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3 December 2018
New Windsor Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child EnticementRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CLINT EDWARDS was sentenced on November 30, 2018, to 20 years in prison for enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity. EDWARDS pled guilty on July 2, 2018, before United States District Judge Cathy Seibel, who also imposed the sentence.
According to the Superseding Information, Complaint, and other documents filed in the case to which EDWARDS pled, as well as statements made during the plea proceeding:
In May and June of 2017, EDWARDS used social media and texting applications on his iPhone to entice a 14-year-old minor (the “Victim”) to engage in sexual activity with him. During their text message conversations, EDWARDS solicited sexually explicit photos and videos from the Victim, and sent the Victim a video of himself engaged in sexual activity. Despite knowing that the Victim was 14 years old, EDWARDS arranged to meet the Victim in order to have sex.
On June 6, 2017, EDWARDS met the Victim at her apartment building and engaged in sexual activity with her in the building’s basement. EDWARDS used his iPhone to film a portion of his sexual activity with the Victim. The basement’s surveillance cameras captured EDWARDS’s sexual conduct with the Victim, as well as his use of a smartphone to film a portion of that conduct. EDWARDS later traveled with the Victim to his residence in New Windsor, New York, where EDWARDS continued to engage in sexual conduct with the Victim over the course of several days.
On June 13, 2017, law enforcement recovered the Victim from EDWARDS’s residence. EDWARDS had entered a backyard area of his home shortly before law enforcement arrived, and he fled upon observing law enforcement’s presence. EDWARDS was arrested on June 16, 2017.
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Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He thanked the Portchester Police Department and the New Windsor Police Department for their assistance throughout the investigation.
Any individuals who believe they have information concerning the exploitation of children may contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Gillian Grossman is in charge of the prosecution.
Monessen Drug Dealer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - On November 29, 2018, a former resident of Monessen, Pa, pleaded guilty in federal court to three charges involving dealing crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Dereci Lowe, 28, pleaded guilty to all of the charged counts in his federal Indictment before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged to buy crack cocaine from Lowe on May 11, 2017 and August 10, 2017. The agents then obtained a search warrant for his residence and executed it on September 6, 2017. That search revealed documentation that the residence was occupied and utilized by Lowe, as well as additional amounts of crack cocaine and approximately $6,000 in cash. In total, police seized 40.143 grams of crack cocaine from Lowe.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2019 at 2:15 p.m. Because the government filed a document advising the Court that the defendant had been convicted of a felony drug offense in the past, his potential penalties were increased. As a result, the law provides for a total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $12,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered the defendant to remain incarcerated and remanded him back to the custody of the United States Marshal Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt of the Major Crimes Section is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The DEA conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lowe with valuable assistance from a variety of various federal, state, county and local police departments, including the Canonsburg Police Department, the Monessen Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Member of Mexican Sex Trafficking Ring Sentenced in Brooklyn Federal Court to Eight Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Raul Granados-Rendon, a member of the Granados family sex trafficking ring based in Tenancingo, Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to eight years’ imprisonment following his guilty plea in December 2017 to trafficking young Mexican women into the United States and forcing them into prostitution. As part of his sentence, the defendant was ordered to pay $1,305,393.80 in restitution to Jane Doe.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, announced the sentence.
“With today’s sentence, Raul Granados-Rendon is the latest member of his family’s Mexican sex trafficking operation to be held responsible for preying upon countless women, and profiting from their exploitation and dehumanization,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This prosecution and sentence mark another important outcome in a nearly decade-long commitment by this Office and our law enforcement partners to obtain justice for the victims.”
“The victims of this man were forced into prostitution after being lured to the U.S. with false promises then threatened, beaten and sexually assaulted,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “This man was on our agency’s top 10 fugitive list before being extradited and taken into custody early last year. It has been a long road, but now he will face the consequences of his reprehensible actions.”
From October 1998 to December 2011, Raul Granados-Rendon participated in a sex trafficking conspiracy with other members of the Granados family, to smuggle numerous young women from Mexico to New York and force them to work as prostitutes in New York City and elsewhere. The male members of the conspiracy used false promises of romance and marriage to lure the victims into relationships and convince them to travel to the United States to make money so that they could build homes for themselves in Mexico. Once in the United States, the victims were subjected to violence, threats and sexual assaults by the defendants. Raul Granados-Rendon directed one of his victims to teach another victim “Jane Doe” how to prostitute. When Jane Doe did not produce as much income as other Granados family victims, the defendant physically abused her, dragging her by her hair into a bathroom and forcing her head into a sink. The defendant also helped transport another victim back to Mexico after his brother impregnated her and failed at his efforts to induce an abortion.
The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action and extraditions of the defendants apprehended in Mexico were coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in the Initiative to more effectively dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims and reunite victims with their children. These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 175 defendants in cases in Georgia, New York, Florida and Texas, in addition to numerous federal and state prosecutions in Mexico of associated sex traffickers. The convictions in this case are also the latest development in the Eastern District of New York’s comprehensive anti-trafficking program, which has to date indicted more than 80 defendants and assisted more than 150 victims, including 44 minors. In addition, through the District’s anti-trafficking program, 19 children have been reunited with their victim-mothers.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Sasso is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
RAUL GRANADOS-RENDON
Age: 31
Tenancingo, MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 11-CR-557 (KAM)
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Indictment and Arrest of Vascular Surgeon for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Scott Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s (“HHS-OIG”) New York Region, announced today that FENG QIN, M.D. (“QIN”), a vascular surgeon with practices in Lower Manhattan and Far Rockaway, Queens, has been indicted for healthcare fraud and that the United States has filed a civil fraud complaint against him and his medical practice, QIN MEDICAL P.C., under the False Claims Act. Specifically, the Indictment and Civil Complaint charge QIN with fraudulently billing Medicare for performing vascular surgery procedures on patients that were not medically reasonable and necessary or covered under Medicare rules. QIN will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang this afternoon. QIN’s case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
In 2015, this Office filed and simultaneously settled a civil fraud lawsuit against QIN and his previous employer for engaging in fraudulent billing practices during the time period 2010 through 2012. As part of that settlement, QIN paid $150,000 and admitted that he was familiar with the applicable Medicare rules and that he had regularly performed vascular surgeries on patients who had not exhibited symptoms justifying the procedures. As charged in the Indictment and Civil Complaint, QIN later opened his own surgical practice and continued to engage in the same fraudulent conduct.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Feng Qin clearly did not learn his lesson from the previous civil suit this Office filed against him for healthcare fraud – that he must follow Medicare rules and stop billing for surgical procedures that are not clinically justified. He is now being charged criminally for his alleged failure to do so.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Scott Lampert said: “Performing medically unnecessary services for the purposes of financial gain will not be tolerated. HHS-OIG is committed to holding providers accountable and protecting the integrity of our nation’s federal healthcare programs.”
According to the Indictment[1] and the Civil Complaint:
Patients with end-stage renal disease (“ESRD”) who are receiving dialysis may require vascular access surgical procedures, such as fistulagrams, where dye is injected into the patient’s vein or artery to visualize blood flow, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasties, in which wires and balloons are inserted into blood vessels that have narrowed in order to restore blood flow. However, as Medicare billing guidelines made clear, it is not reasonable and necessary for physicians to bill the program for fistulagrams and angioplasties unless the patient has specific and documented clinical problems, such as significant difficulty receiving dialysis properly.
The patients at QIN’s medical practice primarily consisted of ESRD patients undergoing dialysis treatment. During the relevant period, from 2015 to 2016, QIN routinely scheduled patients for fistulagrams and angioplasties three months in advance, and performed fistulagrams and angioplasties on these patients as a matter of routine, regardless of whether there was a justifiable clinical reason to do so. Furthermore, he sometimes misrepresented the medical conditions of patients in their medical records to make it seem as if they suffered from symptoms that would warrant the procedures when they did not. QIN’s practice unlawfully billed and received payment from Medicare for these procedures, which were excluded from Medicare coverage, as he knew.
