Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 24 October 2018
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and a Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of three years, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a fentanyl analogue, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence yesterday on Donte Spence, age 21, formerly of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on November 3, 2016, agents from the Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroeville Police Department, became aware of potential heroin trafficking occurring in Rooms 238 and 305 of the Days Inn, located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Surveillance was established and federal search warrants for Rooms 238 and 305 were obtained.
Officers apprehended Donte Spence and another individual in Room 238. When investigators arrived, Spence swiped a large amount of drugs off a desk causing the substances to become airborne. As a result, several members of law enforcement sought medical attention. Fortunately, they did not sustain any injuries. Investigators could plainly see powder heroin on at least two tables, a Magic Bullet blender and blenders full of heroin, and packaged heroin. Also found in the room was United States currency, packaging paraphernalia, and personal items. Another individual was apprehended in Room 305 with bagged and packaged heroin. Between the two rooms, over 200 grams of heroin containing furanyl fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) were seized.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Spence.
Passavant Memorial Homes and Subsidiaries Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Passavant Memorial Homes, together with its subsidiaries Passavant Development Corporation, PDC Pharmacy Pittsburgh, PDC Pharmacy Philadelphia, and PDC Pharmacy Colorado, have agreed to pay the United States $1,850,000 to settle False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act allegations, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
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.
The settlement resolves allegations that Passavant 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. Because Passavant submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for dispensing certain of these drugs without a prescription, the settlement also resolves alleged violations of the False Claims Act. Passavant voluntarily disclosed this information to the United States in 2015, cooperated with the investigation to identify the nature and scope of legal violations, and has implemented a policy change to stop the practice of prescribing with only a physician order.
This matter was investigated by the Diversion Control Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Colin J. Callahan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mark J. Sherer and Anthony D. Scicchitano of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Amanda Rocque of the District of Colorado handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
Owner and Operator of New Jersey-Based Real Benefits Association LLC Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Selling Bogus Health InsuranceRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An insurance broker who stole nearly $1 million while continuing to sell health care coverage he knew was fake was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
David Clark, 75, of Morristown, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Clark owned and operated Real Benefits Association LLC (RBA), a New Jersey limited liability company he incorporated on Dec. 17, 2003, under a similar name. Clark established RBA as a purported labor organization and as a way to market and sell health insurance to the general public through the RBA Welfare Plan. Initially, the Welfare Plan was fully insured through Perfect Health, a licensed New York insurance company. Participants paid insurance premiums to bank accounts of RBA or the Welfare Plan, which Clark then remitted to Perfect Health.
Perfect Health was purchased by Health Insurance Programs (HIP) in 2008, and HIP discontinued its insurance policy with the RBA Welfare Plan. The federal government notified Clark that RBA did not qualify as a labor organization and was required to cease operating.
Clark continued, however, to market and sell the health insurance plans to unsuspecting participants. Participants began to complain to their respective state insurance departments when their medical claims were not being paid, which prompted various departments throughout the United States to issue cease and desist orders.
Clark and conspirators continued to market and sell bogus health insurance, and from December 2008 to July 2011, they collected approximately $1.8 million in premiums for RBA health insurance coverage. Clark diverted $962,027 from the premiums paid by RBA participants for his personal use, including by using victims’ premiums to fund personal debit and credit card purchases, college tuition payments and deposits to a relative’s bank account.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Clark to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U. S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge for the New York Region Michael C. Mikulka; the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), under the direction of Darren Cohen, Regional Director; and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jacob T. Elberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
If you have information or think you might be a victim of this scheme, please contact (866) 444-3272 to speak to an EBSA benefits advisor.
Defense counsel: John P. McDonald Esq., Somerville, New Jersey
Okmulgee Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenneth Delano Fultz, Jr., age 46, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e)(1). The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 16, 2018, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Kenneth Delano Fultz, Jr., having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a Sig Sauer, Model SP, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a firearm in and affecting commerce, and Eleven (11) rounds Tulammo, 7.62 x 39 caliber ammunition, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “This investigation and prosecution is one of many such cases in Okmulgee County and throughout the Eastern District of Oklahoma since Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) was reemphasized by the Department of Justice a year ago. One of the defining characteristics of PSN is that state, local, tribal, and federal agencies work together to take violent criminals off the street, thereby reducing violent crime. This is one of many successes that has occurred as a result of close working relationships between the Okmulgee Police Department and the ATF.”
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.
North Branford Man Sentenced to Prison for Downloading Child Pornography from the Dark WebRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL BAUER, 37, of North Branford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 35 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for downloading child pornography from the dark web.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from “Operation Pacifier,” an FBI investigation into Playpen, a global online forum through which registered users advertised, distributed and accessed child pornography. On February 20, 2015, the FBI seized a computer server hosting Playpen from a webhosting facility in North Carolina. Pursuant to a federal court order in the Eastern District of Virginia, the website operated under FBI supervision February 20 to March 4, 2015. During that time, the FBI collected information to identify members of Playpen.
Playpen had more than 150,000 members who created and viewed tens of thousands of postings related to child pornography. Images and videos shared through the site were highly categorized according to victim age and gender, as well as the type of sexual activity. The site also included discussion forums that included tips for grooming victims and avoiding detection.
The FBI determined that a user name connected to an IP address operating at BAUER’s North Branford residence had accessed Playpen for more than 53 hours between September 2014 and March 2015.
On December 10, 2015, the FBI conducted a court-authorized search of BAUER’s North Branford residence and seized approximately 19 electronic devices, including external hard drives. A forensic examination of the seized devices revealed more than 100,000 images and more than 1,300 videos of child pornography, including images and videos depicting children younger than 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images and videos depict sadistic and masochistic conduct.
On May 7, 2018, Bauer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
BAUER, who is released on a $100,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on January 11, 2019.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Norteño Gang Associate Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Participating in RICO Conspiracy and Being an Accessory After the Fact to an Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Robert Loera was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and for being an accessory after the fact to an attempted murder, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down earlier today by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge.
On October 24, 2018, Loera, 38, of Salinas, pleaded guilty to the charges. According to his plea agreement, Loera admitted that from 2009 to 2011, he associated with gang members from Norteño street gang cliques, including “East Las Casitas” or “ELC,” “Salinas East Market” or “SEM,” and “Santa Rita.” Loera also admitted that from at least 2009 and continuing through at least 2011, he was a member of an Enterprise made up of Norteño street gang members and associates.
“The senseless violence of the Norteño gangs in Salinas demands that we respond with a constant and vigilant law enforcement approach,” said United States Attorney Tse. “We applaud the Court’s strong sentence for this gang associate, and hope that it will provide much needed solace to the defendant’s victims and send a clear message to the Salinas community that this office is dedicated to prosecuting those individuals engaged in gang violence, and even those who assist others to commit gang violence, to the fullest extent of the law.”
Loera acknowledged in his plea agreement that Enterprise members committed acts of violence to benefit the Norteño gang, specific Norteño street cliques, or the Enterprise, itself. Such acts of violence included murder, attempted murder, and robbery. For example, members of ELC sought to attack and kill members of rival Sureño gangs and members of other rival gangs. In addition, sometimes Norteño gang members from different cliques combined to engage in illegal activities, including narcotics trafficking and robberies. Further, Norteño cliques engaged in violence simply to assert their gang identities, to claim or protect their territory, to challenge or respond to a challenge, to retaliate against a rival gang or member, to gain notoriety and show their superiority over others, and to send others a message that they are strong, powerful, and not to be provoked.
Loera admitted that while an Enterprise member, members of the gang would kill, and try to kill, actual and suspected Sureños, persons who defied the will of the gang, and persons suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Loera also admitted that on November 5, 2010, he picked up two gang members after one of them shot at suspected Sureños. While driving, Loera learned of the shooting and drove the gang members out of the area to help them evade police. Loera later was informed that one of the shooter’s victims was grazed in the head by a bullet and one was struck in the hand, causing serious bodily injury.
Loera’s plea agreement also contains a list of crimes in which he participated directly, including the following:
- On September 13, 2010, Loera assisted three gang members in the robbery of a CVS pharmacy in Salinas. Loera remained outside in a vehicle, while gang members went inside and conducted the robbery using at least one firearm, which was brandished during the robbery. Approximately $8,000 was stolen during the robbery.
- On November 18, 2010, Loera assisted in the robbery of the Jewelry Outlet jewelry store in Salinas. Loera waited in a getaway car while gang members entered the jewelry store armed with two handguns which they brandished while robbing the store. After the robbery, Loera drove the robbers away in the car. The jewelry store lost approximately $45,000 from the robbery.
- On February 1, 2010, Loera assisted in the robbery of another jewelry store in Watsonville, Calif. Loera remained outside in a car monitoring a scanner for police activity in the area while gang members entered the jewelry store and brandished firearms during the robbery. The jewelry store lost approximately $80,000 from the robbery.
On October 28, 2015, a grand jury charged Loera with one count each of racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d); conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5); conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6); conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); conspiracy to rob banks and credit unions, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2113(a) and (d), and 371; and accessory after the fact, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5) and 3. Loera also was charged with two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) and 2. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Loera pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy charge and the accessory charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Koh also sentenced Loera to a five-year period of supervised release, to commence after Loera completes his prison sentence. Loera has been in federal custody since his arrest on this case in November 2015, and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hopkins, Christiaan Highsmith, and Stephen Meyer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Nina Williams, Adria Trgovich, and Lance Libatique. The investigation leading to the indictment was initially led by the Salinas Police Department and later adopted as part of the FBI’s crackdown on Norteño gangs in Monterey County. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Salinas Police Department, which has played, and continues to play, a critical role in support of the case.
New York Men Arrested During $1 Million Cocaine DealRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three New York area men made their initial appearances in federal court this afternoon after they were arrested yesterday in Fairfax County for conspiring to purchase 100 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement seized over $1 million in cash at the time of the arrest.
