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Thursday 25 October 2018
Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Working Group’s Successes Fighting Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
DENVER – U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer today announces recent successes of the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Initiative Working Group. The initiative is bringing both criminal and civil actions against wrongful prescribers and dispensers of opioids. It is comprised of expert civil and criminal staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who use sophisticated data analytics to identify doctors and pharmacies unlawfully dispensing opioids. Today’s announcement comes in advance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Takeback Day, on October 27, 2018, at locations throughout Colorado and across the country.
“Reducing opioid deaths is a genuine battle,” announced U.S Attorney Bob Troyer. “Too many in our country battle daily with addiction, and our hearts and our work are for them. Then there are others in our society who prey on the addicted. We are taking this fight to them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will use all of its resources – both criminal and civil – to identify and stop unlawful prescribers and dispensers of opioids. We fight this battle one prosecution at a time, with all our strength.”
Criminal Prosecutions
U.S. Attorney Troyer announces three separate criminal prosecutions.
- A Colorado doctor, Andrew M. Ho, practicing internal medicine in Denver, Colorado, has been charged with distributing or dispensing controlled substances illegally between September of 2014 and November of 2015. According to the twenty-one count indictment, Dr. Ho illegally prescribed a number of controlled substances, including the opioid Oxycodone, to several patients during the period of the indictment. The prescriptions were given “outside the usual course of professional practice and for a purpose other than a legitimate medical purpose.” If convicted, Dr. Ho faces a potential sentence of up to twenty years, and a fine of up to one million dollars.
- A registered pharmacist, Mary Aronson, owner and operator of St. Vrain Pharmacy in Lyons, Colorado, has been charged with illegal distribution of narcotics in a Federal Indictment which was unsealed on October 17, 2018. According to the indictment, Aronson is charged with illegally distributing oxycodone, amphetamine, and lorazepam between December of 2017, and February of 2018. If convicted, Aronson faces a potential sentence of up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to one million dollars.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recently announced guilty pleas of two South Denver pharmacists. Both defendants, Stanley Callas and Scott Eskanos, were co-owners of Crown Point Pharmacy, located in Parker, Colorado, and Sky Ridge Pharmacy, located in Lone Tree, Colorado. Callas typically dispensed controlled substances from Crown Point Pharmacy and Eskanos typically dispensed controlled substances from Sky Ridge Pharmacy. Both dispensed morphine, meperidine, and lorazepam to co-defendant Dianna Smithling outside the usual course of professional practice.
Civil Settlement
U.S. Attorney Troyer also joins colleagues from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Western District of Pennsylvania in announcing that Passavant Memorial Homes, and its subsidiaries Passavant Development Corporation, PDC Pharmacy Colorado, PDC Pharmacy Philadelphia, and PDC Pharmacy Pittsburgh, have agreed to pay the United States $1,850,000 to resolve allegations that Passavant dispensed controlled substances to patients without a valid prescription, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, and, in some cases, submitted claims for the drugs to Medicare and Medicaid, in violation of the False Claims Act. Passavant has implemented a policy change to stop this practice.
Passavant’s pharmacies serve individuals with intellectual disabilities and other mental health needs through community residential programs, residential treatment facilities, intermediate care facilities, and other facilities. In many cases, Passavant bills federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for dispensing controlled substances to these individuals.
In 2015, an investigation was launched after Passavant voluntarily disclosed to the United States that between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014, Passavant had dispensed controlled substances on Schedules III, IV, and V of the DEA Controlled Substances List to patients for a legitimate medical purpose, but without a valid prescription and with only a physician order. In many cases, Passavant submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for dispensing these drugs without a prescription. Passavant voluntarily disclosed this information and cooperated with the investigation to identify the nature and scope of the issue.
The civil case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Rocque of the District of Colorado, Mark J. Sherer and Anthony D. Scicchitano of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Colin J. Callahan of the Western District of Pennsylvania. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
DEA National Takeback Day
The next DEA National Takeback Day is on October 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at locations throughout Colorado and across the country. Visit www.takebackday.dea.gov.
Colorado Man Sentenced to 154 Months for Federal Bank Robbery and Firearms Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Paul Fichera, 29, of Durango, Colo., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 154 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on bank robbery and firearms charges.
Fichera was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed on May 12, 2017, with robbing the Four Corners Community Bank located at 1301 West Aztec Blvd., in Aztec, N.M., on May 11, 2017. According to the complaint, Fichera entered the bank wearing a mask, gloves and sunglasses, brandished a firearm, yelled for everyone in the bank to get on the ground, and directed a bank teller to fill his bag with money. Fichera exited the bank after receiving money, entered a vehicle, and attempted to flee from law enforcement by driving into Colorado at a high rate of speed.
Fichera subsequently was indicted on May 24, 2017, and was charged with armed robbery of the Four Corners Community Bank in Aztec and with using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on May 11, 2017, in San Juan County, N.M. Fichera pled guilty to the indictment on June 22, 2018, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard R. Thomas.
Cleveland men indicted for passing counterfeit $50 and $20 billsRead the Press Release
Two Cleveland men were indicted for attempting to pass counterfeit $50 and $20 bills.
Jamel Williams, 35, tried to spend 16 counterfeit $50 bills and three counterfeit $20 bills at the Target in Mayfield Heights on Nov. 27, 2015, according to the indictment.
Antoine Blackshear, 42, tried to spend 10 counterfeit $50 and 10 counterfeit $20 bills on on Nov. 3, 2016, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranya Elzein is prosecuting the case following an investigation by United States Secret Service.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of a Brunswick man last yearRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of a Brunswick man last year.
Rafael Jones, 40, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death as well as a firearms charge.
Jones on May 13, 2017 sold fentanyl to a Brunswick man who ingested the fentanyl and died, according to court documents.
Jones was arrested a month later in Cleveland and found with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and ammunition. Jones was prohibited from having the handgun and ammunition because of prior convictions for domestic violence and heroin trafficking, according to court documents.
This case was investigated by the Medina County Drug Task Force, DEA, Brunswick Police Department and with the assistance of the Medina County Coroner’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Corts.
Cleveland Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that David Bills, 39, of Cleveland, OH, who was convicted of soliciting an image containing obscene material from a minor, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that on April 24, 2018, the defendant began communicating on a social networking application using his iPhone with a Department of Homeland Security undercover agent (UCA). Bills believed the UCA was a 13-year-old female from Rochester, NY.
Between April 24 and April 25, 2018, the defendant engaged in sexual conversations with the UCA via text messages. During these conversations, Bills requested the UCA, who he believed was a 13-year-old female, to send him sexually explicit photos of herself.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
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Cleveland Brothers Indicted on Robbery and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Two siblings from Cleveland, Ohio, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal robbery and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The seven-count indictment, returned on October 16, named the defendants as Rayshawn Patterson, 19, and Reginald Patterson, 21.
According to the indictment, on December 23, 2017, Rayshawn Patterson and Reginald Patterson conspired to commit and committed a theft of a licensed firearms dealer, DSD Sports, located at 328 B. West Main Street, Brookville, PA 15825, stealing 14 pistols and two assault rifles. On that same date, Rayshawn Patterson and Reginald Patterson are charged with transporting the stolen firearms in interstate commerce. On the previous day, Rayshawn and Reginald Patterson are also charged with conspiring to commit and committing a Hobbs Act Robbery at Fastway Gas, located at 22352 Route 68, Clarion, PA 16214, stealing an amount of United States Currency. In the robbery of Fastway Gas, they are charged with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Finally, from December 23, 2017 to December 29, 2017, they are charged with possession of the stolen guns from the robbery of DSD Sports.
The defendants face a total maximum sentence of not less than seven years and up to life in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Brookville Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Cleveland Police Department, and the Cuyahoga Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Carmichael Man Charged with Escape from Fresno FacilityRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Frankie Thomas Goulding, 39, of Carmichael, charging him with escaping from custody, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Goulding was sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in 2014. In March 2017, Goulding was transferred to a residential re-entry facility in Fresno as part of his sentence. On June 27, 2017, officials found he had left the facility.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Goulding faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Carlsbad Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joaquin Hernandez, 41, of Carlsbad, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 151 months in prison for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Hernandez will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison sentence. He also was ordered to forfeit the $11,031 seized from him when he was arrested.
Pecos Valley Drug Task Force (PVDTF) agents arrested Hernandez in Jan. 2018, after finding approximately 222.54 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, and $11,031 in cash on Hernandez’s person and in his vehicle following the execution of a state search warrant.
On May 18, 2018, Hernandez pled guilty to felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Jan. 31, 2018, in Eddy County, N.M. Hernandez entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Bureau of Land Management, Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and Carlsbad Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. 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.
Businessman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Insider Trading in the Shaw GroupRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that on October 24, 2018, U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced VICTORY HO, age 39, of Morgan City, Louisiana, to 32 months in federal prison following his convictions for securities fraud (insider trading) and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The Court further sentenced HO to 2 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. HO was also ordered to forfeit over $300,000 and to pay a $15,000 fine.
Following a three week trial in May of this year, a jury found HO and his co-defendants guilty as charged in connection with an insider trading scheme related to the 2012 acquisition of the Shaw Group (“Shaw”) by Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (“CB&I”). According to evidence presented at trial, in mid-2012, Shaw was considering a potential merger opportunity. At the time, Kelly Liu was a Shaw employee working in the Financial Planning and Analysis Department. In July 2012, Shaw and CB&I came to an agreement on an offer for CB&I to buy Shaw. This merger between the two companies was publicly announced on July 30, 2012 (“the public announcement”). As a result of the public announcement, Shaw’s stock price rose by around 55 percent.
The evidence at trial established that, prior to the public announcement and through her job at Shaw, Liu had obtained inside information that Shaw was going to be acquired by another company and had passed the inside information to HO, through another individual, and to Salvador Russo, III (“Russo”), for their use in trading Shaw stock and options. Thereafter, HO and Russo purchased Shaw stock and options before the public announcement. HO sold his Shaw options after the public announcement had caused Shaw’s stock price to rise and reaped almost $300,000 from his illegal insider trading.
During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that HO had obstructed justice through his testimony at the trial.
United States Attorney Fremin stated, “This multi-agency investigation and the resulting sentence should send a strong message to insiders and potential tippees that insider trading will not be tolerated and may very well result in a significant federal prison sentence. This type of crime, which threatens the integrity of financial markets where millions of citizens invest their money, will be aggressively pursued by federal agents and prosecutors across our country. I truly appreciate the efforts of the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, and the prosecutors and staff within this office, who worked tirelessly to uncover, investigate, and bring this case to trial. I also want to thank the Securities and Exchange Commission for their efforts and for providing one of their financial economist to testify at trial.”
