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Friday 7 December 2018
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Hubert Carter, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Carter was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On June 7, 2018, Carter pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carter admitted he was in possession of a loaded Cobra Arms .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun at the time of his arrest on Feb. 21, 2017.
Carter was a passenger on that date in a vehicle that was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers. Carter fled from the vehicle on foot and a police officer pursued him. During the foot chase, Carter refused to stop and continually held onto the front of his waistband. He lost his balance and fell down as he ran down a hill. Carter dropped the handgun as he fell. At the bottom of the hill, the officer grabbed Carter, who attempted to punch the officer. Carter was eventually subdued and arrested.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carter three prior felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for escape from a federal correctional institution, and prior felony convictions for trafficking and distribution of crack cocaine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, 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.
Jury Finds Former SunTrust Bank Employee Guilty of Stealing Nearly $172,000 from A Bank CustomerRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Reginald Green, II (36, Orlando) guilty of five counts of theft or embezzlement by a bank employee. Green faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 22, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between 2011 and 2018, Green, a SunTrust Bank employee, stole more than $171,000 from a bank customer. Green withdrew more funds then the bank client had authorized, he then directed the extra funds into several different bank accounts that he controlled. At different times during the scheme, Green took the stolen funds to pay down his own mortgage and auto loans. Upon discovering the theft, in April 2018, SunTrust immediately fired Green and reimbursed the bank customer for the stolen funds.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sean P. Shecter and Kara Wick.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned this week before U.S. Magistrate judges and indictments handed down by the Grand Jury were unsealed. Indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston on Dec. 4 in Great Falls and pleading not guilty was:
MICHELE WOODS, 50, of Great Falls, on charges of theft from a program receiving federal funding. If convicted of the most serious charge, Woods faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 18-94.
Appearing on Dec. 6 and pleading not guilty was:
ELY MASON SCOTT WILLIAMS, 20, of Great Falls, on charges of receipt of firearm by person while under indictment. If convicted of the most serious charge, Williams faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Great Falls Police Department. Pacer case reference. 18-88.
SHEVYN EUGENE MARSHALL, 35, of Belt, on charges of conspiracy to distribute explosives without a license and possession of stolen explosives. If convicted of the most serious charge, Marshall faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Russell Country Drug Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-90.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan on Dec. 4 in Billings and pleading not guilty was:
ANGEL ALBERT ALVARADO, 50, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted of the most serious charge, Alvarado faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 18-121.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indictment Charges Three City of Miami Police Department Officers with Federal Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Jorge R. Colina, Chief of the City of Miami Police Department (MPD), today announced the indictment of City of Miami Police Officers Schonton Harris, Kelvin Harris, and James Archibald for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Schonton Harris, Kelvin Harris and Archibald were charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; and attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. If convicted of the conspiracy and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine charges, the defendants each face life in prison and a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The indictment alleges that from August 2018 to approximately October 23, 2018, Officers Schonton Harris, Kelvin Harris and James Archibald were involved in a scheme to possess with intent to distribute cocaine (Count 1). On September 13,, 2018, Officers Schonton Harris and Kelvin Harris are alleged to have attempted to possess 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute it (Count 2). Also, on September 28 and October 11, 2018, Officers Schonton Harris, Kelvin Harris and James Archibald allegedly attempted to possess with the intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine (Counts 3 and 4).
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commends the investigative efforts of the FBI, the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and MPD in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry Wallace and Jessica Obenauf.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Illegal Alien and Three-Time Felon Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Mexican man who has resided off and on in the United States for over 15 years was sentenced today to 2 1/2 years in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation and subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction.
According to court documents, Oscar Perez-Rangel, 42, was convicted in 2003 of felony attempted robbery and use of a firearm in Fairfax County Circuit Court. In 2011, Perez-Rangel was convicted in Ohio of felony illegal reentry. In the instant offense he was detained in April 2017 in Fairfax County on unrelated state felony charges. ICE took the defendant into custody in July. Perez-Rangel will again be deported following the completion of his prison sentence.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Reed and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-300.
Hollywood-based Craigslist Drug Dealer Named in Federal Criminal Case Alleging Fentanyl Sale that Resulted in a Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood man who allegedly sold fentanyl to buyers he met on Craigslist was indicted today on federal charges of selling the powerful synthetic opioid to a customer who suffered a fatal overdose.
Andrew Madi, 25, was charged by a federal grand jury with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. If convicted, Madi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to court documents filed in this case, Madi is an opioid dealer who used the Craigslist website to sell fentanyl to the victim on July 3, 2018. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more powerful than heroin.
Forensic review of the victim’s cellular telephone that his family provided to federal law enforcement showed that the victim contacted a narcotics dealer – who was later identified as Madi – after viewing a Craigslist post that Madi had created advertising the sale of “roofing tar,” which is code for black-tar heroin. The victim then communicated via text messages with Madi, court documents state, during which Madi allegedly said he was out of “roofing tar,” but had some “China white” that carried a money-back guarantee if the victim did not like the drugs.
Madi met with the victim at a shopping complex in West Hollywood, where he had .65 grams of “China white” ready for the victim, according to a criminal complaint filed last week.
Hours later, Madi allegedly contacted the victim via text message and asked how the victim was doing, to which the victim responded that the drug was “pretty powerful,” and noted that “this white does the job that’s for sure.” Madi allegedly gave the victim a tip on how to smoke the China white. The forensic review of the victim’s telephone showed that the victim did not purchase drugs from any other dealers prior to his death, court papers state.
On July 6, the victim’s father discovered the victim dead in his apartment. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office investigation concluded that the victim died of a fentanyl overdose. Coroner’s investigators also found in the victim’s bedroom a smoking instrument that bore fentanyl residue and a baggie that contained .32 grams of fentanyl.
Law enforcement officials investigating the case later discovered that the “roofing tar” Craigslist advertisement was linked to Madi, and identified other Craigslist posts dating to at least March 2018 in which Madi advertised the sale of fentanyl, heroin and Xanax, according to the complaint.
Madi was arrested pursuant to the criminal complaint on December 3. At his initial court appearance that day, he was ordered held without bond by a United States Magistrate Judge.
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.
Madi’s arraignment is scheduled for December 21.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Barron of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Hobart Man Charged in Criminal Complaint with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine and Possessing Firearms as a FelonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Carlos Rodriguez, 41, of Hobart, Indiana, was charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine and possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “When individuals promote the illegal use of drugs in our communities, those criminals will be held accountable for their actions. We will continue to partner with our Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute these crimes that seek to destroy our communities."
The criminal complaint alleges that on December 4, 2018, the FBI executed a search warrant on Rodriguez’s vehicles and Hobart residence. Rodriguez was arrested and approximately 130 gross grams of heroin and 330 gross grams of cocaine were recovered during the search. In addition, ten firearms, including two firearms with obliterated serial numbers, were recovered. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior federal felony conviction for distribution of narcotics in the Northern District of Indiana and his prior felony conviction for manufacturing / delivery of cocaine in Illinois.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Gang Response Investigative Team, the ATF and the Hobart Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
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Henderson Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, Chief United States District Judge Terrence J. Boyle sentenced Kyle Victor Fisher, 29, of Henderson to 42 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Fisher pled guilty to the Indictment, charging one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, on August 22, 2018.
On November 30, 2017, law enforcement received a report that FISHER had violated a protective order by going to the Henderson, North Carolina, apartment of his former girlfriend. The woman reported that FISHER pointed a silver revolver at her while verbally threatening to shoot her.
