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13 December 2018
Dublin Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Operating an Interstate Pimping Ring, Co-Defendant SentencedRead the Press Release
MACON— A Dublin, Georgia man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for spearheading an organized interstate pimping ring, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Jesse Lee Hall, Jr., 39 of Dublin, pled guilty in May to one (1) count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, five (5) counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity and one (1) count of inducement to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Honorable Marc T. Treadwell sentenced Mr. Hall, Jr. on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 to a total of 240 months imprisonment and five (5) years of supervised release for his crimes. In addition, co-defendant Lantesia Lanier, 41, of Dublin, Georgia was sentenced to twelve (12) months in prison and one (1) year supervised release on a charge of misleading law enforcement about her knowledge of the enterprise.
According to the plea agreement, Mr. Hall, Jr., acted as a pimp for several victims. The first victim was identified by law enforcement at a Macon hotel in June 2016. The victim told authorities that Mr. Hall, Jr. was her pimp and that she met him through the internet, and her convinced her to move from Ohio to Georgia. The victim was forced by Mr. Hall, Jr. to perform commercial sex acts in hotels throughout central Georgia. During the investigation, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office received new information that Mr. Hall, Jr. was trafficking other women for sex. A second victim confirmed that Mr. Hall, Jr. was her pimp and that she had worked for him from approximately July 2013 until February 2016. Mr. Hall, Jr. advertised her services on the website Backpage.com and transported her to hotels inside and outside Georgia for commercial sex acts. A third victim was also identified and was required to perform commercial sex acts throughout central Georgia. All three victims detailed various threats from Mr. Hall, Jr. to force them to perform commercial sex acts. The victims told law enforcement that Ms. Lanier, along with co-defendants Curtis Hall and Jackie Fields, had knowledge of the operation and participated in it to varying degrees. Mr. Hall and Ms. Fields will be sentenced at a later date.
“This pimp will serve 20 years in prison for selling people for sex. Human trafficking is a deplorable offense, and its victims are usually the most vulnerable people in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler. “We will continue to make human trafficking a major priority for the Office, and appreciate the investigative work of the FBI, Bibb, Laurens, and Bleckley County Sheriff’s Offices in this case.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Bleckley County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Transporting over 13,000 Pounds of Marijuana into the United StatesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Dec. 11, 2018, Enrique Valencia-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to ten years in prison. A jury previously found Valencia-Lopez guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to import marijuana, and importation of marijuana.
In May 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz. discovered and seized hundreds of wrapped bundles containing marijuana from the commercial tractor-trailer Valencia-Lopez drove into the United States. The bundles in total weighed over 13,000 pounds.
Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Corey J. Mantei and David P. Savel, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-00894-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-167_ Valencia-Lopez
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess 50 Kilograms of Cocaine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Reynaldo Lerburds, 41, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today in District Court before District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez to conspiracy, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Lerburds to 87 months followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Gomez ordered that Lerburds pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that Lerburds was travelling from St. John to St. Thomas on the car barge and that the vehicle he was driving contained cocaine. The following day, DEA Agents stopped Lerburds after he was observed driving a Suzuki vehicle off the car barge. When agents approached Leburds, they observed several large duffle bags in the rear of the vehicle. Agents conducted a consensual search of Lerburds’ vehicle and found approximately 50 brick-like objects of a white powdery substance. The white powdery substance tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 50 kilograms.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Virgin Islands Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Dominican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Theft of Mail and Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Ariel Mendoza, 26, a citizen of Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today to theft of mail and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2017 to March 2018, several residents of Salem and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as residents of Lawrence, Massachusetts reported to their local police departments that they had used public mailboxes to mail personal checks or money orders that never were received by the intended recipients. On November 26, 2017, a video surveillance camera near a public mailbox in front of the U.S. Post Office in Salem captured images of Mendoza and another person as they stole items of from the mailbox.
In addition, from November 2017 to May 2018, Mendoza and others deposited over $27,000 in stolen checks and money orders to accounts at banks and credit unions in New Hampshire. After each deposit, Mendoza and the other conspirators obtained the proceeds of the stolen checks by withdrawing cash at ATMs and performing debit card transactions.
Mendoza will be sentenced on March 29, 2019. After he completes that sentence, Mendoza faces likely deportation to the Dominican Republic.
“Crimes such as bank fraud cause financial damage to innocent victims and cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The theft of mail undermines public confidence in a critical governmental service and must be addressed by aggressive investigation and prosecution. I want to thank the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Police Departments in Salem, Manchester, and Lawrence. Their prompt response and thorough investigation of these serious crimes should deter other people from engaging in similar conduct.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes mail theft very seriously,” said Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “Our customers expect their personal information to be kept secure when mailing with the U.S. Postal Service. Postal Inspectors, along with our local police departments who assisted in this investigation, worked hard to prevent more people from becoming further victimized by this scheme. These types of crimes cause considerable financial damage and personal inconvenience.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Salem Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Lawrence, Massachusetts Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella.
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Domestic abuser, convicted robber with bullets among those indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
Six people were indicted in federal court for firearms violations.
Indicted are: Jacob Moser, 28, Conneaut, Robert Howse, 24, of South Euclid, Anthony Clark, 37, of Cleveland, James Horn, 40, of Cleveland, Bryshaun Dodds, 24, of Findlay, and Samuel Schutte, 34, of Green County, Wisconsin.
Moser possessed a Smith & Wesson SD40 VE pistol and 39 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition on August 21, despite a previous conviction for drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Howse possessed 28 rounds of 9 mm ammunition on September 15 and 16, despite a previous convictions aggravated robbery, burglary and robbery, each with a firearms specification, according to the indictment.
Clark possessed a Smith & Wesson SD40 VE pistol and 39 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition on August 21, despite a previous conviction for drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Horn possessed a 12-gauge shotgun on April 11, despite a previous conviction for domestic violence in Cleveland Municipal Court, according to the indictment.
Dodds possessed a .38-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber rifle and a .45-caliber pistol on October 24, despite previous convictions for aggravated assault and aggravated burglary, according to the indictment.
Schutte possessed a Kahr .45-caliber handgun on October 30 despite previous convictions for burglary, forgery and escape, according to the indictment.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, Cleveland Division of Police, the Toledo Police Department and the Metrich Drug Task Force. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Simko, Henry F. DeBaggis, James Lewis, Scott Zarzycki and Robert Patton.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Dillingham Man Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that a Dillingham man has been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges, arising from the seizure of methamphetamine found inside his luggage at the Anchorage International Airport.
Andrew Madison Straley III, 50, of Dillingham, was named in the indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Straley is currently awaiting a court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the federal charge.
According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 19, 2018, law enforcement officers observed Straley arrive at the Anchorage International Airport and check in for a flight bound for Dillingham. Straley did not check any bags, but allegedly made a comment to another passenger that he needed to “go pick something up” before departing the airport as a passenger in a red sedan. Approximately one hour later, Straley arrived back at the airport in the same car, and began walking toward his departure gate, carrying a blue roller bag. Straley was contacted by law enforcement officers at the departure gate and was detained.
A trained narcotics detector dog examined Straley’s luggage and subsequently indicated the presence of controlled substances. Straley consented to a search of his luggage, and located inside was approximately 114.6 grams of methamphetamine, numerous baggies commonly used for the packaging and distribution of drugs, and numerous glass pipes.
If convicted, Straley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and a maximum of up to life in prison, as well as a fine of up to $10 million, for the charge alleged in the indictment. Under federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team, which includes the Alaska State Troopers (AST), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Sandpoint Police Department, the Anchorage Police Department, the North Slope Borough Police Department, and the Anchorage Airport Police, conducted the investigation leading to the charge in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Unemployment Insurance Fraud, Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A Detroit man was sentenced to 36 months in prison today for having conspired to engage in mail fraud and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Wanda M. Stokes, Director of the Talent Investment Agency
According to court records, Charles H. Alexander, 54, of Detroit, participated in a multi-year scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits. As part of the scheme, Alexander obtained personal identifying information of third parties and caused unemployment benefits to be issued in the names of those third parties—even though those individuals has no legitimate entitlement to such benefits. Alexander also impersonated others in order to withdraw fraudulently-obtained unemployment insurance benefits.
Alexander, who has prior convictions for illegal weapons activity, drug activity, and aggravated domestic violence, was also sentenced for having illegally possessed a loaded firearm.
“Unemployment insurance fraud hurts honest employers and employees by driving up rates and making it more difficult for legitimate claimants to receive their benefits,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “Charles Alexander took that damaging fraud activity and made it even worse when he chose to endanger others through his illicit possession of a loaded gun. “
“Charles Alexander and his co-conspirators defrauded the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency by falsely obtaining and using debit cards containing over $330,000 in unemployment insurance benefits issued in the names of claimants who were not entitled to such benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to protect the integrity of unemployment insurance benefit programs,” said James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
"Stealing unemployment benefits hurts us all," Wanda M. Stokes, Director of the Talent Investment Agency said. "We are vigilant in bringing these criminals to justice and making certain they face stiff penalties for their crime. I commend Regulation Agent Kurt Eggly for his efforts to bring this criminal to justice," Stokes added.
