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27 November 2018
Two Greek Shipping Companies Plead Guilty to Illegally Discharging Oil into Texas Port WatersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Greek shipping companies, Avin International LTD, and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Beaumont, Texas, to charges stemming from several discharges of oil into the waters of Texas ports by the oil tanker M/T Nicos I.V., announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown for the Eastern District of Texas.
Avin International was the operator and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises was the owner of the Nicos I.V., which is a Greek-flagged vessel. The Master of the Nicos I.V., Rafail-Thomas Tsoumakos, and the vessel’s Chief Officer, Alexios Thomopoulos, also pleaded guilty to making material false statements to members of the United States Coast Guard during the investigation into the discharges.
Both companies pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an agency proceeding, as well as one count of failure to report discharge of oil under the Clean Water Act, and three counts of negligent discharge of oil under the Clean Water Act. Under the plea agreement, the companies will pay a $4 million criminal fine and serve a four-year term of probation, during which vessels operated by the companies will be required to implement an environmental compliance plan, including inspections by an independent auditor. Mr. Tsoumakos and Mr. Thomopoulos each pleaded guilty to one count of making a material false statement and face up to five years in prison when sentenced. A sentencing date has not been set.
“The international ports of Houston and Port Arthur are no one’s dumping ground,” said Assistant Attorney General Clark. “Vessel operators coming to the United States must not foul American waterways. Those who knowingly discharge their waste and lie to the Coast Guard to dodge their legal responsibilities under federal law are on notice that our investigators and prosecutors stand ready to hold them accountable.”
“We take the violation of our environmental protection laws seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “We expect shipping and oil companies to do the same. They can do terrible damage to our coastlines and wildlife, and we all have to make sure that does not happen.”
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service will continue to vigorously investigate and hold accountable individuals and corporations who illegally discharge pollutants into the marine environment,” said Brian Jeanfreau, Special Agent-In-Charge of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Gulf Region.
According to documents filed in court, the Nicos I.V. was equipped with a segregated ballast system, a connected series of tanks used to control the trim and list of the vessel by taking on or discharging water, the latter involving an operation called deballasting. At some point prior to July 6, 2017, the ballast system of the Nicos I.V. became contaminated with oil and that oil was discharged twice from the vessel into the Port of Houston on July 6 and July 7, 2017, during deballasting operations. Both Tsoumakos and Thomopoulos were informed of the discharges of oil in the Port of Houston. Tsoumakos failed to report the discharges as required under the Clean Water Act. Neither discharge was recorded in the vessel’s oil record book, as required under MARPOL and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.
After leaving the Port of Houston, en route to Port Arthur, Texas, the deck crew was instructed to open the ballast tanks, and oil was observed in several of the tanks. After arriving in Port Arthur, additional oil began bubbling up next to the vessel, causing a report to the U.S. Coast Guard. During the ensuing investigation, both Tsoumakos and Thomopoulos lied to the Coast Guard, stating, among other things, that they had not been aware of the oil in the ballast system until after the discharge in Port Arthur, and that they believed that the oil in the ballast tanks had entered them when the vessel took on ballast water in Port Arthur.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector MSU Port Arthur, which conducted the inspection of the ship. The prosecution was handled by Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Batte of the Eastern District of Texas.
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Twelve Individuals Charged in Extensive Health Care Fraud Conspiracy to Defraud Medicaid Home Care ProgramRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ten residents of Western Pennsylvania, a resident of Georgia, and a resident of South Carolina were charged by a federal grand jury in a 22-count indictment related to a years-long conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Arlinda Moriarty, Daynelle Dickens, Julie Wilson, Tamika Adams, Tony Brown, Terry Adams, Terra Dean, Tionne Street, Keith Scoggins and Larita Walls, all residing in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along with Tia Collins, a resident of South Carolina, and Luis Columbie-Abrew, a resident of Georgia, are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. Moriarty, Dickens, Wilson and Tamika Adams are also charged with one count of concealing material facts in relation to a health care matter. In addition, Moriarty, Tamika Adams and Columbie-Abrew each are charged with multiple counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the Indictment, between January 2011 and April 2017, home health care companies owned and operated by the conspirators received more than $87,000,000 in Medicaid payments. During that time, all 12 of the defendants, along with other individuals, participated in a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program which resulted in the payment of millions of dollars in illegal Medicaid payments. The Indictment sets forth dozens of fraudulent acts by the defendants, including making false claims for services that were never provided, creating fake employees, improperly using consumers’ personal identifying information, and falsifying documentation during state audits of the companies. In some instances, the Indictment alleges that the defendants were actually working at other jobs or living out of the area. In other instances, Medicaid claims were submitted for services for consumers who were actually hospitalized, incarcerated, or deceased.
"Home health care programs are critical to the ability of patients with serious physical limitations, especially the elderly, to receive the care they need while remaining independent. Those who provide home health care are expected to deliver services honestly," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "When criminals cheat and steal from these programs, they not only steal from the taxpayers, but they steal from the most vulnerable members of our community."
"Health care fraud diverts taxpayer dollars and lines the pockets of dishonest health care providers," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones. "The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate these cases and work with our state and federal partners to ensure those who commit Medicaid fraud are prosecuted."
"Ensuring the safety of Medicaid beneficiaries is of the upmost importance," said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Philadelphia. "We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all our fellow law enforcement partners, to aggressively investigate allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs."
"Criminals who commit Medicaid fraud are stealing tax dollars that cannot be put to use caring for vulnerable Pennsylvanians who need assistance," said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. "That’s why my Medicaid Fraud Control section worked closely with U.S. Attorney Brady and other federal law enforcement partners on this investigation. We’ll investigate and prosecute health care fraud wherever we find it."
Tommy Coke, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division stated, "This investigation was an excellent example of partnership among the law enforcement agencies, working together to bring down a health care fraud conspiracy. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in bringing the individuals in this scheme to justice."
"This indictment is the byproduct of a joint investigative effort and is the first step toward holding these individuals accountable for their actions", said Guy Ficco, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. "The Agents of IRS-CI will continue working with our fellow law enforcement partners on these types of investigations by using our financial expertise to trace the flow of money."
In addition to the 12 defendants charged in the Indictment, four other defendants—Travis Moriarty, Tiffhany Covington, Brenda Lowry and Autumn Brown—have been charged in separate criminal Informations for their involvement in the conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
The conspiracy and health care fraud charges each carry a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. The concealment of material facts in relation to a health care matter charge carries a maximum total sense of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively with any sentence imposed on any other charge and a fine of no more than $250,000. 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 defendants.
An indictment is an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric G. Olshan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Edward Song are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation of the defendants.
St. Louis Resident Indicted for Role in a Stolen Identity Fraud Scheme That Claimed $12 Million in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury sitting in St. Louis, Missouri, returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, against a St. Louis resident for his role in a sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jeffrey B. Jensen for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The indictment charges Babatunde Olusegun Taiwo with conspiracy to file false claims, mail fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. To carry out the scheme, Taiwo and others allegedly obtained the payroll information of employees of various public school systems by accessing without authorization a payroll company database. Taiwo and others also allegedly obtained IRS Forms W-2 of various companies through the use of business email schemes. To conceal their involvement, Taiwo and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained and used without authorization several Electronic Filing Identification Numbers issued in the names of tax preparation businesses. As charged in the indictment, Taiwo then arranged for mail forwarding services to be set up in the names of those tax preparers in various cities across the United States, including Reno, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and directed mail to be sent to an accomplice’s residence in St. Louis, Missouri.
Taiwo and his co-conspirators allegedly used the school employee payroll information they illegally obtained to file fraudulent tax returns, and computer software to mask the location of where the returns were filed. As charged in the indictment, over 2,000 fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $12 million in tax refunds from the IRS were filed through the scheme.
If convicted, Taiwo faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to file false claims count, 20 years in prison for each count of wire and mail fraud, 15 years for each count of access device fraud, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft. The defendant also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release, restitution, and forfeiture.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Jensen commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service as well as the Dothan Alabama Police Department and Alexander City Alabama Police Department, who investigated this case, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Grace Albinson of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Missouri and Middle District of Alabama.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Shiprock Man Sentenced to Prison for Shooting Firearm into Occupied ResidenceRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Brandon Lee Curley, 26, of Shiprock, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Curley had previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Curley admitted to firing a shotgun into a residence on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The victim, who was inside the residence at the time, was not injured. Both Curley and the victim were members of the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christine Ducat Keller, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-08132-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-160_Curley
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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.
Senior Member of “Manche Boy Mafia” Gang Sentenced to More Than Eleven Years in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Equanzick Howell a/k/a “Pookie,” “Big Pook,” and “Pook Pook” (31, Tampa) to 11 years and 2 months in federal prison for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. Howell had pleaded guilty on August 16, 2018.