Later the same day, Officers of the Oxford Police Department were able to locate and arrest FISHER at a hotel in Oxford where his current girlfriend was employed. FISHER had been driving his girlfriend’s car, and she gave officers permission to search the vehicle. In it officers found a small amount of marijuana and a .38 caliber revolver matching that described in the earlier assault. The firearm was loaded and had an obliterated serial number.
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. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted 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.
That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Oxford Police Department and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Pugh prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Jared Ortega-Peguero, 26, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on Thursday to participating in a conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a drug trafficking organization that authorities allege was led by Sergio Martinez, employed the defendant to sell fentanyl to customers from various New England States, including New Hampshire. On each day that the defendant worked, the Martinez organization provided him with at least one 200-gram bag of fentanyl and expected him to sell it and return approximately $6,000 in proceeds. On numerous days, Ortega-Peguero sold at least one 200-gram bag of fentanyl.
Ortega-Peguero is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2018. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life, a fine up to 10 million dollars and a term of supervised release of at least five years and as much as life.
Thirty-three additional defendants have been charged in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
“Fentanyl trafficking has caused tremendous damage in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we will continue to work closely with the entire law enforcement community to stop the flow of this deadly drug in our state. It is imperative that we dismantle the criminal organizations that profit from the sale of illegal substances.”
This investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Seth R. Aframe.
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Hartsville Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Unlawfully Possessing 24 FirearmsRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Joseph Leslie Griggs, 52, of Hartsville, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court in Florence to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on June 28, 2017, deputies with the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Griggs’ residence in Hartsville, South Carolina. During the execution of the search warrant, deputies recovered 24 firearms, some of which were stolen. Federal law prohibits Griggs from possessing firearms based on his prior state conviction for Grand Larceny.
Griggs faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Griggs after receiving and reviewing a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The charges against Griggs were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office is prosecuting the case.
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Hampshire County man indicted for Clean Water Act violationsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Peer, of Springfield, West Virginia, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Wheeling for violating permits and discharging untreated sewage from his sewage treatment plant, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Peer, age 55, was the owner of Mountainaire Village Utility, LLC, a sewage water treatment plant serving the residents of Mountainaire Village near Ridgeley, West Virginia. Peer owned and operated this business from early 2008 to July 2016. From 2014 to 2016, Peer is accused of failing to maintain the treatment plant, resulting in untreated and undertreated sewage being discharged into the North Branch of the Potomac River, violating the Clean Water Act and his permit. Peer is accused of falsely reporting quarterly testing on the wastewater from the plant, and of continuing to charge customers for the treatment of their sewage despite the services not being provided.
Peer is charged with one count of “Knowing Violation of Permit Conditions,” five counts of “Knowing Discharges of Pollutants in Violation of Permit,” one count of “Knowing Discharge of a Pollutant Without a Permit ,” six counts of “False Statements on Discharge Monitoring Reports,” and one count of “Mail Fraud.”
“Violating environmental laws often does long term damage to our environment and risks the health of the people in our communities. Such violations must be prosecuted and those responsible held accountable,” said Powell.
“EPA’s sewage treatment regulations are designed to protect both humans and wildlife,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in West Virginia. “EPA will work with its law enforcement partners to pursue those who falsify data and disregard laws that are critical to protecting clean water and public health.”
Peer faces not more than 3 years; not less than $5,000 (if a fine is imposed) and not more than $50,000 per day of violation; or $250,000; or twice the amount of gain or loss; for the first count. He faces up to two years incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000 for each of the discharge counts, and faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the mail fraud count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel, with the Southern District of West Virginia U.S. Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environment Protection investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Green Bay Man Sentenced for Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl, Resulting in One Death and Two OverdosesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on December 3, 2018, David L. Shanks Jr. (age 37), was sentenced to multiple life terms of imprisonment by Chief District Judge William C. Griesbach. In September, Shanks was convicted by a jury in Green Bay of conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(b)(1)(A). At the time of this conspiracy, Shanks was on federal supervision for a prior felony drug conviction. Shanks also had been convicted in 2000 of a felony drug charge in Dane County, Wisconsin. As a result of these prior convictions, Shanks received a mandatory life term of imprisonment as required by federal law.
Judge Griesbach also imposed life prison terms on three other counts. One count involved the distribution of heroin/fentanyl/methamphetamine resulting in death, while the other counts involved the distribution of heroin/fentanyl resulting in substantial bodily injury to two overdose victims. Judge Griesbach also imposed 30-year terms of imprisonment on two counts of distribution of methamphetamine to confidential informants. These counts were all in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A).
The trial evidence established that between August and October of 2017, Shanks was the leader of a conspiracy involved in the daily sale of heroin, laced with fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Shanks’ sale of heroin/fentanyl resulted in the overdose death of one individual on September 10, 2017. Shanks also was responsible for the sale of heroin/fentanyl that resulted in the overdose of two other individuals on September 22, 2017. Fortunately, paramedics and law enforcement provided lifesaving assistance to both individuals. Cooperating witnesses testified that Shanks was responsible for distributing large quantities of heroin and meth in the greater Green Bay and Iron Mountain, Michigan, area. Witnesses described seeing Shanks with baseball sized quantities of heroin and $5,000 stacks of money, which were proceeds from drug sales.
The following agencies participated in the investigation: Brown County Drug Task Force; Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration, Green Bay Field Office; Green Bay Police Department; and Green Bay Fire Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Roach and Zachary Corey.
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Grape Street Crips Member Involved in Attempted Murder and Double Murder Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison as Part of RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that included a double murder, a separate attempted murder, and conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ahmad Manley, a/k/a “Fresh,” a/k/a “Moddy G,” 32, was convicted at trial of eight counts in a sixth superseding indictment, including RICO conspiracy, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and using firearms during crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes. The jury returned the verdict on the fourth day of deliberations following a two-month trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Manley was charged in November 2016 in a 22-count indictment charging 14 members and associates with seven murders, numerous attempted murders, and numerous other violent and drug trafficking crimes committed as part of the racketeering conspiracy. Thirteen of the 14 defendants charged in the indictment have been convicted and one is awaiting trial.
Another 66 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation, and all have been convicted.
According to the documents filed in this case and other cases and the evidence presented at trial:
Acting on the orders Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” the leader of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, Manley and other gang-members targeted Almalik Anderson, the gang’s chief rival, for violence after Anderson had refused to pay Hamlet’s extortion demands.
In October 2013, Hamlet met with Anderson at the Short Hills mall to discuss the dispute between the two men. After the Short Hills meeting, Hamlet used a social media account to post a report from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office purportedly indicating that Anderson had provided a statement to law enforcement. Just three days after Hamlet’s social media post, Manley and other gang members – acting on Hamlet’s orders – repeatedly shot and nearly killed Anderson and Saidah Goines, who was inside Anderson’s car.
After the attempt to kill Anderson failed, Hamlet ordered the murder of Maurice Green, the younger brother of Almalik Anderson. On March 3, 2014, Hamlet and Manley pulled up to a car being driven by Green and two other individuals. Although Hamlet aimed a firearm at Green and the car’s other occupants, Green pulled off before any shots were fired. A short time later, however, Manley found Green, and a car chase ensued. The chase ended when Green’s car crashed into other vehicles at the busy intersection of Irvine Turner Boulevard and Spruce Street in Newark, and Manley and others fired numerous shots in the direction of Green’s vehicle. Green was shot, and Wesley Childs, a passenger in Green’s car, was killed. Velma Cuttino, an innocent bystander who was a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the crash, was shot and killed.