Alexander was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman. Judge Friedman ordered Alexander to pay $330,561 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- A Detroit, Michigan man pled guilty yesterday to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Octavius Ellis, 23, entered a guilty plea today to knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl. Stuart praised the work of the Huntington Police Department.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug in the country,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “So far in 2018, we have seized enough fentanyl to kill more than 1.6 million West Virginians. That is why my team will prosecute every fentanyl dealer law enforcement identifies.”
On January 19, 2018, officers with the Huntington Police Department’s Special Emphasis Unit utilized a confidential informant to arrange a controlled buy of heroin from Ellis. Ellis arrived at the buy location in the West End of Huntington and provided the confidential informant with a substance he represented to be heroin in exchange for $70. Testing by the West Virginia State Police Lab confirmed the substance to actually be fentanyl.
Ellis faces up to 20 years when he is sentenced on March 18, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic narcotic that works on the brain like other opioids, such as morphine or heroin, but is 50 to 100 times more potent, and can easily cause an overdose. According to a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the deadliest drug in the United States, taking more than 18,000 lives in 2016.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), an enforcement surge that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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Defendants Charged with Multiple Counts Related to Interstate Prostitution and Sex Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine charging Shou Chao Li, 37, and Derong Miao, 37, both of Concord, New Hampshire, with one count of conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation and travel for prostitution, two counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, and five counts of interstate transportation for prostitution. Li was also charged with possessing a victim’s passport as part of the sex trafficking scheme. The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank of the District of Maine.
According to the indictment, defendants Li and Miao operated an interstate prostitution and sex trafficking enterprise between July 2016 and at least February 2018. The defendants targeted Chinese women and recruited them to travel to Maine, where the defendants caused them to engage in prostitution, controlled their movements, and isolated them. The defendants rented residences and hotel rooms in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire for purposes of prostitution, and they employed others outside of Maine to advertise the women on Backpage.com and to communicate with prostitution customers.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Li faces up to five years on the passport charge. Both defendants face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, between 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life on the sex trafficking charges, and up to 10 years on the interstate transportation for prostitution charges. Both also face fines up to $250,000 and mandatory restitution.
The District of Maine is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam). ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
The case is being investigated by the Portland and South Portland, Maine and the Manchester, Portsmouth, and Concord, New Hampshire Police Departments; the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office; the FBI; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and Wage and Hour Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a prostitution operation that involved sex trafficking a minor victim.
Kenneth Ronald Jones, 26, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
In separate but related cases, Barry Paul Manthe, 65, and Ronald James Clark, 68, both of Columbia, have pleaded guilty to using the internet to promote a racketeering enterprise, a prostitution business that operated out of a Columbia residence. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2019.
On Aug. 6, 2018, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of the sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity by coercion and enticement. Jones admitted that he induced three victims, including a minor, to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution and illicit sexual activity between May 1 and June 1, 2016.
On June 28, 2016, a 17-year-old victim from Wisconsin – identified in court documents as “FV1” – contacted her social worker and reported that she was being held against her will by Jones. She was located at a residence in Columbia that was known for prostitution and removed by law enforcement officers.
FV1 told investigators that Manthe paid for escort advertisements on the website Backpage for the prostitutes utilizing the brothel. According to FV1, she was advertised under a pseudonym but the ads did not include her photograph. Jones found photographs of other females on the Internet and gave them to Manthe to post with the ad.
Clark collected the door fee from the prostitutes, which ranged from $10 to $30. FV1 gave the rest of the money she earned through prostitution to Jones. Clark applied the door fee income to the monthly bills, then split the remaining profit between himself and Manthe.
FV1 told investigators that she met Jones and another victim, a teenager identified as “FV2,” in May 2016 at a party in Milwaukee, Wis., and agreed to travel with him to Columbia to engage in prostitution. As soon as she arrived in Columbia, she was expected to see clients. Jones, who knew she was 17 years old, instructed FV1 to tell everyone at the house she was 18 years old. Jones had her charge $120 for half an hour, or $160 for a full hour. FV1 gave $20 to the owners of the residence and the rest of the proceeds of her prostitution to Jones.
FV2 told investigators that she met Jones in March 2016 at a party in Milwaukee and accompanied him to Columbia because she believed she would be assisting Jones with selling narcotics. FV2 estimated that she earned about $2,500 for engaging in prostitution, but was not allowed to keep any of the money. After about two weeks in Columbia, FV2 and Jones returned to Milwaukee to pick up FV1, after which they returned to the same brothel in Columbia.
FV2,” told police that she worked at the brothel every day and was advertised through Backpage. Jones physically abused her in the days prior to her running away in late May or early June 2016. She reported Jones pointed a 9mm handgun in her face and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.
Jones arranged for a third victim, a teenager identified as “FV3,” to join them in Columbia. FV3, after communicating with Jones on Facebook, agreed to come to Columbia to help him with his drug business. After she arrived in Missouri, Jones told FV3 she needed to make money and threatened to kick her to the streets if she did not do what he wanted. FV3 agreed and did a prostitution “date.” FV3 stated Jones directed her to charge clients $120 per half hour and $200 per hour. FV3 gave a door fee to the owners of the brothel and the rest of the money to Jones. She witnessed Jones point guns and threaten the other victims.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Greendale, Wis., Police Department, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Police Department.
Canadian man sentenced for enticing Georgia and Mississippi girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct over the internetRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Yves Joseph Legault has been sentenced for coercing and enticing the production of child sexual exploitation images over the Internet. The defendant preyed on children in both Mississippi and Georgia simultaneously.
“Legault’s determination to pursue lurid desires shows his lack of fear of the law and a willingness to harm children no matter how young they are,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Predators use the Internet and social media sites to lure unsuspecting teens into their web of deceit. Fortunately, our law enforcement partners adapt quickly to new methods these individuals use, and catch those who prowl the Internet to engage in sexual activity with minors. Our office will continue to prosecute these cases, and we highly encourage parents to be actively involved in children’s social media activities and Internet use.”
“Predators like Legault are always lurking on line, and a threat to our children. Hopefully his sentencing will serve as a warning to all parents to monitor what their children are doing on the internet and on their cell phones,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Be assured the FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children unit and its Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force (MATCH) will use every investigative resource and remain vigilant for predators who pose a threat to children.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning in approximately July 2017, Legault met a 13-year-old Marietta, Georgia, girl on the website Omegle, a free online and anonymous text and video chat tool. After moving their communications to Google Hangouts, the defendant asked the teen to perform sexual acts on live video-streaming for him. He eventually arranged to travel from Canada to Atlanta, Georgia, in order to have sex with the girl.
On August 11, 2017, Legault was arrested after flying from Toronto, Canada into Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport to have sex with the teen. The 13-year-old girl’s mother had alerted agents with the FBI to the relationship after she intercepted a package he sent her daughter from Canada. A federal grand jury charged Legault for this conduct on August 15, 2017.
During the pendency of the Atlanta case and upon further investigation, agents discovered that during this same time period, Legault was also engaged in coercive and enticing chat and message exchanges with an eight-year-old girl residing in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Legault asked the girl to engage in sexually explicit behavior while the two were chatting over a live-streaming communication device. He was subsequently charged in the Southern District of Mississippi with one count of coercing and enticing the production of child pornography.
Yves Joseph Legault, 54, of Ontario, Canada, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by supervised release for life, a $200 special assessment, and he will be deported to Canada upon completion of his sentence. Legault pleaded guilty to both federal cases in the Northern District of Georgia on September 18, 2018, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Orinda D. Evans.
This case was investigated by divisions of the FBI in Georgia and Mississippi.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skye Davis prosecuted the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Canadian Accountant Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $600,000 from Massachusetts CompanyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canadian national who worked as an accountant for a Massachusetts company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing nearly $600,000 from her employer.
Thanh Tam Tao Huynh, a/k/a Tiffany Huynh, 30, most recently of Quincy, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $588,278. Huynh will be deported upon completion of her sentence. In June 2018, Huynh pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
Huynh was employed as the accountant/bookkeeper by her employer from approximately March 2016 through December 2017. Huynh used her position and access to the company’s bank accounts to wire about $425,000 from a company account held by the Royal Bank of Canada to accounts in the United States that Huynh and her associates controlled. She also used a company credit card to make unauthorized purchases for herself and her friends. To conceal her actions, Huynh provided her employer with false balance information for the Canadian account and withheld the personal charge information from the credit card statements she submitted for review. In total, Huynh defrauded her employer of approximately $588,278.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Michael Vincent Maes, 30, of Oakland, California, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to life in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to launder money, and five specific acts of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Between June 2016 and February 2017, Maes was sending packages of methamphetamine to addresses in Slidell, Louisiana, for distribution throughout the Southern District of Mississippi. The individuals distributing that methamphetamine would then deposit proceeds from those sales into Wells Fargo accounts in Biloxi and Gulfport at Maes’ direction. All of the individuals distributing methamphetamine on the Mississippi Coast have previously pled guilty to their activities. Maes was found guilty on September 21, 2018, after a four-day trial. He was acquitted of one specific act of money laundering.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
California Man Sentenced on Drug Charge Involving over 200lbs of CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Armando Ernesto Abarca, 22, of Modesto, California, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between September 2014 and September 2016, the defendant conspired with others to possess and distribute cocaine. Specifically, Abarca utilized a storage unit in Amherst, NY to store 43 kilograms of cocaine. The defendant also distributed approximately 50 kilograms of cocaine in Columbus, OH, during the course of the conspiracy.