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2018, Howell, who was a senior member of the Manche Boy Mafia or “MBM” gang, committed tax fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft in the Tampa Bay area. Between March and June 2013, Howell filed 12 fraudulent tax returns, including one in his own name, and directed that the refunds be loaded onto his H&R Block card. All of the returns, except for Howell’s own return, were filed using identities stolen from individuals who were deceased, elderly, and/or severely mentally disabled. Howell used the H&R Block account to make ATM withdrawals and purchases from Tampa-area retailers and restaurants, including a $2,500 payment to a cosmetic surgery center where Howell’s girlfriend received a cosmetic procedure.
For the 2012, 2013, and 2014 tax years, Howell and those working with him made false claims to the IRS for tax refunds to which they were not entitled in the amount of a least $976,000 and, as a result, received approximately $140,000 in fraudulently obtained tax refunds.
Investigators also learned that, starting in early 2015, members of MBM, including Howell, began purchasing stolen credit and debit card account numbers online from various websites, many of which use bitcoin as their currency. Once the members of this conspiracy purchased the stolen account numbers, they or someone working with them created counterfeit credit cards. The conspirators typically used the counterfeit credit cards to purchase gift cards and electronics, which they kept or later sold for cash. Howell also used counterfeit credit cards to obtain gift cards, which were used to purchase firearms and ammunition. To date, investigators have determined that Howell was responsible for approximately $1.1 million in intended or attempted purchases with counterfeit credit cards and stolen account information.
“The sentencing of Equanzick Howell represents the tireless efforts of dedicated IRS Special Agents, in coordination with the FBI and Tampa Police Department, to eradicate the scourge of stolen identity related tax fraud,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Howell and his gang heaped untold nightmarish anxiety on their victims, which surely any of us would feel upon learning we had become the target of an identity thief. We are firmly committed to teaming up with our law enforcement partners to pursue any individual and dismantle any organization brazen enough to attempt this heinous crime.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
San Francisco Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Manufacturing Counterfeit Adderall Pills Containing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Gino Carl von Eckstein was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen; U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations Brian J. Humphrey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett; and Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tara Sullivan. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. Senior District Judge.
Eckstein, 25, of Brisbane, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charge on September 5, 2018, after federal agents executed search warrants on his car and three residences he was using. Eckstein admitted that he possessed counterfeit “Adderall” pills, or pills that appeared to be Adderall, but in fact contained methamphetamine. Eckstein admitted he stored the pills in his car, at three locations in San Francisco’s Richmond District, in Brisbane, and in San Leandro. Eckstein further admitted he possessed the equipment and ingredients necessary to manufacture counterfeit Adderall pills. In total, agents allegedly found over 1,000 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
“Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a danger to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Tse. “As this case illustrates, we are responding to the emerging threat of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in our district, particularly when the substances are laced with potentially life endangering drugs. Those individuals who put these dangerous products in our community will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Producing unregulated concoctions and marketing them as a legitimate substance is criminal and dangerous. These drugs are unsafe and their use can have devastating consequences,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen. “We will continue working with our partners to hold people accountable who threaten public health and safety by distributing counterfeit pharmaceuticals.”
“This a textbook example of how multiple law-enforcement agencies work together to keep dangerous drugs off the street and bring criminals to justice,” said Brian J. Humphrey, CBP Director of Field Operations.
“This investigation and subsequent sentence is the result of the FBI and our partners’ unwavering commitment to keep our citizens safe,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. “Counterfeit pharmaceuticals laced with dangerous substances on our streets threaten the safety of our citizens and will not be tolerated.”
A federal grand jury filed an indictment on June 26, 2018, charging Eckstein with one count of intentionally possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(viii). He pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer also sentenced the defendant to a 5-year period of supervised release. Eckstein has been in continuous custody since June 15, 2018, and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant United States Attorney Sheila Armbrust in prosecuting this case. This case is the result of an investigation by the DEA, CBP, FBI, and IRS-CI, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted by member agencies of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
San Antonio Man Sentenced for January 2018 Threats Made Against Players and Fans at NFL Playoff Game at Heinz FieldRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of San Antonio, Texas, has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months incarceration on his conviction of Threatening Interstate Communications, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Yuttana Choochongkol, aka Jason Manotham, age 41.
According to the information presented to the court, on January 10 and 11, 2018, Choochongkol made three threats against the athletes and attendees of the National Football League Divisional Playoff Game on Sunday, January 14, 2018. Choochongkol used the internet to send threats to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania through the KDKA.com and Heinzfield.com "contact us" portals that he was going to engage in mass shootings and suicide at the game.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. In imposing the sentence, the Court noted the seriousness of the offense of sending internet communications threatening to harm fans and players participating in a public event.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Yuttana Choochongokol.
Salem Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CONCORD- Blake Ruggiero, 44, of Salem, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court to tax fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since 1994, the defendant has owned and operated Romano’s Pizza in Salem, New Hampshire. The defendant paid a substantial portion of wages to Romano’s employees in cash and failed to declare these wages to the Internal Revenue Service in order to reduce his tax liability. The defendant kept multiple sets of books that were seized as part of a search warrant. These documents showed the amounts that the defendant paid in cash but did not report. As a result of the defendant’s conduct, between 2011 and 2016, the defendant failed to pay to the IRS $621,614.88 of employment-related taxes.
Ruggiero is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2019.
"All citizens have an obligation to comply with the federal tax laws,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “When business owners fraudulently avoid their tax obligations, they violate federal law and face potential federal prosecution.”
"Business owners have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the IRS," said Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Boston Field Office. "The failure to pay over withholding taxes is a serious offense. Employment tax fraud can also impact employees, who may see future Social Security and Medicare benefits reduced or eliminated due to their employers’ criminal conduct."
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.
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Rochester, New York Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Derrius Smalls, 20, of Rochester, New York was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Maine to three years in prison and a three year term of supervised release, including a six month term of community confinement, following his conviction for possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin.
According to court records, on March 9, 2017, Smalls ran from a vehicle carrying 550 bags of heroin and 399 bags of crack cocaine when the vehicle he was in was stopped by state and federal agents in Scarborough, Maine. Smalls managed to hide the drugs and avoid arrest that night. Smalls was transporting the drugs for Darrell “Coast” Newton and intended to deliver them to an individual in Maine. The following day, a Scarborough Police Department K-9 located the drugs.
Smalls was subsequently indicted together with Newton and fourteen other defendants from Rochester, New York and Central Maine. All defendants have entered pleas of guilty.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by the Scarborough Police Department and the Maine State Police.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Escaping from a Halfway House in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daquan Jackson, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for escaping from a halfway house in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.
Jackson pled guilty in September 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to escape from custody. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Jackson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Jackson is the most recent defendant to be sentenced as a result of ongoing efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest violent offenders who escape from halfway houses. The offenders were under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and were afforded an opportunity to complete the final portion of their sentences at halfway houses to assist in their reentry to the community. In 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service requested the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation, prosecution, and disposition of an increased number of escape cases. To date, the collaborative effort has led to 23 felony convictions of defendants who either failed to report or absconded from the Hope Village Halfway House located in Southeast Washington.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 13, 2014, Jackson was convicted of armed robbery in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In that case, Jackson, armed with a handgun, approached two victims in an alley behind the 3500 block of B Street SE. He pointed his handgun at the victims and took their property, which included a cell phone and car keys. Jackson used the car keys to steal a 2006 Ford Mustang that belonged to one of the victims.
After being sentenced for armed robbery, Jackson served the remainder of his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution-Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia. Jackson was subsequently found eligible to complete the remainder of his sentence at Hope Village. This placement was voluntary and required Jackson’s consent. On May 3, 2017, Jackson signed a Furlough Application acknowledging his understanding of the terms of the furlough release conditions and transfer to Hope Village. Jackson’s Conditions of Furlough included Jackson’s agreement that while on furlough, he would be subject to prosecution for escape if he failed to return to the institution at the designated time.
On Aug. 8, 2017, Jackson arrived at Hope Village. On Aug. 23, 2017, Jackson signed out of Hope Village and never returned. Twenty-four hours later, on Aug. 24, 2017, while on escape status, Jackson robbed a pedestrian, took his keys, and then drove away with the victim’s vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently located by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). When MPD officers attempted to stop Jackson in the victim’s vehicle, Jackson fled from law enforcement and crashed into a parked vehicle. Jackson was prosecuted for the crimes he committed on Aug. 24, 2017, and sentenced in February 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on the felony offenses of attempted robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
As part of his sentence for escape from custody, Judge McFadden ordered Jackson’s 33-month sentence be consecutive to his Superior Court sentence for the two felony offenses that he committed after absconding from the halfway house.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Scarpelli who coordinated the referral of escape cases, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Caputy, who indicted the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, who prosecuted the case, and Paralegal Specialists Kim Hall, Teesha Tobias, and Candace Battle.
Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A child sex offender residing in Las Vegas was sentenced Monday to 135 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
Randall Little, 63, pleaded guilty in August 2018, to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan sentenced Little to lifetime supervision following his release from prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
After receiving a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), law enforcement executed a search warrant at Little’s residence which yielded various electronic devices. When questioned by law enforcement, Little admitted that he possessed sexually explicit images of children and that he reads “intergenerational love stories” that describe romantic relationships between men and boys, and he confessed that he moderates at least 10 online communities where he and others share images of boys. A forensic examination of the recovered devices belonging to Little revealed he possessed over 600 images and videos of child pornography. He was previously convicted in June 2001, in Nevada, of five counts of possession of child pornography. Little faced additional penalties at sentencing because he was a repeat offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elham Roohani prosecuted the case.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, you are urged to make a report to NCMEC’s CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Prison Sentence for Hutchinson Woman Who Said She Was Selling Drugs to Pay Off her BondsmanRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Hutchinson woman was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison on drug and firearm charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Kimberly R. Phillips, 35, Hutchinson, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and one count of carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
In her plea, Phillips admitted investigators found 64 tablets of oxycodone when they searched her residence. She also admitted that when investigators stopped her car they found her Derringer handgun and methamphetamine. She told investigators she was selling drugs to pay back her bondsman.
McAllister commended the Hutchinson Police Department and Department of Health and Human Services – OIG and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
Postal employee assigned to deliver mail in Willowick and Eastlake sentenced to six months in prison for stealing gift cardsRead the Press Release
A U.S. Postal employee assigned to deliver mail in Willowick and Eastlake was sentenced to six months in prison for stealing gift cards.
Sonte E. Gibbons, 25, of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee.
Gibbons was assigned to the Willowick Post Office beginning in September 2016, where he delivered mail in Eastlake and Willowick.
On April 13, 2017, Gibbons had a letter he was supposed to deliver to a location on East 331 Street that contained a $10 Wal-Mart gift card. Gibbons redeemed the gift card three days later while wearing his postal uniform, according to court documents.
Gibbons was arrested after the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General received complaints about mail on Gibbons’ route had not been delivered. Agents prepared 10 first-class mail pieces that contained a greeting card and a gift card or cash. Agents mailed the letters. Seven of the 10 were not delivered, according to court documents.
“As the holidays approach, this case is a good reminder that people should be cautious about sending cash or gift cards in the mail,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “The vast majority of postal employees are dedicated workers, but this case reminds us that there are always Grinches among us.”
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office said: “Postal employees are paid to deliver the mail, not steal it. This prison sentence should send a message to all postal employees and the public that special agents with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General aggressively investigate all allegations of employee mail theft, and will hold those who choose to steal accountable. Gibbons decided to forfeit his pay, benefits, retirement, and freedom for what amounted to a few dollars. To report postal employee misconduct, contact USPS OIG special agents at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General.
Possessing Guns Leads to More than Five Years in Federal Prison for Two Convicted FelonsRead the Press Release
Two convicted felon who each possessed a gun were sentenced on November 26, 2018, to nearly six years apiece in federal prison.
Tereall Deshawn Green, age 24, and Javonta Juan Herbert, age 26, both from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison terms after each previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Information from the sentencing hearing and prior court hearings showed that on January 13, 2018, Green and Herbert were passengers in a car that the Waterloo police stopped shortly after 1:00 a.m. During the course of the stop, officers found a gun stuck in the front of Green’s pants and tied to a drawstring in the pants. Officers also found a gun on the backseat floor where Herbert had been sitting and hiding under his foot. After Green was arrested, he slipped out of his handcuffs and ran from officers but was apprehended a short time later. Both Green and Herbert had prior felony convictions.
In 2012, Green was convicted in Iowa state court of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and willful injury causing serious injury. In that case, Green got a gun out of a car and fired shots at a group of people. Green hit two people, one person in the abdomen and one in the arm. The person who was struck in the abdomen required surgery because the bullet hit the person’s liver.
In sentencing Herbert, the court noted he had a long criminal history that showed he was a danger to the community and likely to commit further crimes. Herbert’s criminal conduct began as a juvenile and continued as an adult with multiple burglary and theft convictions.
Green and Herbert were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Each was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment. They must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department of Justice 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.
Each is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-cr-2006.
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Ponchatoula Turtle Farmer Sentenced for Lacey Act ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEITH D. BOUDREAUX, age 56, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana was sentenced today for illegally shipping false map turtles in violation of Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(d)(2) and 3373(d)(3)(A).
BOUDREAUX pleaded guilty on August 22, 2018, to submitting falsified export documents to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in connection with a shipment of 1500 false map turtles that he exported to a buyer in the Netherlands.
Judge Jay Zainey sentenced BOUDREAUX to two years of probation, as well as a fine of $15,000.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Park City Man Sentenced for Brandishing Gun During RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison for brandishing a gun during a robbery at a local credit union, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Mack W. Colvin, Jr., 32, Park City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In his plea, he admitted that on Dec. 19, 2017, he robbed the Wheat State Credit Union at 1400 S. Oliver. He pointed a firearm at tellers and demanded money. Investigators identified him and issued a warrant for his arrest. Colvin turned himself in to the FBI several days after the warrant was issued.
McAllister commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.
Old Saybrook Man Who Failed to Pay $4.8 Million in Income Taxes Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that DAVID ADAMS, 58, of Old Saybrook, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for failing to pay more than $4.8 million in federal income taxes.
“This defendant engaged the IRS in a decades-long wild goose chase to prevent the agency from collecting the taxes he was required by law to pay,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “He hid income, repeatedly lied to IRS collections officers, filed frivolous claims for due process hearings, and bounced numerous checks. He also misled, and then attempted to implicate, his accountant. All the while, he had the ability to pay and lived more lavishly than the vast majority of Americans. Our nation’s tax collection system requires all of us to pay what we owe, or else our society cannot function. This is an appropriate sentence for an individual who failed to pay his taxes for a good portion of his working life, and likely will never pay all that he owes the citizens of this country.”
“For years, Mr. Adams obstructed IRS efforts to collect back taxes through a series of criminal acts,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge O’Connell. “As a successful entrepreneur, he earned millions and amassed significant wealth, yet willfully chose to evade his significant tax obligations. Honest taxpayers bear the brunt of this crime, through reduced government services and a greater tax burden. IRS-CI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold tax cheats accountable, by prosecuting those who undermine the integrity of our tax system.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early 1980s, and then continuing from 1996 onward, Adams was substantially delinquent in filing his tax returns and paying amounts owed to the IRS. Starting at least as early as the 1982 tax year, Adams repeatedly engaged with IRS collections officers tasked with trying to get Adams into compliance with the tax laws. Although IRS collections officers repeatedly advised Adams about his obligations to pay estimated taxes, he continually failed to pay those taxes on time or in sufficient amounts.
As part of this tax fraud scheme, Adams engaged the services of a certified public accountant to prepare his personal tax returns beginning in approximately 1993, and then gave the accountant false information about his estimated payments, about his income, and then blamed the accountant for making errors on his returns as an excuse for why he should not be required to pay the tax due.
In 2002, Adams sold an online floral business, for which he owed over $1.3 million in tax. Adams failed to pay that tax liability and instead hung the return up in collections, in a collections due process hearing, and in tax court, while blaming his accountant for purported “errors” when none were made. As of today, Adams still has a seven-figure balance on that tax year.
In June 2011, Adams sold his partnership interest in another online floral business and received $4,708,419.20 wired into his personal bank account as part of the net proceeds owed to him as a result of the sale. Although he knew that he owed substantial taxes on that amount, Adams concealed the income from his accountant and failed to declare the income on his 2011 tax return. At the same time, Adams represented to an IRS revenue officer who was responsible for collecting Adams’s delinquent tax payments and securing Adams’s overdue tax returns, that he had hoped to have funds to pay down his back tax liability (including tax liability associated with the 2002 sale), but that nothing had been “panning out.” Adams failed to disclose to the revenue officer that he had received $4,708,419.20 in cash less than three weeks earlier.
In June 2012, Adams received an additional $1,320,609.59 into his personal bank account as net proceeds of the 2011 sale. Although he knew that he owed substantial taxes on that amount, Adams failed to disclose the income to his accountant, and failed to declare it on his tax return for that year.
Adams also misled the U.S. District Court and U.S. Probation Office in the case by failing to disclose on his financial affidavit a bank account containing more than $500,000.