According to court documents, Luis Rafael Tavarez, aka “El Primo,” 36, Manny Lizardo, 24, and Luis M. Liriano-Toribio, 31, all of whom reside in the New York area, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The men allegedly traveled from New York to Fairfax County to obtain 100 kilograms of cocaine (50 kilograms up front, and another 50 kilograms on consignment) in exchange for over $1 million in cash. Lizardo and Liriano-Toribio traveled to assist Tavarez in trafficking and/or transporting the large shipment of cocaine back to New York. Tavarez served as the main point of contact for the operation, and was arrested at a hotel in Vienna in possession of the cash. Lizardo, who inspected and attempted to test the cocaine, and Liriano-Toribio, who voluntarily joined the conspiracy and participated in the trip in exchange for thousands of dollars, were arrested in a parking garage in Fairfax attempting to take possession of the cocaine.
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh is prosecuting the case.
Significant assistance with this investigation was provided by the Vienna Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-mj-510.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
New Haven Woman Who Distributed Crack is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEQUEISHA SLEDGE, also known as “Queish” and “Shontay,” 36, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 18 months of home confinement and five years of supervised release for her role in a New Haven drug distribution ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2017, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force initiated an investigation into a New Haven drug trafficking organization. The investigation, which included physical surveillance, 13 controlled purchases of narcotics, and court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, revealed that members of the organization were distributing crack cocaine and oxycodone in the New Haven area.
Sledge distributed crack cocaine on behalf of the organization numerous times between September 2017 and January 2018. She also collected drug proceeds from other members of the organization.
Sledge and several other members of the organization were arrested on federal criminal complaints on February 6, 2018. On February 8, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 30-count indictment charging Sledge and 18 other individuals with various offenses.
On July 2, 2018, Sledge pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine base (“crack”).
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, which includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, West Haven Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and David C. Nelson.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CURTIS DRAUGHN, also known as “Kirk,” 63, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, following the December 2016 overdose death of a 33-year-old New Haven man, investigators determined that the victim had called “Kirk” prior to his overdose. In May 2017, investigators contacted “Kirk,” who was identified to be Draughn, asking about purchasing heroin. In May, June and August 2017, investigators made three controlled purchases of heroin from Draughn.
Draughn was arrested on October 25, 2017, and a federal grand jury later returned an indictment charging him with the three heroin sales.
The charge of distribution of heroin carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Draughn is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford on February 14, 2019.
Draughn is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed and Law Student Intern John Super.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge Stemming from Investigation into Distribution of "K2"Read the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patrick Griffin, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Haven, announced that QUENTIN STAGGERS, 47, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to possessing with intent to distribute a synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as “K2.”
This matter stems from a joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies into the distribution of K2 on the New Haven Green in July 2018.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 20, 2018, investigators conducted a trash pull at Staggers’ Farren Avenue residence and discovered suspected K2 packaging. The packaging and residue were submitted to the DEA’s forensic laboratory for testing. The tests confirmed the presence of AMB-FUBINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid, which is a Schedule I, federally controlled substance.
Staggers was arrested on August 16, 2018.
Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2019, at which time Staggers faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Staggers is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA’s New Haven Task Force and the New Haven and Branford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and William J. Nardini, and Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Roberg.
Montana law enforcement team honored by Department of Justice for work in Fort Peck kidnapping caseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday recognized a team of Montana law enforcement officers from multiple agencies for their work in the arrest and prosecution of a man convicted in the 2016 kidnapping and assault of a young girl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
Sessions honored 15 individuals from federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies, who were among 244 Department of Justice employees and 36 other individuals outside of the department, for their distinguished public service at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Award Ceremony.
Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme praised the work of multiple law enforcement agencies in the case. “This child is alive today because of the outstanding teamwork of many federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers,” Alme said. “They, together with the victim specialists and assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case, ensured this child received the care she needed and brought the offender to justice through their personal dedication to the people we serve,” he said.
The case began in February 2016 when a girl was abducted from a park in Wolf Point. A massive, coordinated search and investigation involving more than 120 personnel from federal, state, tribal and local agencies ultimately led to the victim being found alive two days later in a remote area near Wolf Point. The victim had been assaulted and left for dead in freezing winter conditions.
The investigation led to the suspect, John William Lieba II, who was 20 at the time, being charged in the case. A federal jury convicted Lieba of kidnapping, abuse and assault charges after deliberating 27 minutes.
In a sentencing memo filed in federal court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon said, “Lieba, through his actions, forced every parent in Montana to confront their worst nightmare.”
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced Lieba in July 2017 to 500 months (41.6 years) in prison and five years of supervised release.
Those honored for their work in the case include Ryan Weldon, U.S. Attorney’s Office; David Burns, Harry Murphy III, Craig Overby, Michelle Stewart, Kelli Burns, Julia Meredith, FBI; Matthew Kroeger, U.S. Customs & Border Protection; Chad Greenwood, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Ken Trottier, Lewis Matthews, Sean Red Boy, Angela Matthews, Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigations; Corey Reum, Patrick O’Connor, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office.
The Lieba case was investigated by the FBI, the Fort Peck Tribes’ Department of Law and Justice, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and multiple other federal, state and local agencies.
In honoring the recipients of the Attorney General’s Award, Sessions said, “Service in the Department of Justice is more than a normal job; it is a calling to the highest standards of professionalism. That is true for all of the 115,000 Department of Justice employees. But it is especially true for these award winners.”
# # #
Mingo County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mingo County man pled guilty today to federal gun and drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Anthony Fleming, 33, of Dingess, West Virginia, entered his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to that crime. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Gun-toting drug dealers can be found in every county in the Southern District,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “And we are committed to prosecuting each and every one of them.”
Fleming admitted that on November 7, 2017, he possessed and intended to distribute 18 grams of methamphetamine while traveling in Dingess, Mingo County, West Virginia. He also admitted to carrying a pistol when he committed that crime, adding that he carried the gun to protect himself when he sold methamphetamine.
Fleming now faces a sentence of five years up to forty years on the drug charge, to be followed by consecutive sentence of five years up to life on the gun charge. Fleming’s sentencing will be held on January 24, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###
Mexican National Sentenced to Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Marco Antonio Alvarez-Acevedo, a 28 year-old citizen of Mexico and resident of Sunnyside, Washington, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conviction on methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering charges.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided at the sentencing.
Alvarez was convicted of possession with intent to distribute meth and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In the summer of 2016, Drug Enforcement Administration agents learned from sources that Alvarez was a member of a drug trafficking organization in Washington that transported meth to Billings-area meth distributor Pedro Carrasco. Sources indicated that Alvarez helped distribute methamphetamine to Carrasco and collect money from the sale of the meth.
During the investigation, agents obtained a contact number for a phone used by Alvarez. An undercover agent communicated with Alvarez via phone and arranged for Alvarez to ship approximately one pound of methamphetamine to Billings. The package of meth was then seized in Billings. A DEA lab analysis of the meth determined the package contained 442.7 grams of pure meth.
The undercover agent continued communicating with Alvarez, who decided to travel to Montana in April 2016 to deliver more meth and collect money. While traveling to Billings, Alvarez’s vehicle was stopped near Bozeman and agents confirmed that Alvarez was in the vehicle. Agents searched the vehicle but did not seize any additional meth.
Alvarez was held responsible for distributing 442.7 grams of pure meth. That converts to 3,541 individual doses of pure meth that would have potentially reached drug users in Montana.
In addition, Carrasco was sentenced in February 2018 to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
This case was investigated by the DEA; Internal Revenue Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; Montana Highway Patrol; and multiple other federal, state, and local agencies.
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.
XXX
Mexican Man Who Used Another Person’s Name and Social Security Number Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who used a false identification document to obtain a job was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Jose Moctezuma-Hernandez, age 33, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and living in Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 23, 2018, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.
At the guilty plea, Moctezuma-Hernandez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card when he completed an employment form at a business in Clarion, Iowa, on December 1, 2015. Moctezuma-Hernandez, claiming to be a United States citizen, used the name, date of birth, and social security number of a United States citizen on the employment paperwork. Moctezuma-Hernandez came to the attention of immigration authorities in July 2018 following his third conviction for driving while barred in Wright County, Iowa. Moctezuma-Hernandez was previously removed to Mexico in June 2004 after illegally entering the United States.
Moctezuma-Hernandez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moctezuma-Hernandez was sentenced to 94 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Moctezuma-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-3030-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mesa Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Distribution of HeroinRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Daniel George Luntraru, 33, of Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 84 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Luntraru had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Luntraru was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment on each of the five counts, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
On March 8, 2015, Luntraru sold heroin to a heroin user who resided at a men’s sober living home in Mesa, Ariz. That user had purchased the heroin for himself and another resident of the home. The other resident was found dead in his room the next morning, and an autopsy by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office found the cause of death to be acute heroin intoxication. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation after being made aware of the circumstances of the death in early 2017, and observed Luntraru conduct hand-to-hand sales of heroin near his apartment. In June 2017, agents executed a federal search warrant at Luntraru’s apartment and found additional sale quantities of heroin.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the DEA, Mesa Police Department, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn McCormick and Don Pashayan, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: 17-0807-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-137_ Luntraru
# # #
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.
Member of the Violent “Murdaland Mafia Piru” Bloods Gang Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Drug ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Jacob Bowling, a/k/a “Jakey,” age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for racketeering and drug conspiracies related to his participation in the gang activities of the Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP), a subset of the Bloods gang.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
“Federal, state, and local law enforcement worked together to identify and dismantle this criminal organization that dealt drugs and despair in Northwest Baltimore and Baltimore County,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We are committed to removing armed, violent criminals from our neighborhoods and bringing them to justice in the federal system, which has no parole—ever.”
“Investigating, arresting, and incarcerating criminals who use guns and violence to intimidate communities and commit violent crime is ATF’s focus here in Baltimore, a mission that our state and local law enforcement partners feel equally as strongly about,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “Anyone carrying guns on the streets of Baltimore to expand and defend drug territory should look to Jacob Bowling’s sentence as a lesson.”
According to Bowling’s plea agreement and court documents, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that operates in Maryland and elsewhere. MMP was modeled after the Italian Mafia, and was organized hierarchically, with “the Don,” at the top and various “Bosses,” “Underbosses,” “Capos,” “Lieutenants,” and “Mobsters” underneath. For many years, MMP has controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, Woodlawn, and Walbrook Junction. The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states. MMP’s members enriched themselves through drug trafficking and other criminal activities, and by using violence and threats of violence to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, protect the gang’s territories, enforce debts, and eliminate rivals.
