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1 December 2018
Two Charleston Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston men were sentenced to prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. United States District Judge Joseph Robert Goodwin sentenced Richard Sales, 40, and Eric Davison, 26, to 25 and 40 months in prison, respectively. Stuart praised the work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“MDENT does a tremendous job in removing drug dealers, their poisons and their guns from the streets of Charleston,” said United States Mike Stuart. “The partnership my team has with the various drug and violent crime task forces throughout the Southern District is vital in fighting the drug epidemic.”
Sales and Davison previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin in Kanawha County in March of 2016. They both admitted that they conspired to sell heroin in Charleston and St. Albans from March 1 to March 25, 2016. Sales admitted that during that time, he supplied Davison with heroin. Davison, in turn, admitted that he sold heroin to a confidential informant on three occasions in furtherance of the conspiracy. The investigation culminated with a search of Sales’ apartment, during which officers recovered over 80 grams of heroin and a loaded handgun from Sales’ bedroom.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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30 November 2018
Williamson County Man Sentenced to More than 16 Years for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackie C. Buckner, 38, of Johnston City, Illinois, has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Buckner previously pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictment alleged that the offense occurred between December 2016 and May 2018, in Williamson County. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Buckner was involved with other persons in the distribution of ice. Ice is methamphetamine with a purity level of at least 80%. At sentencing, the district court found that Buckner was responsible for the distribution of approximately 615.30 grams of ice.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Energy Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
Western Michigan Man Receives 30 Months for Role in Dog-Fighting ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Western Michigan man was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in prison for his role in a dog fighting conspiracy based in the surrounding counties of Grand Rapids. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Charles Deon Davis Jr., 34, of Wyoming, Michigan, pleaded guilty in June 2018 to one felony count of conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit a dog in a dog fight and unlawful possession of dogs intended to be used for the purpose of dog fighting, and one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew Byerly Birge of the Western District of Michigan made the announcement.
Davis and four co-defendants were indicted in a superseding indictment on April 18, 2018, for one conspiracy count and multiple counts of unlawful possession of animals intended to be used for the purpose of dog fighting. Davis was also indicted in a separate case for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Co-defendant Damiane Buehrer was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment in October 2018. The remaining co-defendants, including Charles Joseph Miller, Kian Maliak Miller, and Jarvis Jason-Roy Askew, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Between at least December 2016 and December 7, 2017, Davis co-owned and operated, with defendant Charles Miller, “Stick Wit Me Kennels,” for the purposes of breeding, training, conditioning, and developing dogs for participation in dog fighting. Davis kept four dogs for those purposes, which, together with those owned by his co-conspirators, for a total of 37 dogs, were seized by law enforcement as part of the investigation. Davis was also found to possess medication for the purpose of treating dogs for wounds received during dog fighting, as well as equipment for training the dogs, including a “break stick,” and “spring poles.” The co-defendants frequently exchanged electronic communications for the purpose of sharing information about training and conditioning dogs for fighting, breeding fighting dogs, contracting for and sponsoring dog fights, collecting forfeited funds when a contracted dog fight resulted in a forfeit, and sharing results of dog fights.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Zell and Hagen Frank, and Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Ingham County Animal Control Office. The ASPCA assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
Vinita Sex Offender Apprehended in Mexico Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A 36-year old convicted sex offender has entered a guilty plea for failing to notify authorities of international travel, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
On Oct. 25, the U.S. Marshals Northern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force apprehended Kaylynn Dee Meyer, of Vinita, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Today she pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to failure to report information required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act that she intended to and did, in fact, travel outside the United States.
In 2013, Meyer was convicted of enabling child sexual abuse in Pawnee County. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with all but the first six months suspended. A warrant for her arrest was subsequently issued in 2017 in Craig County for failure to register as a sex offender and for a new accusation of child abuse by injury. Authorities had been unable to locate Meyer until she was discovered in Mexico.
“Convicted sex offenders do not get to avoid registration. Communities should be aware when a convicted sexual predator is residing, working, or going to school in their neighborhood. The defendant in this case, Kaylynn Meyer, repeatedly violated her requirements to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Fleeing to Mexico could not stop the wheels of justice from turning. Thanks to the United States Marshals Northern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners in the Craig and Pawnee County Sheriff’s Offices, Kaylynn Meyer will not escape accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Ensuring the timely and updated registration of sex offenders is an important duty to protecting our families and our community at large.”
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan scheduled Meyer’s sentencing for March 6. Meyer will remain in custody until that time when she potentially faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Craig and Pawnee County Sheriff’s Offices are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A.S. Régal is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
U.S. Seeks to Recover over $73 Million in Proceeds Traceable to Bank Fraud to Conceal the Involvement of Jho Taek LowRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit and recover more than $73 million in funds associated with an international conspiracy to defraud U.S. financial institutions and to launder funds controlled by Jho Taek Low, also known as “Jho Low,” an individual who is the subject of an indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleging that Low and others conspired to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Malaysia’s investment development fund, and pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to foreign officials, among other things.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Keith A. Bonanno of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Cyber Investigations Office.
As alleged in the forfeiture complaint, multiple bank accounts were opened at U.S. financial institutions by Prakazrel (“Pras”) Michel and former Justice Department employee George Higginbotham in 2017 to receive tens of millions of dollars in funds from overseas accounts controlled by Jho Low. In opening these accounts, Michel and Higginbotham allegedly made false and misleading statements to U.S. financial institutions that housed the accounts in order to mislead these institutions about the source of the funds and to obscure Jho Low’s involvement in these transactions. Michel and Higginbotham allegedly intended to use these funds to attempt to influence the Justice Department’s investigation of Jho Low and 1MDB. As alleged in the complaint, Higginbotham, as a Justice Department employee, played no role in any aspect of the investigation and failed to influence any aspect of the Department’s investigation of Low or 1MDB.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Michel and Higginbotham defrauded U.S. financial institutions and laundered millions of dollars into the United States as part of an effort to improperly influence the Department’s investigation into the massive embezzlement and bribery scheme involving 1MDB,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will do everything we can to trace, seize, and forfeit the proceeds of foreign corruption that flow through the U.S. financial system.”
“Corruption is often at the root of national security, terrorism, and criminal threats, and those who seek to take advantage of our financial systems to perpetuate fraud and abuse will not be tolerated,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “The FBI is committed to investigating and uncovering corruption no matter where it occurs, in conjunction with our domestic and international partners.”
“Ensuring the integrity of Department of Justice employees is of paramount importance,” said DOJ-OIG Special Agent in Charge Bonanno. “An employee who facilitates or participates in this type of illicit activity will be thoroughly investigated by the OIG, including situations where attempts are made to influence the Department’s independence.”
This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, return those proceeds to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] (link sends e-mail).
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI’s International Corruption Unit and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Woo S. Lee, and Trial Attorneys Joshua L. Sohn and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Statement on the Death of Deputy Marshal in TucsonRead the Press Release
“Today, we mourn the loss of a member of the federal law enforcement family,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “This death is a tragic reminder of the dangers our dedicated law enforcement partners willingly face daily in the line of duty. Our hearts go out to the Deputy Marshal’s family and friends, as well as the entire United States Marshals Service community.”
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-164_ USMS
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Two northwest Louisiana felons sentenced, one pleads guilty to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two northwest Louisiana felons were sentenced and one pled guilty to firearms charges.
Felon from Many, Louisiana sentenced for possessing firearms after assault and police standoff at barbershop
Willie D. Carhee, 56, of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced Thursday to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 20, 2018 guilty plea, police responded to a 911 domestic assault call that occurred at a barbershop in Many on April 27, 2017. After the assault, Carhee ran inside the barbershop where he worked and refused to leave. The victim told the police dispatcher that Carhee had a firearm at the barbershop as well as firearms at his home. Law enforcement set up a perimeter and called SWAT. A Many police officer found and seized a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .45 caliber pistol in plain view in Carhee’s car, which was parked in front of the barbershop. After SWAT threw a telephone through the window of the barbershop, Carhee surrendered to authorities. A search of the barbershop yielded approximately 190 grams of marijuana. Police searched Carhee’s home and found a Marlin, Glenfield model 70, .22 caliber rifle, a Remington, model: 770, .308 caliber rifle, a Remington, model: 710, .30-06 caliber rifle, and several marijuana plants in the backyard. Carhee has a long criminal history involving drugs and firearms. He has at least six felony convictions, which include: possession of a Schedule II drug in the 10th Judicial District, Natchitoches Parish, on March 12, 2012, possession/introduction of contraband into a penal institution on July 10, 2008, manufacturing of a Schedule I drug and illegal carrying of a weapon in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, on September 14, 2006, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in the 294th Judicial District, Dallas, Texas, and reckless injury to a child in Dallas, Texas. Being a convicted felon, Carhee is not allowed to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Many Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Shreveport felon sentenced to 26 months in prison for using relative’s pistol
Frank G. Pearson, 22, of Shreveport, was sentenced Monday to two years and two months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 20, 2018 guilty plea, Shreveport police recovered a Zastava model PAP M92PV 7.62x39 mm pistol, 36 rounds of ammunition and two 7.62 magazines taped together at the home of Pearson’s relative. The firearm belonged to Pearson’s relative, but Pearson had access to the firearm and had borrowed it on several occasions between June 1, 2017 and August 23, 2017. Pearson is a felon who was previously convicted in 2016 for theft and illegal use of a weapon. He is restricted from possessing a firearm.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to drug, firearm charges
Ellis Harp III, 44, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed three warrants - one on Hollywood Avenue and two on Earl Street in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shreveport police and SWAT executed a warrant at one of Harp’s Earl Street residences. During a search of a shed on the property, police found 137.080 grams of powder cocaine, three sets of digital scales, a Ruger .44-caliber revolver and an Olympic Arms Inc. SGW & Safari Arms AR-15. Harp is a convicted felon and pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Harp faces up to 20 years in prison for drug distribution and five years in prison for firearm’s possession. He also faces up to five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 29, 2019.