In addition to orchestrating these acts of violence, Manley conspired with other gang members to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson with the investigation. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations against the defendant who is awaiting trial are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
Ghanian National Who Swallowed Heroin to Distribute in the United States Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ghanian national, Kukua Fosu, age 49, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, Fosu swallowed plastic pellets containing at least 100 grams of heroin, then flew from Accra, Ghana to the United States, checking into a hotel in Beltsville, Maryland on March 8, 2018, for a four-night stay. While at the hotel, Fosu sold some of the pellets for cash. After Fosu did not respond to hotel staff on her scheduled check-out date, Fosu was found unresponsive in her room by Prince George’s County Police and Prince George’s County Fire Department personnel and transported to a local hospital.
Between March 12 and 22, 2018, medical staff observed two plastic bags in Fosu’s stool that contained an unknown substance. An x-ray was taken by hospital staff and four oblong objects were discovered in Fosu’s stomach and anal areas. Fosu was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she had emergency surgery to remove the objects, which were confirmed to be four pellets containing heroin. A subsequent search of Fosu’s hotel room recovered five additional pellets, which lab results confirmed also contained heroin.
Fosu faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for each of the two charges—conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HSI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who is prosecuting the case.
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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Jamaican Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Georgia man pleaded guilty in federal district court in Boston today in connection with his role in a bogus advance fee Jamaican lottery scheme in which victims were defrauded of more than $1 million.
Peter Anthony Chin Jr., 34, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2019.
From 2012 to 2017, Chin was part of a scheme which targeted elderly individuals throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. The victms were informed via phone, email and mail that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery, but that they had to pay the taxes on their purported winnings before the funds could be released. Chin’s co-conspirators directed the victims to mail or wire funds to Chin or to his associates. Chin kept a portion of the funds for himself and then distributed the rest as directed by his co-conspirators, including sending significant amounts to Jamaica. The victims suffered losses of almost $1.4 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; David W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Former Treasurer of Putnam Engine & Hose Co. of the Port Chester Volunteer Fire Department Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $38,000Read the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller, and George P. Beach II, Superintendent of the New York State Police, announced today the arrest and guilty plea of ROBERT GERARDI, the former treasurer of the Putnam Engine & Hose Co. No. 2 (“Putnam Engine and Hose”), a unit of the Port Chester Volunteer Fire Department, for embezzlement of more than $38,000 from Putnam Engine and Hose. GERARDI was arraigned on Monday in White Plains federal court and pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. This case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: Robert Gerardi was entrusted to oversee the finances of a unit of a volunteer fire company. Gerardi betrayed that trust and lined his own pockets with money meant to be used in furtherance of protecting life and property.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Those who serve the public should be held to a higher standard of integrity and accountability. Gerardi violated his most basic duty when he decided to use the funds entrusted to his care to cover his own financial losses. The FBI and our state and local partners will continue to investigate and bring to justice public servants who abuse public trust.”
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said: “Former treasurer Robert Gerardi allegedly fell for an online scam and stole nearly $40,000 to pay for it, violating his duty to the public and to his fellow firefighters. This case illustrates the need for vigilant oversight of anyone in charge of public funds. I thank U.S. Attorney Berman, the FBI, and the New York State Police for their partnership in this case.”
NYSP Superintendent George P. Beach II said: “I want to commend our Troopers along with our state and federal partners for their outstanding work in this case. This investigation revealed that Robert Gerardi violated the public trust when he used his authority to steal funds that were meant to benefit the community. We have zero tolerance for those who abuse their position for their own personal gain.”
According to the Information filed against GERARDI and statements made in related court filings and proceedings, including during the plea proceeding:
GERARDI was elected to the position of treasurer of Putnam Engine & Hose in or about October 2016. GERARDI was given signatory authority over bank accounts held by Putnam Engine & Hose at that time.
From in or about November 2016 to in or about May 2017, GERARDI embezzled money from Putnam Engine & Hose by making withdrawals from its bank accounts and by charging personal expenses to its debit card. GERARDI embezzled $38,236.99 from Putnam Engine & Hose through approximately 28 fraudulent transactions. GERARDI told the president of Putnam Engine & Hose that the missing funds had been stolen from the bank accounts.
GERARDI, 62, of Port Chester, New York, pled guilty to one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentence will be determined by the court. GERARDI is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Román on March 8, 2019.
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Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, New York State Comptroller, and New York State Police.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney James McMahon is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Owner of Sleep Study Businesses Sentenced for FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Sterling woman was sentenced today to 7 years in prison for health care fraud and tax charges for operating a fraudulent sleep study clinic in Northern Virginia.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Young Yi, 44, a citizen of South Korea, defrauded Medicare, Tricare, private insurance, and the IRS of more than $10 million during the conspiracy. Yi formed the primary entities she used to commit the crimes, 1st Class Sleep Diagnostic Center and 1st Class Medical, in 2005. Using those and other entities, Yi directed her employees to solicit patients who had been referred to her clinic for legitimate sleep studies for supplemental but medically unnecessary studies. To conceal the scheme, Yi instructed employees not to send the results of the fraudulent studies to the patients’ doctors, lied to patients by telling them they did not have to pay copays or coinsurance, and cross-billed using her different entities both to conceal the repetition from the insurance companies and to get out-of-network payments for in-network services. Yi also used the original referring doctors’ names and identifying information on health insurance claims without their permission, the evidence showed.
In addition to the medically unnecessary sleep studies performed on patients who had been referred by doctors to 1st Class Sleep Diagnostic Center, Yi also encouraged her own employees to have sleep studies that were then billed to insurance, the evidence showed. Those included claims charged in the indictment for three employees who did not have sleep apnea but nonetheless received at least 27 sleep studies between them in less than three years. The employees received payments for undergoing the sleep studies, and in some instances, the employees were organized into teams for “races” to see who could refer the greatest number of friends and family members for the fraudulent studies.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Yi used her business bank accounts to purchase personal luxury goods and real estate that she nonetheless booked as business expenses. Those falsely booked purchases included a $25,000 Rolex watch, $10,500 in mink coats, several luxury vehicles, and a $1.1 million home in Sterling. Yi also used the proceeds of her crimes to purchase five condominiums worth more than $2.8 million in McLean, Chicago, and Honolulu, Hawaii. After law enforcement searched the 1st Class premises in February 2014, Yi formed a purported charity, the “New Covenant Foundation,” and transferred millions of dollars in office properties into the foundation to protect them from recovery from law enforcement. United States District Judge Liam O’Grady ordered that the properties be turned over to the United States as part of Yi’s sentence, and her advisory Guidelines range was enhanced for obstructing justice related to that conduct.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office, Thomas W. South, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigation for the Office of Personnel Management, Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement after sentencing by Judge O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine L. Wong and Ryan S. Faulconer, and Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-224.
Former Maryland Physician Agrees to Pay $400,000 to the United States to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Billing for Psychotherapy ServicesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – M. Wagdi Attia, M.D., a physician who until April 1, 2018 had a medical practice in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has agreed to pay the United States $400,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2013 through May 31, 2017, Dr. Attia fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for services not rendered.
The settlement agreement was announced today by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The United States contends that during the period January 1, 2013 through May 31, 2017, Dr. Attia billed Medicare for psychotherapy services that were not rendered. Specifically, the allegation is that Dr. Attia billed Medicare and Medicaid for psychotherapy services that require certain documented amounts of face-to-face service with the patient, even though Dr. Attia’s time-stamped medical records reflected less than the required amount of time. The United States also contends that Dr. Attia’s medical records failed to reflect the provision of all elements of the psychotherapy service required, and that the use of repetitive, common language from chart to chart raised questions about the nature and extent of the services actually provided.
