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Thursday 1 November 2018
Former O'Fallon Resident Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Christopher R. Buse, 42, formerly of O’Fallon, Illinois, has been convicted of knowingly receiving child pornography over the internet, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Buse pleaded guilty to a one-count federal indictment without a plea agreement. He faces a prison sentence of 5 to 20 years on the charge.
Facts elicited at the plea hearing established that, from January to November 2016, Buse had been offering child pornography files to share over the internet through a peer-to-peer file sharing application. Undercover officers downloaded some of the illicit files and were able to track the IP address back to an address in O’Fallon, where Buse was living at the time.
As investigators were preparing to execute a federal search warrant on Buse’s apartment, they discovered that he had moved to Staunton, Illinois, which is in the Central District of Illinois, and that he was still sharing child pornography from his new location. A second search warrant was obtained and executed at his Staunton home on May 10, 2017. Items seized during the search were found to contain more child pornography files.
Sentencing is set for February 6, 2019, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes against Children Task Force, the United States Secret Service’s Springfield Electronic Crime Unit-Southern Illinois Cyber Group, the O’Fallon Illinois Police Department, and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois and the Staunton Illinois Police Department also assisted in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Piper, Jr.
Former Investigator with District Attorney’s Office for the 22nd Judicial District Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Federal AuthoritiesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JEFFERY B. MONTALBANO, age 58, a resident of Mandeville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Susie Morgan to a one-count bill of information with making false statements to federal authorities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 1001(a)(2).
According to court documents, MONTALBANO was the president of an entity called “JBM OIL SALES” and from about February 2013 to April 2018 worked for the Office of the District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District as an investigator in the domestic violence unit. While employed as an investigator, MONTALBANO was responsible for collecting and preparing evidence in domestic violence investigations and trials and coordinating witness and victim testimony.
On January 23, 2018, MONTALBANO met with a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 3601 Highway 190, Mandeville, Louisiana, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. This meeting was part of an investigation the FBI was conducting into approximately $20,000 paid by a defendant in a criminal matter pending in the 22nd Judicial District (“Defendant A”) to MONTALBANO’S associate (“Person 1”). The investigation concerned the nature of the payment and whether MONTALBANO took official action to benefit Defendant A in an ongoing criminal matter in exchange for receiving the payment.
During the interview, MONTALBANO made numerous materially false statements and omissions related to the investigation in response to questions posed to him by FBI Special Agents. In particular, MONTALBANO said that neither he nor Person 1 had ever received money from Defendant A. He also said that he had no idea federal agents visited the Office of the District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District to investigate the allegations that MONTALBANO had received money from Defendant A in exchange for using his influence to benefit Defendant A. In truth, however, MONTALBANO knew that Defendant A gave Person 1 two checks in the amount of $10,000 each on November 22, 2013 and December 30, 2013, that Person 1 gave MONTALBANO checks for half the money he received from Defendant A on November 26, 2013, and December 30, 2013, and that FBI Special Agents had interviewed MONTALBANO’s colleagues on October 8, 2015. The false statements impeded FBI Special Agents from determining whether (1) payments from Defendant A were in exchange for beneficial action for Defendant A and whether (2) MONTALBANO communicated truthfully with his supervisors.
“Former St. Tammany Parish DA Investigator Jeff Montalbano lied multiple times to FBI Agents who were seeking to learn why he accepted $10,000, through an intermediary, from a criminal defendant who was facing sentencing in a case brought by Mr. Montalbano's own office. Mr. Montalbano's conviction sends a clear message that the FBI and the US Attorney's Office will not permit criminal investigations to be impeded by false statements, especially by those we entrust to uphold and enforce the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal.
MONTALBANO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. Sentencing before Judge Morgan was scheduled for February 6, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Fifth Circuit Director of Communications Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to FraudRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced that Nicole Halliett Holland, 49, former Director of Communications for the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and a resident of Columbia, pled guilty in federal court today to two fraud counts, one Wire Fraud and the other Mail Fraud. Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie presided. Sentencing has been set for February 26, 2019.
Facts presented in court established that from 2011 to March 2018, Holland was employed by Daniel Edward Johnson at the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. During her time of employment, Nicole Holland used Solicitor’s Office funds to pay for personal expenses.
Using a Solicitor’s Office credit card issued to her to pay for office-related expenses, she made the following unauthorized purchases:
• In May 2017, various hotel stays at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Hopkinsville, KY, totaling over $2,700. These charges correlate to Count 11, which is the wire fraud for the August 7, 2017, payment covering these personal expenses.
• In March 2017, a $1,020 expense for a family member’s orthodontics treatment that Holland labelled as “tournament sponsorship.” This charge correlates to Count 19, the mailing and receipt of the Bank of America statement ending on March 8, 2017, which contained this expense.
Holland faces up to twenty years in federal prison, with a potential fine up to $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Winston D. Holliday, Jr., Alyssa Leigh Richardson, and William C. Lewis of the Columbia office are prosecuting the case.
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Former Drexel University Student Sentenced for Cyberstalking ClassmateRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Jacob Waitze, 23, of Southbury, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 24 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years’ supervised release. Waitze previously pleaded guilty to cyberstalking in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(2)(b).
During the 2015-16 school year, Waitze, a former Drexel University student, used a computer and the Internet to engage in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against a Drexel student following a personal dispute with the student. Waitze impersonated the victim in a variety of Internet forums, suggesting that the victim was either a pedophile who needed help or someone interested in receiving child pornography material. In doing so, the communications and statements Waitze made typically included the victim’s true name, the victim’s actual e-mail address, photographs of the victim, and/or actual personal details concerning the victim, such as the victim’s status as a Drexel student. As a result, the victim received multiple unwanted emails, both from persons who were offended by the posts and from persons who wanted to engage the victim in conversations related to child pornography.
“In taking on the victim’s persona online, Waitze used the Internet as a weapon to carry out his personal vendetta,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “By giving others the impression that this victim was interested in child exploitation, Waitze caused the victim a great deal of harm. Today’s sentence demonstrates that my Office will hold cyberstalkers accountable when they misuse technology in this manner.”
“HSI is hopeful that today’s sentencing provides the victim in this case a sense of relief after the months of abuse and harassment they endured at the hands of Mr. Waitze,” said Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI takes these crimes seriously and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable cyberstalkers who cause long-lasting damage to the reputations of their victims for their own selfish gain.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Drexel University Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Schlessinger.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Weapon ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that a federal inmate pled guilty to a weapon charge. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“Another inmate with a shank,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The result will be another extended prison stay.”
Dave Berrios-Hernandez, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution at Beckley, pled guilty to possessing a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” at the prison on September 5, 2017. A staff member observed Berrios-Hernandez throw the weapon down. Berrios-Hernandez faces up to five years in prison, consecutive to the sentence he is now serving, when he is sentenced on February 20, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided at the plea hearing.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Four Members of White Supremacy Group on Charges Stemming from Attacks at Political RalliesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury this afternoon returned a two-count indictment that charges four Southern California men linked to a white supremacy extremist group with planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California.
The four defendants – all of whom are in federal custody, currently being held without bond – are charged with conspiracy for their activities in connection with the white supremacist organization known as the Rise Above Movement, or RAM. “RAM represented itself publicly as a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement,” according to the indictment.
The four defendants named in the indictment are:
Robert Rundo, 28, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of RAM;
Robert Boman, 25, of Torrance;
Tyler Laube, 22, of Redondo Beach; and
Aaron Eason, 38, who resides in the Riverside County community of Anza.
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy. Rundo, Boman and Eason are additionally charged with one count of rioting
The four defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment later this month, starting with Rundo on November 9.
According to the indictment, the four men participated the conspiracy in varying ways, including by engaging in recruitment of RAM members, coordinating and participating in hand-to-hand and other combat training, traveling to political rallies to attack protesters and other persons, and publishing photographs and videos of violent acts to recruit other members for future events.
The indictment alleges that various members of the conspiracy directly participated in attacks at political rallies in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017; in Berkeley on April 15, 2017; and in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017. In the months following these events, the defendants allegedly trained for future events and celebrated their assaults, which included online posts with photos of RAM members assaulting people.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Both the conspiracy and riots charges in the indictment carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Ryan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section in the National Security Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Today’s indictment follows the filing of an indictment in United States District Court in Charlottesville, Virginia that charges four other California RAM members with violating the riots statute during violent altercations in Charlottesville in August 2017.
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Denial of Sunoco’s One Billion Dollar Tax ExpenseRead the Press Release
The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a precedential opinion today affirming the Court of Federal Claims decision that federal corporate taxpayers may not deduct as a cost of goods sold expense an excise tax expense that was never actually incurred or paid, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Travis A. Greaves of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
In Sunoco, Inc. v. United States, No. 2017-1402, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the Court of Federal Claims and the position of the United States. Sunoco, Inc., a petroleum and petrochemical company, claimed approximately $1 billion in alcohol fuel mixture credits on its federal excise tax returns thereby reducing its federal fuel excise tax liability by the same amount. By including the $1 billion in excise tax expenses in its cost of goods sold, Sunoco, Inc. sought to reduce its federal corporate income taxes with an excise tax expense that was never paid. The Federal Circuit held that the plain language of the Internal Revenue Code precluded Sunoco, Inc.’s attempt to obtain a $300 million dollar “windfall” reduction in tax. The court also stated, “We have already established that Congress does not generally allow taxpayers to receive a tax benefit twice.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked Tax Division attorneys Judith Hagley, Gilbert Rothenberg, and Richard Farber, who handled the case on appeal for the government.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Four Alleged Members of the Aryan Circle Gang Charged with Aggravated Assault in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Four alleged members or associates of the Aryan Circle (AC) have been indicted and three arrested for their alleged roles in a Nov. 9, 2013 aggravated assault in Jefferson County, Missouri.