The ATF, DEA, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
These cases were 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 Justice Department 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, PSN was reinvigorated and all U.S. Attorney’s Offices were directed to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Two illegal aliens sentenced, one pleads guilty after arrests in Calcasieu, St. Mary parishesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two illegal aliens were sentenced and one pleaded guilty after arrests that took place in Calcasieu and St. Mary parishes.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in St. Mary Parish pleads guilty to drugs, firearms charges
LAFAYETTE - Raymundo Pizano-Montes, 38, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession with intent to distribute LSD and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the guilty plea, a St. Mary Parish deputy pulled over a Mazda SUV for a traffic violation. Pizaono-Montes was one of five occupants in the vehicle. The deputy searched the vehicle and found $14,582; 319 dosage units of LSD; 82 Xanax pills; marijuana paraphernalia; a scale; and 12 firearms. The defendant stated he was a Mexican citizen who buys and sells firearms and drugs. Pizano-Montes was deported in 2010 after having been convicted in California for second degree battery and had re-entered the United States illegally.
Pizano-Montes faces 15 to 25 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The court set sentencing for March 1, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations, ATF and St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Calcasieu Parish and sentenced for illegal re-entry
LAKE CHARLES - Alfredo Sanchez-Hernandez, 39, of Mexico, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the August 28, 2018 guilty plea, Sanchez-Hernandez was found in Calcasieu Parish on March 5, 2018 to be in the United States illegally. After further investigation, law enforcement agents discovered that Sanchez-Hernandez had been previously removed from the United States on four occasions with the most recent being on February 15, 2010 near San Ysidro, California. The defendant was convicted in California in May of 2000 for possession of heroin and was not allowed to re-enter the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case. The defendant was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Illegal alien from Honduras sentenced for illegally re-entering U.S. four times
LAKE CHARLES - Boney D. Cruz-Funez, 33, of Progresso, Honduras, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the June 20, 2018 guilty plea, on April 11, 2018, Sulphur police conducted a traffic stop on Cruz-Funez’s vehicle on Interstate 10. After the stop, he admitted to being in the country illegally. Cruz-Funez was removed from the United States previously on four occasions with the last removal taking place in May 2013 from San Antonio, Texas.
United States Border Patrol and the Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Two Lancaster Residents Sentenced for Their Role in National Guard Armory Firearms TheftRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Austin Lee Ritter, age 23, and Kimberly Denise Cannon, age 40, both of Lancaster, South Carolina, each were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty in June to being a felon in possession of firearms and to possession of machineguns and destructive device not registered to them.
Evidence presented in court established that in the early morning hours of November 26, 2017, an officer with the Lancaster Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cannon after observing her littering. Further investigation during the traffic stop revealed the following inside the vehicle: a FNH, model M249, 5.56mm machinegun; two Colt, model M-16, 5.56mm machineguns; two Beretta, model M9, 9mm pistols; a Colt, model M203, 40mm grenade launcher (“destructive device”); night vision goggles; and various military items stolen from the Lancaster National Guard Armory.
After the traffic stop, Ritter and co-defendant Brandon Shane Polston, who has also pled guilty to federal charges and will be sentenced on December 14, 2018, were found in a Lancaster motel in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine. A review of surveillance video from the motel showed Ritter, Cannon, and Polston bringing bags containing the firearms back and forth between the vehicle and the motel room. Searches of their cell phones revealed various photos and text messages relating to the firearms and sale of the firearms.
An investigation revealed that Polston stole the firearms from the Lancaster National Guard Armory and then directed Cannon to take him and Ritter to an area near the Armory, where they retrieved the firearms and other items from a ditch and placed them in their car, later transporting them to the motel. Some of the stolen firearms were later recovered in possession of other felons in the area, while other firearms remain missing.
Both Ritter and Cannon are prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon their prior state convictions. Ritter has prior convictions for accessory after the fact of a felony, possession of a controlled substance, breach of trust, receiving stolen goods, and theft of a controlled substance. Cannon, who was on state probation from a North Carolina conviction at the time of this incident, has prior convictions for shoplifting, assault and battery, and obtaining property by false pretenses.
United States District Judge Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Ritter to 87 months in federal prison with 3 years of supervised release to follow. Cannon was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison with 3 years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Lancaster Police Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Two Lake Charles residents sentenced for kidnapping Texas man after drug dealRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two Lake Charles defendants were sentenced this week for kidnapping a Texas man after a failed drug deal. Justin Fry, 35, was sentenced to 292 months in prison, and James Coleman, 34, was sentenced to 242 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for interstate kidnapping. The defendants, both of Lake Charles, were also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to the guilty pleas, the defendants traveled to Liberty, Texas, on April 6, 2016 to buy methamphetamine from a contact. In order to complete the sale, the contact rode with the defendants to Houston on April 8, 2018 to meet a second contact who had the methamphetamine. Instead of selling the drugs, the Houston contact robbed the defendants, and the contact from Liberty left with him. Fry and Coleman followed them until they saw the Liberty man jump out of the moving car, at which time they retrieved the bloodied victim, duct taped his hands and covered his eyes. The defendants later beat and threatened to kill him in an attempt to force him to pay back the $1,300. After making several phone calls, the victim was unable to get the money. The defendants then decided to drive back to Louisiana, stopped at a gas station in Beaumont where they placed the victim in the trunk, and then drove on to a Vinton, Louisiana, casino where he escaped and called law enforcement. The defendants’ cell phones were searched and conversations about the drug deal were found in addition to videos of the beatings.
“This case is an example of the violence that results from illegal drug deals,” Joseph stated. “Thankfully no one was killed in this incident, but it demonstrates that drug trafficking often leads to all manner of violence. I want to thank the law enforcement agents who saved the victim in this case and brought the defendants to justice.”
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive plague that routinely inflicts dramatic health and safety consequences upon communities where it’s introduced,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. “This case clearly illustrates the violence that often permeates illegal drug trafficking, and today’s sentencing is a testament to the excellent working relationship between HSI and its local law enforcement partners to protect the public from these violent criminal networks and the lawlessness they spread.”
Sarah Paxton, 25, of Lake Charles, was also charged with kidnapping. Her sentencing date is scheduled for December 17, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Two Freight Forwarding Executives Plead Guilty to Fixing PricesRead the Press Release
Roberto Dip and Jason Handal pleaded guilty today in Miami, Florida, for their roles in orchestrating a nationwide conspiracy to fix prices for international freight forwarding services, marking the first convictions in this investigation, the Department of Justice announced.
Dip and Handal were charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana on October 16, 2018, and the case was later transferred to the Southern District of Florida, where Dip and Handal entered their guilty pleas today. Dip, a citizen of Honduras, is the president and CEO of a Louisiana-based freight forwarding company, and Handal, a U.S. citizen, is the company’s manager. The pair conspired with their competitors to fix the prices for freight forwarding services provided in the United States and elsewhere from at least as early as September 2010 until at least March 2015. In addition to their guilty pleas, Dip and Handal have agreed to pay a criminal fine and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
“Through these plea agreements, the Antitrust Division and the FBI hold accountable two senior executives who conspired to cheat American customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who target consumers in vital international industries.”
Freight forwarders arrange for and manage the shipment of goods, including by receiving, packaging, and otherwise preparing cargo destined for international ocean shipment.
The ongoing investigation into price fixing in the international freight forwarding industry is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section, the FBI’s International Corruption Unit, and the FBI’s New Orleans Division. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section at 202-307-6694, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
Two Border Patrol Agents Assaulted in Separate IncidentsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 30, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Franklin Adriel Rohac-Garci and Frazy Jiron were charged in separate complaints today with assault on a federal officer and illegal entry arising out of incidents that occurred last night.
As alleged in one of the complaints, the first incident occurred when Border Patrol Agent C. Nelson was conducting routine patrol in the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station’s area of resonsibilitity. At approximately 9:30 p.m., Agent Nelson encountered five subjects, including one later identified as defendant Frazy Jiron. Agent Nelson approached the subjects, identified himself as a Border Patrol agent, and told the group to not move. Jiron began to stand up and was ordered to lie down. As Agent Nelson attempted to handcuff Jiron, Jiron made a statement that caused the rest of the group to begin to stand up. After a brief struggle, Jiron managed to get back to his feet and the rest of the group stood up and began to run. Jiron threw an elbow behind him that struck Agent Nelson in the chest. A brief struggle ensued, causing both Agent Nelson and Jiron to fall down a hill. Jiron was later arrested and admitted he is a Honduran citizen, with no legal right to be in the United States.
The second charging document alleges that at approximately 10:45 p.m., Border Patrol Agent Brian D. Cox was conducting routine patrol at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station. Agent Cox encountered an individual, later identified as defendant Franklin Ariel Rochac-Garcia, running towards his location. Agent Cox ordered him to stop. Rochac ignored Agent Cox’s command and instead continued running towards him. As Rochac approached Agent Cox, Rochac reached back with his arm and swung at Agent Cox. Agent Cox avoided the punch and grabbed Rochac’s sleeve in an effort to restrain him. Agent Cox and Rochac fell to the ground and Rochac got up and ran south towards the border. As Rochac attempted to jump over the fence, Agent Cox was able to detain him. Rochac was arrested after stating he was a citizen of El Salvador without any immigration documents allowing him to enter or remain in the United States legally.