In total, Adams engaged in a more than 20-year effort to inhibit the IRS’s efforts to collect back taxes from him. Among other things, he bounced checks to the IRS; told IRS collections officers that payment had been sent when it had not; promised to pay delinquent tax liabilities in full and then delayed payment, made only partial payment, failed to pay at all, or paid off one liability while leaving another liability unpaid; claimed that he lacked funds to pay his delinquent tax but failed to disclose that he had access to enough cash to fully pay back his tax liabilities; filed false and fraudulent returns with the IRS; overstated the amounts of estimated taxes paid to the IRS, and failed to declare more than $6 million in income to the IRS.
Adams was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 14, 2016. On October 10, 2017, he pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion, three counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, and one count of attempting to interfere with the administration of the IRS laws.
Judge Bryant ordered Adams to pay back taxes, interest and penalties for tax years 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012, which total $4,872,172.91. Interest and penalties will continue to accrue until his tax obligation is paid.
At the conclusion of today’s sentencing proceeding, Adams, who had been released on bond, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentenced term of imprisonment and are not eligible for parole.
Adams’s criminal history includes two prior federal convictions. In 1986, he was convicted of credit card fraud for submitting more than $588,000 in fraudulent credit card sales drafts through his floral business over a three-month period in 1985. In 1992, he was convicted of two counts of failure to file tax returns, relating to his failing to file federal income tax returns for the 1984 through 1986 tax years.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan L. Wines and Jennifer R. Laraia.
Oakland Resident Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Role in Interstate Gun Trafficking Scheme and Related CrimeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Andre Martel Winn was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his role in orchestrating an elaborate illegal interstate firearm trafficking scheme, as well as robbery and firearms charges, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Ray Roundtree. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
Winn was convicted of the crimes on July 18, 2018, following a bench trial based on stipulated facts. According to court documents, Winn was one of nine defendants participating in the illegal interstate firearm trafficking scheme. The other defendants are Oakland resident Edgar De La Cruz, 21; Reno, Nev. residents Richard Straight, 28, Jenna Jeanne Allec, 26, Jonathan Salevao, 29, Kaleka Mile Kam, 25, and Quinton Kalifa Endemann, 30; Elko, Nev. resident Kenneth Lee Kemp, 34; and Sparks, Nev. resident Daniel Taylor Taufi, 26. Winn worked with codefendants to purchase dozens of firearms in Nevada and have them transported to and sold in California. Winn had Nevada-based co-conspirators purchase specific types of firearms at his request and then he wired money from Oakland to Nevada to pay for the gun purchases. Court documents demonstrate that Allec, Kemp, Kam, Taufi, and Endemann purchased the firearms from licensed Nevada firearm dealers and then negotiated with Salevao and Straight to sell the arms to Winn and De La Cruz. Further, Winn and De La Cruz traveled from Oakland to Reno to retrieve the firearms. Winn and De La Cruz then transported the firearms to the San Francisco Bay Area where they were sold.
From March of 2015 through October of 2016, well over 60 firearms were purchased, transported, and sold in violation of federal firearms laws via this scheme. A number of the firearms trafficked during the conspiracy have been recovered in Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay Area by local police officers in the course of law enforcement operations.
“Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder to all those who may consider getting involved is the sale of illegal firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Tse. “This office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone caught unlawfully disseminating these weapons into our communities.”
“In the pursuit of our commitment to the public and our communities, ATF special agents followed evidence of significant purchases of firearms being trafficked and resold without these individuals holding federal firearms licenses, which is a violation of federal law,” said Special Agent in Charge Roundtree. “This investigation involved routine, multiple sales and trace reports. ATF utilized its Crime Gun Intelligence Centers to glean information on firearms that showed up at crime scenes which were recently purchased. ATF personnel is dedicated to making sure firearms are not going into the hands of criminals and used in violent crimes in our neighborhoods.”
In addition to charges resulting from his role in the firearms trafficking scheme, Winn also was sentenced today for his role in a robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence. Court documents reflect that before participating in the firearms trafficking scheme, he had a felony conviction. Winn therefore was prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms. In addition, court documents and evidence demonstrate that Winn and De La Cruz each brandished a firearm when they robbed a gas station on High Street in Oakland in 2015. On that occasion, the defendants absconded with approximately $2,000 in cash.
In sum, the defendants have been convicted of the following crimes and sentenced as set forth below:
Defendant
Convictions
Statute
Sentence
Andre Martel Winn
Robbery (Interference with Commerce by Robbery)
18 U.S.C. § 195l(a)
14 years in prison
4 years of supervised release
Possessing/Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(l)(A)
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(l)
Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C. § 371
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(l)(A)
Traveling Interstate to Promote Illegal Firearms Trafficking
18 U.S.C. § 924(n)
Edgar De La Cruz
Robbery (Interference with Commerce by Robbery)
18 U.S.C. § 195l(a)
120 months in prison
5 years of supervised release
Possessing/
Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(l)(A)
Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C. § 371
Traveling Interstate to Promote Illegal Firearms Trafficking
18 U.S.C.
§ 924(n)
Richard Straight
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
42 months in prison
3 years of supervised release
Aiding and Abetting Traveling Interstate to Promote Illegal Firearms Trafficking
18 U.S.C.
§§ 924(n) and 2
Jenna Leanne Allec
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
4 years of probation
Kenneth Lee Kemp
Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C. § 371
14 months in prison
3 years of supervised release
Jonathan Salevao
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
24 months in prison
3 years of supervised release
Aiding and Abetting Traveling Interstate to Promote Illegal Firearms Trafficking
18 U.S.C.
§§ 924(n) and 2
Kaleka Mile Kam
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
3 years of probation
Daniel Taylor Taufi
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
3 years of probation
Quinton Kalifa Endemann
Dealing in Firearms Without a License
18 U.S.C.
§ 922(a)(l)(A)
Sentencing set for
January 7, 2019.
Maximum penalties:
5 years in prison
$250,000 fine
3 years supervised release
All of the defendants were convicted of federal felony crimes making it a federal felony for any of them to possess a firearm or ammunition in the future.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center, San Francisco Field Division.
O.C. Income Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the IRS by Filing New Returns for Clients and Failing to Report His IncomeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A City of Orange tax return preparer has pleaded guilty in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the submission of fraudulent federal income tax returns for both himself and his clients.
Gilberto C. Gonzalez, 55, who operated under the name Gil Income Tax, pleaded guilty Monday before United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford to one count of tax evasion, two counts of passing forged United States Treasury checks, and one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization.
According to a plea agreement filed in this case, during the years 2010 through 2012, Gonzalez prepared and filed with the IRS income tax returns for clients. But, after the returns were filed and without his clients’ knowledge, Gonzalez prepared and filed amended income tax returns that claimed a tax refund. In those amended returns, Gonzalez used his own home or business address, which caused the United States Treasury to mail the refund checks directly to Gonzalez. After waiting for some period of time, Gonzalez fraudulently endorsed the refund checks and deposited them into one of 11 bank accounts that he controlled.
Over a five-year period that began in January 2010, approximately 1,258 federal and state tax refund checks – worth more than $2.3 million and payable to individuals other than Gonzalez – were deposited into Gonzalez-controlled accounts.
Most of Gonzalez’s clients were Spanish speakers who had grown up in Mexico, according to the plea agreement, in which Gonzalez admitted that most of his clients could not read their income tax returns and had trusted him to properly prepare their tax returns.
In addition to defrauding the IRS by filing the amended tax returns, Gonzalez failed to report this income on his individual tax returns. For the tax years 2010 through 2012, Gonzalez failed to report more than $1.3 million in income, which caused the IRS to suffer tax losses of approximately $457,207, according to the plea agreement.
During the course of his tax fraud scheme, Gonzalez attempted to unlawfully procure United States citizenship by making false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When he pleaded guilty, Gonzalez specifically admitted that he failed to disclose he had committed a crime by perpetrating his tax fraud scheme.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guilford on March 11, 2019, at which time he will face a statutory maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison.
As part of his plea agreement, Gonzalez also agreed that he owes the IRS restitution totaling $975,183. Additionally, Gonzalez has agreed to forfeit to the government his interest in his residence, which was purchased with $652,324 that was primarily money fraudulently obtained from the IRS.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Ahn of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Nutritional Supplement Marketer Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Monument, Colorado, man pled guilty today to one count of attempting to evade the payment of income taxes announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn for the District of Colorado.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, Craig Walcott operated a multi-level nutritional supplement marketing business and owned and leased residential real estate, while residing in Monument, Colorado. In April 2010, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notified Walcott of an assessment of taxes and penalties for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 tax years of more than $450,000. After receiving this notice, Walcott took a series of steps to evade the payment of his tax liability. These steps included transferring properties to nominee entities, encumbering other properties with fictitious mortgages to conceal their equity, and filing false tax returns understating his income. Walcott also did not file income tax returns for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. As a result of his conduct, Walcott owes $628,733.00, which he has agreed to pay the IRS in restitution.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 25, 2019. Walcott faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Dunn commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros and Trial Attorney Lee Langston, who are prosecuting the case.