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FENG QIN, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of healthcare fraud, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years. The charge contained in the Indictment against QIN is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The allegations of fraud stated in the Civil Complaint were first brought to the attention of federal law enforcement by a whistle-blower who filed a lawsuit under the False Claims Act.
The criminal case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jean-David Barnea and Michael K. Krouse are in charge of the case. The civil case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Barnea is in charge of the case.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man with 471 Pounds of Marijuana SentencedRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Minnesota man was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for driving a load of 471 pounds of marijuana to Kansas, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. In addition, he will serve three years on supervised release.
Mark Anthony Berg, 40, Coon Rapids, Minn., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The Kansas Highway Patrol stopped Berg’s vehicle on I-70 in Ellsworth County. Troopers found 471 pounds of marijuana concealed in the vehicle.
McAllister commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs for their work on the case.
Man who Impersonated FBI Agent to Steal from Area Businesses Sentenced to Prison for Robbery, Attempted Robbery and Impersonating a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
A Lake Stevens, Washington man who used fake credentials in the names of fictional characters or famous fraudsters to commit crimes was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for seven federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. STEVEN W. FISHER, 44, pleaded guilty in July 2018 to one count of robbery, five counts of impersonation of a federal officer, and one count of attempted robbery. At sentencing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “This was a long-term calculated crime… attacking a marginalized community. You picked the most vulnerable group of people I know…. You did a despicable thing to people who deserved better.”
“Robbery is a frightening crime -- especially when it appears to be at the hands of someone in law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “This defendant’s actions were no joke -- he did real harm to real people who were just trying to run their small businesses and thought they were responding to requests from a federal law enforcement officer. The victims will likely never look at a law enforcement officer the same way again. A lengthy sentence in federal prison sends a clear message that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated.”
According to records filed in the case, on January 25, 2017, FISHER gained access to the secure area of a small money transmitting business in Seattle’s Central District by claiming he was a federal agent investigating a suspicious transaction. FISHER flashed a badge, and handed the owner a ‘search warrant’ signed by ‘Frank Abagnale’ -- a famous serial fraudster portrayed in the movie “Catch Me if You Can.” The warrant was purchased via the website Legalfakes.com. FISHER then pulled a weapon on the owner, demanded he open the safe and locked the owner in a back room. FISHER left with a large amount of cash and took computer equipment which contained surveillance video from the security system.
FISHER was identified as the suspect following a series of incidents in July and August, 2017 at a different money transmitting business in the Rainer Valley. In those incidents, FISHER used the name “Jack Ryan,” a character in Tom Clancy novels. In July, FISHER asked the manager of the money transmitting business to meet him at a nearby parking lot to discuss information that someone was planning on robbing his business. FISHER tried to get the manager to describe the surveillance cameras at the business and suggested he remove cash from the business. The manager instead called 9-1-1 and reported the suspicious conduct to police. One month later, when FISHER showed up at the money transmitting business, again claiming to be an FBI Agent, the manager hit the panic alarm and Seattle Police officers arrived to question FISHER. FISHER was taken into custody and court authorized searches of his car, storage locker, and briefcase turned up fake federal credentials, a realistic appearing airsoft pistol with silencer, and paperwork tying him to the earlier robbery.
In the plea agreement, FISHER admitted that in June 2017, he went to two SeaTac businesses posing as a federal agent. One of the small businesses offers money transmitting services. The ‘agent’ claimed he was looking for surveillance footage because of a crime in the area. Because the store owner was suspicious about whether FISHER was actually an FBI agent, he simply said the surveillance cameras were not working. In the early morning hours following that encounter the store was burglarized and $2000 in cash, checks and phones were stolen. Some of the stolen items were later found in FISHER’s possession.
Judge Robart ordered FISHER to pay $125,000 in restitution to the victim businesses.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Cohen.
Man Pleads Guilty to Posing as a Doctor, Seeing Two Dozen PatientsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Glen Allen man pleaded guilty today to posing as a doctor at a free clinic in Newport News, where he saw nearly two dozen patients.
According to allegations in the indictment, Vishal J. Patel, 31, used the personal identifying information of licensed physicians to pose as a doctor in online employment applications to medical staffing companies. Patel falsely claimed in such applications to be licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To support this claim, Patel created and submitted false diplomas and certificates concerning his education, training, certifications, and licenses in which he included registration and licensing numbers belonging to various licensed physicians. To obtain access to their information, Patel posed as the physicians when contacting various oversight entities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration. Patel directed those entities to alter the physicians’ licensing records so that they appeared to be associated with Patel. He then directed these entities to mail him copies of the altered records. Through the scheme, Patel fraudulently induced various medical staffing companies to employ him as an independent contractor. Patel obtained employment through at least one company at a free clinic in Newport News, where he saw nearly two dozen patients before he was terminated due to the clinic’s inability to verify his credentials.
Patel pleaded guilty to furnishing false information in a DEA record and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of four years, along with a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison, when sentenced on March 19, 2019. 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, Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels is prosecuting 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. 4:17-cr-125.
Man Charged in with Possessing ATM Skimming DeviceRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – An individual who presented ID as Dumitru Tirlea, was charged by criminal complaint with defrauding a financial institution and possessing access device making equipment, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, on or about November 28 through 30 of 2018, Tirlea attempted to execute a scheme to defraud a federally insured financial institution. Law enforcement has been investigating several reports of skimming devices being placed on bank ATMS as well as gas station credit card readers at gas pumps. The device captures the credit and debit card numbers of unsuspecting victims and stores the numbers. After time the device is removed and the information from the skimming device is used to produce fraudulent credit/debit cards for unauthorized transactions.
In this case, a bank in Warsaw, Indiana reported a device on their ATM on November 28, 2018. Law enforcement conducted surveillance on the affected ATM. On November 30, Dumitru pulled up on the ATM and not having enough time to complete a transaction drove off. Law enforcement followed, conducted a traffic stop and arrested him. Tirlea, was identified based on ATM surveillance video, as the individual who placed the device on the ATM on November 28, 2018.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Indiana State Police Organize Crime and Corruption Unit and Warsaw Police Department. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey Speith.
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Madawaska Man Sentenced to 1½ Years for Illegally Importing Methylphenidate and AlprazolamRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Tristan Nelson, 39, of Madawaska, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 1½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally importing methylphenidate, which is commonly sold under the trade name Ritalin, and alprazolam, which is commonly sold under the trade name Xanax. The defendant pled guilty on March 7, 2018.
According to court records, on February 22, 2017, a mail package from the Philippines addressed to the defendant arrived at the Madawaska post office. The package contained about 950 methylphenidate pills and about 450 alprazolam pills. The defendant came to the post office and accepted the package. The defendant later admitted to agents that he purchased the pills online, that he knew the pills were shipped to him from outside of the United States, and that he intended to distribute some of the pills.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Lynn District Court Assistant Chief Probation Officer Arrested for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Assistant Chief Probation Officer for Lynn District Court was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with child exploitation.
Brian Orlandella, 46, of Beverly, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. Orlandella appeared in federal court in Boston today and is scheduled for a probable cause hearing on Friday.
According to the charging document, in May 2018, a mother in Texas contacted the local police about messages she found on her 13-year-old daughter’s cell phone between her daughter and an adult man, later identified as Orlandella. The messages, sent via Kik, revealed conversations in which the man sent the minor images of himself masturbating and directed her to send him naked pictures and videos of her. She told him she was 14-years-old, and he acknowledged that he is much older than she is.
Authorities were able to trace the suspect’s Kik account’s IP address to Orlandella’s residence in Beverly, Mass., where law enforcement executed a search warrant this morning and seized phones that are now undergoing forensic analysis.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $150,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Local Man Handed Major Sentence in Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 55-year-old Robstown man has been ordered to federal prison for nearly 20 years following his multiple convictions as related to a cocaine and heroin conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A federal jury convicted Rolando Hinojosa Jan. 11, 2018, following a two-day trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession of 2.9 kilograms of cocaine and conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds.
Today, U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack ordered him to prison for 235 months. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his interest in his residence and $96,445 seized at the time of his arrest.
