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Tuesday 27 November 2018
O.C. Income Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the IRS by Filing New Returns for Clients and Failing to Report His IncomeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A City of Orange tax return preparer has pleaded guilty in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the submission of fraudulent federal income tax returns for both himself and his clients.
Gilberto C. Gonzalez, 55, who operated under the name Gil Income Tax, pleaded guilty Monday before United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford to one count of tax evasion, two counts of passing forged United States Treasury checks, and one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization.
According to a plea agreement filed in this case, during the years 2010 through 2012, Gonzalez prepared and filed with the IRS income tax returns for clients. But, after the returns were filed and without his clients’ knowledge, Gonzalez prepared and filed amended income tax returns that claimed a tax refund. In those amended returns, Gonzalez used his own home or business address, which caused the United States Treasury to mail the refund checks directly to Gonzalez. After waiting for some period of time, Gonzalez fraudulently endorsed the refund checks and deposited them into one of 11 bank accounts that he controlled.
Over a five-year period that began in January 2010, approximately 1,258 federal and state tax refund checks – worth more than $2.3 million and payable to individuals other than Gonzalez – were deposited into Gonzalez-controlled accounts.
Most of Gonzalez’s clients were Spanish speakers who had grown up in Mexico, according to the plea agreement, in which Gonzalez admitted that most of his clients could not read their income tax returns and had trusted him to properly prepare their tax returns.
In addition to defrauding the IRS by filing the amended tax returns, Gonzalez failed to report this income on his individual tax returns. For the tax years 2010 through 2012, Gonzalez failed to report more than $1.3 million in income, which caused the IRS to suffer tax losses of approximately $457,207, according to the plea agreement.
During the course of his tax fraud scheme, Gonzalez attempted to unlawfully procure United States citizenship by making false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When he pleaded guilty, Gonzalez specifically admitted that he failed to disclose he had committed a crime by perpetrating his tax fraud scheme.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guilford on March 11, 2019, at which time he will face a statutory maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison.
As part of his plea agreement, Gonzalez also agreed that he owes the IRS restitution totaling $975,183. Additionally, Gonzalez has agreed to forfeit to the government his interest in his residence, which was purchased with $652,324 that was primarily money fraudulently obtained from the IRS.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Nutritional Supplement Marketer Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Monument, Colorado, man pled guilty today to one count of attempting to evade the payment of income taxes announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn for the District of Colorado.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, Craig Walcott operated a multi-level nutritional supplement marketing business and owned and leased residential real estate, while residing in Monument, Colorado. In April 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notified Walcott of an assessment of taxes and penalties for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 tax years of more than $450,000. After receiving this notice, Walcott took a series of steps to evade the payment of his tax liability. These steps included transferring properties to nominee entities, encumbering other properties with fictitious mortgages to conceal their equity, and filing false tax returns understating his income. Walcott also did not file income tax returns for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. As a result of his conduct, Walcott owes $628,733.00, which he has agreed to pay the IRS in restitution.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 25, 2019. Walcott faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Dunn commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros and Trial Attorney Lee Langston, who are prosecuting the case.
New York Woman and Charlton Woman Sentenced for Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York woman and Charlton woman were sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for their roles in an oxycodone trafficking conspiracy.
Amina Young, 40, of New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jennifer Toledo, 46, of Charlton, was sentenced by Judge Hillman to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first four months to be served in home confinement. Young and Toledo each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in June 2018 and May 2017, respectively.
From August 2015 until April 2016, Toledo conspired with co-defendant John Tautenhan III to distribute oxycodone pills in and around Worcester County. On April 17, 2016, federal agents followed Toledo as she drove from Massachusetts to a restaurant in Yonkers, N.Y., to acquire oxycodone from Young. Five days later, on April 22, 2017, Toledo again drove to Yonkers to purchase additional oxycodone from Young. Investigators stopped the vehicle that Toledo was driving and seized over 500 oxycodone pills from Young and two other passengers.
Tautenhan III pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September 2017 to two years in prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm, Chief of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
New York Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years on Heroin and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Reginald McBride, 41, of New York, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 13 years and 4 months in jail and 5 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The charges arose out of a June 26, 2016 shooting at the Walmart in Augusta, Maine. The defendant was convicted of these charges on March 14, 2018 after a three-day jury trial.
The evidence at trial revealed that on June 26, 2016, the defendant drove a vehicle to the Augusta Walmart carrying over 40 grams of heroin and a 9-mm pistol. When the defendant got to the Walmart, he engaged in a firefight with another individual. After the shooting, the defendant fled in his vehicle. Officers located the defendant and recovered the heroin. Officers later seized a loaded revolver, two more firearms, ammunition, a speed loader, and a scope from the vehicle.
Trial evidence revealed that the defendant used numerous aliases including “Kweasia McBride,” “Reggie McBride,” “Reginald Washington,” “Benjamin McBride,” “John Doe,” and “Sunny.” The defendant had prior felony convictions from Virginia and New York under a combination of these aliases.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Augusta Police Department; the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; and the Bangor and Hallowell Police Departments.
New York Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Robbing, Attempting to Burglarize Four New Jersey BanksRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Manhattan man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for robbing banks in Jackson Township, Fort Lee, and Hasbrouck Heights, as well as attempting to burglarize a fourth bank in Englewood between December 2013 and February 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Eddy Cruz, 42, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank burglary. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 24, 2013, Cruz entered a PNC Bank in Jackson Township and handed a bank teller a note demanding money. After the teller handed him some cash, Cruz fled the scene. Cruz also robbed a TD Bank in Fort Lee on Feb. 13, 2017, and a TD Bank in Hasbrouck Heights on Feb. 18, 2017. During both robberies, Cruz wore a mask to disguise his identity and handed the tellers notes demanding cash.
On Feb. 24, 2017, law enforcement officers tracked Cruz’s car, which had been spotted at one of the earlier bank robberies, to a location in Manhattan. That same day, Cruz drove to yet another TD Bank in Englewood where he was apprehended moments before he robbed the bank in a similar disguise to what he wore during the previous two bank robberies.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Cruz to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $10,556.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark and Special Agent in Charge John Brosnan in New York; the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Dennis Calo; the Fort Lee Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith M. Bendul; the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael J. Colaneri; the Roxbury Police Department, under the direction of Chief Marc Palanchi; the Paramus Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg; and the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew Kunz, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Greenburgh, New York, Mount Pleasant, New York, and Yonkers, New York, police departments, as well as the New York Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark
Defense counsel: Linda Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Springfield Gardens, New York, resident pleaded guilty yesterday to an indictment charging him with nine counts of wire fraud, nine counts of aggravated identity theft, and 17 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation and filing of false returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York.
According to court documents, Oyeniyi Jaiyesimi, the owner of Pace Financial Services, a tax preparation business located in Springfield Gardens, New York used stolen IDs to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and to obtain refunds to which he was not entitled. In addition, from 2013 through 2015, Jaiyesimi filed multiple false tax returns for clients that fraudulently claimed dependent exemptions.
Magistrate Judge James Orenstein scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2019, before District Court Judge Edward R. Korman. Jaiyesimi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft, and a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false returns. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Eric Powers of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Navajo Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for First-Degree Murder and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Brian Tony, 47, of Gallup, N.M., was sentenced to life imprisonment today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., following his previous conviction at trial for first-degree murder and witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Director Jesse Delmar of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety (NNDPS).
A jury found Tony, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, guilty of these offenses on September 30, 2017. The evidence at trial established that on May 8, 2016, Tony drove his girlfriend’s Jeep to a home in Gallup with his brother and his girlfriend. Tony picked up the victim and the victim’s friend from this location. Tony also retrieved a hammer and placed it in his Jeep.
According to testimony from the victim’s friend, Tony drove them to a place called “Superman Canyon,” where Tony ordered the victim out of the Jeep and led him to an area out of sight from the vehicle. The victim’s friend heard the victim yell, but stayed in the Jeep because Tony’s brother threatened him.
A short time later, the victim called “911” and told the operator he was in a ditch and bleeding. The victim reported that Tony had hit him in the head with a hammer. The victim told the operator, “Hurry, here he comes now! Hurry!”
The next day, the victim’s body was found in a ravine by Rock Flats Road near Churchrock, N.M. There was a hammer and large rock with bloodstains nearby. The victim was wearing an empty knife sheath on his belt. The victim had more than 23 stab wounds and blunt force trauma to his head and neck.