“Assault on federal officers is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting these cases.”
The case against defendant Rohac-Garci is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin McDonald, and the case against defendant Jiron is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlos Arguello.
DEFENDANT Case Number 18 MJ 6082
Franklin Adriel Rohac-Garci
DEFENDANT Case Number 18 MJ 6085
Frazy Jiron
SUMMARY OF CHARGES (both defendants)
Assault on a Federal Officer, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 111 (a)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine
Illegal Entry, in violation of Title 8 U.S.C., Sec. 1325
AGENCIES
U.S. Border Patrol
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Transnational Methamphetamine-Trafficking Organization Dismantled, Leader Sentenced to More Than Nineteen YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Brian Quinonez-Soto (36, California) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Quinonez-Soto to forfeit $33,214, an amount traceable to proceeds of the offense.
Quinonez-Soto had pleaded guilty on February 12, 2018.
According to court documents and sentencing hearing evidence, Quinonez-Soto, while in California, led a methamphetamine-trafficking organization in the Middle District of Florida. He was held responsible for shipping more than 4.5 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine, the highest quantity accounted for by the federal sentencing guidelines, into the Middle District of Florida. One of the co-conspirators admitted to receiving 15 pounds of methamphetamine from Quinonez-Soto.
The methamphetamine trafficked by Quinonez-Soto was extremely pure. For instance, the drugs from one of his shipments weighed nearly 450 grams and lab-tested to be 100% pure.
Eight of Quinonez-Soto’s subordinates in his drug-trafficking organization have pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced:
- Crystal Romine sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment on August 10, 2017;
- Toni Lee Platt sentenced to 5 years, 10 months’ imprisonment on November 7, 2017;
- Lovenia Wilson sentenced to 11 years, 3 months’ imprisonment on November 20, 2017;
- Charles Johnson III sentenced to 5 years, 10 months’ imprisonment on April 23, 2018;
- Tea Robert Vandugteren sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment on May 23, 2018;
- Henry Eugene Smith sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment on June 1, 2018;
- Reyandra Camorlinga sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment on July 26, 2018; and
- William Piper sentenced to 8 years, 1 month’s imprisonment on September 17, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory T. Nolan.
Three Men Charged with Narcotics Conspiracy for Selling Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Donte Walker, a/k/a Slim, 27, Clayton Williams, a/k/a Dee, 29, and Kevin Hinca, 27, all of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine. In addition, defendants Walker and Williams are also charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, using and maintaining a drug premises, and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin. Those charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. Parisi and Charles J. Volkert, Jr., who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2015 and October 2018, the defendants conspired to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, and furanyl fentanyl. Defendants Walker and Williams are also accused of using a residence at 410 Northland Avenue in Buffalo to manufacture, distribute, and use heroin, and butyryl fentanyl.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tampa Man Charged with Enticing Children on Video Game System to Create and Send Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Kyle Wallace (22, Tampa) has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with production and attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Wallace faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a potential lifetime of supervision.
According to the
complaint , on November 29, 2018, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Wallace’s home in Tampa. On Wallace’s phone, agents found at least four child-pornography images depicting two different male minors. Wallace admitted that he had persuaded those minors to send him child pornography by, among other things, offering them money and gift cards or credits for games on the Xbox Live video game system. Wallace further admitted to sexually molesting one of the two boys, when the child was only eleven or twelve years old.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Jennifer L. Peresie.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Southwick Man Arrested for Sending Threatening Letters and White Powder to Federal Agencies in Springfield, Mass.Read the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southwick man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield, Mass., for sending four packages, two of which contained white powder, to federal agencies.
Kevin A. Johnson, 47, was charged by criminal complaint with two counts of conveying false information and hoaxes and two counts of mailing threatening communications. Johnson was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield.
According to the charging document, between July and November 2018, the FBI’s Springfield Office and the Springfield Social Security Administration Office (SSA Springfield), received collectively three packages containing either threatening communications and/or suspicious substances. The Springfield Branch Office of the United States Attorney’s Office received a letter from an individual claiming responsibility for sending the packages. All of the packages contained a piece of white-lined paper with a hand-drawn logo that appeared to combine the “anarchist A” symbol (the capital letter “A” surrounded by the letter “O”) and the symbol for ISIS. Two of the packages contained suspicious white powder.
As alleged in court documents, on July 23, 2018, security cameras at the FBI Springfield Office captured an individual throwing a manila envelope at the front door. The package contained a handwritten note saying: “Death to TRUMP.”
On Oct. 23, 2018, SSA Springfield received a package containing white powder and a handwritten letter stating, among other things: “FOR ALLAH YOU DIE, ATHENA KNOWS YOUR LIES, DEATH TO YOU TRAITORS, AND THE FU----- FBI.”
On Oct. 24, 2018, the FBI Springfield Office received a package through the mail addressed to “AGENT UNCLE HAM.” The package contained white powder and a handwritten note stating: “FOR ALLAH YOU DIE, ATHENA KNOWS YOUR LIES, DEATH TO THE N.O.R.A.D SPIES, AND THE FBI.” Laboratory testing later determined that the white powder in the packages did not contain hazardous material.
On Nov. 13, 2018, the Springfield Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts received a letter through the mail addressed to the U.S. Attorney. The return address stated: “WANTED FOR TERRORISM.” The package included a handwritten letter and two newspaper articles. One of the newspaper articles was a report that the SSA Springfield building closed after receiving a suspicious package. The article noted that the powder was found to be onion salt. The words “onion salt” were circled in pen on the article. The second article was about the death of James “Whitey” Bulger Jr. The phrase “5 finger Freddy” was written in pen next to the name “Freddy Geas” on the article. News media outlets have reported Geas as Bulger’s suspected killer.
The charges of false information and hoaxes provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of mailing threatening communications provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joseph W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Stephen A. Marks, Special agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Division; and Southwick Police Chief Kevin A. Bishop, made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and Holyoke Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
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.
Sixth Defendant Sentenced in Credit Card and ID Theft Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison for his involvement in a scheme that resulted in 19,000 stolen credit and debit cards that were used to obtain over $490,000 in unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals and money order purchases.
According to court documents, Mushegh Melkonyan, 28, participated in a multistep conspiracy involving at least six other individuals. Specifically, conspirators attached electronic devices known as “skimmers” to gas pump payment systems, collected the information captured when payment cards were swiped at the compromised gas pumps by unwitting customers, and encoded the stolen card numbers onto physical payment cards. Thereafter, conspirators used the physical cards encoded with stolen card information throughout Northern Virginia and elsewhere, making fraudulent ATM withdrawals and U.S. Postal Service money order purchases. Court documents show that Melkonyan furthered the conspiracy by traveling to the Eastern District of Virginia in August 2017, reserving a Falls Church hotel room that was used to store the proceeds and tools of the conspiracy, and using physical cards encoded with stolen payment card numbers to withdraw funds on August 8 from area ATMs.
As reflected in court documents, in addition to Melkonyan, the five individuals listed in the table below have been charged with participating in the same conspiracy, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and/or aggravated identity theft, and have been sentenced.
Name, Age
Hometown
Convictions
Sentence
Mushegh Melkonyan, 28
Las Vegas, Nev.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
4.5 years
Rudolf Mekhakian, 31
Van Nuys, Calif.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
7.5 years
Radik Karapetyan, 25
North Hollywood, Calif.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
6.5 years
Siranush Yengibaryan, 24
Van Nuys, Calif.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
5.5 years
Armen Saplekchian, 37
Tarzana, Calif.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft
5 years
Anatoly Zinchenko, 47
Philadelphia, Pa.
Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud
3 years
Court documents indicate that some of the above-listed defendants may face immigration consequences as a result of their convictions. For instance, Karapetyan and Yengibaryan are citizens of Armenia and green card holders, and Saplekchian is an illegal alien.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Berrang and Kellen S. Dwyer 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. 1:18-cr-149.
Sex Trafficker of Minors Found Guilty by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – After a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves, a federal jury in Jackson found Willie Charles Blackmon, Jr., 36, of Jackson, guilty on Thursday of two counts of sex trafficking minors through force, fraud, maintaining and harboring the minors for commercial sex acts, and two counts of advertising and promoting prostitution, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Beginning in July 2014 and continuing through March 2016, agents with the Jackson FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, FBI New Orleans Violent Crimes against Children Task Force, Clinton Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated Willie Charles Blackmon, Jr.’s prostitution ring. Blackmon purchased a runaway minor for $500 and recruited runaway minors for prostitution. Blackmon knew the minors would engage in commercial sex acts with men for money. Blackmon would rent rooms at local hotels in Jackson and Vicksburg for the minors for days at a time. Blackmon kept most, if not all, of the money earned by the minors from the sex acts. The evidence showed that Blackmon would physically harm the minors and threaten them by holding a gun to their heads if they did not perform or if they disrespected him. He also provided drugs to the minors.
"This criminal deserves the harshest punishment under the law for harming, threatening and drugging children to do unspeakable things for money. I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, as well as our prosecutors and support staff, for bringing this monster to justice and rescuing these victims. I would ask the public to help us by continuing to be vigilant to these crimes that occur all around us and promptly reporting any suspicious activity to law enforcement," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
Judge Carlton Reeves will sentence Blackmon on March 4, 2019 at 9:00 am. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, and fines of up to $1 million.