New York Woman and Charlton Woman Sentenced for Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York woman and Charlton woman were sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for their roles in an oxycodone trafficking conspiracy.
Amina Young, 40, of New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Jennifer Toledo, 46, of Charlton, was sentenced by Judge Hillman to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first four months to be served in home confinement. Young and Toledo each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in June 2018 and May 2017, respectively.
From August 2015 until April 2016, Toledo conspired with co-defendant John Tautenhan III to distribute oxycodone pills in and around Worcester County. On April 17, 2016, federal agents followed Toledo as she drove from Massachusetts to a restaurant in Yonkers, N.Y., to acquire oxycodone from Young. Five days later, on April 22, 2017, Toledo again drove to Yonkers to purchase additional oxycodone from Young. Investigators stopped the vehicle that Toledo was driving and seized over 500 oxycodone pills from Young and two other passengers.
Tautenhan III pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September 2017 to two years in prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm, Chief of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
New York Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years on Heroin and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Reginald McBride, 41, of New York, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 13 years and 4 months in jail and 5 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The charges arose out of a June 26, 2016 shooting at the Walmart in Augusta, Maine. The defendant was convicted of these charges on March 14, 2018 after a three-day jury trial.
The evidence at trial revealed that on June 26, 2016, the defendant drove a vehicle to the Augusta Walmart carrying over 40 grams of heroin and a 9-mm pistol. When the defendant got to the Walmart, he engaged in a firefight with another individual. After the shooting, the defendant fled in his vehicle. Officers located the defendant and recovered the heroin. Officers later seized a loaded revolver, two more firearms, ammunition, a speed loader, and a scope from the vehicle.
Trial evidence revealed that the defendant used numerous aliases including “Kweasia McBride,” “Reggie McBride,” “Reginald Washington,” “Benjamin McBride,” “John Doe,” and “Sunny.” The defendant had prior felony convictions from Virginia and New York under a combination of these aliases.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Augusta Police Department; the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; and the Bangor and Hallowell Police Departments.
New York Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Robbing, Attempting to Burglarize Four New Jersey BanksRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Manhattan man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for robbing banks in Jackson Township, Fort Lee, and Hasbrouck Heights, as well as attempting to burglarize a fourth bank in Englewood between December 2013 and February 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Eddy Cruz, 42, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank burglary. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 24, 2013, Cruz entered a PNC Bank in Jackson Township and handed a bank teller a note demanding money. After the teller handed him some cash, Cruz fled the scene. Cruz also robbed a TD Bank in Fort Lee on Feb. 13, 2017, and a TD Bank in Hasbrouck Heights on Feb. 18, 2017. During both robberies, Cruz wore a mask to disguise his identity and handed the tellers notes demanding cash.
On Feb. 24, 2017, law enforcement officers tracked Cruz’s car, which had been spotted at one of the earlier bank robberies, to a location in Manhattan. That same day, Cruz drove to yet another TD Bank in Englewood where he was apprehended moments before he robbed the bank in a similar disguise to what he wore during the previous two bank robberies.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Cruz to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $10,556.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark and Special Agent in Charge John Brosnan in New York; the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Dennis Calo; the Fort Lee Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith M. Bendul; the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael J. Colaneri; the Roxbury Police Department, under the direction of Chief Marc Palanchi; the Paramus Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg; and the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew Kunz, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Greenburgh, New York, Mount Pleasant, New York, and Yonkers, New York, police departments, as well as the New York Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark
Defense counsel: Linda Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Springfield Gardens, New York, resident pleaded guilty yesterday to an indictment charging him with nine counts of wire fraud, nine counts of aggravated identity theft, and 17 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation and filing of false returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York.
According to court documents, Oyeniyi Jaiyesimi, the owner of Pace Financial Services, a tax preparation business located in Springfield Gardens, New York used stolen IDs to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and to obtain refunds to which he was not entitled. In addition, from 2013 through 2015, Jaiyesimi filed multiple false tax returns for clients that fraudulently claimed dependent exemptions.
Magistrate Judge James Orenstein scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2019, before District Court Judge Edward R. Korman. Jaiyesimi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft, and a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false returns. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Eric Powers of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Navajo Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for First-Degree Murder and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Brian Tony, 47, of Gallup, N.M., was sentenced to life imprisonment today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., following his previous conviction at trial for first-degree murder and witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Director Jesse Delmar of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety (NNDPS).
A jury found Tony, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, guilty of these offenses on September 30, 2017. The evidence at trial established that on May 8, 2016, Tony drove his girlfriend’s Jeep to a home in Gallup with his brother and his girlfriend. Tony picked up the victim and the victim’s friend from this location. Tony also retrieved a hammer and placed it in his Jeep.
According to testimony from the victim’s friend, Tony drove them to a place called “Superman Canyon,” where Tony ordered the victim out of the Jeep and led him to an area out of sight from the vehicle. The victim’s friend heard the victim yell, but stayed in the Jeep because Tony’s brother threatened him.
A short time later, the victim called “911” and told the operator he was in a ditch and bleeding. The victim reported that Tony had hit him in the head with a hammer. The victim told the operator, “Hurry, here he comes now! Hurry!”
The next day, the victim’s body was found in a ravine by Rock Flats Road near Churchrock, N.M. There was a hammer and large rock with bloodstains nearby. The victim was wearing an empty knife sheath on his belt. The victim had more than 23 stab wounds and blunt force trauma to his head and neck.
The evidence at trial also established that Tony committed witness tampering while awaiting trial at the Santa Fe County Detention Center. Tony made more than 1,000 calls to friends and relatives, imploring them to convince the victim’s friend to leave town and to prevent the friend from testifying. The jury also heard Tony try to persuade his girlfriend not to cooperate with law enforcement. Tony testified during the trial and claimed that he killed the victim in self-defense.
“The life sentence imposed today cannot bring the victim back to his family and friends, but I hope it gives them a measure of comfort and closure,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “I commend the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety for their extraordinary and tireless efforts during the investigation of Mr. Tony’s heinous crimes.”
“The FBI worked closely with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety to make sure justice was done in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “Although the defendant committed a gruesome, premeditated murder for which he will spend the rest of his life in prison, our focus should be on the victim and his loved ones. We hope this punishment helps the family and friends of the deceased find some closure, while sending a clear message that violent crime on the Navajo Nation will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“It is very unfortunate that a life was taken under the circumstances of a crime so heinous and violent,” said Director Jesse Delmar of the NNDPS. “Our prayers are with the victim and his family. A special thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI and the Navajo Nation Law Enforcement for working this case and bringing justice to the victim and his family.”
The Albuquerque and Gallup offices of the FBI investigated this case along with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Joseph M. Spindle and Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Munster Man Filed Guilty Plea in Connection with September 2017 Explosion at East Chicago Post Office and Subsequent MailingRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –Eric P. Krieg, age 46, of Munster, Indiana, through his attorney, filed a signed agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office indicating his intent to plead guilty to knowingly making an unregistered destructive device, mailing a destructive device, malicious use of explosive materials, and mailing a threatening communication, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
This case stems from the September 6, 2017 US Postal Facility explosion in East Chicago and the mailing of a suspicious package on September 29, 2017. In October 2017, Krieg was arrested and charged. He has been in custody since his arrest.
In the plea agreement, the parties agree that Krieg should serve a sentence of 29 years.
According to the plea agreement filed today, Krieg is prepared to admit the following facts:
“From 2012 through August 2017, I engaged in a series of online postings and communications concerning other residents of Northwest Indiana. Through these online postings and communications, I made statements in multiple online forums, including a webpage ‘blog’ format that I controlled and administered.
“Victim 1 was an attorney who represented an individual in a lawsuit against me. This lawsuit was filed in the Lake County, Indiana Superior Court in 2013 based upon statements I made on my blog. After the filing of the lawsuit, I filed bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana. Through filings made in the Bankruptcy Court, Victim 1 claimed the lawsuit could not be discharged in bankruptcy. I agreed to settle the lawsuit with Victim 1’s client. The settlement required me to pay Victim 1’s client $45,000 and post an apology on my blog. I paid $45,000 and made an online apology.
“In retaliation for the filing and settling of this lawsuit and other grudges I held, I devised a plan to construct and mail a pipe bomb that I hoped and believed would kill or injure Victim 1. I constructed this pipe bomb and knew that it contained explosives and items that would produce shrapnel. The pipe bomb was constructed in the Northern District of Indiana. The pipe bomb was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
“On September 6, 2017, I placed the pipe bomb in the mail by delivering it to the United States Post Office, 901 East Chicago Avenue, East Chicago, Indiana and ensuring it had the appropriate postage. I mailed the pipe bomb with the intention that it kill or injure Victim 1. I am aware the pipe bomb exploded before it was delivered to Victim 1 and instead injured Victim 2, a postal worker. I damaged the Post Office where the pipe bomb exploded. At the time of the explosion, the Post Office was used in interstate commerce or was used in an activity affecting interstate commerce.