Charges remain pending against co-defendant Raul Everado Ledesma Abarca. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office. Additional assistance was provided by ICE-HSI in Los Angeles, California.
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CFO of North Suburban Automobile Parts Company Indicted on Fraud Charges for Allegedly Embezzling More Than $700,000 in Company FundsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former Chief Financial Officer of a north suburban automobile parts company has been indicted on federal fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly embezzling $700,000 in company funds.
While serving as CFO of the Libertyville-based company, MICHAEL PUGLISI fraudulently wrote corporate checks to three shell companies that he created, according to an indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District in Chicago. Puglisi fraudulently set up the shell companies with names that closely resembled or were identical to the names of actual vendors of the auto parts company, the indictment states. Puglisi deposited checks from the auto parts company into bank accounts he opened in the names of the shell companies, and then transferred the money to his personal bank or investment accounts, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Puglisi, 63, of Lisle, with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Arraignment in U.S. District Court has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
According to the charges, Puglisi’s fraud scheme began in 2013 and continued until earlier this year. Puglisi allegedly made false entries in the auto parts company’s accounting reports and financial statements in order to conceal his theft. As a result of his actions, Puglisi caused a loss to the company of at least $700,000, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while each money laundering count carries a maximum sentence of ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Business Owners Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Shreveport husband and wife with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and multiple counts of filing false tax returns, announced United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf owned and operated D&G Holdings, LLC (D&G), a company providing laboratory and mobile phlebotomy services. For the 2011 through 2015 tax years, the Poimboeufs allegedly underreported their income and gross receipts from D&G on their joint personal federal income tax returns by submitting false information to two separate tax return preparers. The information submitted to the tax preparers omitted bank accounts and Forms 1099 that the accountants needed to accurately report their taxable income. The indictment charges that the Poimboeufs also improperly classified business receipts as non-taxable loan proceeds in an effort to reduce their income.
If convicted, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy counts and three years in prison on each false return count. The Poimboeufs also face a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Special agents with the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
The charges in the indictment are only accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Selling Cocaine Near A Buffalo SchoolRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stevie Alejandro, 32, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who handled the case, stated that the defendant operated the Barberians Barber Shop at 1132 East Lovejoy Street, which is located directly across from Buffalo Public School #43, the Lovejoy Discovery School. Between May 2017 and October 18, 2017, the defendant utilized the barber shop to facilitate a drug distribution network. Alejandro conspired with co-defendants Aaron Hill, Cleophus Dentmond, a/k/a Face, Gilbert Guzman, and others, to distribute cocaine in the Lovejoy District.
During the course of the investigation, Alejandro and his associates made numerous cocaine sales to an undercover police officer. Aaron Hill, Cleophus Dentmond, and Gilbert Guzman were previously convicted and sentenced.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zak; and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
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Buffalo Couple Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Emmanuel Collins, a/k/a Scooter, 40, and Quintella Wilson, 36, both of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims (Collins) and aiding and abetting fraudulent returns, statements, or other documents (Wilson) before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Collins’s charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Wilson’s charge carries a maximum penalty of one year and a $100,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2015, Collins organized various individuals in Buffalo to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, claiming false income and tax withholdings on false W-2 forms. Wilson assisted Collins in part by driving the tax filers to tax return preparers to file the fraudulent forms. Investigators identified 16 fraudulent filings in the conspiracy that claimed $124,787 in false refunds. Collins generally took a cut of each tax refund that was fraudulently obtained. Three of the tax filers have also been convicted for their roles.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2019, before Judge Geraci.
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Broken Bow Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Christopher Joseph, age 51, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both. However, if the court deems the defendant to be an Armed Career Criminal, the offense is punishable by not less than 15 years imprisonment.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 8, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm, to-wit: One (1) SCCY, Model CPX-1, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, serial number 247149, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce,
The charges arose from an investigation by the Broken Bow Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Bridgeport Woman Admits Role in Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOSHIREA JACKSON, 49, of Bridgeport, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in January 2012, Jackson and Juliet Jacob operated two businesses, Transitional Development And Training (TDAT), and It Takes A Promise (ITAP), both located at 360 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, which provided social and psychotherapy services. The investigation revealed that Jackson and Jacob used ITAP and TDAT to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided. As part of their scheme, Jackson and Jacob used the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers who had neither rendered nor supervised any of the psychotherapy services that Jackson and Jacob billed to Medicaid. Jackson, and the two licensed providers, were employees of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The two providers did not authorize Jackson or Jacob to obtain provider numbers for them at TDAT or ITAP, and were not aware that TDAT or ITAP were billing Medicaid as if the providers had personally rendered the psychotherapy services.
The investigation further revealed that, in March 2012, Nikkita Chesney, who was employed by a health care provider that provided substance abuse treatment, including a detoxification program in Bridgeport, began to steal the personal identification information of Medicaid clients who were patients of her employer. The personal identifying information included the patients’ Medicaid identification number, Social Security Numbers and dates of birth. Jackson, Jacob, and Chesney then used the stolen identity information to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided by TDAT and ITAP, when the Medicaid clients had never received any such services from TDAT or ITAP.
In pleading guilty, Jackson admitted that the scheme involved stealing the identity of more than 150 Medicaid clients, and that she and her co-conspirators successfully billed Medicaid for approximately half of those clients. Jackson further admitted that she and her co-conspirators also billed Medicaid for services to other clients that were never provided to those clients.
When she is sentenced, Jackson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. She also has agreed to a restitution order of $2,496,618. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Jackson is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
On October 18, 2018, Jacob pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud for her role in this scheme and a separate Medicaid fraud scheme. October 23, 2018, Chesney pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Both await sentencing.
Five other individuals have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses as a result of this and related investigations.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
This case is being jointly investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office. U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Connecticut Department of Social Services for their role in identifying the fraudulent scheme and supporting the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Bell Garden Locos Street Gang Member Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Lukes Lorenzo Herrera, age 21, of Grandview, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on September 13, 2018, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge Lonny R. Suko sentenced Herrera to an 18-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, on April 17, 2018, a Sunnyside Police officer stopped the vehicle Herrera, a documented Bell Garden Locos street gang member, was operating. After learning that Herrera’s driving privileges were suspended, the officer placed Herrera under arrest. While preparing to tow the vehicle, officers observed shotgun shells on the passenger floorboard and a handgun on the back seat. After obtaining a warrant to search the vehicle, officers seized a loaded Herman Weihrauch (“HMW”) .38 Special Revolver, shotgun shells, and 9mm ammunition. Herrera is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “Convicted felons have no right to possess firearms and ammunition. If someone chooses to violate federal law, they will be prosecuted. I commend the outstanding work of the FBI, ATF, and Sunnyside Police Department in investigating this case.”
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
This case was investigated by the Yakima Resident Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Sunnyside Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Armed Felon Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ADRIAN BELLE, also known as “A.B.,” 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 65 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2018, Belle was the passenger in a vehicle stopped by New Haven Police officers. When the officers asked Belle to step out of the vehicle, he reached into the center console, exited the vehicle and then began to flee on foot. Officers observed Belle throw an object during the pursuit. Once Belle was stopped and secured in handcuffs, officers located a Smith and Wesson .380 Caliber firearm with an obliterated serial number in Belle’s front right jacket pocket. Officers also retrieved a loaded firearm magazine that Belle had thrown while running.
Belle’s criminal history includes a conviction in October 2014 for robbery in the first degree. During the robbery, Belle pointed a loaded firearm at a victim. In August 2011, Belle was convicted of three counts of assault on personnel.
Belle has been detained since his arrest. On September 17, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Anne Arundel County Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Stalking His Estranged WifeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Khalil Ahmad, age 51, of Hanover, Maryland, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2018, to stalking his estranged wife. Ahmad admitted that he solicited another individual to have his wife killed after he violated protective orders she had obtained against him, but that he ultimately paid that individual to set her up to appear to be a terrorist and have her arrested instead. Ahmad further admitted that he paid the same individual to burn down the restaurant Ahmad owned in order for him to collect the insurance.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.
According to his plea agreement, Ahmad and the victim were married in July 2015. Before and after their marriage, the victim lived in Howard County, Maryland, and Ahmad lived separately in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. During their marriage, Ahmad threatened to kill the victim using a firearm. In April 2018, the victim informed Ahmad that she wanted a divorce.
On April 24, 2018, Ahmad threatened to kill himself. He drove to the victim’s residence, and in the presence of the victim and her children, poured gasoline over his body. Ahmad then produced a lighter and threatened to light himself on fire if the victim did not take him back.
The next day, the victim obtained a temporary protective order in Howard County against Ahmad, which was served on April 25, 2018, and was effective through May 8, 2018. Ahmad violated the order by contacting the victim by mobile phone on April 29, and May 27, 2018, in Howard County. Ahmad also violated the order on April 30, 2018, by contacting the victim by mobile phone and by following the victim’s vehicle as she drove in Prince George’s County. Criminal summonses were issued in Howard County (two counts) and in Prince George’s County (three counts) for violating a protective order.
