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Tuesday 30 October 2018
Algerian Terrorist is Sentenced to 15 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers announced that an Algerian man was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists. United States District Judge Petrese B. Tucker presided over the proceeding.
Ali Charaf Damache, 53, also known as Theblackflag, was indicted in 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of attempted identity theft to facilitate an act of international terrorism. He was extradited from Spain in 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2018.
Damache, his co-defendant Mohammad Hassan Khalid, and others conspired to support, recruit, and coordinate a terrorist cell, consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States, to wage violent jihad in and around Europe. Among those with whom Damache conspired is Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, a/k/a Fatima LaRose, a/k/a Jihad Jane, a resident of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Though there were several involved in the conspiracy, Damache was the driving force behind the terrorist cell that he formed. He enticed LaRose and Ramirez to travel to Ireland to live with him and train in the ways of violent jihad; convinced Khalid, LaRose and others to recruit men online to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe; and began to coordinate explosives training for his co-conspirators. He also trained Ramirez’s young son in the ways of violent jihad.
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of a long and arduous prosecution that has spanned more than nine years, involved four defendants and five unnamed co-conspirators, and required multiple coordinated international arrests and two extradition applications,” said U. S. Attorney McSwain. “Damache and his co-conspirators were motivated by hate and prejudice, and their criminal activities presented a very real danger to our country and the world. This case is a prime example of the remarkable results we can accomplish when law enforcement – both foreign and domestic – work together to stop our enemies who intend to wage war on our way of life. As this case shows, our resolve to dismantle extremists groups is stronger than ever.”
“At a time when radical terrorist groups use the Internet to recruit new members and coordinate attacks against innocent people, the National Security Division remains committed to investigating all possible threats to our country aggressively — including those that take place online,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Through close cooperation with our international law enforcement partners and the dedicated work of our agents and prosecutors, we have brought Damache to justice. The sentence in this case and order of removal have made the United States safer, and I applaud the women and men throughout the law enforcement community who made it happen.”
This case was investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and the FBI Field Divisions in Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and the IRS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Spain provided substantial assistance. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Blue and C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Algerian Man is Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiring with Pennsylvania Woman and Others to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and United States Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that an Algerian man was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists. United States District Judge Petrese B. Tucker presided over the proceeding.
Ali Charaf Damache, 53, also known as Theblackflag, was indicted in 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of attempted identity theft to facilitate an act of international terrorism. He was extradited from Spain in 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2018. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States and return to Ireland, where he is a citizen, or alternatively, Algeria.
Damache, his co-defendant Mohammad Hassan Khalid, and others conspired to support, recruit, and coordinate a terrorist cell, consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States, to wage violent jihad in and around Europe. Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, aka Fatima LaRose, aka JihadJane, a resident of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are among Damache’s co-conspirators.
Though there were several involved in the conspiracy, Damache was the force behind the terrorist cell he formed. He enticed LaRose and Ramirez to travel to Ireland live with him and train in the ways of violent jihad; convinced Khalid, LaRose and others to recruit men online to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe; and began to coordinate explosives training for his co-conspirators. He also trained Ramirez’s son in the ways of violent jihad, on one occasion taking him to a public park for physical training that scared him.
“At a time when radical terrorist groups use the Internet to recruit new members and coordinate attacks against innocent people, the National Security Division remains committed to investigating all possible threats to our country aggressively — including those that take place online,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Through close cooperation with our international law enforcement partners and the dedicated work of our agents and prosecutors, we have brought Damache to justice. The sentence in this case and order of removal have made the United States safer, and I applaud the women and men throughout the law enforcement community who made it happen.”
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of a long and arduous prosecution that has spanned more than nine years, involved four defendants and five unnamed co-conspirators, and required multiple coordinated international arrests and two extradition applications,” said United States Attorney McSwain. “Damache and his co-conspirators were motivated by hate and prejudice, and their criminal activities presented a very real danger to our country and the world. This case is a prime example of the remarkable results we can accomplish when law enforcement – both foreign and domestic – work together to stop our enemies who intend to wage war on our way of life. As this case shows, our resolve to dismantle extremists groups is stronger than ever.”
This case was investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and the FBI Field Divisions in New York, Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and the IRS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Spain provided substantial assistance. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Blue and C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
5 Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LUIS SEMIDAY, a/k/a “PopOff,” RICHARD JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Showtime,” KEVIN CRUZ, a/k/a “Juice,” IRA LAWSON, a/k/a “Malachi,” and CURTIS HINES, a/k/a “Curt,” a/k/a “Gz,” with robbery conspiracy, robbery, and murder through the use of a firearm. The charges arise out of a robbery of a marijuana dealer in the Bronx on February 4, 2018, during which Jonathan Tuck was unintentionally shot and killed. JIMENEZ, CRUZ, LAWSON, and HINES were arrested yesterday and this morning, and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. SEMIDAY is still at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants planned and carried out the violent armed robbery of a marijuana dealer in the Bronx. In the course of that robbery, 25-year-old Jonathan Tuck was killed. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the NYPD and the Special Agents of our Office, five defendants now face charges for their role in these terrible crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “I applaud the tireless work of our NYPD detectives and our partners at the Southern District, whose close collaboration led to today’s charges. We have zero tolerance for crime and violence of any kind in our city, and New Yorkers in every neighborhood deserve to feel safe on our streets. Today, these five men are correctly being held accountable for their actions – which include, tragically, ending another man’s life.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
On February 4, 2018, SEMIDAY, JIMENEZ, CRUZ, LAWSON, and HINES planned and carried out a gunpoint robbery of a drug dealer at 2334 Washington Avenue in the Bronx. During the course of the robbery, Jonathan Tuck was unintentionally shot and killed.
* * *
SEMIDAY, 22, of the Bronx, New York, JIMENEZ, 21, of New York, New York, CRUZ, 23, of the Bronx, New York, LAWSON, 24 of the Bronx, New York, and HINES, 20, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and the Special Agents of the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He added that the investigation is continuing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and Danielle Sassoon are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
2018 Eastern District Election Officer AppointedRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robin Pendergraft, Chief of the Criminal Division will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections. AUSA Pendergraft has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of any complaints of election fraud or 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 United Staes Attorney Higdon. “The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting 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.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise may exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process 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 Higdon stated that AUSA/DEO Pendergraft will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 919-856-4530.
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 Raleigh FBI field office can be reached by the public at 919-380-4500.
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 Higdon 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.”
Monday 29 October 2018
Woman Indicted for Conspiracy to File False Tax Returns and Making False Statements to a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
A woman was arrested on Friday, October 26, 2018, following an indictment for conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns and making false statements to a federal agent, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Byung J. Pak for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to the indictment, between approximately 2011 and 2014, Tiffany Lewis and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the payment of income tax refunds by filing false tax returns. After directing the tax refunds into bank accounts they opened and controlled, Lewis and her co-conspirators used checks and debit cards to withdraw cash or to pay for personal items. Later, when interviewed by an Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation special agent, Lewis lied about her purported purchase of a tax return preparation business.
If convicted, Lewis faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and 5 years in prison for the false statements charge. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. One of Lewis’s co-conspirators, Renault Shinall, was sentenced in July 2018 to 37 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to his part in the conspiracy.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Pak thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys David Zisserson and Sean Beaty, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Brown, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Virginia man sentenced for cigarette smuggling chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Udayappan Subramanian, of Haymarket, Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months probation for unlawful cigarette smuggling, First Assistant United States Attorney Randy Bernard announced today.
Subramanian, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Trafficking of Contraband Cigarettes” in June 2018. He transporting large quantities of contraband cigarettes across state lines for redistribution and sale. The cigarettes were acquired in Virginia, where the tax rate for cigarettes is one of the lowest in the nation, and sold in other states, including New York, which has one of the nation’s highest tax rates. The cigarettes were possessed and transported in West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Stein prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations, the Frederick County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Valdosta Man Convicted on Charge Related to Major Cocaine Ring, Hundreds of Kilograms Distributed Across RegionRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA-- United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Charles E. Peeler, announced that Henry Austin, II a/k/a “Poochie,” age 49, of Valdosta, Georgia was convicted Wednesday, October 24, 2018 of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine base following a three day jury trial before United States District Judge Hugh Lawson. Jurors took one hour to deliberate the charge. Austin’s sentencing will occur before Judge Lawson at a later date.