“I engaged in online communications with Victim 3. Victim 3 was a resident of Northwest Indiana. I was upset with, and held grudges against, both Victim 1 and Victim 3. On September 29, 2017, I mailed a threat to kill or injure Victim 3. I placed this threatening communication in the mail in the Northern District of Indiana and it was post marked to, and I am now aware later delivered to, Victim 3 in the Northern District of Indiana.”
The plea hearing will take place in the near future before United States District Court Senior Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen in the Hammond Federal Courthouse.
This case results from an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; United States Marshal’s Service; East Chicago Police; Hammond Police; Indiana State Police; Munster Police; and Porter County Sheriff’s Department. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua P. Kolar and Jennifer Chang.
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Moosic Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for StalkingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Anthony Frank Angeli, Jr, age 55, of Moosic, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on November 26, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for stalking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between July 7, 2017 and August 14, 2017, Angeli used the internet to engage in a course of conduct to harass and intimidate another individual. Angeli purchased a GPS tracking device and placed it on the victim’s car. Angeli would receive location notifications on his electronic devices and proceeded to show up at places where the victim was or had been, including restaurants and retail stores. After a Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) was granted, Angeli continued his harassment and intimidation of the victim.
Judge Mannion also ordered Angeli to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service this morning at 10:00 a.m.
This case was investigated by the Moosic Police Department, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Monrovia Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Prison for ‘Hawala’ Scheme to Move Money for Sinaloa Cartel and other Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Monrovia man who was part of an international drug money laundering organization has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring to move millions of dollars in proceeds for the Sinaloa cartel and other narcotics traffickers.
Harinder Singh, a.k.a. “Sonu,” 34, was sentenced late Monday by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder, who imposed the sentence after noting Singh’s “escalating” involvement in the money laundering conspiracy.
Singh was sentenced after being found guilty by a jury last January of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and operating an unlicensed money transmitted business.
Singh was the 17th defendant convicted as a result of a 2015 grand jury indictment that was the first major United States criminal case involving “hawala” transfers of drug money.
According to court documents, hawala is an international underground money remittance system based on trust between the participants. The hawala system originated on the Indian subcontinent and relies on long-established connections between brokers, who usually are located in different countries, but sometimes are in different cities in one nation. The trust and long-established connection between brokers typically are based on familial, ethnic, religious, regional and/or cultural grounds. Since traditional banking and financial systems are not involved in hawala, it operates without leaving a paper trail. Under the hawala system, only the value of the money is transferred, not the money itself.
In this case, drug traffickers used a traditional hawala network of brokers in the United States, Canada and India to secretly transfer millions of dollars of drug proceeds to the United States, where brokers such as Singh delivered the money to couriers acting on behalf of Canadian drug traffickers and Mexican drug cartels. Prosecutors said the conspiracy was responsible for transferring at least $4 million in drug proceeds.
The evidence presented at his two-week trial in United States District Court showed that Singh participated in a hawala conspiracy that moved money generated from drug sales in Canada to the United States. The money was used to pay for multi-kilogram drug purchases in Los Angeles, which was then routed to Canada for distribution.
California Highway Patrol officers discovered $274,980 in U.S. currency wrapped in black plastic when Singh was stopped in October 2012. During that traffic stop, Drug Enforcement Administration special agents conducted surveillance and observed Singh’s wife exiting the couple’s apartment complex carrying a bag, which was later found to contain $388,100 in U.S. currency. That cash also was rubber-banded in stacks and similarly wrapped in black plastic.
Prior to the traffic stop and the seizure at Singh’s apartment complex in Monrovia, a federal wiretap intercepted Punjabi-language telephone calls indicating that Singh and co-conspirators communicated over multiple prepaid – or “burner” – telephones to arrange for the pick-up, transport and delivery of large amounts of U.S. currency – in amounts of up to $800,000 – across the Los Angeles area.
Soon after the October 2012 traffic stop, Singh met with law enforcement agents and admitted collecting large sums of bulk cash on a weekly basis and receiving approximately $300 for every $200,000 in shipments, according to court documents.
During the course of a four-year investigation by the DEA’s L.A. Strike Force and IRS Criminal Investigation, authorities seized nearly $15.5 million in bulk U.S. currency, 321 kilograms of cocaine, 98 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 kilograms of MDMA and nine kilograms of heroin.
Other individuals convicted in this case include Singh’s uncle, Sucha Singh, who received a 63-month sentence for his role as a hawala broker; Bradley John Martin, who similarly received a 63-month sentence for his role as a money courier; and Harmeet Singh, who received a 42-month sentence for his role as a hawala broker.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation. These agencies received assistance and support from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Beverly Hills Police Department and the Pomona Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol Alexis Chen of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Shane Inghels, 36 years old, of Mishawaka, IN, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Inghels was sentenced to a total of 235 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release when released from prison.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “A violent offender was put in prison for his crimes. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to others that disregard for the rule of law will result in serious consequences. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to focus our efforts on career criminals, like Mr. Inghels.”
According to documents in the case, Inghels had outstanding warrants for failure to appear when he traveled from Mishawaka to Michigan City to sell methamphetamine. After meeting with individuals in Michigan City, he drove away from the area with a passenger in his car who was eight and a half months pregnant. Police officers began following his vehicle, at which point he sped away and fled from police down a highway while driving at speeds in excess of 130 miles per hour. Inghels drove into oncoming traffic and through stop lights while the passenger in his car begged him to stop. After driving more than ten miles, Inghels lost control of the car and crashed into a ditch. He got out of the car and ran away, leaving his pregnant passenger behind. Inghels only stopped when police officers deployed a K-9 to assist them in taking him into custody. Inghels had over $2,500.00 on him when officers caught him. Officers found Inghels’s safe in the trunk of the car, which was filled with over 65 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms. Inghels has several felony convictions, which not only qualifies him as a felon in possession of a firearm but also as an armed career criminal. Since age 18, Inghels’ crime actions have included breaking into a home to steal firearms; beating a person in a parking lot until the victim suffered a concussion and a broken nose; manufacturing methamphetamine; breaking into a garage to steal items to sell; beating a person while in jail; and committing offenses while on probation.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the LaPorte County Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Indiana State Police, Michigan City Police Department, New Carlisle Police Department, and St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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Military Investigation Services along with State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies to Hold Press Conference at the Department of Corrections in Columbia on Wednesday, November 28, 2018Read the Press Release
The press conference will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the South Carolina Department of Corrections, located at 4460 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210
Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri Lydon announced that a press conference will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Department of Corrections, located at 4460 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210.
Represented at the press conference will be members of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command (CID), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
NOTE: Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Lance Crick, 864-282-2105. All media must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). Members of the media wishing to attend should gather at the media staging area at 10:00 a.m., 30 minutes in advance. Media Staging Area: South Carolina Department of Corrections Recruitment and Employment Services Center parking lot located at 4444 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC.
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Member of Camden, New Jersey, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for selling crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Karim Johnson, a/k/a “Chicky,” 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Johnson admitted that he sold crack cocaine and furanyl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, around the 1700 block of Filmore Street in Camden. Johnson and nine other members of the drug ring were initially arrested in June 2017 following a long-term investigation by the FBI, which utilized multiple telephone wiretaps, surveillance, confidential informants, cooperating witnesses, more than 20 controlled drug purchases, a GPS vehicle tracker and four court-authorized search warrants, among other investigative techniques. Members of the drug trafficking organization distributed crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin to users and resellers in and around Camden and to people cooperating with the FBI. The investigation ultimately led to the seizure of more than 300 grams of crack cocaine, quantities of fentanyl and heroin, a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and recent charges against an eleventh member of the organization, Davon Leak, 19.
Four other defendants – Daron Suiter, 24, George Williams, 44, Latoya Whealton, a/k/a “Toya,” 34, and Rajai Gaines, a/k/a “Jigga,” 36 – have previously pleaded guilty. Suiter was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, to 60 months imprisonment; the other defendants are awaiting sentencing.
Drug and firearm charges remain pending in a second superseding indictment against six other defendants, including alleged leaders John Gunther, a/k/a “Critty,” 35; and Taleaf Gunther, a/k/a “Leafy” and “L,” 32; as well as alleged members William Roland, a/k/a “Chill,” 36; Mark Campbell, a/k/a “D” and Diz,” 28; Malcolm McCoy, 26; and Rajai Gaines, a/k/a “Jigga,” 36.In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Johnson to eight years of supervised release and 300 hours of community service.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.U.S. Attorney 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; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Calahan, with the investigation.
