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28 November 2018
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Escape and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Escape and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on November 26, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Brady Makes Room For Them, age 34, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Makes Room For Them was indicted by a federal grand jury for the Escape charge on April 19, 2016, and on the Failure to Register as a Sex Offender on May 17, 2016. He pled guilty on September 20, 2018.
The convictions stem from the same incident, the Escape charge occurred on April 4, 2016, and the Failure to Register as a Sex Offender violation occurred on April 7, 2016. On April 4, 2016, Makes Room For Them escaped from custody of the Bureau of Prisons at the Community Alternatives of the Black Hills (CABH), where he was lawfully confined upon conviction for a federal felony offense. Makes Room For Them left the CABH and did not return to the facility as required. Makes Room For Them was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in September 2005. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Makes Room For Them was aware of his obligation to update his sex offender registration and failed to do so. Following his escape from CABH, Makes Room For Them did not update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Makes Room For Them was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Miles Bailey, age 53, of Queens, New York, and formerly of Albany, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit theft of public money, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft. Bailey was set to stand trial beginning today in Syracuse.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation.
As part of his plea, Bailey admitted that between March 2011 and July 2014, he and others knowingly submitted fraudulent income tax returns to the IRS on behalf of at least 50 individual victims. The returns falsely claimed that these individuals were entitled to income tax refunds from the federal government. The conspirators obtained the resulting fraudulent tax refund checks from the Department of the Treasury by mail. Bailey then deposited the checks into his various bank accounts and spent or distributed the proceeds.
Bailey faces at least 2 years and up 10 years in prison, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. sentences him on May 20, 2019. Bailey will also be required to pay a forfeiture money judgment of approximately $1,963,991, which was the amount of fraudulent proceeds that he deposited into his bank accounts.
Two co-conspirators, Eric Thorne, age 50, of Albany, and James Simmons, age 50, of Rensselaer, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of public funds and will be sentenced on May 21, 2019.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Town of Colonie Police Department, the Town of Niskayuna Police Department, the City of Albany Police Department, the New York State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Kistler.
President and CEO of Las Vegas Investment Company Convicted of $1.5 Billion Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
The former president and CEO of MRI International Inc. (MRI), a purported investment company and medical collections business located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tokyo, Japan, was convicted yesterday for his role in a $1.5 billion Ponzi scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
After a five-week jury trial before Chief Judge Gloria Navarro of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Edwin Fujinaga, 72, of Las Vegas, was found guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering in connection with his Ponzi scheme. Sentencing is set for March 8, 2019. The jury returned the guilty verdict in under three hours.
Evidence presented during trial showed that from 2000 until 2013, Fujinaga fraudulently solicited over $1 billion in investments in MRI from over 10,000 Japanese residents, who wired their funds from Japan to bank accounts in Las Vegas under Fujinaga’s control. Fujinaga approved and disseminated marketing materials that promised investors that their funds would only be used for purchasing medical claims and that an escrow agent would ensure that MRI used investor funds for only that purpose. In truth, Fujinaga spent less than two percent of investor funds to purchase medical claims. Instead, Fujinaga used the vast majority of new investors’ funds to pay off old investors. He used the balance of investors’ funds for impermissible business and lavish personal expenses, such as a private jet; a mansion on a Las Vegas golf course; real estate in Beverly Hills, California wine country, and Hawaii; and luxury cars from Bentley, McLaren, and Bugatti. When the Japanese government revoked MRI’s license to market securities in April 2013, MRI owed its investors more than $1.5 billion.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Japanese Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of Justice of Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan provided substantial assistance in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Albert Stieglitz, Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez of the District of Nevada.
President and CEO of Las Vegas Investment Company Convicted of $1.5 Billion Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The former president and CEO of MRI International Inc. (MRI), a purported investment company and medical collections business located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tokyo, Japan, was convicted yesterday for his role in a $1.5 billion Ponzi scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse of the FBI’s Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
After a five-week jury trial before Chief Judge Gloria Navarro of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Edwin Fujinaga, 72, of Las Vegas, was found guilty of eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering in connection with his Ponzi scheme. Sentencing is set for March 8, 2019. The jury returned the guilty verdict in under three hours.
Evidence presented during trial showed that from 2000 until 2013, Fujinaga fraudulently solicited over $1 billion in investments in MRI from over 10,000 Japanese residents, who wired their funds from Japan to bank accounts in Las Vegas under Fujinaga’s control. Fujinaga approved and disseminated marketing materials that promised investors that their funds would only be used for purchasing medical claims and that an escrow agent would ensure that MRI used investor funds for only that purpose. In truth, Fujinaga spent less than two percent of investor funds to purchase medical claims. Instead, Fujinaga used the vast majority of new investors’ funds to pay off old investors. He used the balance of investors’ funds for impermissible business and lavish personal expenses, such as a private jet; a mansion on a Las Vegas golf course; real estate in Beverly Hills, California wine country, and Hawaii; and luxury cars from Bentley, McLaren and Bugatti. When the Japanese government revoked MRI’s license to market securities in April 2013, MRI owed its investors more than $1.5 billion.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Japanese Financial Services Agency, the Ministry of Justice of Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan provided substantial assistance in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys William Johnston and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez of the District of Nevada.
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Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 3+ Years in Prison for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years and three months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution after being convicted on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on U-Majesty Williams, 22, of Pittsburgh.
According to information presented to the court, Williams participated in a conspiracy to violate various federal identity theft laws. In summary, conspirators obtained the personal identification information a various individual victims, and members of the conspiracy, including Williams, used that information, along with counterfeit credit cards and counterfeit Ohio driver licenses, to rent vehicles, to apply for credit, and to make purchases, all without the authorization of those victims. Specifically, Williams and a conspirator applied for credit in a victim’s name at a Kay’s Jewelers in Ross Park Mall, using that victim’s name, date of birth, and social security number, along with a counterfeit Ohio driver license in the victim’s name but with Williams’ picture. With the credit, Williams and a conspirator obtained more than $7,000 in jewelry.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the multiple police departments in Pennsylvania and Ohio, including police departments from Columbus, Ohio, Canfield, Ohio, Bucks County, Ohio, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ross Township, Pennsylvania, and Wilkins Township, Pennsylvania for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Physicians pay more than $1.5 million to government for kickback schemeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Four physicians from three states have settled with the United States Government for their roles in a kickback scheme that included West Virginia physicians, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Four physicians each agreed to a settlement with the United States Government after being accused of participating in a kickback scheme with Southwest Laboratories, Medscan Laboratory, sales representatives affiliated with Southwest and Medscan, and others, thereby causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare in violation of the Federal False Claims Act, the Physician Self-Referral law (“Stark”), and the Anti-Kickback Statute. They are: • Dr. Thomas Baker, of Tennessee, who paid $484,481.80
• Dr. Carolyn Kochert, of Indiana, who paid $129,682.84
• Dr. Larry L. Zhou, of Kentucky, who paid $277,758.18
• Dr. Julie Y. Chao, of Indiana, who paid $650,000“We will continue to do our part to recover all proceeds of improper claims paid by the United States. Fraud and abuse will never be tolerated in this district, and we will continue to pursue those who have obtained taxpayer dollars by improper means,” said Powell.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan McGonigal litigated the cases on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General – Department of Health and Human Services investigated.
Phoenix Couple Sentenced to Prison for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Antoinette Suzanne Arangua, 34, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Arangua’s co-defendant, Dewayne Frederick Johnson, 37, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced in September to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Arangua and Johnson had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess 15 or more stolen credit card numbers.
Arangua and Johnson admitted to using stolen credit card numbers to buy gift cards, get cash, and make other purchases throughout the Phoenix area between February 2017 and October 2017. Arangua and Johnson encoded stolen credit card numbers onto other credit cards, tested the stolen numbers at various stores and gas stations, and then used them to make larger purchases. During a search in October 2017, Arangua and Johnson were found with more than 1,700 stolen credit card numbers, more than 100 fabricated credit cards, two credit card embossers, a credit card reader/encoder, and approximately 74 gift cards and prepaid debit cards they had purchased using stolen credit card numbers.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. The prosecution was handled by Bridget Minder, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00346-001-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-161_ Arangua etal
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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.
Pearl Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Prison under Project EJECT for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Gino Washington, 26, of Pearl, Mississippi, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to 20 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was also required to forfeit the firearm and pay a $1,000 fine.
On December 6, 2017, the Jackson Police Department made a traffic stop of a vehicle wherein Washington was a passenger. Washington initially gave the officer a false name when a firearm was taken from his waistband during the traffic stop in Jackson. The arresting officer determined he had been given a false name and Washington then admitted to his real identity when confronted about his deception. Washington has a prior felony conviction for house burglary.
This case was investigated by the Jackson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Pascagoula Drug User Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as an Unlawful User of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Cornelius Javon Massey, 20, of Pascagoula, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of controlled substances, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Massey was in a car with three others pulled over by the Pascagoula Police Department on March 31, 2018. Once stopped and the windows down, the officer noticed a .223 caliber rifle with a large magazine laying in the rear floorboard. The officer noticed a handgun in the glove compartment when the driver reached for proof of insurance. A narcotics dog alerted for the presence of narcotics in the car. A search yielded marijuana and a grinder, the rifle, a Glock pistol with 4 magazines, a Springfield Arms 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine, and 2 ski masks. Massey admitted in an interview that he smoked marijuana regularly. Under Federal law, unlawful users of controlled substances are prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Pascagoula Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Parmelee Man Indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Lionel Eugene Roubideaux, age 55, was indicted on October 16, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 27, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Roubideaux was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in December 1987. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender for his natural life. It is alleged that between March 17, 2018 and August 14, 2018, Roubideaux, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender.