The evidence at trial also established that Tony committed witness tampering while awaiting trial at the Santa Fe County Detention Center. Tony made more than 1,000 calls to friends and relatives, imploring them to convince the victim’s friend to leave town and to prevent the friend from testifying. The jury also heard Tony try to persuade his girlfriend not to cooperate with law enforcement. Tony testified during the trial and claimed that he killed the victim in self-defense.
“The life sentence imposed today cannot bring the victim back to his family and friends, but I hope it gives them a measure of comfort and closure,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “I commend the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety for their extraordinary and tireless efforts during the investigation of Mr. Tony’s heinous crimes.”
“The FBI worked closely with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety to make sure justice was done in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “Although the defendant committed a gruesome, premeditated murder for which he will spend the rest of his life in prison, our focus should be on the victim and his loved ones. We hope this punishment helps the family and friends of the deceased find some closure, while sending a clear message that violent crime on the Navajo Nation will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“It is very unfortunate that a life was taken under the circumstances of a crime so heinous and violent,” said Director Jesse Delmar of the NNDPS. “Our prayers are with the victim and his family. A special thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI and the Navajo Nation Law Enforcement for working this case and bringing justice to the victim and his family.”
The Albuquerque and Gallup offices of the FBI investigated this case along with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Joseph M. Spindle and Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Munster Man Filed Guilty Plea in Connection with September 2017 Explosion at East Chicago Post Office and Subsequent MailingRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –Eric P. Krieg, age 46, of Munster, Indiana, through his attorney, filed a signed agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office indicating his intent to plead guilty to knowingly making an unregistered destructive device, mailing a destructive device, malicious use of explosive materials, and mailing a threatening communication, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
This case stems from the September 6, 2017 US Postal Facility explosion in East Chicago and the mailing of a suspicious package on September 29, 2017. In October 2017, Krieg was arrested and charged. He has been in custody since his arrest.
In the plea agreement, the parties agree that Krieg should serve a sentence of 29 years.
According to the plea agreement filed today, Krieg is prepared to admit the following facts:
“From 2012 through August 2017, I engaged in a series of online postings and communications concerning other residents of Northwest Indiana. Through these online postings and communications, I made statements in multiple online forums, including a webpage ‘blog’ format that I controlled and administered.
“Victim 1 was an attorney who represented an individual in a lawsuit against me. This lawsuit was filed in the Lake County, Indiana Superior Court in 2013 based upon statements I made on my blog. After the filing of the lawsuit, I filed bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana. Through filings made in the Bankruptcy Court, Victim 1 claimed the lawsuit could not be discharged in bankruptcy. I agreed to settle the lawsuit with Victim 1’s client. The settlement required me to pay Victim 1’s client $45,000 and post an apology on my blog. I paid $45,000 and made an online apology.
“In retaliation for the filing and settling of this lawsuit and other grudges I held, I devised a plan to construct and mail a pipe bomb that I hoped and believed would kill or injure Victim 1. I constructed this pipe bomb and knew that it contained explosives and items that would produce shrapnel. The pipe bomb was constructed in the Northern District of Indiana. The pipe bomb was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
“On September 6, 2017, I placed the pipe bomb in the mail by delivering it to the United States Post Office, 901 East Chicago Avenue, East Chicago, Indiana and ensuring it had the appropriate postage. I mailed the pipe bomb with the intention that it kill or injure Victim 1. I am aware the pipe bomb exploded before it was delivered to Victim 1 and instead injured Victim 2, a postal worker. I damaged the Post Office where the pipe bomb exploded. At the time of the explosion, the Post Office was used in interstate commerce or was used in an activity affecting interstate commerce.
“I engaged in online communications with Victim 3. Victim 3 was a resident of Northwest Indiana. I was upset with, and held grudges against, both Victim 1 and Victim 3. On September 29, 2017, I mailed a threat to kill or injure Victim 3. I placed this threatening communication in the mail in the Northern District of Indiana and it was post marked to, and I am now aware later delivered to, Victim 3 in the Northern District of Indiana.”
The plea hearing will take place in the near future before United States District Court Senior Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen in the Hammond Federal Courthouse.
This case results from an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; United States Marshal’s Service; East Chicago Police; Hammond Police; Indiana State Police; Munster Police; and Porter County Sheriff’s Department. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua P. Kolar and Jennifer Chang.
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Moosic Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for StalkingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Anthony Frank Angeli, Jr, age 55, of Moosic, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on November 26, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for stalking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between July 7, 2017 and August 14, 2017, Angeli used the internet to engage in a course of conduct to harass and intimidate another individual. Angeli purchased a GPS tracking device and placed it on the victim’s car. Angeli would receive location notifications on his electronic devices and proceeded to show up at places where the victim was or had been, including restaurants and retail stores. After a Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) was granted, Angeli continued his harassment and intimidation of the victim.
Judge Mannion also ordered Angeli to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service this morning at 10:00 a.m.
This case was investigated by the Moosic Police Department, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Monrovia Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Prison for ‘Hawala’ Scheme to Move Money for Sinaloa Cartel and other Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Monrovia man who was part of an international drug money laundering organization has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring to move millions of dollars in proceeds for the Sinaloa cartel and other narcotics traffickers.
Harinder Singh, a.k.a. “Sonu,” 34, was sentenced late Monday by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder, who imposed the sentence after noting Singh’s “escalating” involvement in the money laundering conspiracy.
Singh was sentenced after being found guilty by a jury last January of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and operating an unlicensed money transmitted business.
Singh was the 17th defendant convicted as a result of a 2015 grand jury indictment that was the first major United States criminal case involving “hawala” transfers of drug money.
According to court documents, hawala is an international underground money remittance system based on trust between the participants. The hawala system originated on the Indian subcontinent and relies on long-established connections between brokers, who usually are located in different countries, but sometimes are in different cities in one nation. The trust and long-established connection between brokers typically are based on familial, ethnic, religious, regional and/or cultural grounds. Since traditional banking and financial systems are not involved in hawala, it operates without leaving a paper trail. Under the hawala system, only the value of the money is transferred, not the money itself.
In this case, drug traffickers used a traditional hawala network of brokers in the United States, Canada and India to secretly transfer millions of dollars of drug proceeds to the United States, where brokers such as Singh delivered the money to couriers acting on behalf of Canadian drug traffickers and Mexican drug cartels. Prosecutors said the conspiracy was responsible for transferring at least $4 million in drug proceeds.
The evidence presented at his two-week trial in United States District Court showed that Singh participated in a hawala conspiracy that moved money generated from drug sales in Canada to the United States. The money was used to pay for multi-kilogram drug purchases in Los Angeles, which was then routed to Canada for distribution.
California Highway Patrol officers discovered $274,980 in U.S. currency wrapped in black plastic when Singh was stopped in October 2012. During that traffic stop, Drug Enforcement Administration special agents conducted surveillance and observed Singh’s wife exiting the couple’s apartment complex carrying a bag, which was later found to contain $388,100 in U.S. currency. That cash also was rubber-banded in stacks and similarly wrapped in black plastic.
Prior to the traffic stop and the seizure at Singh’s apartment complex in Monrovia, a federal wiretap intercepted Punjabi-language telephone calls indicating that Singh and co-conspirators communicated over multiple prepaid – or “burner” – telephones to arrange for the pick-up, transport and delivery of large amounts of U.S. currency – in amounts of up to $800,000 – across the Los Angeles area.
Soon after the October 2012 traffic stop, Singh met with law enforcement agents and admitted collecting large sums of bulk cash on a weekly basis and receiving approximately $300 for every $200,000 in shipments, according to court documents.
During the course of a four-year investigation by the DEA’s L.A. Strike Force and IRS Criminal Investigation, authorities seized nearly $15.5 million in bulk U.S. currency, 321 kilograms of cocaine, 98 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 kilograms of MDMA and nine kilograms of heroin.
Other individuals convicted in this case include Singh’s uncle, Sucha Singh, who received a 63-month sentence for his role as a hawala broker; Bradley John Martin, who similarly received a 63-month sentence for his role as a money courier; and Harmeet Singh, who received a 42-month sentence for his role as a hawala broker.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation. These agencies received assistance and support from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department and the Pomona Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol Alexis Chen of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Shane Inghels, 36 years old, of Mishawaka, IN, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Inghels was sentenced to a total of 235 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release when released from prison.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “A violent offender was put in prison for his crimes. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to others that disregard for the rule of law will result in serious consequences. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to focus our efforts on career criminals, like Mr. Inghels.”