Bowling was a member of MMP and participated in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activities, including drug distribution.
Specifically, on May 9, 2016, Bowling and other MMP members attended the funeral of a murdered MMP member and draped a red banner emblazoned with the letters “MMP” over his casket. Between June and August 2016, Bowling distributed a total of 106 grams of crack cocaine to confidential informants who were wearing audio-visual recording devices. In August 2016, law enforcement obtained a wiretap for Bowling’s cell phone and overheard him discussing drug and gang business with other MMP members. During another call, an individual told Bowling that he had found Bowling’s gun in the couch and removed it to a cabinet. Bowling told the person to be careful because the firearm was loaded “with one in the nose.” In another call, Bowling received a call from a MMP member who was in prison, telling him that another incarcerated MMP member wanted an individual to “get sanctioned” because he had not put money on the incarcerated MMP member’s account, as promised. Bowling replied, “Alright, say no more. I’m gonna take care of that.”
On September 27, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bowling’s residence and recovered a 9mm caliber magazine, small ziplock baggies, a digital scale and razor blade, and photographs of Bowling with other MMP members.
Finally, Bowling conspired with other MMP members to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin and 280 grams of crack cocaine.
In addition to Bowling, eighteen of twenty-six defendants have pleaded guilty in the case. Trial for the remaining defendants is scheduled for March 18, 2019.
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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Man Charged with Drug Distribution Resulting in Death of Newark ManRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that on October 23, 2018, Robin Cintron-Pratts a/k/a Emanuel Jimenez was charged by Second Superseding Indictment with participating in a conspiracy to distribute drugs that resulted in the death of Joel Davis. The conspiracy is alleged to have lasted from at least January 2017 through March 2017, and to involve 100 grams or more of heroin and an amount of fentanyl.
The Second Superseding Indictment alleges that Cintron-Pratts was a drug supplier who, through a chain of sub-distributors, provided Joel Davis, a 28 year old Newark man, with baggies of fentanyl that caused his death. He is further alleged to have provided large quantities of heroin to at least one customer over the course of several months. More details regarding the allegations are included in the attached Second Superseding Indictment. The mandatory minimum penalty for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin/fentanyl that results in the death of another person is twenty years with a maximum penalty of life.
This case illustrates the dangers presented by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, that is often mixed with heroin without the knowledge of the drug user. Joel Davis was one of 72,000 overdose deaths nationwide in 2017 and one of 345 people to die of a drug overdose in the State of Delaware that year.
Fentanyl-laced heroin overdoses have created a public health emergency in Delaware, and that emergency demands a multi-faceted response. Law enforcement needs to be a critical part of this response. Working with its law enforcement partners statewide, the United States Attorney’s Office has established the First State Overdose Task Force to address this crisis. The Task Force Officers (TFOs) will consist of state and local law enforcement representatives across Delaware who will be federally deputized and supervised by the Drug Enforcement Administration. These TFOs will interface with patrol officers working in their home agencies to ensure that overdose deaths are investigated thoroughly, starting with the crime scene. A goal of the Task Force is to work “up the chain” to identify major drug suppliers like Cintron-Pratts, whose distribution of drugs cause deaths.
The charges in the Cintron-Pratts Second Superseding Indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The Cintron-Pratts case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Newark Police Department and the New Castle County Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh.
Local Man Sentenced for Role in New York City to Pittsburgh Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of three years and 10 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Antonio Reynoso, age 39.
According to information presented to the court, starting in early 2014, the DEA began an investigation into drug trafficking in the New Kensington area. The investigation led to Title III wiretap interceptions over the phones of several individuals involved in a heroin trafficking conspiracy which spanned the greater Pittsburgh area. The defendant’s phone was tapped as a result of the investigation. Agents determined that the defendant worked with others to obtain heroin in New York City to distribute in the Pittsburgh area. The defendant admitted that he was responsible for conspiring to distribute over one kilogram of heroin from January to May 2015.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, the Baldwin Borough Police Department, the Duquesne Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Munhall Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Scott Township Police Department, and the West Homestead Police Department, along with assistance from the City of New Kensington Police Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
Lifelong Pedophile and Violent Offender Committed to Federal Custody as a Sexually Dangerous PersonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan committed RONALD BAKER, 55, to the custody of the Attorney General as a sexually dangerous person under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
BAKER has a history of sexually molesting children and engaging in violent assault. In 1982, at age 19, BAKER was convicted in the State of Missouri for First Degree Burglary and First Degree Assault after he burglarized the residence of an adult female and stabbed her numerous times with an ice pick. He was released on parole in January, 1993. In 1994, at age 30, BAKER was convicted in the State of Missouri of Attempted Rape of a Child under 14 years old, two counts of Sodomy of a Child under 14 years old, and six counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Child under 12 years old. These charges related to sexual offenses BAKER committed against a child under the age of 12.
In 2007, at age 44, BAKER was prosecuted federally in the Eastern District of Missouri for Possession of Child Pornography after possessing images of child pornography at an airport chapel. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and lifetime supervised release. BAKER was released from prison in October 2014, but violated the terms of his supervised release on multiple occasions, resulting in his return to federal prison. In August 2015, BAKER was arrested for violating the terms of his supervised release, including conditions prohibiting him from possessing obscene material and possessing or using a device with online access. He was sentenced to additional imprisonment for one year and one day. BAKER was released in August 2016 but was arrested just seven months later in March 2017 for again violating the terms of his supervised release, including conditions prohibiting him from committing another crime, frequenting, loitering, or residing near places frequented by children, possessing obscene material, and possessing or using a device with online access. For these violations, BAKER was sentenced to twenty four months’ imprisonment.
BAKER was scheduled for release from federal prison on December 22, 2018, but the United States certified him as a sexually dangerous person under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Congress passed that Act in 2006 to provide another powerful legal mechanism for protecting the public from some of the most dangerous sexual offenders. The Act allows the United States to seek civil commitment of sexually dangerous persons who, because of a serious mental illness, abnormality, or disorder, would have serious difficulty refraining from sexually violent conduct or child molestation.
Reviewing those facts and other aspects of this case, three independent psychologists – including BAKER’s own selected examiner – agreed that he met the criteria for civil commitment as a sexually dangerous person. BAKER told one of the psychologists that he can’t control himself and “If I’m out there again, and opportunity showed up I would molest or rape another child.” BAKER told another psychologist that the prior burglary and assault offense “reminds [him] of what [he is] capable of . . . [he] can’t really rule anything out.” He also told that same psychologist that if a child was available to him in the community, he would “get a hold of a little girl and no holds barred – just rape her full throttle.” BAKER also admitted that as a teenager he molested several children for which he was never criminally prosecuted. BAKER’s stipulation to these facts and the experts’ reports were provided to Judge Flanagan who, on October 23, 2018, committed BAKER to the custody of the Attorney General.
“Ronald Baker is an extraordinarily dangerous sexual predator who repeatedly demonstrated he cannot control his deviant sexual urges. He even admitted as much to the psychologists who evaluated him,” said U.S. Attorney Higdon. “His civil commitment is unquestionably necessary to protect our children and communities from the obvious danger he presents.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina litigates all Adam Walsh Act cases for the entire country. All sexually dangerous persons who are committed to federal custody are housed in a federal facility in that district, where intensive, residential treatment is offered to them. BAKER is the eighty-second sexually dangerous person committed under the Adam Walsh Act.
Assistant United States Attorney Roberto F. Ramirez and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Lockridge represented the government in this case.
Leader of International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for his leadership role in transporting over 3,300 kilograms of cocaine for a large-scale Guatemalan drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Central America, as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation codenamed Operation Go Explorers.
According to court documents, Edgar A. Quinonez-Salazar, 40, was extradited to the United States in September 2017, served as a high-level leader within the DTO. In this leadership role, Quinonez organized cocaine transportation networks, negotiated cocaine purchases and sales of cocaine on behalf of the DTO, oversaw the construction of a semi-submersible vessel to transport cocaine, directed the movement of cocaine loads, and served as trusted advisor to the leader of the DTO. Operating throughout Central America, Quinonez knowingly orchestrated the movement of 3,339 kilograms of cocaine from Costa Rica to the Guatemalan-Mexican border on behalf of the DTO. In May 2016, Quinonez directed the use of violence against co-conspirators in an effort to locate approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine suspected to be stolen from the DTO off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In September 2016, Guatemalan law enforcement authorities seized the semi-submersible vessel under construction by Quinonez and the DTO in Guatemala.
Operation Go Explorers was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik S. Siebert, Peter S. Duffey, and Heather H. Mansfield prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-67.
Leader of Brooklyn Street Gang, Eight Trey Crips, Convicted of Murder In-Aid-Of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Following eight days of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn today convicted Larry Pagett, a leader of the Eight Trey Crips street gang, of murder in-aid-of racketeering. Pagett faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department, announced the verdict.
“Motivated by his twisted allegiance to the Eight Trey Crips street gang, Pagett opened fire with a handgun in a crowded nightclub, murdering a rival in cold blood and wounding an innocent bystander,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s verdict sends the message loud and clear that wanton violence will not be tolerated in our community. This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to eradicate violent street gangs and bring to justice those criminals who value murder and mayhem over human life.”
“Gang members have shown they will do whatever necessary to maintain control over their turf and retaliate against those who they see as a threat,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “As proven in court, Larry Pagett demonstrated this when he shot and killed someone in a crowded nightclub without regard for the lives of his victim or the myriad others who could have been hurt or killed by Pagett’s violent actions. With today’s verdict, justice has been served, and Pagett faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.”