At today’s hearing, Judge Jack commented that Hinojosa has been involved in moving a lot of heroin for many years.
During the trial, the jury heard that an undercover officer had begun purchasing heroin from the organization in April 2016. Members of the conspiracy testified that the organization was involved in two types of narcotics trafficking - local, large-scale heroin distribution in Nueces County and interstate distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine. Hinojosa was the source of supply for both types of narcotics.
The jury also learned about a pre-paid telephone found on Hinojosa’s bedside table that led to authorities discovering the trail of cocaine from Hinojosa to a Kentucky distributor. From further phone analysis, authorities discovered a narcotics courier who had been arrested in August 2017 returning from Kentucky with $76,000 in narcotics currency intended for Hinojosa.
That courier testified at trial that he successfully delivered several kilograms of cocaine to Kentucky in August 2017 after receiving it from Hinojosa.
Hinojosa has been and will remain in custody where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Muschenheim is prosecuting the case.
Local Family Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The final member of the Magallanes family residing in both Brownsville and Pasadena has been sentenced to conspiring to run a money laundering organization as a part of a larger human smuggling conspiracy based in the Rio Grande Valley, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. All six family members had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments by funneling human smuggling proceeds through their bank accounts with various financial institutions.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. order the leading family member - Veronica Ofelia Magallanes, 41 - to 48 months in federal prison. The court also ordered a money judgment in the amount of $457,000.
Those previously sentenced were Rosa Maria Alvarado, 37, who received a 24-month-term of imprisonment; Bertha Alicia Magallanes, 35, and Paloma Garcia, 36, who were both ordered to serve 12 months in prison; Jose Alfredo Magallanes, 37, was sentenced to 18 months, while the court imposed a 27-month-term upon Jesus Magallanes, 43.
The Magallanes family members engaged in the conspiracy from approximately Jan. 3, 2007, to July 19, 2016. They used Money Gram, Western Union and their personal Wells Fargo bank accounts to launder money given to them which was later provided to human smugglers based in Mexico. The deposits into the Magallanes accounts were made in the United States and foreign countries including Canada, China, Macedonia, Eritrea, Romania, Somalia, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. Once they received payments, the Mexico-based human smugglers would later bring illegal aliens into the United States.
This operation grossed a total of approximately $1,296,268.41 over the time of the conspiracy.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations - Financial Crime Unit in Harlingen conducted the two-year investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Schorr Dinsdale prosecuted the case.
Local Assistant United States Attorney Retiring from Military Service after Thirty-Five YearsRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS – Assistant United States Attorney and Army Reserve Major General Patrick J. Reinert, age 57, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will retire from military service this week after thirty-five years of service in the Army.
Major General Reinert began his military career as a ROTC scholarship cadet at Iowa State University in 1979. After graduating as a distinguished military graduate, Major General Reinert was commissioned in 1983 as a military intelligence officer. He then obtained a law degree from the University of Iowa. While in law school, Major General Reinert served with the 234th Signal Battalion in the Iowa National Guard. In 1986, he transferred to the Judge Advocate General's Corps and entered active duty. After initial training, he was assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he served in various assignments. Major General Reinert left active duty in 1990 and began his service in the Army Reserve.
Since joining the Army Reserve, Major General Reinert has served in numerous roles, including as a Military Judge and a Commander. During this time, Major General Reinert deployed twice. During his deployments he served as a Military Judge in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006. In his second deployment in 2013 and 2014, Major General Reinert was the Commander of the Rule of Law Field Force, and later the Commander of Combined, Joint InterAgency Task Force 435, in Afghanistan.
Most recently, Major General Reinert commanded the 88th Readiness Division, headquartered on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The 88th “Blue Devil” Division provides services and base operations support to more than 55,000 Army Reserve soldiers, civilians and families serving in 633 units at 278 sites dispersed across 19 states in the northern United States from the Ohio River Valley to the Pacific Coast.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker stated, “The Department of Justice is very proud of General Reinert. Our service men and women make great sacrifices to keep us safe and their personal sacrifices are essential to the strength of our nation. General Reinert is the epitome of that service and sacrifice. He has been a tremendous leader for over three decades of military service.”
“General Reinert has used his leadership ability and unique skills to serve our nation for years,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan. “By serving his country as both a military officer and an Assistant United States Attorney, General Reinert has made the country and the Northern District of Iowa safer for us all.”
“I have been fortunate to serve with thousands of great officers and enlisted members of our military,” said Major General Reinert. “Men and women who have sacrificed much and, in some cases, everything, to keep us free and safe. I am humbled that I was able to play a part in protecting this great country.”
In his civilian capacity, Major General Reinert has been with the United States Attorney’s Office in Cedar Rapids for nearly thirty years and has served in a variety of roles within the office including as a Deputy Criminal Chief and as the lead Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Attorney. He currently serves as a Senior Litigation Counsel for the office.
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Kiel Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Food TamperingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced today that Judge Pamela Pepper, sentenced Jonathan Tilman Lane, from Kiel, Wisconsin, to 54 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised released for tampering with a consumer product in violation of Title 18, United States Code 1365. Lane was also ordered to pay $42,035 in restitution.
According to information released in court on separate occasions in March 2018, Lane, then a contract employee at Johnsonville Sausage, LLC, placed foreign objects into sausage links. Video surveillance determined that Lane placed a cigarette paper on one occasion, and on second time, he placed a copper wire in a sausage link. Both times, if the items had not been removed, the items would have continued on the processing line thus affecting interstate commerce. Lane was in the final phase of the processing line before packaging and any materials introduced had a risk of going out to the consumer. Due to the public risk of Lane’s behavior, Johnsonville closed down the operation and discarded all products which they believed could have been affected.
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin stated, “The significant sentence imposed here shows that any attempt to tamper with consumer products will be taken seriously. We commend Johnsonville Sausage, LLC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their effective actions to prevent harm and investigate this matter.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karine Moreno-Taxman.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700
Jackson Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Cocaine and Crack ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – L.C. Hatfield, Jr., 43, of Jackson, was sentenced Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base ("crack") and cocaine hydrochloride ("powder"), announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hatfield pled guilty before Judge Jordan on August 1, 2018.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed "Rock Bottom," which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in the central Mississippi area. During the investigation, agents found Hatfield was distributing large quantities of cocaine and crack to individuals in Jackson. Based on his role in the conspiracy, Hatfield was held responsible for as much as 3 kilograms of cocaine powder and 6 kilograms of crack.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Pearl Police Department, Flowood Police Department, Bureau of Customs and Border Patrol, and the DEA Houston Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Influential Philadelphia-Area Political Consultant Convicted at Trial of Political CorruptionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Kenneth Smukler, 58, a long-time Philadelphia-area political consultant, was convicted today by a jury of multiple counts related to violating political campaign laws. Specifically, the jury found the defendant guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; two counts of causing unlawful campaign contributions; one count of causing false campaign expenditure reports; two counts of causing false statements; two counts of making contributions in the name of another; and one count of obstruction. The sentencing hearing is scheduled on March 13, 2019 before the Honorable Jan E. DuBois.
In the 2012 Democratic primary election for Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District, Jimmie Moore, a former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge, ran against the incumbent, Congressman Bob Brady. Moore struck a corrupt deal by which he agreed to withdraw from the race in exchange for funds from the Bob Brady for Congress campaign (the “Brady campaign”) to be used to pay off Moore’s campaign debts. Those debts included money that Jimmie Moore for Congress (the “Moore campaign”) owed to several vendors, to Moore himself, and to Moore’s campaign manager, Carolyn Cavaness.
On February 29, 2012, Moore withdrew from the race. Moore and Cavaness had prepared a list of debts owed by the Moore campaign which was subsequently provided to Smukler, a campaign consultant for the Brady campaign. Smukler arranged for the Moore campaign to receive $90,000 from the Brady campaign through false documents and a series of illegal pass-throughs, including the consulting firm of another Brady associate and co-conspirator, D.A. Jones. None of the payments, which exceeded the applicable contribution limits, was reported to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”). Per the arrangement, the three installments were illegally disguised as payments for a poll and consulting services.