He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Johnson: Stanley O. King Esq., Woodbury, New Jersey
Suiter: Martin I. Isenberg Esq., Gibbsboro, New Jersey
Williams: Michael E. Riley Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Whealton: David S. Rudenstein Esq., Philadelphia
John Gunther: Edward J. Crisonino Esq., Westmont, New Jersey
Taleaf Gunther: Robert C. Wolf Esq., Westmont
Roland: Megan J. Davies Esq., Westmont
Campbell: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey
McCoy: Albert W. Allison Esq., Blackwood, New Jersey
Gaines: Edward F. Borden Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Leak: Teri Lodge Esq., Marlton, New JerseyMedford Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security, Medicare, MassHealth and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Medford woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits, Medicare, MassHealth and Food Stamps.
Stephanie DiPierro, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of public funds, two counts of making false statements, and one count of falsely representing a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2019. In November 2017, DiPierro was arrested, charged, and released on conditions.
According to the indictment that was unsealed today, from October 2007 through May 2017, DiPierro stole $73,288 in Social Security benefits, $8,455 in Medicare benefits, $8,615 in MassHealth benefits and $17,929 in Food Stamps. In September 2015, she falsely informed the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance that she did not have any income other than her Social Security benefits when, in fact, she was receiving income as a result of her work as a personal care attendant. DiPierro falsely told Social Security in March 2016, while she was working as a personal care attendant, that she did not take care of any other individual. DiPierro also falsely represented her Social Security number on a time sheet submitted in connection with her work as a personal care attendant.
The charges of theft of public funds provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of making false statements and false representation of a Social Security number each provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Boston Regional Office; and Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Maryland man admits to drug distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Phillip Ryan Williams, of McCoole, Maryland, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williams, age 24, pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” He admitted to selling methamphetamine in Mineral County on June 13, 2018.
Williams faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The West Virginia State Police, and the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Gang Murders of Two TeenagersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member was sentenced to life in prison for using social media to lure and violently murder two teenage boys in East Boston.
Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a “Sangriento,” 23, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to life in prison. In June 2018, after a multi-week trial, Gonzalez was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy. In addition, the jury found that Gonzalez’s racketeering activity on behalf of MS-13 included his participation in the Sept. 7, 2015, murder of a 15-year-old in East Boston and the Jan. 10, 2016, murder of a 16-year-old in East Boston.
MS-13 is a violent, transnational criminal organization whose members have engaged in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, and assault, as well as other criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, robbery, and witness retaliation.
MS-13 is organized into smaller groups known as “cliques” that operate throughout the United States. Gonzalez was a member of the Molinos Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.
Prospective members of MS-13 are required to complete an initiation process and then progress through the ranks: from “paro” to “chequeo” to “homeboy.” To be promoted within the gang, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, usually against rival gang members or those suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Becoming a “homeboy” typically requires the commission of a murder.
The investigation revealed that Gonzalez was the driving force behind, and key participant in, two separate murders in Massachusetts.
On Sept. 7, 2015, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members lured a 15-year-old boy through social media to Constitution Beach in East Boston. Convinced that the victim was a gang rival, Gonzalez and others targeted him by pretending to be a girl on Facebook and lured the victim to the beach for a date. When the victim arrived at Constitution Beach, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members took turns stabbing the victim repeatedly, leaving him bleeding to death on a public beach. The victim had approximately 33 sharp force injuries and multiple blunt force injuries.
The other three MS-13 members who committed the September 2015 murder with Gonzalez—Carlos Melara, a/k/a “Chuchito,” a/k/a “Criminal,” Henry Parada Martinez, a/k/a “Street Danger,” and Rene Mejia Flores a/k/a “Gasper,”—were also charged in connection with this investigation and pleaded guilty before trial. Melara was sentenced to 36 years in prison, while Parada Martinez and Mejia Flores are awaiting sentencing.
On Dec. 7, 2015, Gonzalez was promoted to “homeboy,” or full-member of the gang, to reward him for the murder he committed on behalf of MS-13. Melara and Mejia Flores were also promoted to “homeboys” for their role in the murder.
On January 10, 2016, Gonzalez and three other MS-13 members lured a 16-year-old boy through social media to Falcon Street in East Boston. Again, convinced that the victim was a gang rival, Gonzalez and others targeted him by pretending to be a girl on Facebook. Gonzalez then went to pick up the victim, pretending to be a relative of the girl that the victim was supposed to meet for a date. When Gonzalez arrived with the victim in East Boston, the MS-13 members attacked the victim. Three of the MS-13 members, including Gonzalez, were armed with large knives and stabbed the victim repeatedly, while the fourth MS-13 member fired multiple gunshots into the victim. Gonzalez and the other MS-13 members then ran away, leaving the teenager bleeding to death on a public street. The victim had approximately 48 sharp force injuries, multiple gunshot wounds, and multiple blunt force injuries.
One of the murderers was captured on tape stating that the “the dude [victim] was left completely destroyed” and “Sangriento [Gonzalez] whacked the guy’s hands with a machete.” The day after the murder, Gonzalez himself was captured on tape admitting to the murder and discussing further violence against potential rivals, stating, “we’re going to leave all of them chopped in pieces.”
The other three MS-13 members who committed the January 2016 murder with Gonzalez—Edwin Diaz, a/k/a “Demente,” Jairo Perez, a/k/a “Seco,” and Rigoberto Mejia, a/k/a “Ninja”—were also charged in connection with this investigation and pleaded guilty before trial. Diaz and Perez were each sentenced to 35 years in prison, while Mejia received 27.5 years in prison.
Gonzalez was one of 49 defendants convicted as part of this investigation. All nine defendants who went to trial were convicted and 40 others pleaded guilty. In all, 16 defendants, including Gonzalez, were found to have committed or knowingly participated in murders.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney John P. Pappas; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Gross; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement today. The U.S. Marshals Service has provided crucial assistance with the case.
Louisiana Physician’s Assistant Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Unlawfully Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
A Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based physician’s assistant pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to unlawfully distribute thousands of oxycodone pills.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin of the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Orleans Field Division, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
Christopher William Armstrong, 44, of Prairieville, Louisiana, was charged in a June indictment with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Armstrong pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles of the Middle District of Louisiana, who accepted his plea today.
“Christopher Armstrong abused his position as a licensed physician’s assistant to create fraudulent prescriptions for over 40,000 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will continue to combat the opioid crisis by holding to account corrupt medical professionals who distribute illegal prescription opioids for profit.”
“This conviction is a signal to medical professionals not to abuse your position and put our community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Fremin. “We will not tolerate unscrupulous health care workers increasing the supply of unauthorized prescription drugs on our streets. I want to thank our prosecutors, the Department of Justice’s Medicare Fraud Strike Force, DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI for their important work on this case.”
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Armstrong was a licensed physician’s assistant employed by Louisiana Spine & Sports LLC, a pain management clinic located in Baton Rouge, from approximately August 2004 through January 2014. Armstrong admitted that he logged into the clinic’s computer system and, without authorization, created fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances such as oxycodone. He then printed the fraudulent prescriptions and either forged the signatures of the clinic’s physicians on the prescriptions or caused those physicians to unknowingly sign the prescriptions. Armstrong further admitted that he distributed the fraudulent prescriptions to co-conspirators, who he instructed to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies and return the controlled substances to him in return for cash payments. Armstrong admitted that in an effort to conceal the scheme, he deleted records of the fraudulent prescriptions from the clinic’s computer system. As part of his plea, Armstrong admitted that from approximately May 2009 through March 2014, he fraudulently generated prescriptions for at least 40,470 oxycodone pills.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case. The investigation was further developed by the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorneys Katherine Payerle and Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion.
Louisiana Physician's Assistant Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Unlawfully Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based physician’s assistant pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to unlawfully distribute thousands of oxycodone pills.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin of the Middle District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Orleans Field Division, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
Christopher William Armstrong, 44, of Prairieville, Louisiana, was charged in a June indictment with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Armstrong pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles of the Middle District of Louisiana, who accepted his plea today.
“Christopher Armstrong abused his position as a licensed physician’s assistant to create fraudulent prescriptions for over 40,000 medically unnecessary oxycodone pills,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will continue to combat the opioid crisis by holding to account corrupt medical professionals who distribute illegal prescription opioids for profit.”
“This conviction is a signal to medical professionals not to abuse your position and put our community at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Fremin. “We will not tolerate unscrupulous health care workers increasing the supply of unauthorized prescription drugs on our streets. I want to thank our prosecutors, the Department of Justice’s Medicare Fraud Strike Force, DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI for their important work on this case.”