The charge is merely an accusation and Roubideaux is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore is prosecuting the case.
Roubideaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Columbus, OH pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Shellie Neighbors, 59, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around January 2016, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2016, Neighbors conspired with others to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Shellie Neighbors The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Ambridge Police Department, New Brighton Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Aliquippa Police Department, Moon Township Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Opioid Crisis UpdateRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – United States Attorney Ron Parsons today announced additional progress made in the past six weeks by law enforcement in the fight against opioids. The epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction is, by now, distressingly familiar. In 2017 alone, over 70,000 people in the United States suffered a fatal overdose and countless others suffered nonfatal overdoses because they were revived by first responders using Narcan. To combat this crisis, the Department of Justice is dedicating tremendous resources to reduce the supply of illicit opioids (primarily heroin and fentanyl).
“Federal, state, local, and tribal task force officers are working these cases hard in every corner of the state,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “And we’re not going to let up. We’re going to hammer the traffickers who are dealing these poisons with everything we’ve got.”
The following federal criminal investigations, involving at least 19 defendants, have resulted in indictments, arraignments, guilty pleas, or prison sentences in opioid-related prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota since the beginning of October 2018.
Indictments
Stuart Siecke, Dean Bourn, and Deon Hillard. On October 10, 2018, Stuart Harlon Siecke (age 27) of Worthing, SD, Dean Joseph Bourn (age 36) of Vermillion, SD, and Deon Lee Hillard (age 30) of Minneapolis, MN, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Sioux Falls for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The three men are alleged to be part of a fentanyl distribution ring stretching from Minneapolis to Yankton, SD. Hillard’s federal indictment came while he was released on bond after being charged in Minnesota state court for causing a fentanyl overdose death. These charges are merely accusations and Siecke, Bourn, and Hillard are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maurice Cathey and Corrod Phillips. On October 10, 2018, a superseding indictment was filed against Maurice Bellafonta Cathey, also known as “Short,” (age 38) of Sioux Falls, SD, and Corrod Leon Phillips (age 27) of Sioux Falls, SD, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, namely heroin. Cathey also was charged with one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and two counts of Distribution Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. In addition, Phillips was charged with two counts of Distribution Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The defendants are alleged to have been heroin dealers responsible for numerous overdoses in the Sioux Falls area. A jury trial before U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier is set to begin on January 29, 2019. These charges are merely accusations and Cathey and Phillips are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sarah Bailey, a/k/a/ Sarah Johnson and Justin Johnson. On October 23, 2018, a superseding indictment was filed against Sarah Bailey, also known as Sarah Johnson (age 40) and Justin Johnson (age 37), both of Rapid City, SD, charging them with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, namely heroin. Bailey also was charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Person under Age 21. In addition, Justin Johnson was charged with two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance. It is alleged that these defendants were dealing heroin in Rapid City, and that Bailey provided the heroin that caused the overdose of a 15-year-old boy. These charges are merely accusations and Bailey and Johnson are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Alyssa Tuttle. Alyssa Tuttle (age 28) of Peever, SD, was indicted by a federal grand jury for Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud on September 5, 2018. On November 1, 2018, she was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. It is alleged that on or about February 2, 2018, Tuttle knowingly and intentionally acquired and obtained hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge in Watertown, SD. The charge is merely an accusation and Tuttle is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Darcy Hoff and Michael Cooper. Michael Wayne Cooper (age 57) of Sioux Falls, SD and Darcy Ranee Hoff (age 43) of Sioux Falls, SD, were indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2018, for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. It is alleged that these defendants were dealing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose of a victim in Sioux Falls. Hoff was arraigned on November 20, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. Hoff was ordered to be detained and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals. Cooper is still at large and actively sought by federal authorities. He was last known to reside in Sioux Falls but has strong ties to the Chicago area, as well as Louisiana. Anyone with information about Cooper’s whereabouts can contact the U.S. Marshal Service at (605) 330-4356 or by email at [email protected].
Guilty Pleas
Andy Ontiveros. On October 16, 2018, Andy Ontiveros (age 39) of South Gate, CA, pleaded guilty in federal court to Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl. On or about May 28, 2018, Ontiveros was inside his parked vehicle on the shoulder of I-29 in Minnehaha County, SD. A Deputy with the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office approached and requested assistance from the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Ontiveros gave consent for the officers to search the vehicle. The search uncovered 2,680 grams of heroin and 993 grams of fentanyl hidden inside the vehicle. This is believed to be the largest combined seizure of heroin and powdered fentanyl in South Dakota history. Ontiveros has admitted that he intended to distribute the substances both in South Dakota and elsewhere. Sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2018 before Judge Schreier. The penalty is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and maximum sentence of life, and/or $10 million dollar fine, or both. The term of supervised release is a minimum of 5 years and maximum of life.
Shania Hofer. On October 22, 2018, Shania Rose Hofer (age 21) of Sioux Falls, SD, pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. On or about April 23, 2018, Hofer knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture and substance containing heroin to an individual in Sioux Falls. Later that day, the person used the heroin sold by Hofer and was found unconscious. First responders were unable to find the victim’s pulse and observed that he was not breathing. They began to perform CPR and administered two doses of Narcan before he was revived. While at the scene, law enforcement collected a syringe found next to the victim that tested positive for both heroin and fentanyl. But for the use of the heroin provided by Hofer, the victim would not have stopped breathing, which caused a substantial risk of death. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Schreier on January 4, 2019. Hofer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison up to life, a $1 million fine, or both, and a term of supervised release from three years to life.
Cory Poelstra. On October 31, 2018, Cory Michael Poelstra (age 29) of Yankton, SD, appeared before Judge Schreier and pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information that charged him with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, namely fentanyl. During his involvement in the conspiracy, Poelstra ordered fentanyl from the "Dark Web" and had it shipped to Yankton. He then sold fentanyl to various customers in South Dakota. He also was aware that some of his fentanyl customers were reselling it to others. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Schreier for January 28, 2019. Poelstra faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine, or both, and a term of supervised release.
Troy Adolfson. On November 14, 2018, Troy Edward Adolfson (age 47), now of Pella, IA, pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance in violation of federal law. Between January 9 and April 17, 2017, Adolfson, then a licensed physician in Aberdeen, SD, illegally distributed oxycodone to others by writing prescriptions for oxycodone pills to a coworker, who would get the prescriptions filled and give Adolfson the pills. Adolfson would give the coworker some of the pills and cash for getting the prescription filled. Adolfson made the same arrangement with two other individuals, and estimates he illegally prescribed 1,400 pills of oxycodone in this manner. Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on May 13, 2019. Adolfson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine, or both, and a term of supervised release.
Devlin Tommeraasen. On November 16, 2018, Devlin Tommeraasen (age 23) of Harrisburg, SD, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. As part of his involvement in the conspiracy, Tommeraasen purchased heroin from co-conspirators and sold it in the Sioux Falls area. He accompanied a co-conspirator on a trip from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis and back to purchase heroin for distribution in the Sioux Falls area. Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Schreier for February 4, 2019. Tommeraasen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both, and a term of supervised release.
Federal Prison Sentences
Tyler Woodraska, Trevor Harden, Rodney Rohrbach, Sr., Rodney Rohrbach, Jr. Four South Dakota fentanyl dealers convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance have been sentenced by Judge Schreier, the most recent on October 15, 2018. Tyler Wayne Woodraska (age 25) of Oacoma, SD, was sentenced on October 15, 2018, to 63 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Trevor Robert Harden (age 20) of Chamberlain, SD, was sentenced on April 30, 2018, to 108 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Rodney Scott Rohrbach, Sr., a/k/a “Scott” (age 51) of Chamberlain was sentenced on August 20, 2018, to 84 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Rodney Scott Rohrbach, Jr., a/k/a “Bubba” (age 26) of Chamberlain was sentenced on July 30, 2018, to 97 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. The convictions stem from incidents ending on or about June 19, 2017, when the Defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to acquire fentanyl and cyclopropylfentanyl, both Schedule II controlled substances, using the “Dark Web” and distribute it in South Dakota. Woodraska, Harden, Rohrbach, Sr., and Rohrbach, Jr. were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
All of these recent developments in the District of South Dakota have occurred as the Drug Enforcement Administration released its 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment, which outlines the threats posed to the United States by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of illicit drugs.
“Hot off the presses, the new DEA threat assessment underscores the broad scope and severe magnitude of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “It represents the sum of all the data and critical intelligence from our law enforcement partners gathered over the past year. It highlights the need to use every tool at our disposal in our collective mission to defeat this horrific and deadly epidemic.”
Key findings in the report include:
- Controlled prescription drugs remain responsible for the largest number of overdose deaths of any illicit drug class since 2001. These drugs are the second most commonly abused substance. Traffickers are now disguising other opioids as controlled prescription drugs to gain access to this market.