Marjorie Margolies, a former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, ran in the 2014 Democratic primary election for Pennsylvania’s Thirteenth Congressional District. Smukler, a veteran of prior Margolies political campaigns, was running the Margolies campaign in 2014. By early April 2014, the primary race was close, and the Margolies campaign was running out of money that the campaign could legally spend in the primary. Smukler caused the Margolies campaign to illegally spend general election funds in his attempt to win the primary election for his candidate, then lied about it to the campaign’s lawyer. That lawyer, in turn, unwittingly reported the lies to the FEC in response to a complaint filed by one of Margolies’ opponents. Additionally, Smukler caused excessive campaign contributions and illegal conduit contributions, all of which were hidden in FEC filings.
“Smukler was the mastermind of multiple crooked political schemes,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “He showed a true pattern of deception by misusing funds and lying to corrupt the entire political process. The only way to guarantee open and fair elections is to have everyone play by the same rules. Smukler ignored those rules and broke the law so that his candidates could try to win at all costs. We are grateful that the jury saw through his lies and held him accountable for his widespread criminal conduct.”
"Smukler played fast and loose with the campaign laws that underpin our democratic system," said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "He apparently felt that the ends justified the means. Well, the government—and this jury—disagree. When corruption weakens the public's trust in a fair electoral process, we all stand to lose."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Gibson and Trial Attorneys Richard Pilger and Rebecca Moses of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Mississippi. – Ricardo Arcanjo Ramos, 37, an illegal alien from Brazil, was sentenced today in United States District Court to serve 37 months in federal prison for committing access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. Ramos was also ordered to pay $25,087.50 in restitution to the victim.
In July, 2017, Ramos and another illegal alien, through the use of skimmers and cameras placed on Automated Teller Machines at a credit union in Ocean Springs, obtained and used 15 or more account holders’ unauthorized access devices to obtain money and fund transfers at two banks and a resort in Florida.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin ChargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman caught selling heroin earlier this year pled guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Shirley Lacieann Burlile, 27, entered a guilty plea to distributing heroin in federal court in Huntington. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
“Since my first day in office as United States Attorney, I have made Huntington a priority,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We have increased our prosecutorial resources in Huntington to focus on drug traffickers and violent offenders and have significantly increased the number of defendants prosecuted for such crimes. We’re succeeding – not winning yet – and there is no doubt Huntington is a safer city today than the day I took over as United States Attorney.”
On April 4, 2018, a confidential informant contacted Burlile and another individual to arrange a purchase of heroin. During the telephone call, the informant was directed to come to Burlile’s residence located at 4260 U.S. Route 60, Apartment 7 in Huntington. Shortly after, Burlile and the other individual met with the informant inside the residence and Burlile distributed heroin to the informant.
During the plea hearing, Burlile admitted that, from at least November 2017 to April 2018, she conspired with others to distribute heroin in the Huntington area. Burlile also admitted to conducting another heroin deal on April 11, 2018, in Huntington. Burlile admitted that she was responsible for the distribution of up to 100 grams of heroin during her participation in the conspiracy.
Burlile faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on March 4, 2019.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
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Honduran National Charged with Making a False Statement to a Federal AgencyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that LEOPOLDO RODRIGUEZ-AGUILERA, age 24, of Honduras, was charged on Friday, November 30, 2018 by Bill of Information with making a false statement to the government.
According to documents filed in federal court, LEOPOLDO RODRIGUEZ-AGUILERA provided a false statement related to his identity to federal immigration officials after entering the country.
The maximum penalty for making a false statement is five years imprisonment, followed by up to 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that LENIS PADILLA RUIZ, age 31, a citizen of Honduras, was charged Friday, November 30, 2018 in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a).
According to the indictment, LENIS PADILLA RUIZ was previously removed from the United States on or about April 1, 2016. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on November 19, 2018 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
If convicted, LENIS PADILLA RUIZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
Home Healthcare Worker Pleads Guilty to Billing Medicaid While on a Cruise ShipRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Demagio Smith, 28, of St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to Medicaid. In his plea agreement, Smith admitted that he repeatedly submitted false time sheets to Medicaid that suggested that he was working as a home health care aide during 2013-17, and was taking care of two women inside their homes. In reality, Smith was actually working at another job or traveling outside of Missouri on the dates and times indicated in his time sheets. Smith’s out of town trips included travel to California, New Jersey, the Virgin Islands, and a voyage on a Caribbean cruise ship. Sentencing for Mr. Smith is set for March 6, 2019.
Smith’s co-defendant in this case, Nova Paden, also pled guilty and was sentenced in December 2017. In her plea agreement, Paden admitted to working out of her home as a nursing aide at the same time as she was signing Medicaid time sheets indicating that she was receiving home health care in her residence.
Previously convicted in this same investigation were Nova Paden, Regina Brown, James Smith, Benita Bell, and Tammara Bell, who all pled guilty to making false statements to Medicaid or related charges.
"Home health care is a more convenient alternative to skilled nursing facilities and it saves tax dollars because it is less expensive," said Richard Quinn, Special Agent in Charge, FBI St. Louis Division. "People who abuse and cheat the system take money away from those who truly need the services."
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Kansas City Region, stated, “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those individuals who seek to defraud our programs and deprive our beneficiaries of the services they so need to ensure a good quality of life.”
Each conspiracy or false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
Henrietta Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Mark Buechler, 45, of Henrietta, NY, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography involving two prepubescent minors before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 60 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that on May 3, 2018, an 11-year-old boy, minor victim 1, disclosed to his school counselor that the defendant performed various sexual acts on him on an ongoing basis at Buechler’s home in Henrietta. The counselor contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) to report the alleged incidents. A Monroe County CPS Investigator and a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Investigator interviewed the minor victim and Buechler was arrested that day.
Also on May 3, 2018, a state search warrant was executed at the defendant’s Stone Road residence. Multiple digital and storage devices were seized, including computers, tablets, phones, SD cards, thumb drives, and digital cameras.
On May 7, 2018, Sheriff’s Office Investigators interviewed minor victim 2, an 18 year old boy who had visited Buechler’s residence when he was younger. Minor victim 2 also disclosed that he was sexually abused by the defendant over an extended period of time. A second state search warrant was executed on May 7, 2018, at which time additional digital devices were seized.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted, and on May 24, 2018, a federal search warrant was obtained to review the items seized during the execution of the state search warrants. A review of some of the items seized uncovered approximately 8,700 images and two videos of child pornography produced by Buechler, some of which depicted the defendant abusing the minor victims. Buechler’s federal conviction follows a state court conviction secured by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office in October 2018.Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Special Victims Unit, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; Monroe County Child Protective Services, under the direction of Amy Natale-McConnell; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; and the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, under the direction of Executive Director Deb Rosen.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Hartford Man Who Pointed Gun at Undercover Officers Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ENRIQUE LUCIANO, 31, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2018, Luciano approached a car on Cabot Street in Hartford and pointed a gun at the car. The car was occupied by two undercover Hartford Police detectives investigating drug activity on Cabot Street. After the detectives identified themselves as police officers, Luciano fled and discarded the gun. Luciano was apprehended and the firearm, a loaded 9mm Taurus PT 908 handgun with an obliterated serial number, was recovered.
Luciano has a previous federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and, in May 2010, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment for that offense. He also has prior convictions in state court for drug offenses.
Luciano is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden on February 28, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Luciano has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation has been conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Hamden Man Will Return to Federal Prison for Violating Supervise ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES DICKERSON, also known as “Jim Jim,” 35, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 21 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
According to the evidence presented during his trial in April 2013, a joint law enforcement investigation conducted in 2010 by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, DEA New Haven Task Force, New Haven Police Department and Hamden Police Department identified and dismantled a large drug trafficking organization centered in the Newhallville section of New Haven and Hamden. During the investigation, Dickerson was intercepted multiple times over a court-authorized wiretap arranging to purchase distribution quantities of crack cocaine. Dickerson also sold crack cocaine to an undercover police officer.