This case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, FBI New Orleans Child Exploitation Task Force, Clinton Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda R. Haynes and Keith French prosecuted the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Sanford Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Jurden Rogers (29, Sanford) to 11 years and 9 months in federal prison for bank robbery and for brandishing of a firearm during the bank robbery. His co-defendant, Jerad Hanks (26, Daytona Beach), previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 9 years and 9 months’ imprisonment for the same offenses.
According to evidence presented at Rogers’s trial, on January 18, 2018, Rogers and Hanks robbed a Seacoast Bank in Sanford. Rogers backed up the getaway car up to the front entrance of the bank and Hanks exited the vehicle wearing a ski mask and holding a shotgun. Hanks then entered the bank and brandished the shotgun at tellers while demanding cash. After robbing the bank tellers of over $2,300, Hanks returned to the waiting getaway car, and Rogers drove them to a nearby apartment complex. When law enforcement officers located Rogers and Hanks at the apartment complex later that day, Rogers hid his half of the robbery proceeds in the waste pipe of his toilet and tried to escape out of a third-story apartment window.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sanford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt. Assistant United States Attorney Nathan W. Hill assisted with the prosecution.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Her Boyfriend Escape After A RobberyRead 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 Jessica Henton, 30, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to Hobbs Act Robbery, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on February 18, 2017, the defendant was driving her car in the area of South Avenue in Rochester, with her boyfriend, Fred Swan, in the passenger seat. Swan got out of Henton’s car and walked to Alice’s Market, located at 1477 South Avenue. Swan entered the store and pointed a gun at the store clerk and demanded money from the register. The clerk gave Swan approximately $50. Swan then called the defendant and instructed her to move her car to another location. Swan ran to the car, got in, and Henton drove him away. Swan told the defendant that he had just robbed Alice’s Market, and the defendant proceeded to drive Swan away from the scene.
Fred Swan was previously convicted of Hobbs Act Robbery and sentenced on November to serve 192 months in prison.
Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Simmons, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. before Chief Judge Geraci.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Gun ChargesRead 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 Devonte Mitchell, 21, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated the defendant’s arrest followed a search of his residence by the Monroe County Probation Department. During the search, probation officers recovered a quantity of fentanyl packaged for sale and a loaded firearm. At the time of his arrest, Mitchell was on probation for a Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree conviction.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Larry Mattle, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Simmons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2018, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Real Estate Broker Convicted of Bank Fraud in Orlando Area Mortgage SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Geo Geovanni (49, Moultrie, Georgia) guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment for each count. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 25, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Geovanni was a real estate broker who owned his own brokerage firm based in Orlando. Between May and August 2008, Geovanni sold condominium units to buyers at The Landing, located in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Geovanni engaged in a conspiracy to conceal from mortgage lenders sales incentives that he provided to the buyers. These undisclosed incentives included making the buyers’ down payments and paying kickbacks after closing. As a result of his actions, Geovanni helped cause the loss of approximately $761,150 to JP Morgan Chase Bank and Wells Fargo Bank when the mortgages involved in the fraudulent transactions went into foreclosure.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Capone.
Previously Convicted Felon from Gallup Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ricardo A. Teran, 39, of Gallup, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 34 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Teran will be on supervised release for three years.
Teran pled guilty to this offense on Aug. 30, 2017. According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) executed a search warrant at Teran’s home on Feb. 5, 2016. Law enforcement agents seized firearms, ammunition, bullet-resistant vests, drugs, and drug paraphernalia from the residence. This included a loaded pistol, revolver, shot gun, methamphetamine pipe, and syringes in a two-year-old child’s bedroom.
Teran was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or body armor because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, receiving a stolen firearm, and aggravated assault against a household member.
This case was investigated by HSI and the MCSO with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Portland Nurse Charged with Drug TaffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – On November 29, 2018, Rene Elene Griffin Nunn, 59, of Vancouver, Washington, made an initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo.
A one-count indictment alleges Nunn conspired to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The indictment also alleges that, between September 2017 and January 2018, Nunn communicated with others about the price and quantity of methamphetamine and heroin, and in February 2018, drove from Vancouver to Portland with approximately 93 grams of heroin in her purse. According to yesterday’s hearing, she is a registered nurse employed at Adventist Medical Center in Portland.
Nunn was released pending trial. A three-day jury trial is scheduled for January 29, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez. If convicted, Nunn faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and a mandatory minimum three-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician Sentenced to Prison for Diverting Hundreds of Thousands ff OpioidsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On Nov. 28, 2018, Pharmacist Vilawoe Aku Boadu, 39, of Peoria, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 120 months in prison. Zinka Sisic, 30, of Phoenix, Ariz., who worked as a Pharmacy Technician for Boadu, was previously sentenced to 48 months in prison. Boadu and Sisic were both convicted of conspiring to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to launder money involved in a drug trafficking offense.
From September 2014 until their arrest in July 2017, Boadu and Sisic used two pharmacies owned by Boadu - Scottsdale Health Pharmacy and V-Estrella Pharmacy - to process fraudulent prescriptions and distribute more than 200,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets into the community. Boadu and Sisic also illegally diverted thousands of alprazolam tablets, and more than 13 gallons of promethazine with codeine. Boadu and Sisic regularly provided their coconspirators with 100-count bottles of high-dosage prescription opioids directly from the pharmaceutical companies.
Michael Karron Holley, 32, and Julian Thomas Petty, 27, local musicians who used the stage names “Swerve Baller” and “Bouji,” were also convicted as part of this case. Holley was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Petty was sentenced to five years in prison. The investigation showed that Petty created fraudulent prescriptions in an attempt to legitimize the prescription drug diversion from Boadu’s pharmacies, and that Holley was primarily responsible for distributing the controlled substances to other street-level drug dealers. During the conspiracy, Holley and Petty both recorded songs and music videos promoting drug trafficking with lyrics such as, “don’t talk dope on cell phones” and “at the pharmacy pimping.”
As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized 25 firearms, other weapon components, numerous pistols, rifles, a shotgun, an AK-47, and a high-capacity 100-round magazine. Officials also seized several bank accounts and vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz. As part of the judgment, the defendants were ordered to forfeit more than $100,000 worth of jewelry and more than 650 pairs of designer shoes.
“These licensed healthcare professionals violated the law and their position of trust by distributing dangerously addictive prescription drugs to the community,“ stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “Opioid addiction is a serious problem throughout the country due, in part, to unscrupulous healthcare professionals -- such as these defendants -- who place profit above the law and public safety. We will continue to prosecute the illegal distribution of prescription drugs to the fullest extent of the law, and we applaud our law enforcement partners for their part in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“The DEA is committed to aggressively pursuing those healthcare professionals who violate our trust, and illegally peddle the controlled prescription drugs they are specifically entrusted to safeguard from diversion,” said Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of DEA in Arizona. “Seeking these violators who contribute to the continuing opioid epidemic in our nation remains a top priority for the DEA, and the successful outcomes of these investigations demonstrate the steadfast commitment by federal, state and local law enforcement officials to protect our communities.”
“This case clearly demonstrates our collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies at every level in apprehending anyone, especially those in a trusted medical position, who seeks to bring dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “HSI will continue to prioritize resources to combat the serious opioid addiction affecting the thousands of people across the nation.”
"By creating fraudulent prescriptions with fake names, exclusively making cash payments, and using cell phones registered under false names, there is no doubt the defendants attempted to conceal their illegal activities. Special Agents with IRS Criminal Investigation are fully committed to working with their law enforcement partners in combatting the opioid epidemic sweeping our nation" stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department, the Glendale Police Department, and the Surprise Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Matthew Binford, Assistant United States Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-889-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-162_ Boadu
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Owner of 'Ready Made RC' Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Importation of Batteries from ChinaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The owner of Ready Made RC, a Lewis Center-based company that sells radio-controlled model aircraft and drones as well as parts and supplies for them, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to intentionally understating the value of lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries he imported from China in order to avoid paying the proper import duty/tax on them, and violating safety regulations by improperly labeling, mailing and shipping the batteries.
Timothy Stanfield, 47, of Lewis Center, pleaded guilty to one count of entry of goods by means of false statements, a crime punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Stanfield also pleaded guilty to one count each of mailing injurious materials, transportation of hazardous materials, and money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, and Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the pleas entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on Wednesday, November 27.
Court documents say Stanfield placed a total of 13 orders from a Chinese company, Kypom Technology Stock Co, LTD, between October 2012 and January 2015 valued at $778,395.60. Customs and Border Protection agents inspected one of the shipments in January 2015 consisting of 186 boxes containing 4,007 individual batteries. The declared value was $19,827, which is significantly less than the actual invoiced value of the batteries.
Investigators made an undercover purchase of batteries from the company’s website in February 2015. Four batteries, including to LiPo batteries were mailed. Investigators found that the shipment was not properly packaged and contained more batteries than permitted by law. Safety regulations control the shipment of LiPo batteries because of their chemical contents. Investigators also found that the batteries were not properly packaged or labeled for shipment in air cargo.
"Companies who illegally import batteries and other merchandise with the intent to evade U.S. Customs laws will be held accountable,” Said Steve Francis, special agent in charge for HSI Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. "Simply put, when these U.S. laws are not adhered to, lives are put at risk. HSI and our partners will continue to aggressively target and investigate those who jeopardize consumer safety.”
“The details of this case are egregious. Timothy Stanfield placed a higher value on his profit than the safety of the employees of the air cargo companies,” stated Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to following the money, wherever it leads.”