Jurors heard evidence collected by a half-dozen law enforcement agencies during a more than two-year investigation. Evidence revealed a cocaine and crack cocaine distribution circuit stretching from Atlanta to South Georgia, including Tifton, Valdosta, Omega, Hahira, Adel, Moultrie, Northern Florida, and other nearby communities. Austin and 18 co-conspirators, all who previously pled guilty and been sentenced, distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine sold as powder and also manufactured into crack cocaine. Mr. Austin’s drug dealing career dates back to the 1990s. When speaking of his crack cooking skills, witnesses widely described Mr. Austin as “one of best.”
“Another major illegal drug ring operating in Georgia has been smashed,” said Charles Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “This office and the law enforcement agencies we work with daily are committed to stopping these destructive drug operations flowing in our state. I applaud the courageous efforts put forth by our law enforcement agencies who are successfully ending illegal drug operations in their communities.”
This investigation and Mr. Austin’s conviction represent the hard work of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Tift County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Julia C. Bowen, Michael T. Solis and Leah E. McEwen are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors 140 Officers and Agents for Outstanding Work in Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office honored 140 law enforcement officers, agents, and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, drug traffickers, sexual predators, fraudsters, and other criminals. The event took place at the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu said the Office’s 36th Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the exceptional work performed by honorees on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption, and terrorism and other national security matters. Their efforts led to convictions in 38 cases that had an impact locally, nationally, and internationally. The ceremony took place on Oct. 25, 2018.
“These awards are a way to recognize the outstanding work that takes place every day to protect the citizens of the District of Columbia from threats at home and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “As prosecutors, we are inspired by the commitment shown by our law enforcement partners, who work around the clock to keep us safe.”
The ceremony honored the achievements of people from 23 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S, Marshals Service, and other partners.
Among cases highlighted at the ceremony, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized the work of more than 20 members of a team from the FBI, the U.S. State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency for their investigation into the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. The attack led to the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty. The investigation resulted in the capture and eventual trial of Libyan militia leader Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who was found guilty by a jury last year of federal charges for his role in the crimes.
The Office also recognized a team from the MPD, the ATF, and the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, for work leading to the conviction of Jerome Lewis on murder and other charges for setting a house fire in Northeast Washington in 2013 that caused the death of a four-year-old child, Samauri Michelle Jenkins. She was among tenants in his home. In addition to being sentenced to prison, Lewis was ordered to pay more than $200,000 to the estate of the child, based on an insurance pay-out he received after the fire.
In another murder case, an MPD detective was honored for his investigation into the death of Tricia McCauley, who was slain on Christmas Day 2016 while on her way to a gathering with friends. The work led to conviction of Duane Johnson, a stranger to the victim who was arrested a day after the murder. Johnson is serving a 30-year prison term.
Two detectives from MPD and an FBI Special Agent were honored for their investigation of Daraya Marshall, who persuaded four girls, ages 14 to 17, to prostitute for him in a sex trafficking operation out of an apartment in Southeast Washington. Marshall later pled guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Marshals Service, MPD, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Cook County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office were recognized for work leading to the conviction of Bilal Ahmed, a dentist who sexually assaulted five former dental patients and one former employee and improperly touched another former employee. Ahmed was sentenced last year to a 16 ½-year prison term for the crimes.
The ceremony reflected the wide variety of cases that are investigated by law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia. Many honorees were recognized for work in cases involving money laundering, bank fraud and other white-collar crimes, including teams from the FBI’s Washington Field Office that identified fraudsters who cheated non-profits, including one who stole nearly $150,000 from a foundation for veterans.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Efforts to Protect Voters and Prevent Fraud in November 2018 ElectionsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Todd M. Allison will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general elections on Nov. 6, 2018. AUSA Allison has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for Arizona. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the District of Arizona’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with DOJ in Washington, D.C.
“Our democracy relies upon free and fair elections, and we are asking for community support to help us ensure that every eligible voter can freely exercise his or her right to vote,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “It is imperative that anyone who has knowledge of suspected voter intimidation, discrimination, or election fraud report that information immediately to our Office, the FBI, or DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud, voter intimidation, 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, persons attempting to interrupt or intimidate voters by questioning, challenging, photographing or videotaping them at polling places – especially under the guise of uncovering illegal voting – may be violating 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.
The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the electoral 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, AUSA Allison will be on duty in this District the entire time that the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (602) 595-2866.
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 any other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (623) 466-1999.
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 format at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-141_ Gen Elections
U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady Remarks following Robert Bowers’ Initial AppearanceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Remarks of Scott W. Brady, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, following the initial appearance in federal court of Robert Bowers:
"On Saturday, October 27, 2018, my office charged Robert Bowers with federal murder and assault charges relative to the horrific acts of violence he committed at the Tree of Life synagogue.
Today, Robert Bowers made his first appearance in federal court. The Judge advised him of the charges against him. He is detained in jail, without bond.
The federal Magistrate Judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday, November 1 at 10:00 a.m. At that time, we will have the opportunity to present evidence demonstrating that Robert Bowers murdered 11 people who were exercising their religious beliefs, and that he shot or injured six others, four of whom were police officers responding to the shooting.
Our investigation of these hate crimes continues. Under the law, we must present this case to a federal grand jury within 30 days of today.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims’ families and with the community. Rest assured, we have a team of prosecutors working hard to ensure that justice is done."
Two Tampa Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted two Tampa men for conspiracy to commit identity theft crimes announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Michael Williams.
This case involved use of counterfeit access devices – debit or credit cards – trailing from South Carolina to Alabama to purchase goods or pre-paid gift cards.
A three-count federal indictment charges OSMANI RAMIREZ CHAVEZ and YANKO TORRES VADELLA ALBA of Tampa, Florida, with conspiring in October 2018 in Jefferson County and elsewhere to traffic in counterfeit access devices by using them to obtain money, goods and services. The indictment also charges them with separate counts of using a counterfeit device and possession of more than fifteen counterfeit access devices on October 9, 2018 in Jefferson County.
As part of the conspiracy, Chavez and Alba went on an extended weekend spree that spans from South Carolina to Alabama buying goods and pre-paid gift cards with counterfeit credit and debit cards. They hit Walmart stores in North Augusta, South Carolina, Augusta, and Thomson, Georgia, and Oxford, Pell City, Leeds, Hoover, Homewood and Birmingham, Alabama. The defendants were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama and were found in possession of the largest number of counterfeit credit and debit cards seized by the Task Force in the Northern District of Alabama.
“The defendants in this case are facing federal charges due to the collaborative work of the Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force with Regions Bank and Walmart Global Investigations to identify the culprits and gather the evidence of widespread fraud,” Town said. “Defendants should know that if you travel to the Northern District of Alabama with the intention of committing identity theft crimes, you will be prosecuted in federal court.”
“The prosecution of suspects committing financial crimes is an investigative priority of the U. S. Secret Service, Birmingham Field Office. Our financial crimes task force aggressively investigates financial crimes and seeks to bring offenders to justice,” Williams said. “This case is a perfect example of our mandate. We have to protect our local economy from fraudsters who travel from neighboring states to commit crimes in the Northern District of Alabama.”
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty both for making purchases with the counterfeit access devises and for possessing device-making equipment is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force investigated the cases in conjunction with Regions Bank and Walmart Global Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark is prosecuting the cases.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Stemming from the Illegal Manufacture of Machine GunsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that two men have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to charges related to the illegal manufacturing and possession of machine guns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2017 and April 2018, SEAN DEY, 39, of Torrington, made and manufactured machine guns, including AK-47-style and AR-style machine guns, suppressors, and other firearms. Dey entered into an agreement with GEORGE JAIMAN, 69, of Bridgeport, to sell machine guns, suppressors and firearms to third parties for profit. Neither Dey nor Jaiman possessed a valid license to deal firearms.
On March 28, 2018, in Bridgeport, Jaiman possessed an AK-47 style machine gun and an AR-style machine gun bearing a suppressor, neither of which had a serial number.
On April 3, 2018, Dey transferred an AR-style machine gun that he had manufactured to another individual for cash.
Dey was arrested on April 11, 2018, and Jaiman was arrested on June 4, 2018.