- Heroin-related drug-poisoning deaths almost doubled between 2013 and 2016. This has been exacerbated by the increased adulteration of heroin with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Heroin now available in U.S. markets is primarily sourced from Mexico, where opium poppy cultivation and heroin production have both increased significantly in recent years.
- Of all opioids, the abuse of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids has led to the greatest number of deaths in the United States. Fentanyl is increasingly available in the form of counterfeit prescription pills marketed for illicit street sales, and also sold by traffickers on its own, without the presence of other drugs.
The 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment can be accessed here.
The cases listed above are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG/OI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota Highway Patrol, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Yankton Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Haak, Jennifer Mammenga, Benjamin Patterson and Tamara Nash are prosecuting the cases.
North Carolina Man Indicted on a Federal ChargeRead the Press Release
Danville, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville has indicted a North Carolina man on a federal charge of violating a protective order. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today.
Carl Ray Kennedy, 51, of Randleman, N.C., was charged today in a federal indictment with one count of traveling in interstate commerce from North Carolina to Virginia with the intent to engage in conduct that would violate a Family Abuse protective order issued in May 2018 by the Pittsylvania County, Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
“As today’s indictment indicates, the Department of Justice will use all available tools to prosecute individuals who travel in interstate commerce in violation of state protective orders,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “We are grateful for the hard work and diligence of the FBI, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, and the Danville Police Department in resolving this dangerous situation and bringing the defendant to justice.”
According to the indictment, on June 3, 2018, Kennedy traveled from North Carolina to Virginia with the intent to engage in conduct that would violate a protective order in place since May 2018. The protective order prohibited all contact and communication (except for limited email contact) between the defendant and victim. Kennedy subsequently engaged in personal and physical contact and communication with the victim and, during the offense, used a dangerous weapon.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Danville Police Department, the Randolph County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy S. Healey will prosecute the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Nineteen People Charged in Takedown of Camden Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
10 Arrests Made in Coordinated Takedown by Federal and State Law Enforcement; Eight Defendants At Large, One in Custody on State Charges
CAMDEN, N.J. – Nineteen people were charged today for their roles in a conspiracy to sell significant amounts of illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
A complaint unsealed today charges the defendants (see chart below) with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved at least 280 grams of cocaine base, at least one kilogram of heroin, and other quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. The defendants arrested today are scheduled to have their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider in Camden federal court. E defendants remain at large.
According to documents filed in this case:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance, confidential informants, consensual recordings, multiple controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of a drug trafficking organization that dealt crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in and around the City of Camden. The organization’s activities were concentrated on the 400-500 blocks of Pine Street, where members distributed drugs to customers who approached on foot and in vehicles. The organization also supplied drugs to customers and other distributors elsewhere.
Members of the organization previously had conducted drug trafficking activities in and around the 1900 block of Filmore Street. After a fatal, drug-related shooting in that area in April 2017, local law enforcement increased their presence in the area and the organization ultimately shifted its activities to Pine Street.
The investigation has revealed that from November 2016 to November 2018, the organization’s members worked together in a multi-layered organizational structure to supply drugs. The main role of Ronnie Lopez – one of the alleged leaders of the organization – was to obtain bulk quantities of illegal drugs for sale to customers. The organization also had distributors and packagers, such as Carlos Perez and Nelson Salcedo, whose main roles were to obtain drugs from Lopez and others and to prepare and package the drugs for distribution downstream. The organization used “runners,” or managers, like Juan Figueroa and Paul Salcedo. These individuals obtained drugs from higher-level distributors and packagers within the organization and then provided those drugs downstream to shift managers like Jose Diaz and Christopher Vazquez. “Runners” also collected drug proceeds from lower-level shift managers and provided that money to higher-level members of the organization, such as Lopez. Shift managers, in turn, supervised the organization’s set workers, including Jose Agron, Elisa Rivera, Jasmin Velez, Dwight Williams, Kaliel Johnson, William Carrillo, Meylin Troncoso, Waldemar Garcia, Naeem Sadler, and Jameel Byng. These set workers sold drugs directly to customers and passed the proceeds up the organizational hierarchy. David Velez and Ramon Velez sold drugs supplied by the organization near their residences.
The drug trafficking organization is also believed to have used violence in the course of its operations. Multiple communications intercepted by wiretaps reflected that members of the organization owned guns and were prepared to use them. Juan Figueroa currently is facing several charges in Camden County Superior Court regarding the Aug. 7, 2018, shooting of two law enforcement officers, who were in an unmarked car and wearing plain clothes after having conducted surveillance earlier in the day on members of the organization. Also, some of the heroin that was purchased from the organization bore the same stamp as drugs found at the sites of drug overdoses in Camden, including two fatal overdoses.
The drug trafficking conspiracy count carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief William P. Monaghan; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints and the charges against Figueroa in state court are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Residence
Nelson Salcedo
48
Camden
Ronnie Lopez
40
Pennsauken, New Jersey
Paul Salcedo
28
Camden
Carlos Perez
45
Collingswood, New Jersey
**Juan Figueroa
21
Camden
Jose Diaz
26
Camden
*Christopher Vazquez
28
Camden
*Ramon Velez
43
Camden
*David Velez
30
Camden
*Waldemar Garcia
33
Camden
Naeem Sadler
18
Camden
*Kaliel Johnson
26
Camden
Jasmin Velez
25
Camden
*Elisa Rivera
28
Camden
*Meylin Troncoso
31
Camden
Dwight Williams
27
Mount Holly, New Jersey
William Carrillo
44
Camden
*Jose Agron
25
Camden
Jameel Byng
25
Camden
*denotes at large
**denotes in state custody
New York Woman Who Embezzled $1.1 Million from Darien Auto Dealership Sentenced to 30 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VANESSA VENCE-SMALL, 50, of New Windsor, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling more than $1.1 million from a Darien auto dealership.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vence-Small was the controller of Felix F. Callari, Inc., doing business as Continental BMW of Darien, an automobile dealership. From October 2014 to June 2017, Vence-Small made 65 unauthorized electronic fund transfers, totaling $904,659.29, from the dealership’s bank account to her personal American Express account. She also issued and signed 28 checks drawn on the dealership’s bank account, in the total amount of $207,777.78, to pay various third parties, including credit card companies, contractors who performed work at her residence, and a different dealership from which she purchased a car. She also incurred on company accounts an additional $31,452.08 in unauthorized credit card charges and reimbursements.
The investigation revealed Vence-Small’s personal expenses included first-class air travel and vacations to Australia, Hawaii, Mexico and Jamaica; payments to contractors to remodel and landscape her home, and the purchase of a $50,000 Ford Mustang.
Judge Meyer ordered Vence-Small to pay full restitution. She has made approximately $200,000 in restitution payments to date.
On February 22, 2018, Vence-Small pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Vence-Small, who is released on a $100,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on February 4, 2019.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Darien Police Department and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
New York Man Sentenced to 44 months for Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Cuwan Merritt, 30, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby to 44 months in prison for crack cocaine trafficking. Merritt was convicted following a two-day jury trial in July 2018.
On May 12, 2017, Merritt and Michael Artis travelled from Boston intending to sell crack in Lewiston. Law enforcement agents intercepted the vehicle in which they were traveling when they reached Auburn. A police dog alerted to the presence of narcotics on both men. Agents seized 57 pre-packaged .5g bags of crack from Artis and later seized crack that Merritt had secreted in his body.
Artis pled guilty to the same charge on June 28, 2018 and awaits sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Auburn and Lewiston Police Departments and the Maine State Police.
New Bedford Fishing Boat Captain Sentenced for Interfering with Coast Guard InspectionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former captain of a New Bedford fishing boat owned by Carlos Rafael, a/k/a “The Codfather,” was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for interfering with a U.S Coast Guard (USCG) inspection of a fishing boat off the Massachusetts coast.
Thomas D. Simpson, 57, of South Portland, Maine, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two years of probation, with the first four months to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. In August 2018, Simpson pleaded guilty to one count of destruction or removal of property subject to seizure and inspection.
“Mr. Simpson’s conduct was careless and dangerous. When he ordered the ship’s nets cut loose, rather than simply reeled in, the steel cables securing the net swung violently across the boat, endangering not only the Coast Guard boarding team but Simpson’s own crew,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “My office is committed to prosecuting those who impede federal inspections, especially when they jeopardize the safety of law enforcement officers and bystanders.”
“As a federal law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard boards fishing vessels to ensure the safety of the crew and protect our nation's natural resources,” said Rear Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Commander of the First Coast Guard District. “When Mr. Simpson intentionally jettisoned his net, he interfered with our ability to do that, and endangered everyone on board, including his own crew.”
“Vessel boardings by law enforcement personnel to determine compliance with fishery regulations help support the continued sustainability of the nation’s fisheries,” said James Landon, Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement. “When fishermen attempt to destroy evidence to avoid detection of illegal fishing, they not only undermine the enforcement management measures designed to ensure that the fishery remains productive, but they also jeopardize the safety of those who enforce those rules. This investigation is a great example of our marine law enforcement agencies working together to uphold federal marine resource laws and to bring to justice those who believe they are above them.”
Simpson was the captain of the fishing vessel Bulldog, a New Bedford based commercial fishing vessel and one of several fishing vessels owned by Carlos Rafael. On Sept. 25, 2017, Rafael, often referred to as “The Codfather,” was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 46 months in federal prison on a variety of charges related to the operation of his commercial fishing business.