To further harass the victim and put her in fear of her life, Ahmad also contacted the victim’s relatives, members of her religious community, and her ex-husband, and advised them that the victim was not a good person and that she was having a romantic relationship with another man; threatened to have the victim’s brother killed in Pakistan; and threatened to have the victim killed if she returned to Pakistan, causing the victim to be afraid to visit her family in Pakistan.
On May 8, 2018, the victim obtained a Final Protective Order from the Circuit Court for Howard County that remains in effect through May 7, 2019. The order directed Ahmad not to: abuse or threaten to abuse the victim; contact, attempt to contact, or harass the victim in person, in writing, or by any other means; or enter the residence of the victim. In addition, the order required Ahmad to stay away from the victim’s place of employment.
Ahmad admitted that beginning in May 2018, he solicited an individual (CW) to harass the victim. CW and Ahmad met several times, during which Ahmad expressed a desire to have his wife murdered. Ahmad subsequently decided to have the victim framed so that she would be arrested as a terrorist because she is from a Middle Eastern country. The plan was to place a ballistic vest, firearm, bottles of alcohol, and extremist jihad writings in her possession, without her knowledge, and then notify law enforcement to have her arrested.
On May 10, 2018, following several discussions with Ahmad, CW reported Ahmad’s plan to law enforcement. Thereafter, at the direction of and/or in the presence of law enforcement, CW’s calls and meetings with Ahmad were recorded. Ahmad gave CW a total of $5,000 in cash over two separate meetings, as a down payment to have the victim set up to appear to be a terrorist. Ahmad also provided CW with a photo of the victim, her address, phone numbers, and the last two digits of her Maryland license plate number. Ahmad made numerous statements to CW that he wanted the victim arrested prior to his June 21 court date in Prince George’s County for violating the protective order. If the victim were arrested, she could not testify, which would result in the court cases being dismissed.
The recorded calls and meetings reflect that Ahmad also wanted CW to commit an arson at Ahmad’s business (Allah Rakha Restaurant) so that Ahmad could collect the insurance payout from the fire. Ahmad advised CW that he recently had raised the amount of insurance on the restaurant by approximately $200,000. During one of their meetings, CW and Ahmad walked into the kitchen area of the restaurant to view the hot water heater and gas line, and discussed how CW would set the business on fire to make it look like an accident.
On June 5, 2018, investigators staged a scene involving what appeared to be Anne Arundel County Police Department (AAPD) uniformed police officers and detectives searching the victim’s vehicle on the side of a road. Photographs were taken of the victim’s vehicle and provided to CW who then went to meet with Ahmad. CW showed Ahmad the staged photographs and told Ahmad that it was done. Ahmad told CW that he would pay $2,000 that day, but would pay the remaining $7,000 once Ahmad could verify that the victim had actually been arrested. Ahmad then drove to a bank, withdrew $2,000 in cash, and handed the money to CW.
Later that same day, AAPD and FBI investigators went to Ahmad’s residence to conduct a ruse, informing Ahmad that his wife had been arrested and asking Ahmad if investigators could talk to him about his wife. Ahmad told investigators that his wife had filed a protective order against him and retrieved the file he had in his home. Ahmad said that he had overheard his wife on the phone at night taking classes about terrorism over the phone and that his wife had attended a terrorist training camp. Ahmad agreed to meet with investigators at AAPD to talk more about his wife, her activities, and her possible associates. At the meeting at AAPD, an FBI Urdu-speaking linguist was present for the interview. Ahmad was provided his Miranda warnings and the FBI linguist translated for Ahmad. Ahmad spoke to investigators at length about his wife. Investigators then confronted Ahmad with recorded video of one of his meetings with CW, during which the two discussed the plot to kill his wife, the plan to set her up to look like a terrorist, and the scheme to burn down his restaurant. Ahmad stated that he wanted CW to make things hard for his wife and to engage in a romantic relationship with her. Ahmad falsely told investigators that the plot to kill his wife, to set her up to look like a terrorist, and the plan to burn down his restaurant were all CW’s ideas.
As a result of his guilty plea to the federal stalking charge, the Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Offices have agreed to dismiss their pending cases against Ahmad.
Ahmad faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for stalking and is subject to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2019.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Howard County Police Department, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams; Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy for their assistance in this prosecution. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.
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Akron man sentenced to 12 years in prison for armed robbery of Dollar GeneralRead the Press Release
An Akron man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the armed robbery of a Dollar General.
Deonte Griffin, 29, was sentenced to 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent. Griffin previously pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Griffin used a firearm to rob the Dollar General at 901 Copley Road in Akron on August 30, 2017, according to court documents.
Griffin possessed a .25-caliber pistol and ammunition despite a previous conviction for aggravated robbery which made it illegal for him to have a firearm, according to court documents.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Akron Police Department.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced DIEUDLET JEAN-LOUIS, 25, of Miami, Florida on December 12, 2018 for access device fraud conspiracy. Jean-Louis was arrested in Northwood, Massachusetts. He received twelve months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $164,627.00. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the US Secret Service investigated this case.
Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced SAMUEL OLIVIER-BRAVO, 37, of Mexico on December 10, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Olivier-Bravo was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The US Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case.
Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced ERIC JEFFERY REAM, Jr., 36, of Cheyenne, Wyoming on December 11, 2018 for simple possession of methamphetamine, and felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Eric Ream Jr. was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received forty-one months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release. The Cheyenne Police Department investigated this case.
12 December 2018
Wyoming County Man Charged with Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Sean Michael Fryer, age 37, of Factoryville, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for multiple child exploitation crimes.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Fryer used the internet and a cellular device to coerce a minor to produce child pornography and to engage in sexual conduct. The indictment further alleges that Fryer received, distributed and possessed material in the form of visual depictions involving the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski is prosecuting the case.
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."
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Wilkinsburg Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to seven years’ imprisonment followed by four years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Landriff Macklin, 40.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around September 2016, and continuing thereafter to on or about November 30, 2017, Macklin conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Landriff Macklin. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Borough of Baldwin Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Stowe Township Police Department also provided assistance in this investigation. 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.
Walmart Bandit Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that TERRY MADISON, age 22, pleaded guilty yesterday to committing robbery of a Walmart Money Center located in Hammond, Louisiana, on April 14, 2018.
MADISON admitted that he entered the Walmart and passed a demand note to the cashier in the Walmart Money Center, and also reached into his waistband, implying that he was armed with a firearm. The teller complied with the demand, and MADISON escaped with over $3,000 in cash.
MADISON will be sentenced in this case by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on March 12, 2019 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons, three years of Supervised Release, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the hard work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Unit and the Hammond Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Myles Ranier was in charge of the prosecution.
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Venezuelan and Argentinean Men Apprehended Off of St. John Sentenced to 52 days for Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Dionis Luiz Gomez, 31, of Venezuela and Roman Perez Hernandez, 34, of Argentina was sentenced today to 52 days for illegal entry, announced United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller also ordered Gomez and Hernandez to each pay a $10 special assessment.
According to court documents, on October 21, 2018 at approximately 9:00 p.m., agents of the United States Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations were patrolling the coastline of St. John near Haulover Bay, USVI when they encountered a Virgin Islands registered vessel with no running lights illuminated. Upon further inspection, the agents determined that there were five males onboard, including defendants Gomez and Hernandez. The vessel was on course to an area that is not a port of entry authorized by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Following his apprehension by federal law enforcement, defendant Gomez was read his Miranda Rights in Spanish language and waived his rights both verbally and in writing. He stated that he had arrived in Tortola, BVI on September 27, 2018.
Neither Gomez nor Hernandez were U.S. citizens, but were nationals of Venezuela and Argentina, respectively. Gomez and Hernandez did not have permission to enter the United States and the area where the boat was stopped was not a designated port of entry.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
VA Medical Center Nurse Pleads Guilty for Stealing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
DENVER – Erick Lee Tombre, age 46, of Denver, a registered nurse in the State of Colorado, pled guilty today for acquiring and attempting to obtain controlled substances, including hydromorphone, by deception and subterfuge, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and Veterans Affairs Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General Gregg Hirstein announced. The guilty plea was tendered before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn.
Tombre was first charged by Information on November 9, 2018. He pled guilty today, December 12, 2018. He is free on bond, and will be sentenced by Judge Blackburn on April 2, 2018.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, Tombre, who obtained his license as a registered nurse in the State of Colorado in April 2012, started work at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in January 2014. As a nurse, the defendant had access to an automated system that dispensed controlled substances. The system requires an individual to log-in to withdraw drugs and documents all transactions. Drugs are to be withdrawn only for patient administration based on a doctor’s orders.
Tombre’s diversion was initially uncovered by a VAMC controlled substance transaction audit in February 2017. That audit showed unusual and unaccounted for controlled substance withdrawals, including for example, the defendant’s withdrawal of hydromorphone for the same patient three times in one hour, documenting only one of the three doses as being administered to the patient. The audit also determined that Tombre withdrew more than twice the amount of fentanyl than the next highest health care provider in his until. He had the highest withdrawal of any provider for hydromorphone 2 mg syringes.