On April 25, 2013, Dickerson was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. On January 24, 2014, he was sentenced to 168 months of imprisonment. After an appeal, Dickerson was resentenced, on February 29, 2016, to approximately 63 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release.
After his release from prison, Dickerson violated multiple conditions of his supervised release. On August 18, 2017, he was arrested in Hamden for larceny based on his possession of a stolen motorcycle. On December 12, 2017, he was arrested in Hamden for possessing cocaine and marijuana. On May 6, 2018, he was arrested in Cheshire for a variety of offenses stemming from a car chase. These cases were resolved in state court on September 11, 2018.
Dickerson is currently incarcerated in state custody and has a maximum release date of April 30, 2020.
Judge Meyer ordered Dickerson to begin serving the 21-month federal sentence after his release from state prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Nardini.
Getaway Driver in Armed Robbery Spree of Allegheny and Beaver County Banks Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his convictions on federal firearms and bank robbery charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United Stated District Judge Cathy Bissoon, imposed the sentence last Friday on Daymon Ottey, 31. Ottey was detained at his initial appearance and will remain detained as he begins to serve his sentence.
According to information presented to the court, Ottey conspired to rob the S & T Bank in Plum, Pa., on March 7, 2017, the First National Bank in Verona, Pa., on May 1, 2017, and the Huntington Bank in Baden, Pa., on July 22, 2017 with his co-defendant Bryan Campbell. Ottey acted as the getaway driver for the first robbery and the third attempted bank robbery. Ottey used his girlfriend’s car in the March 7, 2017 robbery and used a Jeep Cherokee bought with the proceeds of the second robbery in order to attempt to rob the Huntington Bank in Baden, Pa.
On March 7, 2017, Campbell, wearing a ski mask and using a silver revolver, robbed the S & T Bank of $7,707.00 dollars and placed the money into pillowcase before fleeing the bank and entering a car registered to Ottey’s girlfriend.
On May 1, 2017, Campbell, wearing a windbreaker with the hood drawn, robbed the First National Bank of $84,200 while using a silver handgun. Campbell hopped the counter of the bank and was able to enter the vault, collecting the $84,200. Campbell filled the pillowcase with money and left the scene, fleeing in the same car used in the March 7, 2017 robbery.
Subsequent to the May 1 robbery, FBI Special Agents discovered that Campbell’s girlfriend posted numerous photographs and videos on social media websites detailing expensive shopping sprees, vacations, and jewelry purchased. FBI Special Agents also discovered that the day after the May 1, 2017 robbery, Ottey purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee. This Jeep Grand Cherokee was seen leaving the scene of the attempted bank robbery in Baden, Pa., on July 22, 2017. An Economy Borough Police officer entered the drive through portion of the Huntington Bank while Campbell was attempting to rob it, causing Campbell to flee on foot before Ottey picked him up in the Cherokee and drove away from the scene.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
The FBI Pittsburgh’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the Plum Police Department, Verona Police Department, Economy Borough Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, and Shaler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice 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, the Attorney General 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.
Four Red River County Men Indicted for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – Four Red River County men have been indicted for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Brian Bradley Beers, 47, of Avery, Texas; Kevin Wayne Guess, 45, of Annona, Texas; James Wayne Johnson, 30, of Kemp, Texas; and Billy Carl Webb, Jr., 51, of Clarksville, Texas, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Nov. 14, 2018. Beers, Guess, and Webb were arrested on Nov. 30, 2018, in Red River County. Johnson was taken into federal custody on Nov. 19, 2018.
According to the indictment, in June and July of 2018, Beers, Guess, Webb, and Johnson conspired to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Additionally, the indictment alleges that during that time, Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and that Beers, Guess, and Webb used communication facilities in facilitating the conspiracy.
If convicted, Beers, Guess, Johnson, and Webb face a minimum of ten years and as much as life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Red River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
Four Guyanese Men Plead Guilty to Possession of 3,769 Kilograms of Cocaine on Board a VesselRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Mohamed Hoseain, age 70, and Richard La Cruz, age 51, both of Guyana, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2018 in federal court to possession of cocaine on board a vessel. Attorney Shappert further announced that Neville Jeffrey, age 66, and Mark Anthony Williams, age 32, also of Guyana, pleaded guilty on November 29, 2018 and December 3, 2018 respectively, in federal court to the same offense.
According to plea agreements filed with the court, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Napier, on February 16, 2017, intercepted a suspicious vessel in a joint operation with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard approximately seventy nautical miles north of Paramaribo, Suriname, in international waters. The vessel, later identified as the LADY MICHELLE, was located in a known drug trafficking route and registered with St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel pursuant to a bilateral agreement between the United States and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They discovered 185 bales containing numerous rectangular shaped packages of cocaine in the vessel’s fish hold weighing 3,769 kilograms. The drugs had a street value in the U.S. Virgin Islands of approximately 71 million dollars. Hoseain was identified as the captain and claimed that they were in search of a missing vessel for two months. La Cruz was identified as the engineer and Jeffrey and Williams as crew members.
Hoseain, La Cruz, Jeffrey and Williams face up to life imprisonment for the offense and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentencing dates for Hoseain and La Cruz have been set for March 28, 2019 and March 29, 2019 respectively; and for Jeffrey and Williams for April 3, 2019.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.
Former Owner of Fulton County Tannery Plant Pleads Guilty to Felony Storage of Hazardous WasteRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Carville, age 56, formerly of Johnstown, New York, pled guilty today to storing hazardous waste without a permit at the former Carville National Leather Corporation building in Johnstown.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) in New York.
Carville National Leather Corporation was a family owned tannery business that operated in Johnstown from 1976 until it closed for financial reasons in September 2013. Robert Carville owned and operated Carville National Leather for approximately 10 years leading up to its closing.
In pleading guilty, Carville admitted that as the owner and manager of the tannery, he was responsible for the materials inside the tannery when it closed. Carville ultimately moved to another state and left behind, in the tannery building, hundreds of containers of hazardous chemicals, including some that had labels on them such as “corrosive,” “acidic,” and “hazardous.” Carville admitted that he did not have a permit to store hazardous materials at the tannery (or anywhere else). Carville also admitted that he stored these chemicals illegally for more than 2 years.
Carville will be sentenced on May 20, 2019 by Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. He faces up to 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $50,000 per day of violation. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by EPA-CID and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Manager at Pace Bus Service Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Federal Prison for Pocketing Nearly $300,000 in KickbacksRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former manager for the suburban bus agency Pace has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for pocketing nearly $300,000 in gratuities and kickbacks from contractors.
From 2010 to 2014, RAJINDER SACHDEVA used his position as a department manager at Pace to corruptly demand and accept nearly $300,000 in gratuities and kickbacks from IT contractors. In exchange, Sachdeva exerted his influence to hire or continue to engage the contractors at Pace. Sachdeva concealed this arrangement from Pace by having the payments flow through companies that he controlled.
Sachdeva, 54, of Schaumburg, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of solicitation of bribes and gratuities by an agent of a federally funded organization. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Friday sentenced Sachdeva to a year and a day in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Andrea M. Kropf, Regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Pace provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
“Public corruption is a significant problem in this district, and the defendant’s corrupt behavior is the type that erodes the public’s confidence in public agencies,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew F. Madden and Erika Csicsila argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The defendant repeatedly used his position at a transportation agency to line his own pockets.”
Sachdeva served as the Department Manager of Applications for Pace, which is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority. In that role, he oversaw the implementation of information technology used by Pace to support its various business units, such as human resources, accounting, purchasing, payments, and grant writing. Pace contracted with outside vendors who provided on-site and remote IT support to Pace, and Sachdeva ultimately supervised those contractors and reviewed and approved their timesheets. In exchange for the influence he exerted in placing or maintaining certain IT contractors at Pace, Sachdeva solicited and received $292,708 in gratuities and kickbacks from the contractors.