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Eric J. Rommal stated, "The nation's economy is increasingly dependent on the success and integrity of the securities and commodities markets. White collar crimes like securities market violations cause significant losses each year to the U.S. market. Today, the first of three defendants convicted at trial was sentenced. In an effort to enhance his personal finances, this defendant conspired to manipulate the stock market and take advantage of insider information. The noteworthy sentence handed down today, the announcement made by U.S. Attorney Fremin and the dedicated work by the men and women of the FBI, Secret Service, IRS-CI and Securities and Exchange Commission reinforces our belief in our criminal system that justice will prevail."
“Victory Ho is a prime example of someone who, for his own personal benefit, cheated American taxpayers and investors by using information he received illegally,” said Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge, IRS – Criminal Investigation. “With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are uniquely qualified to assist state and federal law enforcement and other regulatory agencies with these types of cases.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the Baton Rouge offices of the FBI, Secret Service, and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Dippel and Patricia Jones.
Broadway Crips Gangster Convicted of Narcotics Offenses and Implicated in Two Murders Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A prominent member of the Five Deuce Broadway Gangster Crips (BGC) – who was found guilty by a jury last year of three counts of distribution of crack cocaine, which included him selling crack cocaine near schools – has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison.
Marquis Shaw, also known as “Tiny Looney,” 43, of South Los Angeles, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon by United States District Judge S. James Otero after a nearly three-hour sentencing hearing.
Following a four-week jury trial in March, Shaw was convicted of three drug trafficking offenses. Shaw had previously been convicted of felony narcotics offenses in two prior cases, as well as voluntary manslaughter, assault with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Two other defendants also were convicted in relation to the trial earlier this year. Joshua Perez, aka “Tiny Ange,” 26, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty during the trial to racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracy charges and admitted participating in a murder that Shaw supervised. Anthony Ingram, aka “Big Toon,” 55, of Los Angeles, was also convicted of drug charges.
Although the jury did not convict Shaw of racketeering charges, Judge Otero at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing determined that the evidence presented at trial established that Shaw was responsible for two slayings. Judge Otero said that Shaw was one of the most sophisticated and culpable defendants in the BGC criminal enterprise, and that Shaw posed “a clear and continuing danger to the community.”
The evidence presented at trial earlier this year showed that Shaw and other gang members murdered a man on Sunset Boulevard in 2003 after a concert at the House of Blues. According to the testimony at trial, Shaw was driving one of two cars that surrounded the victims’ car and sprayed it with bullets from both sides. The driver of that car, Luis Roaches, who was not a gang member, died after being shot in the head and chest; another passenger was injured. Following the shooting, Shaw led police on a high-speed chase through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, during which he tossed what was later determined to be one of the murder weapons. Shaw later pleaded guilty in state court to voluntary manslaughter in this shooting.
Additionally, evidence presented at trial showed that Shaw participated in and supervised another BGC shooting attack in 2012. Several BGC members, including Perez, traveled into rival gang territory near the Hyde Park District of Los Angeles and fired a barrage of more than 40 bullets into a crowd of people walking into a rival gang’s party. William Sherman, who was not a member of that rival gang, was killed, and two others were injured. When Perez pleaded guilty, he admitted his participation in Sherman’s murder.
Shaw was one of 72 defendants named in a 2014 RICO indictment that described the criminal activities of the BGC, a street gang that claims territory in South Los Angeles and controls drug sales in an area just west of Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. The indictment outlined two decades of criminal conduct, including murders, robberies, extortion, illegal firearms possession, witness intimidation and narcotics trafficking.
The investigation into the BGC was called Operation “Gremlin Riderz” because authorities focused on a particularly violent “clique” – or subset of the gang. During his trial, Shaw was also identified as a member of this hit squad, which was known as the “Gremlins.”
All 72 defendants charged in the case have been convicted by guilty plea or at trial. All but six of the defendants have been sentenced, with the lengthiest prison term, prior to Shaw’s sentence, being 30 years. The remaining defendants, including Perez, are due to be sentenced in the coming months.
The multi-year investigation into the BGC, known as Operation Gremlin Riderz, was conducted by agents and officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Considerable assistance was provided during this investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Torrance Police Department, the Buena Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the San Bernardino Police Department and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner, Wilson Park and Aron Ketchel of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Beavercreek Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Travel Overseas to Train with ISIS Wilayat KhorasanRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A Beavercreek man has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to ISIS-affiliated foreign terrorist organizations.
Naser Almadaoji, 19, an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen, was arrested yesterday at John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. It is alleged Almadaoji planned to travel through Kazakhstan on his way to Afghanistan, where he intended to train with ISIS Wilayat Khorasan.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, FBI Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the Counterterrorism Division and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Almadaoji purchased a plane ticket for travel on October 24, 2018. It is alleged that Almadaoji intended to travel to Astana, Kazahkstan, where he planned to be smuggled into Afghanistan so that he could receive military training from ISIS Wilayat Khorasan in support of the terrorist group, or another ISIS affiliate. Almadaoji explained to an individual whom he believed to be in contact with ISIS that he wanted “weapons experts training, planning, executing, hit and run, capturing high value targets, ways to break into homes and avoid security guards. That type of training.”
It is alleged that in September and October 2018, Almadaoji began making travel plans to Kazakhstan.
Prior to that, between February 16 and 24, 2018, Almadaoji traveled to Egypt and Jordan for the purpose of joining a terrorist group. In August 2018, Almadaoji allegedly communicated online with an individual he believed to be an ISIS contact; Almadaoji allegedly implied to that individual that he tried to join a terrorist group when in Jordan and Egypt, stating “I don’t wanna say here why I was in egypt but him [an Egyptian associate] and I planned something and it didn’t work at [sic] well.”
It also is alleged that, in August 2018, Almadaoji told a second individual online—whom Almadaoji believed to be associated with ISIS—that he was “always willing” to assist with “projects” in the United States.
According to the affidavit, Almadaoji pledged allegiance to ISIS and discussed with his second contact that he planned to start a conflict between the United States Government and anti-government militias. Almadaoji allegedly recorded and sent a video of himself wearing a headscarf and pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS.
It is further alleged that Almadaoji translated ISIS propaganda from Arabic to English, and he told his contact—whom Almadaoji believed to be part of ISIS—“Don’t thank me . . . it’s my duty.”
Attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI.
“This is the third individual arrested by the FBI on terrorism charges in just over a week. As demonstrated by these arrests – two in Ohio and one in Illinois – the threat posed by terrorism remains extremely serious,” said Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is working with our law enforcement partners day and night through our Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the nation to identify terrorists and those who support them. The American public also has an important role to play, and we urge anyone who sees something suspicious to contact law enforcement. Your tips are vitally important to protecting our country.”
The FBI’s Dayton-Cincinnati Joint Terrorism Task Force includes officers and agents from Cincinnati, Cincinnati State, Colerain Township, Dayton, University of Cincinnati and West Chester police departments, Greene and Hamilton county sheriff’s offices, Oakwood Public Safety Department, United States Department of Homeland Security and Columbus International Airport Police and Public Safety.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace, First Assistant United States Attorney Vipal J. Patel and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Bail Bondsman Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that REGAN TIPPETT, 43, of East Lyme, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to federal tax offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tippett is a partner in the bails bonds company, Statewide Bail Bonds. For the 2010 through 2012 tax years, Tippett deposited income derived from bail bond fees into his personal bank account and failed to report that income to the company’s outside accountant who prepared both the company’s and Tippett’s federal income tax returns. As a result, Tippett underpaid his federal income taxes by a total of $69,837.
Tippett pleaded guilty to two counts of willful failure to keep tax records. Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2019, at which time Tippett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.
Tippett is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas P. Morabito and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Attorney General Sessions Recognizes U.S. Attorney’s Office with Awards for Work on National Security CasesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recognized two teams from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and their partners in the FBI for outstanding achievements in national security cases involving attacks on American citizens abroad.
The team members were among 244 Justice Department employees and 36 individuals outside the Department to receive Attorney General Awards on October 24, 2018, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The 66th annual ceremony recognized employees and other individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements, leadership, and service to the Department of Justice and the American people.
“Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners. And so I want to thank them and their families for their exemplary service to this Department and to the American people. They have made this Department proud.”
“These awards reflect the unwavering commitment of our office to achieving justice,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The honorees showed extraordinary skill and perseverance in investigating horrific crimes against Americans that occurred thousands of miles away and then bringing those responsible for the attacks to face charges in our courtrooms. Their achievements in these cases inspire all of us in our work.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the second-highest award for employee performance, was awarded to a team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI that worked on the investigation and prosecution of Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a Libyan militia leader who played a key role in the deadly attack on the U.S. Mission and Central Intelligence Agency Annex in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11-12, 2012, which killed four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens.
The honorees from the U.S. Attorney’s Office were Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Crabb, Jr., Michael C. DiLorenzo, and Kenneth C. Kohl; Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julieanne Himelstein, David Mudd, and Opher Shweiki; and former Paralegal Specialist Rayneisha Booth.
The John Marshall Award, the Department’s highest award for attorneys for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance, was awarded for participation in litigation resulting in the successful prosecution of violent members of the Los Zetas Mexican cartel who brutally murdered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and wounded ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.
Honorees from the U.S. Attorney’s Office were Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballantine, Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez, and Karen Seifert.
The program honored individuals across the Justice Department and federal, state, local, and tribal partners for their selfless efforts protecting national security and civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, and investigating and prosecuting gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings. The awards also honored the work of civil and environmental litigation, which enforces the rule of law and upholds our Constitution. They also recognized employees whose ideas and efforts save taxpayer dollars and help our government operate more effectively and efficiently, among other contributions to public safety and good governance.
The ceremony included an award for exceptional heroism to U.S. Marshal Senior Inspector Basilio S. Perez, Jr., for his courageous actions to protect and aid victims of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Recognizes Department Employees and Others for Their Service at 66th Annual Attorney General AwardsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Attorney General Jeff Sessions recognized 244 department employees for their distinguished public service yesterday at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Thirty-six other individuals outside of the department were also honored for their work. This annual ceremony recognizes employees and other individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements, leadership, and service to the Department of Justice and the American people. This year’s award includes an award for exceptional heroism to U.S. Marshal Senior Inspector Basilio S. Perez, Jr., for his courageous actions to protect and aid victims of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners. And so I want to thank them and their families for their exemplary service to this Department and to the American people. They have made this Department proud.”
