil rights by robbery and kidnapping, it is our duty to expose their corruption, hold them accountable, and protect society from their violence and dishonesty. This indictment and significant potential sentences will hopefully deter other corrupt police behavior, restore the public’s faith in honest officers, and send a strong message that nobody is above the law."
"Law enforcement corruption undermines the public trust and can threaten the overall safety of our community," said M.A. Myers, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "These indictments show that we will target those who abuse their authority and through their actions tarnish the reputation of the vast number of law enforcement officers who execute their duties with integrity and in the best interests of the public on a daily basis."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Tarnished Badge Task Force.
If convicted on count 1, the defendants each face up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death and a $250,000 fine; on count 2, the defendants each face not more than 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine; and on count 3, the defendants each face up to life imprisonment or may be sentenced to death and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Doctor for Allegedly Approving Medically Unnecessary Tests Billed to MedicareRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a physician on fraud charges for allegedly approving medically unnecessary diagnostic tests that were billed to Medicare.
While working for Chicago-based Grand Medical Clinic Inc., DR. OMAR GARCIA prescribed and authorized ultrasounds, percutaneous allergen tests and nerve transmission tests for numerous Medicare beneficiaries, knowing that the in-home tests were not medically necessary. In some instances, Dr. Garcia approved the tests after they had already been completed, the indictment states. Dr. Garcia and others submitted or caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for payment of the unnecessary tests, the indictment states.
The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges Dr. Garcia, 51, of Ocala, Fla., and formerly of Illinois, with six counts of health care fraud. Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; and Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Chahn Lee.
The indictment alleges that Dr. Garcia’s fraud scheme began in 2011 and continued until 2015. Dr. Garcia and others submitted the fraudulent bills from multiple medical entities in an attempt to reduce the volume of billing by any single company and minimize scrutiny from Medicare, the indictment states. After the entities received payments from Medicare, Dr. Garcia was paid via checks reflecting his percentage of the payments, the indictment alleges.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count in the indictment is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the December 2018 Federal Grand Jury.
The Grand Jury returned seven unsealed indictments, including charges against three men in three separate cases who tried to injure or kill deputies or federal agents, said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
James Kent Patrick Hill, 57, of Claremore, and Brian Kirk Marshall, 49, of Pattonsburg, Missouri, both are charged, in part, with obstruction of justice by attempting to kill deputies or federal agents. Additionally, Gary Dewayne Miller, 44, of Vinita, is charged, in part, with tampering with a law enforcement officer by physical force or threat.
“Close collaborative relationships among prosecutors and local, state, and federal law enforcement are key to fighting crime and making communities safer for the people of Oklahoma and throughout our nation. Criminals attempting to injure or kill a member of law enforcement will be prosecuted and brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The men and women of law enforcement face threats, both expected and unexpected, at a moment’s notice and still choose to wear the uniform. I am thankful for their service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma supports their work and will do our part to hold those criminals accountable who harm our vital law enforcement partners.”
The defendants’ charges are listed below followed by the other December indictments. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
James Kent Patrick Hill. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Alprazolam and Diazepam with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill a Witness; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Hill faces multiple charges for possession with intent to distribute drugs, including methamphetamine, marijuana, alprazolam, and diazepam. He is further charged with possessing firearms to further his crimes and with being a felon in possession of 10 firearms, including shotguns, rifles and pistols and more than 1,000 rounds of associated ammunition. Finally, Hill is charged possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and with attempting to kill a Rogers County Sheriff’s deputy, while trying to escape from law enforcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Verdigris Police Department and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark R. Morgan is prosecuting the case.
Brian Kirk Marshall. Assaulting Federal Officers; Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill Witnesses; Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition After a Conviction for a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence. Marshall is charged with forcibly assaulting FBI agents while they were executing a search warrant of a Kansas, Oklahoma, residence; carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of third degree domestic assault in Missouri in 2008. An additional charge of obstruction of justice by attempting to kill FBI agents was added to the original charges that were filed in November.