Former CEO of Detroit-Based Technology Company Sentenced to One Year in Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
The former chief executive officer of FutureNet Group Inc., an information technology company, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a fine in the amount of $10,000 for his role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe an official from the City of Detroit to obtain benefits for FutureNet.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Slater of the FBI’s Detroit Division made the announcement.
Parimal D. Mehta, 55, of Northville, Michigan, previously pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from 2009 through August 2016, Mehta hand-delivered more than $6,500 to Charles L. Dodd, the former Director of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services, including two cash bribes paid in the restroom of a Detroit-area restaurant in 2016. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Sept. 11, 2018.
Mehta admitted that he sought preferential treatment for FutureNet in exchange for the bribes he paid to Dodd. Among other things, Mehta asked Dodd to cause FutureNet to be selected to fill open positions for contract personnel and to implement particular technological projects in various city departments. Mehta also asked Dodd to supply him with confidential information regarding Detroit’s internal operations, including information regarding Detroit’s internal budgets for particular technology projects and personnel, which would benefit FutureNet in its dealings with Detroit.
The FBI’s Detroit Division investigated the case. Deputy Chief Robert J. Heberle and Trial Attorney James I. Pearce of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Surreptitiously Producing and Distributing Pornographic Audio and Video Recordings of Himself Engaged in Sexual Activity with at Least 80 OthersRead the Press Release
A Homestead, Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Miami to 36 months in prison for surreptitiously producing and distributing pornographic audio and video recordings of himself engaging in sexual activity with multiple men.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, made the announcement today. Deneumostier was arrested in July 2018 and has been held in custody since then.
Bryan Deneumostier, 34, a national of Peru, also known by the screen name “susanleon33326,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonga of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Altonga also ordered Deneumostier to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Deneumostier pleaded guilty in September 2018 to two counts of illegal interception of oral communications.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Deneumostier assisted in the operation of a subscription-based pornography website called “straightboyz.net.” The site offered for streaming approximately 619 “hook up” videos that depicted sexual activity between Deneumostier and other men. The defendant had surreptitiously made audio and video recordings of the sexual encounters, without the victims’ knowledge or consent. In many of the videos, the individuals, at Deneumostier’s direction, wore a blindfold and restraints and could not see the defendant or the room (or recording equipment) in which they were located. Deneumostier later sold the “hook up” videos to a third party located overseas and caused them to be posted onto the website.
In many cases, in order to find men for his surreptitious recordings, Deneumostier would use social media accounts or Craigslist to post that he would be hosting sexual parties or encounters at his residence. In several of these advertisements, Deneumostier would state he was either a man looking for men (m4m), a transvestite looking for men (t4m), or a woman looking for men (w4m). In most advertisements he stated he was looking for “young sexy guys.”
The indictment and plea agreement refer to four known victims whose identities are being withheld to protect their privacy. Deneumostier admitted that he recorded himself engaging in sexual activity with approximately 150 men whom were featured on his website and that approximately 80 of those did not know that he was recording them; one of the victims recorded was a blindfolded 16-year-old male.
The investigation was conducted by HSI. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cary Aronovitz of the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Surreptitiously Producing and Distributing Pornographic Audio and Video Recordings of Himself Engaged in Sexual Activity with at Least 80 OthersRead the Press Release
A Homestead, Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Miami to 36 months in prison for surreptitiously producing and distributing pornographic audio and video recordings of himself engaging in sexual activity with multiple men.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, made the announcement today. Deneumostier was arrested in July 2018 and has been held in custody since then.
Bryan Deneumostier, 34, a national of Peru, also known by the screen name “susanleon33326,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonga of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Altonga also ordered Deneumostier to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Deneumostier pleaded guilty in September 2018 to two counts of illegal interception of oral communications.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Deneumostier assisted in the operation of a subscription-based pornography website called “straightboyz.net.” The site offered for streaming approximately 619 “hook up” videos that depicted sexual activity between Deneumostier and other men. The defendant had surreptitiously made audio and video recordings of the sexual encounters, without the victims’ knowledge or consent. In many of the videos, the individuals, at Deneumostier’s direction, wore a blindfold and restraints and could not see the defendant or the room (or recording equipment) in which they were located. Deneumostier later sold the “hook up” videos to a third party located overseas and caused them to be posted onto the website.
In many cases, in order to find men for his surreptitious recordings, Deneumostier would use social media accounts or Craigslist to post that he would be hosting sexual parties or encounters at his residence. In several of these advertisements, Deneumostier would state he was either a man looking for men (m4m), a transvestite looking for men (t4m), or a woman looking for men (w4m). In most advertisements he stated he was looking for “young sexy guys.”
The indictment and plea agreement refer to four known victims whose identities are being withheld to protect their privacy. Deneumostier admitted that he recorded himself engaging in sexual activity with approximately 150 men whom were featured on his website and that approximately 80 of those did not know that he was recording them; one of the victims recorded was a blindfolded 16-year-old male.
The investigation was conducted by HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cary Aronovitz of the Southern District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Flathead County man admits illegal possession of a machine gun, short barreled rifle, silencer and grenadeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Flathead County resident Bruce Boone Wann admitted in federal court today to firearms violations after an investigation found he illegally possessed a number of weapons and made an effort to hide them from law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said.
Wann, 61, of Kila, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun, an unregistered silencer, a short barreled rifle and a destructive device, specifically, a grenade. Wann is facing a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch presided at the hearing.
If the case had gone to trial, the government would have presented the following information as evidence:
During an investigation that began in June, law enforcement learned that Wann had kept buried or hidden firearms, ammunition, a grenade, dynamite, and other items on various properties in the Marion area. Wann claimed he had stolen some of the items from a government bunker in California many years earlier.
Wann later broke into a Flathead County residence where he had previously arranged for a number of his other firearms to be stored. Wann then took not only his firearms, but also stole other firearms that did not belong to him. Investigators also learned Wann had made various threats of violence against people in Flathead County.
Judge Lynch set sentencing for April 12. Wann is detained.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott and Taryn Meeks, a trial attorney with the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Secret Service and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.
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Felon Pleads Guilty to over $464,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Fraud Committed While on ProbationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – December 3, 2018 – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, FERNAN SANCHEZ, 51, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to SNAP fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges.
SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded, national program established by the United States Government to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among lower income families. The United States Department of Agriculture administers the SNAP through its agency, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). FNS is responsible for the authorization and disqualification of retail food establishments participating in the redemption of SNAP benefits. Social service agencies from each state share responsibility with FNS for administration of the program by authorizing and revoking distribution of SNAP benefits to individual recipients.
According to the Criminal Information and information in the public record, SANCHEZ previously pleaded guilty to making material false statements in connection with the on-going federal crop insurance fraud investigations in EDNC. On April 9, 2010, the Court granted the government’s motion for a departure based on substantial assistance and sentenced SANCHEZ to 5 years’ probation.
Mr. Higdon stated, “This prosecution reflects our Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of important federal programs like SNAP as well as holding accountable felons who continue to engage in criminal conduct.”
SANCHEZ’s 2010 felony conviction made him ineligible to participate in the SNAP program as a vendor and in fact, the FNS-Retailer Operations Division permanently withdrew his authorization to participate in the program. Notwithstanding his debarment, SANCHEZ recruited another person who, at SANCHEZ’s direction, created a business entity known as Selena’s Mexican Bakery & Store, opened a bank account in the name of Selena’s Mexican Products, and submitted an electronic SNAP vendor application which contained false and misleading information. Based on the application, the unindicted co-conspirator received authorization to be a SNAP vendor in August 2013. The unindicted co-conspirator opened up a bank account, listing SANCHEZ on the account.
From August 30, 2013, through September 24, 2017, Selena’s Mexican Bakery & Store received approximately $464,385.60 in SNAP benefits. During that time frame, SANCHEZ trafficked SNAP EBT benefits, allowing individuals to exchange benefits for cash or ineligible purchases.