According to documents in the case, Inghels had outstanding warrants for failure to appear when he traveled from Mishawaka to Michigan City to sell methamphetamine. After meeting with individuals in Michigan City, he drove away from the area with a passenger in his car who was eight and a half months pregnant. Police officers began following his vehicle, at which point he sped away and fled from police down a highway while driving at speeds in excess of 130 miles per hour. Inghels drove into oncoming traffic and through stop lights while the passenger in his car begged him to stop. After driving more than ten miles, Inghels lost control of the car and crashed into a ditch. He got out of the car and ran away, leaving his pregnant passenger behind. Inghels only stopped when police officers deployed a K-9 to assist them in taking him into custody. Inghels had over $2,500.00 on him when officers caught him. Officers found Inghels’s safe in the trunk of the car, which was filled with over 65 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms. Inghels has several felony convictions, which not only qualifies him as a felon in possession of a firearm but also as an armed career criminal. Since age 18, Inghels’ crime actions have included breaking into a home to steal firearms; beating a person in a parking lot until the victim suffered a concussion and a broken nose; manufacturing methamphetamine; breaking into a garage to steal items to sell; beating a person while in jail; and committing offenses while on probation.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the LaPorte County Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Indiana State Police, Michigan City Police Department, New Carlisle Police Department, and St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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Military Investigation Services along with State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies to Hold Press Conference at the Department of Corrections in Columbia on Wednesday, November 28, 2018Read the Press Release
The press conference will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the South Carolina Department of Corrections, located at 4460 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri Lydon announced that a press conference will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Department of Corrections, located at 4460 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210.
Represented at the press conference will be members of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command (CID), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
NOTE: Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Lance Crick, 864-282-2105. All media must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). Members of the media wishing to attend should gather at the media staging area at 10:00 a.m., 30 minutes in advance. Media Staging Area: South Carolina Department of Corrections Recruitment and Employment Services Center parking lot located at 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC.
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Member of Camden, New Jersey, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for selling crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Karim Johnson, a/k/a “Chicky,” 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Johnson admitted that he sold crack cocaine and furanyl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, around the 1700 block of Filmore Street in Camden. Johnson and nine other members of the drug ring were initially arrested in June 2017 following a long-term investigation by the FBI, which utilized multiple telephone wiretaps, surveillance, confidential informants, cooperating witnesses, more than 20 controlled drug purchases, a GPS vehicle tracker and four court-authorized search warrants, among other investigative techniques. 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, drug paraphernalia, and recent charges against an eleventh member of the organization, Davon Leak, 19.
Four other defendants – Daron Suiter, 24, George Williams, 44, Latoya Whealton, a/k/a “Toya,” 34, and Rajai Gaines, a/k/a “Jigga,” 36 – have previously pleaded guilty. Suiter was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, to 60 months imprisonment; the other defendants are awaiting sentencing.
Drug and firearm charges remain pending in a second superseding indictment against six 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; Malcolm McCoy, 26; and Rajai Gaines, a/k/a “Jigga,” 36.In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Johnson to eight years of supervised release and 300 hours of community service.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.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. Calahan, 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.
Defense counsel:
Johnson: Stanley O. King Esq., Woodbury, New Jersey
Suiter: Martin I. Isenberg Esq., Gibbsboro, New Jersey
Williams: Michael E. Riley Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Whealton: David S. Rudenstein Esq., Philadelphia
John Gunther: Edward J. Crisonino Esq., Westmont, New Jersey
Taleaf Gunther: Robert C. Wolf Esq., Westmont
Roland: Megan J. Davies Esq., Westmont
Campbell: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey
McCoy: Albert W. Allison Esq., Blackwood, New Jersey
Gaines: Edward F. Borden Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Leak: Teri Lodge Esq., Marlton, New JerseyMedford Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security, Medicare, MassHealth and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Medford woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits, Medicare, MassHealth and Food Stamps.
Stephanie DiPierro, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of public funds, two counts of making false statements, and one count of falsely representing a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2019. In November 2017, DiPierro was arrested, charged, and released on conditions.
According to the indictment that was unsealed today, from October 2007 through May 2017, DiPierro stole $73,288 in Social Security benefits, $8,455 in Medicare benefits, $8,615 in MassHealth benefits and $17,929 in Food Stamps. In September 2015, she falsely informed the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance that she did not have any income other than her Social Security benefits when, in fact, she was receiving income as a result of her work as a personal care attendant. DiPierro falsely told Social Security in March 2016, while she was working as a personal care attendant, that she did not take care of any other individual. DiPierro also falsely represented her Social Security number on a time sheet submitted in connection with her work as a personal care attendant.
The charges of theft of public funds provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of making false statements and false representation of a Social Security number each provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross 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; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Boston Regional Office; and Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Maryland man admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Phillip Ryan Williams, of McCoole, Maryland, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williams, age 24, pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” He admitted to selling methamphetamine in Mineral County on June 13, 2018.
Williams faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The West Virginia State Police, and the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Gang Murders of Two TeenagersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member was sentenced to life in prison for using social media to lure and violently murder two teenage boys in East Boston.
Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a “Sangriento,” 23, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to life in prison. In June 2018, after a multi-week trial, Gonzalez was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy. In addition, the jury found that Gonzalez’s racketeering activity on behalf of MS-13 included his participation in the Sept. 7, 2015, murder of a 15-year-old in East Boston and the Jan. 10, 2016, murder of a 16-year-old in East Boston.
MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization whose members have engaged in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, and assault, as well as other criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, robbery, and witness retaliation.
MS-13 is organized into smaller groups known as “cliques” that operate throughout the United States. Gonzalez was a member of the Molinos Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.
Prospective members of MS-13 are required to complete an initiation process and then progress through the ranks: from “paro” to “chequeo” to “homeboy.” To be promoted within the gang, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, usually against rival gang members or those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Becoming a “homeboy” typically requires the commission of a murder.
The investigation revealed that Gonzalez was the driving force behind, and key participant in, two separate murders in Massachusetts.
On Sept. 7, 2015, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members lured a 15-year-old boy through social media to Constitution Beach in East Boston. Convinced that the victim was a gang rival, Gonzalez and others targeted him by pretending to be a girl on Facebook and lured the victim to the beach for a date. When the victim arrived at Constitution Beach, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members took turns stabbing the victim repeatedly, leaving him bleeding to death on a public beach. The victim had approximately 33 sharp force injuries and multiple blunt force injuries.
The other three MS-13 members who committed the September 2015 murder with Gonzalez—Carlos Melara, a/k/a “Chuchito,” a/k/a “Criminal,” Henry Parada Martinez, a/k/a “Street Danger,” and Rene Mejia Flores a/k/a “Gasper,”—were also charged in connection with this investigation and pleaded guilty before trial. Melara was sentenced to 36 years in prison, while Parada Martinez and Mejia Flores are awaiting sentencing.
On Dec. 7, 2015, Gonzalez was promoted to “homeboy,” or full-member of the gang, to reward him for the murder he committed on behalf of MS-13. Melara and Mejia Flores were also promoted to “homeboys” for their role in the murder.
On January 10, 2016, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members lured a 16-year-old boy through social media to Falcon Street in East Boston. Again, convinced that the victim was a gang rival, Gonzalez and others targeted him by pretending to be a girl on Facebook. Gonzalez then went to pick up the victim, pretending to be a relative of the girl that the victim was supposed to meet for a date. When Gonzalez arrived with the victim in East Boston, the MS-13 members attacked the victim. Three of the MS-13 members, including Gonzalez, were armed with large knives and stabbed the victim repeatedly, while the fourth MS-13 member fired multiple gunshots into the victim. Gonzalez and the other MS-13 members then ran away, leaving the teenager bleeding to death on a public street. The victim had approximately 48 sharp force injuries, multiple gunshot wounds, and multiple blunt force injuries.
One of the murderers was captured on tape stating that the “the dude [victim] was left completely destroyed” and “Sangriento [Gonzalez] whacked the guy’s hands with a machete.” The day after the murder, Gonzalez himself was captured on tape admitting to the murder and discussing further violence against potential rivals, stating, “we’re going to leave all of them chopped in pieces.”