According to the settlement agreement, Dr. Attia has retired from the practice of medicine, has allowed his medical license to expire, has allowed his Medicare and Medicaid billing privileges to lapse, and has no intention of renewing his license or Medicare/Medicaid billing privileges.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Dr. Attia, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorney Allen Loucks, who handled this case.
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Former Greensburg, Kentucky Attorney Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Clients to Pay Gambling LossesRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Campbellsville, Kentucky, man, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Greg N. Stivers on Friday, to five counts of wire fraud as part of a scheme to obtain money from clients of his legal practice, by means of misappropriating funds, in order to pay personal expenses including gambling losses, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Danny Butler, 72, was indicted on November 15, 2017. According to the indictment, Butler was an attorney licensed with the Kentucky Bar Association who was authorized to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He operated a legal practice in Greensburg, located in Green County, Kentucky, and provided clients with a broad range of legal services including probate, general civil, and government benefits.
According to the plea agreement before the Court, from August 2009 through October 2016, Butler obtained money by false pretenses from the clients of his legal practice by not performing work for his clients and by stealing funds belonging to estates of his clients.
Butler misappropriated funds from the following clients:
- Approximately $148,106 from the estate of L.A.;
- Approximately $29,987.07 from the estate of L.P.;
- Approximately $401,500 from the representation of B.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the representation of D.M.;
- Approximately $50,000 from the estate of D.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the representation of J.R.B.;
- Approximately $90,000 from the estate of E.U.;
- Approximately $25,000 from the estate of E.M.;
- Approximately $59,000 from the representation of J.W.S.;
- Approximately $25,000 for the representation of E.S.; and
- Approximately $125,000 from the estate of L.P.M.
Butler could be sentenced to a maximum 100 years in prison, fined $1,250,000, and be required to serve a three year period of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2019.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Calhoun, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Kentucky State Police.
Former Fund Manager Sentenced to Prison for Fraud and Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
An Eagle River, Wisconsin man, who resided in San Francisco, California, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Tuesday December 4, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Robert Seeborg in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Alex G. Tse.
According to court documents, in December 2017, Burrill, 74, pleaded guilty to investment adviser fraud and filing a false 2010 individual income tax return that failed to report millions of dollars. Burrill was the owner and CEO of Burrill Capital, LLC and a number of related entities. Through these entities, he managed investment funds, including Burrill Life Sciences Capital Fund III, L.P. (the Fund), an investment fund focused on the life sciences industry. The Fund was comprised of total committed capital of approximately $283 million. To accomplish his scheme, Burrill caused the Fund to transfer millions of dollars in advance management fees to companies he controlled, although Burrill knew that he was not permitted to draw such advance fees. Burrill then filed a false federal income tax return that did not report millions in fees that he had illegally diverted.
Marc Berger, Burrill’s accountant, was convicted at trial of assisting Burrill with filing a false income tax return. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and United States Attorney Alex G. Tse commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation and FBI, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Leach and Trial Attorney Lori A. Hendrickson, Tax Division, who prosecuted the case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Tse also thanked the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which provided assistance in this matter.
Former Attorney Receives Thirty-Three Months for Embezzling Money from his ClientRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Chief United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced David Hudgens, 66, a resident of Daphne, Alabama, to imprisonment for thirty three months for committing wire fraud. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Hudgens undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, undergo credit restrictions, receive a mental health evaluation, and pay restitution totaling $624,686.70 to the victim in the case.
According to documents filed with the court as part of his guilty plea and testimony from Friday’s sentencing hearing, Hudgens was a lawyer in Baldwin County, Alabama who previously represented an individual identified in court documents as B.W. From around 2012 to around November 2016, Hudgens willfully and knowingly executed a scheme to defraud B.W. and achieve personal financial gain by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, knowing at the time that the pretenses, representations, and promises were false.
In 2012, B.W. retained Hudgens to represent her in legal matters and act as a custodian of B.W.’s business funds. Hudgens maintained these funds in two Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) on B.W.’s behalf. IOLTA accounts are bank accounts managed by lawyers who hold money received from a client to help fund the legal representation. As part of his scheme to defraud, Hudgens misappropriated B.W.’s funds held in the IOLTA accounts for his own personal use. He did so without B.W.’s permission and made material misrepresentations to B.W. and others in the process. At various times during his scheme, Hudgens made unauthorized wire transfers of funds belonging to B.W. and transmitted wire communications in interstate commerce.
On April 13, 2018, Hudgens was charged with one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. On April 25, 2018, Hudgens pleaded guilty before Chief Judge DuBose to the charge. As a result of his criminal conduct, Hudgens has been disbarred from the practice of law in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. State jurisdictions commonly have strict rules in place that govern the management of IOLTA accounts.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.Former Anchorage Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Mitchell Zong, 45, a former Anchorage resident, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 30 months in federal prison, and to pay a fine of $10,000, for conspiracy to commit money laundering with his father, Kenneth Zong.
As determined by the court, the government’s investigation revealed that between Sept. 8, 2013, and April 4, 2014, Mitchell Zong conspired with his father, Kenneth Zong, to commit money laundering violations in excess of $10,000. The money was the proceeds of a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iranian Transaction and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR). At sentencing, the Court found that Mitchell Zong laundered approximately $980,000 of Iranian derived funds in Anchorage, Alaska, knowing the funds came from his father’s illegal transactions with Iranian nationals.
In connection with this case, Mitchell Zong’s father, Kenneth Zong, has been under indictment in the District of Alaska for 47 violations of IEEPA, Providing Unlawful Services to the Government of Iran, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Money Laundering. Three unnamed Iranian nationals are referenced in the indictment as unindicted Iranian co-conspirators. Kenneth Zong is currently in custody in the Republic of South Korea for violations of Korean tax law, and after being convicted in 2015 for fraud related crimes connected to the IEEPA investigations.
Mitchell Zong and other members of his family were ordered to forfeit to the United States approximately $10 million in assets, which were purchased with funds traceable to Kenneth Zong’s 2011 IEEPA activity in Seoul, South Korea. In addition to the foregoing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint in July 2018 seeking to seize $20 million currently held in a sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates. These funds, which are also traceable to Kenneth Zong’s illegal activity with three Iranian Nationals in South Korea, were part of a down payment made by Kenneth Zong’s Iranian co-conspirators for the purchase of a Sheraton Hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia. The forfeiture case against those funds remains pending.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated Mitchell Zong’s crimes, leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Steven E. Skrocki and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas M. Walker.
Fentanyl Trafficker Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Angel Luis Concepcion-Rosario, 48, of Reading, PA was convicted today by a jury of one count of possession with intent to distribute, and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid. The sentencing hearing is scheduled on April 4, 2019 before the Honorable Joseph F. Leeson, Jr.
In December 2016, DEA initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and in April 2017, a federal district judge authorized the first of multiple wiretaps targeting certain individuals’ phones. On June 16, 2017, phone interceptions revealed that an individual was going to supply a quantity of drugs to the defendant. On June 17, 2017, DEA agents observed the drug transaction between the individual and the defendant. After a traffic stop, the defendant was found to have approximately 199 grams of fentanyl in his vehicle and was arrested.
“Fentanyl’s high potency and unpredictable effects continue to lead to victims overdosing and dying in record numbers in this country,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “A very small amount of fentanyl can be lethal. We are glad that the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police acted swiftly in this matter to take this harmful drug off the street, and we are thankful that the jury held the defendant accountable for his crime.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kishan Nair.