The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Gary Dewayne Miller. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Tampering With a Witness by Physical Force or Threat; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Miller is charged with being a felon in possession of a Ruger, Model P89DAO, 9mm semi-automatic pistol and associated ammunition, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and tampering with a witness by threat of force. Sheriff’s deputies were called to Miller’s residence after shots were fired during a domestic dispute. Miller previously left the residence but returned while deputies were there. When the deputies tried to make an arrest, Miller allegedly fled in his SUV. Miller allegedly brandished a firearm at the deputies, rammed their police cruiser with his own vehicle, and then escaped on foot. He ran back to his home where he barricaded himself with others inside the residence. He was eventually arrested.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Oklahoma Highway Patrol SWAT Team are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A.S. Régal is prosecuting the case.
December Indictments Continued:
Marcos Gomez-Garcia. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Reentry of Removed Alien. Marcos Gomez-Garcia, 37, of Bartlesville, is charged with being an alien knowingly possessing a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P 15-22, .22 semi-automatic rifle. He is also charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on June 20, 2009, at Nogales, Arizona. The weapon was discovered during a traffic stop, where Gomez-Garcia allegedly said he planned to use the weapon to harm someone who had assaulted him earlier that day. The Dewey Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies.
Gary Robert Lee, Christopher R. Parks, and Jerry May Keepers. Conspiracy to Offer or Pay Health Care Kickbacks; Soliciting or Receiving Health Care Kickback; Conspiring to Commit Health Care Fraud. Dr. Gary Robert Lee, 58, and Christopher R. Parks, 57, both of the Tulsa area, are charged with conspiring to pay health care kickbacks to physicians. The two men allegedly bribed physicians to write unnecessary prescriptions for expensive compounded drugs to be submitted to pharmacies the two were affiliated with, including OK Compounding LLC in Skiatook; One Stop RX LLC in Tulsa; and NBJ Pharmacy LLC and Airport McKay Pharmacy, both in Houston. The two then allegedly submitted large claims for payment to federal health care programs and private insurers and divided the profits. Dr. Jerry May Keepers, 65, of Kingwood, Texas, licensed in Oklahoma and Texas, is also named in the indictment. Keepers is charged with receiving kickbacks in exchange for writing prescriptions for compounded drugs, often receiving up to $25,000 per month, and submitting them to pharmacies affiliated with Lee and Parks. All three men are all charged with conspiracy to defraud government health care insurance programs, including Medicare, TRICARE, and the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General are the investigative agencies.
Timmy Edward Pinkley. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Timmy Edward Pinkley, 43, of Grove is charged with being a felon in possession of a Hi-Point, Model CF380, .380 Auto caliber pistol and associated ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.
Gregorio Sanchez-Hernandez. Reentry of Removed Alien. Gregario Sanchez-Hernandez, 43, is charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported Jan. 29, 2014, at Del Rio, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency.
Father and Son Members of Nineties Crew Gang in Brooklyn Convicted of Racketeering and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Following eight days of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn today returned guilty verdicts against Tammeco Cargill and his father, Winston Cargill, convicting them of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, including predicate acts of distribution and possession of marijuana and passport fraud. When sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie, Tammeco Cargill and Winston Cargill each face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ray P. Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdicts.
“Nineties Crew members Tammeco Cargill and his father Winston Cargill have been held to account for the drug crimes inflicted on their neighborhood,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “I commend our prosecutors, the DEA Special Agents and the NYPD detectives for their outstanding work in this case.”
“This trial demonstrated the scope of the Cargills’ drug operation and this conviction is a testament to the diligent work by U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNY and the DEA’s New York Division, Group D-22,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan.
Winston Cargill and Tammeco Cargill were long-standing members of the Nineties Crew, a Brooklyn-based street gang that between January 2003 and December 2014 operated as a criminal enterprise in the Flatbush and Canarsie neighborhoods of Brooklyn. The gang engaged in marijuana trafficking, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars, operating numerous stash houses and using firearms. Winston Cargill and Tammeco Cargill also fraudulently procured United States passports in order to travel back and forth from Jamaica as part of their criminal scheme.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Hiral Mehta and Ryan Harris are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
TAMMECO CARGILL
Age: 36
Brooklyn, New YorkWINSTON CARGILL (also known as “Pops”)
Age: 56
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-330 (RJD)
Elkins woman admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Sydney Marie Calain, of Elkins, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Calain, age 20, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Calain admitted to distributing methamphetamine in June 2017 in Randolph County.