The other three MS-13 members who committed the January 2016 murder with Gonzalez—Edwin Diaz, a/k/a “Demente,” Jairo Perez, a/k/a “Seco,” and Rigoberto Mejia, a/k/a “Ninja”—were also charged in connection with this investigation and pleaded guilty before trial. Diaz and Perez were each sentenced to 35 years in prison, while Mejia received 27.5 years in prison.
Gonzalez was one of 49 defendants convicted as part of this investigation. All nine defendants who went to trial were convicted and 40 others pleaded guilty. In all, 16 defendants, including Gonzalez, were found to have committed or knowingly participated in murders.
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; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney John P. Pappas; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement today. The U.S. Marshals Service has provided crucial assistance with the case.
Louisiana Physician’s Assistant Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Unlawfully Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
A Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based physician’s assistant pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to unlawfully distribute thousands of oxycodone pills.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin of the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Orleans Field Division, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
Christopher William Armstrong, 44, of Prairieville, Louisiana, was charged in a June indictment with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Armstrong pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles of the Middle District of Louisiana, who accepted his plea today.
“Christopher Armstrong abused his position as a licensed physician’s assistant to create fraudulent prescriptions for over 40,000 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will continue to combat the opioid crisis by holding to account corrupt medical professionals who distribute illegal prescription opioids for profit.”
“This conviction is a signal to medical professionals not to abuse your position and put our community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Fremin. “We will not tolerate unscrupulous health care workers increasing the supply of unauthorized prescription drugs on our streets. I want to thank our prosecutors, the Department of Justice’s Medicare Fraud Strike Force, DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI for their important work on this case.”
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Armstrong was a licensed physician’s assistant employed by Louisiana Spine & Sports LLC, a pain management clinic located in Baton Rouge, from approximately August 2004 through January 2014. Armstrong admitted that he logged into the clinic’s computer system and, without authorization, created fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances such as oxycodone. He then printed the fraudulent prescriptions and either forged the signatures of the clinic’s physicians on the prescriptions or caused those physicians to unknowingly sign the prescriptions. Armstrong further admitted that he distributed the fraudulent prescriptions to co-conspirators, who he instructed to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies and return the controlled substances to him in return for cash payments. Armstrong admitted that in an effort to conceal the scheme, he deleted records of the fraudulent prescriptions from the clinic’s computer system. As part of his plea, Armstrong admitted that from approximately May 2009 through March 2014, he fraudulently generated prescriptions for at least 40,470 oxycodone pills.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case. The investigation was further developed by the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorneys Katherine Payerle and Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting 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.
Louisiana Physician's Assistant Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Unlawfully Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based physician’s assistant pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to unlawfully distribute thousands of oxycodone pills.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin of the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Orleans Field Division, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
Christopher William Armstrong, 44, of Prairieville, Louisiana, was charged in a June indictment with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Armstrong pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles of the Middle District of Louisiana, who accepted his plea today.
“Christopher Armstrong abused his position as a licensed physician’s assistant to create fraudulent prescriptions for over 40,000 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will continue to combat the opioid crisis by holding to account corrupt medical professionals who distribute illegal prescription opioids for profit.”
“This conviction is a signal to medical professionals not to abuse your position and put our community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Fremin. “We will not tolerate unscrupulous health care workers increasing the supply of unauthorized prescription drugs on our streets. I want to thank our prosecutors, the Department of Justice’s Medicare Fraud Strike Force, DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI for their important work on this case.”
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Armstrong was a licensed physician’s assistant employed by Louisiana Spine & Sports LLC, a pain management clinic located in Baton Rouge, from approximately August 2004 through January 2014. Armstrong admitted that he logged into the clinic’s computer system and, without authorization, created fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances such as oxycodone. He then printed the fraudulent prescriptions and either forged the signatures of the clinic’s physicians on the prescriptions or caused those physicians to unknowingly sign the prescriptions. Armstrong further admitted that he distributed the fraudulent prescriptions to co-conspirators, who he instructed to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies and return the controlled substances to him in return for cash payments. Armstrong admitted that in an effort to conceal the scheme, he deleted records of the fraudulent prescriptions from the clinic’s computer system. As part of his plea, Armstrong admitted that from approximately May 2009 through March 2014, he fraudulently generated prescriptions for at least 40,470 oxycodone pills.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case. The investigation was further developed by the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorneys Katherine Payerle and Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting 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.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 290 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Heroin and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ansar I. McIver, 46, of Lexington, was sentenced last week to 290 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and money laundering. Judge Reeves also ordered McIver to pay a fine and to forfeit more than $586,000 in cash.
McIver previously admitted that, in early January 2017, he engaged in an agreement with others to obtain large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin from the southwest United States. Shipments of these controlled substances were made by passenger vehicle, with the substances concealed in various compartments within the vehicles, and were transported into Lexington. Proceeds from the distribution of the drugs were then returned to the southwest.
On May 18, 2017, the Lexington Police Department (LPD) stopped a vehicle containing approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine. On June 12, 2017, a search warrant was executed at McIver’s residence. There, law enforcement agents seized cocaine, approximately 786 grams of fentanyl, heroin, and a combined quantity of drugs, as well as approximately $586,369 in drug proceeds. At that time, it was the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
“This conspiracy involve the illegal distribution of enormous amounts of illegal drugs, drugs that continue to devastate our community,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case represents a stark reminder that much work still needs to be done to combat this epidemic and that effective law enforcement partnerships can – and do – save lives. Removing these drugs from our community was a team effort that almost certainly prevented overdoses and potential deaths in our community.”
The Defendant has previously been convicted of several drug trafficking felonies, which qualified him as a Career Offender under federal law. McIver pleaded guilty to the charges in January 2018.
Under federal law, McIver must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for ten years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James (Robert) Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI (Louisville and San Diego Field Offices), the Kentucky State Police, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – David Alexander Arias, 31, a Lawrence, Massachusetts resident, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant participated with three co-defendants in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl into New Hampshire. On several occasions, the defendant and a co-defendant traveled into Nashua and Salem, New Hampshire to meet a New Hampshire distributor to provide that individual with fentanyl to redistribute in and around the Manchester, New Hampshire area. The conspiracy involved in excess of 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.
Co-defendants Migdalia Cintron, Alvaro Garcia and Ramon Paniagua Perez have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Arias previously pled guilty on August 15, 2018.
“Fentanyl trafficking makes a lethal substance immediately available for purchase in this state” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Overall, the results have been catastrophic for drug users and their families. In order to curtail trafficking, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who do business here.”
“DEA is committed to investigating Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Arias who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Let this sentence be a warning to those traffickers who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.
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Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Laron Harvey, 35, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2016, Harvey and others conspired with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
Chief Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Grace. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Ambridge Police Department, New Brighton Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Aliquippa Police Department, Moon Township Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. 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.
Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Erika Shanta Kelly, 42, of Jackson, pled guilty yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to laundering proceeds from drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
On April 22, 2014, March 3, 2015, and September 4, 2015, Kelly used money obtained from drug trafficking to purchase and make payments on vehicles. The purchases and payments made were to conceal or disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the drug trafficking money. On November 28, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for conspiracy to money launder and using proceeds from drug trafficking to purchase vehicles for another person.
Kelly will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on March 8, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $500,000.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Pipeline,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in central Mississippi involving cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Texas and Mississippi.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson Police Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Illegal Alien Convicted of Using Another Person’s Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man who used another person’s social security number to complete employment paperwork was convicted by a jury on November 26, 2018, after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Adner Toj-Velasquez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of misuse of a social security number. The verdict was returned following about 25 minutes of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on February 8, 2015, Toj-Velasquez used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work in Luana, Iowa. On the employment form, Toj-Velasquez falsely claimed to be a United States citizen.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Toj-Velasquez was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Toj-Velasquez faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1036-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Honduras Citizen Removed 3 Times from the U.S. is Sentenced to Time Served for Illegally Re-Entering the CountryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – An illegal alien found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in federal court to time served and one year supervised release on his conviction of illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Rolando Tabora Fuentes, age 40, of Honduras. Judge Hornak further ordered that, following service of the sentence of imprisonment, Tabora Fuentes be remanded to the custody of federal immigration authorities for commencement of deportation proceedings.
According to information presented to the court, Fuentes was formally removed from the United States by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 9, 1998, September 8, 2009, and September 20, 2013. Fuentes was found by federal agents to be illegally present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 2018. Law enforcement also determined that Fuentes did not receive permission to re-enter the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Fuentes.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Honduran man who was arrested in Kansas City, Mo., for drunk driving was sentenced in federal court today for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported eight times.