On October 25, 2018, Dey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage unlawfully in the business of selling firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of unlawful possession and transfer of a machine gun, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. On October 26, Jaiman pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Dey and Jaiman are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 15, 2019. Both defendants are released on bonds pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Identity and Mail Theft in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus CountiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Derek Hillgert, 29, of Carmichael, and Jeffrey Wilhite, 31, of Linden, pleaded guilty today to committing access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Hillgert and Wilhite worked together to steal United States Mail and conduct transactions with stolen identities. On the day of their arrests, they possessed over 200 pieces of stolen mail addressed to over 100 victims. With Wilhite’s assistance, Hillgert used a stolen identity to purchase a van at a dealership in Modesto. Hillgert presented a fraudulent driver’s license in the other person’s name but with Hillgert’s photograph, and he obtained a loan in the other person’s name for over $39,000. Wilhite opened a Target debit card account using a second stolen identity, and the defendants made more than $3,000 in purchases with it.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
Hillgert and Wilhite are scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on January 14, 2019. Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of stolen mail. Each count of access device fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the aggravated identity theft, each defendant faces a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Tres Ex-Oficiales de Crystal City, Tejas Condenados a Prisión Federal por Esquema de SobornoRead the Press Release
Anunciaron el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash y Christopher Combs, Agente Especial en cargo de la Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) que hoy en Del Rio, la juez Alia Moses condenó a tres ex–oficiales de Crystal City en conexión con una esquema de soborno.
Juez Moses condenó al ex-Alcalde Interino Rogelio Mata, ex–Concejal de la Ciudad Roel Mata, y ex–Concejal de la Ciudad Gilbert Urrabazo a 33 meses, 21 meses, y 24 meses respectivamente. Juez Moses ordenó que los tres demandaos servirán tres años de supervisión después de servir su sentencia penal individualmente. Más, Juez Moses ordenó que los tres pagaran una multa de $2,000 y ordenó juicio de perdida de $11,291.73 en efectivo. El juicio de perdida representa la perdición de varios sobornos, cuales fueron recibidos de parte del co-demandado William James Jonas, III. Previamente, los tres demandados se declararon culpables de un cargo de soborno de una programa federal y admitieron que usaron sus posiciones oficiales para enriquecerse por medio de aceptar sobornos de parte de individuos con el motivo de contratar sus negocios con la cuidad.
Éste año, el Alcalde de Crystal City Ricardo Lopez y el ex–Abogado de la Cuidad, y el Director de la Cuidad Willam James Jonas, III, fueron condenados a 97 meses y 420 meses en prisión federal, respectivamente, por su participación en la esquema. Jonas fue ordenado de pagar $1,047,814.05 en restitución y Lopez fue ordenado de pagar $24,003.95 en restitución. Por su participación en la esquema, empresario Ngoc Tri Nguyen fue condenado a 17 meses de prisión federal y de pagar $6,000.00 en restitución y la perdida de $40,000.00.
La Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) investigaron éste caso con la asistencia del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Tejas División Investigativa de Crimen (DPS-CID, por sus siglas en inglés), la División de Texas Ranger, y el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD, por sus siglas en inglés). Abogado Asistente de los Estados Unidos William R. Harris fue el fiscal de parte del gobierno.
Three Individuals Charged for Making False Statements to a BankRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JARED CASTELLAW (“CASTELLAW”), and PATRICK HEALY (“HEALY”), employees of an undisclosed entity, ABC Homes, LLC, located in St. Bernard Parish, and VALERIE SCHONES (“SCHONES”), a loan officer from an undisclosed mortgage lending institution, XYZ Financial, based in Tuscon, Arizona, were charged on Thursday, October 25, 2018 in a one-count Bill of Information for Making False Statements to a Financial Institution.
According to the Information, beginning in or around October 2008 and continuing to on or about May 2009, CASTELLAW, HEALY, and SCHONES made false statements to the Federal Housing Administration “FHA” in order to qualify for FHA insured loans.
If convicted, CASTELLAW, HEALY, and SCHONES face a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, supervised release of up to 5 years, and a special assessment of $100.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharan E. Lieberman and Edward J. Rivera.
Three Former Crystal City, TX, Officials Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
In Del Rio today, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced three former Crystal City officials in connection with a bribery and kickback scheme announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs.
Judge Moses sentenced former Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata, former City Councilman Roel Mata, and former City Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo to 33 months, 21 months, and 24 months in federal prison, respectively. Judge Moses ordered that all three defendants be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing their respective prison terms. Judge Moses further ordered the three to each pay a $2,000 fine, and ordered them jointly and severally to pay a money judgment in forfeiture of $11,291.73. The forfeiture judgment represents divestiture of the various bribes, which were paid to them and to co-defendant William James Jonas, III. Previously, all three defendants pleaded guilty to one count of federal programs bribery while admitting to using their official positions to enrich themselves by accepting cash bribes from an individual seeking to do business with the city.
Earlier this year, Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez and former City Attorney and City Manager William James Jonas, III, were sentenced to 97 months and 420 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. In addition, Jonas was ordered to pay $1,047,814.05 in restitution and Lopez was ordered to pay $24,003.95 in restitution. Businessman Ngoc Tri Nguyen was sentenced to 17 months incarceration and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution and a $40,000 money judgment for his role in the fraudulent scheme.
The FBI conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Rangers and the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.Springhill man pleads guilty to supplying methamphetamine to Bossier City womanRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Springhill man pleaded guilty last week to supplying more than a kilogram of methamphetamine to a Bossier City woman.
Marlon G. Gladney, 42, of Springhill, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Gladney’s vehicle October 27, 2017. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a firearm, and Gladney was detained. During questioning, Gladney stated he distributed methamphetamine to Erin O’Daniel, 35, of Bossier City, Louisiana, who sold the drugs in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Gladney admitted providing at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to O’Daniel during the previous three months. O’Daniel was later arrested. A total of 396.2 grams of methamphetamine was found in her vehicle and home.
Gladney faces 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 12, 2019. O’Daniel pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. She faces 10 years to life in prison for the conspiracy count and five years for the firearms count to run consecutive to the conspiracy count. She also faces four years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of January 4, 2019.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Minden Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Six Alleged Street Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Allegedly Violating the RICO ActRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Six men who are alleged to be associated with a criminal enterprise generally known as Chad, Chad Brown, Chad Brown Posse, Chad Brown Cut Throats, Cut Throat Committee, Chad Brown Killers, CBK, The Bricks, and Hova Gang, among others (collectively, “the Chad Brown Gang”) have been charged by way of a federal indictment with violating the Racketeer Influenced Criminal Organization Act (RICO) by allegedly engaging in attempted murders, felony assaults, federal firearms offenses, drug trafficking and obstruction of justice.
It is alleged in the indictment that the six individuals are members of a criminal enterprise that engaged in violent crimes in aid of racketeering. Among the alleged crimes detailed in the indictment are four drive-by shootings in Providence. The violent criminal acts were allegedly carried out by members of the criminal enterprise with the use of firearms, in violation of federal law.
Four of the individuals named in the indictment are alleged to have participated in drive-by shootings that, according to the indictment and information presented to the Court, were in retaliation for felony assaults, shootings, and murders of Chad Brown gang members or associates, or members of other street gangs allied with the Chad Brown street gang. In at least one instance, in an apparent case of mistaken identity, multiple shots were fired into a car driven by a person who was not the intended target.
Utilizing technology provided by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives linked six shootings in Providence to the same firearm, allegedly owned by one of the defendants, and shared among gang members. Three of the shootings charged in the indictment involved that handgun.
The indictment, the result of a two-year Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation by the Providence Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); ATF Task Force; United States Attorney’s Office; and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Lawrence J. Panetta, and Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré.
“Reducing violent crime has been and remains a top priority for the Department of Justice. Project Safe Neighborhoods allows federal, state and local law enforcement to collaboratively focus their resources to combat this problem. Together, we have used and will continue to use all of the investigative and legal tools available to us to target and hold responsible individuals responsible for driving and committing violent crime within our local communities,” commented United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch.
“The gun and gang violence perpetrated by this criminal enterprise is fueled by long-simmering feuds that has wreaked chaos and fear throughout every corner of our capital city. The actions of these defendants individually and collectively are extremely violent, show an utter disregard for human life, and cannot be allowed to flourish or further infect this community,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. “Addressing these criminal enterprises requires great cooperation between law enforcement agencies at every level. Working hand in glove with Providence Police and our state and federal partners, we have identified those responsible for the criminal enterprise, and we will use every available legal avenue to shut down and put an end to the organized and senseless violence being wreaked by these gangs.”