Felon Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A felon who was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm that was discovered during a traffic stop was sentenced to 75 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
In August, a jury convicted Omar Qazi, 31, of Las Vegas, of felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Qazi to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the three-day jury trial, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer stopped Qazi for a traffic violation near East Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane. During the search of his vehicle, the officer found a loaded Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Qazi, who represented himself, has a prior felony conviction in Nevada for battery with substantial bodily harm and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm. As a pro se defendant, Qazi filed over 100 motions before the case was brought to trial.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Michael and Patrick Burns prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice 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 Department 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 Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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Federal Jury Convicts Sudbury Man for Flying Without A Valid Pilot’s LicenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Angelo Efthimiatos, 49, of Sudbury, Vermont, was convicted yesterday of flying an airplane without a valid pilot’s license following a two-day jury trial. Mr. Efthimiatos faces up to two years of incarceration on the charge.
According to the indictment in the case and information presented at trial, just after midnight on April 10, 2018, Efthimiatos landed a small plane at the Rutland Regional Airport in North Clarendon, Vermont. The flight originated in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Efthimiatos was intercepted by federal agents at the airport and was arrested. At the time of his arrest in Vermont, Efthimiatos was on supervised release in the Southern District of Iowa for a prior conviction for transporting 50 kilograms or more of marijuana by plane. He served 57 months in prison for that offense. His airman’s certificate, at issue in the Vermont case, was revoked as of July 1, 2014 following his Iowa conviction. He has been detained since his arrest on April 10, 2018.
Sentencing in the case will be scheduled.
The United States Attorney’s Office recognized the excellent work of Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General to support the investigation and trial. The FAA also provided extensive support during the case.
At trial, the government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Cate and Eugenia Cowles. Mr. Efthimiatos was represented by Craig S. Nolan, Esq. of Sheehey, Furlong, and Behm, P.C.
Federal Jury Convicts Greenville Man of Conspiracy to MurderRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Brian Lewis, 24, of Greenville, South Carolina, was convicted in federal court in Anderson of conspiracy to murder a trial witness of the State of South Carolina, conspiracy to assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to possess firearms during the commission of a violent crime.
Evidence presented at trial established that Lewis was the South Carolina leader for a street gang. The gang was an ongoing criminal enterprise in South Carolina, with leadership throughout the country that engaged in racketeering activities including attempted murder, armed robbery, and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and crack cocaine.
Lewis conspired with fellow members of the street gang in Greenville County and Florence, South Carolina, to attempt to murder a witness in a state trial. That witness was the victim of an armed robbery previously committed by Lewis. Lewis commissioned at least four other street gang members to murder the anticipated witness in order to avoid a lengthy sentence for that crime. Law enforcement, however, was able to intercept the conspiracy before any attempt on the witness’s life was accomplished.
Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson presided over the trial and will sentence Lewis after receiving and reviewing a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy. Assistant United States Attorneys D. Josev Brewer and Sloan Ellis of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Felon from Latta for Possession of a Firearm and Fentanyl, Among Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Quintin La Prix Davis of Latta, South Carolina, was convicted by a federal jury for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime after a two-day trial in Florence. The 12-person jury unanimously found Davis guilty of all charges after a short, 30-minute deliberation.
Evidence presented at trial showed that at approximately 3:43 a.m. on March 21, 2018, a deputy with the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office attempted to perform a traffic stop after noticing Davis erratically driving on Highway 301. Davis continued driving, however, then sped up and attempted to elude law enforcement by making multiple turns before pulling into a parking lot and trying to escape on foot. After a brief foot chase, Davis was detained and walked back to the patrol car.
During an initial pat down of Davis, law enforcement found three bags of opioids – including Fentanyl, the dangerous drug responsible for the recent deaths of musicians Prince and Tom Petty – and $509 in US currency. A search of Davis’s vehicle revealed a stolen Ruger, model SR40c, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, located within arm’s reach of the driver’s seat. The semi-automatic pistol was loaded to capacity with nine rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, including one in the chamber.
Federal law prohibits Davis from possessing a firearm and ammunition based on his numerous state felony convictions, including: assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, strong arm robbery, four counts of distribution of cocaine base (commonly referred to as “crack cocaine”), and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
Davis faces a possible sentence of 30 years to life in federal prison based on his prior criminal record. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis presided over the trial and will sentence Davis after receiving and reviewing a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Holloway and Everett McMillian of the Florence Office prosecuted the case.
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Eureka Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Dealing Drugs with FirearmsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Judson Allen Stiglich was sentenced in federal court today to 120 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge.
Stiglich, 36, of Eureka, pleaded guilty to the charges on June 22, 2018. According to his plea agreement, Stiglich admitted that on December 7, 2017, he possessed nearly a half-pound of methamphetamine and a loaded gun. On that day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his home and found over 200 grams of 100% pure ice methamphetamine; Stiglich acknowledged that he intended to sell the drugs. During the search of his residence, law enforcement officers also found $2409 in cash and drug distribution paraphernalia, including a digital scale with methamphetamine residue. Stiglich acknowledged he knowingly possessed all the items and further admitted that in the weeks leading up to December 7, 2017, he sent text messages from his phone both to set up drug transactions and to discuss his debt to a drug supplier.
Further, according to his plea agreement, Stiglich admitted he possessed a .357 revolver loaded with four rounds of ammunition to further his drug dealing. Stiglich admitted that among the reasons he possessed the weapon were to protect himself, his drugs, and his money.
On March 1, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Stiglich charging him with one count each of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B); possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Stiglich pleaded guilty to the first two charges.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Illston ordered Stiglich to serve a 4-year term of supervised release. Stiglich has been in custody since his arrest on December 7, 2017, and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi T. Narayan is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kimberly Richardson. The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Humboldt County Drug Task Force.
Epsom Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - David Frediani, 28, of Epsom, was sentenced to 150 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation began when the defendant sold fentanyl to a cooperating individual. In September of 2017, police executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and found four firearms, ammunition, over 511 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $24,000. Because of a prior felony conviction, Frediani is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The defendant previously pleaded guilty on January 18, 2018.
“Drug trafficking and firearms are a potentially deadly combination,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Drug traffickers who possess firearms should understand that they will be prosecuted aggressively. I am grateful to the State Police for the work, which removed a substantial quantity of fentanyl and four firearms from the streets.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana Konesky.
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Doctor Agrees to Resolve Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dr. Robert Ettlinger, age 63, a primary care doctor formerly practicing in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $45,000 to settle allegations that he violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by prescribing schedule II opioid controlled substance medications, which were issued for no legitimate medical purpose.
According to the investigation by the DEA, Dr. Ettlinger wrote 185 opioid prescriptions to six of his patients between 2013 and 2015, which were issued with no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of his professional practice, resulting in civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Dr. Ettlinger cooperated with the DEA’s investigation.
The settlement of the case resolves the matter without the filing of litigation. The settlement is neither an admission of liability by Dr. Ettlinger nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
As part of the settlement, Dr. Ettlinger entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA under which he agreed to comply with heightened compliance requirements for prescribing controlled substances.
This case was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, DEA, and Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Enforcement & Investigations. This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Swauger for the United States Attorney’s Office.
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District Man Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Escaping from Halfway House in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Dalton, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 17 months in prison after pleading guilty to escaping from a halfway house in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.
Dalton pled guilty to the escape charge in September 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Dec. 7, 2018, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Dalton was among four defendants to be sentenced within the past two weeks as a result of ongoing efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest violent offenders who escape from halfway houses. The other defendants received sentences ranging from seven to 33 months in prison.