As proven at trial, the Eight Trey Crips were based in and around the Flatbush Gardens housing complex. The Crips and the Folk Nation, a rival street gang, had been engaged in a deadly feud over territory in Brooklyn for years. On August 28, 2015, Pagett encountered Chrispine Philip, also known as “Droppa,” inside a crowded nightclub called the Buda Hookah Lounge located at 589 Flatbush Avenue. Pagett believed Philip was a member of the rival Folk Nation and blamed him for the murder of an Eight Trey Crips gang member in Trinidad in the Spring of 2015. Pagett pulled out a gun and shot Philip multiple times including with a final bullet to the back of his head. An innocent bystander in the nightclub was also shot in the stomach and arm, but survived. The murder was recorded on video surveillance cameras inside the club.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Hein and Mathew S. Miller are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
LARRY PAGETT (also known as “Biz,” Biz Loc” and “Molotovbizzz”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-306 (WFK)
Kewa Pueblo Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jose Tenorio, 50, an enrolled member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 63 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on child sexual abuse charges. Tenorio will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Tenorio was arrested on March 21, 2017, on a seven-count indictment charging him with kidnapping and abusive sexual contact offenses. The indictment charged Tenorio with kidnapping a child under the age of 18 (first victim) on May 18, 2016; engaging in abusive sexual contact with the first victim, who was then under the age of 12, two separate times between Jan. 1, 2015 and Jan 31, 2015, and three separate times on May 18, 2016. It also charged Tenorio with engaging in abusive sexual contact with a child between the age of 12 and 16 (second victim), two separate times between Aug. 23, 2006 and Aug. 22, 2007. According to the indictment, Tenorio committed the crimes on Kewa Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M.
On May 11, 2018, Tenorio pled guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact. In entering the guilty plea, Tenorio admitted that on May 18, 2016, he engaged in sexual contact with the first victim, who was then under the age of 12. Tenorio also admitted engaging in sexual contact with the second victim, who was then 13 years old, between Aug. 23, 2006 and Aug. 22, 2007. Tenorio previously pled guilty to the same charges in tribal court.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to assuming his brother’s identity to get a loan and buy a car, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
John Nolan, Jr., 64, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In his plea, Nolan admitted he fraudulently used his brother’s Social Security number to purchase a Chevrolet Suburban from a car dealership in Merriam, Kan. Nolan filled out a Wells Fargo credit application using his brother’s name, date of birth and Social Security number. He also provided a driver’s license with Nolan’s picture and his brother’s identifying information. Nolan’s brother was living in Saudi Arabia and had not communicated with the defendant for years.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 24. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 30 months in federal prison. McAllister commended Virgil Reichle, U.S. Secret Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
KC Fire Captain Faces Additional Charges Related to Illegally Selling Firearms to FelonsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A captain in the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department was indicted by a federal grand jury today on additional charges related to the sale of firearms to convicted felons.
James Samuels, 53, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a 14-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed against Samuels on Oct. 1, 2018. Samuels has been in federal custody since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, and remains detained without bond.
The original charges of selling a firearm and ammunition to a prohibited person and knowingly transferring a firearm for use in a violent crime are included in today’s indictment. The indictment contains five additional counts of selling a firearm and ammunition to a prohibited person and two additional counts of knowingly transferring a firearm for use in a violent crime. Samuels is also charged with participating in a conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, possessing a stolen firearm, and two counts of possessing an unregistered firearm.
Today’s indictment alleges that, from July 7, 2014, to Oct. 4, 2018, Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. The indictment cites numerous instances in which Samuels purchased firearms and transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence on Oct. 4, 2018, and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen.
Samuels was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon.
The indictment cites several controlled purchases by confidential informants, whom Samuels knew to be felons who could not legally possess firearms or ammunition, who told him they planned to use the firearms to commit homicides.
Samuels allegedly sold a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun and a box of shotgun shells to a confidential informant whom Samuels knew to be a felon on June 29, 2018. According to court documents, the confidential informant told Samuels he/she was going to use the shotgun to shoot people.
Samuels allegedly sold a Jimenez Arms 9mm handgun and ammunition to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon on July 19, 2018. On the same day, the indictment alleges, Samuels sold a box of shotgun shells and a box of .22-caliber long rifle ammunition to another confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon.
Samuels allegedly sold an American Tactical Imports Omni-Hybrid AR-15 rifle, an American Tactical Imports Omni-Hybrid AR-15 pistol and six boxes of ammunition to a confidential informant whom he knew was a convicted felon on Sept. 5, 2018. The AR-15 pistol with a vertical fore grip installed was not registered to Samuels. According to court documents, the confidential informant told Samuels he was going to use the firearms to shoot four people later that day.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Justice Department, EPA, State of Mississippi Reach Nationwide Settlement with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to Address Chemical Accident Prevention ViolationsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced a national settlement with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) that requires safety improvements at all of its petroleum refineries across the United States, resolving claims that the company violated provisions of the Clean Air Act aimed at preventing accidental releases of hazardous chemicals that can have serious consequences for public health and the environment.
As part of the proposed settlement, Chevron will spend approximately $150 million to replace vulnerable pipes, institute operating parameters and alarms for safer operation, improve corrosion inspections and training, centralize safety authority within the corporation, conduct a pilot study of safety controls for fired heaters, and make other safety improvements at all its domestic refineries. Chevron also will pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and will implement supplemental environmental projects worth at least $10 million in the communities surrounding the refineries in California, Mississippi, Utah, and Hawaii. The overall value of this settlement exceeds $160 million, which makes it the largest settlement in the history of the EPA’s enforcement of the Risk Management Plan Rule under Clean Air Act Section 112(r).
EPA’s initial investigation was spurred by an August 6, 2012 fire involving high-temperature hydrocarbons released in the Crude Unit at Chevron’s Richmond, California refinery. That fire prompted a shelter-in-place order by Contra Costa County officials, endangered 19 employees, and caused 15,000 local residents to seek medical attention. During EPA’s investigation, Chevron experienced accidental releases of regulated chemicals at two of its other refineries, including a 2013 explosion and fire in Pascagoula, Mississippi that caused the death of employee Tonya Graddy, and a 2013 rupture in El Segundo, California that caused a loss of power and flaring at the refinery.
“The Clean Air Act’s hazardous chemical risk management program is intended to protect local communities and American workers ,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s action, taken jointly with our enforcement partners at EPA and the State of Mississippi, strengthens emergency prevention and response systems at Chevron’s U.S. refineries, which will help to protect their workers and the communities in which they live from dangerous chemical accidents.”
“The 2012 fire at Chevron’s refinery in Richmond, California, heavily affected the surrounding area,” said United States Attorney Alex G. Tse of the Northern District of California. “Thousands of residents were ordered to shelter in place and over 15,000 nearby residents sought medical assistance. Under the agreement announced today, among other relief, Chevron will make safety improvements at its refineries, and will also implement supplemental environmental projects in the affected communities, including Richmond. This office will continue to ensure compliance by corporate citizens with laws that are intended to protect the environment and the residents’ right to know.”
“This case demonstrates the importance of performing equipment inspections and maintenance in accordance with environmental regulations,” said EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine. “Under this settlement Chevron, U.S.A Inc. will improve their safety systems and monitoring equipment, protecting their employees and the surrounding communities.”
The United States’ and Mississippi’s Complaint, filed concurrently with the proposed settlement today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges violations of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act. Section 112(r) requires covered facilities to implement a systematic Risk Management Program to prevent accidental releases of dangerous substances, and to meet a general duty of care in designing and maintaining safe facilities. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality participated as co-plaintiff, exercising its concurrent authority to enforce the Risk Management Program regulations over Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery. This is the first case in which the United States and a state have jointly brought suit to enforce these provisions.
The proposed settlement also resolves claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) regarding delayed reporting of an August 2, 2012, hydrogen sulfide release from Chevron’s Richmond facility.
The Supplemental Environmental Projects that Chevron has agreed to perform, valued at $10 million, will supply emergency response equipment to local jurisdictions surrounding the five subject refineries.
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. is the subsidiary of Chevron Corporation that owns and operates the corporation’s U.S. petroleum refineries. Chevron Corporation is the second-largest integrated energy company in the United States, and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. is the sixth-largest U.S. refiner as measured by crude oil distillation capacity. The proposed settlement covers all four Chevron U.S.A. Inc. refineries, which are located in Richmond and El Segundo, California; Pascagoula, Mississippi; and Salt Lake City, Utah; as well as a fifth refinery formerly owned and operated by Chevron, located in Kapolei, Hawaii. The Richmond component of the settlement builds on the relief achieved by previous state enforcement actions, including a 2013 criminal settlement with the California Attorney General’s Office and the District Attorney for Contra Costa County, and a 2017 settlement with the California Department of Industrial Relations, Occupational Safety and Health Division.
The proposed consent decree was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information about submitting a public comment is available at: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. More information about the settlement may be found at: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/chevron-settlement-information-sheet.
Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more here: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violation-general-information
Jury Finds Lafayette Man Guilty of Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Shawn M. Dewitt, 34 years old, of Lafayette, Indiana, was found guilty of production, possession and distribution of child pornography after a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, announced U. S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
According to documents in this case, on November 26, 2017, Dewitt responded to an advertisement posted on an online social networking forum which was posted by an undercover FBI task force agent in Washington DC, who was familiar with child exploitation investigations. In chatting with the undercover agent, Dewitt expressed a sexual interest in children and also informed the agent that he had access to two children for sexual purposes. Dewitt sent the undercover agent videos and images of child pornography and also asked the undercover officer to send him videos of sexual acts with the undercover agent’s fictional 9 year old daughter. The undercover agent sent an emergency referral to the Lafayette FBI office on November 27, 2017. Officers from the Lafayette police department and FBI agents conducted a search the next day and arrested Dewitt.
U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II says, “This case demonstrates how rapidly the FBI and local law enforcement will respond in investigations where a child is at risk. Children are the most vulnerable victims and our office and law enforcement partners will do everything we can to protect them from exploitation.”
Dewitt will be sentenced on February 7, 2019. Because Dewitt was convicted of producing child pornography, by statute he must be sentenced to at least fifteen years’ incarceration. The judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and sentencing statutes.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lafayette Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Maciejczyk.
###
Jacksonville Man Charged with FEMA Fraud Involving Tropical Storm Debby, Hurricanes Matthew and IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Lepoleon Spikes (46, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud involving fraudulent disaster assistance applications made to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Spikes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Spikes that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $57,689.19, the proceeds of the alleged wire fraud.
Spikes was arrested earlier today and made his initial appearance in federal court. His trial is set for December 3, 2018.