The indictments were announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri.
Thomas B. Wilson, 43, of Villa Ridge, Missouri; Daniel B. Jerome, 31, of Wentzville, Missouri; Thomas Tisher, 34, of St Louis, Missouri; and Dustin M. Haney, 28, of Hermann, Missouri are charged in an indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 31, and unsealed today, with aggravated assault in aid of racketeering. Daniel B. Jerome remains at large.
“These four defendants are alleged to have brutally assaulted their victim in order to establish or maintain their own status in the Aryan Circle gang,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Gangs like the Aryan Circle threaten the safety and security of all Americans, and the Criminal Division will target and aggressively prosecute any individual who commits acts of violence on behalf of a gang.”
According to the indictment, the AC is a powerful race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout the United States, and particularly in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The AC was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). Recently, the AC’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana. The AC emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison-based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike.
The indictment further alleges that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and often, associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct 1 Constable’s Office; Louisiana State Police; Indiana State Police; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Waller (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office and the Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angie Danis of the Eastern District of Missouri, in cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Texas.
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Etcher Family Farms, LLC, Owner, and Employee Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Etcher Family Farms, LLC; owner Scott Allen Etcher; and Etcher Farms’ employee Benjamin Allen McFarland, pleaded guilty on October 25, 2018, to criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.
All Defendants pleaded guilty to a United States Attorney Information. Etcher Family Farms, LLC, pleaded guilty to knowing discharge of a pollutant from a point source into a water of the United States without a permit, in violation of Title 33, United States Code §§ 1311(a) and 1319(c)(2)(A). Scott Etcher and McFarland pleaded guilty to negligent discharge of a pollutant from a point source into a water of the United States without a permit, in violation of Title 33, United States Code §§ 1311(a) and 1319(c)(1)(A). This investigation was undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigations as a result of information provided by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and witnesses who observed the acts. The Information alleged that employees of Etcher Family Farms, LLC, illegally disposed of liquid manure into waters of the United States via a drainage tile system. The investigation revealed that employees of Etcher Farms discharged liquid manure via a hose attached to a lawn tractor next to and upon tile intakes, which discharged directly into an adjacent creek (waters of the United States). IDNR documented the illegal acts and collected samples to verify such impact to jurisdictional waters.
“When illegally discharged into streams and rivers, animal wastes can result in environmental and human health risks, such as water quality impairment, fish kills, algal blooms, and contamination of drinking water sources,” said EPA Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez. “The guilty pleas demonstrate that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect the environment and our communities.”
“The plea agreement requires Etcher Family Farms, LLC, to institute a robust program to ensure they comply with federal law,” stated U.S. Attorney Krickbaum. “Our office will continue to aggressively enforce these important environmental laws to protect our waterways from pollution.”
Etcher Family Farms, LLC, Scott Etcher, and McFarland are scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose on February 26, 2019, at 1 p.m.
This matter was investigated by the EPA-Criminal Investigation and the IDNR. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Election Officers Designated in Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser announced today the appointment of District Election Officers in the Central District of Illinois in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. Assistant U.S. Attorneys appointed to serve as election officers in each of the district’s four divisions include: Gregory M. Gilmore in the Springfield headquarters office; David H. Hoff in the Urbana branch office; Darilynn J. Knauss in Peoria; and, John K. Mehochko in Rock Island. District election officers are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
To respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 6, 2018, and to ensure such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, designated election officers will be available in each of the district’s four offices on Nov. 6, while the polls are open. Election officers may be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers:
Springfield: Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore, 217-492-4450;
Urbana: Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Hoff, 217-373-5875;
Peoria: Assistant U.S. Attorney Darilynn J. Knauss, 309-671-7050; and,
Rock Island: Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko, 309-793-5884.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI office in the Central District of Illinois can be reached by the public at 217-522-9675.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC, by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
Election Fraud and Voting Rights Abuse Hotlines EstablishedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Terrence P. Donnelly will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Donnelly has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Rhode Island, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Dambruch stated that AUSA/DEO Donnelly will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA Donnelly can be reached by the public at (401) 709-5068.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (401) 272-8310.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php
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Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Miguel Guillen Percel, 43, a Dominican national formerly residing in Boston and New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Percel will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In March 2018, Percel pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
In 2002, Percel was convicted in federal court in Rhode Island of cocaine distribution and sentenced to 121 months in prison. After completing his sentence, Percel was deported to the Dominican Republic in October 2009.
In July 2017, Percel was arrested in Massachusetts for various motor vehicle infractions. Percel posted bail and was later released.
In November 2017, Percel was arrested in New York City and charged in state court with drug distribution. While in New York City, he was subsequently arrested on a federal arrest warrant having been charged in federal court in Boston with illegal reentry of a deported alien.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Todd M. Lyons, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Grency Junior Nunez Barrera, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to aggravated identity theft, social security fraud, and making false statements, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nunez Barrera illegally entered the United States in 2009 and obtained identification documents of an American citizen from Puerto Rico, including a forged birth certificate and social security card. From 2009 through 2018, Nunez Barrera assumed that person’s identity. During that time, among other things, Nunez Barrera worked and was charged with other crimes using the victim’s identity. In 2010, Nunez Barrera used the victim’s identity to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license. He later used the victim’s information to obtain a social security number.
In 2015, Nunez Barrera was arrested while using the victim’s identity to renew the New Hampshire driver’s license he obtained in 2010. In February 2018, Nunez Barrera again traveled to the Division of Motor Vehicles in Concord, New Hampshire and applied for a replacement driver’s license using the victim’s name, date of birth, and social security number. The DMV flagged the application and Nunez Barrera was subsequently arrested. Upon his arrest for federal charges, Nunez Barrera again falsely identified himself as the victim to the U.S. Marshals and, as proof, provided the victim’s social security number.
Nunez Barrera is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11, 2019. He faces possible deportation to the Dominican Republic following the completion of his sentence.
“Identity theft is a serious crime that can cause substantial harm to its victims,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “It can often be very challenging for victims of identity theft and clear up financial or criminal issues that result from this crime. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who commit identity theft or obtain false identification documents.”
Scott Antolik, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Boston Field Division for the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General said, “Nunez Barrera misused the social security number of an innocent person and caused that individual considerable damage. I thank the New Hampshire State Police and the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Manchester, NH Office for their assistance in bringing Barrera to justice and keeping our communities safe. For more information, check out the OIG’s Identity Theft page. The Department of Justice estimates 17 million people each year become victims of identity theft. We hope you aren’t one of them, but if you are, this information should help.”
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the New Hampshire State Police, and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter.
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Dog-Fighter Damiane Buehrer Gets 46 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Buehrer, A West Michigan Resident, Continued to Participate in Underground Pit Bull Terrier Fighting Even After Serving State Prison Time for Dog-Fighting Offense
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Damiane Buehrer, 40, of Jonesville, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to serve 46 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for participating in a dog-fighting conspiracy between November 2016 and December 2017. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge of the Western District of Michigan made the announcement.
Buehrer and four co-defendants were indicted on April 18, 2018, for conspiracy and for unlawfully possessing animals to use in dog fighting, along with equipment to train and condition them for fighting. The remaining co-defendants, including Charles Joseph Miller, Kian Maliak Miller, Charles Deon Davis, Jr., and Jarvis Jason-Roy Askew, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Buehrer was convicted in State court in 2010, under Michigan’s animal-fighting statute.
Between November 14, 2016, and December 7, 2017, as part of the conspiracy, Buehrer—who had just been released from the Michigan Department of Corrections in August 2015 after serving a five-year-sentence for the same activity—acquired and possessed four dogs for the purposes of breeding, training, conditioning, and developing them to fight other dogs for prize money in underground and illegal contests that routinely result in dogs being wounded, maimed, and killed. Buehrer’s dogs, along with 33 other dogs owned by his co-conspirators, were rescued by Federal and state law-enforcement agencies as part of the investigation. Buehrer also possessed medical equipment used to treat dogs that were wounded during such fights, as well as equipment for training the dogs, including treadmills, weighted chains, "break sticks," and a "jenny mill" apparatus that forces dogs to run for extended periods of time to build fighting endurance. The co-defendants regularly exchanged interstate electronic communications for the purpose of sharing information about training and conditioning dogs for fighting, breeding fighting dogs, contracting for and sponsoring dog fights, collecting forfeited funds when a contracted dog fight resulted in a forfeit, and sharing results of dog fights.
In imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney characterized dog fighting as "disgusting," and observed that "the depravity of training animals to fight is difficult to understand, to say the least."