During the investigation, Tombre admitted that he had diverted controlled substances for “a couple of years” and most frequently took and used hydromorphone but also took and used fentanyl. He stated he would steal the drugs by drawing up into a syringe the “waste” remaining after patient administration. He would “waste”, or discard, saline instead of the drug and keep the extra drug he diverted. Tombre stated that on an average shift he would waste saline and take home one or two half-full syringes.
The investigation revealed no evidence of patient harm.
Tombre faces not more than 4 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case was investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Edgar.
Upshur County man sentenced to 15 years for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Thunderbolt Dean Whaley, of French Creek, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 180 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine and a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Whaley, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute More than 50 grams of Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime” in January 2018. He admitted to conspiring with others in distributing methamphetamines in Upshur County and elsewhere from March 2016 to September 2017. Whaley also admitted to carrying a .38 special revolver during a drug crime in Lewis County in July 2017.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
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. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Upshur County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marlin E. Beckner, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 63 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beckner, age 44, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in August 2018. Beckner admitted to possessing crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, in September 2017 in Upshur County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.
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. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
United States Attorney Minkler to host third project safe neighborhoods outreach initiativeRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – Josh J. Minkler, United States Attorney, announces the upcoming third roundtable gathering of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Outreach Initiative.
When: February 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Office of the United States Attorney, Southern District of Indiana10 West Market Street, Suite 2100, Indianapolis, IN 46204
The United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana (USAO, SDIN) is committed to proactive steps intended to foster safe neighborhoods and create opportunities to continue implementation of crime prevention strategies.Representatives and leaders from private industry, the faith based community, the criminal justice sector, and grassroots community associations, and interested parties, are cordially invited to attend the third roundtable meeting, during which time conversations and action steps geared toward the reduction of gun violence in the district will be discussed. It is the stated PSN goal that our citizens enjoy safe neighborhoods and economic empowerment by engaging in both prevention activities and enforcement to hold gun-toting felons responsible for federal violations of law. Illustratively, the USAO, SDIN has prosecuted in excess of 195 cases alleging felons in possession of firearms and/or engaging in violent acts in 2018.
At the November PSN meeting, Jennifer Cameron, mother of JeShon Cameron, shared the story about how gun violence tragically affected her family in July 2018 by stealing the life of young JeShon far before his time. This November meeting was hosted by David McGuire, Principal of Tindley Summit, an extension of the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School System, who shared stories and action steps educators are engaged in under his leadership.
United States Attorney Minkler thanks all of the law enforcement officers, citizens, community leaders, and activists who help foster this program.
U.S. Attorney and Butte County District Attorney Join Forces to Warn Against Wildfire-Related Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
OROVILLE, Calif. — U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey joined forces today to raise public awareness of the potential for fraud in the wake of the Camp Fire. The public is urged to be on guard against fraudulent activity relating to recovery and cleanup operations, fake charities claiming to provide relief for victims, individuals submitting false claims for disaster relief, and any other disaster fraud related activity.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “While most people respond to tragic events like the Camp Fire with compassion and generosity, others take advantage of such disasters to fraudulently enrich themselves. I strongly encourage the public to be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity occurring in the aftermath of our state’s most devastating wildfire. With the combined resources of federal and local law enforcement, we will aggressively pursue and prosecute fraud and abuse.”
Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said: “There has been a tremendous outpouring of generosity towards our victims of the Camp Fire. We all know of a friend or family member that was personally affected by this disaster. We cannot allow those with less generous spirits dampen our desire to rebuild our community stronger and better. With the help of our federal partners, we will protect our community from these predators.”
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.
Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims, and to be especially cautious of anyone who contacts you seeking personal identifying information or financial information. Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, or who believe that they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected].
Two Overdose Deaths - Dover Man ChargedRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that on December 4, 2018, Quaheem Hall of Dover, Delaware, was charged by superseding indictment with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the deaths of two people within a span of five days in January 2017. Hall was also charged with distributing heroin five times between August and September 2017, and possessing heroin in October 2017. The distribution charges that led to the deaths of two individuals carry a mandatory minimum penalty of twenty years each, with a maximum of life imprisonment. The remainder of the drug charges carry a penalty of up to twenty years of imprisonment.
This case exemplifies the dangers presented by fentanyl, which is substantially stronger than heroin and is often mixed with heroin or substituted for heroin. In 2017, more than 72,000 people nationwide died as a result of the opioid epidemic. The victims in this case were two of 345 people to die of overdoses in the State of Delaware in 2017.
U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “Knowingly distributing fentanyl is akin to committing a crime of violence. This office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of heroin and illegal opioid drugs into our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Dover Police Department and the Delaware State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer K. Welsh and Laura D. Hatcher are prosecuting this case.
A superseding indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Tucker County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Lee Hollobaugh, of Parsons, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hollobaugh, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in August 2018. Hollobaugh, having previously been convicted of four felonies, admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol in October 2017 in Randolph County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Toledo man was charged with making false statements following search of his home and carRead the Press Release
A Toledo man was charged with making false statements.
Vincent S. Armstrong, 23, was charged in U.S. District Court with one count of providing false statements to a law enforcement officer.
The charge was announced by United States Attorney Justin Herdman, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Fortunato and Toledo Police Chief George Kral.
Armstrong lives with Elizabeth Lecron, who was arrested Monday and charged with one count of transportation of explosives and explosive material for the purposes of harming others and property. Lecron is accused of purchasing black powder and screws that she believed were going to be used to make a bomb as part of a terrorist attack.
According to an affidavit filed in Armstrong’s case:
Armstrong and Lecron flew together in August to visit sights related to the shooting at Columbine High School. During a search of their home that month, law enforcement found an AK-47, shotgun, multiple handguns, ammunition and end caps purchased by Armstrong, which can be used in the manufacture of pipe bombs.
Law enforcement also found journal entries by Lecron and Armstrong discussing a violent attack. On June 8, Armstrong wrote: “Now I have these thoughts…These memories. They haunt me. I have a vision. A vision to kill. To hunt the unwilling...”
On December 10, law enforcement searched the residence Armstrong and Lecron share on Willow Run Drive, as well as their vehicles. The trunk of Armstrong’s vehicle had a duffel bag that contained a tactical vest with two loaded magazines for an AK-47, two loaded magazines for a pistol, a gas mask, printouts of instructions how to construct various bombs, and other items.
In the residence, law enforcement removed a shotgun, a handgun and an AK-47 with the stock removed.
Armstrong was interviewed on December 10. He denied discussing with Lecron plans to launch an attack. He also denied purchasing items that could be used to make a bomb.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of members of the FBI, Homeland Security and Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Toledo Police Department, is leading the investigation. They were assisted by the FBI’s office in Denver. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.To Combat Growing Fentanyl Crisis, Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces New Initiative Partnering with Local Law Enforcement in BaltimoreRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland today announced a new initiative designed to combat the growing fentanyl overdose crisis in Maryland. According to statistics for 2018, there are projected to be more than 2,000 fentanyl deaths statewide, and in Baltimore alone there are projected to be at least twice as many fatal fentanyl overdoses as homicides. Under this new initiative, every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl made by law enforcement in Baltimore will be reviewed jointly by the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case will be handled in the state or federal system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute more cases involving fentanyl as a result of this new program. The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, is necessary to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl.
The program was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Marilyn Mosby; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
“State and federal law enforcement and prosecutors in Baltimore City are working together to arrest and prosecute those who peddle deadly fentanyl on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “More and more people are dying from fentanyl overdoses in Baltimore City and throughout the state. We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from this drug and from all opioids.”
Individuals charged federally under this initiative may face substantial minimum mandatory sentences, no parole and no suspended sentences, and sentences are often served in federal prisons far from home. For example, a defendant convicted in federal court of distributing 40 grams of fentanyl, enough to kill 20,000 people (just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal), faces at least five years in federal prison. A defendant convicted of distributing 400 grams of fentanyl faces at least 10 years in federal prison, and if the distribution of fentanyl results in death, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Pursuant to this new federal-state initiative to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office today unveiled three indictments charging four individuals in federal court. These three inaugural criminal cases targeting dealers of fentanyl are the first to be brought under the new program, with more prosecutions to come. The federal prosecutions are all being investigated by Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with officers from the Baltimore Police Department and other local law enforcement. The following defendants are charged federally with conspiracy and with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Gari Terrell Miller, age 38, of Clinton, Maryland, faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. He is detained pending trial; and
Davon Nelson, age 33, and Terrell Perry, age 34, both of Baltimore, face a maximum of 20 years in prison. They have not yet had their initial appearances in U.S. District Court, but remain detained on related state charges.
Aubrey Heckstall, age 46, of Baltimore, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and has not yet had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court.
The fentanyl program announced today is intended to augment our ongoing opioid reduction strategy. That strategy includes proactive criminal investigations to reach the sources of supply, including those outside Maryland, prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who divert and illegally distribute opioids, as well as public outreach in Maryland communities. A few noteworthy cases and activities are highlighted below.