“These charges against six gang members centered in the Chad Brown neighborhood of Providence are another example of law enforcement’s collective strategy to target, disrupt and eliminate violent and dangerous criminal enterprises, and to cut off their means of funding from the illegal sale of drugs and guns,” said Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré. “Bringing federal, state and local resources to bear on this criminal enterprise is the best approach in dismantling an organization that uses violence as a means of operation. Using ATF technology and expertise to connect guns to shell casings which led to connecting gang members to shootings was instrumental, combined with using the police officers, detectives, agents and prosecutors to build a case that resulted in these indictments. Providence and the region will be a safer place with these individuals off the street.”
“Investigating, arresting, and incarcerating criminals who use guns and violence to intimidate communities and commit violent crime is ATF’s number one priority in Rhode Island. ATF is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and bring the most advanced forensic science to the fight against gun crime,” said Lawrence Panetta, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston. “The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. ATF works to reduce violent crime by targeting and dismantling these types of criminal organizations who pose the greatest threat to public safety.”
The 29-count indictment unsealed today charges:
- Delacey Andrade. 24, of North Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; four counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; three counts of Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; and Distribution of Cocaine;
- Keishon Johnson, 28, of Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; three counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; three counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; three counts of Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana;
- Montrel Johnson, 22, of Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; two counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; four counts of Obstruction of Justice; and Criminal Contempt of Court;
- Marcel Jones, 30, of West Warwick, with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; and Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence;
- Kendrick Johnson, 27, of North Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; and six counts of Distribution of Cocaine; and
- Christopher Britto, 25, of Warwick, with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering and Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The case is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan and Sandra R. Hebert, and Assistant Attorney General James Baum of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, and ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Lawrence J. Panetta acknowledge and thank the member agencies of the ATF Task Force, the Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, as well as the North Providence Police Department and the United States Marshals Service for their efforts in the investigation.
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San Diego Jury Convicts Child PredatorRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 25, 2018
SAN DIEGO, CA – On Thursday, October 25, 2018 a federal jury in San Diego, California, found Isaiah Smallwood-Jackson guilty of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), announced United States Attorney Adam Braverman. The convictions trigger mandatory minimum sentences of 15 and 10 years, respectively.
According to evidence presented at trial, Smallwood-Jackson began communicating with a 14-year-old girl, using the social media application “Spotafriend.” The victim’s profile listed her true age of 14. Smallwood-Jackson admitted during chats with the victim that he was 21 years old and did not care that the victim was a minor. Communicating over social media, Smallwood-Jackson discussed sexual acts he wanted to perform with the minor. He convinced her to produce and send him sexually explicit pictures and to provide her address. The minor repeatedly told Smallwood-Jackson that she was not sure she wanted to meet with him, but he told her to “take a leap of faith.” He then traveled to her home, convinced her to come outside, and engaged in sexual activity with her. In texts afterward, Smallwood-Jackson apologized for hurting the minor victim. She disclosed the event to her sister, who reported it to law enforcement.
“Internet predators beware: the Department of Justice is committed to striking back against repugnant crimes against innocent children," said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse. The United States will utilize every tool available to it to hold these predators accountable.”
Defendant is set to be sentenced on January 28, 2019, at 9am before the Honorable Cynthia Bashant.
AGENCIES
This case was investigated by the Oceanside Police Department. The FBI then pursued federal charges through filing of a federal criminal complaint.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Access Device Fraud, Identity Theft, and Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Ahmad Nassar, 31, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from August 2015 through June 2017, Nassar was engaged in identity theft, unauthorized bank account takeovers, and obtaining and using unauthorized and counterfeit access devices in the form of credit cards, debit cards, account numbers, and other financial account information. On May 10, 2017, the execution of search warrants at two properties in Sacramento associated with Nassar led to the seizure of a loaded .22 caliber handgun from underneath a pillow in a bedroom of one of the properties in which Nassar himself was found. In addition, agents seized numerous boxes containing credit cards; debit cards; mail (some with “forwarding” address labels); and federal and state government-issued identification cards, which bore the names of people other than Nassar; and at least 55 electronic devices, including computers, cellular phones, thumb and storage media drives, and other electronic devices, including a “CelleBrite” device commonly used by law enforcement to conduct forensic examinations of cellular phones. Nassar stipulated to using intricate techniques to obtain victims’ personal identifying and financial information, including online account takeovers, that continued even after search warrants were executed on his properties. Nassar’s conduct caused at least $558,276.38 in actual loss.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew M. Yelovich is prosecuting the case.
Nassar remains out of custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled before United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on February 25, 2019. Nassar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the access device fraud and firearm possession offenses, and an additional two-year mandatory sentence for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutively to any other sentence received. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Eric J.D. Contreras, 33, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force (CCMNTF) agents arrested Contreras in Nov. 2017, after finding approximately 100.8 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, on Contreras and in his vehicle while executing a state search warrant.
Contreras subsequently was indicted on April 18, 2018, and was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Contreras committed the offenses on Nov. 29, 2017, in Chaves County, N.M. At the time, Contreras was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm made from a shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On June 19, 2018, Contreras pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Contreras admitted that on Nov. 29, 2017, CCMNTF agents executed a state search warrant on his vehicle and found methamphetamine concealed in the engine compartment. Contreras admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
RICO Indictment Charges “110” GangRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 14 men with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) from 2012 until now. According to the indictment, the 110 Gang uses murder, robberies, assaults, threats and firearms to control the gang’s territory and to expand the gang’s power and reputation. The gang also sells drugs and commits credit card fraud to make money. The indictment alleges that the following defendants, all residents of Syracuse, are members or associates of the 110 Gang:
Daquan Dowdell, a/k/a “Cannon,” age 27
Anthony Hopper, a/k/a “A-Dog,” age 31
Javon Peterson, a/k/a “Blaze,” age 36
Davon Sullivan, a/k/a “Lil Squeeze,” age 23
Jamar Long, a/k/a “Spanky,” age 23
Deshawnte Waller, age 41
Shaquille Breland, a/k/a “Shaq,” age 25
Reddell Smith, a/k/a “Renny,” age 33
Rashwan Wynn, a/k/a “Wormy,” age 42
Qualik Vaughn, a/k/a “Q,” age 24
Terry Linen, a/k/a “Six,” age 26
Jason Lebron, a/k/a “Rilla,” age 26
Kemnorris Kinsey, a/k/a “Pep,” age 31
Damani Prince, age 25
According to the indictment:
The gang’s territory is on the southwest side of the City of Syracuse, defined by Tallman Street to the north, Onondaga Avenue to the west, Centennial Drive to the south and Lincoln Avenue to the east. 110 Gang members routinely guard that territory and resort to acts of violence, if necessary, to ensure that no rival gang members encroach upon their territory to sell drugs, or for any other reason. 110 Gang members also occasionally resort to violence within their territory that is not directly related to their drug business, but helps to cement their reputation as violent and feared criminals. The gang uses intimidation, violence, threats of violence, robberies, assaults, murders and attempted murders to instill fear of the gang, and to protect and expand the gang’s operations. Gang members routinely carry firearms to protect their territory, protect their drug trade, project a violent attitude to rival gang members and to retaliate against rival gang who committed acts of violence against 110 Gang members.
The indictment details numerous specific acts involving murders, robberies, drug trafficking and credit card fraud. Those acts include 2 murders allegedly committed by 110 Gang members as well as several shootings targeting both rival gang members and other members of the public. Other acts are possessions of illegal firearms including the practice of sharing “community” guns among gang members, associates and others. Twenrty acts relate to the 110 Gang’s drug dealing, and 3 relate to its use of counterfeit credit cards at financial institutions, stores and businesses.
All 14 defendants are charged with membership in a RICO conspiracy, conviction for which carries a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a period of supervised release of up to 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000.00. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith said, “Today’s indictment marks the first step in holding 14 members of the 110 Gang responsible for the intimidation, violence, threats, robberies, assaults, and murders their gang has committed in Syracuse. Our work is far from done, and we will continue to collaborate with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to use every available tool to hold gang members and affiliates responsible for their crimes so that hard-working Syracuse citizens and their children do not have to endure the costs of gang violence. Thank you to all of the law enforcement agencies who worked together to bring this important case.”