Calain faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.Elkhart Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Julio Sanchez, 48 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Sanchez was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Mr. Sanchez was being investigated by the Indiana State Police (ISP) for methamphetamine dealing. When the ISP determined that Mr. Sanchez was staying at a South Bend hotel, they conducted surveillance on the hotel. They had a warrant for his arrest on other charges. When he arrived on January 3, 2018, ISP arrested Sanchez and later obtained search warrants for his car and hotel room. Officers found approximately 1.1 grams of heroin and approximately 15 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine. Along with this heroin and methamphetamine, Sanchez also had over $1000 in cash, some pills, and smoking pipes and a loaded 9mm handgun in his car. Sanchez had previously been convicted of at least one prior felony, including criminal mischief in 2006 in the St. Joseph County Superior Court in Indiana.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Trafficking in FentanylRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Trenton A. Shell, 24, of Detroit, was sentenced Friday, to 60 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In April 2018, detectives with the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant at Shell’s Lexington residence, locating 49 grams of a fentanyl. Detectives also located ten grams of fentanyl concealed in Shell’s clothing. On August 31, 2018, Shell entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute the fentanyl.
Under federal law, Shell 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 four years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The DEA and the Lexington Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cynthia T. Rieker.
Crips Gang Member Charged with Attempted Murder of an On-Duty FBI AgentRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Ronell Watson with attempting to murder a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent and with using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A separate criminal complaint was also filed today charging Molissa Gangapersad with making false statements to the FBI. At their initial appearances this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione, Watson was ordered detained and Gangapersad was released on a $500,000 bond.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“Watson showed an utter disregard for human life when he fired multiple shots without provocation at an on-duty FBI Special Agent,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Despite sustaining a serious gunshot wound, the agent courageously returned fire, hitting Watson, which ultimately led to the defendant’s capture when he sought medical treatment. Gangapersad will be prosecuted for lying to federal agents after she witnessed her boyfriend’s cold-blooded attack. The shooting on Saturday should serve as a reminder to all about the danger members of law enforcement face in the course of performing their duties and the debt of gratitude they are owed for putting their lives on the line to protect the community from violent criminals.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI and the New York City Police Department for its assistance during the investigation and thanked the skilled medical professionals who treated the agent.
“The unprovoked assault of a law enforcement officer is a grievous crime that threatens the safety and security of our communities. As alleged, Watson demonstrated callous disregard for life when he targeted and then deliberately opened fire on a fellow citizen. In this instance, that citizen was an FBI Special Agent who fought back. Today’s charges demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will identify and apprehend anyone and everyone who participated in this violent attack – whether you are the person who pulled the trigger or helped cover up after the fact. We will pursue every possible investigative lead and legal charge to ensure justice is served,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “I also wanted to personally thank our fellow citizens who called 911 in order to get aid dispatched for our agent, and we are very appreciative of the talented medical team who worked on him. The FBI New York office is tremendously grateful for the superb NYPD response out in Brooklyn, where our agent was treated like one of their own, and for the swift and decisive action by EDNY to bring charges in this case. Thank you for your professionalism and partnership.”
As alleged in the complaints and other court documents, on December 8, 2018, an FBI Special Agent was on-duty and parked in an unmarked car on Canarsie Road, a one way street, in Brooklyn. Watson, a member of the Crips street gang, drove his vehicle the wrong way on Canarsie Road and partially blocked the agent’s car. Watson approached the driver side door of the agent’s car with one hand inside the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. As the agent maneuvered his car around Watson’s vehicle, Watson pulled out a gun and began firing at the agent as he drove away. The agent was hit in the torso by one bullet. The agent then exited his car, drew his firearm and fired at Watson striking him in the hand. Watson fled the scene in his car and drove to a nearby auto body shop where he left the vehicle. Watson then sought treatment for his wounds at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center where he falsely claimed that he had been a bystander victim of a gunfight between other individuals. Law enforcement officers at the hospital then overheard the defendant telephone a female, believed to be Gangapersad, and tell her to go to the house and “get the jewelry and get rid of it.”
Law enforcement officers responded to Watson’s and Gangapersad’s shared residence. Gangapersad agreed to a voluntary interview and falsely told FBI agents that she had not seen the shooting. After being confronted with surveillance video showing that she was on her front porch during the shooting and in a position to observe it, Gangapersad admitted that she had witnessed the incident. Members of law enforcement searched the residence and found approximately 1.5 pounds of marijuana, $15,000 in cash and a large amount of jewelry in the defendants’ bedroom. Both defendants were arrested that evening.