According to the
indictment , in 2012, after Tropical Storm Debby, Spikes applied to FEMA for disaster assistance. In his application, he falsely claimed that he needed rental assistance because of damage to his home caused by Tropical Storm Debby. This false application resulted in Spikes receiving $24,870.38 in disaster assistance from FEMA. After Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Spikes again applied to FEMA for disaster assistance. He falsely claimed damage to his residence and requested rental assistance. This false application resulted in Spikes receiving $12,016.11 in disaster assistance from FEMA. In 2017, Spikes applied for disaster assistance from FEMA, stating that Hurricane Irma damaged his home. He falsely claimed that he needed rental assistance. This false application resulted in him receiving $20,802.70 in disaster assistance.An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Individuals Charged with Defrauding Non-Profit Health-Care SystemRead the Press Release
DENVER – A federal grand jury for the District of Colorado returned an indictment on October 11, 2018 charging David Paul Rietz, age 59, of Arvada, Colorado and Richard Scott Cartwright, age 46, of Goodyear, Arizona with mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aiding and abetting, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne announced. Rietz and Cartwright, who appeared at their initial appearances on October 15 and 18, respectively, were released on a personal recognizance bond. They have both entered not guilty pleas. A third defendant, Lyle William Perry, age 59, of Lakewood, Colorado, who was charged by information with conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 12, 2018, also entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment.
According to information contained in the indictment and information, Rietz was an employee of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a nonprofit health-care system with headquarters in Englewood, Colorado, and Cartwright was a principal of Cross IT Group Corporation (Cross IT). Between approximately September 2013 and at least January 2014, Rietz and Cartwright conspired to defraud CHI and split the money obtained from CHI under materially false and fraudulent pretenses. Rietz was responsible for a software integration project at CHI involving use of proprietary software sold by a third-party company. Rietz used his authority to require that software company to use Cross IT as a third-party reseller and to hire Cross IT to implement the software..
In his role as software reseller and IT contractor for CHI, Cartwright submitted twenty-five “quotes” to CHI for software and services, totaling over $72 million. The quotes were based on specifications Rietz provided. Rietz then signed the Cross IT quotes to have them processed through the CHI system. Purchase orders were issued based on the submitted quotes and CHI eventually paid Cross IT $19,884,904.28 in four payments.
After receiving the CHI payments, Cartwright caused funds from the CHI payments to be transferred to bank accounts controlled by Perry, representing the payment was an investment in Perry’s company, Gradum, Inc. Perry then transferred funds to Reitz, falsely representing the payment from Gradum to Rietz were for legitimate purpose, including a “finder’s fee” of $1,760,000 for a real estate development project, the purchase of computer hardware for $590,000, and the purchase of gold coins for approximately $745,000 on behalf of Reitz.
Each count of mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 or not more than the greater of twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss from each offense, and restitution.
This case was investigated by Denver Division of the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna K. Edgar.
The charges contained in the indictment and information are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hillsborough Community College Professor Arrested and Charged with Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces today that Howard Joseph Vorder Bruegge, III (35, Tampa) has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with possession and distribution of child pornography. Vorder Bruegge faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison for the distribution charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession charge. A federal judge has denied Vorder Bruegge’s request for bail and ordered him detained pending trial. Vorder Bruegge is a mathematics professor at Hillsborough Community College.
According to the
complaint , an individual using the screen names “JoeBlow73” and “JoeBlowFL” had distributed child pornography on Kik Messenger, an internet-based communications app. Further investigation revealed that the IP address and subscriber information associated with those Kik accounts were linked to Vorder Bruegge and his Tampa residence.On October 23, 2018, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Vorder Bruegge’s home and seized several electronic devices. According to the complaint, during an interview with agents, Vorder Bruegge admitted to having distributed child pornography and that his cellphone contained images of child pornography. An examination of Vorder Bruegge’s cellphone revealed a collection of child-pornographic images and videos, including multiple videos involving infants. Federal agents arrested Vorder Bruegge at his home without incident.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Concord – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Trevor Ahearn, 28, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a drug trafficking organization employed the defendant to sell fentanyl to customers from various New England States, including New Hampshire. On each day that the defendant worked, the organization provided him with at least one 200-gram bag of fentanyl and expected him to sell it and return approximately $6,000 in proceeds. On more than five days, Ahearn sold at least one 200-gram bag of fentanyl. In addition to Ahearn, 33 defendants have been charged with participating in this conspiracy.
Ahearn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31, 2018.
“Fentanyl trafficking has caused tremendous damage in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we will continue to work closely with the entire law enforcement community to stop the flow of this deadly drug. It is imperative that we dismantle the criminal organizations that profit from the sale of illegal substances.”
This investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky and Seth R. Aframe.
###
Hartford Man Convicted of Role in 2009 Kidnapping and Murder of West Hartford ManRead the Press Release
United States Attorney John H. Durham, Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane, Special Agent in Charge Brian C. Turner of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief David Rosado today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found DOUGLAS LEE, also known as “Fly,” 43, of Hartford, guilty of a federal kidnapping charge related to his role in the kidnapping, robbery and execution-style murder of Charles Teasley, 35, of West Hartford, in January 2009.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill began on October 15 and the jury returned the guilty verdict this afternoon.
This matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Hartford Police Department and the Cold Case Homicide Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on January 12, 2009, Hartford Police responded to Colebrook Street in response to a 911 call concerning a dead body being found in the back seat of a vehicle parked on the street. Upon arrival, Charles Teasley was found dead in the back seat of his own vehicle, a 1999 Acura TL. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his head and face, and his hands were zip-tied behind his back.
The investigation revealed that Harold Cook, Gerund Cook, Terrell Hunter and Jesus Ashanti were involved in committing armed robberies of persons they believed to be drug dealers operating in the greater Hartford area. On January 9, 2009, Lee advised Cook that he had arranged to conduct a cocaine transaction with Charles Teasley, also known as “Man.” Lee provided the particulars of the planned transaction to Cook so that Teasley could be kidnapped and robbed of drugs and money. After Lee met with Teasley at the approximate time and location he had provided to Cook, Cook, Mickens, Hunter and Ashanti went to the location and kidnapped Teasley by using zip-ties to bind his hands and forcing him back into the rear seat of his own vehicle. In the vehicle, they threatened Teasley at gunpoint, assaulted him and forced him to make a telephone call directing his girlfriend to bring to Cook, Mickens, Hunter and Ashanti a safe that Teasley had kept at his and his girlfriend’s West Hartford residence. They drove to the residence and acquired the safe. Cook, Mickens and Hunter then drove Teasley to the Colebrook Street area of Hartford, and Ashanti followed them in a separate car. On the way, Hunter and Cook shot Teasley in the head causing his death. After arriving on Colebrook Street, Cook, Mickens and Hunter left the Acura and Teasley’s body, and then fled the area in the car driven by Ashanti.
Cook, Mickens and Hunter were arrested on April 4, 2017, and Lee was arrested on April 6, 2017. They have been detained since their arrests.
The jury found Lee guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The jury found him not guilty of one count of using a firearm during a kidnapping and causing a death, and one count of using a firearm during a Hobbs Act robbery and causing a death.
On August 21, 2018, in a separate trial in Bridgeport, a jury found Cook, Mickens and Hunter guilty of these three offenses.
At sentencing, each defendant faces a mandatory term of life imprisonment without parole.
On July 16, 2018, Ashanti, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of using a firearm during a kidnapping and causing a death, and one count of using a firearm during a robbery and causing a death. Ashanti is currently incarcerated in Massachusetts state custody after committing a series of bank robberies since 2010.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Durham, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Peter D. Markle, and Assistant State’s Attorney Andrew Reed Durham, who has been cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Grapevine, Texas, Man Sentenced for Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
A 64-year-old Grapevine, Texas, man was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for a hate crime, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
In July, Glenn Eugene Halfin pleaded guilty to interfering with housing rights after he repeatedly threatened and intimidated an African American family living in the apartment above his own because of their race.
In court documents, Mr. Halfin admits that in December 2017, he purchased a baby doll at Walmart, fashioned a rope into a noose, and slipped the noose around the baby doll’s neck. He then hung the noose from the railing directly in front of the staircase the victims used to access their apartment.
The defendant “recognized that this display would be particularly intimidating for the African-American victims who had a young daughter,” documents say.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate unlawful acts of racial intimidation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “We will continue to prosecute hate crime offenders like Halfin to ensure that all families can feel safe in their own homes, regardless of their race, religion, or national origin.”
“No family should be afraid for children in their own home,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate crimes born of bigotry. Prosecuting those that persecute others based on race is a priority for my office.”
The FBI and the Grapevine Police Department, in conjunction with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Rebekah Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana prosecuted the case.
Grapevine Man Sentenced for Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
A 64-year-old Grapevine, Texas, man was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for a hate crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
In July, Glenn Eugene Halfin pleaded guilty to interfering with housing rights after he repeatedly threatened and intimidated an African American family living in the apartment above him because of their race.
In court documents, Mr. Halfin admits that in December 2017, he purchased a baby doll at Walmart, fashioned a rope into a noose, and slipped the noose around the baby doll’s neck. He then hung the noose from the railing directly in front of the staircase the victims used to access their apartment.
The defendant “recognized that this display would be particularly intimidating for the African-American victims who had a young daughter,” documents say.
“No family should be afraid for children in their own home,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate crimes born of bigotry. Prosecuting those that persecute others based on race is a priority for my office.”
“The Justice Department will not tolerate unlawful acts of racial intimidation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Gore. “We will continue to prosecute hate crime offenders like Halfin to ensure that all families can feel safe in their own homes, regardless of their race, religion, or national origin.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grapevine Police Department, in conjunction with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, conducted the investigation. Trial Attorney Rebekah Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana prosecuted the case.
Grand Island Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography 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 Anthony Weber, 36, of Grand Island, NY, pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on April 9, 2017, the defendant engaged in a online conversation with Victim 1, a 15 year old female. On April 12, 2017, Weber invited Victim 1 to a bonfire, stating they would drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. Victim 1 responded, “Im 15.”