“Today's arrests are the result of countless hours of dedicated work," said James Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Syracuse neighborhoods are safer than they were just hours ago, but the pursuit of violent gang members is not over. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to target and eliminate the significant threats to our communities posed by violent gang activity.”
Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said, “First, I’d like to thank all of our Law Enforcement partners for their help in the investigation and indictment of these violent offenders. Secondly, I think it is important to note that early on in this process, many of our local service providers offered various forms of assistance to gang members who wanted to take a different path. Many of them—in fact more than were indicted today—took advantage of this assistance, and consequently their names and faces are not part of this roundup.”
New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach, II said, “These arrests show how important collaboration and information sharing are among law enforcement agencies across our state. These vital partnerships were instrumental in these arrests and the dismantling of a dangerous criminal organization. We will not tolerate any kind of gang activity in our communities nor the racketeering, drug trafficking, burglary, and violence perpetuated by it. The State Police and our partners will continue to work together to rid our communities of these dangerous criminals and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
“Historically, the 110 Gang has been a source of drugs, violence, and crime throughout the southwest side of Syracuse,” said U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall. “Fourteen members of this gang are charged in a RICO conspiracy as a result of law enforcement collaboration and a determined goal of making our city safer from gang violence and drug trafficking.”
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Syracuse Police- Gang Violence Task Force, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Crime Analysis Center (OCAC), the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Onondaga County Sherriff’s Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Possession of Sawed-Off Shotgun Sends Dubuque Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and who was an unlawful user of methamphetamine was sentenced on October 26, 2018, to one year in federal prison.
Michael Dennison, age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 18, 2018, guilty plea to possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
In a plea agreement, Dennison admitted that he possessed the sawed-off shotgun from the summer of 2017 until February 16, 2018, when police officers seized it during a search warrant executed at his home. The gun was loaded. Sentencing documents indicate that officers also found methamphetamine hidden in a hole cut out from the Dennison’s mattress. Dennison also provided a urine sample that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Dennison was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Dennison was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Dennison is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1015.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Owner of Colorado Business Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
An Arvada, Colorado, woman pleaded guilty today to one count of willfully making and subscribing to a fraudulent corporate income tax return announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents, Marlene Seo owned and operated a corporation called National Martial Arts Academy Inc., a martial arts instruction business. From 2011 through 2013, income from Seo’s martial arts school was deposited into bank accounts that she did not disclose to the corporation’s bookkeeper and accountants, which resulted in her underreporting the business’s gross receipts on corporate tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013 by approximately $650,000. Seo plead guilty to signing and filing a false 2012 U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, Form 1120, filed on behalf of National Martial Arts Academy.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2019. Seo faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Anahi Cortada and Lisa L. Bellamy, who are prosecuting the case.
One Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional Ten Years in Prison in Fort Dix Prison Child Pornography RingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Tennessee man was sentenced to an additional ten years in prison in connection with a child pornography ring at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix that was operated by inmates who were imprisoned for related offenses, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Charles Wesley Bush, 38, of Knoxville, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bush admitted that he possessed a micro SD Card containing 2,471 images and 95 videos of child pornography, including depictions of sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children, bestiality, and sadistic and masochistic conduct. In connection with his plea, Bush also admitted that he used a cellular telephone inside the prison to obtain and possess child pornography and that he knowingly engaged in the distribution of child pornography by agreeing to transfer the micro SD card to another inmate.
In addition to the additional prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Bush to 10 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Six other inmates – all of whom were serving sentences for prior child pornography offenses while committing the alleged crimes in this case – have pleaded guilty: Erik M. Smith, 36, of Iron Mountain, Michigan; Anthony C. Jeffries, 32, of Orange, Virginia; Brian J. McKay, 47, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania; Christopher D. Roffler, 30, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Jacob S. Good, 26, of Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Jordan T. Allen, 31, of Plain City, Ohio. Smith was sentenced to 151 months in prison, Good was sentenced to 10 years in prison; McKay and Allen were sentenced to 160 months in prison, and the other two defendants are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked officials of the Bureau of Prisons at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel J. Vidoni and Alyson M. Oswald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: David Rudenstein Esq., Philadelphia
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Probation for Providing Marijuana to Prison InmateRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Warren, Ohio, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 18 months probation on her conviction of providing contraband in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Malinda Penezich, 48.
According to information presented to the court, on or about November 27, 2016, Penezich provided a quantity of marijuana to an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institutions and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Penezich.
New Haven Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LESHANDA LONG, 37, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraud and identity theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2015, Long stole the identity of an individual and used the misappropriated identity to obtain a credit card, rent an automobile, pay personal expenses and obtain cash advances.
Surveillance video at a bank ATM captured Long, disguised with an orange scarf and distinctive sunglasses, obtaining cash advances. A subsequent search of Long’s residence revealed the scarf and sunglasses, as well as the victim’s personal identifying material and the fraudulently obtained credit card.
Long was arrested on February 24, 2017. On September 7, 2017, she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She has been detained since October 17, 2017, when her bond was revoked.
Long’s criminal history includes 21 prior convictions, including convictions for identity theft and larceny. She also has pending state charges for identity theft, forgery, larceny and robbery offenses.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Haven Police Department and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Morgantown woman sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Lori Murphy, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for heroin trafficking, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Murphy, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin within 1000 feet of Protected Location” in June 2018. Murphy admitted to distributing heroin near North Elementary School in April of 2017 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Midstate Man and Woman Charged with Defrauding Disabled Veteran of $316,360Read the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jason Ehrhart, age 48, of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, and Jason’s former wife, Laurie Ehrhart, age 48, of Newport, Pennsylvania, were charged with defrauding a disabled Veteran, the Veteran’s Administration, and the Social Security Administration out of $316,360.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Jason Ehrhart is charged by way of a criminal information with one count of health care fraud. Jason’s former wife, Laurie Ehrhart, is charged in an indictment with one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to the charges, a veteran who was a former resident of Perry County, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while serving in the U.S. Army in 1985. The veteran later began receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) and was eventually hospitalized on a permanent basis at the VA hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 2004.
On August 8, 2006, the veteran was deemed by the VA to be incompetent to handle his own financial affairs. As a result, on October 2, 2006, Jason Ehrhart successfully applied to serve as the veteran’s VA Fiduciary and Legal Custodian. Under the terms of a Fiduciary Agreement, Jason Ehrhart agreed to use all of the veteran’s VA disability benefits exclusively for the veteran’s benefit. The agreement warned him that the funds were not for his personal use. The Fiduciary Agreement also required Jason Ehrhart to submit an annual accounting to the VA with respect to the amount of money spent on the veteran’s behalf.
The charges allege, however, that between October 2006 and August 2016, Jason Ehrhart and Laurie Ehrhart, who was then Jason’s wife, misspent $316,360 of the veteran’s VA and Social Security disability benefits on themselves.
While Jason Ehrhart served as the veteran’s VA Fiduciary and Legal Custodian, all of the veteran’s VA benefits, plus most of his Social Security disability checks, were deposited into a checking account Jason opened as a legal custodian account in the veteran’s name. Altogether, $476,260 in federal benefits ($422,828 in VA disability, $48,187 in Social Security disability, and $5,244 in VA clothing allowance) were deposited into the account between January 2009 and August 2016.
The charging documents alleged that, at least $316,360 of the $476,260 was misappropriated by Jason and Laurie Ehrhart and converted to their own use. Checks totaling $218,832 ($96,202 payable to Jason Ehrhart and $122,630 payable to Laurie Ehrhart), some of which exceeded $5,000, $6,000 and $7,000, were drawn against the account. Of the $218,832, $157,742 was allegedly deposited into Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s joint checking account at the Juniata Valley Bank (JVB) and at least $23,496 was converted to cash. Thereafter, it is alleged that the funds in the joint JVB account were employed by Jason and Laurie Ehrhart to pay personal expenses.
The charging documents further allege that another $7,174 in checks were made payable to Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s two minor children. Jason Ehrhart allegedly instructed the children to take the checks to the bank, cash them, and surrender the cash to him.
Another $19,890 in checks were allegedly made payable to another couple who were Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s best friends. According to the charges, Jason Ehrhart regularly treated the couple and their children to dinners out and at least two, all-expense paid vacations to Disney World in Florida, purchased two automobiles for the family, and paid for the wife’s dental work.