"Damiane Buehrer and his codefendants participated in a sick and brutal underground activity that, because of its interstate and international nature, is subject to Federal criminal jurisdiction" stated U.S. Attorney Birge. "Because of the uniquely barbarous and cruel nature of this activity, my Office, along with the rest of the West Michigan law-enforcement community, is committed to investigating, punishing and deterring criminals like Buehrer and his coconspirators."
USDA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge, Anthony Mohatt added, "The provisions of the Animal Welfare Act were designed to protect animals from being used in illegal fighting ventures, which often entail other forms of criminal activity involving drugs, firearms and gambling. Together with the Department of Justice, animal fighting is an investigative priority for USDA-OIG, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who participate in animal fighting ventures."
"Today’s sentence sends a message that there are serious consequences for participating in violent, organized criminal activity," said Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Detroit Division of the FBI. "The FBI will continue to work alongside our federal, state and local partners to bring to justice those who engage in this type of behavior for the sake of entertainment and illegal gambling."
"The Michigan State Police (MSP) appreciates the strong working relationships with its federal law enforcement partners in bringing criminals to justice" stated First District Public Information Officer, Lt. Darren Green. "In regards to MSP personnel involved in this particular investigation, D./Sgt. Cyndee Gochanour worked tirelessly on this case. Her strong work ethic and dedication were instrumental in bringing this case to its conclusion."
The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Zell and Hagen W. Frank, and Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Michigan State Police, and the Ingham County Animal Control Office. The ASPCA assisted with the care and rehabilitation of the dogs rescued by federal law enforcement.
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District Election Officer on Duty for November 2018 ElectionsRead the Press Release
Harrisburg - United States Attorney David J. Freed announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eric Pfisterer will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Pfisterer has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Freed said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Freed stated that AUSA/DEO Pfisterer will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 717-221-4482.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 215-418-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Freed said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
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Department of Justice Announces New Active Shooter Training Grant for First RespondersRead the Press Release
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Director Phil Keith of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and Dr. Pete Blair, Executive Director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University today announced an $8.7 million grant to provide multi-disciplinary, scenario-based active shooter training to first responders across the country.
Today’s announcement took place during the ALERRT Active Shooter Integrated Response Conference, where emergency personnel heard from subject matter experts on best practices and lessons learned from some of the nation’s most tragic and horrific mass casualty events. ALERRT is part of Texas State University, which has trained approximately 130,000 first responders since its inception in 2002.
“Training for first responders to take swift and effective action in active shooting situations is critically important,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “We can mitigate the loss of life in these horrific incidents by providing resources to better equip first responders and prepare community members, local law enforcement, and local government leaders. The Department of Justice fully supports the brave first responders who risk their own lives to protect the safety of our children, colleagues, and community members.”
“The funding announced here today comes at a critical time for our country,” said COPS Office Director Keith. “As the demands placed on our nation’s first responders continue to grow with these violent mass casualty incidents, I believe it is our responsibility to make sure they have the tools, resources and training to properly respond to these attacks.”
“This COPS funding will allow ALERRT to provide the training needed to prepare police, fire, and EMS services across the country to save as many lives as possible when these horrific attacks occur,” said Dr. Pete Blair, Executive Director of the ALERRT Center at Texas State University.
Physician stakeholders working in the fields of emergency medicine, trauma surgery, anesthesia, blood bank, critical care and blood collection center directors will join law enforcement, fire services, EMS, emergency communications and emergency management for the first time during this year’s ALERRT conference. ALERRT’s multi-disciplinary approach is recognized as one of the nation’s leading training models, and the Department of Justice is pleased to announce additional funding for this effort.
The 2018 investment from the Department of Justice for ALERRT will provide in-person training to an estimated 15,000 first responders, in addition to the 9,000 individuals that received the training in 2017. ALERRT and the COPS Office are currently developing an online civilian training program, which will reach tens of thousands of citizens – helping to prepare them to take effective actions if they should find themselves in an attack.
The ALERRT Center at Texas State University was created as a partnership between Texas State University, the San Marcos (TX) Police Department, and the Hays County (TX) Sheriff’s Office to address the need for active shooter response training for first responders. In 2013, ALERRT was named the National Standard in Active Shooter Response Training by the FBI.
The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing officers, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to help advance community policing.
Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office to Oversee November 2018 ElectionsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Perry Piper will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections. AUSA Piper has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every United States citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Overbey. “Aggressive and prompt action will be taken by the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to make their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 8, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Overbey stated that AUSA/DEO Piper will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at 423-385-1332.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 865-544-0751.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney Overbey added, “To ensure free and fair elections it is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to the U.S. Attorney’s office, FBI, or Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.”
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Defendant Sentenced to 51 Months’ Imprisonment for Defrauding Elderly Victims in Lottery and Sweepstakes ScamsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lorindo Powell was sentenced by United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie to 51 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $770,632.50 in restitution following Powell’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and one count of access device fraud for her schemes to defraud elderly victims over the course of more than a decade. In total, Powell stole at least $770,632.50 from her victims. Powell pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2018. A co-defendant, Tavoy Malcolm, pleaded guilty in August 2017 and is awaiting sentencing.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, announced the sentence.
“Powell has now been held to account for targeting vulnerable victims, gaining their trust and stealing their savings,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Elder fraud enforcement is a Department of Justice priority, and this Office will continue to investigate and prosecute criminals who prey on senior citizens.”
“Powell’s actions were shameful as she preyed on the susceptibilities of the elderly, including a couple with dementia and another who was left homeless,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “Elder fraud is of serious concern and law enforcement will continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who choose to take advantage of our aging population rather than take care of them.”
In 2009, Powell contacted Jane Doe #1, a 79-year-old teacher in Brooklyn, with a purported opportunity to claim lottery winnings. Powell induced Jane Doe #1 to skip her mortgage payments and make payments to her instead. Powell also persuaded Jane Doe #1 to cash and hand over her paychecks for years. As a result, Jane Doe #1 was evicted from her home in 2011. Powell took control of Jane Doe #1’s retirement account, changing the email address to Powell’s own and impersonating Jane Doe #1 in order to make withdrawals. Jane Doe #1 lost at least $589,000 as a result of Powell’s actions.
Beginning in 2011, Powell induced Jane Doe #3 and her husband, a Maryland couple suffering from dementia, to wire money to Powell and others, purportedly to claim lottery winnings. In total, the two victims lost at least $119,476.50.
In October 2016, Powell defrauded John Doe #1, an 89-year-old man living in Florida, of approximately $23,000 after contacting him about purported sweepstakes winnings.
In between December 2016 and April 2017, Powell obtained Jane Doe #2’s personal identification information by posing as a bank representative and stole over $38,000 by making withdrawals from her checking account and charging purchases to her credit card. At the time, Jane Doe #2, a woman in her 90s, was residing in a New Jersey retirement home.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Mindlin.
The Defendant:
LORINDO POWELL
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-311 (MKB)
Court Appoints Receivers to Inventory and Distribute Client Files of Lawyer Involved in Largest Social Security Fraud Scheme in HistoryRead the Press Release
Former fugitive and social security disability lawyer Eric Christopher Conn, 58, of Pikeville, Kentucky, was sentenced in September to a total of 27 years in prison for his role in retaliating against an informant, fleeing from the United States, and defrauding the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) of more than $550 million. When he went to prison, however, approximately 6,000 to 7,000 client files relating to claims for social security benefits remained in his former Kentucky law office. The building and land was forfeited to the United States and will be sold. Before the building can be sold, the client files had to be removed and ultimately distributed to his former clients – a daunting task made even more difficult by the fact that they are attorney-client privileged materials.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Timothy Virtue of the U.S. Marshals Service’s Asset Forfeiture Division announced today that two Receivers were selected by Judge Danny C. Reeves of the Eastern District of Kentucky on Oct. 12, and that the Receivers have now successfully removed the files from the law office property to begin their inventory and distribution. The files were located in the property that formerly housed Conn’s law practice at 9420 US Highway 23 South, Stanville, Kentucky.
Judge Reeves appointed veteran attorneys Cary B. Howard and Barry Stilz, of the law firm Kinkead & Stilz, in Lexington, Kentucky, as the Court’s Receivers after the Kentucky State Bar refused to take on the project. The Court directed the Receivers to collect, inventory, and to the extent possible, distribute the files to Conn’s former clients.
Former clients of Eric Conn, or their counsel, should contact the Receivers if they wish to obtain their files. The Receivers can be contacted at (859) 226-7580, or by e-mail at [email protected]
The case was investigated by the SSA Office of Inspector General, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Deputy Chief Darrin L. McCullough and Trial Attorney Rebecca Caruso of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the forfeiture portion of the case, with previous forfeiture co-counsel including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Marie Blaylock of the Western District of Kentucky, Elizabeth G. Wright of the District of Maryland, and Trey Alford of the Western District of Missouri, as well as Investigative Counsel Kristen M. Warden of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Lead counsel on the criminal case was Trial Attorney Dustin M. Davis of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section
Columbia, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Arson and Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Columbia, Kentucky man was sentenced today in United States District Court by Judge Greg Stivers to 360 months of imprisonment on charges of arson and insurance fraud. Steve Allen “Boo” Pritchard, 44, started a fire that completely destroyed his rental home to collect on a recently purchased $50,000 rental insurance policy. Columbia/Adair County Fire Department Assistant Chief Charles Sparks died fighting the fire.