Jose Salazar-Aguilar, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to five years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
Kansas City, Mo., police officers arrested Salazar-Aguilar on Feb. 19, 2017, for driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a license. While incarcerated, record checks revealed that Salazar-Aguilar had been removed from the United States on numerous occasions. He was released on bond but apprehended by federal agents during a traffic stop on Feb. 27, 2017.
On May 2, 2018, Salazar-Aguilar pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony.
This is Salazar-Aguilar’s second conviction for this offense. He was convicted of the same crime in federal court in Arizona on Feb. 22, 2012, and sentenced to 27 months. According to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar has been removed from the United States eight times, seven times after being convicted of the aggravated felony of delivery of heroin. Salazar-Aguilar was last removed from the United States on Aug. 8, 2013.
Additionally, according to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar’s history also includes assaultive behavior that endangers the public, such as his 2010 arrest for beating up his common-law wife.
Salazar-Aguilar has previously asserted his membership with the Norteno street gang, according to court documents, and has admitted to being a “drug mule.” Salazar-Aguilar also has prior felony convictions for delivery of a controlled substance (heroin) in Oregon, possession of a controlled substance in Colorado, and forgery in Arizona. Additionally, there are active warrants for his arrest from Salt Lake City, Utah, for distribution of a controlled substance; Phoenix, Ariz., for no valid license and traffic offenses; and Kansas City, Mo., for driving under the influence, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a license.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE - U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that GERSON GARCIA-VILLANEUVA, age 19, of Honduras, pled guilty for his role in transporting illegal aliens.
On August 21, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of a van driven by GARCIA-VILLANEUVA. GARCIA-VILLANEUVA admitted that he, as is a citizen of Honduras, was knowingly present in the United States illegally. He further explained that he was paid to transport eight illegal aliens from various Latin American countries from Houston, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “The enforcement of our border and immigration laws is a top priority for our office. This plea is yet another step in the fight against illegal immigration and those who enable it. I want to thank our prosecutors and the United States Border Patrol for their efforts in this important matter.”
“This case highlights the superlative work done by Border Patrol Agents, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Attorney’s Office as we work together to enhance border security in the Gulf Coast Region by disrupting and destroying smuggling operations which cause irreparable harm to our nation,” stated Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, New Orleans Border Patrol Sector.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Fred Menner.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that ELVIN PEREZ-ROMERO, age 24, pleaded guilty November 20, 2018 to a one count indictment that charged him with illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
On November 20, 2018, U. S. District Judge Suzie Morgan sentenced ELVIN PEREZ-ROMERO to time served and a $100 special assessment. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MANUEL ASHLEY, also known as “Fresh,” 27, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to firearm and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31 and June 1, 2017, Ashley sold approximately 90 bags containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to another individual.
Hartford Police arrested Ashley on June 6, 2017, after he sold a stolen .380 caliber pistol to another individual. On that date, a search of his Babcock Street residence revealed 44 bags containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.
Ashley’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on February 27, 2019.
Ashley has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Great Bend Man Sentenced to 13+ Years for Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Great Bend man was sentenced today to 165 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Charles A. Gann, 49, Great Bend, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that an investigator with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was able to use a file-sharing program to download child pornography from Gann’s computer. At sentencing, a prosecutor argued Gann used the internet to seek out and communicate with other people who shared Gann’s desire to have sex with children.
McAllister commended Immigration and Customs Services and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work on the case.
Gonzales Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced KRISTIAN H. JAMES, age 31, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 24 months in federal prison following her conviction for theft of government funds. The Court also sentenced JAMES to 2 years of supervised release following imprisonment and ordered restitution of $141,458.
Between October 2010 and December 2014, JAMES knowingly allowed her social security number to be used in a large scheme to fraudulently obtain financial aid from the United States Department of Education. During this period, JAMES also stole personal information of unknowing victims whose information was then used by co-conspirators as part of the aforementioned fraud scheme. In announcing the sentence, Judge deGravelles highlighted the impact that JAMES’ conduct had on the identity theft victims, and, in particular, one who detailed for the Court the numerous problems she has encountered and continues to encounter as a result of JAMES stealing her identity.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This conviction and sentence highlight that prosecuting fraudsters and identity thieves will remain a priority of this office. The cowardly act of using personal identifying information of unassuming victims will not go unchecked on our watch. I'm grateful for the hard work of our prosecutors and the investigative work and support provided by the US Department of Education - OIG whose efforts were essential in obtaining justice in this case."
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Education – OIG. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Pugliese.
Four Sentenced for Involvement in Local Pill MillRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that AMANDA JEPPE, age 34, ALAN GREGOIRE, age 36, CHANTELL EVERS, age 28, and JESSIE EVERS, age 28, were sentenced today after previously pleading guilty for their roles in an oxycodone conspiracy stemming from a pill mill that operated out of Gulf South Physician’s Group in Metairie.
According to court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but prior to January 2015, and continuing to on or about March 2016, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELL EVERS and JESSIE EVERS obtained medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone from Dr. Shannon Ceasar in exchange for a flat fee of $500 cash per prescription. The purpose of obtaining the prescriptions was to divert the oxycodone to drug traffickers and addicts. On August 21, 2018, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELL EVERS, and JESSIE EVERS pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Acquire or Obtain Possession of Oxycodone by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, or Subterfuge, in violation of Title 21, United States Code Sections 843(a)(3) and 846.
Shannon Ceasar was a physician and former co-owner who operated Gulf South Physician’s Group. Ceasar ran a “pill mill,” i.e., an operation in which he prescribed controlled substances to drug seekers and drug abusers without a legitimate medical purpose and in exchange for a flat fee. He previously pled guilty for his role in illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances, threatening to assault or murder federal law enforcement officers, and health care fraud. On March 7, 2018, Ceasar was sentenced to 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons. His business partner, Stephen Guilbault, also previously pled guilty for his role in controlled substances violations and health care fraud, and was sentenced to 24 months in the Bureau of Prisons on August 22, 2018.
U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced JEPPE, GREGOIRE, and JESSIE EVERS to probation for a period of five years, including six months of home confinement to begin immediately. CHANTELL EVERS was sentenced to five years probation.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG, and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Shirin Hakimzadeh and Myles Ranier were in charge of the prosecution.
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Fort Hall Man Indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious InjuryRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stormy Ray Adakai, 23, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was indicted today by a federal grand jury sitting in Pocatello on one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
The indictment alleges that on or about September 2, 2018, Adakai assaulted a victim by intentionally hitting him in the face and head with rocks, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty November 26, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Craig Eugene Essing, 59, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Essing admitted that from June 2015 through September 2017, he and others in the conspiracy distributed over 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Essing was obtaining methamphetamine from sources in Des Moines, Iowa for redistribution in the Fort Dodge area. During a search warrant at Essing’s residence on September 8, 2017, law enforcement seized approximately fourteen ounces of methamphetamine, eleven firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, approximately $4,900, three digital scales, packaging material, and other drug paraphernalia.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Essing remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Essing faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander and Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, DCI Criminalist Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Dodge Police Department and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-3047. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former Venezuelan National Treasurer Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving over $1 Billion in BribesRead the Press Release
A former Venezuelan national treasurer was sentenced today for his role in a billion-dollar currency exchange and money laundering scheme.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of HSI Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami Field Office and Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Washington, D.C. Office made the announcement.
Alejandro Andrade Cedeno (Andrade), 54, a Venezuelan citizen residing in Wellington, Florida and a former Venezuelan national treasurer, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg of the Southern District of Florida. Andrade pleaded guilty under seal on Dec. 22, 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his guilty plea, Andrade admitted that he received over $1 billion in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 50, and other co-conspirators in exchange for using his position as Venezuelan national treasurer to select them to conduct currency exchange transactions at favorable rates for the Venezuelan government. Andrade received cash as well as private jets, yachts, cars, homes, champion horses, and high-end watches from his co-conspirators. As part of his plea agreement, Andrade agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $1 billion and forfeiture of all assets involved in the corrupt scheme, including real estate, vehicles, horses, watches, aircraft and bank accounts.
HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the FDIC D.C. investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Nadler and Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida’s Criminal Division and Trial Attorneys Vanessa Sisti Snyder, Paul A. Hayden and John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The Policía Nacional (Spanish National Police) also provided significant assistance.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Venezuelan National Treasurer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving over $1 Billion in BribesRead the Press Release
A former Venezuelan national treasurer was sentenced today for his role in a billion-dollar currency exchange and money laundering scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of HSI Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI Miami Field Office and Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Washington, D.C. Office made the announcement.