To conceal his embezzlements, it is alleged that Jason Ehrhart submitted eight false annual accountings to the VA in which he falsely claimed he spent $402,408 on the veteran’s behalf between October 2006 and October 2015. According to the charges, the itemized expenditures in the accountings were grossly inflated. For example, Jason Ehrhart claimed he paid the mortgage on the veteran’s residence ($1,631 per month) plus the veteran’s share of the mortgage on his mother’s residence ($881) after she died in May 2011. However, the lenders against both properties obtained judgments and they were eventually foreclosed and sold.
According to the charges, Jason Ehrhart also falsely claimed in the annual accountings that he spent thousands on miscellaneous expenditures for the veteran, including storage unit rentals, vehicle maintenance bills, state and local taxes, life and auto insurance, and credit card bills. However, in 2016 the veteran’s specially equipped wheelchair van, for which Jason Ehrhart claimed he spent approximately $32,395 for vehicle maintenance, was found broken down and abandoned along a Perry County roadside.
The veteran died at the Lebanon VA Hospital on July 30, 2018.
Laurie Ehrhart was arraigned on the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab this afternoon and released on her own recognizance. No date has yet been set for Jason Ehrhart’s initial appearance on the charges.
The Department of Veteran Affairs, the Office of Inspector General, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Mexican National Indicted on Illegal Re-entry Charges Faces 5th Removal if ConvictedRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Honduran national on illegal re-entry charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Alabama James G. Hernandez.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges GERARDO FRASCO-GUTIERREZ, 44, with being in the United States illegally on Feb. 10 after having been removed from Texas on four previous occasions. Frasco-Gutierrez was living in Boaz. Frasco-Gutierrez was first removed in March of 2006. In 2007, Frasco-Gutierrez was convicted of distributing methamphetamine in Etowah County and subsequently removed in March of 2008 and again in April 2012. In July of 2016, Frasco-Gutierrez was convicted of illegally reentering the United States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. This arrest marks the fifth time Frasco-Gutierrez has been found within the United States.
The maximum penalty for illegal re-entry when a prior aggravated felony conviction exists is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Entering the United States without following lawful processes is a federal crime. Doing it five times is intolerable, especially while dealing poisonous methamphetamine in our District,” Town said. “Our nation’s laws must be respected, followed, and enforced fully, all elusive concepts for this illegal immigrant. The federal prison bed this defendant recently left will remain available for his return and we will work hard to ensure his stay behind bars is even longer.”
“The HSI Alabama Team is committed to promoting public safety in both the state of Alabama and the Nation,” Hernandez said. “HSI, in concert with our state and local partners, tirelessly pursues dangerous criminals threatening our society. We are proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Town in these efforts here in the Northern District of Alabama.”
Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s HSI investigated the cases, which the Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pillsbury is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican National Enters Guilty Plea to Marijuana Cultivation Operation in Sequoia National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alan Fernando Gomez-Paniagua, 26, a citizen of Mexico residing in Delano, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to cultivate, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gomez-Paniagua fled from law enforcement officers investigating a large marijuana cultivation site in the McFarland Creek area in the Sequoia National Forest. He was ultimately stopped in a vehicle as he attempted to escape from the area. At the grow site, officers found and eradicated 15,852 marijuana plants, over 1,000 marijuana seedlings, and a loaded short-barreled shotgun with a pistol grip.
The marijuana cultivation operation had a devastating impact on the environment. Numerous oak trees had been cut down and the hillside was terraced to make room for the marijuana plants. Pesticide containers, trash, and thousands of feet of irrigation line were strewn throughout the site. In pleading guilty, Gomez-Paniagua agreed to make restitution to the U.S. Forest Service in the amount of $3,826 to cover the cost of cleaning up the grow site.
Gomez-Paniagua is scheduled for sentencing in federal court in Fresno on January 22, 2019. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Southern Tri-County Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and California Multi-jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CalMMET), a task force administered by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Mesa County Man Indicted for Removing Paleontological Resources from McInnis Canyons National Conservation AreaRead the Press Release
DENVER – Ricky Lee Armstrong, age 54, of Mesa County, Colorado, appeared in U.S. District Court last week after a federal grand jury in Grand Junction returned a two-count indictment charging him with excavation, removal, and transport of paleontological resources, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and Bureau of Land Management Special Agent in Charge Gary Mannino announced.
The defendant made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gordon P. Gallagher, where he was advised of the charges pending against him as well as his rights. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.
According to the indictment, from a date unknown, but no later than July 11, 2018, and continuing to on or about July 13, 2018, the defendant allegedly knowingly excavated and removed paleontological resources located in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, which is located near Grand Junction, Colorado. He then transported the paleontological resources away from the area.
If convicted, Armstrong faces not more than 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, per count.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Chaffin.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.
McKean, Pa. Man Pleads Guilty to Charges Relating to the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of McKean, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Nathan Mark Williams, 37, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Williams distributed, received and possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for March 18, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Williams on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Williams.
Marshall County Woman Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Marshall County woman for producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Alabama James G. Hernandez.
An indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges ANNA MARIE GOMEZ, 31, with two counts of persuading a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce an image of that conduct and transmit it across state lines. Gomez took sexually explicit pictures of a five-year old girl and sent them to a person in Florida.
“These crimes are detestable and our investigators and prosecutors will remain ever vigilant in protecting victims”, Town said. “Those who violate these laws can expect to find themselves facing a federal charge in federal court and, if convicted, a federal prison bed.”
The penalty for producing child pornography is 15 to 30 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s HSI investigated the cases, which the Assistant United States Attorney Robert Becher, Sr. is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A Greene is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man who Brought Ice Methamphetamine to Iowa from California Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who got ice methamphetamine from California and then resold it in Iowa was sentenced on October 25, 2018, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Jeffery Westberg, age 50, from Dike, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Westberg admitted that between the summer of 2013 and August 2015, he distributed methamphetamine throughout northern Iowa. Westberg obtained methamphetamine from multiple sources, including an individual in California, and then sold it to a number of people in northern Iowa. Overall, Westberg was responsible for distributing nearly ten pounds of methamphetamine.
Westberg was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Westberg was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Westberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-2084.
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Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Donald Fillmore, 42, of Exeter, Maine, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 14, 2017, members of the New Hampshire State Police conducted a routine traffic stop and encountered Fillmore. Pursuant to a consent search, the troopers recovered approximately 714 grams of fentanyl, which Fillmore admitted belonged to him.
Fillmore is scheduled to be sentenced on February 4, 2019.
“Fentanyl trafficking exposes the citizens of our state to grave risks with regard to their health and well-being” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “I am grateful to the State Police for their work in this case, which prevented a large amount of this dangerous drug from being distributed. By stopping drug traffickers from distributing fentanyl and other opioids, we are improving public safety and saving lives.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam T. Le.
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Long Island MS-13 Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Ronald Catalan, a former leader of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (BLS) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, and Jerlin Villalta, a member of the Freeport Locos Salvatruchas (FLS) clique of the MS-13, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges relating to their participation in crimes of gang-related violence on Long Island. Catalan pleaded guilty to three attempted murders and a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana as predicate racketeering acts, as well as illegally using firearms in connection with crimes of violence. Villalta pleaded guilty to the June 3, 2016 murder of Jose Pena and conspiracy to distribute marijuana as predicate racketeering acts. The guilty pleas were entered in separate proceedings before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco. When sentenced, each defendant faces up to life imprisonment, and Villalta faces deportation.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the guilty pleas.
“The defendants have admitted carrying out numerous MS-13 attacks on Long Island, including murder and attempted murders, as part of the gang’s campaign of wanton violence,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Working with our partners on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Long Island Gang Task Force, we will not rest until MS-13 and the threat this transnational criminal enterprise presents to our communities is eliminated.” Mr. Donoghue thanked the Task Force for their invaluable assistance during the investigation.
According to the superseding indictment and statements made in court, on June 23, 2009, Catalan and two other MS-13 members, all of whom were new members of the BLS clique, armed themselves with handguns and drove through Brentwood, hunting for rival gang members to attack and kill in order to increase their standing in the gang. They observed a group of males on Barleau Street, whom they believed to be members of the rival Bloods street gang. The MS-13 members exited the car, approached the group and started firing. John Doe #1 was struck in the armpit and back as he tried to run; he underwent surgery and ultimately survived.