“I am really proud of Anita Cream for her outstanding contributions to our Office and the Department,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez.
This year’s program honors individuals across the department and our federal, state, local, and tribal partners for their self-less efforts, protecting our national security and our civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, going after gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings. The awards also honor the work of civil and environmental litigation, which enforces the rule of law and upholds our Constitution. They also recognize employees whose ideas and efforts save taxpayer dollars and help our government operate more effectively and efficiently, among other contributions to public safety and good governance.
In the Middle District of Florida, Asset Forfeiture Chief Anita Cream was recognized for the oral and written guidance she provided in response to the Supreme Court’s opinion in Honeycutt v. United States of America. Her involvement substantially helped prosecutors understand how to pursue criminal forfeiture in light of the Court’s ruling in the case, which reversed decades of criminal forfeiture practice.
Amherst Sentenced on Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Umar Adeyola, 48, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $135,739 to the U.S. Department of Labor, and $228,638 to health insurance companies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who handled the case, stated that the defendant founded, organized, and managed the HEART Foundation, a not-for-profit organization intended to assist area youths, and Heart Community Alliance (“HCA”), a related for-profit organization, intended to provide clinical services, such as counseling and psychotherapy, to youths. Through his role with those organizations, Adeyola engaged in two major fraud schemes.
The first scheme involved attempts by the defendant, on behalf of HCA, to defraud private insurance companies Blue Cross Blue Shield, Independent Health, and Univera. Adeyola arranged for the submission of false and fraudulent bills for office visits using the names and/or provider numbers of healthcare providers who had not actually rendered the services claimed. The bills falsely represented that the services had been rendered by properly licensed and credentialed social workers when, in fact, the services had actually been provided by other individuals, including interns. The scheme included the submission to the same insurance companies of bills for services which purported to have been rendered by a social worker who was actually hospitalized and/or deceased on the dates of service claimed.
In addition, Adeyola falsified documents in response to an audit of HCA by Independent Health. During the course of the audit, the defendant made materially false statements to representatives of Independent Health, with respect to the deceased social worker who he claimed had rendered services at HCA.
The second scheme involved Adeyola’s theft of government funds in the form a federally funded grant received by the Heart Foundation. Specifically, in April 2013, the Heart Foundation was selected to be a recipient of a Department of Labor grant, administered by the Latino Coalition, an entity in California. Adeyola submitted in excess of 30 false and fraudulent reimbursement requests for grant funds, resulting in payment of approximately $135,000 to the Heart Foundation.
“While the stated mission of the HEART Foundation and Heart Community Alliance—to assist young people in need in our community—was laudable, the motive of their founder, this defendant, was criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Our office will not stand by when any individual attempts to defraud the health insurance industry or steal from the government. Such behavior drives up costs for all taxpayers and keeps funding from other organizations in need.”
“Umar Adeyola defrauded the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration by submitting dozens of fraudulent reimbursement requests for Workforce and Investment Act grant funds intended for those who were entitled to such benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who defraud DOL programs,” stated Michael Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“Adeyola schemed to fatten the bottom line by defrauding taxpayer-funded government programs. Instead he will be imprisoned and forced to pay restitution,” said Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Those considering such schemes should be prepared for harsh consequences.”Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Michael Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Region; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Scott Lampert.
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Allen County Man Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Andrew Wood, age 24, of Leo, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa Springmann after pleading guilty to armed bank robbery along with aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Wood was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,527.37 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, on September 12, 2014, Wood and five co-defendants robbed a bank in Harlan, Indiana at gunpoint. Wood and another co-defendant entered the bank while the four remaining co-defendants, spread among three vehicles, took up various positions in the area surrounding the bank. After entering the bank, Wood’s co-defendant displayed a handgun and the two men demanded money from the bank employees. After having trouble exiting the bank, two shots were fired through the glass front doors of the bank so Wood and his co-defendant could exit. Wood was apprehended a short time later a short distance from the bank. The other five co-defendants were also apprehended a short time later.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.
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Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 137 Months for Federal Mail Theft, Drug Trafficking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nathan Berke, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 137 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his conviction on drug trafficking, firearms and mail theft charges. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson and Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa of the Phoenix Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Berke and co-defendant Joann Bell, 38, also of Albuquerque, were charged on May 24, 2017, in a 14-count indictment with drug trafficking, firearms, mail theft, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft offenses. Bell pled guilty in Dec. 2017, and on Dec. 5, 2017, a superseding indictment charging Berke individually, was filed.
The 13-count superseding indictment charged Berke with the following offenses: participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in July 2016, in Bernalillo County; possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on July 28, 2016, in Bernalillo County; using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 28, 2016, in Bernalillo County; possession of stolen mail on July 28, 2016, in Bernalillo County; possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Aug. 9, 2016, in San Juan County; being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 28, 2016, in Bernalillo County; possession of stolen mail on Aug. 9, 2016, in San Juan County; and three counts of bank fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft from July 23, 2016 through July 25, 2016, in New Mexico.
On Sept. 25, 2018, Berke pled guilty to a four-count felony information charging him with conspiracy, two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Additionally, Berke pled guilty to Counts 5 through 10 of the superseding indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of stolen mail and three counts of bank fraud.
In entering the guilty plea, Berke admitted the following:
- On July 28, 2016, Berke possessed 100 grams of methamphetamine in Bernalillo County, which he intended to distribute to others, stolen mail, and two loaded firearms. Berke also acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
- On Aug. 9, 2016, Berke possessed approximately 105 grams of methamphetamine in San Juan County, which he intended to distribute to others, and stolen mail.
- Between July 23, 2016 and July 25, 2016, Berke used identity information from stolen mail and counterfeit identifications to pass counterfeit and unauthorized checks in the names of others to purchase gift cards at Albuquerque-area stores, which he then sold to others for cash. Berke also admitted that in this time-period, he attempted to open a membership account at an Albuquerque-area store using a counterfeit check, counterfeit identifications and a drivers’ license in the name of another person.
On Dec. 14, 2017, Bell pled guilty to conspiracy, possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possessing stolen mail. In entering the guilty plea, Bell admitted that on July 28, 2016, she and another person possessed approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, which they intended to distribute to others. Bell also admitted that on that same day, she possessed mail that belonged to others that had been stolen from an authorized depository for U.S. mail.
Bell previously had been arrested in Sept. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging her with repeatedly stealing mail from U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes located outside of U.S. Post Offices in Albuquerque by using a “fishing” device she fed into the mailbox to “fish” mail out. Bell was indicted in this case on Oct. 12, 2016, and was charged with stealing and receiving stolen mail on Sept. 18, 2016 in Bernalillo County. On March 30, 2017, Bell pled guilty to the indictment and admitted using a “fishing” device to pull mail out of USPS collection boxes on Sept. 17 and 18, 2016.
Bell was sentenced in both cases on June 20, 2018, to a total of 60 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the DEA and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Brawley and Sean J. Sullivan.
21 Individuals Convicted for Smuggling Weapons into MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – This week, the last of a total of 21 defendants was convicted in federal court of smuggling weapons into Mexico and related offenses. The convictions were the result of a joint investigation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), that began in 2015. Nineteen adults and two juveniles received sentences that ranged from probation to five years’ prison for their roles in this large criminal organization.
In October 2015, ATF received information that several assault rifles and large-capacity magazines were seized in Mexico, and determined that the weapons were purchased by individuals in Arizona. Over the next five months, agents identified a total of 24 participants in a weapons-smuggling conspiracy that was responsible for the acquisition of at least 70 firearms and 75,000 rounds of ammunition intended to be unlawfully exported into Mexico. Several of the conspirators purchased the weapons, while others provided money and vehicles, and others transported the weapons within Arizona and across the International Border into Mexico. The leader of the organization, Edgar Vega-Barreras, 30, a Mexican citizen, was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, and was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to five years’ prison. Judge Zipps, United States Senior District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson, and United States District Judge Steven P. Logan also sentenced other members of the conspiracy.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the ATF and HSI, with assistance from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-16-0478-TUC-JGZ; CR-16-0482-TUC-JGZ; CR-16-0483-TUC-CKJ; CR-17-1155-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-138_Vega-Barreras, et al
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
2018 Strom Thurmond Awards for Excellence in Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SC –---The United States Attorney’s Office’s Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association (SCLEOA), and the Strom Thurmond Foundation will host a luncheon on Friday, October 26, 2018, for the presentation of the 2018 Strom Thurmond Awards for Excellence in Law Enforcement. These awards, established in 1983 by Senator Strom Thurmond, are presented annually to a city, county, state, and federal law enforcement officer who has demonstrated the highest ideals of excellence in professional law enforcement. The awards ceremony will be attended by approximately 150 law enforcement officers from throughout the state.
The 2018 awards luncheon will be held at the Fort Jackson Officers’ Club at Fort Jackson. Lunch will begin at 12:00 p.m. and the awards program will begin at approximately 12:45 p.m. The names of award recipients will be announced during the luncheon.
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15th Defendant Indicted in Jamestown Methamphetamine Ring ArraignedRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted Henry Stovall, Jr., on charges of methamphetamine conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Stovall was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being detained.
The defendant was named in a 42-count indictment along with 14 other defendants including:
• Zackiel Fields, Jr.;
• Ernest Cauley, Jr., a/k/a L.A., a/k/a Ernie;
• Jamell Trapp, a/k/a K.S.;
• Ramael Fields;
• Stephanie L. Harrison;
• Marcus Martin Bowman;
• Danny W. Michael, Ill;
• Alexis V. Hall;
• Destiny J. Hare;
• Andrew C. Bennett;
• Searcy E. Fields;
• Jacob A. Motherwell;
• Michael A. Davis; and
• Stacie N. YancerAssistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Astorga and Emmanuel Ulubiyo, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, all 15 defendants are accused of operating a drug trafficking organization, primarily involving methamphetamine, in the Jamestown area, since March 2017.
During the execution of search warrants throughout the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered 10 firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition, over 20 cellular telephones, drug paraphernalia, and U.S. currency.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Harry Snellings.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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$848,459 Federal Grant to Help Kansas Fight MethRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will receive an estimated $848,459 in federal grant funds to fight methamphetamine trafficking, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.
“Methamphetamine is closely tied in Kansas with violent crimes and property crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Methamphetamine is ranked as the top drug threat in Kansas, according a 2018 assessment by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. Other states to receive funding include Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
The award will come from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, through the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP). CAMP funding may be used to locate or investigate illicit activities, including precursor diversion, laboratories or methamphetamine traffickers.