Stanfield agreed to pay restitution of $22,614.74 to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A sentencing date will be scheduled following a pre-sentence investigation by the court.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the HSI and IRS Criminal Investigation, as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He also commended Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Marous and Jessica Knight, who are representing the United States in the case.
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Ocala Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Santonio Juvon Jackson (35, Ocala) to 20 years in federal prison for possession, distribution, and conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin and fentanyl. A federal jury had found him guilty on June 13, 2018.
According to court documents, Jackson conspired with others to deliver 167.2 grams of heroin and fentanyl in the Ocala area.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Northeast Missouri Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Russell Eugene Wolf, 42, of Kahoka, Missouri, was sentenced today to 198 months’ imprisonment for Producing Child Pornography. The investigation showed that Wolf hid a camera in a bathroom to record an underage child while the child showered. The camera was disguised to look like a coat hook.
The case was investigated by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Kirksville Police Department and the Ames (Iowa) Police Department. AUSA Rob Livergood handled the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.
North Carolina Licensed Attorney Indicted for Aiding and Abetting Visa Fraud and False Statements in Immigration ProceedingsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an Indictment charging SARAH JANE BRINSON, age 34, from Clinton, North Carolina, with aiding and abetting visa fraud and false statements in immigration proceedings.
The Indictment alleges that BRINSON, a licensed attorney and notary public in North Carolina, prepared and submitted on behalf of a client immigration applications containing false statements.
As alleged in the charging document, her client was a citizen of Guatemala who retained BRINSON under his real name but was utilizing an assumed name to illegally work in the United States. The Indictment additionally alleges that, while BRINSON knew her client’s real name, she notarized the client’s signature under the assumed identity and represented him in Wayne County District Court on several traffic matters.
Further, the Indictment alleges that BRINSON prepared and submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) an application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and a request for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) stating under penalty of perjury that her client had not used other names.
If convicted, BRINSON would face maximum penalties of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) led by Homeland Security Investigations, and assisted by USCIS, among other agencies.
If you suspect immigration benefit fraud please complete the Homeland Security Tip Form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form or call the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).
New York Man Sentenced to Two Years' Federal Prison Time for Attempting to Sell 7 Kilograms of Fake Cocaine in DelawareRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that on November 29, 2018, Roger Mercedes, age 30, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud stemming from a plan to sell seven (7) kilograms of fake cocaine in Delaware.
According to public documents and arguments in open court, Mercedes met someone he believed was a cocaine trafficker and hatched a plan to sell that cocaine trafficker fake cocaine for $137,500. The cocaine trafficker turned out to be an informant working for the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). Mercedes met the informant in Florida and, over the course of the next several months, sold the informant a “sample” of cocaine in New Jersey. As part of the negotiations surrounding a large cocaine transaction to take place in Delaware, Mercedes sent the informant a homemade video of what appeared to be twenty (20) kilogram bricks of cocaine in an apartment.
Mercedes organized the entire transaction and conspired with three other men to drive down to Delaware and sell the fake cocaine. On November 9, 2017, Mercedes and the three other men were arrested in Newark, Delaware. A suitcase containing seven (7) fake kilogram bricks of cocaine was seized.
U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “Drug transactions, real or fake, threaten the safety and security of our community. Transactions designed to rip off would-be illegal drug purchasers are particularly dangerous. These perpetrators must be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Fraud Concerning over 100 Victims and Smuggling Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Daniel Sheehan, of Gloucester City, NJ, 44, was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $493,075 in criminal proceeds after pleading guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property, and smuggling narcotics into a federal prison. Sheehan was also sentenced to a term of three years’ supervised release after his term of imprisonment.
The convictions stem from Sheehan’s operation of a scheme to obtain payments from people who sought his assistance in refinancing their home mortgages. Instead of providing the promised assistance, Sheehan stole his clients’ money. As a result of his illegal scheme, 110 people were defrauded, several of whom lost their homes. While being held in a federal prison awaiting trial, Sheehan arranged to smuggle narcotics into the facility for further distribution.
Between September 2012 and February 2015, Sheehan, a mortgage modification professional, represented to clients that he could help them modify their mortgages through the Home Affordable Mortgage Program (“HAMP”) or the Home Affordable Refinance Program (“HARP”). He found clients who wished to refinance the mortgages on their residences or other properties. Sheehan assured his victims that they would qualify for a modification that would substantially reduce both the principal and interest components of the victim’s monthly payment. Sheehan collected a fee of between $700 and $1,500 from each victim for the service of preparing and submitting the paperwork necessary to obtain the promised loan modification.
Despite collecting a fee, Sheehan often failed to submit mortgage refinance applications. In most cases, Sheehan falsely advised his clients that in order to qualify to have their mortgages refinanced, they would need to stop paying their mortgages. These clients generally received correspondence from financial institutions demanding payment and threatening foreclosure. Sheehan explained to his victims that these were scare tactics employed by the banks, and that if the client made any additional payments, the client would jeopardize the mortgage modification process. He also told his clients that they should not communicate with the bank because the collections departments would not have any information about the pending modification. As a direct result, some clients received court foreclosure complaints and told Sheehan; Sheehan assured them that he or his attorney would handle the situation. Instead, Sheehan took no action, and some of his victims were evicted and lost their homes.
Additionally, Sheehan falsely told some clients that their modification had been approved. The defendant often told his clients that their loan modification would not become “final” until they made “trial payments” of their new refinanced mortgage amount. Sheehan told his victims to make these payments to Sheehan or a person designated by Sheehan. Sheehan assured his victims that their “trial payments” would be held in escrow by Sheehan. Although Sheehan sometimes gave his clients what purported to be escrow account statements, he converted his victims’ funds to his own personal use.
Sheehan has been detained at the Federal Detention Center (“FDC”) since April 2016. While incarcerated, the defendant arranged for a friend to illegally send him sheets of the drug Suboxone. On about August 29, 2016, a letter addressed to Sheehan arrived at the FDC purportedly from an attorney in New Jersey. The letter contained eight sheets of Suboxone, which Sheehan intended to use to pay off gambling debts that he owed to other inmates at the FDC.
“This defendant has absolutely no shame,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “His victims were often looking to refinance mortgages on their homes due to tragic personal circumstances, such as the death of a spouse or the loss of employment. The defendant repeatedly lied and said he would help them, but instead preyed on their vulnerability and made many of them lose their homes. He is a menace to society who has no respect for the law.”
“What Daniel Sheehan did to his victims was despicable,” said Michael T. Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “In feigning assistance with refinancing their mortgages, he gave people hope that better days were ahead. Instead, he blithely pocketed their money despite knowing foreclosure loomed. The FBI takes great pride in bringing defendants like Mr. Sheehan to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul G. Shapiro.
New Jersey Man Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Michael Fanelli, 36, of Woodbury, NJ, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with one count of armed bank robbery.
The federal indictment charges him with using a pellet gun to rob a PNC bank of approximately $7,000 dollars. The PNC bank branch is located in Gladwyne, PA,
If convicted, Fanelli faces a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and three years’ supervised release.
“Brandishing a weapon – whether real or not – puts bystanders at risk of grave injury because at any time, the situation could escalate based on a perceived threat of harm at the hands of an armed robber,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “If the defendant committed the conduct alleged in the indictment, he should be held accountable for creating a dangerous and potentially deadly situation for all involved.”
The case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lower Merion Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Troopers. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everett Witherell.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Multi-Kilo Methamphetamine and Heroin Conspiracy Results in Almost Five Years in Federal Prison for Texas WomenRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Trisha Lynne Ibarra, 24, and Arlene Viridiana Moya, 23, both of Texas, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour for their roles in a methamphetamine and heroin conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Ibarra was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1 kilogram of heroin, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Moya was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for her role in the conspiracy. Ibarra and Moya were also ordered to pay a $1,500.00 fine.
On January 22, 2018, a Rankin County Sheriff Deputy conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Moya. Ibarra was the registered owner of the vehicle and seated in the passenger seat. Ibarra and the driver gave conflicting statements to the officer for their reason for travel and their final destination. A consensual search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 4 kilograms of heroin and 16 kilograms of methamphetamine from the vehicle’s fuel tank.
The case was a joint investigation by the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HSI) Jackson office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Matthews, N.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Possession of Radioactive Material in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Bryant Riyanto Budi, 27, of Matthews, N.C. appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer and pleaded guilty to attempted possession of radioactive material with intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to another person.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division and John Eisert, Acting Special Agent in Chargeof U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the Carolinas, join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to information contained in filed court documents and today’s plea hearing, from April 22, 2018 to June 1, 2018, Budi attempted to possess radioactive material, and did so with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury to another person. Court documents show that Budi contacted an FBI covert employee via the internet to purchase a lethal dose of a radioactive substance. In his communications with the covert employee, Budi expressed his intent to use the radioactive substance to kill an unnamed individual. On May 31, 2018, a package containing an inert substitute for the radioactive material ordered by Budi was delivered to an address in Charlotte as instructed by Budi. Law enforcement arrested Budi on June 1, 2018.
The charge of attempted possession of radioactive material with intent to cause death carries a maximum term of life in prison. A sentencing date for Budi, who remains in federal custody, has not been set.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked HSI in Buffalo, New York and Charlotte; the FBI in Charlotte and supporting FBI field offices; the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate in Washington, D.C.; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Arrowood of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution, assisted by Trial Attorney Bridget Behling, of the National Security Division.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obstruct Investigation into Homicide Committed by BoyfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aminata Bah, 24, of Bowie, Md., has pled guilty to conspiring to obstruct justice stemming from her actions over the course of the investigation into a murder last year that was committed by her boyfriend, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The boyfriend, Demarius Jackson, 26, pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. On Aug. 17, 2018, Jackson received a sentence of 15 years of in prison following a hearing before the Honorable Judge Danya A. Dayson.