“While this 30 year sentence does not return a devoted public servant, friend, and family member to the Adair County community, it should give crystal clear notice to those who would engage in arson for profit that the United States Attorney’s Office will seek significant punishment for such conduct,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Brandi Pritchard, Steve Pritchard’s co-defendant and then girlfriend, purchased a $50,000 renter’s insurance policy on June 24, 2011. Shortly thereafter Steve Pritchard, of Columbia, Kentucky, hatched a plan to set fire to their Columbia rental home, and the fire was set during the early morning hours of June 30, 2011. The Columbia/Adair County Fire Department arrived on scene at approximately 3:12 a.m. Assistant Chief Charles Sparks suffered cardiac arrest while fighting the fire on the second floor of the home. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness and died eight days later, on July 8, 2011, at the age of 49. In addition to his volunteer fire fighting, Sparks was also a longtime Kentucky State Fire Marshall. Mr. Sparks was survived by both of his parents, his wife, and his son.
At his July 2018 trial, Pritchard provided an alibi that he was in Louisville delivering glass for his employer during the fire. However, his alibi was disproved by cell phone location data obtained by the FBI. Several witnesses also testified that Pritchard had bragged about starting the fire to collect on the insurance policy. It was also established at trial that Pritchard was involved in setting four previous fires to collect insurance proceeds, including two other residences and two cars. The jury found Pritchard guilty as charged after a four day trial.
At Pritchard’s sentencing, Sparks’ mother, Mrs. Helen Sparks, told Judge Stivers, “Our lives have never been the same since the early hours of June 30, 2011.” Judge Stivers called Pritchard’s crime a “dastardly and depraved act” before imposing Pritchard’s 30-year term of imprisonment.
Pritchard’s co-defendant, Brandi Pritchard, who remains free on bond, has already pled guilty to arson and wire fraud and will be sentenced by Judge Stivers in Bowling Green on November 13, 2018.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Weiser and Nute Bonner and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police.
Cleveland man sentenced to more than six years in prison for illegally having ammunition stemming from shootout that left two people deadRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to more than six years in prison for illegally having ammunition stemming from a shootout last year in which two people were killed.
Jesus Bey, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in prison. A jury convicted Bey earlier this year of being a felon in possession of ammunition following a weeklong trial.
Bey possessed 12 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition on Jan. 25, 2017, despite prior convictions that made it illegal for him to have ammunition, including felonious assault with a firearm specification, having weapon under disability and attempted felonious assault, according to court documents.
“This defendant has demonstrated that he walks around our streets carrying guns and ammunition the way a painter carries a ladder or a doctor carries a stethoscope. They are the tools of his trade,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “People who prey on others will be sent to prison and this case is an example of that.”
According to trial exhibits and testimony:
Bey was outside Harvard Wine and Grill on Jan. 25, 2017, when a shootout began at the intersection of East 142nd Street and Harvard Avenue. When the shootout was over, two men (one wearing a ski mask) were dead and at least 60 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Bey was previously sentenced to prison for a 2013 shooting in a bar in Cleveland Heights, according to court documents.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Galvin and Scott Zarzycki following an investigation by the Cleveland Division of Police’s Gang Impact Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
CUNY Medgar Evers College Lecturer Sentenced for Selling Fake College CertificatesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MAMDOUH ABDEL-SAYED, a former full-time lecturer at the City University of New York’s Medgar Evers College (“Medgar Evers College” or the “College”), was sentenced to six months in prison for selling sham Medgar Evers College certificates that purported to represent the completion of health care courses at the College. ABDEL-SAYED pled guilty on May 30, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Mamdouh Abdel-Sayed put his greed before the public’s health when he provided fake healthcare program certificates to students – certificates that allowed people with little to no relevant education to work in the healthcare field. Thankfully Abdel-Sayed’s money-making scheme was discovered and he will serve time in federal prison for his misdeeds.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, the Indictment, and statements made in court and publicly available documents:
MAMDOUH ABDEL-SAYED was a full-time lecturer in the Biology Department at Medgar Evers College. From at least 2013 through 2017, without authorization from Medgar Evers College, ABDEL-SAYED purported to teach health care courses at the College on topics such as Electrocardiograms, Phlebotomy, and Sonography, and provided students with sham certificates of completion for the courses, in exchange for which ABDEL-SAYED charged fees of up to $1,000 per certificate, which money he kept for himself. ABDEL-SAYED attempted to avoid scrutiny from the College’s security guards in conducting the unauthorized courses.
In addition to charging fees for the unauthorized courses and sham certificates, ABDEL-SAYED encouraged students to use the certificates in obtaining employment in the health care field, including at New York City-area hospitals. When asked by employment agencies to verify the authenticity of the certificates, ABDEL-SAYED falsely informed the agencies that the certificates were issued by Medgar Evers College. In fact, ABDEL-SAYED created the sham certificates himself, and provided them to students even if the students did not attend his unauthorized courses, so long as the students paid ABDEL-SAYED for the certificates. In addition, ABDEL-SAYED distributed copies of purported national certification examinations – which he informed students on a recorded conversation it was “illegal” for them to possess – in order to assist the students in passing licensing examinations supposedly administered by the State for certain medical techniques.
After ABDEL-SAYED became aware of the investigation, he instructed an undercover law enforcement investigator, who had posed as a student and purchased several unauthorized certificates from him, to provide false information to federal law enforcement agents and to conceal those certificates from the agents. ABDEL-SAYED has been on administrative leave from the College since his arrest.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, ABDEL-SAYED, 69, of Kearny, New Jersey, was sentenced to six months of home confinement, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution and $20,000 forfeiture.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the New York State Inspector General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli J. Mark is in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for His Role in Cross Country Drug ConspiracyRead 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 Jabriel Crews, 35, 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 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that between January 2014 and June 1, 2016, the defendant purchased multi-kilo quantities of cocaine from a source in Houston, Texas. Co-defendant Mark Ramos, an associate of the Houston source-of-supply, would mail the cocaine to addresses in Buffalo provided by Crews. The defendant would then receive those parcels and process and repackage the cocaine for distribution. In exchange, Crews would make payment to his source in Texas using some combination of a courier and U.S. mail parcels mailed to P.O. boxes set up in the Houston, Texas area.
On June 1, 2016, a search warrant was executed at 236 Katherine Street. Law enforcement officers recovered a scale with powder residue, packaging materials including bags and a vacuum sealer, identification cards, and one live bullet.
Mark Ramos was previously convicted and sentenced on federal charges. Charles Gonzalez was charged and convicted in state court.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
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Brothers Operating Import/Export Business Plead Guilty to International Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact:
Assistant U. S. Attorney Benjamin Katz (619) 546-9604SAN DIEGO –Nathan Dulley and Andrew Dulley, brothers from Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty today for their role in trafficking drugs for former USC football player Owen Hanson’s “ODOG” Enterprise, an international drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal gambling syndicate that operated in the United States, Central and South America, and Australia from 2012 to 2016.
According to court records, the ODOG Enterprise trafficked thousands of kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA (also known as “ecstasy”), and other drugs, routinely distributing controlled substances at wholesale and retail levels around the world. The Dulley brothers, who imported and exported fine chocolate, played an integral role in the ODOG Enterprise by shipping large quantities of cocaine from the United States to Australia. Upon receipt of cocaine from Hanson or his associates – usually in quantities of tens of kilograms or more – the Dulleys would intermix and package the cocaine with legitimate merchandise, so as to disguise the true contents from the shipper and customs authorities. Using their established import/export routes, the Dulleys would then send the cocaine to Australia, where it was distributed and sold by other members of the ODOG Enterprise.
“Transnational racketeering organizations represent a clear and present danger to the safety and security of our communities. Those who assist such criminal enterprises by allowing the corruption of their otherwise legitimate businesses will be held accountable for the harm wrought on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman.
So far, all 22 other defendants charged in connection with this case have pleaded guilty, including:
- Owen Hanson, the founder of the ODOG Enterprise. Hanson was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison and ordered to pay a criminal forfeiture in the amount of $5,000,000, including $100,000 in gold and silver coins, a Porsche Panamera, two Range Rovers, luxury watches, homes in Costa Rica, Peru, and Cabo San Lucas, a sailboat, and interests in several businesses.
- Giovanni (“Tank”) Brandolino, Hanson’s second in command. Brandolino was sentenced in February 2018 to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
- Luke Fairfield, a San Diego based Certified Public Accountant who assisted Hanson with laundering the proceeds of his various illegal endeavors by setting up shell corporations and advising members of the Enterprise on how to structure bank transactions to avoid law enforcement. On October 2, 2018, Fairfield was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
- Derek Loville, a former professional football player, who pleaded guilty to distributing retail quantities of drugs for the ODOG Enterprise in Arizona. In July 2017, Loville was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
- Daniel Portley-Hanks, a Los Angeles-based private investigator who assisted Hanson with tracking down delinquent gamblers and other individuals who owed the enterprise money. Portley-Hanks pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
- Jack Rissell, an “enforcer” who, in one instance, travelled from Southern California to Minneapolis to attack a delinquent gambler in front of his family was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Sentencing for both Nathan Dulley and Andrew Dulley is set for January 22, 2019, before District Judge William Q. Hayes.