Wednesday 24 October 2018
Wilson Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced SHELTON JAMAAL JONES, a/k/a “300,” 32 from Wilson, North Carolina, to 192 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release and $14,549.52 in restitution.
On January 10, 2018, JONES was named in a four-count Second Superseding Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Count One charged Distribution and Possession With the Intent to Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl, Resulting in Death or Serious Bodily Injury on August 12, 2017. On March 12, 2018, pursuant to a written plea agreement, JONES pled guilty to Count One.
On August 15, 2017, Wilson Police Department (WPD) officers were dispatched to a suspected overdose death on Turner Avenue in Wilson. The victim, age 39, was found unresponsive by a friend. A search of the residence resulted in the recovery of used syringes and empty bags stamped, “Best of Both Worlds.” An autopsy conducted on August 16, 2017, determined the victim’s cause of death to be acute fentanyl, methoxyacetylfentanyl, U-477001, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and diphenhydramine intoxication. As part of the investigation, a cooperating witness reported that they purchased heroin from JONES which was stamped, “Best of Both Worlds.”
On August 16, 2017, detectives established surveillance on JONES’ residence in Wilson. JONES left his residence and drove to a gas station in Wilson where he was observed conducting suspected drug transactions with two subjects. Officers subsequently effected traffic stops and recovered 12 bindles (0.4 gram in total) of fentanyl stamped, “Pink Monkey.” JONES was arrested and had 241 bindles of fentanyl stamped, “Pink Monkey,” in his pocket. Detectives executed a search warrant at JONES’ residence and recovered 140 bindles of fentanyl stamped, “Best of Both Worlds,” and $3,100 in United States currency from a safe in the master bedroom, and a 9mm handgun and two magazines underneath the bed. Subsequently, JONES admitted to the sale of narcotics.
Mr. Higdon commented, “SHELTON JAMAAL JONES has been an active part of in the opioid crisis. Fentanyl and heroin distribution cases are destroying our communities; as the Court stated today, the singular factor motivating defendants like JONES is greed. With the imposition of a 16 year sentence, the people of Wilson can begin to recover from the effects of JONES’ crime. We are very pleased that the United States Department of Justice could play a role in obtaining justice for the family and the community. I want to commend the Wilson Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their expedient and excellent work in this case.”
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter investigated by the Wilson Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Williamson County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Timothy O. Meadows, 35, of Marion, Illinois, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Meadows previously pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and distribution of more than 5 grams of methamphetamine.
The indictment alleged that the offenses occurred between April 2017, and January 2018, in Williamson County. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Meadows was involved with other persons in the distribution of ice. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. On August 11, 2011, Meadows sold ice to a confidential source working for law enforcement. At sentencing, the district court found that Meadows was responsible for the distribution of approximately 450 grams of ice. Meadows received an enhanced sentence because he kept a loaded crossbow nearby while dealing methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office/Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) SWAT Team and the Williamson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Washington Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for the Interstate Transportation of Minors with the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen announced that David Peter Vier, 63, of Granite Falls, Washington, was sentenced on October 22, 2018, to serve 15 years in prison for transporting two minors, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, from Washington to Wyoming. After serving his prison sentence, Vier will be under court-ordered supervision for 20 years. Vier was also ordered to pay a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. The conviction further requires Vier to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
On January 19, 2018, Vier encountered two female runaways, ages 12 and 14, in Seattle, Washington. The girls were requesting a ride to Wichita, Kansas, and Vier agreed to transport them approximately half way to Little America, Wyoming. During the trip, Vier bought the girls makeup and made comments of sexual nature. Vier stopped at a remote location in Oregon where he had sexual contact with both of the minors. Vier then told the girls they would engage in sexual intercourse after they arrived in Wyoming.
Wyoming law enforcement were actively looking for the minors after being contacted by a concerned citizen in Kansas who indicated the girls were in a dangerous situation. Upon arriving to Little America, Wyoming, the girls immediately sought help. Employees of a local restaurant promptly contacted law enforcement during the evening of January 20, 2018, which resulted in the minors being recovered and Vier being taken into custody.
"This case illustrates the vital role the public plays in helping the government protect the most vulnerable in our community. With the assistance of concerned citizens, law enforcement was able to rescue the children in this case and our office was able to hold the offender responsible for his actions," said U.S. Attorney Klaassen
United States District Court Judge Alan Johnson imposed the sentence. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole M. Romine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Anyone who suspects instances of human trafficking are encouraged to call the FBI or the Human Trafficking Hotline. The Human Trafficking Hotline may be reached by phone at 1-888-373-7888, by text at 233733, or by online reporting at https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or by its CyperTipline at https://report.cybertip.org.
Warrenton Man Indicted for Drug Distribution and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a Federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a three-count indictment charging ROBERT FULTON BACON, a/k/a “Face,” age 32, of Warrenton, North Carolina, with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and two counts of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.
If convicted of these charges, BACON would face maximum penalties of 20 years’ imprisonment, and at least 3 years or up to life of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case is being investigated by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case for the government.
Wagoner Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Carlos Peralta, age 28, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that on or about June 22, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Peralta knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “This investigation and prosecution disrupted a significant Methamphetamine distribution source in Cherokee County. Thousands of dosage units were prevented from reaching their intended destinations in communities throughout Cherokee County and beyond. The team effort between the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and ATF has been and continues to be a great benefit to the Eastern District of Oklahoma.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
Violent Grape Street Crips Member Sentenced to 30 Years for Murder and Attempted Murder as Part of RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A high-ranking member of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for his role in orchestrating a murder, participating in a separate attempted murder, and conspiring to distribute copious amounts of crack cocaine, all as part of a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Rashan Washington a/k/a “Shoota,” 31, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to five counts in the sixth superseding indictment, which charged him with murder and attempted murders as part of a RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to possess a firearm, conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, and participating in a continuing criminal enterprise. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. Washington’s sentence will run consecutively to a 14-year sentence previously imposed by the Essex County Superior Court for his role in a separate shooting.
Washington was one of 14 defendants charged in November 2016 in a 22-count indictment with, among other things, seven murders, numerous attempted murders and other violent and drug trafficking crimes committed as part of the racketeering conspiracy. Twelve of the 14 defendants have now been convicted. The two remaining defendants, Hanee Cureton and Khalil Stafford, are pending trial.
An additional 68 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation. Sixty-six individuals also have been convicted, and charges remain pending against two.
According to the documents filed in this case and other cases and the evidence presented at trial:
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Washington admitted that he orchestrated Anwar West’s murder on the orders of the gang’s leader, Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” a/k/a “Blaze,” a/k/a “Blizzie,” a/k/a “Castor Troy,” 42, of Newark, New Jersey. Hamlet, Washington, and other gang-members believed that West had been disloyal by setting up a meeting at the Mall at Short Hills in Millburn, New Jersey, in an attempt to end a long-running feud between Hamlet and Almalik Anderson, a rival.
To set up West’s murder, Washington purposely left him alone inside of a blue Jeep Cherokee knowing that another gang-member intended to shoot and kill West. Washington admitted that, after he set up West in the Jeep Cherokee, another gang-member shot West once in the head, killing him. Afterwards, Washington was promoted to the rank of “G,” of “Gangster,” within the NJ Grape Street Crips.
After the Short Hills meeting, Hamlet used a social media account to post a report from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office purportedly indicating that Anderson had provided a statement to law enforcement. Just three days after Hamlet’s social media post, gang members – acting on Hamlet’s orders – repeatedly shot and nearly killed Anderson and Saidah Goines, a bystander who was inside Anderson’s car. Following the attempted murder of Anderson, Hamlet ordered Washington and another gang member to murder West.
Washington also admitted that on Oct. 7, 2013, he and other gang members sought to avenge the murder of a fellow gang member who had recently been killed by rival gang members. Washington and his fellow gang members travelled to the area of Avon Avenue in Newark where one of Washington’s fellow gang members fire 14 shots in an attempt to shoot members of the rival gang. After returning to their staging area after the shooting, Washington fled law enforcement who attempted to arrest him and his fellow gang members.
Finally, Washington admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and participating in a continuing criminal enterprise.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson with the investigation. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their work on the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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Defense Counsel: Pasquale F. Giannetta Esq., Newark
Valley View, Texas, Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft from Gaming Establishment on Indian LandsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeannie Irene Stegner, age 52, of Valley View, Texas, entered a guilty plea to Theft From Gaming Establishments On Indian Lands, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1167(a), punishable by up to 1 year imprisonment, up to a $100,000.00 fine, or both.
The Information alleged that on June 9, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did embezzle, abstract, purloin, willfully misapply, and take and carry away property of a value of $1,000.00 or less belonging to the Chickasaw Nation WinStar World Casino and Resort, an Indian gaming establishment operated by the Chickasaw Nation, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney John David Luton represented the United States.
United States Obtains $3 Million Consent Judgment and Federal Healthcare Exclusions to Settle Civil Complaint Alleging Fraud by Operators of Community Mental Health ClinicsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl entered a $3 million consent judgment against Melchor Martinez, Melissa Chlebowski, both of Allentown, PA, and their businesses, as follows: Northeast Community Mental Health Centers (in Philadelphia); Lehigh Valley Community Mental Health Centers (in Allentown, Easton, and Bethlehem); and Carolina Community Mental Health Centers (in Raleigh, North Carolina).
The consent judgment was entered on October 18, 2018 as part of a settlement resolving a civil health care fraud lawsuit filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the False Claims Act. The institutional defendants are community mental health clinics that were funded largely by Medicaid and Medicare.
Martinez was convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2000 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As a result, he was excluded from participating in all federally funded health care programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. The exclusion prohibited Martinez from owning, managing, or receiving payments from any federally funded health care provider. The United States alleged in the lawsuit that in spite of his exclusion, Martinez, assisted by his wife Chlebowski, continued to own and operate the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics, and that he started the Carolina clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina while his exclusion was ongoing in 2009.
The United States alleged in its complaint that Chlebowski falsified Medicare and Medicaid enrollment applications by failing to disclose that Martinez, an excluded person, was managing the clinics, and that, as a result, all of the clinics’ Medicare and Medicaid claims were false. Retired former Chief Judge Lawrence Stengel, in a 2017 decision denying the defendants’ motions to dismiss the United States’ complaint, determined that such allegations state false claims under the long-recognized “fraudulent inducement” False Claims Act theory.