On May 31, 2014, the Bulldog was engaged in commercial fishing off the cost of Massachusetts when the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) boarded the vessel to perform a routine inspection of the Bulldog and its fishing equipment. At the time of the boarding, the Bulldog’s net was deployed in the water and the crew was actively fishing. The USCG Boarding Officer encountered Simpson in the Bulldog’s wheelhouse and instructed Simpson to haul in the fishing net for inspection. The fishing net is controlled from the wheelhouse by an electric winch, which Simpson activated, but instead of hauling the fishing net onto the vessel, he let out more of the cable which attaches the net to the vessel. When the USCG Boarding Officer realized that Simpson was letting the net out, he instructed Simpson to stop and to haul the net in. Simpson ignored the order and continued to let out cable until the net became detached from the Bulldog and sank.
The USCG and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hired a salvage company, at a cost of approximately $15,000, to retrieve the net from the ocean floor. An inspection of the net revealed that it had three distinct and separate layers of netting in violation of commercial fishing regulations. When two or more fishing nets are placed on top of each other, the size of the openings are reduced. The reduced size net openings hinder younger, smaller fish from being able to escape the net. The prohibition on double or triple lining fishing nets is intended to maintain the size and viability of the fishing stock and reduce over fishing. The use of illegal nets may result in fines and forfeiture of fishing equipment.
U.S. Attorney Lelling; Rear Adm. Tiongson; James M. Noble, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Coast Guard Investigative Services Northeast Region; and NOAA Director James Landon made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Navajo Man from Shiprock Facing Aggravated Sexual Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Wilfred Garcia, 53, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., appeared in federal court today in Albuquerque, N.M., on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. Trial has yet to be scheduled.
Agents from the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety arrested Garcia in Shiprock on November 22, 2018. According to the criminal complaint, Garcia pulled up to the victim while driving his truck. He got out, put his arms around the victim, and held a hard object to her back while telling her, “Don’t move.” Garcia then forcibly placed the victim in his truck and drove to a dirt road where he sexually assaulted her. The victim eventually got away from Garcia, flagged down a motorist for help, and reported the incident to police, who arrested Garcia later that day.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for aggravated sexual abuse charge is life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick T. Mendenhall, III, is prosecuting the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Multiple Sentences Imposed in Massive Synthetic Narcotics Distribution NetworkRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - The five leaders and eight other co-conspirators have been sentenced for their roles in one of the largest synthetic cannabinoids distribution networks in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. The sentences ranged from 140 months in federal prison for a leader to probation for an hourly wage clerk who sold the drugs.
The defendants were sentenced for their involvement in the manufacture, possession and distribution of synthetic cannabinoids commonly, but mistakenly, referred to as synthetic marijuana.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ordered Khader Fahed Tanous, 52, of Manassas, Virginia, who distributed large amounts of synthetic cannabinoids to Houston area distributors, to 121 months imprisonment. Earlier this week, Judge Miller sentenced Muhammad Shariq Siddiqi, 48, of Sugar Land, to 140 months in prison. Siddiqi was a major manufacturer and distributor in the Houston area.
Also sentenced today was Ayisha Khurram, Siddiqi’s partner in manufacturing and distributing synthetic cannabinoids as was the de facto owner of the Smoke Zone Khalil Munier Khalil, 43, of Spring. The Smoke Zone was the most prolific distribution store front in the country for synthetic cannabinoids. Khalil was sentenced to a 135-month prison term while Khurram received a 95-month term of imprisonment.
Today, Judge Miller further sentenced Sayed Ali, 53, of Sugar Land; Abdalnour Izz, 33, of Houston; Steve Amira, 61, of Richmond; Mohammed Rafat Taha, 29, of Spring; and Frank Muratalla, 25, of Downey, California.
Siddiqi paid Ali to dilute, mix and apply the chemicals he supplied to the plant material. Izz delivered the drugs and collected payments for Tanous. Amira was the owner of Houston Beverage and a synthetic cannabinoids distributor. Ali received a sentence of 50 months, while Izz and Amira were each sentenced to 36 months.
Muratalla, who worked for out of state manufacturers of synthetic cannabinoids here in Houston, and Taha, a clerk at Smoke Zone, who sold packages of synthetic cannabinoids were both sentenced to four-year-terms of probation.
Also sentenced this week were other distributors and managers involved in the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids in the Houston area. Those included Salem Fahed Tannous, 58, of Houston (Khader Tanous’s brother who collected money for him from synthetic narcotics sales), Ali Tafesh, 37, of Houston, who owned and distributed the drugs from a store named Azell Cell Phones, Hazim Hisham Qadus, 34, a permanent resident alien who resided in Houston and distributed drugs from a store named Moon Mart and Azell Cell Phones and Nagy Ali, 61 of Spring, the manager of Smoke Zone. Tannous was ordered to serve 49 months in prison, while Tafesh, Qadus will both serve sentences of 97 months. Nagy Ali received a 120-month-prison term for his role.
Throughout the three days of hearings and the handing down of these sentences, the court’s repeated theme was its concern that the dangerous drugs these defendants were manufacturing were being marketed and distributed to juveniles.
Siddiqi and Qadus are not U.S. Citizens and are expected to face deportation proceedings following the completion of their prison terms.
Omar Maher Alnasser, a 37-year old resident of Sugar Land and former University of Houston professor, was previously sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business. He had admitted he was paid to wire more than $200,000 in U.S. currency from a bank in the United States to accounts in the country of Jordan.
The dismantling of this organizations and the convictions are the result of a multi-year, multi-agency federal investigation into one of the largest synthetic distribution networks in the nation and operated in the Houston area dubbed “We Can Hear You Now.”
All 13 defendants sentenced this week were convicted of conspiring to distribute a variety of synthetic cannabinoids, all Schedule I controlled substances. In committing the offense, several co-conspirators were accused in a scheme to defraud by marketing their products as though they were safe labeled the drugs as “potpourri” or “incense,” with some labels including false information such as “100% legal,” “lab certified” or “not for human consumption,” when in fact these products were dangerous drugs.
There are no standards for making synthetic cannabinoids which contain hazardous chemicals often imported from China that, when smoked or ingested, could have serious (sometimes deadly) side effects. Frequently, as in this case, various “brands” are mixed together in the same cement mixer, so two packets of a brand-named product may have the identical chemicals. Often, the same cement mixers are used for multiple batches of synthetic cannabinoids, so the “final” products may also be contaminated with other drugs or toxic chemicals from previous batches.
The amounts of synthetic cannabinoid in packages may also vary even within the same batches because the product is not mixed uniformly within the cement mixers. Therefore, “hot packages” with a higher concentration of the applied chemical are a common danger. According to the Center for Disease Control, synthetic cannabinoids may cause hallucinations, delusions, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and violent behavior. The health problems associated with the drug include heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, breathing problems and muscle damage.
The drugs the defendants admitted to having distributed were all Schedule I drugs – substances or chemicals with no currently accepted medical use, have a high potential for abuse, are the most dangerous drugs of all scheduled drugs and have potential for severe psychological or physical dependence. The packaging was also typical of synthetic cannabinoids - contained colorful illustrations that targeted not only drug abusers, but also children and adolescents.
In connection with this case, authorities are still seeking Ziad Mahmoud Alsalameh, 56, of Pearland, and Aqil Khader, 33, of Houston. They are considered fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests. Anyone with information about their whereabouts are asked to contact DEA at 713-693-3000.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the four-year investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Conroe Police Department, sheriff’s offices in Harris and Polk counties, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Jocher and Nancy Herrera prosecuted the case.
Mount Pleasant Speech Therapist Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Gena Randolph, 44, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 9 years in federal prison for executing a health care fraud scheme over the course of almost five years.
Randolph’s sentence comes after a four-day trial in July prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. A federal jury convicted Randolph of executing a health care fraud scheme totaling almost $2 million. Randolph was convicted of one count of Health Care Fraud, one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, and three counts of Making False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters.
According to evidence presented at trial, Randolph was excluded from Medicare and Medicaid after her 2012 conviction for Filing False Claims with the South Carolina Medicaid Program. As an excluded person, she was prohibited from working for any provider to perform services paid for, in whole or in part, by Medicare and Medicaid.
From 2012 to 2017, Randolph disguised her ownership and control over Palmetto Speech and Language Associates and Per Diem Healthcare Services, both of which were submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid. As part of the health care fraud scheme, Randolph submitted claims both for speech therapy services that were provided by other speech therapists and for services that were never rendered at all. The jury was also presented with evidence showing that Randolph submitted claims for services to beneficiaries who were dead.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel presided over the trial and sentenced Randolph to 111 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system, and her prison sentence will be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. Randolph was also ordered to pay $580,937.44 in restitution.
“This case should serve as a warning sign to health care providers tempted try to take advantage of the size of our health care system, hoping that false and fraudulent claims will go unnoticed among the thousands of claims processed every day,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “When providers like Ms. Randolph break the rules, American taxpayers are forced to bear the cost. Her sentence will help recover that cost and discourage fraudulent billing by other providers in the future. We applaud the vigilant employees who spotted Ms. Randolph’s fraud and were brave enough to report it to law enforcement, as well as the hard work of our partners at the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services.”