On August 10, 2017, the defendant again engaged in an online conversation with Victim 1, offering to provide cocaine to Victim 1 in exchange for sexual intercourse. Victim 1 agreed to consider having sex with Weber in exchange for cocaine. The defendant then requested that Victim 1 send him sexually explicit pictures.
Victim 1 subsequently reported this incident to the City of Tonawanda Police Department. After the incident was reported, the Federal Bureau of Investigation assumed Victim 1’s online identity and continued to engage in online conversations with the defendant. On October 11, 2017, Weber agreed to meet the person he believed was a minor female to engage in sexual activity. The defendant arrived at a retail store parking lot believing he was going to meet and have sexual intercourse with the minor.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the City of Tonawanda Police Deparment, under the direction of Chief William Strassburg, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert. And the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford
# # # #
Gowanda Man Sentenced on Child Pornography 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 Shane Aurand, 20, of Gowanda, NY, who was convicted of distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2017, the defendant started communicating with an undercover law enforcement agent on the messaging application Kik. Aurand shared sexually explicit pictures of a seven year old child that he produced while babysitting the child at his residence. The defendant also offered to send the undercover agent pictures of other children if he received child pornography in return.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
# # # #
Gang member sentenced to federal prison for killing rival gang memberRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Julio Ramos, a/k/a “Sleepy,” was sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in an October 2002 drive-by shooting, resulting in the death of Aldo Vallejo, a rival gang member.
“The Brownside Locos were a street gang whose members engaged in drug trafficking and numerous acts of violence, including at least five murders of rival gang members between 1998 and 2002,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “After many years as a fugitive, Ramos will now serve a lengthy federal prison sentence for his involvement in Vallejo’s death.”
“This case is an example of the lengths the FBI will go to, to bring violent offenders like Ramos to justice,” said J.C. “Chris” Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Division. “The violence and indiscriminate exchange of gunfire that took place on our public streets 16-years ago cannot go unpunished and hopefully his sentence will send a message that we will go to any lengths to make sure it doesn’t.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: The Brownside Locos formed in the mid-1990s and members were required to represent the gang by confronting rival gang members. Brownside Locos members obtained status and influence within the gang by committing acts of violence against other gang members. From 1998 to 2003, Brownside Locos members committed numerous acts of violence, including at least five murders, of rival gang members. Members also engaged in drug trafficking to support the activities of the gang.
Ramos became a member of Brownside Locos in 2001. On October 27, 2002, Ramos, Alex Romero, Israel Stalabera, and three other gang members were in a van driven by Romero when they spotted a car being driven by Aldo Vallejo in the parking lot at Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway in Atlanta. Vallejo and the passengers in his car were members of the rival 18th Street gang. Romero followed Vallejo’s car out of the parking lot at Plaza Fiesta. When Vallejo realized that his car was being followed, he engaged in evasive driving maneuvers in an attempt to get away from the van.
The two vehicles ended up on an access road leading off Interstate 85 North at Sugarloaf Parkway in Gwinnett County, Georgia, when an exchange of gunfire erupted between the rival gangs. Romero pulled the van alongside Vallejo’s car and the defendants fired multiple shots directly into the passenger compartment of the car. Vallejo, mortally wounded from the shooting, wrecked his car on the access road. Two days later, Vallejo died of the injuries he sustained from the shooting. He was 20 years old.
Julio Ramos, a/k/a “Sleepy,” 41, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to six years, six months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on October 23, 2018. Ramos, a citizen of Mexico, will be deported upon completion of his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Gwinnett County Police Department’s Gang Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Section; and William L. McKinnon, Jr., Division Court Coordinator for Gainesville, Georgia prosecuted the case.
For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Four Local Members of White Supremacy Group Face Federal Charges in Attacks at Political Rallies across CaliforniaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four Southern California men who allegedly are members of a white supremacy extremist group have been named in a federal criminal complaint that charges them of travelling to political rallies across California, where they violently attacked counter-protesters, journalists and a police officer.
Three of the four defendants are now in custody, and authorities are continuing to search for the fourth defendant.
The criminal complaint unsealed today alleges that the four defendants are members of the Southern California-based “Rise Above Movement” (RAM) and that they used the internet “with the intent to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on riots.”
The four RAM members allegedly engaged in a series of violent attacks at political rallies in 2017, including events in Huntington Beach, Berkeley and San Bernardino.
The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that the men used the internet to coordinate “combat training,” attendance and travel prior to the events, and then to “celebrate their acts of violence in order to recruit members for future events.”
The three men taken into custody are:
-
Robert Rundo, 28, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of RAM and the man behind RAM’s Twitter account, who made his first court appearance on Monday, and at a hearing this morning in United States District Court was ordered detained pending trial;
-
Robert Boman, 25, of Torrance, who was arrested this morning by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is expected to appear in federal court this afternoon; and
-
Tyler Laube, 22, of Redondo Beach, who also was arrested this morning by the FBI and is expected to appear in court this afternoon.
The fourth defendant named in the complaint – Aaron Eason, 38, who resides in the Riverside County community of Anza – is currently being sought by federal authorities.
“Every American has a right to peacefully organize, march and protest in support of their beliefs – but no one has the right to violently assault their political opponents,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “The allegations describe an orchestrated effort to squelch free speech as members of the conspiracy travelled to multiple locations to attack those who hold different views. This case demonstrates our commitment to preserve and protect the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.”
“The safeguarding of Constitutionally-protected activity is at the heart of the FBI’s mission,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “There is no place in our democracy, however, for lawbreaking by individuals who cross the line from protected free speech to violence in the name of extremist ideology.”
According to the complaint, which charges the four defendants with violating the federal conspiracy and riots statutes:
-
At the Huntington Beach “Make America Great Again” rally on March 25, 2017, members of RAM broke off from the main rally and confronted counter-protesters, where Rundo, Boman and Laube attacked a number of people, including two journalists.
-
In the weeks following this melee, RAM members celebrated the attacks, which were noted on a neo-Nazi website, and solicited others to attend an upcoming rally in Berkeley, as well as combat training to be held in a park in San Clemente.
-
At the Berkeley rally on April 15, 2017, Rundo, Boman and Eason were involved in violent attacks, which resulted in Rundo being arrested after punching a “defenseless person” and a Berkeley Police Officer.
-
In the subsequent months, RAM members celebrated the assaults in Berkeley, which included Boman posting photos of himself attacking people and RAM members engaging in combat training.
-
On June 10, 2017, Rundo and other RAM members attended an “Anti-Islamic Law” rally in San Bernardino, where they participated in violent attacks.
The case announced today follows the filing of an indictment in federal court in Charlottesville, Virginia that charges four other California RAM members with violating the riots statute during violent altercations at a torch-lit march at the University of Virginia and Unite the Right Rally in August 2017. The affidavit unsealed today in Los Angeles noted the connections between the defendants in both cases.
RAM and its members documented and promoted their white supremacy ideology through postings on various internet platforms and through graffiti, including tags found in Irvine. In a video posted online earlier this year and described in the complaint, Rundo said he was “a big supporter of the fourteen,” which is a reference to the “14 words,” a slogan used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis that reads: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
In the spring of 2018, Rundo and two of the men charged in the Charlottesville case travelled to Europe to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday and to meet with members of other white supremacy extremist groups, according to the complaint.
“Rundo, Boman, Laube, and Eason, along with other RAM members, have used the internet to prepare to incite and participate in violence at various political events, have committed violent assaults while at those events, and have applauded each other for it and publicly documented their assaults in order to recruit more members to engage in further assaults,” the complaint alleges.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of the conspiracy and riots charges in the complaint, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the Redondo Police Department and the Torrance Police Department provided assistance in relation to this morning’s arrests.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Ryan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section in the National Security Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
-
Former Treasurer for Newark Mayor Election Campaign Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Embezzling over $220,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling more than $220,000 in campaign funds while serving as the treasurer for a Newark mayoral campaign, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Frederick Murphy Jr., 56, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to Counts One, Two, and Five of an information charging him with wire fraud, bank fraud, and tax evasion. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between January 2014 and March 2017, Murphy served as the treasurer for election campaign accounts associated with a Newark mayoral candidate. Murphy admitted that during that time, he embezzled over $220,000 from those accounts by writing phony checks in the names of various consultants and vendors for services that were never performed.
Murphy cashed the checks by presenting them to a bank in Essex County with the forged signature of the check payees as well as Murphy’s own signature as a double endorsement. Murphy then reported the fraudulent checks as legitimate campaign expenditures in quarterly filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. The false reports were uploaded by the Election Law Enforcement Commission onto its website for public reference.
Murphy also admitted under-reporting $102,954 in embezzled campaign funds on his personal income tax return for 2016.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Murphy to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $277,826.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacques S. Pierre and Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.
Defense counsel: Alan Dexter Bowman Esq., Newark
Former Nashville Metro Police Sergeant Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 24, 2018 – Former Nashville Metropolitan Police Department (MNPD) Sergeant James Dunaway was sentenced today to two years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing more than $100,000 during the execution of search warrants, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Dunaway, 43, of Old Hickory, Tennessee, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2018, and charged with theft from an entity that receives federal program funds and money laundering. He pleaded guilty to the charges on July 10, 2018.
“When public servants that are sworn to uphold the law violate their oath, they must always be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran. “Dunaway made a conscious decision to violate the public’s trust and in doing so, he brought dishonor upon the profession and his department and placed an unnecessary burden on the many honorable men and women who work tirelessly every day to adhere to the highest standards of the profession. I commend the leadership of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for taking swift and appropriate action when this matter came to their attention.”
“James Dunaway betrayed the families of Nashville and the men and women of this police department,” said Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson. “Our sting investigation showed that he greedily and selfishly stole money in a scheme that sickened all of us. I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Don Cochran and the FBI for agreeing with our request to prosecute Dunaway in the federal system.”