The case arose out of a joint investigation by FBI, DEA, and the New South Wales (Australia) Police Force in conjunction with the New South Wales Crime Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew P. Young, Benjamin Katz and Mark W. Pletcher are prosecuting the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 18CR4207-WQH
Nathan Dulley Age: 36
Andrew Dulley Age: 34
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, 21 U.S.C. § 846, 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: 20 years’ prison, $1,000,000 fine, lifetime of supervised release.
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation – San Diego Field Office
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
Internal Revenue Service – San Diego
Australian Crime Commission
New South Wales Police Force
New South Wales Crime Commission
Bernalillo County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Fraud, Identity Theft and Theft of Mail ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesse Tucker, 36, of Tijeras, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 48 months in prison for his conviction on fraud, identity theft, and theft of mail charges. Tucker will be on supervised release for two years after completing his prison sentence. Tucker also was ordered to pay $42,600.42 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.
Tucker was charged in an indictment filed on Feb. 14, 2018, with eight counts of bank fraud, six counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft or receipt of stolen mail. The bank fraud counts alleged that between Nov. 2016 and May 2017, Tucker fraudulently obtained almost $70,000 through a scheme to defraud that involved the use of stolen personal identifiers, checks, and other financial instruments obtained from stolen mail. The aggravated identity theft counts alleged that Tucker used the identities of others without lawful authority between Nov. 2016 and May 2017, and the theft or receipt of stolen mail count alleged that in June 2017, Tucker unlawfully possessed stolen mail, including checks and financial instruments, taken from a U.S. Postal depository in June 2017. The indictment charged Tucker with committing these crimes in Bernalillo and Valencia Counties, N.M.
On June 20, 2018, Tucker pled guilty to the eight bank fraud charges, two of the aggravated identity theft charges, and the theft or receipt of stolen mail charge. In entering the guilty plea, Tucker admitted that between Nov. 2016 and May 2017, he used the personal identifiers of nine individuals, which he obtained from stolen mail, to create and obtain counterfeit identification cards and drivers’ licenses that but bore his photograph. Tucker then used the fraudulent identification cards and licenses to falsify checks, complete credit applications, and apply for loans from financial institutions. Tucker also admitted using the personal identifiers of others in his efforts fraudulently to obtain loans while knowing that they belonged to real people. Tucker also acknowledged that on June 6, 2017, law enforcement found a large volume of stolen mail belonging to other individuals in his residence.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin.
2-Month Operation Nets 36 Defendants, Takes 40 Guns Off N. Alabama StreetsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A 2-month operation focused on reducing violent crime in Tuscaloosa resulted in federal charges against 36 defendants, with 40 guns seized, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson, Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steven Anderson, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy and Tuscaloosa District Attorney Hays Webb.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF joined with local law enforcement in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, University of Alabama Police Department, Northport Police Department, 17th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force in an intense effort in September and October to charge violent offenders and take guns off the streets.
“These indictments represent the hard work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners and our continued efforts to work together to remove these criminals from our streets with severe punishment, and return our communities back to their rightful owners…the law abiding citizens,” Town said. “We have bed space in federal prison for these folks and we will fill it.”
“These arrests represent use of ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence partnership with law enforcement and the community to ultimately disrupt the shooting cycle that negatively impact Tuscaloosa County,” Watson said. “The arrests are part of Operation Focused Remedy which leverages technology and partnerships statewide to provide a safe environment to our neighborhoods.”
“The Tuscaloosa Police Department is extremely delighted to have the assistance of the ATF in removing dangerous criminals, who commit gun crimes, from our City,” Anderson said. “We are grateful for their assistance in reducing gun violence and making Tuscaloosa a safer place.”
“This is a great example of federal and local agencies working together here in Tuscaloosa,” Abernathy said.
The majority of the 36 defendants facing current gun charges have at least 3 prior felony convictions. The total number of prior convictions tops 122. Among these arrests for violent offenses, include charges such as domestic violence, assault and attempted murder, rape and sodomy. Of the 36, there are 2 individuals that have 11 felony convictions each and 1 individual that has 10 felony convictions. Among the 40 firearms seized, 12 were identified as stolen, according to the ATF.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.
Wednesday 31 October 2018
Windsor Locks Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Prescription PillsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTY MILES, 34, of Windsor Locks, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and various prescription medications.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, members of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Christy Miles’ mother, Christine Miles, for distributing prescription narcotics and other controlled substances. Miles is a retired nurse. The investigation revealed that Christy Miles was assisting her mother’s drug trafficking enterprise.
On March 30, 2016, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of five bags of heroin and six Vicodin tablets from Christy Miles at Christine Miles’ home at 350 North Street in Windsor Locks. Investigators subsequently made two controlled purchases of prescription drugs from Christine Miles at her residence.
On August 4, 2016, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of 350 North Street and seized a large quantity of various prescription medications, approximately two pounds of marijuana, $10,093 in cash and more than $13,000 in gift cards. Christine Miles and her husband, Oscar Montoya, were arrested on state charges after the search.
Christy Miles, Christine Miles and Montoya were arrested on federal charges on November 16, 2017, and have been detained since their arrests. On February 2, 2018, another court-authorized search of the North Street residence revealed additional drug evidence and $41,904 in cash.
On May 22, 2018, Christy Miles pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and alprazolam.
On May 15, 2018, Christine Miles pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and alprazolam, and one count of engaging and attempting to engage in a monetary transaction affecting interstate commerce, involving criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000. On October 1, 2018, she was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
Montoya pleaded guilty to the same charges and, on September 4, 2018, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment.
As part of this case, Christine Miles and Montoya agreed to forfeit their Windsor Locks residence and $767,056.74 seized from the residence and multiple bank accounts.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Resident Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the valuable assistance of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the Windsor Locks, Enfield, Vernon, East Windsor and Manchester Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David X. Sullivan and Patrick F. Caruso.
Wilmington Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, ANTHONY TYRONE GREENE, 34, of Wilmington, was sentenced by United States Senior District Judge W. Earl Britt for possession of a firearm by felon. Judge Britt sentenced GREENE to 78 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
GREENE was charged in a one-count indictment on February 15, 2018, and pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018.
One June 10, 2017, a female employee of GoGas in Wilmington, North Carolina, had just locked up the gas station and was walking towards her vehicle. GREENE approached her, pointed a gun in her face, and demanded her purse. After she handed over her purse and bag, GREENE pushed her to the ground and fled.
Shortly after the robbery, the Wilmington Police Department used a phone application to locate the victim’s stolen iPhone. Officers traced the phone to an apartment where GREENE lived. After searching the residence, officers found the victim’s iPhone, wallet, identification, and other personal effects. They also recovered a stolen, loaded 9mm Taurus handgun.
In 2008 GREENE pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in the slaying of Lynn Rubei in Wilmington.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Erin Blondel handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Waterbury Man Admits Committing Multiple Violent Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JEFFREY STOKARSKI, 44, of Waterbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to federal robbery and firearm charges stemming from a violent armed robbery spree in Connecticut in late 2017 and early 2018.
According to court documents and statements made in court:
On December 27, 2017, Stokarski entered the Henny Penny located at 273 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, pushed the sales clerk into the counter and verbally instructed her not to touch or say anything. Stokarski opened the cash register with a screwdriver and stole approximately $289 in cash.
Also on December 27, Stokarski approached a vehicle in the parking lot of the Country Cloverleaf Shell at 237 Route 81 in Killingworth, opened the driver’s door and punched the driver repeatedly in the face while demanding the driver’s wallet. During the robbery, Stokarski took from the driver an electronic cigarette worth approximately $110, a cell phone worth approximately $50, and the driver’s wallet containing approximately $90 in cash and gift cards.
Also on December 27, Stokarski entered the Krauszer’s Food Store located at 459 Madison Road in Durham, placed the store clerk in a headlock, pulled out a knife and placed it on the clerk’s back, dragged the clerk over to the register and then stole approximately $3,264 in cash and store items.
On December 31, 2017, Stokarski again entered the Henny Penny located at 273 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, and demanded cash from the register. The clerk complied and gave Stokarski approximately $161 in cash from the register.
On January 1, 2018, Stokarski entered the Citgo Gas Station at 199 West Street in Litchfield, grabbed the clerk, pulled out a knife and placed the knife across the clerk’s neck area while demanding that the clerk give up all the money. The clerk complied and provided Stokarski with approximately $2,084 in cash. Stokarski also stole several store items worth approximately $49.
Also on January 1, Stokarski entered the Dunkin Donuts located at 220 Main Street in New Hartford, pulled out a knife, jumped over the counter and while grabbing the clerk, yelled for the clerk to open the registers. The clerk complied and gave Stokarski all of the cash from within the registers.
On January 3, 2018, Stokarski entered the Rayon Market located at 214 Edgewood Avenue in New Haven, and stole $1,400 in cash and a handgun from the clerk at knifepoint. Later that day, Stokarski entered the Cumberland Farms gas station located at 69 Rubber Avenue in Naugatuck, walked behind the counter and demanded money. He then pulled the stolen handgun from his waist area to show the clerk that he had a gun. The clerk complied with Stokarski’s demand and opened the registers. Stokarski then stole approximately $132 in cash and approximately $536 worth of cigarettes and fled in a vehicle driven by Stacy Borowy.