Catalan also admitted to participating in the October 21, 2015 attempted murders of two men on Bancroft Road in North Bay Shore. Catalan, who was the leader of the BLS clique from 2015 until his arrest in July 2017, and other MS-13 members retaliated against suspected members of the rival Latin Kings gang for the assault of an MS-13 member earlier that day. Armed with two .38 caliber revolvers, the MS-13 gang members drove around Brentwood and Bay Shore and observed a group of people they believed to be Latin Kings. Catalan directed two newer MS-13 members to carry out the shooting and gave them the .38 caliber revolvers. The MS-13 members approached the group and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene. Two victims were struck by gunfire, but survived their wounds.
Villalta admitted that he and several co-conspirators murdered Jose Pena, a member of the MS-13, because he was suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and being homosexual. After consulting with MS-13 leadership in El Salvador, Villalta and the other MS-13 members obtained weapons and a vehicle to be used in the murder. On June 3, 2016, they lured Pena into the car and drove to a secluded wooded area in Brentwood, where they stabbed and slashed him with knives until he was dead. Pena’s body was not discovered for four months.
Both Catalan and Villalta pleaded guilty to participating in drug conspiracies with the BLS and FLS cliques, respectively.
Today’s guilty pleas are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent international criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the largest and most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Police.
The government’s cases are being prosecuted by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Raymond A. Tierney and Michael T. Keilty are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
RONALD CATALAN (also known as “Stranger” and “Extrano”)
Age: 27
Brentwood, New YorkJERLIN VILLALTA (also known as “Sonic”)
Age: 21
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-6) (JFB)
Leawood Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Federal Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Leawood attorney was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for concealing his assets and income in an effort to keep the Internal Revenue Service from collecting more than $132,000 in taxes he owed, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. The defendant also was ordered to pay restitution of slightly more than $202,000, which includes penalties and interest.
David B. Mandelbaum, 58, Leawood, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. In his plea, he admitted he owed more than $132,000 from the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 tax years. He concealed his assets and income from the IRS by setting up bank accounts under other identities and making false statements. He also kept personal money in a trust account that was supposed to include only funds belonging to clients, in order to hide that money from the IRS.
McAllister commended the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton for their work on the case.
Leader of International Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today to over 23 years in prison for his leadership role in operating a large-scale Guatemalan drug trafficking organization (DTO) that moved 3,739 kilograms of cocaine throughout Central America, as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation codenamed Operation Go Explorers.
According to court documents, Max Alberto Estrada-Linares, 36, who was extradited to the United States in December 2017, served as the head of the DTO. In this leadership role, Estrada organized cocaine transportation networks, directed others to buy and sell cocaine on behalf of the DTO, initiated the construction of a semi-self-propelled semi-submersible vessel to transport cocaine, directed the movement of cocaine loads, and served as the overall leader of the DTO.
Operating throughout Central America, Estrada’s DTO knowingly orchestrated the movement of over 3,000 kilograms of cocaine from Costa Rica to the Guatemalan-Mexican border. In May 2016, Estrada directed the use of violence against co-conspirators in an effort to locate approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine suspected to be stolen from the DTO off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In September 2016, Guatemalan law enforcement authorities seized the self-propelled semi-submersible vessel under construction by Quinonez and the DTO in Guatemala.
Operation Go Explorers was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik S. Siebert, Peter S. Duffey, and Heather H. Mansfield prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-67.
Justice Department Releases Update on Hate Crimes Prosecutions and Announces Launch of New Hate Crimes WebsiteRead the Press Release
The Department today released an update on hate crimes and 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.
In recent years, the Department has ramped up its hate crimes prosecution program and increased training of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to ensure that hate crimes are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. The Department of Justice Law Enforcement Roundtable on Improving the Identification and Reporting of Hate Crimes being conducted today and tomorrow through the Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative is an example of ongoing efforts to spur communication and cohesion among those in the field working on hate crimes.
Over the past 10 years, the Department of Justice has charged more than 300 defendants with hate crimes offenses, including 50 defendants in FY 2017 and 2018. In FY 2018, the Department charged 27 defendants in 22 cases, and obtained 30 convictions. Since January 2017, the Department has indicted 50 defendants involved in committing hate crimes and secured convictions of 51 defendants for hate crimes incidents.
At today’s roundtable, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced additional new efforts to assist in combatting hate crimes, including an $840,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for a new research study on hate crimes data collection, and the extension of technical assistance resources relating to hate crimes through the Department’s Collaborative Reform Initiative. The website, the roundtable, the NIJ grant, and the Collaborative Reform resources are just some of the Department’s efforts that reflect discussions with law enforcement, advocates, faith leaders, and community members at the Department’s Hate Crimes Summit and National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety in June 2017.
“Individuals should be able to live their lives free from the threat of violence and discrimination, no matter who they are, what they believe, or how they worship,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “I am proud of the work that the Civil Rights Division and our partners in the U.S. Attorneys’ offices have accomplished working with the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners. We will continue to prioritize our work bringing perpetrators of hate crimes to justice throughout the country.”
Recent Department work on hate crimes prosecutions:
- On Saturday, within hours of the shooting at the Tree of Life Jewish Synagogue, the Department filed hate crime and other charges against the defendant Robert Bowers. The criminal complaint charges Bowers with 29 counts setting forth federal crimes of violence and firearms offenses. The crimes of violence are based upon the federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes.
- This month, a Texas man was sentenced to almost 25 years in prison for a hate crime relating to the 2017 burning of a mosque in Victoria, Texas. A jury found him guilty on July 16 for a hate crime in the burning of the Victoria Islamic Center (the mosque) on Jan. 28, 2017, and for the use of fire to commit a federal felony.
- In September, a Florida man was sentenced to four years in prison, three years’ supervised release, and $1,800 in restitution for obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threatening, in a phone message, to detonate a bomb at a mosque in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
- In August, a Kansas man who shot three men at a bar in Olathe was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The defendant killed one victim, and attempted to kill a second victim, because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin. The defendant fired his weapon at a third man who had chased the defendant after the attack. Earlier this year, the defendant plead guilty to hate crimes, firearms, attempted murder, and murder charges. According to the agreement he signed when he plead guilty, the defendant went up to the victims in a bar, demanded to know how they came into the United States, and called one victim a “terrorist.”
- In June, an Ohio man was charged with federal hate crimes including a hate crime act that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, for his actions during the Aug. 12, 2017 “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville.
The Department continues to conduct training and outreach programs in order to work with the network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, local communities and organizations, and law enforcement to find, identify, investigate, and prosecute hate crimes cases all over the country. These programs include state and local law enforcement trainings, roundtable and panel discussions, stakeholder telephone conferences, and hate crime summits.
More information about the Department’s hate crimes efforts, along with a searchable collection of the Department’s resources for law enforcement, community groups, researchers and others, are available on the new webpage, www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
Judge Sentences Cambria County Man to 6 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Northern Cambria, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court to six years in prison and 10 years supervised release on his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Anthony P. Mason, Jr., 25.
According to information provided to the court, on April 19, 2016, Mason knowingly possessed pictures and videos in individual computer graphic files which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Brady commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Mason.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jerome Kieffer and Armstead Kieffer Found Guilty of Felony Murder Related to May 2017 Loomis Armored Car Robbery, a Separate Robbery of a Brinks Armored Car in October 2015, Lying to Federal Grand Jury, and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JEROME KIEFFER, age 24, and JEROME’s father, ARMSTEAD KIEFFER, age 53, of New Orleans were found guilty today after a jury trial before United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, armed bank robbery, use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, armed bank robbery resulting in death, murder, making false statements to federal grand jury and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
JEROME KIEFFER and ARMSTEAD KIEFFER, who are father and son, were found guilty of committing two armored car robberies, a 2015 robbery at the Chase Bank on N. Board and a 2017 attempted robbery at the Campus Federal Credit Union on Tulane. JEROME KIEFFER spent several days planning the 2015 robbery and the getaway. JEROME KIEFFER and DELTOINE SCOTT, a co-defendant who pled guilty, waited behind a hole they had cut in a wooden fence and jumped out with guns when they saw the guard move away from the armored car. They then fled back through the hole and down an alley to where they had previously parked a getaway vehicle. They got the guns they used in the robbery from ARMSTEAD KIEFFER and they returned to ARMSTEAD KIEFFER’s house immediately after the robbery to count the proceeds.