Bah pled guilty on Nov. 28, 2018, also in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between three and seven years and is probation eligible. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2019.
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Bah’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson, Bah’s boyfriend of several years, walked up, reached around Bah, and shot a 19-year-old victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, once in the back of the head and once in the chest - killing him. Jackson then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso.
Following the shooting, Bah, her boyfriend, and her associates returned to their vehicle and fled the scene. They drove to Maryland, where they dropped off the shooter, and then immediately began to discuss what, if anything, they would say to law enforcement if they were questioned about the murder.
Bah told the occupants of the vehicle what they should and should not say to the police, including instructing her associates that they should not mention her name or the name of her boyfriend, the shooter, to police. Bah and her associates acted upon their agreement. Not only did Bah influence the testimony of her associates, but she followed her own instruction. During the course of the investigation, Bah omitted and attempted to minimize her knowledge of and familiarity with Jackson, the shooter, and lied to the police in order to obstruct the investigation into the murder her boyfriend committed.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter
Maryland Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison and Ordered to Forfeit at Least $5.665 Million s a Result of His Conviction on Charges Relating to Dark Web Drug Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Ryan Farace, age 34, of Reisterstown, Maryland, today to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and money laundering conspiracies. The charges arose from a scheme to manufacture and distribute alprazolam tablets, which are typically sold under the brand name “Xanax,” through sales on the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin. Farace and his co-conspirator, Robert Swain, laundered the drug proceeds through financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the illegal funds. Judge Blake ordered that Farace must forfeit a money judgment equal to $5,665,000 and 4,000 Bitcoin. Farace was also ordered to forfeit assets seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants on January 16, 2018, at locations associated with the conspiracies, including approximately $1.5 million in cash, 1.100 bitcoin and approximately $2.5 million in computer equipment. Robert Swain, age 34, of Freeland, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the money laundering conspiracy and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at his sentencing on January 25, 2019.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Criminal Investigation; U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland Johnny Hughes; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.
“Federal law enforcement and our international partners are working together to find and prosecute those who use the dark web to sell drugs and launder the proceeds of their drug dealing,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “The sentence imposed today demonstrates that committing crimes through the dark web does not protect you from prosecution. We will find you and we will prosecute you.”
"Those that are facilitating the abuse of controlled dangerous substances are negatively impacting our entire community and will be held accountable,” said Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that IRS-CI will remain vigilant in our investigation of these crimes and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat this type of criminal conduct.”
According to his plea agreement, from November 2013 through June 2017, Farace purchased narcotics manufacturing equipment, including pill presses and counterfeit “Xanax” pill molds, which he used to press loose alprazolam powder into tablet or pill form, to resemble genuine Xanax pills. Farace solicited orders for the alprazolam pills on dark web marketplaces and sold alprazolam pills directly to buyers in exchange for Bitcoin.
The dark web is the part of the World Wide Web that requires specific software, configurations or authorization to access, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous. Dark web marketplaces typically use Bitcoin or other digital currency as the means of payment for their transactions.
Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that does not exist in any physical form. It is not issued or controlled by any government, bank, or company, but is generated and controlled automatically through computer software operating on a decentralized peer-to-peer network. Bitcoin can be exchanged for conventional currency, with the exchange rate determined on the open market.
Farace admitted that he communicated with his customers through encrypted electronic messages and shipped the completed pill orders through the U.S. mail. Farace admitted that the postage for these packages was usually paid using pre-paid debit cards that Farace obtained in the names of, and with the personal identifying information of, other people. Law enforcement also recovered fake driver’s licenses in the names of those individuals, one bearing Farace’s photograph when they executed a federal search warrant at Farace’s home on January 16, 2018. Based on data recovered from dark web marketplaces seized by law enforcement, Farace distributed more than 920,000 alprazolam pills between December 2013 and March 2017.
From at least July 2015 until February 2017, Farace and Swain conspired with others to launder the proceeds of the illegal drug sales by conducting financial transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the illegal drug proceeds. Specifically, Farace used pseudonyms to contact a co-conspirator through dark web marketplaces and encrypted messages in order to exchange Bitcoin he received from his drug trafficking for cash. The co-conspirator would then mail or ship packages of U.S. currency equivalent to the value of the Bitcoin received, less a fee, to mailing addresses provided by Farace. To conceal the fact that he was receiving cash, Farace, and later Swain, opened post office boxes at U.S. Post Offices and private rental mailboxes in fake names. Swain knew that Farace was receiving cash and drugs at these mailboxes and that the cash was the proceeds of Farace’s drug trafficking. During the course of the conspiracy, Farace received cash totaling more than $5 million, through the mails, which he had exchanged for Bitcoin earned from drug trafficking. In addition, Farace and Swain drove to New Jersey so that Swain could collect $200,000 in cash that Farace had exchanged for Bitcoin. During the in-person meeting on February 16, 2017, Swain provided a fictitious name to the individual he met and falsely stated that the Bitcoin and cash were his own. Farace and Swain later tried unsuccessfully to exchange Bitcoin for $400,000 in cash with the same individual.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Howard, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Austin Peed, 36, of Avenue, Md., pled guilty today to trafficking in firearms following his arrest in a nearly year-long investigation involving narcotics and firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Peed pled guilty before the Honorable Richard J. Leon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Peed faces a maximum of five years of incarceration and is currently held without bond. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, Peed engaged in the sale of two separate AR-15 assault rifles in Maryland and Washington, D.C. to an undercover law enforcement officer in exchange for cash. The first purchase occurred on Sept. 6, 2017, in Bladensburg, Md., in exchange for $1,200. The second purchase occurred on Sept. 28, 2017 in the 1700 block of Girard Street NE, in exchange for $1,500. During the second purchase, Peed provided a rifle scope to accompany the rifle. The firearms were without serial numbers and were untraceable.
Peed was arrested with eight other individuals in March 2018 in relation to a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack. Numerous defendants were also charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including crack, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises, which includes, corresponding firearms related crimes.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, who assisted with the case, and Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and are prosecuting the remaining defendants.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Glen Allen man was sentenced today to over nine years in prison for distributing almost 400 grams of heroin and fentanyl in the central Virginia area.
According to court documents, Paris Moore, 32, pleaded guilty on August 22 to two counts of distribution of heroin. Moore’s charges stem from his distribution of drugs to a confidential informant on two separate occasions while on federal supervised release. On January 19, Moore distributed 3.65 grams of a mixture of heroin and fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl to a confidential informant in Henrico County. On January 26, Moore distributed 6.36 grams of a mixture of heroin and cyclopropylfentanyl to a confidential informant in Richmond. On February 22, DEA agents executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence in Glen Allen and recovered 2.43 grams of crack cocaine and .88 grams of heroin and 4-fluoroisobutryl fentanyl.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-71.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Four StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Santiago Rodriguez Campos, 34, a Mexican national who had been living in Alexandria, Va., pled guilty today to sexually abusing four women, including two in 2016 and two in 2018, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Rodriguez Campos pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of fourth-degree sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2019 before the Honorable Juliet McKenna. As part of his sentence, Rodriguez Campos will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. Additionally, he will be subject to deportation proceedings following his prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, in the first offense, on Sept. 5, 2016 at about 10:30 p.m., the victim was walking on N Street NW to the 1200 block of Potomac Street NW when she first observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. She reported that he was dressed in dark-colored clothing with a hood covering his head and face. The victim initially thought that she was about to be robbed. She began to walk up the steps to her door when Rodriguez Campos approached her from behind. He then reached between the back of her legs and ran his hand between her inner thighs, through her buttocks over her outer garment. The blue-jean pants that the victim was wearing were subsequently tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the second offense, on Oct. 26, 2016 at approximately 8:15 p.m., the victim was walking to her car, which was parked in the 1600 block of 33rd Street NW. While she was walking, she observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, wearing a grey hoodie covering his face. As he walked towards her, the victim stayed by a tree box and let Rodriguez Campos walk past. As soon as he walked past her, she turned her back and he reached under her dress from behind, between her legs, and grabbed her vagina. The victim immediately screamed at the defendant and began yelling for help. She stated she was either pushed or fell to the ground and while doing so, struck Rodriguez Campos with her elbow. He then ran away. The victim later observed what appeared to be lubricant left between her legs by the defendant. This substance was swabbed and recovered as evidence. DNA analysis was done on this evidence sample. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the third offense, on May 31, 2018, the victim was walking home at approximately 10:10 p.m. when a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, grabbed her neck, put his hand under her skirt, and touched her buttocks, vagina, and thighs. Rodriguez Campos also placed an unknown liquid on her legs. He then fled through the courtyard of a church she was standing in front of, located in the 2400 block of K Street NW. The victim turned over her underwear and skirt to law enforcement as evidence and it was tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the fourth offense, on June 3, 2018, the victim was walking west in the 1500 block of P Street NW, when she was approached from behind by a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. He reached under her dress and grabbed her left buttock, then reached in between her legs and touched her vagina. The victim felt a sticky substance transfer from Rodriguez Campos’s hand to an area under her dress. The victim’s underwear, dress, and swabs of her inner thighs were submitted for DNA analysis. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
The defendant was apprehended on Aug. 9, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Tracey Hawkins and Paralegal Specialists T.J. McPhail and D’Yvonne Key.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Opioid Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Canadian man living in Leesburg pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl that caused two deaths and one non-fatal overdose in 2016.