On January 6, 2018, Stokarski entered the Food Land grocery store located at 250 South Colon Road in Wallingford, pulled out a knife, dragged the clerk to the register and ultimately stole approximately $2,254 in cash, while injuring the clerk in the process.
Also on January 6, Stokarski and another man entered the Mobil gas station located at 385 Watertown Avenue in Waterbury and approached the register. Stokarski went behind the register, pulled out a knife and told the cashier to get back while Stokarski pried open the register, ultimately stealing approximately $727 in cash and several cartons of cigarettes.
On January 7, 2018, Stokarski entered the Valero Fas Mart gas station located at 384 Main Street in Durham, grabbed the clerk’s arm, and demanded that she open the register. He then pulled out a knife in an attempt to pry open the register himself. The clerk ultimately complied with Stokarski’s demand to open the register and Stokarski removed approximately $130 in cash.
On January 9, 2018, Stokarski entered Food Bag located at 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington, approached the register, pulled out a knife and began to pry open the register. He then removed approximately $100 from the register and about $500 in cigarettes.
Stokarski has been detained since his arrest on January 9, 2018.
Stokarski pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 24, 2019.
Borowy pleaded guilty on September 20, 2018, to aiding and abetting an armed robbery. She awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Naugatuck, Southington, New Hartford, New Haven, Wallingford and Waterbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Lauren C. Clark.
Washington Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ELIJAH CHIN, 28, of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from a credit card fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2016 and February 2017, Chin was involved in a scheme in which credit card accounts were opened electronically using personal identifying information from Connecticut residents. After the credit card issuers mailed credit cards to the victims’ home addresses, Chin took the cards directly from the victims’ mailboxes. Chin then used the credit cards to purchase gift cards, prepaid cards and other items totaling $63,941.60 at various retail establishments in Connecticut.
The Wilton Police Department arrested Chin on related state charges on February 22, 2017. At the time of his arrest, Chin possessed numerous fraudulently issued credit cards, prepaid cards purchased with the fraudulently obtained credit cards, and mail addressed to Connecticut residents.
Judge Shea ordered Chin to pay full restitution.
On April 30, 2018, Chin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Chin, who is released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on December 28.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Wilton Police Department and Ridgefield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Enticement, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Roanoke, Virginia man was sentenced to 360 months in prison today, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticement of a minor, receipt or attempted receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
Scott Curtiss Pieritz, 57, pleaded guilty on June 19, before Chief U.S. District Judge Michael F. Urbanski of the Western District of Virginia to one count of enticement of a minor, one count of receipt or attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in July 2017, law enforcement agents were notified that Pieritz, who had a duty to register as a sex offender as a result of three prior child pornography convictions, was using social media applications to communicate with minors and ask them for nude images of themselves. Forensic examination of Pieritz’s electronic devices seized pursuant to a search warrant confirmed that he was in possession of numerous images and videos of child pornography, had used applications such as Omegle and Musical.ly to entice minors to produce and send him child pornography, and had posed as a minor online. At times, Pieritz also exchanged money and gifts for child pornography images from minors. At the time of his arrest, Pieritz was employed as a cashier and dishwasher at K&W Cafeteria, in Roanoke.
The case was investigated by the Virginia State Police. Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Healey of the Western District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen Appoints Dedicated Official to Answer Western District of Virginia Election ComplaintsRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Miller will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018 general election. AUSA Miller has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“The right to vote in free and fair elections is the bedrock of our democratic system of government,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “The Department of Justice and this U.S. attorney’s office will not tolerate efforts, by any individuals or groups, to infringe on or interfere with this fundamental right through intimidation, voter-suppression tactics, or fraud. Our District Election Officer and the FBI will be standing by in the coming days to respond to any credible complaints of unlawful activity.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Miller will be on duty in the Western District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 540-857-2914.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at 540-344-3912.
Complaints about violations of federal voting rights can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by email at [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Mike Stuart Implements Election Day Program to Stop Fraud and Protect Voting RightsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Philip Wright will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Wright has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Voting is the most fundamental right to the preservation of liberty,” said United States Attorney Stuart. “The sanctity of the vote must be protected. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Stuart stated that AUSA/DEO Wright will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 1-800-659-8726 ext. 12381 or 304-345-2200.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 304-346-2300.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Stuart said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office Announce New Initiative to Prevent the Use of U.S. Post Office Boxes for Illegal Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn and U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced a new initiative to combat the use of U.S. Post Office Boxes for the distribution of illicit drugs in the U.S. Virgin Islands. When U.S. mail destined for delivery at a Virgin Islands post office box is found to contain illegal drugs or contraband, the Post Office Box customer will be notified by mail and advised of the incident, with instructions to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Failure to contact USPIS within ten days will result in the Post Office Box being locked or closed. The 10-day window of time will enable citizens to resolve any issues regarding misuse of their boxes by other persons or any mistakes in delivery.
"The United States Post Office is not a delivery service for the illegal drugs or contraband," said U.S. Attorney Shappert. "The illicit use of the U.S. mails to transport illegal drugs and contraband threatens the safety of U.S. postal employees and undermines public safety in the Territory. It is also a violation of federal law. We have seen far too many abuses of the mail service, and we are working to stop these illegal practices." Shappert noted that the trafficking and distribution of narcotics through the U.S. mails violates the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Use of a Post Office Box in connection with a scheme to violate federal, state or local law also contravenes the U.S. Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual.
Shappert praised the U.S. Virgin Islands Post Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their dedication to public service and to public safety. "Everyone in the U.S. Virgin Island relies on the Postal Service for mail and packages that are a part of our daily lives. We are grateful for their hard work and their determination to uphold the law."
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reminds New Jersey Voters about Election Day Hotline for Complaints of Voting Irregularities or AbusesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today that Senior Trial Counsel Allen B.K. Urgent will lead the office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the Nov. 6, 2018, general election.
Urgent, Senior Trial Counsel Mark McCarren and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Vidoni have been appointed to serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of New Jersey, and are responsible for handling complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Every voter must be free to cast a ballot without being intimidated or harassed, and their votes must be counted accurately and without being subjected to fraud of any kind.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. Actions designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Carpenito said the DEOs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at: (888) 636-6596.
The FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (973) 792-3000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, by phone at (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI to Host Community Meeting to Discuss Hate Crimes in the Wake of the Tragic Events in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Minneapolis Division Jill Sanborn will convene a community meeting in response to the tragic shooting that took place this past week at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Leaders of the interfaith community, representatives of houses of worship, and other community stakeholders are encouraged to attend to discuss federal hate crimes laws, identifying and reporting hate crimes, and best practices for creating safe and secure houses of worship. The meeting will take place on Monday, November 5, 2018, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Dakota County Western Service Center in Apple Valley, Minnesota. For more information, please email [email protected]
“Here in Minnesota and across the nation, we stand united against the violent and hateful events that have recently taken place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Jeffersontown, Kentucky. These attacks are reprehensible and antithetical to our values as a nation,” said U.S. Attorney MacDonald. “The safety and security of all Minnesotans is my highest priority and these events serve as a solemn reminder that law enforcement and community leaders must remain vigilant in our shared work of building public safety awareness around the issue of hate crimes. As U.S. Attorney, I will not tolerate hateful acts from any individual or group that seeks to threaten another’s civil rights.”
“The attacks in Pittsburgh show that evil does exist, but we can find hope in the response and solidarity of an entire nation, which mourns the senseless and tragic loss of life,” said SAC Sanborn. “Every American has the right to live, love and worship how they choose and the FBI stands shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners to protect those rights. We are looking forward to this meeting and being a part of the solution in our community.”
Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) said, “The JCRC is proud to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in Minnesota to assist with educating about civil rights and community security. We look forward to our continued work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI to organize community forums that provide critical security guidance and address community concerns. In the wake of hate incidents impacting the Muslim and Jewish communities in 2017, the JCRC joined with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI to provide security assistance to a diverse group of community organizations and houses of worship. In the aftermath of the Etz Chaim (Tree of Life) murders, we are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and the outpouring of support to the Jewish community.”
On October 29, 2018, the Department of Justice announced the launch of a new comprehensive hate crimes website designed to provide a centralized portal for the Department’s hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other related organizations and individuals. The resources include training materials, technical assistance, videos, research reports, statistics, and other helpful information from all of the Department components working on hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes
NOTE: This event is open press. All media must RSVP to [email protected] and present valid media credentials at the event.
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
U.S. Attorney's Office to Monitor Election Day ComplaintsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 31, 2018 - Unites States Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys Steve Jordan and Sara Beth Myers will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSAs Jordan and Myers have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Middle District of Tennessee, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Jordan and Myers will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 615-736-2083 or 615-828-0616.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI Resident Agency can be reached by the public at 615-232-7500.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Don Cochran further stated, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
U.S. Attorney announces Election Day Program informationRead the Press Release
WHEELING - United States Attorney Bill Powell announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Stephen D. Warner will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Warner has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process,” said Powell.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Powell stated that AUSA/DEO Warner will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at by calling (304) 636-1739.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (412) 432-4000.Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Powell said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
U.S. Attorney Pak Announces Election Monitoring in Conjunction with Nationwide Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
ATLANTA –The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Byung J. “BJay” Pak, announces that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) William Toliver will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election on November 6, 2018. AUSA William Toliver has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO), and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “On election day, federal observers will be located at certain polling locations throughout the Northern District of Georgia, including Fulton and Gwinnett Counties, to monitor voting procedures. Free and fair elections depend on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about potential discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and promotes public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA William Toliver will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number (404) 581-6001.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (404) 216-3000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
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.