The complaint also alleged that Martinez and Chlebowski funneled money from the clinics to Martinez himself, who profited from violating his exclusion, and took steps to cover it up. The United States alleged that the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics paid Martinez $35,000 per month in rental payments for properties that he owned and leased to the clinics. The pair attempted to conceal the payments to Martinez by issuing rent checks to Chlebowski or to Martinez’s shell entity, MM Consultants. Martinez also allegedly profited when the Lehigh Valley clinic paid about half of the purchase price for an Allentown property purchased by Martinez’s shell entity, and when the Lehigh Valley clinic paid approximately $900,000 to renovate two clinic properties in Allentown and Bethlehem that were owned by Martinez or his shell entity.
The United States also alleged other various types of fraud under Martinez’s and Chlebowski’s management of the clinics. The complaint alleged that clinic patients, including children, were being seen by clinic doctors for psychiatric medication management (also known as “med checks”) for as little as two to three minutes, while the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics billed Pennsylvania Medicaid as if the patients had been seen for 15 minute visits.
The complaint alleged that as part of the scheme, Martinez himself recruited individuals from his native Dominican Republic to work as mental health therapists in the Lehigh Valley and Northeast clinics. The complaint further alleged that the clinics employed individuals who did not have the requisite credentials to work as mental health therapists and that, as a result, the clinics falsely billed Medicaid for services performed by unqualified persons.
Finally, the complaint alleged that under Martinez’s and Chlebowski’s management, the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics failed to appropriately staff their multiple clinic locations with an onsite psychiatrist as required by Medicare rules. As a result, the clinics fraudulently billed Medicare for services performed by therapists under the supervision of a physician when no physician was actually present.
The consent judgment and settlement resolve a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act (FCA) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by a former employee of the Carolina Community Mental Health Clinic. Under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, private citizens are permitted to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and obtain a portion of the government’s recovery. The False Claims Act also permits the government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, which occurred in this case.
“A federal healthcare exclusion is intended to side-line an entity or individual who has previously defrauded the government,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “It must be respected – not ignored, as in this case. Participating in and receiving payments from Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs while excluded is fraud, plain and simple. This lawsuit and its resolution represent our commitment to holding accountable those who violate the terms of their exclusion. We thank the relator and the relator’s attorney for their invaluable contribution in this case. Without information from citizens like the relator, detecting fraud and conserving government program funds would be much more difficult,” said U.S Attorney McSwain.
“Civil enforcement is an important tool in our ongoing battle against health care fraud,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of taxpayer funds and protect beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs.”
Prior to the United States filing its civil fraud lawsuit in 2015, the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics were the largest providers of mental health services to Medicaid patients in their respective regions. They generated $75 million in combined Medicaid and Medicare payments from 2009 through 2012. Soon after the United States filed this lawsuit, the Northeast and Lehigh Valley clinics were forced out of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program.
As part of the settlement with the United States, Chlebowski and the mental health clinics are excluded from participating in federal healthcare programs for a period of five years. Martinez, who was previously excluded, is now excluded for an additional ten years based on this matter.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the North Carolina Department of Justice. The case is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judith A. Amorosa and Viveca D. Parker of the Civil Division, health care fraud auditor George Niedzwicki, and Paralegal Specialist Patricia Bontempo.
The case is captioned United States v. Melchor Martinez, et al. / United States and State of North Carolina, ex rel. Smith v. Carolina Community Mental Health Centers, et al., No. 5:11-cv-02756 (E.D. Pa.). The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and DEA announce 16th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – Mark your calendars for the annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to be held on Saturday, October 27, at various locations throughout Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles.
“Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an important service provided by the DEA and its law enforcement partners, and is a great opportunity for citizens to be a part of the fight against the opioid epidemic,” Joseph stated. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high. This effort is a way to remove opioids and other drugs from our communities and reduce the chance of them finding their way into the wrong hands. I would like to encourage everyone to join communities across the nation in this effort to safely and anonymously dispose of their expired and unused prescription medications.”
“In the midst of this worst-ever opioid epidemic, where we’re losing over 166 people a day, it’s absolutely critical that we get unused prescription drugs out of homes and dispose of them safely at these Drug Take Back events,” said New Orleans Field Division DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam. “Unfortunately, these drugs are most often obtained from friends and family, who leave them in home medicine cabinets. This event provides citizens an easy and safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. Please do your part to keep our communities safe by participating in Saturday’s event.”
Last April, Americans turned in nearly 475 tons (949,046 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,700 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 15 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in almost 10 million pounds—nearly 5,000 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
The DEA will have collection sites across the country on Saturday, October 27, for those who are interested in bringing their unused or expired prescription drugs for proper disposal. Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites; liquids and needles or other sharp objects will not be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Prescription drugs can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:
Shreveport
- Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Safety Town in the parking lot of Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8910 Jewella Ave.
Monroe
- Louisiana State Police, Troop F, 3811 Desiard St.
- Monroe Police Department, 700 Wood St.
- Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, 400 St. John St.
Alexandria
- Louisiana State Police, Troop E, 1710 Odom St.
- Alexandria Police Department, 1000 Bolton Ave.
Lafayette
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, 1825 W. Willow St.
- Louisiana State Police, Troop I, 121 E. Pont des Mouton Road
- Lafayette Police Department, University Hospitals and Clinics, 2390 W. Congress St.
Lake Charles
- Lake Charles Police Department, Civic Center, 900 Lake Shore Drive
Please visit Takebackday.dea.gov or call 1-800-882-9539 for a complete list of collection sites. Additionally, there are permanent drop-off boxes, which can also be found at Takebackday.dea.gov.
Two Men Charged in Fentanyl Overdose Death Resulting from Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: Two Glynn County men have been charged in federal court with selling the deadly synthetic opioid Fentanyl, including a quantity of the drug that killed a Brunswick woman.
In a federal complaint unsealed Oct. 23 in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Makeda Atkinson, 44 and Donald Adams, 62, are charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Both men are in custody while awaiting further court proceedings, said Southern District U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine.
According to court documents, investigators with the Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team (GBNET) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that Atkinson and Adams were selling heroin laced with Fentanyl throughout the Glynn County, Ga., area. During the investigation, a 32-year-old woman who purchased drugs from the men on Dec. 28, 2017, was found dead the next day in her parents’ home, and an autopsy determined she died from acute Fentanyl toxicity. Glynn County Criminal Investigator Stephan Lowery took the lead in investigating the woman’s death and, working with the FBI, linked it to drugs sold by Atkinson and Adams.
The charges against Atkinson and Adams call for a federal prison sentence of not less than 20 years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our nation’s growing opioid crisis is horrific, as personified by this senseless overdose death of an addict whose drug-ravaged body was found by her 5-year-old daughter,” said Southern District U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Our office is committed to battling these self-serving merchants of death so that no other children have to lose a parent, and no parents have to lose their children.”
Chris Hacker, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said “This case is an example of a drug crisis running rampant in our communities, causing numerous deaths. The FBI is committed to doing its part, along with our law enforcement partners, to hold those who propagate this crisis accountable to the fullest extent of our federal laws.”
Assistant United States Attorney Greg Gilluly represents the United States in this investigation and prosecution.
A criminal complaint contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Two Members of an International Drug Trafficking Organization Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – After four days of jury trial presided by US District Court Judge Jay A. García-Gregory, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Edilio Benjamín-Hernández and Johanni Balbuena-Hernández for Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Aiding and Abetting the Importation of Controlled Substances, and Conspiring to Import Controlled Substances, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Johanni Balbuena-Hernández was also convicted of Reentry by a Removed Alien and Edilio Benjamin-Hernández was found guilty of Improper Entry by an Alien.
The two were part of a larger international drug trafficking organization based in the Dominican Republic that landed 276 kilograms of cocaine in the municipality of Vega Baja.
The evidence at trial involved testimony from agents of the Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD) of the Dominican Republic, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), and Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (PRPD Maritime Unit). Additionally, the jury heard several wiretaps that were intercepted in the Dominican Republic by the DNCD where the members of the drug trafficking organization were heard planning their drug smuggling ventures.
Seven other defendants were charged for participating in the criminal organization. Defendant Miki King-Batista had previously pled guilty and been sentenced to 151 months and a supervised release term of 5 years. Defendant Daniel Ramírez-Pérez had previously pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Defendants Manuel Almeyda-Vasquez, Nelson King-De Aza, and Carlos De la Cruz-Paulino are awaiting trial.
The case, named “Operation King Dynasty,” was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
“This conviction marks yet another victory in our fight against narcotics in Puerto Rico and a clear indication of the success of the OCDETF program in the fight against drug trafficking. Our team of prosecutors and case agents set an excellent example of teamwork during the investigation which led to the conviction of these defendants at trial,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marc S. Chattah and Julia Díaz-Rex, Narcotics Unit Chief. The defendants are facing a minimum of ten years in prison with a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment. The sentencing is scheduled for February 15, 2019.
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Two Maryland Women Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging They Defrauded D.C Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Maryland women who were employed as personal care aides were arrested today on separate federal charges. Both are charged with engaging in a scheme in which they allegedly submitted a combined $1.7 million in false claims to the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
Temitope “Deborah” or “Temi” Oluwa-Bakare Ogunbiyi, 48, of Bowie, Maryland, and Nkiru “Nikki” Uduji, 48, of Lanham, Maryland, were arrested on two separate criminal complaints charging them each with health care fraud and health care fraud conspiracy. They made their first appearances this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were released on personal recognizance pending preliminary hearings next month.
According to the complaints, Ogunbiyi and Uduji were employed as personal care aides from approximately January 2013 through the present. Under the Medicaid program, personal care aides perform services intended to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in carrying out the activities of daily living. These can include helping beneficiaries get in and out of bed, bathe, dress, eat out, take medication, and engage in toileting. To receive personal care services under Medicaid, a beneficiary must obtain a prescription from a doctor.
Last year, both Ogunbiyi’s and Uduji’s billing practices drew the attention of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance, and that led to an investigation.
According to the complaints, the investigation determined that Ogunbiyi submitted approximately $1,071,247 in false claims between 2013 and the present, and Uduji submitted approximately $568,830, during the same time. The complaints allege that these claims fall into three categories: claims purporting that they provided services in excess of 24 hours in a given day; claims purporting that they provided services to Medicaid beneficiaries to whom they provided no care at all; and claims purporting that they provided services to Medicaid beneficiaries to whom they paid illegal kickbacks. Ogunbiyi is also alleged to have submitted claims for services purportedly provided to Medicaid beneficiaries while she was on international travel.
The charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Simmonds, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Robert Fishman and Brittany Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Tuscaloosa Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Gun Possession Thanks to Joint Law Enforcement EffortRead the Press Release
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced STANLEY KEON WALKER, 23, of Tuscaloosa to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus S. Watson and Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb.
“Developing stronger relationships with local and state law enforcement continues to be a top priority for my office,” Town said. “This defendant got the jurisdictional maximum sentence of ten years for possessing a firearm. Our state partners recognized that this defendant was one of their worst offenders, knew a state charge would likely result in probation or a short sentence, and helped us prosecute this case in federal court where there are real consequences and real time behind bars. This is the new normal!”
ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson said. “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers are the driving force to reduce the violent crime that plagues our neighborhoods. This sentencing illustrates the effective partnerships with law enforcement and the community.”
It starts with good relationships, and I am very happy with our collaborations with the U.S Attorney’s Office,” Webb said. “Our shared focus is public safety, and I am always pleased when we get violent criminals off of our Tuscaloosa County streets.”
Court records relate the arrest that led to Walker’s conviction as follows:
On or about June 29, 2016, officers of the Tuscaloosa Police were dispatched to an apartment complex after a caller advised that several people with guns were preparing to fight there. Officers responding to the scene and observed the car that had been identified as belonging to Walker, who was involved in the pending altercation.
Officers approached the car, which had a window partially down, and gave orders for Walker to get out of the car. Walker initially acted as though he were going to comply, but then accelerated toward the officers and their patrol vehicles, striking a police officer, a police car and a civilian vehicle. He exited the vehicle and ran. Officers found Walker hiding under an SUV in the apartment complex parking lot. Officers found a gun in the driver’s side floorboard of the car that Walker was driving.
Walker previously was convicted of two counts of attempted murder in May 2015 in Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County.
Walker pleaded guilty to the charge in June.
ATF investigated the case, in partnership with the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Tuscaloosa District Attorney’s Office, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa K. Atwood prosecuted.
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Tulsa Man Sentenced for Stealing Assault Rifles and Trading Them for Cash and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Anthony Ronnie Martinez, 45, of Tulsa, was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for stealing and unlawfully carrying away firearms from a licensed dealer and for possessing, receiving, concealing, storing, bartering, selling, and disposing of stolen firearms and ammunition.
On November 10, 2017, Martinez and his girlfriend, Shannon Lee Fryman, backed a vehicle into a Tulsa gun store and stole 11 firearms, including assault rifles, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, then fled the premises. Over the next three days, the two traded multiple firearms for cash and methamphetamine. On, January 8, 2018, Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges.
“Federal and local authorities worked together to track down Martinez and Fryman, following their brazen late night raid of a federal firearms licensee’s store. The Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments, along with the ATF, really did amazing work on this investigation in identifying and finding the suspects as well as the stolen guns. Their diligence, combined with a focused federal prosecutor, secured this conviction and sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “This case is a win for public safety and for the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. PSN is making a positive difference in northeastern Oklahoma’s violent crime rate one case at a time.”
U.S. District Judge John Dowdell sentenced Martinez to 63 months in prison and ordered Martinez and Fryman to pay restitution in the amount of $50,534 for the damage caused during the robbery. He will also be required to serve three years of supervised release.
This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and resulted from an investigation conducted by the Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.
Troy Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Khalif Cherry, age 40, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing and intending to distribute cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea on May 24, 2018, Cherry admitted that he possessed a package containing 497 grams of cocaine and that he intended to sell that cocaine to others. Cherry also agreed to forfeit his 2008 Lexus ES350, which he used to transport the cocaine.
This case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
Three Ohio Men Charged in Case Involving Sexual Abuse of ToddlersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Documents were unsealed that charge three Ohio men with crimes related to child pornography.
In May, a federal grand jury charged David E. Fairchild, 45, of Kirkersville, Ohio, Jesse G. Szuba, 31, of Newark, Ohio, and Mike Allen, 36, of Heath, Ohio, in a second superseding indictment unsealed yesterday evening. Fairchild and Szuba are each charged with conspiring to produce child pornography, among other related crimes.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the charges.
According to court documents, in January 2018, the Franklin County ICAC Task Force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a video depicting child sexual abuse. The video was uploaded to Google from the username “David TwistedBottomFreak Fairchild” and depicted an adult male anally penetrating a toddler-aged child.
The 11-count second superseding indictment alleges Fairchild sexually abused a female victim, born in 2016, and created child pornography involving the victim.
Likewise, it is alleged that Szuba attempted to produce child pornography involving a boy born in 2014.
Szuba and Fairchild allegedly met on Craigslist and communicated with each other about sexually abusing the toddlers. During their communications, they exchanged child pornography files and discussed plans to engage in various sex acts with each other and the victims.
It is further alleged that Szuba suggested other sex acts that Fairchild perpetrate against the female victim and asked Fairchild to send Szuba pictures or videos of that abuse.
In response to watching a video of Fairchild sexually abusing the toddler girl, Szuba messaged Fairchild that he “liked” the video “espically [sic] when she started whimpering.” Between January 26 and January 31, 2018, Szuba repeatedly requested, and Fairchild repeatedly sent, images and videos depicting sexual abuse of the female toddler.
Fairchild sent child pornography files to Allen, as well.
Szuba pleaded guilty in late August to advertising for child pornography, which is punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison.
Conspiring to produce child pornography is also a federal crime punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison. Receiving child pornography carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Franklin County ICAC Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Jonathan J.C. Grey, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Ten Eastern District of New York Employees and One Former Assistant United States Attorney Receive Attorney General AwardsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nine Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA), one paralegal specialist and a former AUSA from the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) were among the 244 department employees recognized by Attorney General Jeff Sessions for their distinguished public service today at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Thirty-six other individuals outside of the department were also honored for their work. This annual ceremony recognizes employees and other individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements, leadership and service to the Department of Justice and the American people. This year’s awards ceremony included an award for exceptional heroism to U.S. Marshal Senior Inspector Basilio S. Perez, Jr., for his courageous actions to protect and aid victims of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners. And so I want to thank them and their families for their exemplary service to this Department and to the American people. They have made this Department proud.”
“The outstanding work of EDNY prosecutors, working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, exposed an international culture of corruption within organized soccer, dismantled a fraud scheme that victimized the elderly and held responsible the brutal killers of a heroic federal agent,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The wide scope of the achievements recognized today demonstrates that this Office will pursue justice for the people of the Eastern District of New York wherever the evidence takes us.”
This year’s program honors individuals across the department and our federal, state, local and tribal partners for their selfless efforts, protecting our national security and our civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, and going after gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings. The awards also honor the work of civil and environmental litigation, which enforces the rule of law and upholds our Constitution. They also recognize employees whose ideas and efforts save taxpayer dollars and help our government operate more effectively and efficiently, among other contributions to public safety and good governance.
FIFA
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith D. Edelman, Kaitlin T. Farrell, M. Kristin Mace, Brian D. Morris and Samuel P. Nitze, Paralegal Specialist Sherene Watson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Tuchmann, together with their team of FBI and IRS Special Agents, were recognized for their path-breaking investigative and prosecutorial work in combating an entrenched culture of corruption at the highest levels of organized soccer in the United States and around the world and the accompanying abuse of the U.S. financial system. The case was the first to use the RICO and wire fraud statutes to attack corruption in international sports organizations and involved an extraordinary array of investigative techniques, complex tracing and analysis of foreign and domestic money flows, and unprecedented coordination and collaboration with foreign law enforcement authorities. In addition to more than 20 convictions secured through guilty pleas, the team secured convictions of José Maria Marin, a former president of the Brazilian soccer federation, perhaps the most powerful soccer federation in the world, and Juan Angel Napout, the president of CONMEBOL, the regional confederation that oversees soccer in South America, after a six-week trial conducted in November and December 2017.
Elder Fraud Sweep
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Castiglione, Evan P. Lestelle and John Vagelatos were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the 2018 national Elder Fraud Sweep. The sweep was the largest operation in U.S. history targeting fraud on the elderly. The team both independently and in coordination with the Consumer Protection Branch of DOJ and the United States Postal Inspection Service, investigated and filed some of the sweep’s biggest cases. The EDNY team filed four civil actions and obtained temporary restraining orders against 24 individual and corporate defendants for operating multi-million dollar international mail fraud schemes that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. The team obtained permanent consent judgments against defendants in three of the actions and, in the final action, has obtained a permanent consent judgment against several of the defendants and preliminary injunctions against the remaining defendants while the case is being actively litigated.
Los Zetas – “Operation Fallen Hero”
Senior Litigation Counsel Andrea Goldbarg and a team of Trial Attorneys and AUSAs from the DOJ Organized Crime and Gangs Section, DOJ Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia were recognized for their extraordinary efforts and commitment in the prosecution of Los Zetas Mexican Cartel Members. Members of the cartel brutally murdered Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and wounded HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on February 15, 2011, during an attempted car-jacking on a highway south of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The HSI Special Agents were on an official mission in an armored SUV when a Zetas “hit” squad attacked the vehicle. Deploying immediately after the attack, the team pursued every evidentiary lead and soon began filing charges against the perpetrators. After the attack and over the following six years, seven defendants were extradited to the United States, five of whom pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate. Two defendants proceeded to trial. On July 27, 2017, after a three-week trial, a jury convicted two defendants of, among other crimes, murder and attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States. Both trial defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tarboro Man Sentenced on Charge of Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that in federal court today, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced TYRONE SAVAGE, 21, of Tarboro, to 30 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On May 31, 2018, SAVAGE pled guilty to a single-count indictment that charged him with possession of a firearm by a felon.
The evidence established that, during the evening of August 25, 2017, the Tarboro Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle playing music loudly. The car contained five occupants and smelled of alcohol and marijuana. Officers performed safety pat downs of the vehicle occupants. During the pat down, SAVAGE was found to have a Hi-Point, Model C9, 9mm pistol in his right, front pocket. SAVAGE was subsequently arrested on state charges.
According to law enforcement, and as presented in open court, SAVAGE is a validated gang member. In addition, SAVAGE has previously been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and felony possession of heroin. SAVAGE was found in possession of the firearm while still serving a term of probation on the felony possession of heroin offense.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Tarboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Belle Kessler represented the United States in this case.