In 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service requested the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to increase the number of investigations, prosecutions, and dispositions of escape cases from the Hope Village Halfway House in Southeast Washington. The escapees were under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and were afforded an opportunity to complete the final portion of their sentences at halfway houses to assist in their reentry to the community. To date, the effort has led to more than 20 felony convictions of defendants who failed to report or absconded from the Hope Village Halfway House.
According to court filings, Dalton was released to report to Hope Village to serve the remainder of an 18-month sentence from a 2017 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for unlawful possession of a firearm. He began serving that sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Hazelton, West Virginia. On June 14, 2018, he was furloughed to serve the remainder of his sentence at Hope Village. However, once furloughed, Dalton never reported to Hope Village. According to court documents, Dalton was re-arrested in Prince George’s County, Md., on July 25, 2018, on theft charges.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Aziz of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
Dickson Attorney Charged with Stealing $1.3 Million from Clients and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – December 7, 2018 –Jackie Lynn Garton, 54, of Dickson, Tennessee, was charged yesterday with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax fraud related to a years-long scheme during which he stole over $1.3 million from his clients and law partners, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A criminal information filed earlier this week charged Garton, an attorney who specialized in probate law, with stealing over $1.3 million through a scheme that began in 2009 and continued until 2017, while Garton was a practicing attorney in Dickson, Tennessee. Of the total funds stolen, Garton, under the auspices of acting as a trustee, removed over $1.1 million from the trust of a minor whose father, a Tennessee State Trooper, was killed in the line of duty.
According to the charging document, Garton carried out the scheme by withdrawing funds from clients’ accounts without their permission and depositing the stolen funds into his personal bank accounts. Garton used the identification of at least one victim to carry out his scheme of defrauding his clients. Garton used the stolen funds for his own personal use and concealed portions of his income from his law partners and the IRS, intending to defraud the IRS of over $350,000.
If convicted, Garton faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge, up to three years on the tax fraud charge and an additional mandatory two-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft charge. Additionally, he faces a $250,000 fine on each count and will be required to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Beth Myers and Kathryn Booth.
The charges are merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Defendants sentenced for $3.5 million sweepstakes scam targeting the elderlyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Silvia Sanchez Valverde, Rodolfo Orozco Aguilar, Daniel Sibaja, Priscilla Sibaja, and Elpelice Figueroa Rosales have been sentenced for their roles in a sweepstakes scam that targeted elderly individuals located throughout the United States.
“These defendants targeted and bilked dozens of vulnerable elderly victims out of $3.5 million,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Lottery and sweepstakes scams are one of the most common consumer frauds, with the majority of financial losses being suffered by the elderly. Citizens always should be wary of those requesting upfront money for supposed lottery or sweepstakes winnings.”
“This case makes clear that transnational scammers who believe they can avoid accountability for their crimes by transferring ill-gotten proceeds outside the country are mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Nick S. Annan. “An international border is no defense for those who defraud senior citizens, and HSI is committed to using its cross-border authority to investigate and hold such persons accountable. We’re appreciative of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to successfully prosecute this case and will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to identify and stop financial crimes targeting vulnerable populations.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: From February 2016 through September 2017, dozens of victims - most of whom were elderly - were contacted by telephone and told that they had won a sweepstakes or lottery. However, the victims were told that they could receive their sweepstakes winnings only after paying various expenses, such as taxes and fees. The victims were then directed to pay the expenses to various companies controlled by the defendants, such as J.G. Services, RF Financial Services, and Master Builders. The victims then mailed payments via personal and cashier’s checks to addresses that were linked to mailboxes rented by the defendants. The defendants deposited the checks, totaling over $3.5 million, into their bank accounts and then transferred the majority of the funds to Costa Rican bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Silvia Sanchez Valverde, 47, of Buford, Georgia was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Sanchez Valverde was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud on August 27, 2018, after she pleaded guilty.
- Rodolfo Orozco Aguilar, 44, of Costa Rica was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Orozco Aguilar was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud on August 23, 2018, after he pleaded guilty. He faces potential removal from the United States, as a result of his conviction.
- Daniel Sibaja, 28, of Buford, Georgia was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Daniel Sibaja was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud on August 27, 2018, after he pleaded guilty.
- Priscilla Sibaja, 21, of Buford, Georgia was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Priscilla Sibaja was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering on August 30, 2018, after she pleaded guilty. She faces potential removal from the United States, as a result of her conviction.
- Elpelice Figueroa Rosales, 62, of Buford, Georgia was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three year of supervised release. Figueroa Rosales was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud on August 24, 2018, after she pleaded guilty. She faces potential removal from the United States, as a result of her conviction.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Cassandra J. Schansman prosecuted the case.
The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative promotes investigations and prosecutions of financial scams targeting the elderly. For more information regarding the Elder Justice Initiative, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Dallas County Woman Receives Five Years Probation for Obtaining Opiods by FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Misty Danielle Combs Bailey, a 35 year old resident of Selma, Alabama was sentenced to five years of probation after being convicted of Obtaining Controlled Substances by Fraud.
On August 21, 2018, according to a factual statement Bailey signed in connection with her guilty plea, over a seven day period in February 2018, Bailey forged, or caused to be forged, 10 prescriptions made out to her as patient of a Selma area dentist and obtained quantities of hydrocodone and oxycodone. Bailey had access to the prescriptions as a patient of the dentist. On February 8, 2018, the dentist reported that one of his prescription pads had been stolen from his office. He stated that he believed that Bailey stole the prescription pad from his secretary’s desk. All prescriptions were presented to pharmacies located in the Selma, Alabama area. Bailey obtained approximately 125 hydrocodone tablets and approximately 80 oxycodone tablet during her week long fraudulent scheme.
Officers of the Selma, Alabama Police Department investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
D.C. Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
A Washington, D.C. resident pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and aggravated identity theft on December 4, 2018, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. The guilty plea arose from a scheme to file false tax returns in the names of unemployed individuals that fraudulently claimed refunds. Scutchings and her co-conspirators cashed or deposited more than $1 million in Treasury checks illegally obtained through the scheme.
According to court documents, Sheila Scutchings and her co-conspirators prepared false returns and then filed the returns in the names of co-conspirators and individuals in the community, whose names and Social Security numbers Scutchings and her co-conspirators obtained. Scutchings requested that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) send the fraudulent refunds to addresses that Scutchings and her co-conspirators controlled. Included among the addresses were Scutchings’s own address and those of members of her family. Scutchings and her co-conspirators then cashed the refund checks at check cashing businesses and deposited them in various bank accounts, including a bank account in Scutchings’s name. In total, more than $350,000 of fraudulently obtained tax refund checks were deposited in Scutchings’s bank account alone.
United States District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2019. Scutchings faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a mandatory two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of the Department of Treasury – Office of Inspector General and IRS – Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Thomas Koelbl and William Guappone, who prosecuted the case.
Cheswick Residents Charged in Bad Check SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Two residents of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of related to the theft of government property, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. One of the defendants is also charged with uttering and possessing false securities.
The six-count Indictment, returned on Dec. 4 and unsealed today, named Holly Lovasik, 31, and John Martell, 38, as defendants.
According to indictment presented to the court, from April 23, 2018 through June 11, 2018, Lovasik and Martell engaged in a scheme to purchase large quantities of stamps from post offices in western Pennsylvania using bad checks. Lovasik used checks in her own name linked to a bank account she knew was closed, and Martell used checks in the names of two individuals, which were falsely altered, completed and signed. The defendants later sold the stamps for cash.