U.S. Attorney Minkler announces Election Day security precautionsRead the Press Release
Assistant United States Attorney on call for Election Day problems
PRESS RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Tiffany Preston will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Preston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Indiana, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Minkler said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Minkler stated that AUSA/DEO Preston will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (317) 226-6333.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (317) 595-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C. by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Minkler said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
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U.S. Attorney Lelling Appoints District Election Officer to Monitor Integrity of PollsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eugenia M. Carris will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 6, 2018, general election. AUSA Carris has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Lelling said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Lelling stated that AUSA/DEOC Carris will be available while the polls are open. She can be reached at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston at (617) 748-3100.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The Boston FBI Field Office can be reached by the public at (857) 386-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney Lelling said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to authorities.”
U.S. Attorney Announces Process to Report Election Fraud and Voting Rights Abuses for November 2018 ElectionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Gregory D. Burris will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections. AUSA Burris has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. Votes stolen as a result of fraud is an offense against the voter and against our country,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to make their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Those who seek to corrupt the election process must be brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Brian Kuester stated that AUSA/DEO Burris will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 918-684-5100.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 918-687-7500.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C. by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester concluded, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to this Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
U. S. Attorney Appoints Election Day Officer, Utah Joins Justice Department Efforts to Protect Right to Vote and Prosecute Ballot FraudRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – In anticipation of Tuesday’s general elections, United States Attorney John W. Huber announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lake Dishman will serve as the election day officer for the District of Utah. He will coordinate with election officials at the Department of Justice to ensure that all qualified voters in Utah have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation or fraud in the election process.
"Although Utah has a history of conducting problem-free elections, we want to make sure residents of Utah know that reports of fraud or abuse will be taken seriously," Huber said today. “Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute the worth of votes honestly cast. They also corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office or the FBI,” Huber said.
“Voting rights are constitutional rights, and they’re part of what it means to be an American,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “The Department of Justice has been entrusted with an indispensable role in securing these rights for the people of this nation. This year we are using every lawful tool that we have, both civil and criminal, to protect the rights of millions of Americans to cast their vote unimpeded at one of more than 170,000 precincts across America. Citizens of America control this country through their selection of their governmental officials at the ballot box. Likewise, fraud in the voting process will not be tolerated. Fraud also corrupts the integrity of the ballot.”
Election-crime complaints related to election fraud or voting rights abuses in Utah should be referred to Dishman. He can be reached at 801-325-1409 while the polls are open and until one hour after the polls close. He can also be contacted in the days following the election.
In addition, the FBI in Salt Lake City will have special agents available throughout the day to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached at 801-579-1400.
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local law enforcement authorities. They should also be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI after local authorities are contacted.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including the Voting Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, these laws:
• prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose based on race or membership in a minority language group or a discriminatory result such that members of racial or language minority groups have less opportunity than other citizens to participate in the political process;
• prohibit intimidation of voters;
• provide that voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
• provide for accessible voting machines for voters with disabilities;
• provide for provisional ballots for voters who assert they are registered and eligible but whose names do not appear on poll books;
• provide for absentee registration and ballots for uniformed service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living abroad;
• provide that citizens can register to vote through drivers’ license, public assistance or disability services offices, and through the mail; and
• include requirements regarding maintaining voter registration lists.The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
The administration of the election process is primarily a state rather than a federal function. States have the power to establish the place, time, and manner for holding elections.
Mistakes by election administrators, violations of state laws governing how elections are to be conducted, the accuracy of campaign literature, campaigning too closely to voting locations, the process by which candidates qualify for ballot status and events that occur in the course of political campaigns generally are not appropriate for federal prosecution, although such matters may violate state election laws.Anyone with questions about local voting procedures should call their county clerk’s office.
Two Springfield Police Officers Indicted for Unreasonable Force Against Two JuvenilesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Springfield Police Officers – one current and one former - were arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield, Mass., in connection with using unreasonable force against two Latino juveniles during an arrest in 2016. One of the officers is also charged with threatening two juveniles during an interrogation and falsifying subsequent reports regarding the incident.
Gregg A. Bigda, 48, of Wilbraham, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law – excessive force, two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law – abusive interrogation, and one count of obstructing justice by writing a false report.
Steven M. Vigneault, 48, of East Longmeadow, was charged in the same indictment with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law – excessive force. Bigda and Vigneault will appear in federal court in Springfield later today.
“Even in the face of adversity, law enforcement officers are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respectfully, and with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “They are ambassadors for the rule of law, and when they themselves break those laws, they violate not just the rights of their victims, but compromise the public’s trust in law enforcement. My office is committed to holding our public servants accountable under the law and prosecuting those who abuse their positions of power.”
“Most law enforcement officers are dedicated, honest, and fully committed to building trust within their communities, but those who break the law stain the reputation of the law enforcement profession,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division. “Badges and guns do not come with the authority to ignore the Constitution or the rights of others, and those who violate it will be held accountable.”
It is alleged that on Feb. 27, 2016, Bigda used unreasonable force against a juvenile, spat on him, and said, “Welcome to the white man’s world,” and that Vigneault used unreasonable force against a second juvenile. According to the indictment, both officers’ use of unreasonable force involved a dangerous weapon, resulting in bodily injury.
After the arrests, Bigda allegedly interrogated two juveniles without their parents present, without reading them their Miranda rights, and by issuing various threats. For example, Bigda made the following threats against one juvenile: to “crush [the juvenile’s] skull and “fu----- get away with it;” “fu----- bring the dog back [and] let him go after” the juvenile; “fu----- kill [the juvenile] in the parking lot;” “charge [the juvenile] with killing Kennedy and fu----- make it stick;” “stick a fu----- kilo of coke in [the juvenile’s] pocket and put [the juvenile] away for fu----- 15 years;” and “kick [the juvenile] right in the fu----- face as soon as [they] cross the Springfield line.” Bigda made the following threats against a second juvenile: to “beat the fu-- out of [the juvenile]..;” “tune [the juvenile] the fu—up;” and “bloody [the juvenile’s] body.”
The indictment further alleges that Bigda subsequently attempted to obstruct the investigation into the assaults of the juveniles by falsifying his reports to the Springfield Police Department Internal Investigations Unit, writing that he did not kick anyone or see any officer kick anyone during the course of the arrests of the juveniles. Bigda filed a second report in which he denied spitting on anyone or yelling “welcome to the white man’s world” during the arrest of the juveniles.
The charges of deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in injury or using or threatening to use a dangerous weapon provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law provides for a sentence of no greater than one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. The charge of falsifying a police report provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deepika Bains Shukla and Katharine Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
UPDATE: Gregg Bigda was acquitted by a federal jury in December 2022.
Two Sentenced in Federal Court on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney announced today that two men were sentenced in federal court in Bluefield for distributing hydromorphone. Lansen Waugh, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, and Jerome Brown, 45, of the Bluefield area, were sentenced to 21 and 16 months in prison, respectively. Stuart commended the work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
“Illegal sale of prescription drugs remains a significant problem in our southernmost counties,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We will continue to prosecute those that divert and traffic pills, whether they are a street dealer, cartel leader or wear a lab coat.”
Waugh pled guilty in June, admitting that he distributed hydromorphone to a confidential informant in Princeton on August 8, 2017. He also admitted that he sold hydromorphone to a confidential informant on August 9, 2017, in Green Valley and on August 28, 2017, in Bluefield.
Brown pled guilty in May, and admitted that he distributed hydromorphone to an informant on August 18, 2016, in Bluefield. He also admitted that he sold hydromorphone to an informant on August 17 and August 22, 2016, in Bluefield.
Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted the cases. The sentences were imposed by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.
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Two Rockford Men Charged with Stealing Firearms from Licensed DealersRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — Two Rockford men have been charged by a federal grand jury with firearms offenses.
KYLAND WILLIS, 20, and MARTAEVIEN Q. STEVENSON, 20, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and to possess stolen firearms, one count of stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer, and one count of possessing stolen firearms. The indictment alleges that on Jan. 3, 2018, Willis, Stevenson, and a third individual broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Belvidere and stole approximately 29 firearms. The indictment further alleges that Willis, Stevenson, and a third individual attempted to break into the firearms licensee’s store again on Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, 2018.
Willis was also charged in a separate case with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and to possess stolen firearms, two counts of stealing firearms from the licensed firearms dealer, and two counts of possessing stolen firearms. The indictment in that case alleges that on Dec. 15, 2017, Willis broke into the store of a firearms licensee in Loves Park and stole approximately 11 firearms. The indictment further alleges that on Dec. 27, 2017, Willis and another individual broke into the store of the same firearms licensee and stole an additional 13 firearms. The indictment further alleges that Willis and the other individual also attempted to break into the store of another firearms licensee in Loves Park on Dec. 26, 2017.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Celinez Nunez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Loves Park Police Department, the Belvidere Police Department, and the Rockford Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
Each conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment, followed by up to three years’ supervised release. Each count of possessing stolen firearms and stealing firearms from a licensed dealer carries a maximum potential penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment, followed by up to three years’ supervised release. Each count alleged in the indictments also carries a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, and order full restitution.