Alejandro Andrade Cedeno (Andrade), 54, a Venezuelan citizen residing in Wellington, Florida and a former Venezuelan national treasurer, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg of the Southern District of Florida. Andrade pleaded guilty under seal on Dec. 22, 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his guilty plea, Andrade admitted that he received over $1 billion in bribes from co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 50, and other co-conspirators in exchange for using his position as Venezuelan national treasurer to select them to conduct currency exchange transactions at favorable rates for the Venezuelan government. Andrade received cash as well as private jets, yachts, cars, homes, champion horses, and high-end watches from his co-conspirators. As part of his plea agreement, Andrade agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $1 billion and forfeiture of all assets involved in the corrupt scheme, including real estate, vehicles, horses, watches, aircraft and bank accounts.
HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami, and the FDIC D.C. investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Vanessa Sisti Snyder, Paul A. Hayden and John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Nadler and Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida’s Criminal Division. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The Policía Nacional (Spanish National Police) also provided significant assistance.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former VA Employee Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Government Vehicles and Charging over $15,000 on Federal Gas CardsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today named an Inglewood man in a three-count indictment that accuses him of stealing two government vehicles and illegally charging more than $15,000 on U.S. government gas cards for gas that he sold to friends at a discount.
Kyle Sidney Freedman Flournoy, 34, was charged in the indictment with conspiracy and two counts of retaining stolen government property.
Flournoy was arrested on November 6 by federal authorities pursuant to a criminal complaint filed in August.
At the time of the alleged criminal conduct in 2013, Flournoy was employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. According to court documents, Flournoy stole a VA vehicle and rented it out to associates – including gang members – for $30. Flournoy is also charged with stealing a second VA vehicle in late 2013.
The indictment also charges Flournoy with unlawfully using more than 10 different federal government gas cards over the course of several weeks to charge more than $15,000 in gas. Flournoy allegedly gave the gas to others who paid him approximately 60 cents on the dollar.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted on all three charges in the indictment, Flournoy would face a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
Flournoy is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on December 3.
This case is being investigated by the United States General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Former Las Cruces U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher Holbrook, 32, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for obstruction of justice, announced Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson of the District of New Mexico, and Hector Mancha, CBP Director of Field Operation, El Paso.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, Holbrook falsified an official report regarding his use of force against an individual, referred to as R.A.M., on March 23, 2015. Holbrook’s report falsely claimed that he used the minimum amount of force necessary to control R.A.M.; in pleading guilty, Holbrook admitted that he intentionally swept R.A.M.’s legs out from under him and caused R.A.M.’s head to hit the floor. At the time of the incident, Holbrook was working as a CBP officer in Las Cruces.
“The defendant’s intentional falsification of a report to cover up his misconduct undermines the oath that all federal law enforcement take to uphold and fairly enforce the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to prosecute such violations vigorously.”
“We depend on law enforcement officers to carry out their duties in a way that respects their positions of authority, the law and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “When those who are sworn to uphold the law and protect others instead abuse their power and position, they undermine the public’s confidence in the justice system and our government institutions. We cannot and will not tolerate such abuses.”
“The vast majority of CBP officers embody our core values, perform their duties with integrity, treat travelers with dignity and respect, and are dedicated to our mission of securing our borders while facilitating legitimate trade and travel,” said Hector Mancha, CBP Director of Field Operation, El Paso. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection stresses professionalism, honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission and does not tolerate actions by any employee that would tarnish the reputation of our agency.”
This case was investigated by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ong of District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Law Cruces Branch Office and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.
Former Las Cruces U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Christopher Holbrook, 32, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for obstruction of justice, announced Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson of the District of New Mexico, and Hector Mancha, CBP Director of Field Operation, El Paso.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, Holbrook falsified an official report regarding his use of force against an individual, referred to as R.A.M., on March 23, 2015. Holbrook’s report falsely claimed that he used the minimum amount of force necessary to control R.A.M.; in pleading guilty, Holbrook admitted that he intentionally swept R.A.M.’s legs out from under him and caused R.A.M.’s head to hit the floor. At the time of the incident, Holbrook was working as a CBP officer in Las Cruces.
“The defendant’s intentional falsification of a report to cover up his misconduct undermines the oath that all federal law enforcement take to uphold and fairly enforce the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to prosecute such violations vigorously.”
“We depend on law enforcement officers to carry out their duties in a way that respects their positions of authority, the law and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “When those who are sworn to uphold the law and protect others instead abuse their power and position, they undermine the public’s confidence in the justice system and our government institutions. We cannot and will not tolerate such abuses.”
“The vast majority of CBP officers embody our core values, perform their duties with integrity, treat travelers with dignity and respect, and are dedicated to our mission of securing our borders while facilitating legitimate trade and travel,” said Hector Mancha, CBP Director of Field Operation, El Paso. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection stresses professionalism, honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission and does not tolerate actions by any employee that would tarnish the reputation of our agency.”
This case was investigated by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ong of District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Law Cruces Branch Office and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.
Former EMT and Volunteer Firefighter Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Enticing Child to Produce Sexually Explicit ImagesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man who worked as an emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for enticing a child to produce sexually explicit images, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Zachary Motta, 24, of Iselin, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in October 2016, Motta communicated with a boy who told Motta he was 12 years old. Motta used a computer and internet connection to ask the victim to send a picture of himself nude, which he did.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Motta to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Newark Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Michael Policastro Esq., Milltown, New Jersey
Former Biscayne Park Police Chief Sentenced for Conspiracy to Deprive Persons of Civil Rights by Ordering Officers to Make False ArrestsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), today announced that former Biscayne Park Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano was sentenced to 36 months incarceration for conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights.
Former Chief Atesiano previously pleaded guilty to acting under color of law as chief of police when on three separate occasions he ordered former officers Guillermo Ravelo, Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez to falsely arrest and charge individuals with unsolved burglaries. According to court filings, Chief Atesiano intentionally encouraged those officers to arrest individuals without a legal basis in order to have arrests effectuated for all reported burglaries. This created a fictitious 100% clearance rate for that category of crime.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to holding those individuals accountable who abuse their positions of power to strip others of their civil rights,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “Today, former Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano stood before the court to answer for his crimes and the federal prison sentence that was imposed is one step toward justice for the victims and our South Florida community.”
“For his own professional benefit, Chief Atesiano corruptly and disgracefully abused his authority and the power of his office to create fictitious clearance statistics by falsely arresting individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This kind of abuse of power has no place in our nation and is contrary to American ideals, the rule of law, and fundamental fairness. The Department will continue to hold accountable officers who violate individual rights and betray the communities that they have been entrusted to serve and protect.”
“Every day, thousands of dedicated, able and honorable law enforcement officers take to the streets to protect communities throughout South Florida,” said George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “It is on their behalf that the FBI seeks to root out police officers, and other government officials, who violate the civil rights of our citizens.”
“Putting an arrest statistic above the rights of an innocent man instead of working to protect all our citizens undermines the safety goals of every Miami-Dade police department,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Miami-Dade’s residents deserve honesty and integrity, qualities that Raimundo Atesiano deliberately failed to deliver.”
“Atesiano’s self-serving actions are contrary to the law enforcement values that officers are sworn to uphold and deplorable to the citizens of Biscayne Park and the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Troy Walker.
According to previous court filings, at Chief Atesiano’s direction, Ravelo falsely arrested a victim identified as “C.D.” and another victim identified as “E.B.” C.D. was charged with two residential burglaries, and E.B. was charged with five vehicle burglaries, both without probable cause. In court filings related to his guilty plea, Atesiano admitted that he instructed Ravelo to falsely arrest and charge E.B for five vehicle burglaries based upon what Atesiano knew were false confessions.
In a prior hearing, it was disclosed that Chief Atesiano also instructed former officers Dayoub and Fernandez to unlawfully arrest and falsely charge “T.D.,” a juvenile previously known to Chief Atesiano and Dayoub. Dayoub and Fernandez complied with Chief Atesiano’s instructions and falsely arrested T.D. Fernandez wrote narratives containing fabricated information in support of the four arrest affidavits that falsely claimed an investigation revealed that T.D. had committed the four burglaries. Dayoub signed and attested that the contents of the affidavits were true even though he, like Chief Atesiano and Fernandez, knew that no evidence existed to substantiate the arrest. T.D. was subsequently arrested for the four burglaries.