Proactive Prosecutions Targeting Sources of Supply
On October 24, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Nevone McCrimmon, age 47, of Edgewood, Maryland; William Elijah, age 51; and Terrance Mobley, age 50, both of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to their indictment and other court documents, the defendants are high-ranking members of a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization that imports and distributes heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The defendants allegedly obtained drugs from a Miami-based drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa and Tijuana Mexican drug cartels. To date, law enforcement has seized 20 kilograms of fentanyl and over $500,000 in U.S. currency. If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
On November 15, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Derrell Dixon, age 39, of Columbia, Maryland and Teraino Johnson, age 45, of Baltimore, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Dixon was also charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, these defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
Finally, on October 23, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Narada Michael Walls, age 38, of Salisbury, Maryland, with conspiracy to possess and to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogues resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue and marijuana, and importation of a controlled substance, specifically, a fentanyl analogue, from China. Fentanyl analogues are chemical compounds designed to have effects similar to fentanyl and can be just as deadly. In the federal system, the penalties for distribution of analogues are often more severe in an effort to discourage dealers from creating and distributing them illegally. According to his indictment and other court documents, Walls used an assumed name and a fake email address to purchase methoxyacetyl fentanyl directly from suppliers in China. The indictment alleges that Walls’ distribution of the product resulted in at least one death. Walls faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison
Doctors and Pharmacists
Earlier this week, licensed pharmacist Richard Daniel Hiller, age 64 of Owings Mills, Maryland was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for conspiracy and for distributing oxycodone, and was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. Hiller admitted that from 2014 to February 2017, he illegally distributed oxycodone to three women who were addicted to the drug in exchange for sexual favors. Over the course of the conspiracy, Hiller distributed approximately 20,500 15-milligram oxycodone pills.
In another case, David Robinson, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2018 to a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam. Robinson, a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated the Frankford Family Pharmacy, admitted that he dispensed oxycodone and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Federal search warrants executed at locations associated with Robinson resulted in the seizure of more than $292,000, a loaded 9mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle with a magazine, and several boxes of ammunition. Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2019.
Public Outreach
In an effort to increase awareness of the danger of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other opioids, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Drug Enforcement Administration have partnered to deploy billboards in Baltimore that illustrate that even small amounts of opioids are lethal. The billboard also brings awareness to the fact that more than 2,000 Marylanders will die from opioids in 2018.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a member of the Opioid Task Force and works with local, state, and federal agencies to make people aware of the dangers of opioid abuse and the resources available to assist recovering addicts.
U.S. Attorney Hur thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the Maryland State Police; and the Salisbury Police Department for their work on the cases highlighted above. Mr. Hur also commended the many dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Assistant State’s Attorneys who are handling these prosecutions.
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Three Plead Guilty to Hunting Illegally & Obstructing Grand Jury InvestigationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Robert Peters, 53, and Steven Reindahl, 55, both of Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Madison to hindering a federal grand jury investigation by providing false testimony about a January 2017 Montana mountain lion hunt. This charge carries maximum penalties of six months in prison, a $50,000 fine, and five years of probation.
A third man, David Johnson, 31, Barnes, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to shooting a mountain lion in 2017 without a Montana hunting license, and conspiring with Darren Johnson to transport the illegally taken mountain lion from Montana to Wisconsin in violation of the Lacey Act. Each of these charges carries maximum penalties of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and five years of probation.
The charges against Darren Johnson, 52, Deer Park, Wisconsin, remain pending, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. David Johnson and Darren Johnson are not related.
At the plea hearing, the government provided the court with a summary of the evidence that it would have introduced had the case gone to trial.
On January 6, 2017, Darren and David Johnson, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl were in Mosby, Montana hunting mountain lions with their dogs. That morning, the dogs treed a mountain lion. Only Darren Johnson and Steve Reindahl had valid licenses to hunt mountain lions.
Despite not having a valid license, David Johnson used Darren Johnson’s rifle to shoot and kill the mountain lion, and Darren Johnson took out his tag and tagged the lion. According to witness testimony, Darren Johnson told the group that everyone needed to stick to the story that Darren Johnson killed the mountain lion. On January 10, 2017, all four men drove back from Montana to Wisconsin, and Darren Johnson and Steve Reindahl transported the mountain lion hide. A few days later, Darren Johnson dropped off the hide at David Johnson’s home.
In late May 2018, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl were served with grand jury subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury on June 21, 2018, in Madison regarding the 2017 mountain lion hunt. On Sunday June 17, 2018, Darren and David Johnson, Robert Peters, and Steve Reindahl met at Peter’s home in Turtle Lake to talk about the upcoming grand jury session. At the Sunday meeting, Darren Johnson allegedly told everyone to stick to the story that he killed the Montana mountain lion on January 6, 2017, and that the agents did not have any proof to say otherwise.
On June 21, 2018, Bob Peters and Steve Reindahl appeared before the grand jury. Later, Peters and Reindahl admitted that they lied to the grand jury and agreed to cooperate and tell the truth. They recanted their prior testimony and explained that David Johnson killed the mountain lion and Darren Johnson tagged it and told everyone he killed it and they all needed to stick to that story. Both men explained that they were told by Darren Johnson at the meeting in Turtle Lake not to tell the truth to the grand jury.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker scheduled sentencing hearings for all three on February 26, 2019, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The charges against these men were the result of an investigation conducted by special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber.
Three Men Found Guilty of 2012 Bronx MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SEAN PETER, a/k/a “Huggie,” JASON CAMPBELL, a/k/a “Holiday,” a/k/a “Fish,” and STEVEN SYDER, were found guilty yesterday of the murder of 20-year-old Brian Gray in the Bronx on October 2, 2012. PETER, CAMPBELL, and SYDER were also found guilty of conspiring to distribute marijuana and related firearms offenses. The defendants were convicted following a six-day trial before United States District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “For years, the defendants thought they had gotten away with murder. Yesterday, a unanimous jury said otherwise. We thank our partners at the FBI and the NYPD for their extraordinary work on this case, and for making sure that, no matter the passage of time, justice was done.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
In retaliation for an attempted drug robbery, the defendants followed Gray and three friends in the early morning hours of October 2, 2012, from a local bodega to a nearby porch on Barker Avenue in the Bronx. The defendants then left the area to arm themselves, returned to where Gray and his friends were located, and opened fire, fatally wounding Gray and injuring two other individuals.
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PETER, 35, CAMPBELL, 32, and SYDER, 35, all of the Bronx, New York, were found guilty of conspiring to distribute or possess with intent to distribute marijuana, murder in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing of the defendants before Judge Buchwald will be scheduled at a later date.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Berman also thanked the Teaneck, New Jersey, Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar K. Ravi, Jacqueline Kelly, and Christopher J. Clore are in charge of the prosecution.
Three Individuals Indicted in December 2018 Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the December 2018 Federal Grand Jury.
The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-parolable.
NICKEY LYNN ANDERSON, age 35, of Idabel, Oklahoma
Possessing Contraband In Prison (2 Counts)The Indictment alleges that on or about October 16, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, NICKEY LYNN ANDERSON, an inmate of a prison as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1791(d)(4), did knowingly possess a prohibited object, to-wit: a long piece of metal sharpened to a fine point on one end, with cloth wrapped around the opposite end to form a handle, designed and intended to be used as a weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1791(a)(2), 1791(b)(3) and 1791(d)(1)(B), punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The Indictment further alleges that on or about October 16, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, NICKEY LYNN ANDERSON, an inmate of a prison as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1791(d)(4), did knowingly possess a prohibited object, to-wit: a cellular telephone, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1791(a)(2), 1791(b)(4) and 1791(d)(1)(F), punishable by not more than 1 year imprisonment, a fine up to $100,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sherriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Heatherman
JAY Q. BRANHAM, age 50, of Seminole, Oklahoma
Embezzlement And Theft From Indian Tribal OrganizationsThe Indictment alleges that on or about November 2017 to on or about October 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, JAY Q BRANHAM, did steal, embezzle and knowingly and willfully convert to his own use monies in excess of $1,000.00 which had been entrusted to his custody and care as an employee of the Seminole Nation Housing Authority, an Indian tribal organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1163, punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Jordan
JEREMY LEE POAFPYBITTY a/k/a “Chooch”, age 33, of Bunch, Oklahoma
Assaulting An Employee Of The United States With A Deadly And Dangerous WeaponThe Indictment alleges that on or about July 24, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, JEREMY LEE POAFPYBITTY a/k/a Chooch, did knowingly, intentionally, and forcibly, with the use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, to wit: a knife, assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with and did inflict bodily injury to an employee of the United States Postal Service while in and on account of the performance of official duties, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b), punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson
Texas Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Violent Crime Spree in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lane Michael Reed, 24, of Killeen, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 25 years in prison for armed robbery, carjacking and firearms charges arising out of a two-day violent crime spree in July 2017. Reed will be on supervised release for 5 years after completing his prison sentence.
On July 19, 2018, Reed pled guilty to robbing the Pecos River Station convenience store in San Miguel County, brandishing a firearm during the robbery, and carjacking. In entering his guilty plea, Reed also admitted that after the robbery, he attempted to evade arrest by driving at speeds up to 140 miles an hour and discharging his firearm at the law enforcement officers who were pursuing him. During the pursuit, Reed caused extensive damage to the vehicle he stole as well as the law enforcement vehicles pursuing him.