Dunaway was a supervisor in the MNPD Specialized Investigation Division-Narcotics Unit and was responsible, among other things, for monitoring and executing search warrants. During the execution of search warrants on five separate occasions, he stole a portion of the cash discovered and seized at each location, including:
The November 18, 2015 search of a residence off Pleasant Hill Road in Nashville, where more than $100,000 was seized;
The April 10, 2017 search of a residence off Robertson Road in Nashville, where more than $500,000 was seized;
The April 26, 2017 search of a residence off Pleasant Hill Road in Nashville, where more than $182,000 was seized;
The September 13, 2017 search of a residence off Spencer Enclave Way in Nashville, where more than $70,000 was seized; and
The November 15, 2017 search of a hotel room in which the MNPD Office of Professional Accountability had placed marijuana, $28,000 cash and video cameras for the purpose of conducting an integrity check. Video cameras captured Dunaway placing money in his pockets during the search and the indictment alleges that Dunaway stole $5,860.00 during the execution of this search warrant.
Between April 11, 2017 and May 8, 2017, Dunaway made approximately $40,540.00 in cash deposits and on May 1, 2017, he obtained a cashier’s check with $42,500.00 cash, which he stole during the searches. Dunaway then used the cashier’s check to purchase a 2014 Toyota Sequoia.
During the course of this scheme, Dunaway embezzled, stole and converted approximately $109,910.00 to his own use.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger ordered Dunaway to forfeit the 2014 Toyota Sequoia and to pay restitution in the amount of $80,969.00.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. U.S. Attorney Don Cochran and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers prosecuted the case.
# # # # #
Former Law School Student Pleads Guilty to CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Ho Ka Terence Yung – a former student at the University of Texas Law School – entered a guilty plea yesterday to one count of cyber stalking, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss. Sentencing has been scheduled for February 27, 2019 before Chief Judge Leonard P. Stark of the District of Delaware.
Yung’s plea stems from conduct that one federal judge referred to as a “protracted, elaborate, and brutal effort to engage in the online destruction of an innocent victim and his family.” And it all started with a law school interview.
In 2014, Yung applied for admission to a top national law school. As part of the law school’s admission process, he interviewed with an alumnus in Delaware – a person referred to in the Indictment as “Victim 1.” Yung performed poorly in this interview and the law school denied his application a week later.
Despite gaining acceptance to the University of Texas Law School, Yung embarked on a cyber stalking campaign to harass and intimidate Victim 1 and his family. Yung repeatedly published violent and sadistic statements about Victim 1 on the Internet – including descriptions of rape, lynching, sexual molestation, and graphic violence. As just one example, the defendant posted a false story about Victim 1 on a public website, which involved the abduction of an eight-year old girl from an elementary school. In this story, the defendant described kidnapping the little girl at gunpoint, cutting off her clothes with a knife, and raping her.
Yung also repeatedly posted personal ads on Craigslist and other websites with the intent that individuals interested in violent and sadistic sexual activity would go to Victim 1’s residence in the middle of the night. For example, on October 29, 2015, the defendant posed as a “cute blonde hottie” and posted an ad on Craigslist stating, among other things:
i need a big strong man to dominate me tonight . . . i like it when a man puts his hand around my throat and threatens me with a knife . . . then you pull my hair and take out your gun and threaten me . . . i’m a bad girl, and I need to be punished by a big strong man. send me a picture with you holding your gun. all others will be ignored.
Notably, the above ad was published a day after local police stopped a man outside of Victim 1’s residence in the middle of the night, who was looking for Victim 1’s wife. He was responding to a similar Craigslist ad and the defendant directed him to Victim 1’s residence.
Following a months-long investigation by the FBI - Wilmington Resident Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yung was arrested in Austin, Texas in February 2017. He has been detained since and remains so pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated the following, “Cyberstalking is a form of stalking that involves the use of technology as the means to instigate psychological violence against another person. The defendant’s conduct offers a disturbing example of the destructive potential of the Internet and social media. For 18 months the defendant pursued a sustained, sadistic course of conduct designed to terrorize his victim and the victim’s family—all because the defendant was denied admission to the law school of his choice. Our office continues to fight for victims who are tormented by those who seek to use the Internet and social media for such destructive purposes. The defendant must be held accountable for the damage he inflicted.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn A. Weede. In addition, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Devlin, from the Western District of Texas, provided significant assistance in the matter.
Former Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse, Bribery and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Armando Moronta, who previously served as a federal correctional officer employed by the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), was sentenced by United States District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf to 10 years’ imprisonment for four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, one count of soliciting bribes as a public official and one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics. The charges stemmed from two separate indictments. As part of his sentence, Moronta is also required to forfeit $15,000 in bribe payments and to register as a sex offender. Moronta was suspended by the BOP in January 2017 after his initial arrest, and he pleaded guilty in November 2017. Moronta resigned from the BOP in December 2017.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Guido Modano, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Over a period of months, Moronta flagrantly violated his sworn duty as a law enforcement officer, sexually abused inmates entrusted to his supervision and undermined the safety of his fellow officers and others in exchange for bribes,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes and demonstrates our steadfast commitment to holding accountable correctional officers who abuse their power and the inmates they are responsible for.”
“Moronta engaged in an egregious abuse of power and breach of the public’s trust. Today’s sentence demonstrates that such corruption will not be tolerated in our federal prisons or our law enforcement community,” stated DOJ-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Modano. “The DOJ-OIG will work tirelessly to hold individuals who engage in such conduct accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Corrections officers are in place to maintain order, not flagrantly abuse their power. Mr. Moronta not only accepted money for smuggling in contraband, he sexually abused female inmates,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The abuse of power by officers sworn to protect is one of the FBI’s priorities because no one is above the law, especially those who took an oath to uphold it.”
Between March and December 2016, on approximately 12 occasions, Moronta smuggled cellular telephones and narcotics, including the synthetic narcotic “K2” and Suboxone, into the MDC for use and distribution by male inmates in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribe payments. Separately, between May and June 2016, Moronta engaged in criminal sexual acts with three female inmates in his custody while he was assigned to guard their unit. He committed these criminal sexual acts inside the Guard’s Office located within a female housing unit.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nadia Shihata is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ARMANDO MORONTA
Age: 40
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 17-CR-036 (RRM) and 17-CR-279 (RRM)
Former Canadian Moneygram and Western Union Agent Sentenced to 12 Years’ Imprisonment for $4.4 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lucas Obi, age 53, of Toronto, Canada, a former Western Union and MoneyGram agent, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment on October 23, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Yvette Kane for defrauding thousands of victims out of approximately $4.4 million via international mass marketing, consumer fraud schemes.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Lucas Obi, A/K/A “Suleman Ajukwusualim, was the owner/operator of a Western Union and a MoneyGram agency, both of which were known as Canada Cash Express, Inc., and located at the same Toronto address. Obi conspired with others between 1999 and 2010 to commit the wire fraud offense and was the leader of a group of fraud complicit MoneyGram and Western Union agents in the greater Toronto area. Obi was the group’s mentor and leader who taught others how to engage in mass marketing fraud and complicit money transfer agent activity. Obi trained the agents on how to process fraud induced money transfers and allowed them to keep a cut, 5% to 10%, for their role in the schemes. Obi also recruited persons to act as money transfer outlet owners on his behalf, gathered fraudulently induced money transfer checks from other fraud complicit agents, and deposited the checks with fictitious name endorsements into his bank accounts. Obi then distributed the fraud proceeds, less his cut, to numerous greater Toronto area fraudsters and money launderers.
The known total dollar loss associated with all fraud reported money transfers paid out at Canada Cash Express and Obi’s other fraud complicit check-pooling agents is $4,482,927. Pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement with MoneyGram, a $100 million victim restitution fund was established for victims of Obi’s fraud. A $586 million restitution fund is also being established for victims who sent their money via Western Union pursuant to the filed, January 19, 2017, Western Union deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Justice Department.
Judge Kane ordered Obi to pay $2,393,906.34 in restitution to 2,641 Western Union and MoneyGram victims. The restitution was reduced from the total loss amount of $4,482,927 due to monies that were previously paid out by MoneyGram.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Trade Commission, the Toronto Police Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Canada Competition Bureau, and the Ministry of Government Services. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel prosecuted the case.
# # #
Former Brooklyn Assemblywoman Sentenced to Prison for Multiple Fraud Schemes and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Former New York State Assemblywoman Pamela Harris was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein in federal court in Brooklyn to six months in prison and 400 hours of community service following her conviction for two counts of wire fraud, one count of disaster relief fraud and one count of witness tampering. As part of the sentence, the Court imposed restitution of $70,400 and forfeiture of $10,000. Harris was arrested on January 9, 2018, resigned from the New York State Assembly on April 2, 2018 and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2018.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the sentence.
“With today’s sentence, Pamela Harris has been held responsible for stealing tens of thousands of dollars in government funds set aside for underserved children and funds allocated for victims of Hurricane Sandy, as well as lying and presenting fraudulent documents to the FBI when her crimes were uncovered,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “She committed these fraudulent acts both before and while she served as a New York State Assemblywoman in Brooklyn, betraying the trust placed in her by her constituents. This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable corrupt public officials who act as if they are above the law.”
“Today, this onetime state Assemblywoman, convicted of using the disaster of Superstorm Sandy for personal profit, was held to account for her crimes with a decisive price – prison,” stated DOI Commissioner Peters. “Her illegal conduct exemplifies the term, ‘corrupt politician,’ claiming to be a public servant while she stole from disaster relief funds intended to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy, some of whom were constituents in her district trying to recover from the storm. This type of corruption is what saps public confidence in government. Today’s sentencing offers a measure of justice. DOI is gratified to have worked with the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI on this successful investigation and prosecution.”
According to the indictment, court filings and facts presented during the sentencing hearing, between 2012 and 2017, Harris defrauded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New York City Council (NYC Council), among other entities, of tens of thousands of dollars, and then pressured witnesses to lie to FBI agents who were conducting the grand jury investigation into her fraud schemes.
Between 2012 and 2014, Harris defrauded FEMA out of nearly $25,000 in temporary relocation funds by falsely claiming that she had been forced out of her Coney Island residence because of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. In furtherance of the scheme, she claimed that she was paying rent in Staten Island and submitted fake lease agreements and fraudulent rent payment receipts to FEMA. In reality, Harris continued to live at her Coney Island residence and pocketed the FEMA payments for her own benefit. Harris subsequently made similar misrepresentations to other organizations providing hurricane relief funds, including New York City’s Build it Back Agency.