Former officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez were each sentenced to 12 months in prison for their role in falsely arresting T.D., a 16-year old juvenile. Former officer Guillermo Ravelo was sentenced to 27 months incarceration for his role in conspiring to deprive persons of civil rights and, in a separate incident, depriving a motorist of civil rights under color law by using excessive force.
This case was investigated by the FBI, including the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force, and FDLE, and assisted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr., Department of Justice Trial Attorney Donald W. Tunnage, and Assistant State Attorney Trent Reichling.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Biscayne Park Police Chief Sentenced for Conspiracy to Deprive Persons of Civil Rights by Ordering Officers to Make False ArrestsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), today announced that former Biscayne Park Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano was sentenced to 36 months incarceration for conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights.
Former Chief Atesiano previously pleaded guilty to acting under color of law as chief of police when on three separate occasions he ordered former officers Guillermo Ravelo, Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez to falsely arrest and charge individuals with unsolved burglaries. According to court filings, Chief Atesiano intentionally encouraged those officers to arrest individuals without a legal basis in order to have arrests effectuated for all reported burglaries. This created a fictitious 100% clearance rate for that category of crime.
“For his own professional benefit, Chief Atesiano corruptly and disgracefully abused his authority and the power of his office to create fictitious clearance statistics by falsely arresting individuals,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “This kind of abuse of power has no place in our nation and is contrary to American ideals, the rule of law, and fundamental fairness. The Department will continue to hold accountable officers who violate individual rights and betray the communities that they have been entrusted to serve and protect.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to holding those individuals accountable who abuse their positions of power to strip others of their civil rights,” stated U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. “Today, former Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano stood before the court to answer for his crimes and the federal prison sentence that was imposed is one step toward justice for the victims and our South Florida community.”
“Every day, thousands of dedicated, able and honorable law enforcement officers take to the streets to protect communities throughout South Florida,” said George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “It is on their behalf that the FBI seeks to root out police officers, and other government officials, who violate the civil rights of our citizens.”
“Putting an arrest statistic above the rights of an innocent man instead of working to protect all our citizens undermines the safety goals of every Miami-Dade police department,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Miami-Dade’s residents deserve honesty and integrity, qualities that Raimundo Atesiano deliberately failed to deliver.”
“Atesiano’s self-serving actions are contrary to the law enforcement values that officers are sworn to uphold and deplorable to the citizens of Biscayne Park and the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Troy Walker.
According to previous court filings, at Chief Atesiano’s direction, Ravelo falsely arrested a victim identified as “C.D.” and another victim identified as “E.B.” C.D. was charged with two residential burglaries, and E.B. was charged with five vehicle burglaries, both without probable cause. In court filings related to his guilty plea, Atesiano admitted that he instructed Ravelo to falsely arrest and charge E.B for five vehicle burglaries based upon what Atesiano knew were false confessions.
In a prior hearing, it was disclosed that Chief Atesiano also instructed former officers Dayoub and Fernandez to unlawfully arrest and falsely charge “T.D.,” a juvenile previously known to Chief Atesiano and Dayoub. Dayoub and Fernandez complied with Chief Atesiano’s instructions and falsely arrested T.D. Fernandez wrote narratives containing fabricated information in support of the four arrest affidavits that falsely claimed an investigation revealed that T.D. had committed the four burglaries. Dayoub signed and attested that the contents of the affidavits were true even though he, like Chief Atesiano and Fernandez, knew that no evidence existed to substantiate the arrest. T.D. was subsequently arrested for the four burglaries.
Former officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez were each sentenced to 12 months in prison for their role in falsely arresting T.D., a 16-year old juvenile. Former officer Guillermo Ravelo was sentenced to 27 months incarceration for his role in conspiring to deprive persons of civil rights and, in a separate incident, depriving a motorist of civil rights under color law by using excessive force.
This case was investigated by the FBI, including the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force, and FDLE, and assisted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr., Department of Justice Trial Attorney Donald W. Tunnage, and Assistant State Attorney Trent Reichling.
Former Attorney Charged with Defrauding Investors in a Fantasy Football Lottery LeagueRead the Press Release
ATLANTA –Timothy Cobb, 53, of Atlanta, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate John K. Larkins III on wire and tax fraud charges for duping investors in a fantasy football lottery league.
“This defendant allegedly defrauded investors who believed he would run a fantasy football lottery league through the Georgia Lottery,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. Pak. “Cobb gambled on getting away with his scheme, but he lost.”
“Cobb is no longer engaging in fantasy but reality,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS- Criminal Investigation. “Today’s indictment represents the government’s effort to throw a penalty flag against Cobb’s illegal activity to defraud investors in his startup of a fantasy league football lottery. Working these types of cases should show the taxpayer’s that everyone has a responsibility to report ‘all’ income on their tax returns.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Cobb is a former attorney who started a company named Skyboxx Sports, LLC. Through Skyboxx, Cobb allegedly collected $500,000 from investors to start a fantasy football lottery league with the Georgia Lottery Corporation. Instead of using the proceeds from investors for business development, Cobb allegedly spent the money on himself for trips to Barbados and Mexico City, dining in restaurants in Atlanta, Miami Beach and New York, and other personal items. Cobb allegedly then filed false federal income tax returns that deliberately omitted the information he stole from his investors.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Krepp is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Allentown Finance Director Sentenced in Former Mayor Edwin Pawlowski’s Pay-to-Play SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen announced that Garret Strathearn, former Allentown Finance Director, was sentenced today for his role in a pay-to-play bidding scheme involving former Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski. United States District Judge Juan Sanchez sentenced Strathearn to 5 years’ probation, the first six months of which will be home confinement with electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
Strathearn pleaded guilty in December 2016 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and later testified at Pawlowski’s trial in January 2018. Strathearn admitted to playing a critical role in steering the city’s delinquent real estate tax collection contract to Pawlowski’s preferred vendor, Northeast Revenue, in contravention of the standard process employed by the city to award contracts. In return for the contract, Northeast Revenue made political contributions to Pawlowski’s failed campaigns for Pennsylvania Governor and United States Senate.
In addition to Pawlowski, who was convicted at trial and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, Strathearn’s co-conspirators included the following individuals: Michael Fleck, a campaign consultant; James Hickey, a business consultant; Francis Dougherty, the Allentown Managing Director; and Dale Wiles; an Allentown Assistant City Solicitor. These defendants all have pleaded guilty and similarly admitted to steering contracts to Pawlowski’s preferred vendors
“Strathearn’s criminal conduct contributed to Ed Pawlowski’s pay-to-play business model, which Pawlowski brazenly operated out of the Allentown City Hall,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Lappen. “Taxpayers have a right to expect that public officials have the interests of the entire city in mind, not just the interests of their political cronies. And businesses have a right to expect that when they submit contract proposals, they will be judged on the merits rather than on the size of their campaign contributions.”
“The pay-to-play culture took root at Allentown City Hall,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Garrett Strathearn admitted to subverting the city’s contracting process—put in place to ensure fairness—at Edwin Pawlowski’s direction. The FBI is determined to bring to justice corrupt officials willing to break the law to further their own interests.”
“The sentence handed down today underscores our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Those contemplating similar conduct should stop in their tracks and simply consider the consequences of taking the next step.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony J. Wzorek and Michelle L. Morgan.
Felon from Albuquerque Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Adam Sadlowski, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 51 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sadlowski will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies arrested Sadlowski at his home on Feb. 22, 2016. According to court records, they found 13 firearms at Sadlowski’s residence, including two previously reported stolen. Deputies also found assorted ammunition. Sadlowski was prohibited from possession any firearms or ammunition at this time because of his previous criminal convictions for trafficking a controlled substance, receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, and tampering with evidence.