The charges in the complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Watson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment. If convicted of lying to the FBI, Gangapersad faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Francisco J. Navarro is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
Ronell Watson
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-MJ-1191
Molissa Gangapersad
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-MJ-1192
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that on December 6, 2018, 36 year old Beau Croghan was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 110 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. A jury found the Croghan guilty of Receipt of Child Pornography on August 22, 2018.
Operation Pacifier was an investigation conducted by the FBI into Playpen, a website on The Onion Router (TOR) hosted as hidden service. Playpen operated as a message-board type website where registered users would distribute and share images and videos of child pornography. Croghan registered with Playpen on September 27, 2014, and Croghan was actively logged into Playpen for over 13 hours between September 27, 2014, and March 4, 2015.
This matter was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that on December 6, 2018, 39 year-old Brian Reed was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 105 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On January 27, 2017, law enforcement officers were called to a residence in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a complaint about a man threatening people with a gun. A search of the residence revealed a loaded 9mm handgun in the kitchen. 9mm ammunition was later recovered during the execution of a search warrant at the same residence on August 28, 2017. Reed was a convicted felon and drug user at the time he possessed the ammunition. Reed pled guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition on May 24, 2018.
This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the Fourth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Cleveland man sentenced to more than 12 years for drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Walter Rogers, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 151 months incarceration for cocaine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Rogers, age 27, pled guilty to three counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base” in September 2018. Rogers admitted to selling cocaine in Marshall County in August 2017 and April 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr., presided.
California Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Distributing 120 Grams of Fentanyl in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Macrino Emanuel Delatorre, 38, of Chico, Calif., pled guilty today to distributing 120 grams of fentanyl in Northeast Washington announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Delatorre pled guilty before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to an indictment charging unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Moss then sentenced him to a mandatory five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Delatorre may face additional charges in California.
As part of his plea agreement, Delatorre took responsibility for the sale of 120 grams of fentanyl for $6,700 in February 2018 on Market Street NE. Unbeknownst to Delatorre, he was the subject of an undercover investigation. The substance that he sold was subsequently analyzed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and confirmed to be fentanyl.
Delatorre was not immediately arrested because he was expected to return to the District of Columbia approximately six days later, with multiple additional kilograms of narcotics. On June 5, 2018, agents of the FBI and local law enforcement officers arrested Delatorre in California, and executed a search warrant at his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, the FBI agents recovered approximately 500 grams of black-tar heroin.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle and Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Schurmann and Anthony Scarpelli, who prosecuted the case.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Donald Hennings, 32, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, butyryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that on three separate occasions in September and October 2016, the Hamburg Police Department conducted three separate controlled purchases of butyryl fentanyl from the defendant. In addition, in October and November 2016, Hamburg Police conducted six controlled purchases of furanyl fentanyl from Hennings.
On December 7, 2016, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence on Southside Parkway in Buffalo. Officers recovered quantities of furanyl fentanyl and crack cocaine, multiple grinders, a digital scale, and blue envelopes and rubber bands commonly used to package controlled substances. Hennings was arrested inside a 2012 Chevy Traverse vehicle, which he used during several of the controlled purchases. In the door panel on the driver’s side, where the defendant was sitting, officers found an additional quantity of furanyl fentanyl.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory Wickett, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for March, 25, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Brewer Woman Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Crack Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Lynda Johnson, 30, of Brewer, Maine, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and heroin and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to court records, on April 18, 2018, the defendant was found in possession of crack and heroin, a .380 caliber pistol and about $6,300 in cash following a car stop by police. An ensuing search of her Brewer residence let to the seizure of a .22 caliber derringer, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. A second search of her vehicle led to the seizure of crack and heroin that had not been discovered during the initial search of the vehicle. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as the result of felony drug and aggravated assault convictions in Maine.
On the drug charge, the defendant faces between 10 years and life, an $8,000,000 fine, and between eight years and life on supervised release. On the gun charge, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the U.S Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Brewer Police Department, with assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the prosecution. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Bradford County Man Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A resident of Towanda, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
John David Martin, 61, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Martin possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2019. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Martin on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Erie County Detectives Bureau conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Martin.