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stated, “This wasn’t just fraud, it was an attack on the people of the state because she took taxpayers’ money that was meant for health care after having already been convicted of a previous fraud. I’m thankful that the hard work by our Medicaid Provider Fraud Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services paid off in restitution and a long prison sentence.”
The case was investigated by Special Investigator Chris Radcliff of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and Special Agent Chris Lott with the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Nancy Cote, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Assistant United States Attorneys Matt Austin and Sean Kittrell of the Charleston office.
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More Than 100 Defendants Charged Federally in 2018 Surge to Reduce Violent Crime in LouisvilleRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced that more than 100 previous felony offenders possessing firearms have been charged so-far this year as one part of the ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods effort to tackle violent crime in Metro Louisville.
The indictments returned were a result of the ongoing partnership between federal prosecutors and their counterparts from the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office who work hand-in-hand with the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The combined effort is a key component of the Department of Justice’s PSN initiative - which targets the area’s most violent offenders.” This round of indictments brings the total number of defendants charged under the initiative in 2018 to 105. Overall, compared to fiscal year (FY) 2017, the total number of federal firearms cases filed in FY 2018 rose to 115, representing an increase of 60 percent.
“With over seventy homicides and two hundred fifty shootings in Louisville this year, we’re not there yet. This is, however, another deposit on our promise that federal, state, and local law enforcement will work as one to take violent offenders and their guns off the streets of our city,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman. “More to come.”
“ATF is committed to our on-going partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to reduce gun violence,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Stuart Lowrey of the Louisville Field Division. “During the past year, ATF investigated illegal sources of crime guns and those who illegally possessed and/or used guns to commit violent crimes in the Louisville Metro area. We will continue to aggressively pursue ‘traffickers and trigger pullers’ with every resource and technique available. In this way, ATF’s support of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods is making our communities safer for everyone.”
“Our community continues to be better protected by the cooperative efforts between the United States Attorney’s Office and the Jefferson County Office of Commonwealth’s Attorney,” stated Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine. “Prosecutors between our offices determine which jurisdiction can impose the maximum penalty. They work together to target those individuals who have illegally used or sold firearms in Jefferson County, threatening the safety of our citizens.”
One defendant charged this year, Elijah Eubanks, 20, of Louisville, Kentucky, had already been charged with attempted murder by the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney’s office for shooting at a police officer who approached his vehicle; he faces an additional federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Another defendant, Jamar Garrison, 33, of Louisville, Kentucky, was convicted July 27, 2018 in United States District Court on charges of possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Mr. Garrison had been released on bond for state drug trafficking charges for the last two years when he was arrested after being found in possession of a loaded semiautomatic handgun, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl packaged for sale, several thousand dollars cash, and assorted other narcotics. The follow up investigation revealed that while released on bond on multiple pending felony drug indictments in Jefferson Circuit Court, Garrison had been using vehicles rented in the names of third parties in order to transport and traffic in heroin all over Louisville.
The latest round of indictments charges Ashlyn Marcum, 28, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was previously convicted in with assault of the 4th degree domestic violence twice in 2014, and again in 2018, with being a felon in possession of 37 firearms.
Joshua Bolin, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree in 2003, was also charged in the latest indictments with two counts of being a felon in possession of 27 firearms.
Defendants charged this year have previously been found guilty of numerous crimes including: burglary, facilitation to murder, manslaughter, cultivating marijuana with intent, narcotics trafficking, manufacturing methamphetamine, assault 4th degree domestic violence, sexual abuse in the first degree, second degree escape, fleeing/evading police, wanton endangerment, among other charges.
If convicted at trial, the maximum sentence for unlawfully possessing a firearm is no more than ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. If that firearm is possessed or used in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a defendant faces a mandatory minimum five years in prison in addition to the sentence received for the underlying charges, and could receive up to life in prison. Some of the 105 defendants qualify as Armed Career Criminals, facing a mandatory 15 year sentence, or repeat drug traffickers, facing a mandatory 20 years sentence and, in some cases, a mandatory life sentence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Ansari, Mike Bennett, Ann Marie Blaylock, Robert Bonar, Nute Bonner, Bryan Calhoun, Terry Cushing, Tom Dyke, Larry Fentress, Marisa Ford, Alicia Gomez, Amanda Gregory, Lettricea Jefferson-Webb, Joshua Judd, Corrine Keel, Jo Lawless, Jessica Malloy, Erin McKenzie, Spencer McKiness, Randy Ream, Mac Shannon, Amy Sullivan, Christopher Tieke, David Weiser, Stephanie Zimdahl and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Ebert Haegele and Elizabeth Jones Brown with stalwart assistance from Laura Stinson, Western District of Kentucky Grand Jury Coordinator. The cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Louisville Metro Police Department, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and with significant collaboration with the Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Kentucky. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Today’s indictments are part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative in the Western District of Kentucky.
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Minnesota Temporary Agency Owner Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Failing to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica MacDonald today announced the sentencing of MAI NHIA VUE, 47, to 38 months in federal prison for failing to pay payroll taxes. VUE pleaded guilty on May 16, 2018, to one count of willful failure to pay payroll taxes and was sentenced on November 27, 2018, by Judge Wilhelmina Wright, in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, VUE owned and operated Five Star Workforce Solutions (Five Star), which provided temporary contract employees to businesses in Minnesota. As part of Five Star’s contracts with its client businesses, Five Star was responsible for collecting and paying the payroll taxes from the employees, which included the federal withholding taxes, social security, and Medicare withholdings.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, during the tax years of 2014, 2015, and 2016, VUE created two sets of accounting books and paid payroll taxes for some employees but did not pay any payroll taxes for other employees, despite charging Five Star clients consistent rates between the two sets of employees. Additionally, VUE did not pay the employer’s portion of social security and Medicare taxes.
According to documents filed in court, VUE failed to pay nearly $2 million under this scheme, which should have gone to the IRS. VUE spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury travel, gambling, gold, and the construction and furnishing of a new home.
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald thanked the special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lewis, who prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
MAI NHIA VUE, 47
Lake Elmo, Minn.
Convicted:
- Willful Failure To Pay Payroll Taxes, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 38 months incarceration
- 3 years supervised release
- $1,820,331 in restitution to the IRS
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Miami Gardens Couple Each Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Illegally Distributing Hydromorphone and Oxycodone in North FloridaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Abbisina Hepburn, 39, and Damian Hepburn, 41, both of Miami Gardens, were each sentenced to 188 months in prison today, after pleading guilty on August 10. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The Hepburns, along with co-conspirators Joseph Owusu, 63, of Tampa, and Angela Denise Clark, 48, of Sebring, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and oxycodone. Additionally, the Hepburns pleaded guilty to substantive counts of illegal distribution of hydromorphone.
On November 14, Owusu was sentenced to 135 months in prison. During the course of his guilty plea on August 17, Owusu acknowledged that he dispensed the drugs in violation of federal law. He agreed to voluntarily surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration (license) to the DEA, and his pharmacist license and the Jares Pharmacy license to the State of Florida.
Clark pleaded guilty on October 22 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
Beginning in or about October 2015, Abbisina Hepburn and Damian Hepburn began presenting fraudulent prescriptions for hydromorphone and oxycodone to Owusu at Jares Pharmacy in Sebring, Florida. Later, in December 2016, Clark, a licensed pharmacy technician at Jares Pharmacy, became involved in the drug conspiracy.
The prescriptions presented were allegedly issued by a Hialeah doctor of osteopathy, to individuals other than Abbisina and Damian Hepburn. Owusu owned Jares Pharmacy, and was also the licensed pharmacist there. Owusu and Clark charged the Hepburns $9.00 per tablet. After receiving the hydromorphone and oxycodone pills, the Hepburns traveled to Destin and other locations in the Northern District of Florida to sell the pills to third parties for a profit.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Misused prescriptions are dangerous and contribute to the heroin and opioid epidemic our nation is currently experiencing. One of the ways we are fighting this health crisis is by prosecuting medical professionals who illegally divert controlled substances from the intended use. Corrupt pharmacists and their co-conspirators must be removed from positions which allow them to illegally distribute prescription pills.”
“In 2017, over 4,000 opioid-caused deaths were reported, which is a nine percent increase over the previous year. The climbing number underscores the gravity of this problem,” said Rick Swearingen, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. “Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across Florida are already working to combat the increase in opioid drug use, and FDLE will continue to work with our partners focusing on multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations.”
“The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is one of the worst crises in American history, and our pharmacists play a vital role in preventing the illegal diversion of prescription opioid medications,” said Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Miami Field Division. “As demonstrated by this case, DEA remains committed to investigating unscrupulous licensed medical professionals, to include pharmacists and pharmacy owners who willingly turn a blind eye and contribute to this devastating public health emergency.”
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office with assistance of the DEA Diversion Division, and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin F. Knight represented the government at the Owusu and Hepburn sentencing hearings.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Mexican National Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
Defendant had one prior deportation to Mexico
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Mexican national man entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Heriberto Tadeo faces up to two years of incarceration when he is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2019. Tadeo is also subject to deportation proceedings at the conclusion of any sentence. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Our immigration laws must be enforced,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Those who want to remain in this great country, must enter it legally, and abide by our laws.”