SANCHEZ and/or another person, through Selena’s Mexican Products, also caused to be transferred the $464,385.60 SNAP funds to Selena’s Mexican Products business account at First Bank. SANCHEZ transferred a portion of the money to an account controlled exclusively by him. He withdrew or otherwise spent the remaining SNAP funds in the Selena’s Mexican Products business account.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations. Special thanks to the Warsaw Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Discharging Firearm at PoliceRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Demetrius Richmond, 46, of St. Louis, pled guilty to one count of being a felon in the possession of a firearm. He appeared in federal court on Monday, December 3, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.
According to court documents, on December 22, 2016, two Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were patrolling in an unmarked police vehicle when the officers observed Richmond’s 2006 Lexus. Richmond was the driver. A female passenger was also inside Richmond’s vehicle. As the unmarked police vehicle pulled behind Richmond’s vehicle, Richmond fired two shots from inside his vehicle.
Officers activated their vehicle’s emergency lights. Richmond sped away leading officers on a roughly 17-minute vehicle pursuit. Among other reckless actions, Richmond drove at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Richmond eventually crashed his vehicle, injuring the female passenger. Prior to the crash, Richmond threw his weapon from the vehicle.
Richmond was apprehended. Richmond’s semi-automatic firearm was located and seized by the police. It was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition.
Richmond faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives.
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Doctor on Fraud Charges for Billing Insurance Companies for Nonexistent TreatmentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago doctor on fraud charges for billing insurance companies for purported chiropractic manipulations that were never performed.
DR. PAUL MADISON, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, owned Watertower SurgiCenter LLC, an outpatient surgical center on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Madison directed Watertower’s billing staff to submit false bills to insurers for manipulation-under-anesthesia of body parts that chiropractors at Watertower had not actually performed. As part of the scheme, Dr. Madison and others falsified patient records to support the fraudulent health insurance claim forms. Dr. Madison then caused these fraudulent claims to be submitted to patients’ insurance companies for payment.
The jury in federal court in Chicago on Thursday convicted Dr. Madison, 65, of Chicago, on all eleven counts against him. The conviction includes six counts of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements in connection with the delivery of health care services, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., set sentencing for March 25, 2019.
The verdict was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward G. Kohler and Jennie Levin.
Watertower SurgiCenter was an outpatient surgical center where a variety of medical and chiropractic procedures were performed, including manipulations-under-anesthesia. An MUA involves chiropractic adjustments on patients who had been anesthetized. Evidence at trial revealed that Dr. Madison disguised Watertower’s fraudulent billing by creating false medical and billing records. In at least two instances, Dr. Madison included in the fraudulent billings the names, addresses and dates of birth of patients without their knowledge.
Each count of health care fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, while the false statement counts each carry a maximum penalty of five years. Each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years. The Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced on Friday, November 30, 2018 that HERBERT WILLIAMS, age 50, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged in a one-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted, WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years and a maximum fine of $250,000, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 safe for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, then 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 was launched in 2001.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Drug Dealer Gets 30 Years for Fentanyl Related DeathRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton Roads man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for distributing fentanyl, which resulted in death. During the sentencing hearing, the Court noted that Burgess had appeared in court on various criminal charges at least 43 times during his life.
According to court documents, in November 2016 a man was found dead in his home as the result of a fentanyl overdose. Based on telephone records and eyewitnesses, Arnold Burgess, 50, was identified as the drug dealer who provided the victim with fentanyl. Five months after the death, Burgess was arrested in Stafford County with 1/4 kilogram of fentanyl. Burgess was connected to the William Joe drug trafficking organization, which was responsible for selling heroin on the Virginia Peninsula for many years prior to the arrest of its senior members in 2017.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Broken Finger. 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 Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt 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. 4:17-cr-65.
Dominican Man Sentenced to 45 day for Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Juan Lorenzo Matias Peralta, 38 of the Dominican Republic was sentenced today 45 days for illegal entry, announced United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller also ordered Peralta to pay a $10 special assessment.
According to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) stopped a vessel in the area of North Haulover Bay, St. John after agents observed that the vessel had no lights. After the boat was stopped, AMO agents observed five male individuals onboard. Peralta was one of the five persons onboard and it was determined he was not a U.S. citizen, but a national of the Dominican Republic. Peralta did not have permission to enter the United States and the area where the boat was stopped was not a designated port of entry.
The case was investigated Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit (AMO) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
District Court Issues Order to Prevent Michigan Company and its Owners from Distributing Adulterated Ready-To-Eat FoodsRead the Press Release
A federal court permanently enjoined a Saranac, Michigan company and its owners from preparing, processing, and distributing adulterated ready-to-eat food, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed on November 29, 2018, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States alleged that defendants Saranac Brand Foods, Inc., and the company’s owners, Dennis M. Nowak and Daniel R. Nowak, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by introducing or delivering for introduction into interstate commerce ready-to-eat food that was adulterated. The complaint alleged that Saranac prepared and distributed approximately 35 different ready-to-eat foods, including prepared salads, dips, and sauces such as coleslaw, macaroni salad, spinach dip, and enchilada sauce.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that processors and distributors of ready-to-eat food products comply with laws designed to protect consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with the FDA to ensure that consumers are protected from potentially unsafe food.”
“We all reasonably expect that ready-to-eat foods are, in fact, ready to eat — that they have been prepared in a clean environment and in a way that does not potentially expose the food to dangerous bacteria,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan. “Saranac Brands fell short of that reasonable expectation, so the Department of Justice, including my office, put a stop to their practices.”
The complaint alleged that analysis of environmental samples collected from defendants’ facility during numerous inspections showed that the facility contained a resident strain of Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono). FDA most recently inspected the facility in late 2017. According to the complaint, FDA’s inspection established that the ready-to-eat food products that defendants manufactured and distributed were adulterated in that they have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health. As alleged in the complaint, FDA collected environmental sub-samples that tested positive for L. mono, and also observed that the flooring in defendants’ facility’s food processing area was in poor repair with exposed aggregate, chipped areas, ponded water and debris.
Defendants agreed to settle the complaint and be bound by a consent decree for permanent injunction. The consent decree entered by the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. As part of the settlement, defendants represented that they have discontinued all operations related to receiving, preparing, processing, holding, or distributing any articles of food at or from their business location and any other locations. Under the permanent injunction, if defendants intend to resume such activity, they must notify FDA in writing in advance, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction, and allow FDA to inspect their facility, including the buildings, sanitation-related systems, equipment, utensils, all articles of food, and relevant records.
“Taking steps to keep potentially unsafe food out of the U.S. food supply is a core responsibility of the FDA,” said Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Melinda K. Plaisier. “When a company fails to follow current good manufacturing practices and processes food under insanitary conditions, the FDA will take action to protect the public health and safety of Americans.”
Trial Attorney Claude Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Cobb of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan represented the United States, along with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel Joshua Davenport of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi.
Columbus Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Heroin and Crack OffensesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man who helped set up multiple drug deals in Huntington in August and September of 2016 was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carl Keylow Jackson, 38, previously pled guilty in May 2018 to two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin, as well as aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.” United States Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Another dangerous drug dealer from Ohio taken off the streets of Huntington,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “He won’t be back for a while and he definitely won’t be “dotting the I” at an Ohio State football game.”