Between August 2014 and January 2017—both before and while she served as a New York State Assemblywoman—Harris defrauded the New York City Council of $45,600 in discretionary funding allocated to Coney Island Generation Gap (CIGG), a not-for-profit organization that she controlled. Harris falsely represented that she intended to use the funds to pay for rental space and to provide cash stipends to adolescents who participated in CIGG programs. In support of these claims, she submitted fraudulent lease agreements containing forged signatures and fraudulent sign-in sheets with forged signatures of the adolescents. When CIGG received the funds, Harris diverted them to her own bank account and used them to pay her personal expenses. Harris also misappropriated CIGG’s money from its bank accounts to fund her purchase of a sauna and a hot tub and to make mortgage payments on her residence.
Between March 2017 and September 2017, as the investigation into her fraudulent conduct progressed, Harris obstructed the investigation, including by pressuring close family members and a CIGG associate to lie to the FBI and destroy evidence.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik Paulsen and Robert Polemeni are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PAMELA HARRIS
Age: 57
Brooklyn New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-11 (JBW)
Fifty-Four Months in Prison for Defendant Part of Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca G. Jennings sentenced Ariel Borrego-Hernandez, of Naples, Florida, to 54 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release for health care fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
The Court also ordered Borrego-Hernandez to pay $89,161.81 in restitution, and over $53,000 in fortified cash.
According to the evidence before the Court, beginning no later than on or about June 12, 2012, and continuing through on or about November 1, 2014, Lopez, Ledinson Chavez, Oskel Lezcano, Ariel Borrego-Hernandez, Sergio Betancourt and Yuriesky Diaz Rodriguez recruited unsuspecting chiropractors for employment in Louisville area chiropractic clinics in order to obtain and use the chiropractors’ names and National Provider Identifiers (NPI) to fraudulently bill insurance companies. Each chiropractor provided his/her National Provider Identifier (NPI) number to Lopez and Lezcano in order to credential the clinics with various insurance companies
Thereafter, the group of defendants recruited employees from Jeffboat and others to seek chiropractic services from the clinics. However, unbeknownst to the chiropractors, the clinics billed approximately $5,000,000 for methocarbamol injections (a muscle relaxant), using the patients’ names, dates of birth, insurance/policy numbers, addresses, and patient IDs/Social Security Numbers for injections. Most of the patients from Jeffboat were paid to go to the clinics by the defendants and were told the injections were being billed, according to testimony during trial.
Borrego-Hernandez, Lopez, Lezcano, Betancourt, and Chavez operated and controlled multiple chiropractic clinics in the Louisville area including: Xpress Diagnostics Center, Inc.; Prudential Chiropractic Medical Center, PLLC; Klondike Chiropractic Medical Center, LLC; Be Well Chiropractic Center, Corp.; Chiropractic and Medical Center, LLC, even though the clinics were placed in various chiropractors’ names.
According to additional court documents on or about March 14, 2017, and March 17, 2017, while on pre-trial release, Borrego and Lopez conspired to traffic in marijuana – which caused about 109 pounds of marijuana to be transported from Colorado to Kentucky.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Ansari, Lettricea Jefferson-Webb and Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case and were assisted by Bob Masterson as health care fraud investigator. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
######
Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of A Firearm and Ammunition After Threatening to Shoot A WomanRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas felon who was convicted in July of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition after threatening to shoot a woman during an altercation was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jacqueline Moore, 38, was found guilty by a jury of one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of felon in possession of ammunition. United States District Judge Kent J. Dawson presided over the three-day trial and sentencing hearing.
On October 27, 2017, Moore got into an altercation with a woman at a barbeque near “B” Street and Monroe Street in Las Vegas. The woman left the barbeque and Moore followed her to the Elk’s Lodge parking lot located at 600 West Owens Avenue. Moore confronted the woman and broke her car window and a tail light. She also threatened to shoot the woman. After Moore fled the scene, an eyewitness called the police who took her into custody a short time later. Officers found a .25 caliber pistol and a single round of .25 caliber ammunition in her purse and vehicle. Moore is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to her prior felony convictions in Clark County for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted battery with substantial bodily harm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Reese and Phillip N. Smith, Jr. prosecuted the case.
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. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv
###
Federal Grand Jury Indicts North Suburban Man on Child Pornography and Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal indictment accuses a north suburban man of threatening to publish sexually explicit photos of an underage girl unless she created child pornography for him.
DAVID J. COTTRELL, 28, of Niles, is charged with two counts of transportation of child pornography, one count of extortion, one count of inducement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of attempting to produce child pornography, one count of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
Cottrell appeared Tuesday in federal court in Chicago before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason and was ordered detained in federal custody. A status hearing was set for Nov. 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman. The indictment was returned Oct. 17, 2018, and Cottrell has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney.
According to the indictment and the government’s memorandum in support of detention, Cottrell in 2014 induced the underage victim into sending him sexually explicit photos through the internet. After collecting semi-nude photos of the victim, Cottrell informed her that he knew her real name, the name of her school, and her parents’ jobs, and he threatened to post the images online and send them to her family unless the girl sent him additional, more explicit images, the government’s memorandum states. The victim complied with Cottrell’s demands by creating and sending additional photos and videos to him, the memorandum states.
Cottrell contacted the victim on a near-daily basis until her parents discovered the messages in 2017 and contacted law enforcement, according to the memorandum. While communicating with the victim, Cottrell used the names “sevendollarcab” and “b88785” on the Kik and Snapchat online applications, and introduced himself as “Dave,” the memorandum states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Cottrell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or file a report on its website, www.cybertipline.com.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Eleven Baltimore Men for a Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy Allegedly Operating in the Gilmor Homes Area of BaltimoreRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging 11 Baltimore men in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Gilmor Homes area of Baltimore. Several of the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and related gun and drug counts. The superseding indictment was returned on October 16, 2018, and was unsealed late yesterday.
The defendants charged in the superseding indictment unsealed today are:
Rodney Blue, age 28;
Tyrek Butler, age 26;
Duane Day, age 26;
Dakwan Gray, age 20;
Juan Hill, age 25;
Diamonte Jackson, age 25;
Davon Johnson, age 30;
Allen Jones, a/k/a Wax, age 23;
William Stewart, a/k/a Pimp, age 31;
Anthony Washington, age 28; and
Andrew Webb, a/k/a Geetchi, age 32.The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
“Heroin dealers sell death and despair. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and disrupt drug trafficking organizations, especially those who use guns,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Before picking up a gun, drug dealers should understand that there are no suspended sentences or parole in the federal system, and that they will serve their federal sentences in prisons far from home. Federal time is different. Please put down the gun.”
According to the superseding indictment and other court documents, the indictment is a result of the investigation of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributes large amounts of heroin in and around the Gilmor Homes public housing development in Baltimore. Court documents allege that the group generally operates drug “shops” that sell drugs from 7:00 a.m. to as late as 2:00 a.m., in the areas of Stricker, School, and Presstmen Streets. Members of the DTO are alleged to have participated in street-level drug sales, supervised drug sales, and collected drug proceeds, and to have used firearms in the course of their drug trafficking.Each of the defendants faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin. Butler, Day, Jones, and Webb also face a maximum of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Day and Butler each face a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon. Blue, Hill, Gray, Washington, Jackson, Johnson, and Webb also face a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The defendants are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Blue, Gray, and Stewart had initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson and were ordered to be detained pending trial.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Christopher Rigali, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
# # #
FCI Danbury Inmate Charged with Possessing WeaponsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment today charging JULIAN DeJESUS CASTILLO, 34, with possession of contraband in a federal prison.
The indictment alleges that Castillo, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, possessed weapons, or objects designed or intended to be used as weapons, on February 8, 2018.
If convicted, Castillo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
Drug Distribution Conspirator Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Norberto Aaron Bejarano, age 32, of Houston, Texas, to 33 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. The Court further sentenced BEJARANO to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. BEJARANO must also forfeit $69,920 in drug proceeds. Upon release from prison, Bejarano will be removed from the United States and returned to his home country of Mexico.
BEJARANO was charged as a result of an extensive federal, state, and local investigation aimed at a drug trafficking network based in Ascension Parish and covering Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. The drug trafficking organization, led by Arthur Johnson (“Johnson”), distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin in and around Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Ascension Parish Louisiana. BEJARANO assisted the Johnson drug trafficking organization by transporting kilogram quantities of cocaine from Texas to Louisiana for further distribution in and around Ascension Parish, Louisiana, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, by members of the Johnson drug trafficking organization.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This is yet another step in reaching our office’s goal of reducing crime and aggressively enforcing federal law. The people of Ascension Parish are better off now that this defendant is off the streets. I am grateful for the hard work and efforts of our prosecutors and many local, state and federal partners who worked tirelessly on this very important matter.”
Eric J. Rommal, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge stated, “I commend the tremendous efforts put forth by the FBI Baton Rouge Resident Agency Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and the Baton Rouge Police Department in removing a significant amount of illegal narcotics from our streets. Through their persistence to identify, track, and apprehend drug traffickers in South Central Louisiana, our children and families have a safer community."
The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
This OCDETF operation was investigated by the FBI Baton Rouge Capitol Area Gang Task Force, which is an FBI Safe Street Task Force that includes the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Baton Rouge Police Department, with assistance from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Resident Agency, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jamie A. Flowers, Jr.
Drug Dealer Who Possessed Gun Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed marijuana and possessed a firearm was sentenced today to six years in federal prison.
Tyran Collins, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 4, 2018 guilty plea to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a drug user, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Collins admitted that on October 29, 2017, he was an unlawful user of marijuana, and that he possessed a loaded 9mm handgun. Collins also admitted he possessed eleven individual bags of marijuana, totaling 26 grams. Collins admitted he intended to distribute the marijuana to other individuals. Law enforcement discovered the marijuana and handgun when they stopped a car in which Collins was a passenger. During the traffic stop, Collins threw the gun onto the driver’s lap and instructed her to hide it. Police later recovered the gun in the center console of the car and learned that it had previously been reported stolen.
Collins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Collins was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Collins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2091.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.