On October 17, 2018, Tadeo was found in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia by members of ICE after receiving a tip that individuals were in the country illegally and working in the area. Pursuant to this investigation, ICE agents approached Tadeo and he surrendered to them. Agents immediately confirmed that Tadeo was not in the United States legally, and took him into federal custody.
Tadeo’s fingerprints matched a prior encounter where he was found near Hidalgo, Texas and deported from the United States to Mexico in 2016. Tadeo illegally reentered the United States prior to his capture in 2018. Tadeo had not obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Tadeo also admitted to ICE agents that he was a Mexican citizen.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene Berger presided over the hearing.
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Meth Smuggler Handed Significant SentenceRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 36-year-old Brownsville resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy and methamphetamine smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A federal jury sitting in Brownsville convicted Jesus Yzaguirre Jr. March 12, 2018, following a six-day trial and less than three hours of deliberation.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed Yzaguirre Jr. a 200-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the evidence which the government had presented to the jury and Yzaguirre’s attempts to obstruct justice by trying to get others to conceal a van and not talk to investigating agents.
The jury heard that on Feb. 25, 2017, Yzaguirre drove into the United States through the Gateway Port of Entry in Brownsville. At primary inspection, Yzaguirre said he had gone into Mexico to “borrow the van” he was driving from his uncle. He was referred for secondary inspection, at which time he then said he had gone into Mexico to pick up the van which belonged to him. Agents searched the van and discovered 29.4 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden within the floorboard and frame compartments.
Yzaguirre then gave a statement saying he thought he was bringing the van in for another person to use for alien smuggling. The person, a female friend whom he “bumped into in Matamoros,” asked him to pick up the van at a parking lot, according to his statement. She was to pay him $50 for taking it into the U.S. and parking it at a certain location. Yzaguirre said he had previously done the same thing with a different van which he parked somewhere in Brownsville.
Further investigation revealed Yzaguirre had in fact crossed a commercial van on three other occasions, each time going through the Sarita checkpoint. Agents interviewed an acquaintance of Yzaguirre who said Yzaguirre had admitted to knowing there were drugs in the van when he was arrested and that he had been working for “La Guera” who was in charge of the drug loads.
Yzaguirre was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 29.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute the methamphetamine, conspiracy to import methamphetamine and importation of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
Yzaguirre has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oscar Ponce and Angel Castro are prosecuting the case.
Member of U.S. Air Force Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Mitchell Oren Smith, age 28, an Airman in the U.S. Air Force, pleaded guilty today to abusive sexual contact with a child, which occurred while he resided at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Adanto D'Amore, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Joint Base Andrews.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 22, 2017 and continuing for several months, Smith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a child victim who was under 10 years of age. In the course of his abuse of the child, Smith also admitted that he photographed the abuse. Investigators recovered a digital photograph from Smith’s cellular phone documenting his abuse of the victim. All of these events occurred while Smith resided at Joint Base Andrews.
As part of his plea agreement, Smith will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Smith and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Smith will be sentenced to between 240 and 448 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2019, at 2:00 p.m.
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 Attorney’s 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Jennifer R. Sykes, who are prosecuting the federal case.
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Member of the Violent “Murdaland Mafia Piru” Bloods Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Drug ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Dontray Johnson, a/k/a “Gambino,” “Bino,” and “Tray,” age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, on November 27, 2018, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for racketeering and drug conspiracies related to his participation in the gang activities of the Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP), a subset of the Bloods gang. As part of his gang activities, Johnson admitted committing two murders, and to conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
“Federal authorities worked with the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments and State’s Attorney’s Offices to dismantle a criminal organization that dealt drugs and despair in Northwest Baltimore and Baltimore County,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This sentence demonstrates that we are committed to removing from our communities the violent gang members that terrorize them.”
“Dontray Johnson supported The Murdaland Mafia Piru gang through murder, acts of violence, and by pushing drugs onto the streets of Baltimore,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Cekada. “He and this gang willfully wreaked havoc on the community and have irreparably damaged the families of their victims. We are glad to see justice served today.
According to Johnson’s plea agreement and court documents, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that operates in Maryland and elsewhere. MMP was modeled after the Italian Mafia, and was organized hierarchically, with “the Don” at the top and various “Bosses,” “Underbosses,” “Capos,” “Lieutenants,” and “Mobsters” underneath. For many years, MMP has controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, Woodlawn, and Walbrook Junction. The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states. MMP’s members enriched themselves through drug trafficking and other criminal activities, and using violence and threats of violence to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, protect the gang’s territories, enforce debts, and eliminate rivals.
Johnson admits that he was a member of MMP and participated in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activities, including murder, extortion, robbery, witness tampering and retaliation, money laundering, and drug distribution.
Specifically, Johnson admits that on November 22, 2012, he murdered MMP member Antoine Ellis, a/k/a Poopy, in the 200 block of North Forest Park Avenue, because he had shown disloyalty to MMP. Earlier that day, Johnson had posted a comment to his Facebook account saying “198 n risen,” a reference to that year’s murder tally in Baltimore City. On September 29, 2015, Johnson murdered MMP member Brian Johnson, a/k/a Nutty B, because he refused to pay gang dues that Johnson was collecting for an MMP member.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on November 1, 2013, Johnson was featured in two rap videos that were posted to a social media website. The first video, “Boy You Lying,” was posted to enhance the gang’s status, intimidate rivals, and discourage anyone from selling drugs in MMP territory without paying its members. The second video, “Str8 Mobbin,” was posted to assert the gang’s dominance over its drug territories. It features Johnson with other MMP members, as well as footage of various MMP drug locations. Johnson brandishes a firearm in the video.
On July 31, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence in Owings Mills and recovered 28 grams of heroin, 70 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, a bulletproof vest, $1,480 in cash, and an “owe sheet” with a tally of drug debts owed by MMP members and associates.
Finally, Johnson admits that he conspired with other MMP members to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin and 280 grams of crack cocaine, and that he knew that during the conspiracy between one and three kilograms of heroin and between 280 and 840 grams of crack cocaine would be distributed.
In addition to Johnson, eighteen of twenty-six defendants have pleaded guilty in the case. Trial is scheduled for the remaining members on March 18, 2019.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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 praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting the case.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 85 Months in Prison Following Jury’s Conviction for Drug-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on November 27, 2018, United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced John Jones, a.k.a. “Champ,” of Springfield, Massachusetts, following his conviction at trial of conspiracy to distribute heroin and 28 grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of heroin; and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Judge Reiss sentenced Jones to 85 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.
The evidence presented at trial revealed that from early 2015 through July 13, 2015, Jones conspired with Childlove Gelin, a.k.a. “Rome” and “Haiti,” and others, to distribute large quantities of heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine in southern Vermont. On July 7, 2015, an informant working with the Vermont Drug Task Force purchased heroin from Jones. On July 13, 2015, after selling cocaine base to another informant, Jones and Gelin led police on a prolonged, 130-mile-per hour car chase on Interstate 91. During the course of their flight, $6,700 of cocaine base was thrown from the fleeing vehicle. Jones and Gelin were ultimately apprehended in Massachusetts. The trial evidence also detailed Jones’ manufacture of cocaine base and his sexual exploitation of addicts.
Jones was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 months for his crimes. In imposing the 85-month sentence, Judge Reiss considered the defendant’s significant criminal history, which included convictions for shooting another individual in the chest at point-blank range, and three separate convictions for domestic assault and battery, one of which was an aggravated offense in which Jones struck and strangled the pregnant mother of his children. The sentence also was based on the defendant’s intimidation of a witness.
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, the Brattleboro Police Department, the Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department, and the United States Department of Homeland Security for their work on this investigation.
The case was tried by U.S. Attorney Nolan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Burris. Jones was represented by Attorney Richard Bothfeld.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison on Federal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Gorham, 30, formerly of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to a 42-month prison term after pleading guilty to a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gorham pled guilty in September 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Following his prison term, Gorham will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also faces the possibility of additional time for violating terms of his release from prison in an earlier case.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 4, 2017 at about 4:30 p.m., officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s 7th District Crime Suppression Team approached Gorham and other individuals on the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, in the Woodland Terrace neighborhood. The officers asked Gorham how he was doing, at which time he tried to flee. Officers pursued Gorham and stopped him a block away. They recovered from his waistband a .380-caliber firearm with five rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. The firearm previously was reported stolen from Thomasville, N.C.
At the time of his arrest in this case, Gorham was barred from possessing a firearm due to a 2008 conviction in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. That conviction was for assault with intent to kill while armed and a related firearms offense. In that case, on July 1, 2006, Gorham shot a man in the abdomen and then, when the victim turned to flee, shot him again in the back. The victim was paralyzed during this assault, which took place on the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, the same location where Gorham was stopped with this firearm. Gorham was sentenced to a 12-year prison term for the 2006 attack and placed on supervised release on Oct. 13, 2017. He was arrested in this case less than two months later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s 7th District Crime Suppression Team. They recognized the work of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center referred the case for federal prosecution. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistants Katie Cowley and Emma Atlas. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Vanore, who prosecuted the case.