The Santa Fe office of the FBI, the New Mexico State Police and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe 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 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.
Tallahassee City Commissioner and Political Consultant Charged in Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Charles Maddox, 50, and Tallahassee political consultant Janice Paige Carter-Smith, 53, both of Tallahassee, have been indicted in a forty-four count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest services fraud, and bribery. Maddox and Carter-Smith are also charged with substantive counts of bank fraud, false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest services fraud, use of interstate facilities in furtherance of bribery, false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and filing false tax returns.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Attorney for the United States Karen Rhew-Miller of the Northern District of Florida Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of the IRS – Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
The initial appearance is scheduled for today, Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. EST at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor. The trial date will be determined at this hearing.
Maddox and Carter-Smith allegedly conspired to operate two companies, Governance, Inc., and Governance Services, LLC, as one entity they referred to as “Governance.” Per the indictment, Governance was part of a racketeering enterprise that extorted money and accepted bribes from Governance clients under color of Maddox’s office and through fear of the economic harm that Maddox could inflict in his position as an influential City Commissioner. The indictment alleges that Maddox voted on matters and exerted influence on City employees to take actions that benefitted the businesses that paid Maddox and Carter-Smith through Governance.
According to the charges, Maddox and Carter-Smith made false statements to the FBI concerning Maddox’s affiliation with, and management of Governance and Governance Services. The indictment alleges that during the course of the conspiracy, Maddox made false statements under oath to a Florida Commission on Ethics investigator and in a sworn deposition about his affiliation with Governance. He also concealed from the Tallahassee City Attorney and the City Commission the fact that he was being paid by companies doing business with the City.
The indictment further alleges that Maddox and Carter-Smith also defrauded a bank of more than $250,000 through two fraudulent short sales of real property, lied to federal agents about Governance and other matters, and violated federal tax laws by conspiring to interfere with the IRS and filing false tax returns.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz of the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Simon J. Cataldo and Peter M. Nothstein of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:
- 30 years: Bank Fraud, False Statements to a Financial Institution
- 20 years: Racketeering Conspiracy, Extortion and Honest Services Fraud
- 5 years: Use of Interstate Facilities in Furtherance of Bribery, Making False Statements to a Federal Officer, Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
- 3 years: False Statement on a Tax Return
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tallahassee City Commissioner and Political Consultant Charged in Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Tallahassee, Florida City Commissioner Scott Charles Maddox, 50, and Tallahassee political consultant Janice Paige Carter-Smith, 53, both of Tallahassee, have been indicted in a 44-count indictment for conspiring to operate a racketeering enterprise that engaged in acts of bank fraud, extortion, honest services fraud and bribery.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515 Karen Rhew-Miller for the Northern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Maddox and Carter-Smith are also charged with substantive counts of bank fraud, false statements to financial institutions, extortion, honest services fraud, the use of interstate facilities in furtherance of bribery, false statements to federal officers, conspiracy to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS, and filing false tax returns. The initial appearance is scheduled for today, Dec. 12, at 3:00 p.m. EST at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor. The trial date will be determined at this hearing.
Maddox and Carter-Smith allegedly conspired to operate two companies, Governance Inc., and Governance Services LLC, as one entity they referred to as “Governance.” Per the indictment, Governance was part of a racketeering enterprise that extorted money and accepted bribes from Governance clients under color of Maddox’s office and through fear of the economic harm that Maddox could inflict in his position as an influential City Commissioner. The indictment alleges that Maddox voted on matters and exerted influence on City employees to take actions that benefitted the businesses that paid Maddox and Carter-Smith through Governance.
According to the charges, Maddox and Carter-Smith made false statements to the FBI concerning Maddox’s affiliation with, and management of Governance and Governance Services. The indictment alleges that during the course of the conspiracy, Maddox made false statements under oath to a Florida Commission on Ethics investigator and in a sworn deposition about his affiliation with Governance. He also concealed from the Tallahassee City Attorney and the City Commission the fact that he was being paid by companies doing business with the City.
The indictment further alleges that Maddox and Carter-Smith also defrauded a bank of more than $250,000 through two fraudulent short sales of real property, lied to federal agents about Governance and other matters, and violated federal tax laws by conspiring to interfere with the IRS and filing false tax returns.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Simon J. Cataldo and Peter M. Nothstein of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Kunz of the Northern District of Florida.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Anthony Braylock, 35 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Braylock was sentenced to 40 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in January 2018, Braylock sold a handgun to another person while at his house in South Bend, Indiana. Previously, in 2008, Braylock was convicted federally of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Braylock committed the present offense less than 6 months after being released from custody in his prior federal case.
This case was part of our Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. The program brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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South Bend Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine for DistributionRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Ramon Lenoir III, 37 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, has been charged with possession of over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases of drug dealing, especially when firearms are involved. Curbing the distribution of illegal narcotics is a top priority of my Office.”
According to the federal Indictment, on December 6, 2018, Lenoir knowingly and intentionally possessed over 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to other people. He also possessed a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
Lenoir had been previously charged in state court for this criminal conduct. According to documents filed in that state court case, a person working with Warsaw, Indiana investigators purchased methamphetamine from Lenoir at his house in South Bend. Investigators then obtained a search warrant. When executing the warrant, officers found Lenoir near a toilet and believed he had attempted to flush something down the toilet. Lenoir had just under seven grams of suspected methamphetamine on him. Investigators found an additional 315 grams of suspected methamphetamine in the kitchen. Investigators also found several firearms, some marijuana, and over seven thousand dollars of cash.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit, the South Bend Police Department’s Strategic Focus Unit, and the Rochester Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly L. Schultz.
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Six Individuals Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Firearm Violations and the Murder of Banker Maurice SpagnolettiRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 6, 2018, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a third superseding indictment against six defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Four of these individuals, Luis Carmona-Bernacet, a.k.a. “Canito Cumbre”; Yadiel Serrano-Canales, a.k.a. “Motombo”; Rolando Rivera-Solis; and Alex Burgos-Amaro, a.k.a. “Yogui”, were charged with the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in the murder of banker Maurice Spagnoletti. The FBI was in charge of the investigation with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD).
The indictment alleges that since the year 2000 and continuing up to 2014, in the municipalities of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo, and Bayamón, defendants Luis Carmona-Bernacet, a.k.a. “Canito Cumbre”; Yadiel Serrano-Canales, a.k.a. “Motombo”; Alan Lugo-Montalvo, a.k.a. “Allan Lugo Montalvo”; Fabiany Almestica-Monge; Rolando Rivera-Solis; and Alex Burgos-Amaro, a.k.a. “Yogui” intentionally possessed with intent to distribute crack, cocaine, and marihuana.
Counts three, four, and five allege offenses involving the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(j)(1). Counts three and four charge Carmona-Bernacet with the murders of William Castro on December 30, 2002, and René Cruz on December 6, 2006, respectively. In regards to the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti detailed in count five, the grand jury charged defendants Carmona-Bernacet, Serrano-Canales, Rivera-Solis and Burgos-Amaro, aiding and abetting each other, with counseling, commanding, inducing and procuring each other to carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and in the course of that crime, causing the death of Maurice Spagnoletti.
As part of the drug trafficking conspiracy, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendants established drug distribution points among several housing facilities owned by a public housing authority and other areas. The co-conspirators acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization and routinely possessed, carried, brandished and used firearms to protect themselves and the drug trafficking organization.
It is further alleged that co-conspirators legally employed other members of the conspiracy in their maintenance and service related companies in order to further their illegal activities. Leaders of the organization would practice the “Santería” religion to protect drug trafficking activities. The leaders usually identified themselves by wearing attire and amulets regularly used in the “Santería” religion. The leaders and their coconspirators would conduct “Santería” religious ceremonies or cults before engaging in significant criminal activities and/or other violent incidents to protect the leaders, the organization, and their drug trafficking activities.
“Federal, state and local law enforcement agents worked together with our prosecutors to target the leaders and key members of this violent gang, who are responsible for at least three murders, one of which was the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti in 2011,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Today’s charges prove our continuing commitment to remove armed, violent criminals from our neighborhoods and bring them to justice. Notwithstanding the indictment returned by the grand jury, as to the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti, the investigation continues.”
Douglas A. Leff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Division stated: “The prosecutors and investigators assigned to this case were unwavering in their tireless dedication to see that these brutal murders would not go unsolved. While the unimaginable pain of the family members of these victims can never be resolved, the justice system will ensure that those responsible pay dearly for their willingness to kill another human being in furtherance of their own greed.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Zenón-Matos is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years; from 10 years up to life in prison for the drug conspiracy charge, and from five years up to life in prison for the firearm charges. For the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti, the defendants could face the death penalty or imprisonment for any term of years or for life. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Shipping Company Sentenced for Illegally Discharging Waste at SeaRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Navimax Corporation (“Navimax”), incorporated in the Marshall Islands with its main offices in Greece, was sentenced today to a $2,000,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika for a violation of the Act To Prevent Pollution From Ships (“APPS”), and obstruction of a Coast Guard investigation.