According to court documents, Joseph Riley Curry, 29, obtained heroin and fentanyl from sources of supply that he distributed to customers in Loudoun County. Drugs that Curry distributed killed two people in March 2016, and caused a third individual to experience an overdose that required medical intervention. In August 2017, Curry was arrested on a state felony distribution charge. While in custody, Curry ordered another individual to destroy evidence he thought might be used against him in a possible federal prosecution.
Curry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Feb. 22, 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.
This matter was investigated by the Leesburg Police Department and the Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets/HIDTA Task Force – Northern Virginia which is composed of FBI Agents, and Task Force Officers from the Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Leesburg, Prince William County Police Departments, HSI, ATF, with assistance from the DEA Mid-Atlantic Regional Laboratory.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff, and Gregory C. Brown, Leesburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Peters 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. 1:18-cr-396.
Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement, Distribution and Possession of Child PornRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Louisville, Kentucky, man pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. this week, to attempted enticement of a minor, three counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Jeffrey Shawn Baunach, 46, was indicted on the charges on May 24, 2018.
According to a factual basis of the allegations presented to the Court, Baunach told an undercover agent, authorized and working for the Kentucky Attorney General, that he had been engaging his minor children in sex acts. Baunach also stated that he had met other adults to allow them to engage the children in sex acts. He requested to engage a child entrusted to the undercover agent in sex acts in exchange for sexual contact with his own children and discussed meeting to do so. On February 8, 2018, a Kentucky Circuit Court Judge authorized issuance of a Search Warrant for Baunach, his van, and residence on Clarmar Road. Law enforcement officials executed the warrant the following day. Several items of potential evidence were also recovered from the residence including six phones, two computers, and one thumb drive. All items were logged and transported to the DCI Cyber Crimes Lab in Frankfort, Kentucky, for further examination.
A forensic examination of a cellular telephone, recovered from Baunach’s bedroom during the search of his home revealed it as the device that had been used during the communications with the undercover agent. The device also contained an image that had been previously sent by Baunach to the undercover agent. The examination also revealed several images of child pornography, that is, images of minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Ten images depict infants (both male and female). The babies’ genitals are nude and fully displayed. Three of the images reflect connection to Craigslist and two of the four indicate they were acquired through Yahoo mail. Four additional images depict the sexual abuse of a young girl (approximately age six – eight). All of the above-referenced images were saved as screen shots to the memory of the device on several dates between August 21, 2017, and January 24, 2018.
The investigator also observed several email conversations between Baunach and unknown parties involving discussions about sex with children. Further investigation led to a law enforcement official in Chicago, Illinois. The Google search warrant materials – confirmed with the Chicago law enforcement official – showed that Baunach had distributed the infant child pornography images to an individual in the Chicago area. During the email communications, Baunach claimed to have access to the babies because he babysat them. The emails also referenced telephone conversations between the two men – Baunach and the Chicago man – concerning the sexual abuse of children.
Baunach faces a minimum 10 year term of imprisonment and no more than life for the charge of attempted enticement, followed by no less than 5 years of supervised release and no more than life of supervised release. The charges of distribution of child porn carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years and no more than 20 years (on each count), and he faces no more than 20 years for distribution of child porn.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case. The Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation with assistance from the Jeffersontown (Kentucky) Police Department.
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This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Local Medical Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Dispensing and Distributing Controlled Substances by Prescriptions and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that WAYNE JEROME CELESTINE, M.D., age 58, a physician who practiced in Gretna and resided in New Orleans, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts in the Second Superseding Indictment, charging him with illegally dispensing controlled substances and money laundering.
On Monday, April 30, 2018, DR. CELESTINE was arrested on charges of distribution of controlled substances. According to court records, DR. CELESTINE illegally dispensed and conspired with others to illegally dispense controlled substances, including oxycodone, a Schedule II drug controlled substance.
DR. CELESTINE made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Daniel E. Knowles, III, on Monday, April 30, 2018. A detention hearing was held on May 1, 2018; and he was ordered detained in custody pending resolution of the case.
DR. CELESTINE will face a mandatory term of seven years in prison on the charges if the Court accepts the plea agreement. DR. CELESTINE will also be subject to a fine of $1.5 Million and a term of supervised release of at least three years, following any term of imprisonment. Pursuant to the terms of the plea agreement, DR. CELESTINE will forfeit to the United States: over $1 Million in seized currency, investment accounts, and negotiable instruments; and over $1 Million Dollars in seized vehicles, residences, and commercial properties. By virtue of the plea agreement, DR. CELESTINE has acknowledged that these assets represent proceeds and/or facilitating property of the crimes for which he has pled guilty. United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set a sentencing hearing on February 28, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., at which time she will decide whether the Court accepts the plea agreement.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Harahan Police Department, Westwego Police Department, Louisiana State Police, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans Police Department, and New Orleans District Attorney’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys John F. Murphy and Andre J. Lagarde are in charge of the prosecution.
Lieutenant of the Memphis Fire Department Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Phillip Tolbert, 47, of Bartlett, has been sentenced to two years’ probation, including six months of home confinement, for defrauding the Social Security Administration. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the sentence today.
According to the indictment and information presented in court, from August to December 2013, Tolbert, a lieutenant for the City of Memphis Fire Department, defrauded the Social Security Administration by applying for and receiving benefit payments on behalf of his daughters after the death of his wife, the girls' stepmother.
Tolbert falsely stated that his daughters lived with him and his wife, and that his wife provided for the girls' every need. Based on those fraudulent representations, Tolbert was ultimately paid $60,528 in benefits to which he was not entitled.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "One of the primary functions of this office is to protect the United States Treasury, and the ability of eligible beneficiaries to receive Social Security benefits. Fraudulent schemes and crimes of dishonesty do not pay, and will be exposed."
On November 28, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Tolbert to two years’ probation, the first six months to be served in home confinement, followed by six months of community service and ordered Tolbert to pay restitution of $60,528.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Murrell Foster and Annie Christoff prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Leader of Old York Money Gang Convicted of Federal Charges Related to his Gang Activities, Including Racketeering Murder, Drug Conspiracy, Drug Dealing, and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Trevon Beasley, a/k/a Tre, age 24, of Baltimore, of federal racketeering charges related to his gang crimes, including murders committed by Beasley, related to his membership in the Old York Money Gang (OYMG); a federal drug distribution conspiracy; conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime; and eight counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and/or heroin. OYMG dealt drugs and committed murders in the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore and sustained itself in part through drug sales, including crack cocaine, as well as through murder and other violent crimes.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his 12 day trial and other court documents, from January 2013 to April 2017, Beasley was a member of the OYMG, a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the Waverly neighborhood in the northeastern district of Baltimore. OYMG is involved in criminal activity including murder, robbery, extortion, burglary, and narcotics trafficking in and around Baltimore. OYMG is a neighborhood gang, limiting its membership to persons that originate from or live in the Waverly neighborhood, and generally excluding “outsiders.” The gang extensively and frequently endorsed and promoted its existence through social media accounts and rap music videos, whereby members would display their association and advertise membership and activities of the gang. The evidence elicited at trial showed that Trevon Beasley occupied a leadership role in the gang, which obtained its revenue from murder for hire and drug distribution. Witnesses testified that OYMG accepted money for contract killings as part of its business, and that Beasley specifically accepted and executed the contract murder of Tyrone Servance on November 15, 2016. Witnesses testified that after the homicide, associates of the victim engaged in a war with OYMG over the next weeks, culminating in two additional attempted murders perpetrated by Beasley.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Beasley and other OYMG members regularly carried firearms to defend the gang’s territory and violently expelled OYMG rivals or antagonists.
Beasley faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy; a maximum of life in prison for the drug conspiracy; a maximum of 10 years in prison for the gun conspiracy; and 20 years in prison for each of the eight drug distribution counts. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2019, at 2:00 p.m.
Ten other defendants charged in the case previously pleaded guilty to racketeering and/or drug conspiracy charges. Darrin Mosley, age 25, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on November 5, 2018, just before trial was scheduled to begin. Mosley is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.
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 U.S. Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Metcalf and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.
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Leader of Fentanyl Conspiracy Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for leading a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in the Washington, DC area.
According to court documents, Donnell Leroy Williams, 55, aka Bubbles, his son, Antonio Donnell Shelton, 30, aka Little Bubbles, James Coleman Brown, 51, and Demetrius Antonio Johnson, 37, aka Bake, worked together to distribute fentanyl, a highly dangerous narcotic. During the course of the conspiracy, Williams and his co-conspirators had the ability to obtain large quantities of fentanyl, and they routinely sold fentanyl and other highly addictive drugs to customers at locations in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Name, Age
Hometown
Convictions
Sentence
Donnell Leroy Williams, 55
Hyattsville, Md.
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
20 years
Antonio Donnell Shelton, 30
Washington, DC
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
6 years
James Coleman Brown, 51
Washington, DC
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
13 years
Demetrius Antonio Johnson, 37
Washington, DC
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
6 years
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (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 reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Tyler McGaughey and David A. Peters 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. 1:18-cr-30.
Justice Department Awards More Than $16.7 Million to Support Victims of Las Vegas ShootingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Justice Department today announced that the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded more than $16.7 million in Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) funding to aid survivors of the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 600 physically injured when a man opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, an open-air music venue, from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino on the Las Vegas strip. When officers located the gunman and entered the room, he was found dead with self-inflicted wounds. In June, the Department awarded over $2 million to support first responders in the aftermath of the shooting. In addition, earlier this month the Department announced a new $8.7 million grant to provide multi-disciplinary, scenario-based active shooter training to first responders across the country.