For Holly Lovasik the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. For John Martell the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 45 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy Criswell Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Camden Man Admits Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man today admitted his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed crack cocaine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Davon Leak, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Leak admitted that he sold crack cocaine and fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, around the 1700 block of Filmore Street in Camden. Leak also admitted that he prepared and packaged drugs for sale. Ten members of the drug ring were initially arrested in June 2017 following a long-term investigation by the FBI, which utilized telephone wiretaps, surveillance, confidential informants, cooperating witnesses, more than 20 controlled drug purchases, a GPS vehicle tracker and four court-authorized search warrants. Members of the drug trafficking organization distributed crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin to users and resellers in and around Camden and to people cooperating with the FBI. The investigation ultimately led to the seizure of more than 300 grams of crack cocaine, quantities of fentanyl and heroin, a firearm, and drug paraphernalia. After the initial arrests, Leak was charged in March 2018.
The count to which Leak pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2019.
Five other defendants – Daron Suiter, 24, George Williams, 44, Latoya Whealton, a/k/a “Toya,” 34, and Rajai Gaines, a/k/a “Jigga,” 36, and Karim Johnson, a/k/a “Chicky” – have previously pleaded guilty. Suiter was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, to five years in prison. Johnson was sentenced on Nov. 27, 2018, to 10 years in prison. The other defendants are awaiting sentencing.
Drug and firearm charges remain pending in a second superseding indictment against five other defendants, including alleged leaders John Gunther, a/k/a “Critty,” 35; and Taleaf Gunther, a/k/a “Leafy” and “L,” 32; as well as alleged members William Roland, a/k/a “Chill,” 36; Mark Campbell, a/k/a “D” and “Diz,” 28; and Malcolm McCoy, 26.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the second superseding indictment are merely accusations, and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Teri Lodge Esq., Marlton, New Jersey
Blackfeet Tribe’s Head Start Program employees admit theft, fraud chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two employees who worked for the Blackfeet Tribe’s Head Start Program in Browning admitted in federal court on Thursday to stealing money through an overall scheme involving others in which an estimated $232,000 was fraudulently claimed as overtime pay, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., 44, of Browning, and Theresa Marie Calf Boss Ribs, 51, each pleaded guilty to theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding and to wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearings. Judge Morris set sentencing for both defendants for March 14. Both defendants are released.
Each defendant faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., also faces restitution and a money judgment of $33,496.46, which is the amount he received in overtime claims.
Theresa Calf Boss Ribs also faces restitution and a money judgment of $57,048.24, which is the amount she received in overtime claims.
If the case had proceeded to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
The Blackfeet Tribe operates the Head Start Program with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start provides early childhood education and other services for low-income children and their families.
During a 15-month period, starting in April 2013, the defendants and others falsely claimed 7,800 hours of overtime and received more than $232,000 in overtime pay from the Head Start program. When the fraud was uncovered, two different firms audited the Blackfeet Head Start program. Both audits questioned the overtime claims, identifying them as “beyond necessary and reasonable” and lacking any supporting documentation.
The Blackfeet Tribe did its own internal review, agreed it could not justify the overtime claims and repaid HHS $250,620.29 for disallowed costs and other expenses.
After an on-site review of the program by government authorities from Washington, D.C., the defendants along with others met in a conference room. Despite not actually working the hours, everyone present in the room agreed to continue claiming overtime.
Theresa Calf Boss Ribs, who was the Early Head Start manager and had other roles, and Patrick H. Calf Boss Ribs, Jr., who was the nutrition manager and payroll clerk, were in charge of monitoring the time cards. At the end of the pay period, individuals in the group would stop by to sign their time cards for the pay period. The time cards were already completed by the defendants and included false overtime hours.
Other Head Start workers told investigators they never saw Blackfeet Head Start personnel working late nights or on weekends. The program’s board chairman was unaware of the overtime claims, identified budget cuts that were necessary during the time period of the fraud and was unaware of any needs that would have justified the overtime claims by the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which is was investigated by the FBI and HHS.
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Birmingham-Area Businessman Sentenced to Four Years for Trying to Pay His $3.6 Million Tax Debt with Fictitious InstrumentRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Yesterday, Richard Lee Graham, 55, of Gardendale, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison for passing a fictitious instrument and obstructing the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman, of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman, with IRS-Criminal Investigation. In addition to four years in prison, Graham was sentenced to five years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
Graham was found guilty of the charges on September 11, 2018 by a federal jury. Evidence presented at his trial established that in 2014 he owed approximately $3.6 million in taxes, penalties, and interest for tax years 2006 to 2009. To collect that tax debt, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began seizing Graham’s properties. On July 11, 2014, Graham went to the Montgomery IRS Office with a fictitious “International Bill of Exchange” in the amount of $3.6 million, along with false supporting documents, in an attempt to pay his taxes. A short time later, Graham showed up at the Birmingham IRS Office with another fake instrument of the same type and amount and attempted to use it to settle his tax debt. He also had false documents mailed to an IRS employee in an attempt to prove the legitimacy of the phony check-like instrument. Graham had previously been convicted of willfully failing to file a tax return.
“Rather than pay his taxes like most Americans, Mr. Graham chose to try and defraud the IRS, as well as his fellow citizens, by tendering a fictitious, worthless instrument to satisfy his tax liability,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “This sentence should show those who choose to defraud and/or attempt to defraud the IRS that this office stands ready, willing and able to prosecute you to the fullest extent the law allows.”
“Graham thought he could be creative and try and cheat the tax system, and now he will spend time in prison,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “This sentencing should deter those taxpayers thinking about engaging in tax defier conduct. Those taxpayers should think twice about submitting fictitious information to the IRS because you will face the criminal consequences.”
U.S. Attorney Franklin commended agents of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation who investigated this case, and the Alabama Department of Revenue who provided assistance. Trial Attorney Michael C. Boteler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick of the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the case.
Belgian National Extradited to Boston for Scam Targeting Charities and Law FirmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Belgian national was extradited from Morocco to the United States yesterday to face charges for his role in an e-mail scam that used counterfeit cashier’s checks to defraud charities and law firms.
Aref Zokita Said, 36, of Belgium, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In April 2018, Said was arrested in Morocco and extradited to the United States, arriving in Boston last night. He was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today.
According to the indictment, beginning no later than August 2013, Said and his co-conspirators defrauded law firms and non-profits, including charities, by sending them fraudulent cashier’s checks and convincing them to wire money to members of the scheme, with the false assurance that the fake checks would cover the expense. Once the checks were discovered to be fraudulent, the victims’ bank accounts were debited, and the victims were left with thousands of dollars in losses, having unwittingly forwarded their own money to a member of the conspiracy.
The charging statutes provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the scam, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney and Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baltimore man admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Samuel Hogans, of Baltimore, Maryland, has admitted to heroin distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hogans, also known as Richard Hogans, also known as “Lex,” age 38, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin.” Hogans admitted to distributing heroin in October 2017 in Berkeley County.
Hogans 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.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.Baldwin County Man Receives 12 Month and a Day for Possession of a Firearm After FelonyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that James C. Hill, a 25 year old resident of Bay Minette, Alabama was sentenced to 12 months and one day after being convicted of possession of a firearm after conviction of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
According to a factual statement Hill signed in connection with his guilty plea, on May 21, 2018, Baldwin County deputies were investigating a complaint involving a domestic dispute. When deputies arrived on the scene, they saw Hill standing near a white vehicle and watched him bend down and drop a pistol on the ground. A citizen on the scene, told the deputies that Hill had the firearm in his pocket and as they approached he dropped it on the ground.
At that time, Hill had been convicted of a felony, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, on January 27, 2014, in the Circuit Court of Baldwin County, Alabama, case number CC-13-1196.
Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with officers of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Attorney Who Hid Money to Avoid Paying Restitution to Fraud Scheme Victims Receives 2 More Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIANE DALMY, 63, of Denver, Colorado, was resentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a securities fraud scheme, and for hiding money after her original sentencing proceeding earlier this year to avoid paying restitution to victims of the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January 2009 and July 2016, Dalmy used her position as an attorney to assist others in defrauding thousands of investors through a stock “pump and dump” scheme. During the scheme, Dalmy wrote, and permitted a co-conspirator to write in her name, fraudulent opinion letters that were used to unrestrict the co-conspirators’ stock so that the stock could be freely traded on the open market, without having to register the stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Dalmy also provided fraudulent “adequacy” letters that were intended to mislead investors who were making investment decisions. At times, she also provided co-conspirators with capital by advancing money, which belonged to other clients of her law practice, from her Lawyer Trust Account (“IOLTA”). Finally, Dalmy laundered approximately $825,000 in proceeds of the scheme through a bank account for a private company she helped incorporate, and her IOLTA.
As a result of the fraud scheme, more than 12,000 victim investors collectively lost nearly $19 million. Dalmy’s total gain from her participation in this conspiracy, and related legal work, was approximately $30,000.
On February 6, 2018, Dalmy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In March 2018, she provided the court with a financial affidavit that required her, under penalty of perjury, to disclose all of her financial resources. On May 15, 2018, Judge Meyer sentenced Dalmy to 36 months of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $2 million in restitution.
After her original sentencing and prior to her reporting to prison in June 2018, Dalmy attempted to hide approximately $47,000 in cash. The money had been omitted from her financial affidavit.
In July 2018, the government notified the court of Dalmy’s willful failure to pay restitution.
Judge Meyer ordered a resentencing hearing and, today, sentenced Dalmy to an additional 24 months of imprisonment, for a total sentence of 60 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Banking, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Hartford and Stamford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Avi M. Perry of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, who has been designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for this matter.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Daniel Nathaniel McCall (53, Sanford) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Due to his multiple felony convictions, McCall qualified for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2017, McCall was involved in a dispute with his then-girlfriend. The argument escalated and McCall went inside his home and retrieved a .38-caliber firearm. He then walked outside and discharged the firearm. Shortly thereafter, McCall was arrested by officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department. At the time, McCall had multiple prior felony convictions and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro J. Salicrup.
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.
Ambridge Crack Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years in prison and five years of supervised release on his conviction of violations of the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Matthew Smith, 53, of Ambridge, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, Smith conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, a Schedule II controlled substance, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cociane..
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution was part of a long-term investigation by the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force (GPSSTF), which targeted a large scale Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny Counties. The GPSSTF is comprised of dedicated law enforcement professionals from the Wilkinsburg Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the FBI.
This investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the other federal, state and local agencies involved, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Smith.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Heroin Trafficking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lawrence Marquez, 39, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for heroin trafficking and firearms charges.
Marquez pled guilty on Aug. 28, 2018 to one count of distribution of heroin and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He admitted that he possessed a firearm when he sold heroin on Feb. 23, 2017, in Albuquerque.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s commitment, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids and to establish new programs to provide services to victims of the opioid crisis.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Child Exploitation and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bentley Streett, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, child exploitation and child pornography charges.
According to court documents, Streett was arrested in Oct. 2014, by the FBI and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) on federal child exploitation charges. The investigation into Streett began in Oct. 2013, after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a tip to the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
During today’s proceedings, Streett pled guilty to interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of production of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct also known as child pornography, three counts of attempted production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
In entering the guilty plea, Streett admitted that between July 31, 2013, and Aug. 4, 2013, he traveled from Albuquerque to Sycamore, Ill., for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with a 14-year- old victim. Streett also admitted that from May 2013 through at least Feb. 2014, he attempted to persuade minors to produce child pornography and send the images to him and sent one of those minors different images of child pornography. Streett admitted that he saved multiple images of child pornography on his laptop.
At sentencing, Streett faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. Streett also will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the BCSO, the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
12 Ohio and West Virginia residents indicted for cocaine and heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Twelve people from Ohio and West Virginia are named in two indictments alleging a cocaine and heroin distribution operation that spanned both states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
The indictments include a total of 37 counts of cocaine and heroin sales in Ohio County, sometimes near playgrounds, and properties used as drug distribution houses. Those named in the indictments are:
• Diego L. Hansard, also known as “Rico,” age 32, of Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Kyuten J. Smith, also known as “Mitch,” age 27, of Columbus, Ohio
• Martenez Strong-Edmonson, Jr., also known as “Bo,” age 20, of Columbus, Ohio
• Andre Hager, also known as “Andyman,” age 46, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Brandon Suel, also known as “Cuz,” age 30, of Columbus, Ohio
• Joshua Ford, also known as “Fatboy,” age 29, of Columbus, Ohio
• Michael L. Forrest, Jr., also known as “Flip,” age 27, of Columbus, Ohio
• Thomas W. Seals, Jr., also known as “KB,” age 25, of Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Tajuan Smith, also known as “Poe,” age 19, of Canal Winchester, Ohio
• Tiffany Sells, age 37, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Michael J. Kennen, age 35, of Wheeling, West Virginia
• Amanda R. Kennen, age 35, of Wheeling, West VirginiaThe investigation was led by the Ohio County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department. Those assisting in the arrests are the United States Marshal Service; Marshall County Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department; and the Columbus, Ohio Police Department.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Thursday 6 December 2018
“Manche Boy Mafia” Member Convicted of 30 Counts of FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has found Reginald Lee Black, Jr. (26, Tampa) guilty of 30 counts of fraud, including 1 count of conspiracy, 27 counts of credit card fraud, and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. Black faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each credit card fraud count, and a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years in federal prison for the identity theft counts. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2019.
According to court documents, Black conspired with other members of the “Manche Boy Mafia” or “MBM” to buy stolen credit/debit card account numbers on the internet. Black and his conspirators used the stolen information to create counterfeit cards and then used the counterfeit cards to purchase gift cards and other merchandise, including flat-screen televisions, iPhones, and 22-inch rims.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
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.
Worcester Man Sentenced for Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, in connection with entering into six fraudulent marriages in order to evade immigration laws.
Peter Hicks, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to two years of probation. In September 2018, Hicks pleaded guilty to one count of marriage fraud. Hicks was arrested and charged in January 2018 and released on conditions following an initial appearance.
In 2014, federal law enforcement agents uncovered evidence that Hicks married six foreign national women from Sub-Saharan Africa between 2003 and 2013. Hicks filed for immigration benefits for four of his six wives.
During a routine interview as part of his application for benefits for a non-citizen spouse, Hicks admitted to marrying three of the women solely to obtain immigration benefits for them. During a second interview with immigration officials, Hicks admitted that he was paid to recruit people for fraudulent marriages. While being interviewed by federal agents on Jan. 8, 2015, Hicks admitted that he was involved in marriage fraud for approximately 13 years. He also said that he received payments to marry undocumented African women and to find willing United States citizens to marry illegal aliens for the purpose of allowing the women to establish legal status in the United States.
In addition, on at least one occasion, Hicks was still married to one spouse at the time of his marriage to another spouse. Hicks also fraudulently claimed on an immigration form submitted on behalf of one of his spouses, that he had only one former spouse and that he had only petitioned for immigration benefits for the one former spouse, when, in fact, Hicks had actually been married five times and submitted requests for immigration benefits for a number of his former spouses.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, District 1, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.