The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships is a codification of international treaties known as the “MARPOL Protocol.” APPS applies to the handling and disposal of oily waste generated by ship machinery as well as oil cargo residue that results from cleaning oil cargo tanks. To insure that oily waste is properly stored and processed at sea, all ocean-going ships entering U.S. ports must maintain an Oil Record Book in which all transfers and discharges of oily waste, regardless of the ship’s location in international waters, are fully recorded.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Navimax operated the Nave Cielo, a 750-foot long oil tanker. In early December 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel near Delaware City and was conducting a routine inspection when a crewmember gave the officers a thumb drive containing two videos, depicting a high-volume discharge of dark brown and black oil waste from a five-inch pipe, located 15-feet above water level. Subsequent investigation disclosed that the approximate 10-minute discharge occurred on November 2, 2017, in international waters, after the ship left New Orleans en route to Belgium. The day after the discharge, crewmembers cleaned oil from the decks and a crewman was lowered over the side of the vessel to clean oil from the hull. During the Coast Guard inspection on December 7, 2017, the ship’s crew presented the ship’s Oil Record Book, which did not record this discharge.
“The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships helps protect the precious ocean and marine resources of the United States from harmful pollution, and those who knowingly violate this law will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with the Coast Guard and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals and corporations alike comply with the nation’s environmental laws.”
“The defendant violated environmental laws that protect our marine environment from harmful pollution,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss. “The conviction and criminal fine, reinforced by a four-year term of probation, during which the defendant’s fleet of ships will be monitored, ensures that defendant is held accountable. The message to the shipping industry is clear: environmental crimes at sea will not be tolerated.”
“I am exceptionally pleased with the outcome of this case,” said Captain Scott Anderson, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. “Personnel at Sector Delaware Bay, Marine Safety Detachment Lewes, DE, the Coast Guard Investigative Service Philadelphia Office, and legal staffs dedicated countless hours conducting an extensive and detailed investigation and processing the case. Outcomes like this help protect the environment by holding operators accountable for their actions.”
Navimax was ordered to pay the $2,000,000 fine immediately, and placed the company on probation for four years. Also sentenced today for a violation of APPS was Roman Maksymov, the vessel’s former Chief Officer. Maksymov was responsible for the proper handling of oily waste from the ship’s cargo holds and for recording any discharge of oil in the Oil Record Book.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmond Falgowski and Trial Attorney John Cashman in the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice.
Shipping Company Sentenced for Illegally Discharging Oily Waste at SeaRead the Press Release
NOTE: Court-filed video footage of Navimax’s illegal discharging of oily waste can be found here and here.
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that Navimax Corporation, incorporated in the Marshall Islands with its main offices in Greece, was sentenced to a $2,000,000 fine by a federal district court for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and obstructing a Coast Guard investigation.
The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships is a codification of international treaties known as the “MARPOL Protocol.” To ensure that oily waste is properly stored and processed at sea, all ocean-going ships entering U.S. ports must maintain an Oil Record Book in which all transfers and discharges of oily waste, regardless of the ship’s location in international waters, are fully recorded.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Navimax operated the Nave Cielo, a 750-foot long oil tanker. Prior to a formal inspection on December 7, 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel near Delaware City when a crewmember gave the officers a thumb drive containing two videos, depicting a high-volume discharge of dark brown and black oil waste from a five-inch pipe, located 15-feet above water level. Subsequent investigation during a more comprehensive inspection on December 7, 2017, disclosed that the approximately 10-minute discharge occurred on November 2, 2017, in international waters, after the ship left New Orleans en route to Belgium. During the Coast Guard boarding on December 7, 2017, crewmembers presented the ship’s Oil Record Book, which did not record this discharge.
“The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships helps protect the precious ocean and marine resources of the United States from harmful pollution, and those who knowingly violate this law will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with the Coast Guard and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals and corporations alike comply with the nation’s environmental laws.”
“The defendant violated environmental laws that protect our marine environment from harmful pollution,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss. “The conviction and criminal fine, reinforced by a four-year term of probation, during which the defendant’s fleet of ships will be monitored, ensures that defendant is held accountable. The message to the shipping industry is clear: environmental crimes at sea will not be tolerated.”
“I am exceptionally pleased with the outcome of this case,” said Captain Scott Anderson, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. “Personnel at Sector Delaware Bay, Marine Safety Detachment Lewes, DE, the Coast Guard Investigative Service Philadelphia Office, and legal staffs dedicated countless hours conducting an extensive and detailed investigation and processing the case. Outcomes like this help protect the environment by holding operators accountable for their actions.”
The district court ordered Navimax to pay the $2,000,000 fine immediately and placed the company on probation for four years.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney John Cashman in the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmond Falgowski.
Seis Individuos Acusados Por Tráfico De Drogas, Violaciones A La Ley De Armas Y El Asesinato Del Banquero Maurice SpagnolettiRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - El 6 de diciembre de 2018, un gran jurado federal en el Distrito de Puerto Rico presentó una tercera acusación enmendada contra seis individuos por conspirar para distribuir sustancias controladas, y posesión de armas de fuego para promover un delito de narcotráfico, anunció Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez, Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico. Cuatro de estos individuos, Luis Carmona Bernacet, alias “Canito Cumbre”; Yadiel Serrano Canales, alias “Motombo”; Rolando Rivera Solís; y Alex Burgos Amaro, alias “Yogui” enfrentan un cargo por utilizar un arma de fuego durante y en relación con un delito de narcotráfico que resultó en el asesinato del banquero Maurice Spagnoletti. El FBI estuvo a cargo de la investigación con la asistencia de la Policía de Puerto Rico.
En la acusación se alega que desde el año 2000 hasta el 2014, en los municipios de San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo y Bayamón, los acusados Luis Carmona Bernacet, alias “Canito Cumbre”; Yadiel Serrano Canales, alias “Motombo”; Alan Lugo Montalvo, alias “Allan Lugo Montalvo”; Fabiany Almestica Monge; Rolando Rivera Solís; y Alex Burgos Amaro, alias “Yogui” poseían con intención de distribuir cocaína crack, cocaína y marihuana.
Los cargos tres, cuatro y cinco incluyen el uso de un arma de fuego durante y en relación a un delito de narcotráfico que resultó en asesinato, en violación del Título 18, Código de los Estados Unidos, Sección 924 (j) (1). Los cargos tres y cuatro acusan a Carmona Bernacet de los asesinatos de William Castro el 30 de diciembre de 2002 y René Cruz el 6 de diciembre de 2006, respectivamente.
En cuanto al asesinato de Maurice Spagnoletti detallado en el cargo cinco, el gran jurado acusó a Carmona Bernacet, Serrano Canales, Rivera Solís y Burgos Amaro, de en concierto y común acuerdo asesorar, mandar, inducir, obtener y portar armas de fuego durante y en relación a un crimen de narcotráfico, y en el curso de ese crimen, asesinaron a Maurice Spagnoletti.
Como parte de la conspiración de narcotráfico, la acusación alega que los co-conspiradores establecieron puntos de distribución de drogas entre varios residenciales públicos y otras áreas. Los acusados actuaron en diferentes roles para promover los objetivos de su organización y habitualmente poseían, portaban, blandeaban y usaban armas de fuego para protegerse a sí mismos y a la organización de narcotráfico.
Además, la acusación alega que los co-conspiradores empleaban legalmente a otros miembros de la conspiración en negocios relacionados a mantenimiento y servicios de limpieza para ocultar sus actividades ilegales. Los líderes de la organización practicaban la Santería para proteger las actividades de narcotráfico. Los líderes usualmente se identificaban vistiendo atuendos y amuletos usados regularmente en la religión de Santería. Realizaban ceremonias y cultos religiosos antes de participar en actividades ilegales y otros incidentes violentos para proteger a los líderes, la organización y sus actividades de narcotráfico.
“Las agencias de ley y orden federales y estatales trabajaron incansablemente durante la investigación de esta organización criminal violenta, cuyos miembros son responsables de al menos tres asesinatos, uno de los cuales fue el asesinato del banquero Maurice Spagnoletti en el año 2011”, dijo Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez, Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico. “Los cargos de hoy demuestran nuestro compromiso continuo de eliminar de nuestras comunidades a los delincuentes más violentos y llevarlos ante la justicia. La investigación continúa a pesar de que hoy presentamos una acusación sobre el asesinato de Maurice Spagnoletti”.
Douglas A. Leff, Agente Especial a Cargo del FBI, División de San Juan, declaró: “Los fiscales y agentes se mostraron inquebrantables en su incansable dedicación para ver que estos crueles asesinatos se resolverían. Si bien el dolor inimaginable de los familiares de las víctimas nunca se eliminará, el sistema de justicia se asegurará de que los responsables paguen un alto precio por su disposición a matar a otro ser humano para promover su propia codicia”.
La Fiscal Federal Auxiliar Kelly Zenón Matos está a cargo del caso. De ser declarados culpables, los acusados enfrentan una sentencia mínima de 15 años; desde 10 años hasta cadena perpetua por el cargo de conspiración de drogas, y desde 5 años hasta cadena perpetua por los cargos por armas de fuego. Por el asesinato de Maurice Spagnoletti, los acusados podrían enfrentar la pena de muerte o hasta vida en prisión. Todo acusado se presume inocente hasta que el gobierno pruebe las alegaciones de la acusación más allá de toda duda razonable.
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