JEROME KIEFFER and ARMSTEAD KIEFFER were also found guilty for their participation in the 2017 attempted robbery that resulted in the death of Loomis guard James McBride. JEROME KIEFFER had rented an apartment that overlooked the scene of the attempted robbery and had seen an armored car servicing the ATMs that his apartment overlooked in the weeks prior to the robbery. JEROME KIEFFER along with co-defendant SCOTT borrowed a distinctive black, white, truck from SCOTT’s grandfather on the day of the attempted robbery. SCOTT met with JEROME KIEFFER and ARMSTEAD KIEFFER to plan the robbery and ARMSTEAD KIEFFER acted as the lookout.
JEROME KIEFFER, and ARMSTEAD KIEFFER, face a mandatory life sentence. Sentencing will be held before United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle in approximately 90 days.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Michael McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Jefferson County woman sentenced for heroin chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Amy Bowlin, of Ranson, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 4 years probation for heroin distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Bowlin, age 27, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin” in July 2018. Bowlin admitted to selling heroin in July 2017 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Bomb Veterans Administration OfficeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Undrey L. Jones, 48, Jackson, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to threatening to bomb the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Jackson, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge, James Ross, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, South Central Field Division.
Jones was charged in a one-count federal indictment on May 2, 2018. A superseding indictment was filed on June 12, 2018.
On February 27, 2018, Jones called the Veterans Benefits Administration Call Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jones identified himself by name and angrily demanded to talk to the Director of the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi. Jones became increasingly agitated during the call, and stated that he would "come up there and blow the building up," referring to the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Jackson. Jones used several expletives during this call. Jones was arrested on February 28, 2018.
Jones is set for sentencing on January 22, 2019 at 10:00am and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
"These charges underscore the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s commitment to the safety of the Veteran Affairs’ patient population, as well as its employees, guests, and facilities," said Special Agent in Charge James Ross
The case were investigated by the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, Mississippi Homeland Security, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Madison Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. AUSA Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Investment Adviser Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Stealing Investors’ Money While on Pre-Trial Release for Another Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Louis F. Petrossi, the founder and president of the Wealth Research Institute, a purported investment research firm, was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Christopher C. Conner of the Middle District of Pennsylvania to 100 months and three days in prison for stealing investors’ money. The sentence will run concurrent (with three days consecutive) to the 44-month sentence he received in the Eastern District of New York in May 2017 for his role in the ForceField Energy Inc. securities fraud scheme. On March 8, 2018, following a four-day trial, a federal jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania found Petrossi guilty of securities fraud, investment adviser fraud and wire fraud. Petrossi was also ordered to pay $2,265,735.84 in restitution and $1,170,940 in forfeiture.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Petrossi abused the trust placed in him by investors, many of whom reported that they suffered significant loss of savings for retirement and education expenses as a result of his scheme. With today’s sentence, Petrossi has been held responsible for misappropriating more than $1 million of investor funds for his personal use – a fraud he carried out while on pre-trial release for a related criminal case in the Eastern District of New York,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for their assistance with the case.
Between January 2015 and January 2017, Petrossi solicited more than $1.8 million in investments in one of his “Chadwicke” funds from more than 25 investors, including an investor residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Petrossi promoted Chadwicke as an opportunity to invest in high-profile startup companies such as Lyft, Inc., Maplebear Inc., Pinterest Inc., Spotify Technology SA and Palantir Technologies, Inc., among others. Petrossi invested approximately $665,400 in privately held startup companies but used more than $1.1 million in investor funds to pay for personal expenses, including payment for his BMW, renovations to his home and payment of his legal fees.
On May 3, 2016, Petrossi was arrested in Nevada pursuant to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York for his role in a securities fraud scheme involving ForceField Energy Inc. Under the terms of Petrossi’s pre-trial release, he was prohibited from employment “directly involving the handling of investors.” Nevertheless, Petrossi continued to engage in the Chadwicke scheme.
The fraud charges pursuant to which the defendant was sentenced today were initially brought as part of the ForceField Energy case, but were subsequently transferred to the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The Chadwicke securities fraud case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini of the Eastern District of New York’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and Special Assistant United States Attorney John O. Enright of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division.
The Defendant:
LOUIS F. PETROSSI
Age: 77
Residence: Reno, NevadaM.D.P.A. Docket No. 17-CR-192 (CCC)
Illegal alien sentenced for reentry chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juan Mendez-Patishtan, a Mexican national, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for a reentry of a removed alien charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Mendez-Patishtan, age 35, pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of a Removed Alien” in June 2018. Mendez-Patishtan admitted to reentering the United States illegally after being removed six separate times from 2010 to 2016. Mendez-Patishtan was found in Harrison County in April 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Returning to United States and Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Salvadoran man previously convicted for sexually assaulting a child was sentenced to 18 months in prison today for failing to register as a sex offender after unlawfully returning to the United States and traveling to New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Samuel De Jesus Corvera-Mata, 43, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of illegal re-entry subsequent to conviction for an aggravated felony and one count of failing to register as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
SORNA requires all sex offenders to register and keep that registration current in each jurisdiction where the sex offender resides.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Corvera-Mata admitted that he illegally re-entered the United States after being deported to El Salvador following a 10-year prison sentence in California for committing multiple lewd and lascivious acts upon a seven-year-old child. As a result of his prior offenses, Corvera-Mata was required to register as a sex offender if he ever returned to the United States. Corvera-Mata later illegally re-entered the country and travelled to New Jersey, where he was located and arrested in October 2017.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Corvera-Mata to 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), under Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, and the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Maggie Moy Esq., Camden, New Jersey
Huntsville Man Indicted on Multiple Counts of Tampering with Vehicle OdometersRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Huntsville man on multiple counts of tampering with vehicle odometers, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Michael Williams.
A 15-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges RANDY EUGENE GREEN, 62, d/b/a RJ’s Auto Sales of Huntsville, with 12-counts of tampering with vehicle odometers and 3-counts of bank fraud. In the twelve counts related to odometer tampering, the offenses occurred between approximately October 1, 2014, and November 2, 2016. The largest discrepancy in the changed odometer reading was approximately 218, 678 miles. The average discrepancy in the mileage on the odometers for the various vehicles was 122,046 miles. In the three counts related to Bank Fraud, Greene engaged in a scheme to defraud Redstone Federal Credit Union. The fraud occurred when the credit union financed three of the vehicles on which the odometers had been changed. Greene was originally charged in a one count Information for odometer tampering on December 21, 2017, and the facts of that charge are included in the indictment. The indictment also indicates that Greene may have been aided and abetted by others. Green was served with a notice of forfeiture related to the bank fraud counts, which includes but not limited to a money judgement in the amount of $28,000.
“Anyone who violates federal laws and commits fraud will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” Town said. “Congress passed these kinds of laws to protect consumers, financial institutions, and the economy as a whole, and people who engage in this kind of shameful activity should know that there will be serious consequences when they are caught.”
“It is very important that consumers and financial institutions know that the vehicle being purchased from any auto dealership represents the true odometer reading,” Williams said. “If you have purchased a vehicle from RJ’s Auto Sales of Huntsville within the last five years and believe you are a victim of odometer rollback fraud, please contact the U.S. Secret Service at 256-922-5408.”
Tampering with an odometer, carries a maximum 3-year prison sentence and a maximum $250,000 fine. Bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum $1,000,000 fine.
U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Russell E. Penfield is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A Greene is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Hartford Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 30, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2018, Hartford Police received information that Spence was in possession of a firearm on Enfield Street. Spence ran from officers who encountered him on Enfield Street. During the pursuit, Spence discarded a Bryco Arms, model T380, .380 caliber firearm, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition. The firearm was recovered, and Spence was arrested after officers found him hiding under the porch of a house on Greenfield Street.
Spence’s criminal history includes multiple convictions related to the illegal possession of firearms.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Spence is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 22, 2019, at which time Spence faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This case is being investigated by the Hartford Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Hampshire County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Grover Allen White, of Romney, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
White, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm” in June 2018. White admitted to possessing a stolen .380 caliber pistol. The crime occurred in Hampshire County in June 2016.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.