On September 13, 2016, law enforcement used a confidential informant to contact Jackson and arrange a crack deal. When the informant called Jackson, the informant was directed to go to the area of the Little Caesar’s on 1st Street in Huntington. Jackson also confirmed how much crack the informant wanted to purchase and the price for the crack. Another individual subsequently met the informant and distributed 6.5 grams of crack to the informant in exchange for $850. Jackson also admitted to assisting in the sale of heroin in Huntington on at least two occasions in August 2016. On one occasion, the heroin purchased by an informant was tested by a chemist and found to be mixed with fentanyl, a powerful prescription painkiller.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
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Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Deal in Firearms Without A LicenseRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Cherry Hill, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 40 months in prison his role in conspiring to sell at least 100 handguns without a federal firearms license, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Fr’Neil Hickson, a/k/a “Philly,” 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to Count Two of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a federal firearms license. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. Hickson has been in federal custody since his arrest in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2014. In a separate case in Atlanta, investigated jointly by ATF agents from the Atlanta office and the District of New Jersey, Hickson was arrested for illegal possession of 12 firearms. He pleaded guilty in Atlanta federal court to possession of firearms by a convicted felon and on Oct. 25, 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones. Hickson completed his sentence in that case in August 2017, but remained in federal custody on the indictment that resulted in today’s guilty plea.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hickson admitted that between December 2009 and April 2013 he sold or brokered the sale of at least 100 handguns obtained from sources outside of New Jersey. The investigation showed that Hickson obtained many of the weapons from Joshua Jackson, a/k/a “Apple,” a/k/a “Trent,” and that Jackson obtained most of the firearms through purchases at gun shows from unlicensed gun sellers without background checks. Some of the firearms were also purchased at Ohio gun stores by straw purchasers working for Jackson, who transported the handguns to New Jersey and resold them to Hickson and Terrance Laboo, a Camden drug dealer. Hickson admitted some of the weapons were equipped with extended magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition.
Hickson also sold handguns directly to Terrance Laboo. At the time of the gun sales, Laboo was engaged with others in drug trafficking, including the sale of PCP and cocaine at the corner of 4th and Chestnut streets in Camden. Hickson and Laboo sold, directed or brokered the sale of many of the firearms to other drug dealers and felons in Camden and surrounding areas.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Hickson to three years of supervised release.
This case was part of a long-term investigation of illegal gun trafficking referred to as “Operation Buckeye,” as the bulk of the illegal guns recovered from felons in the Camden, Philadelphia and surrounding areas were originally purchased in Ohio.
On July 21, 2016, Laboo, who had previously pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license, conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and distribution of a controlled substance, was sentenced by Judge Kugler to six years in prison. On Oct. 25, 2016, Jackson, of Willingboro, New Jersey, who had previously entered a guilty plea to dealing in firearms without a license, conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, was sentenced to six years in prison.
The ATF investigation showed that the conspiracy involved the illegal acquisition, interstate transfer, and illegal sale of approximately 300 handguns to drug dealers and others.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Mary Eva Colalillo; and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Alyson Oswald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel: Michael Huff Esq., Philadelphia
Broward County Resident Sentenced to over Thirteen Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Drugs and Personal Identifying InformationRead the Press Release
On November 28, 2018, Trenard Caldwell, 27, of Broward County, was sentenced to 161 months in prison by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
According to the court docket, including the criminal complaint and several search warrant applications, on September 19, 2015, Caldwell was found in a stolen car. His cellular phones were seized by local police and searched pursuant to a search warrant. A large amount of personal identifying information, including credit/debit card and social security numbers, was located in his phones. The phones’ web history included almost 800 visits to sites on which you can purchase credit card details in bulk. Between October 28, 2016, and September 3, 2017, Caldwell posted several photos on social media in which he was pictured in possession of a firearm. In his posts, he also indicated he was “the plug,” a slang term for the source of illegal narcotics. During another traffic stop in early 2017, Caldwell was found in possession of two cellular phones which were later searched pursuant to a search warrant. The phones contained photographs of Caldwell in possession of a firearm, including some of the same pictures that were posted on his social media account. Caldwell was living at a home in Lauderhill he had rented using another person’s identity. On May 4, 2018, a search warrant was executed on the Lauderhill residence. Inside the home, agents located Caldwell and a .40 caliber Glock 22 pistol fitted with an extended magazine and laser sight. Caldwell had previously been convicted of several felonies, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Agents also recovered approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine, counterfeit credit and identification cards, and a number of cellular phones, laptop computers, and notebooks, which all contained the personal identifying information of dozens of individuals.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigatory efforts of the ATF in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anita G. White.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Brockton Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was convicted today in federal court in Boston of firearm and drug charges.
Douglas Norris, 39, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Norris was arrested and charged in July 2017, and has been in custody since. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2019.
On June 20, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Norris’s home where a backpack containing a fully loaded Smith & Wesson, model 6906, 9 mm pistol; 21 additional rounds of assorted ammunition; plastic baggies containing over 32 grams of cocaine and over 46 grams of crack cocaine; and two digital scales were recovered. Elsewhere in the house, police found an additional 25 grams of cocaine and cocaine base, a kilo press, an electronic money counter, calibration weights, and five additional scales. Norris is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on a prior 2005 conviction.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of five years - consecutive to any other sentence imposed - and up to a lifetime in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert E. Richardson and Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Brazilian Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ozeias Teixeira-De Souza, age 33, and a citizen of Brazil, was sentenced on Friday to time served (151 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Teixeira-De Souza admitted that he was removed from the United States to Brazil on October 9, 2005. On July 2, 2018, ICE Officers encountered Teixeira-De Souza in Watervliet, New York, determined that he was in the country illegally, and arrested him.
Following his sentencing, Teixeira-De Souza was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Bookkeeper Charged for Failing to Declare More Than $700,000 in Stolen Money on Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced Friday, November 30, 2018, the filing of a one count bill of information charging PEGGY NAGELE, age 65 of Thibodeaux, Louisiana with one count of violating Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206, making false statements on an income tax return.
The bill of information charged NAGELE with failing to declare more than $727,847.80 in funds she had stolen on her 2011 joint individual tax form 1040. NAGELE was employed as a bookkeeper with Law Firm A, a New Orleans law firm. Beginning in approximately 1996 and continuing through 2013, NAGELE stole more than $700,000 from the firm.
The maximum period of incarceration should NAGELE be convicted or pleads guilty to is 3 years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, the cost of the investigation, as well as restitution to the IRS. U.S. Attorney Strasser emphasized that a bill of information is simply an allegation. Each element of the offense must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to convict NAGELE.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division for their thorough investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice Jr.
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Benicia Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Steven Brian Homan, 62, of Benicia, pleaded guilty today to concealment of bankruptcy assets, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Homan sought protection from, and discharge of, more than $1.3 million in personal and business debt. In order to protect a non-exempt cabin in Redding from liquidation to pay his creditors, Homan arranged to sell it to a relative for $100,000. However, Homan concealed from the bankruptcy trustee that the cabin had been destroyed by fire before he offered the sale to the trustee and before the trustee accepted the offer.
After the fire, Homan filed an insurance claim that settled for more than $258,000 in losses associated with the cabin and personal property contained in the cabin at the time of the fire. That money constituted property of the bankruptcy estate, which Homan concealed from the trustee. After the sale was complete, the bankruptcy trustee learned of the fire and the insurance settlement.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney André M. Espinosa is prosecuting the case.
Homan is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on March 11, 2019. Homan faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Bangor Woman Sentenced to 1½ Years for Maintaining a Drug-Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Sherri Chen, 55, of Hampden, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 1½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for maintaining a drug-involved premises.
According to court records, between January 2016 and February 2017, Chen allowed her residence on the Main Road in Hampden to be used to distribute and use heroin and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”
Judge Woodcock described the defendant’s decision to provide a “safe haven” for drug dealers from Connecticut, as “deplorable.” Chen received drugs for allowing her residence to be used in this manner.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Armed Heroin and Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A New York City man living in Virginia Beach was sentenced today to over 11 years in prison for dealing heroin and fentanyl, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Michael Thomas Jamison, Jr., 34, was arrested during a joint HSI and Virginia Beach Police Department operation attempting to sell approximately 150 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Jamison’s home led to the recovery of an additional 620 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl, over $10,000 in cash, and two loaded handguns. Jamison is a convicted felon due to multiple previous drug convictions in New York and Maryland.
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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse and Joseph E. DePadilla 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. 2:18-cr-105.
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Toni Baldonado, 25, of Tucson, Ariz., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking. Baldonado entered her guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Baldonado after seizing approximately 1.55 kilograms (3.42 pounds) of methamphetamine from her luggage during an interdiction investigation in Albuquerque on June 17, 2016. Baldonado was indicted on July 12, 2016, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Baldonado admitted that she was transporting the methamphetamine from Phoenix, Ariz., to Denver, Colo., in exchange for payment. At sentencing, Baldonado faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. A sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.