Stevenson was arrested and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston on Oct. 30, 2018, and pleaded not guilty. Stevenson’s detention hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. Willis is currently in state custody on other charges and is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Nov. 15, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Johnston.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two People Arrested for Trafficking Guns in Camden AreaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A man and woman from Fayetteville, North Carolina, who were arrested for conspiring to engage in illegal gun-trafficking in South Jersey will be making their initial appearances in court in New Jersey today, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Anthony Doyle, 27, and Anastacia Thomas, 26, are charged by complaint with conspiring to illegally traffic firearms. Doyle is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms.
The defendants appeared in federal court in North Carolina following their arrest earlier this month and were detained. They are scheduled to appear in New Jersey this afternoon; Doyle will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider in Camden federal court and Thomas will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 25, 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a car registered to Doyle, who was riding as the front seat passenger while Thomas was driving. The officers observed a Glock handgun in plain view on the front seat passenger floor. Doyle told the officers the gun, which was loaded with 14 hollow tip bullets, belonged to a friend. The officers also observed a firearm box in the backseat of the car, next to a backpack. A search of the car and backpack revealed four additional handguns and two additional firearm boxes.
Law enforcement officers learned that the four handguns in the backpack had been purchased by Thomas on Jan. 22, 2018, from a pawnshop in Jonesboro, Georgia. Thomas purchased several additional firearms from that same pawnshop over the course of multiple visits, and Doyle accompanied Thomas to the pawnshop on at least two of those visits.
The investigation revealed that from Nov. 30, 2017, to Jan. 25, 2018, Doyle and Thomas conspired and worked together to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Thomas was responsible for purchasing firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers; meanwhile, Doyle used social media to advertise firearms for sale, negotiate pricing for firearms, and arrange for firearm transactions. Doyle discussed the various firearm transactions in great detail over the course of hundreds of pages of online messages that were analyzed by law enforcement.
The charge of conspiring to engage in gun trafficking carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and both Doyle and Thomas are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel:
Doyle: Christopher O’Malley Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Thomas: Paul A. Sarmousakis Esq., Avalon, New Jersey
Two Ohio Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Unlawfully Export Firearms to LebanonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Abdul Majid Saidi, 42, and Walid Mounir Chehade, 38, both of metro Cleveland, Ohio, each pleaded guilty before a U.S. Magistrate Judge pursuant to a plea agreement to one count of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. The guilty pleas were accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Gordon J. Quist and both defendants were adjudicated guilty. Saidi and Chehade face a maximum of 5 years of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised released, and a $250,000 fine. The sentencing hearings will be held in February, 2019.
Saidi and Chehade admitted at their plea hearings that they conspired with Gilbert Elian in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area to conceal twenty semiautomatic pistols wrapped in felt and plastic inside automobile engine blocks and transmissions. Many of the firearms were purchased in West Michigan. Those engine blocks and transmission were then placed in a cargo shipping container addressed to a consignee in Beirut, Lebanon. The cargo container shipment was intercepted after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection in Virginia. Elian was convicted of the same offense in 2016.
“Abdul Majid Saidi and Walid Mounir Chehade flouted laws designed to control the export of defense articles and international arms trafficking. That conduct warrants the serious consequences they face for obvious reasons,” U.S. Attorney Birge said.
“The illegal proliferation of weapons is controlled by U.S. laws for an important purpose,” said Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. “Any weapons or firearms obtained by the wrong person or group could harm American interests either domestically or overseas. HSI is committed to bringing to justice any individual or organization willing to circumvent U.S. export laws.”
The case was jointly investigated by HSI Grand Rapids, IRS Criminal Investigations Grand Rapids, ATF Grand Rapids, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Grand Rapids Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay M. West prosecuted the case.
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Two Maryland Law Enforcement Teams Recognized by Attorney General Jeff Sessions for Their Service at the 66th Annual Attorney General Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Maryland law enforcement teams were among 280 Department of Justice employees and others recognized by Attorney General Jeff Sessions for their distinguished public service at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony held on October 24, 2018. This annual ceremony recognizes employees and other individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements, leadership, and service to the Department of Justice and the American people.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department commended the members of their own offices, and all the other award recipients for their dedication and hard work that have made our communities safer.
“Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners. And so I want to thank them and their families for their exemplary service to this Department and to the American people. They have made this Department proud.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was presented to the team from the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their investigation and prosecution of corrupt police officers who were members of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force, who planted evidence, robbed citizens, protected drug dealers, sold drugs, and falsified police department records.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement was presented to a team from the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) for the collaboration of the Prince George’s Gun Intelligence Unit working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to form a task force that trained PGPD officers on firearms tracing and the use of National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) intelligence, and implemented a screening process for conducting follow-up investigations on every firearm recovered in Prince George’s County, in an effort to reduce violent crime.
This year’s program honors individuals across the Department and our federal, state, local, and tribal partners for their selfless efforts, protecting our national security and our civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, and pusuing gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings. The awards also honor the work of civil and environmental litigation, which enforces the rule of law and upholds our Constitution. They also recognize employees whose ideas and efforts save taxpayer dollars and help our government operate more effectively and efficiently, among other contributions to public safety and good governance.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was presented to the following recipients for Dedicated Service to Investigate Corrupt Behavior Within the Baltimore Police Department:
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gregg C. Domroe;
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Matthew T. Walsh;
FBI Special Agent Kevin J. Bodmer;
FBI Special Agent Heather H. Grow;
FBI Special Agent Juan Carlos Guerra;
FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen;
FBI Intelligence Analyst Laura L. Schreiber;
FBI Staff Operations Specialist Amanda Kae Sackett;
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Wise;
Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek E. Hines;
Corporal David A. McDougall, Jr. of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office;
Sergeant John V. Sieracki III of the Baltimore Police Department;
Detective Matthew T. Smith of the Baltimore Police Department;
Detective Jared E. Stern of the Baltimore Police Department; and
Detective Scott D. Kilpatrick of the Baltimore County Police Department.The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement was presented to the following members of the Prince George’s County Police Department, who are also ATF Task Force Officers:
Sergeant Shane M. Goudreau;
Sergeant Jakob E. Wolford;
Detective Ché L. Atkinson;
Detective Chase M. Carter;
Detective Ryan J. Cox;
Detective Nicole M. McGowen;
Detective Christopher V. Schultz;
Detective Andre MJ Thompson;
Detective Wayne R. Tracey; and
Detective Gregory M. Travis.
Tribal Access Program ExpansionRead the Press Release
The United States Department of Justice has announced the expansion of the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP). TAP will allow the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Tribes of the Wind River Reservation to more effectively protect its citizens through the exchange of critical information across several national crime information systems. The program was launched in August of 2015 and served forty-seven tribes across the country.
The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes have been selected for TAP FULL access. The Wind River Indian Reservation will receive two kiosks to access NCIC and other national databases. The Northern Arapaho Tribe will place its kiosk in the Wind River Sex Offender Registration and Notification ("WRSORNA") Office, giving WRSORNA Director Kendra Smith the ability to retrieve background information about convicted sex offenders at the time of registration and enter the sex offender's information into the nationwide NCIC database. Director Smith stated that the Department of Justice’s Tribal Access Program (TAP) expansion will provide approved entities, such as tribal probation, human resources, child support, child protection services, and schools the ability to request information from the nationwide databases that is important to public and community safety.
The Eastern Shoshone Tribe will locate its kiosk within its Human Resources office. Council Member Leslie Shakespeare, of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council, stated, "The Eastern Shoshone Tribe is excited to be able to participate in the Department of Justice's Tribal Access Program. Having the ability to have access and share criminal information will undoubtedly enhance our human resource, family service, child support, and judicial departments for the safety and benefit of our tribal members and communities as a whole."
"I am pleased that the Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone tribes are planning to participate in the Tribal Access Program to allow sharing of national crime information databases," said United States Attorney Mark Klaassen. "My hope is that deployment of this program in the coming months will further strengthen our partnership with the tribes and promote safe and healthy communities in Indian country."
By the end of 2019, the Justice Department will expand the number of TAP participating tribes by more than 50 percent—from 47 tribes to 72. The Department of the Interior (DOI) will fund the instillation of TAP Kiosks at three locations where the BIA-Office of Indian Services (BIA-OIS) deliver direct service social services by the end of 2019 and DOI aims to expand TAP access at all 28 BIA-Office of Justice Services operated law enforcement agencies and detention service centers. These BIA locations will provide some degree of access to TAP for services delivered to more than 50 tribal communities that currently do not have any direct access.
TAP, offered in two versions, TAP-FULL and TAP-LIGHT, allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities by fostering the exchange of critical data through several national databases through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) network, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Next Generation Identification (NGI), National Data Exchange (N-DEx), National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) as well as other national systems such as the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets). TAP enhances tribal efforts to register sex offenders pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA); have orders of protection enforced nationwide; protect children; keep firearms away from persons who are disqualified from receiving them; improve the safety of public housing, and allow tribes to enter their arrests and convictions into national databases.