Man from El Salvador Charged with Illegally Re-entering the U.S. after Previous RemovalsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – An individual from El Salvador, present in the country illegally, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegally re-entering the United States after removal, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on Nov. 27, named Jose Roberto Ordonez-Ramos, 25, formerly of El Salvador, as sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Ordonez-Ramos, an alien who was previously removed from the United States on May 3, 2018 and February 9, 2018, was again found in the United States in Allegheny County on October 26, 2018.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of two years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Sentenced for Possessing Crack Cocaine in Police HeadquartersRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possessing 30 baggies of crack cocaine hidden in his underwear inside Richmond Police Department (RPD) headquarters.
According to court documents, on September 5, 2017, Zyejuan Redd, 21, was arrested by RPD officers on an outstanding warrant within the area of the Mosby Court public housing community. After being taken into custody, officers transported Redd to RPD headquarters where he was placed alone in an interview room equipped with video monitoring equipment. Several minutes later, RPD officers observed Redd on the video monitor reaching into and jostling the front of his pants in an attempt to retrieve an item. Based on Redd’s movements, RPD officers confronted Redd and discovered plastic bags containing 30 individually wrapped corner baggies of crack cocaine and a baggie containing a heroin.
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 U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. 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-72.
Lucas Anthony Nichols Sentenced to 262 Months for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On November 28, 2018, Lucas Anthony Nichols, 40, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, Chief U.S. District Judge, to serve 262 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. Following his release from prison, Nichols will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years and be required to register with the sex offender registry in any state in which he resides, works, or attends school.
In April 2018, Nichols pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an undercover investigation into the storage of child pornography over the Internet. Search warrants were issued for Nichols’ online storage account and his residence. The seized evidence revealed that Nichols had saved thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his online storage account, including sadistic depictions of the sexual abuse of young children.
“The receipt and collection of child pornography is a serious crime that perpetuates the victimization of children and fuels the demand for the production of more child pornography,” said J. Douglas Overbey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “Our office commends the collaborative law enforcement efforts taken to bring this defendant to justice.” added U.S. Attorney Overbey.
This investigation was conducted by the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Morris represented the United States in court proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Lower Brule Man Sentenced on Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on November 26, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Thomas James Eagle Thunder, age 21, was sentenced to 5 months in federal prison on each count to run concurrently, followed by 2 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, forfeiture of $5,358.01 in U.S. currency and 5 firearms, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Eagle Thunder was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2018. He pled guilty on September 12, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on February 15, 2018, following a traffic stop for a missing headlight in low visibility and poor road conditions. Once the officer made contact with the driver, Eagle Thunder, the officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana. Following a search of the vehicle, two plastic baggies containing marijuana were found as well as two bundles of U.S. currency. A further search of Eagle Thunder’s residence revealed several firearms. Eagle Thunder knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, which is a Schedule I controlled substance. Further, Eagle Thunder is an unlawful user of, and addicted to a controlled substance, making it illegal for him to possess firearms.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of 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.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Eagle Thunder was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Leader of Macon-Based Sex Trafficking Operation Sentenced in Federal Court, Cohort Also SentencedRead the Press Release
MACON—The leader of a sex trafficking operation involving seven victims was sentenced to 174 months in prison, announced Charles E. Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Najiy Williams, a/k/a “King”, age 36 of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced in federal court today by the Honorable Marc T. Treadwell on the charge of Inducement to Travel to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. The sentence includes a $250,000 fine and a term of lifetime supervised release. In addition, Hamza Abdul Vasser, a/k/a “Joseph” a/k/a “Joey,” age 29 of Douglasville, Georgia, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment and a term of lifetime supervised release on the charge of Transportation for Illegal Sexual Activity. Both defendants will be required to register as sex offenders upon release from prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) first received information that Mr. Williams was trafficking women and with assistance from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, identified seven adult women who said they were forced to have sex in hotel rooms in the Macon area, as well as cities across the southeast, including Charleston, South Carolina and Valdosta, Georgia, between September 2015 and February 2017. According to the plea agreement, one victim reported engaging in more than 550 sex acts. Several victims said they responded to advertisements for models and actors posted on various websites, including “Craigslist” and encountered Mr. Williams. One victim traveled by bus from as far away as Ohio to Macon, Georgia, in response to an online advertisement for a film audition. Mr. Vasser admitted to driving one female victim in August 2016 from South Carolina to Georgia for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
“There is no place for human sex trafficking in our community. It is degrading to the victims and is otherwise a blight on society,” said Charles Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I want to thank the great investigative work of the FBI, GBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to end this illegal sex trafficking operation, and helping release these victims from a hopeless trap.”
“These two defendants showed a complete disregard for the women they coerced into sex trafficking,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI thanks our state and local law enforcement partners for their assistance in taking these two predators off our streets and helping us rescue their victims.”
“We can all be thankful that the teamwork of all agencies involved resulted in these horrific criminals being taken off the street and put behind bars where they belong,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.
Assistant United States Attorneys Julia C. Bowen and Shanelle C. Booker are prosecuting the case for the United States. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Lake Mary Man Sentenced for Stealing Supplemental Security Income BenefitsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced Goebels Cyriaque (52, Lake Mary) to 10 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of government property. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $98,796.20, the proceeds of the crime, and ordered Cyriaque to pay restitution.
Cyriaque had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2018.
According to court documents, Cyriaque’s cousin, J.E., was a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiary. J.E. passed away between March and April 1998 in Haiti. J.E.’s death was never reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Consequently, the SSA continued to make benefit payments to the deceased individual.
Cyriaque was a joint account holder on the account into which J.E.’s SSI benefits were deposited. From March 1998 through November 2017, Cyriaque accessed the funds and used them for personal expenses. In total, he stole or converted $98,796.20 in SSI benefits to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Lake Andes Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Felony Child Abuse, Neglect, and AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lake Andes, South Dakota, man convicted of Felony Child Abuse and Neglect and of Simple Assault was sentenced on November 27, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Wendell Clark Archambeau, Jr., age 38, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $125 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Archambeau was indicted on July 6, 2017. He pled guilty to one count of felony child abuse and neglect and one count of simple assault on August 20, 2018. Each count of conviction related to separate child-victims. The sentence imposed for the felony child abuse and neglect was for 60 months, and the sentence imposed for the simple assault was for 6 months, with those sentences to run concurrently.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Archambeau was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kilos of Marijuana and Firearms Nets D’Iberville Man over 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Dung Anh Nguyen, 35 of D’Iberville, was sentenced to a total of 75 months by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Dana Nichols.
After receiving a tip that drugs were being sold out of a D’Iberville home, Harrison County Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, served a search warrant on Nguyen’s home in March 2018. Agents found approximately 2 kilos of marijuana along with several loaded firearms, large capacity magazines, ammunition and a ballistic vest. Nguyen was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Texas and Harrison County courts.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Announce Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice along with U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, Chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues, announced today the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to Indian Country to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2019 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized tribes, tribal consortia and Alaska Native villages can apply for the funds.
“Native Americans are victims of violent crime at a rate more than double that of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. That is unacceptable. I believe these grants will help those on the front lines who are working to reduce violent crime and help victims. Reducing violent crime requires a multilayered and multidisciplinary approach. An entire community must be involved in developing workable solutions, not only law enforcement officials. These grants could benefit Native American populations in northeastern Oklahoma by providing critical funding to enhance tribal justice systems, community policing, temporary housing for victims of domestic abuse, and counseling programs for children who are victims of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I hope that I can help facilitate the allocation of some of these funds into the hands of tribal communities in the most need, especially those in northeastern Oklahoma. In order to reduce violent crime rates in Indian Country, we must help ensure the resources are in place to do so.”
“Public safety professionals serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities frequently find themselves under-resourced and over-extended,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “This funding will give tribal officials the tools they need to fight violent crime, protect their citizens, serve victims, and deliver justice.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
New to FY 2019 CTAS is funding designated specifically to address violent crime in native communities (Purpose Area 10). Additionally, the Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program will be replaced by the Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) in FY 2019. This new program will provide funding to a higher number of applicants and provides funding for a broad range of activities, including a needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation, program expansion, and other actions to address the victim service needs of tribes.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the 10 competitive grant programs, referred to as “purpose areas.” This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The 10 purpose areas are:
• COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
• Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
• BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems
• BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
• OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
• OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
• OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program
• OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
• OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
• BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities
Fact sheets detailing each of the individual purpose areas can be found online at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2018, the Department funded 125 tribes with 225 awards across nine grant programs totaling more than $113 million.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities to Support Public Safety in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for comprehensive funding to Indian Country to support crime prevention, victim services, and coordinated community responses to violence against native women.
The Department’s FY 2019 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, or CTAS, posts today online at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations. The solicitation contains details about available grants and describes how federally-recognized tribes, tribal consortia and Alaska Native villages can apply for the funds.
“Public safety professionals serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities frequently find themselves under-resourced and over-extended,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “This funding will give tribal officials the tools they need to fight violent crime, protect their citizens, serve victims, and deliver justice.”
The funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) can be used to for a variety of public safety and justice-related projects and services. Funds can be used to enhance law enforcement; bolster adult and juvenile justice systems; prevent and control juvenile delinquency; serve native victims of crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse; improve responses to violence against native women; and support other efforts to combat crime.
New to FY 2019 CTAS is funding designated specifically to address violent crime in native communities (Purpose Area 10). Additionally, the Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program will be replaced by the Tribal Victim Services Program (Purpose Area 7) in FY 2019. This new program will provide funding to a higher number of applicants and provides funding for a broad range of activities, including a needs assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation, program expansion, and other actions to address the victim service needs of tribes.