Tahlequah Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bruce Aaron Bardesis, age 53, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that on or about October 26, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Bruce Aaron Bardesis knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Rural and metropolitan areas alike continue to feel the negative effects that methamphetamine has not only on the user, but also children, families, schools and even the work force. Dealers profit while society picks up the pieces. We must continue to be diligent, stop the drug dealers, and send the message that the unlawful distribution of drugs will not be tolerated,” United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Linda Epperley represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Christopher Martinelli, age 40, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to distributing, receiving and transporting child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II.
As part of his guilty plea, Martinelli admitted to knowingly exchanging sexually explicit photographs with a 14-year-old girl over the Internet, as well as trading child pornography online while on supervised release from a prior felony conviction under the Uniform Code of Military Justice relative to child pornography crimes.
Chief Judge Glenn T. Suddaby will sentence Martinelli on February 28, 2019. If the Chief Judge accepts the recommendation of the parties, Martinelli, who is detained pending sentencing, will receive a sentence of 20 years in prison for his conviction on the child pornography offenses, a consecutive 5-year term of imprisonment for his violation of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Martinelli will also be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Office of Probation, New York State Police Major Crimes, and the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, a federal task force that investigates cases involving the sexual exploitation of children. The task force consists of FBI Agents and New York State Police Investigators from Troop D, Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina H. Schoenberger.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Stilwell Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Neglect in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessica Jean Clark, age 38, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Child Neglect In Indian Country, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1151, 1153 and Title 21, Oklahoma Statutes, Section 843.5(C), punishable by up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that from in or about June 2017, to September 13, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, within Indian Country, the defendant, Jessica Jean Clark, a/k/a Jessica Jean Kidd, did willfully and maliciously commit the crime of Child Neglect In Indian County by failing to provide adequate nurturance, hygiene, sanitation, shelter and medical care to J.H. and P.H., and provide special care made necessary by the physical condition of P.H., all while the defendant was responsible for the health, safety and welfare of J.H. and P.H., children under the age of eighteen.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
St. John Man Arrested for Smuggling Illegal Aliens from the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Venezuela into the U.S.Read the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Brice Todman, 36, of St. John, was arrested onMonday, October 22, 2018 on a criminal complaint charging him with bringing aliens into the United States. Jose Alfredo Rondon Castro, 40 and Juan Lorenzo Matias Peralta, 38, both of the Dominican Republic, Dionis Alexander Luis Gomez, 31, of Venezuela and Roman Perez Hernandez, 34, a national of both Argentina and the Dominican Republic, were also arrested on Monday, October 22, 2018 on criminal complaints charging each of them with illegal entry into the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Todman, Castro, Peralta, Gomez and Hernandez all made their initial appearances before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and were detained pending further proceedings.
According to the complaint, Todman was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) in the North Haulover Bay, area of St. John when agents observed him operating a vessel with no lights. After the boat was stopped, AMO agents observed four male individuals besides Todman onboard and determined that they were not U.S. citizens.
The four individuals were identified as Castro and Peralta from the Dominican Republic, Gomez from Venezuela, and Hernandez from Argentina and the Dominican Republic and they did not have permission to enter the United States.
If convicted of bringing aliens into the United States, Todman faces a sentence up to ten years and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of illegal entry, Castro, Peralta, Gomez and Hernandez each face a maximum sentence of six months and a $5,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protect i o n Ai r and Marine Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Roswell Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Carjacking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Nathan Cole Owens, 36, of Roswell, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to carjacking and firearms charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Owens will be sentenced to 100 months in federal prison followed by a period of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Owens, whose prior criminal history includes felony convictions for false imprisonment, aggravated battery against a household member resulting in great bodily harm, aggravated battery against a household member with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Owens was arrested on April 5, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 14, 2018. According to the complaint, Roswell Police Department (RPD) officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at a cellular phone store in Roswell on March 14, 2018, reporting that an armed felon was in the store. When RPD officers arrived, they found Owens and another individual (victim) who reported that Owens threatened her with a firearm, took the keys to her vehicle, and drove her around Roswell while he engaged in an argument with another person on her cellular telephone. RPD officers subsequently found a firearm loaded with ammunition in the victim’s vehicle when they executed a state search warrant. According to the complaint, Owens had been released from prison on Sept. 24, 2017, after serving a sentence for a prior felony conviction.
Owens was indicted on June 20, 2018, and was charged with carjacking, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment charged Owens with committing the offenses on March 14, 2018, in Chaves County, N.M. Owens was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on March 14, 2018, because of his previous felony convictions.
During today’s proceedings, Owens pled guilty to the three-count indictment and admitted that on March 14, 2018, he intentionally took a vehicle from another person while brandishing a firearm, and acknowledged that if the victim had not given him the vehicle, he would have caused the victim to suffer serious bodily injury. Owens further admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
Owens remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives and the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Saltman and Marisa Ong are prosecuting the case.
Remarks by U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain at the Delaware County Safe Schools SummitRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain was honored to speak yesterday at the 2018 Safe Schools Summit, hosted by Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. U.S. Attorney McSwain’s remarks are below.
*****
Thank you all for welcoming me here today. In particular, thank you to District Attorney Kat Copeland for inviting me to be the keynote speaker, and to her entire team for organizing such a collaborative and important event.
Ensuring the safety of everyone in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and pursuing justice is the core mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Nine counties constitute the Eastern District: Delaware, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia. Our Office is steadfast in pursuing justice fairly and equally, no matter where a crime occurs within the District. We recognize, however, that certain crimes may affect specific communities more than others. For example, violent crime may be more prevalent in one neighborhood while drug trafficking or government fraud may more steadily plague another.
One of my first initiatives after I was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney in April was to visit all nine counties that make up the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and meet with the respective district attorneys and local law enforcement leaders. It is a priority of my Office to continue to foster these relationships and always keep our lines of communication open. In these meetings, I could see firsthand what every community faces and hear their concerns. And more than any other concern, I am sure it will come as no surprise that the well-being of our children is on the forefront of everyone’s mind, regardless of whether one resides in a city, a suburb, or in a rural area of this great district. The safety of our children and their schools is paramount, no matter where you live. And from my meetings with federal, state, and local officials, it is clear that we all have to be in this together to prevent tragedy in our community and to help troubled individuals find the resources that they need.
School safety certainly has been at the forefront of my mind. As the U.S. Attorney, I wanted to learn more to determine how my Office and the Department of Justice could help address the issue. For example, I wanted to know the trends involving mass shootings, and how school shootings in particular fit into the bigger picture. And in researching the issue further, I discovered that it is surprisingly difficult to say how many mass shootings have occurred in the history of the United States, given that there is no universal definition or database constituting what qualifies as a “mass shooting.” One study contradicts the next, all depending on which data those particular researchers decided to include and exclude and the metrics they decided to use. It is also impossible to prove how many would-be shootings were prevented, either because of measures that schools and local governments had put in place, mental health services that were provided to students, or actions taken by attentive and proactive parents and friends.
I was able to learn some information, however. In 2016, which is the most recent year for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published complete data, over 37,000 individuals were killed by firearms in this country. Of that number, approximately 61% - almost 23,000 – were deaths by suicide. Of the remaining 14,000 deaths by firearms, hardly any were due to school shootings. We can and should take some comfort in that. The fact is that deadly school shootings are rare. That being said, one school shooting is one too many.
And too often in this country, we as a nation have grieved the senseless murders of innocent people as a result of domestic terrorism and mass shootings. Americans should be safe from such terror, no matter who or where they are. Studying in school or going to work, worshiping at church or cheering for friends at a marathon, relaxing at a movie theater or enjoying an evening at a night club – all of these activities should be safe-havens for every American. But as we know, places like these have sometimes turned into crime scenes where innocent lives have been lost. It cannot be stressed enough: one more mass shooting is one too many.
I want to make clear to everyone in this room, and everyone in our extended community, that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice take seriously every threat of gun violence in our community and will do everything in our power to prevent tragedy from occurring. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced more than $70 million in grant funding under the STOP School Violence Act. These grants are provided to bolster school security, develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident. These grants are in addition to the funding provided to the National Association of School Resource Officers, which the Attorney General announced at the end of September, intended to expand and update the curriculum to better support training programs such as this one. The Department of Justice has also awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department also prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
Unfortunately, background checks alone will not stop a typical school shooter. After all, under Pennsylvania law, a person must be 18 years or older to possess or transport a handgun. And under federal law, a person must be 18 to purchase a long gun and related ammunition from a federal firearms licensee, and must be 21 to purchase a handgun and related ammunition from a federal firearms licensee, unless they meet a certain exception, such as an employment or hunting need. Since 1994, it has been a federal offense for any unlicensed person to transfer a handgun or handgun ammunition to anyone under the age of 18.
My Office will continue to prosecute straw purchasers and those who illegally buy and sell firearms. But as we know all too well, many of those involved in planning or following through with a school shooting steal or borrow a legally purchased firearm from a family member or friend. According to the FBI, 68% of school shooters acquired the weapon used from their own home or that of a relative.
We strive to hold individuals accountable under federal law who threaten school shootings. In my first few months in office, as District Attorney Copeland mentioned, the U.S. Attorney’s Office federally charged a case that came out of this very County. In June of this year, An-Tso Sun was federally charged with possessing ammunition while being in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa, which is a felony under federal law. On March 26, 2018, Sun told another student from Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School, “Hey, don’t come to school on May 1st . . . I’m going to come here armed and shoot up the school. Just kidding.” The student reported this conversation to a school official. Subsequently, multiple items were recovered from Sun’s bedroom, including approximately 1,600 rounds of ammunition, a cross bow and arrows, and various firearm accessories and shooting equipment. Sun pleaded guilty to this federal charge at the end of August, and the sentencing hearing is scheduled for December.
Sun was initially charged in Delaware County by District Attorney Copeland’s Office, with making terroristic threats; he pleaded guilty to that charge in early June and was sentenced to 4-23 months incarceration. The federal charge related to his illegal possession of ammunition – a charge, I would like to point out, that is an aggravated felony that will operate as a permanent bar to his reentry into this country.
So what can we learn from the Sun case? First, I am proud to say that this was another example of numerous investigative and operational bodies working together. From the school officials to the Upper Darby Police Department and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, to the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and my Office, these community and law enforcement officials worked together to successfully prevent a potential school tragedy and ensure that justice prevailed in the court system.
To me, the true hero in this story is the student who heard the alleged threat and reported the incident to school officials. Thank you to that student for being a good citizen and reporting it. I know everyone in this room knows this, but it cannot be said too often: if you see something or hear something, you need to say something. Countless incidents have been averted because of vigilant people speaking up – students, teachers, and school administrators alike.