Sadlowski pled guilty to the indictment on April 5, 2018. He admitted possessing two handguns and ammunition despite being a convicted felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with the BCSO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Felon Sentenced to 37 Months for Possessing 21 Firearms and 22,000 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Last week, Timothy Jason Wells, 31, of Kingman, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 37 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wells had previously pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
From June through December 2016, Wells posted photographs of himself with a firearm on Facebook and wrote posts about possessing and shooting firearms. Agents executed a search warrant at Wells’ home on July 18, 2017, and found a loaded firearm in his bedroom, twenty additional firearms inside a gun safe, and approximately 22,000 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines in the garage. Wells had a previous felony conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Lisa E. Jennis, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR 17-01114-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-158_Wells
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
PHOENIX – Last week, Timothy Jason Wells, 31, of Kingman, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 37 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wells had previously pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
From June through December 2016, Wells posted photographs of himself with a firearm on Facebook and wrote posts about possessing and shooting firearms. Agents executed a search warrant at Wells’ home on July 18, 2017, and found a loaded firearm in his bedroom, twenty additional firearms inside a gun safe, and approximately 22,000 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines in the garage. Wells had a previous felony conviction for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Lisa E. Jennis, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR 17-01114-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-158_Wells
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Federal Court in Illinois Bars Tax Return Preparer and Business from Preparing Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Chicago, Illinois, entered a permanent injunction against Leticia Rodriguez and Rodriguez Tax Services, barring them from preparing federal tax returns for others and owning a preparation business, the Justice Department announced today.
The court also ordered Rodriguez to disgorge $33,660, which it stated was "a reasonable approximation of the fees she earned for fraudulently reporting Child Care Expense claims on 187 of her clients' tax returns."
In its order, the court found that Rodriguez had continually and repeatedly prepared tax returns in violation of the Internal Revenue Code. Rodriguez prepared fraudulent federal tax returns for her customers by fabricating itemized deductions, falsifying self-reported income, and falsely claiming Child Care Expenses, according to the complaint filed by the United States in this case.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Father and Son Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl and Oxycodone on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MICHAEL LUCIANO and PHILIP LUCIANO, a father and son, were sentenced today to five years in prison for selling fentanyl and oxycodone over the “dark web,” including on the dark web marketplace AlphaBay. The LUCIANOS also sold fentanyl that substantially contributed to a victim’s non-fatal overdose in 2015. Today’s sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The defendants’ dangerous fentanyl distribution contributed to a victim’s overdose. Fortunately, the victim survived. After this overdose, the defendants continued to deal drugs, using the dark web – a place where some criminals think they can hide – to sell fentanyl and oxycodone, two highly addictive and potentially lethal opioids. For their criminal conduct, this father-son duo has now been sentenced to federal prison.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint and the Indictment to which the LUCIANOS pled guilty, as well as statements made in court:
From at least in or about January 2015 through July 2017, MICHAEL LUCIANO and PHILIP LUCIANO conspired to distribute fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), and oxycodone. They sold narcotics both in person and – from at least February 2016 through July 2017 – over the dark web. In March 2015, the LUCIANOS sold fentanyl to a repeat customer who overdosed, was administered naloxone, taken to the hospital, and survived. The overdose victim sent text messages to PHILIP LUCIANO from the hospital, stating, “I called you / Your dad at the house and saw him / I got back home and shot some. I thought it might have been too much, especially considering my last dose of sub was Saturday. I became unresponsive and my friend called an ambulance. They gave me narcan and I’m at the hospital now / Can I settle up and get 60 more tomorrow?” PHILIP LUCIANO replied, “Give me a call when u can.”
Despite this overdose in 2015, the LUCIANOS continued to sell drugs, including over the dark web in 2016 and 2017. On AlphaBay, they sold narcotics using the vendor name “Zane61.” AlphaBay customers repeatedly provided positive feedback for fentanyl and oxycodone they purchased from Zane61. One of the LUCIANOS’ AlphaBay customers wrote, for example: “Great stealth, fast shipping, legit product. Perfect 10/10.” In July 2017, MICHAEL LUCIANO gave a confession to agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). He admitted, among other things, that PHILIP LUCIANO had handled the technological aspects of their drug transactions over the dark web, PHILIP had reported to MICHAEL drug orders they had received online, and MICHAEL had shipped the narcotics, via the United States Postal Service, to the LUCIANOS’ customers.
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In addition to their prison terms, MICHAEL LUCIANO, 59, and PHILIP LUCIANO, 30, both of Staten Island, were each sentenced to four years of supervised release and forfeiture money judgments of $15,953 along with certain property, such as more than 2.5 Bitcoin.
Mr. Berman praised HSI for its outstanding investigative work. Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the New York City Police Department for their valuable assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Eldon Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Eldon, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to traveling to North Carolina on five occasions to engage in illicit sexual activity with a child victim over a two-year period.
James Anthony Guthrie, III, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
By pleading guilty today, Guthrie admitted that he traveled to North Carolina on five occasions for work and, while there, met the 15-year-old child victim at various hotels for sex. Guthrie admitted that he picked up the child victim from school or at her house; once, the victim’s father brought her to the hotel.
Guthrie also admitted that he communicated about sexual matters with the child victim and received pornographic images and videos from her. He bought her clothes, food, and paid her cell phone bill.
Investigators examined Guthrie’s laptop, hard drive and DVD-R disks, which contained images of child pornography.
Under federal statutes, Guthrie is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lebanon, Mo., Police Department and the Lake Area ICAC Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Drug Dealer Sent to Prison as a Result of Operation Alpha ArrestRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man, identified by law enforcement and prosecutors as being a “Top Ten” Alpha criminal, was sentenced today for participating in a methamphetamine and heroin distribution conspiracy and for possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Dannie Dee Dill, 47, to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.
On Sept. 5, Dill pleaded guilty to the charges of drug conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and removal of property to prevent seizure. The latter charge resulted from Dill removing $15,000 from co-conspirator Darowe Jones’ residence in an effort to hide the drug proceeds from investigators.
“Danny Dill’s drug dealing venture is now closed for business. No longer will he be able to distribute deadly narcotics like methamphetamine and black tar heroin,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Thanks to the efforts of the Tulsa Police Department partnering with federal agents, this conspiracy has been shut down.”
From August 2017 to April 2018, Dill and his co-conspirators participated in a scheme to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, in the greater Tulsa area. As part of the scheme, Dill stored narcotics and drug proceeds at two different houses, one in Broken Arrow and one in Tulsa. His narcotics source of supply sent illegal drug shipments for distribution from outside of the state of Oklahoma to the Broken Arrow location. To further his drug trafficking activities, Dill stored a loaded Glock handgun in the Broken Arrow home.
Dill and his accomplices were arrested as part of Operation Alpha, a Project Safe Neighborhoods’ initiative that sought northern Oklahoma’s most dangerous criminals. Phase One of the Operation Alpha initiative utilized crime mapping technology to target areas with high rates of crime and focused on the area surrounding 21st Street and Garnett Road in Tulsa. Phase one operations took place from mid-April through mid-June 2018 and resulted in 174 felony arrests and seizure of 106 firearms.
Dill’s co-conspirators included Cherie Michelle Kelley, 36, Cynthia Santagata, 32, and Darowe Junior Jones, 39, all of Tulsa. Jones, also labeled a “Top Ten” Alpha criminal, was a one-stop shop for the distribution of methamphetamine, black-tar heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and Xanax. On Oct. 24, a jury convicted Jones of conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 100 grams of heroin. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28. Kelley pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges and will be sentenced Dec.18. Santagata also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and will be sentenced Jan. 8.
Dill remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
Law enforcement agencies involved in the coordinated effort to bring Dill into custody included the Tulsa Police Department, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn A. McCormick and Thomas E. Duncombe prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders in an effort to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Two Armed Robberies in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ridge Jackson, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for a pair of armed robberies he committed within a 24-hour period last spring in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jackson pled guilty in July 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of robbery and two counts of attempted possession of a prohibited weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Following his prison term, Jackson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first armed robbery took place on April 27, 2018, at approximately 10:30 p.m. The victim reported that he had met a woman on a dating app and that she told him to meet her in a building in the 2600 block of Wade Road SE. Once he got there, he called the woman, who said she would be arriving shortly. Instead, Jackson and another individual came into the hallway. Jackson, who was armed, told the man to empty his pockets. He took the victim’s cellphone, a laptop bag containing a machete-style knife, and jacket.
The second armed robbery occurred on April 28, 2018, at approximately 4:30 p.m. This time, another victim reported that he met a woman on a dating app and that she had invited him to meet her in a building in the 2600 block of Wade Road SE. Once again, Jackson entered the building, this time with two other individuals. Jackson approached the victim with a machete-style knife before robbing him of his iPhone, wallet, cash, and headphones.
Jackson was arrested on May 5, 2018, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He has been in custody ever since. At the time of the robberies, he was on supervised release for a 2016 conviction of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.