Applications for CTAS are submitted online through the Department’s Grants Management System, or “GMS.” Applicants must register with GMS prior to submitting an application. The application deadline is 9 p.m. EDT, Feb. 26, 2019. Applicants will submit a single application and select from any or all of the 10 competitive grant programs, referred to as “purpose areas.” This approach allows the Department’s grant-making components to consider the totality of a tribal nation’s overall public safety needs.
The 10 purpose areas are:
- COPS Office’s Public Safety and Community Policing
- Comprehensive Tribal Justice Systems Strategic Planning
- BJA’s Tribal Justice Systems
- BJA’s Tribal Justice System Infrastructure Program
- OVW’s Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program
- OVC’s Children’s Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities
- OVC’s Tribal Victim Services Program
- OJJDP’s Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
- OJJDP’s Tribal Youth Program
- BJA’s Addressing Violent Crime in Native Communities
Fact sheets detailing each of the individual purpose areas can be found online at: www.justice.gov/tribal/grants. The Department will also facilitate a series of webinars to guide applicants through the CTAS application requirements. Details, including how to register for these webinars, will be made available online in coming weeks at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations.
Additionally, tribes and tribal consortia may also be eligible for non-tribal federal grant programs and are encouraged to explore other funding opportunities, which may be found at DOJ’s Tribal Justice and Safety website at www.justice.gov/tribal/open-solicitations or the www.grants.gov website.
In FY 2018, the Department funded 125 tribes with 225 awards across nine grant programs totaling more than $113 million.
CTAS is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Office on Violence Against Women.
Today’s announcement is part of the DOJ’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Judge Sentences Clairton Heroin Dealer to Nearly 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to seven years and 10 months in prison, followed by six years’ supervised release, on his conviction of conspiring to distribute narcotics, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Kevin Jackson, 35.
According to information presented to the court at the time he entered a guilty plea, Jackson purchased one or more grams of heroin on a daily basis from his codefendant, Skyler Carter, for further distribution in the Clairton area. Jackson and 20 other individuals were charged in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, and he was held personally responsible for the distribution of between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Johnstown Felon Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 13 years, to be followed by six years of supervised release on his conviction on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Senior United States Circuit Court Judge D. Michael Fisher imposed the sentence on Andrew Edwards, 32, formerly of Johnstown, PA.
According to information presented to the court, on April 11, 2016, Edwards was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for traffic violations in Middlesex Township, Butler County. The driver gave the officer permission to search the vehicle. In the backseat of the vehicle, where Edwards had been seated, officers observed a jacket and a backpack. From the jacket, officers recovered 528 bags of heroin, and a plastic baggie containing crack cocaine. From the backpack, officers recovered a Springfield XD 45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with six rounds in the magazine. Personal items including a towel, hairbrush and a toothbrush were also in the backpack. The FBI laboratory determined that there was support for the inclusion of Edwards as a contributor to the DNA found on the toothbrush.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Middlesex Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Jacksonville Beach Man Sentenced to Five Years for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger today sentenced Daniel Dwain Lundeby (42, Jacksonville Beach) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Lundeby had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2018.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2017, Lundeby was a passenger in a truck that was stopped by the Jacksonville’s Sheriff’s Office for a traffic offense. After the driver gave consent to search the truck, officers located a backpack that contained a loaded handgun, a small amount of methamphetamine, and Lundeby’s wallet and identification. Lundeby was arrested at the scene. At the time, Lundeby had multiple prior felony convictions, including burglary, distribution of heroin, eluding police, and receiving stolen property and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Iowa Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking and Failure to Pay Child SupportRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Council Bluffs, Iowa, man convicted of Cyberstalking and Failure to Pay Legal Child Support was sentenced on November 19, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Daniel Lee Vincent, Jr., age 32, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Vincent was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 7, 2017. He pled guilty on August 30, 2018.
In February 2017, Vincent posted advertisements on the internet website Craigslist for the Sioux Falls location, that included a previous intimate partner’s name, employment location, and cell phone number. The advertisements depicted nude photos of the female, claimed she wanted to have sex, and requested photos from interested men. The victim reported the matter to the Sioux Falls Police Department after strange men started sending naked pictures of themselves to her phone and started showing up at her place of employment.
Vincent previously had a child with the victim, but failed to pay court ordered child support, which exceeded $10,000. At the time of sentencing, the child support arrearages were over $19,000.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Vincent was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Indictment: Drug Deals Took Place Within 1,000 Feet of Elementary SchoolRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today alleging drug deals were taking place within 1,000 feet of Junction Elementary School, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Michael Pruitt, 48, who is in federal custody, was charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of the school at 2570 S. 42nd Street in Kansas City, Kan.
According to court documents, three times in November 2018 investigators working undercover bought methamphetamine from Pruitt. The transactions took place at a business at 4200 Shawnee Drive. A search of that business turned up almost two pounds of methamphetamine.
If convicted, Pruitt faces a penalty of not less than five years on the first distribution count, and not less than 10 years on each of the other counts. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
A Kansas man is charged with selling a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover investigator in a restaurant parking lot in Kansas City, Kan.
Moises Martinez-Martinez, 31, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents, Martinez-Martinez agreed to sell a pound of methamphetamine to undercover investigators for $5,000. The deal took place in the parking lot of Tapatio restaurant.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
Mario Uriel-Quinones, 39, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with escaping from custody at the Grossman residential reentry center in Leavenworth. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 18, 2018.If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.
Robert Boyles, Jr., 55, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Dec. 28, 2017, in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment Charges New Haven Man with Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a three-count indictment charging KEVIN McFARLANE, also known as “Jabari McBurn” and “Dexter Creque,” 41, of New Haven, with firearm possession and crack cocaine distribution offenses.
The indictment was returned on November 19, 2018. McFarlane appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 11, 2018.
The indictment alleges that, on July 8, 2018, in New Haven, McFarlane possessed crack cocaine that he intended to distribute, and a Glock model 43 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
The indictment further alleges that McFarlane was convicted in Connecticut state court, in October 2004, of sale of a hallucinogen/narcotic, and in Florida state court, in October 2007, of murder in the second degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges McFarlane with one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Roderick Simpson, 44, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 121 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Simpson was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
On October 10, 2016, DEA agents utilized a confidential source to purchase 55.4 grams of methamphetamine from Simpson for $900. Simpson pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on June 6, 2018.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to Almost 17 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – John Foster, 42, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 200 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Foster was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
On September 19, 2016, DEA agents utilized a confidential source to purchase 27.8 grams of methamphetamine from Foster for $1,050. Foster pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on June 6, 2018.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Hardy County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua A. Parker, of Baker, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Parker, age 30, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Parker, having been convicted of four previous felonies, admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol in Hardy County in April 2017.
Parker faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Attorney General’s Office has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General’s Office announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guilford Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Submitting False Claims to the U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
John H, Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Steven Stuller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, announced that MARCEL VAN WOLVELAERD, 63, of Guilford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for submitting false documents to the U.S. Postal Service.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Van Wolvelaerd owns and operates CableComm, LLC. From approximately 2007 through 2014, the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) contracted with CableComm to perform repair and maintenance work at various USPS facilities. In 2017, Van Wolvelaerd sought payment on certain repair and maintenance work done in Connecticut. Prior to making payment, the USPS requested that Van Wolvelaerd show proof of his costs. In response, Van Wolvelaerd submitted to the USPS a certified claim that included several invoices detailing his costs, including three false invoices from an electric company. Two of the invoices falsely inflated CableComm’s costs, and the third was entirely fictitious.
The investigation also revealed that Van Wolvelaerd provided Robert Giulietti, a USPS facilities project manager, with $59,000 in cash in exchange for CableComm’s receiving USPS contracts.
On December 12, 2017, Van Wolvelaerd pleaded guilty to one count of submitting false claims to the U.S. Postal Service.
“The U.S. Postal Service manages approximately 30,000 contract actions and spends more than $13 billion on contracted supplies and services each fiscal year,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stuller. “The Office of Inspector General supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of misconduct within the contracting process. In this instance, we worked hand-in-hand with the United States Attorney’s Office to help ensure a reasonable case-related resolution. We applaud the exceptional work by the investigative and prosecutorial team knowing it will have a positive impact on the entire contracting process.”
In February 2014, Giulietti pleaded guilty to bribery, fraud and tax offenses. On May 30, 2014, he was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $882,064 in restitution and $291,026 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
Van Wolvelaerd, who is released on a $20,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on January 3, 2019.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Gentry Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography OnlineRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Cherokee Steward, age 24, of Gentry, Arkansas was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole to be followed by twenty-five years of supervised release on two Counts of Distribution of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks, United States District Judge, presided over the sentencing hearing in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in March of 2018, federal law enforcement developed information that a Northwest Arkansas resident was distributing images of child pornography across the social media application Google Hangout. In response, a federal search warrant was obtained and executed on the residence. Upon gaining entry, law enforcement encountered Steward. During a post-Miranda interview, Steward admitted to obtaining images of child pornography online. Steward further admitted that he utilized the Google Hangout application to send images of child pornography to other users.
A federal grand jury indicted Steward in April 2018, and he pled guilty in July 2018.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.