That is why today’s summit is so important. Every class today is hands-on: workshops concerning conflict management, personal self-defense, and securing and defending the classroom. Schools are already putting significant systems in place: for example, each school in Delaware County has DelPass, an alarm system in the Administrative Office that immediately notifies 911 of any incident and allows police and law enforcement officials to respond to the school immediately.
Delaware County also has put systems in place to help not just during or after an incident, but also to prevent an incident. There is a county-wide teen help line that is available for any kids to call and talk about issues. There is also the Mobile Crisis Team that provides help and services on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week. These mental health services are provided to the individual, and if necessary, to the family as a whole.
These types of mental health services can help before something happens. But that is easy to say. As a parent myself, I know that it can be incredibly difficult to know when a teenager – dealing with hormones and peer pressure and sometimes speaking recklessly – is a threat, versus simply having a bad day or struggling with a challenging but manageable issue. In speaking with the FBI’s Campus Liaison and head of its Active Shooter Program here in Philadelphia, one thing that I thought was helpful was that he encourages teachers and parents to determine a baseline for normal behavior for each student in the first few weeks of school. It is then easier to assess if any one student drops below that baseline. The FBI has estimated that 93% of attackers planned out the attack in advance, and 93% of attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the attack that caused others to be concerned. Knowing a child’s baseline can help each of us determine if something has become amiss.
And in this day and age, there is no establishing a baseline without familiarizing yourself with a child’s technology habits. I’m curious, by a show of hands, how many of you check your child’s cell phone on a regular (at least weekly) basis? For those of you who do, that is the right instinct to have. But your inquiry cannot end there. I know many of the adults here are familiar with Facebook and Twitter; if only our children would use the websites that we use. But how many of you check your child’s Snapchat account? How about Instagram? Or Kik? Or WhatsApp? Or WeChat? Or Whisper? Or Yik Yak? And the list goes on. We cannot confront these issues without knowing what is happening in our children’s lives, and in the 21st century, their lives often play out on the Internet more than on the playground or the school bus.
After Sun was federally charged, I held a press conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office about the case. I addressed parents, guardians, and all other adults who are responsible for children in their lives. At the end of the day, my Office can prosecute as many cases as we can; our law enforcement officials can train to respond as quickly as they can; and we can continue to have as many forums, workshops, and seminars so that all of our tireless and brave school administrators and teachers are prepared to spot warning signs and to defend their classrooms, if necessary.
But I firmly believe that the true first responders are the parents and friends of our children. It is parents’ responsibility to know what their children are doing. No child should have access to firearms or other dangerous weapons without their parents’ or guardians’ knowledge. No child should be amassing an arsenal under the nose of the adults in their lives without the adults knowing about it. And when the adults know about it, they should do something about it. Ask questions. Go into your children’s bedrooms and look around. Pay attention to kids’ online behavior and social media accounts. Being a responsible parent means that your children’s business is your business.
In short, law enforcement cannot do it alone. We need to keep in mind that law enforcement is not the first line of defense. That honor – that duty – belongs to our citizens. They are the ones who will see the first clues that something is amiss in their everyday lives. They are the ones who will get a bad feeling about something at their schools, in their offices, during their social activities, who will need to make the call. There are too many stories of parents, of friends, of neighbors, who belatedly say they “always knew something was off” about someone in their lives, but they did not take action. They need to know that silence is not an option and that the community is there to help.
And a large part of the “we” answering the call is sitting in this very room. Police would not know where to go, mental health counselors would not know who to help, and my office would not know where to concentrate our efforts without your dedication and attention to the students you help each and every day. Again, if the student from the Sun case had told a school official who was not in-tune with the student body, something much more tragic could have occurred. Thank you to that school official. And thank you all for taking care of our children, keeping them intellectually curious, emotionally supported, and physically safe. The work you do is not easy; it does not always come with great fanfare or the praise and rewards that you deserve. But please know that in my opinion, and in the opinion of law enforcement officials everywhere, you are the vital lynchpin in every community. And I know I speak for many when I say that we are – and will be – forever grateful.
Thank you, and God bless you all.
Randolph County man indicted on drug distribution chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – An Elkins, West Virginia man was arraigned today on multiple drug charges after being indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Elkins on August 22, 2018, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Thomas Roger Atohi, also known as “Smoke,” age 28, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” and two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine in Proximity of a Protected Location.” Atohi is accused of selling methamphetamine, sometimes near Beverly Elementary School and Elkins Christian Academy, in Randolph County in August, September, and October 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Regional Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Queensbury Man Arrested for Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Seeley, age 54, of Queensbury, New York, appeared today on a criminal complaint charging him with attempting to entice and coerce a minor into a sexual act.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The complaint charges Seeley, already a registered sex offender, with attempting to entice and coerce a person whom he believed to be an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual contact with him. The charge filed against Seeley carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to life. 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.
Seeley, who was arrested yesterday, appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending a further hearing on Friday, October 26.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita.
Quebec Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Trafficking OxycodoneRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Jon Lazore, age 42, of Snye, Quebec, was sentenced on Monday to 151 months in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in Franklin County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office.
As part of his plea on June 22, 2018, Lazore admitted that between 2008 and November 2012, he operated a drug trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, which straddles the United States and Canadian border along the Saint Lawrence River. Lazore obtained 5,000 oxycodone tablets at a time from Canadian suppliers for distribution on the reservation. Lazore used at least 8 couriers and runners to coordinate the distribution of oxycodone to his customers. These couriers and runners included Carrie Lazore, Teri Jo Lazore, Travis Adams, Todd Edwards, and James Labarr. Lazore regularly provided each courier with 100 to 200 tablets of oxycodone to sell to customers in both Canada and the United States.
In December 2017, Lazore was extradited from Canada to the United States following a term of imprisonment in Canada.
As part of the same case, the following people have pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and been sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, as follows:
Name
Age
Residence
Sentence
Carrie Lazore
31
Snye, Quebec
33 months
Terri Jo Lazore
25
Akwesasne, Ontario
87 months
Travis Adams
33
Hogansburg, NY
78 months
Todd Edwards
28
Akwesasne, Ontario
46 months
James Labarr
25
Bombay, NY
46 months
This case was the result of close cooperative efforts of HSI, led by the Massena Residence Office, in conjunction with CBP, DEA, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police. These agencies worked closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Akwesasne Mohawk Tribal Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, and the Canada Border Services Agency, as well as U.S. Border Patrol, the New York State Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, Potsdam Police Department, and Plattsburgh Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth R. Rabe and Troy Anderson. Lazore was extradited to face charges in the Northern District of New York with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Prescription Drug “Take Back Day” in the Eastern District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., is National Prescription Drug “Take Back Day.” This event will give the public its 16th opportunity in eight years to prevent pill abuse, diversion, and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Last Spring, Americans nation-wide turned in nearly 475 tons (949,046 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,700 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Of those numbers, Washington State collected 17,018 pounds of prescription drugs at approximately 70 collection sites operated by the DEA and 63 of its state and local law enforcement partners. In its 15 previous “take back” events, Washington State alone has collected 208,433 pounds of prescription drugs. Overall, in its 15 previous “Take Back” events, the DEA and its partners have taken in almost 10 million pounds – nearly 5,000 tons – of pills.
The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Liquids, needles, or sharps cannot be accepted at the sites, only pills or patches.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose potential safety and health hazards.
Law enforcement agencies scheduled to participate as collection sites include: Asotin County Sheriff’s Office (Asotin County Fire Department); Colfax Police Department (City Hall); Connell Police Department (Connell City Hall); Kennewick Police Department; Odessa Police Department; Oroville Police Department; Othello Police Department; Pasco Police Department; Garfield County Sheriff’s Office; Pullman Police Department; Ferry County Corrections; Spokane Valley Police Precinct (Chas Health); Walla Walla Police Department; West Richland Police Department; Yakima Police Department (Cornerstone Medical Clinic/Virginia Mason Memorial); and Yakima County Crime Stoppers (Solarity Credit Union)
In the City of Spokane, year-round disposal sites are located at Spokane Police Department’s North Precinct, 5124 N. Market, Monday through Friday, 9:00 – 4:00; the Public Safety Building, 1100 W. Mallon Avenue, Monday through Friday 8:00 – 5:00; and Spokane Police Department’s Downtown Precinct in the Intermodal, 221 W. First, 24 hr/7 days a week. In Spokane County a year-round disposal site is located in the Spokane Valley Police Department lobby, 12710 E. Sprague Avenue, Monday through Friday, 8:00 – 5:00.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs and the October 27, 2018 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com
Physician Charged in a $32 Million Illegal Opioid Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging the owner and sole practitioner of a medical clinic with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Charged in the indictment is Dr. Afzal Beemath, 42, of Waterford
The indictment alleges that from January 2013 through October 2018, Dr. Afzal Beemath conspired with others to issue a large number of prescription opioids to recruited “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. Dr. Beemath operated Afzal Beemath, M.D., P.C., in Lathrup Village. Beemath only accepted cash at his clinic, and utilized the clinic to prescribe oxycodone and oxymorphone, two of the most addictive and diverted opioids that have a significant street value. Dr. Beemath, often-prescribed benzodiazepines in conjunction with the opioids, which when used together can be a lethal combination.
Patient recruiters brought supposed “patients” to the clinic to obtain medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions. The recruiters would then fill the prescriptions and sell the opioid pills on the street at a significant profit. According to the indictment, Dr. Beemath, issued more than1 million dosage units of Schedule II opioids during the course of the conspiracy. These controlled substances had a conservative street value in excess of $32,000,000.
“The damage that opioid distribution has done to our community and to the United States as a whole has been devastating,” said U.S. Attorney Schneider. “Our aggressive prosecutions of opioid crimes continues to focus not just on street dealers, but also on medical professionals who choose to violate federal law and their Hippocratic Oath to “first, do no harm’.”
“Dr. Beemath illegally prescribed painkillers for no legitimate medical purpose. Putting corrupt medical professionals like him out of business is one of several steps we are taking to turn the tide on the opioid crisis that has caused so much death and heartbreak in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Detroit Division of the FBI. “The FBI remains committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who ignore the law, put people at risk and contribute to this crisis are held accountable.”
“Writing prescriptions without medical necessity and outside the scope of professional medical practice is illegal and further fuels the opioid epidemic” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “The OIG will continue to focus our efforts on identifying and holding accountable those medical professionals who put their patient’s health and tax payer dollars at risk.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Regina R. McCullough, Brandy R. McMillion, and Andrew J. Lievense. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative created by Attorney General Sessions, that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.