“This Department of Justice stands with our first responders and victims of crime," Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said. "We have already provided $3 million to cover expenses for state and local law enforcement in Las Vegas and in Clark County following last October's horrific mass shooting. Today we take the next step of providing more than $16 million for the victims of that tragedy and for the first responders who came to the scene, to help pay for counseling, therapy, rehabilitation, trauma recovery, and legal aid. While we cannot undo the harm that has been done, this Department of Justice is doing what we can to help Las Vegas heal."
“Victims are a priority of the Department of Justice," said U.S. Attorney Elieson. "Our mission includes supporting programs and services that help victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and as they rebuild their lives. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, as an integral part of the Department of Justice, shares the commitment to support the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, as well as the victims’ families, law enforcement, medical personnel, and the hundreds of others who helped the Festival attendees. The $16.7 million grant announced today is more support to our community members and first responders needing additional counseling, therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and trauma recovery. We have compassion for those affected and gratitude for those who are helping them. Together, we are Vegas Stronger.”
The funding, totaling $16,735,720, will assist victims of this incident, including ticket holders, concert staff, vendors, witnesses, law enforcement personnel, and other first responders. It also will support close family members, medical personnel, coroner’s staff, taxi drivers, and others who helped the concert attendees. The grant will defray the costs of counseling and therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and trauma recovery for victims and emergency responders. Funds will also help with legal aid and supplement the massive outlays incurred by the Nevada victim compensation program.
AEAP is a non-competitive solicitation specifically created to provide supplemental emergency and longer-term victim support to jurisdictions where a criminal mass violence or domestic terrorism incident occurred. OVC can award funding once local and state authorities have determined the costs associated with responding and have submitted a request for assistance.
For more information about AEAP, please visit: https://www.ovc.gov/AEAP/
The Office of Justice Programs, led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matt M. Dummermuth, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov.
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Justice Department Awards More Than $16.7 Million to Support Victims of Las Vegas ShootingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded more than $16.7 million in Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) funding to aid survivors of the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker made the announcement in a speech to state, local, and federal law enforcement in Cincinnati this morning.
Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 600 physically injured when a man opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, an open-air music venue, from a hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino on the Las Vegas strip. When officers located the gunman and entered the room, he was found dead with self-inflicted wounds. In June, the Department awarded over $2 million to support first responders in the aftermath of the shooting. In addition, earlier this month the Department announced a new $8.7 million grant to provide multi-disciplinary, scenario-based active shooter training to first responders across the country.
“This Department of Justice stands with our first responders and victims of crime," Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said. "We have already provided $3 million to cover expenses for state and local law enforcement in Las Vegas and in Clark County following last October's horrific mass shooting. Today we take the next step of providing more than $16 million for the victims of that tragedy and for the first responders who came to the scene, to help pay for counseling, therapy, rehabilitation, trauma recovery, and legal aid. While we cannot undo the harm that has been done, this Department of Justice is doing what we can to help Las Vegas heal."
The funding, totaling $16,735,720, will assist victims of this incident, including ticket holders, concert staff, vendors, witnesses, law enforcement personnel, and other first responders. It also will support close family members, medical personnel, coroner’s staff, taxi drivers, and others who helped the concert attendees. The grant will defray the costs of counseling and therapy, vocational rehabilitation, and trauma recovery for victims and emergency responders. Funds will also help with legal aid and supplement the massive outlays incurred by the Nevada victim compensation program.
AEAP is a non-competitive solicitation specifically created to provide supplemental emergency and longer-term victim support to jurisdictions where a criminal mass violence or domestic terrorism incident occurred. OVC can award funding once local and state authorities have determined the costs associated with responding and have submitted a request for assistance.
For more information about AEAP, please visit: https://www.ovc.gov/AEAP/
The Office of Justice Programs, led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matt M. Dummermuth, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov.
Jacksonville Retired Marine Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Relating to Arson of Multiple Buildings in Downtown KinstonRead the Press Release
Raleigh - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced WILLIAM SHAWN ELLIOT, 55, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, to serve 20 years in federal prison on charges of Arson and Making False Statements to Influence a Bank on a Loan. The Court also ordered that ELLIOT serve 5 years of supervised release, and make restitution in the amount of $921,541.89, to the victims of his offense.
The Second Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial showed that in the mid-2000s, ELLIOT, a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, began to acquire several properties in Eastern North Carolina as part of a real estate rental and resale business. The evidence at trial showed that between 2009 and 2012, ELLIOT became financially over-extended after he attempted to self-finance the construction of a duplex and house in Jacksonville. The evidence showed that in the midst of the financial struggle, ELLIOT submitted false tax returns to a bank in an effort to secure a construction loan. After failing to obtain enough money to pay his construction contractor, the evidence showed that ELLIOT was sued by his construction contractor.
The evidence at trial showed that within a few weeks of being sued, ELLIOT’s building, located at 119-128 East Gordon Street in downtown Kinston, burned to the ground. At the time of the burning, ELLIOT was renting the building to a victim, who was sleeping inside, but made it out alive. The investigation showed that ELLIOT had purchased the property for a mere $65,000, but had insured the property with The Hartford for around $500,000. ELLIOT filed a claim with The Hartford shortly after the fire. In addition to ELLIOT’S building burning under suspicious circumstances, multiple other buildings in the area were also burned including the Kinston law office of Gerrans, Foster & Sargeant, P.A., which was destroyed.
The investigation into the offense revealed that the fire in ELLIOT’s building was intentionally set using diesel fuel dispersed on the second floor of the building, an area to which only ELLIOT had access. Notably, however, the fires at an adjacent building, the Gerrans law office, and a building across the street, were started with Molotov cocktails. Video surveillance was eventually recovered showing ELLIOT’s white SUV arrive at the scene of the fires, and depart just moments before the arrival of first responders. Witnesses also reported seeing a man crouched in a nearby alleyway near where authorities recovered a gasoline soaked glove containing the DNA of ELLIOT and another individual. A matching glove was later recovered from ELLIOT’s SUV. ELLIOT was interviewed by law enforcement, where he made recorded admissions that he was “trying to downsize,” and that he was “going to pay” the person who helped him commit the arsons.
The Government indicted ELLLIOT and an alleged accomplice on multiple counts relating to the burning of the buildings, as well as making false statements to a bank, and wire fraud relating to the filing of the insurance claim. ELLIOT and his alleged accomplice went to trial on the charges in Elizabeth City in July of 2018. At trial, ELLIOT testified in his own defense, pointing jurors to his military record and claiming that he only made the admissions to law enforcement because of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. While the jury convicted ELLIOT of Making False Statements to Influence a Bank on a Loan, the jury hung on all other counts against him, and the Court declared a mistrial.
Prior to retrial, ELLIOT entered a plea of guilty to the arson of his own building, and agreed to make restitution to all other arson victims. Nevertheless, during the sentencing hearing today, ELLIOT told the court that he did not in fact commit the arsons. Ultimately, the Court rejected ELLIOT’s efforts to receive a lower sentence based upon his military service, and upwardly departed from the United States Sentencing Guidelines, to a sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of the Court’s explanation of the sentence, the Court noted the defendant’s perjury at trial, and his lack of contrition at the sentencing.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kinston Department of Public Safety, with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys William M. Gilmore and Melissa B. Kessler represented the United States.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Downloading Child Sex Abuse Videos and Images from the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Christopher Michael Picher (age 26, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for using the internet to download videos and images depicting child sexual abuse. Picher was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Picher has been in custody since his arrest on March 22, 2018.
According to court documents, in early 2018, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an undercover child exploitation investigation. The agents determined that an account with an online data storage company and an account with a popular online mobile messaging app were both being used to receive, distribute, and store child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Picher was the user associated with these accounts. On March 22, 2018, HSI and FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Picher’s residence, he was subsequently arrested.
During an interview, Picher admitted that he had viewed child pornography using a mobile messaging app, and that he knew that pictures of child pornography could be posted within the group or users could send private messages. Subsequent forensic analyses of Picher’s smartphone revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and 1,486 images depicting child pornography.
“This case is an example of how criminals are using social media to victimize young children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This child predator thought he could remain anonymous as he viewed child pornography, but HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners found him and he will be held accountable for his crimes.”
“This sentence should serve as a warning to those who seek to exploit children, whether in our community or online,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI Jacksonville Division and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to identify child predators, and seek truth and justice for their innocent victims.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of U.S. Mail by a Postal EmployeeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Kimberly Walker, 37, of Jackson, pled guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee to theft of U.S. mail by a postal employee, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Chris Cave, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.
Walker was employed as a mail handler at the U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Jackson. On February 8, 2018, agents were notified of six rifled Nielsen Rating envelopes that were returned to Nielsen Ratings from the distribution center. Nielson Media Research mails letters and flat sized envelopes to households that participate in surveys in exchange for U.S. currency. On February 15, 2018, using mail pieces and currency provided by Nielsen Ratings, test pieces containing U.S. currency were placed in the prepping area to be processed by the Tour 3 mail handlers, including Walker. Using video surveillance, agents observed Walker open at least one of the test pieces and place something in her pocket. When confronted, Walker admitted she had been rifling Nielson Ratings mail pieces for approximately six months. Agents recovered all the currency from Walker’s wallet and pocket that had been taken from the test pieces.
Walker is currently released on bond and will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee on February 28, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. She faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.