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Armstrong was a licensed physician’s assistant employed by Louisiana Spine & Sports LLC, a pain management clinic located in Baton Rouge, from approximately August 2004 through January 2014. Armstrong admitted that he logged into the clinic’s computer system and, without authorization, created fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances such as oxycodone. He then printed the fraudulent prescriptions and either forged the signatures of the clinic’s physicians on the prescriptions or caused those physicians to unknowingly sign the prescriptions. Armstrong further admitted that he distributed the fraudulent prescriptions to co-conspirators, who he instructed to fill the prescriptions at pharmacies and return the controlled substances to him in return for cash payments. Armstrong admitted that in an effort to conceal the scheme, he deleted records of the fraudulent prescriptions from the clinic’s computer system. As part of his plea, Armstrong admitted that from approximately May 2009 through March 2014, he fraudulently generated prescriptions for at least 40,470 oxycodone pills.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case. The investigation was further developed by the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorneys Katherine Payerle and Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 290 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Heroin and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ansar I. McIver, 46, of Lexington, was sentenced last week to 290 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and money laundering. Judge Reeves also ordered McIver to pay a fine and to forfeit more than $586,000 in cash.
McIver previously admitted that, in early January 2017, he engaged in an agreement with others to obtain large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin from the southwest United States. Shipments of these controlled substances were made by passenger vehicle, with the substances concealed in various compartments within the vehicles, and were transported into Lexington. Proceeds from the distribution of the drugs were then returned to the southwest.
On May 18, 2017, the Lexington Police Department (LPD) stopped a vehicle containing approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine. On June 12, 2017, a search warrant was executed at McIver’s residence. There, law enforcement agents seized cocaine, approximately 786 grams of fentanyl, heroin, and a combined quantity of drugs, as well as approximately $586,369 in drug proceeds. At that time, it was the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
“This conspiracy involve the illegal distribution of enormous amounts of illegal drugs, drugs that continue to devastate our community,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case represents a stark reminder that much work still needs to be done to combat this epidemic and that effective law enforcement partnerships can – and do – save lives. Removing these drugs from our community was a team effort that almost certainly prevented overdoses and potential deaths in our community.”
The Defendant has previously been convicted of several drug trafficking felonies, which qualified him as a Career Offender under federal law. McIver pleaded guilty to the charges in January 2018.
Under federal law, McIver must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for ten years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James (Robert) Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, of the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI (Louisville and San Diego Field Offices), the Kentucky State Police, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – David Alexander Arias, 31, a Lawrence, Massachusetts resident, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant participated with three co-defendants in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl into New Hampshire. On several occasions, the defendant and a co-defendant traveled into Nashua and Salem, New Hampshire to meet a New Hampshire distributor to provide that individual with fentanyl to redistribute in and around the Manchester, New Hampshire area. The conspiracy involved in excess of 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.
Co-defendants Migdalia Cintron, Alvaro Garcia and Ramon Paniagua Perez have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Arias previously pled guilty on August 15, 2018.
“Fentanyl trafficking makes a lethal substance immediately available for purchase in this state” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Overall, the results have been catastrophic for drug users and their families. In order to curtail trafficking, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who do business here.”
“DEA is committed to investigating Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Arias who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Let this sentence be a warning to those traffickers who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.
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Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Laron Harvey, 35, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2016, Harvey and others conspired with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
Chief Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the 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 leading to the successful prosecution of Grace. 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.
Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Erika Shanta Kelly, 42, of Jackson, pled guilty yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to laundering proceeds from drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
On April 22, 2014, March 3, 2015, and September 4, 2015, Kelly used money obtained from drug trafficking to purchase and make payments on vehicles. The purchases and payments made were to conceal or disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the drug trafficking money. On November 28, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for conspiracy to money launder and using proceeds from drug trafficking to purchase vehicles for another person.
Kelly will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on March 8, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $500,000.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Pipeline,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in central Mississippi involving cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Texas and Mississippi.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Jackson Police Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Illegal Alien Convicted of Using Another Person’s Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man who used another person’s social security number to complete employment paperwork was convicted by a jury on November 26, 2018, after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Adner Toj-Velasquez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of misuse of a social security number. The verdict was returned following about 25 minutes of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on February 8, 2015, Toj-Velasquez used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work in Luana, Iowa. On the employment form, Toj-Velasquez falsely claimed to be a United States citizen.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Toj-Velasquez was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Toj-Velasquez faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1036-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Honduras Citizen Removed 3 Times from the U.S. is Sentenced to Time Served for Illegally Re-Entering the CountryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – An illegal alien found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in federal court to time served and one year supervised release on his conviction of illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Rolando Tabora Fuentes, age 40, of Honduras. Judge Hornak further ordered that, following service of the sentence of imprisonment, Tabora Fuentes be remanded to the custody of federal immigration authorities for commencement of deportation proceedings.
According to information presented to the court, Fuentes was formally removed from the United States by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 9, 1998, September 8, 2009, and September 20, 2013. Fuentes was found by federal agents to be illegally present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 2018. Law enforcement also determined that Fuentes did not receive permission to re-enter the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Fuentes.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Honduran man who was arrested in Kansas City, Mo., for drunk driving was sentenced in federal court today for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported eight times.
Jose Salazar-Aguilar, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to five years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
Kansas City, Mo., police officers arrested Salazar-Aguilar on Feb. 19, 2017, for driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a license. While incarcerated, record checks revealed that Salazar-Aguilar had been removed from the United States on numerous occasions. He was released on bond but apprehended by federal agents during a traffic stop on Feb. 27, 2017.
On May 2, 2018, Salazar-Aguilar pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony.
This is Salazar-Aguilar’s second conviction for this offense. He was convicted of the same crime in federal court in Arizona on Feb. 22, 2012, and sentenced to 27 months. According to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar has been removed from the United States eight times, seven times after being convicted of the aggravated felony of delivery of heroin. Salazar-Aguilar was last removed from the United States on Aug. 8, 2013.
Additionally, according to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar’s history also includes assaultive behavior that endangers the public, such as his 2010 arrest for beating up his common-law wife.
Salazar-Aguilar has previously asserted his membership with the Norteno street gang, according to court documents, and has admitted to being a “drug mule.” Salazar-Aguilar also has prior felony convictions for delivery of a controlled substance (heroin) in Oregon, possession of a controlled substance in Colorado, and forgery in Arizona. Additionally, there are active warrants for his arrest from Salt Lake City, Utah, for distribution of a controlled substance; Phoenix, Ariz., for no valid license and traffic offenses; and Kansas City, Mo., for driving under the influence, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a license.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Transporting Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE - U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that GERSON GARCIA-VILLANEUVA, age 19, of Honduras, pled guilty for his role in transporting illegal aliens.
On August 21, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of a van driven by GARCIA-VILLANEUVA. GARCIA-VILLANEUVA admitted that he, as is a citizen of Honduras, was knowingly present in the United States illegally. He further explained that he was paid to transport eight illegal aliens from various Latin American countries from Houston, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “The enforcement of our border and immigration laws is a top priority for our office. This plea is yet another step in the fight against illegal immigration and those who enable it. I want to thank our prosecutors and the United States Border Patrol for their efforts in this important matter.”
“This case highlights the superlative work done by Border Patrol Agents, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Attorney’s Office as we work together to enhance border security in the Gulf Coast Region by disrupting and destroying smuggling operations which cause irreparable harm to our nation,” stated Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, New Orleans Border Patrol Sector.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Fred Menner.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that ELVIN PEREZ-ROMERO, age 24, pleaded guilty November 20, 2018 to a one count indictment that charged him with illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
On November 20, 2018, U. S. District Judge Suzie Morgan sentenced ELVIN PEREZ-ROMERO to time served and a $100 special assessment. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MANUEL ASHLEY, also known as “Fresh,” 27, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to firearm and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31 and June 1, 2017, Ashley sold approximately 90 bags containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to another individual.
Hartford Police arrested Ashley on June 6, 2017, after he sold a stolen .380 caliber pistol to another individual. On that date, a search of his Babcock Street residence revealed 44 bags containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.
Ashley’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions. 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.
Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on February 27, 2019.
Ashley has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by 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.
Great Bend Man Sentenced to 13+ Years for Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Great Bend man was sentenced today to 165 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Charles A. Gann, 49, Great Bend, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that an investigator with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was able to use a file-sharing program to download child pornography from Gann’s computer. At sentencing, a prosecutor argued Gann used the internet to seek out and communicate with other people who shared Gann’s desire to have sex with children.
McAllister commended Immigration and Customs Services and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work on the case.
Gonzales Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced KRISTIAN H. JAMES, age 31, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 24 months in federal prison following her conviction for theft of government funds. The Court also sentenced JAMES to 2 years of supervised release following imprisonment and ordered restitution of $141,458.
Between October 2010 and December 2014, JAMES knowingly allowed her social security number to be used in a large scheme to fraudulently obtain financial aid from the United States Department of Education. During this period, JAMES also stole personal information of unknowing victims whose information was then used by co-conspirators as part of the aforementioned fraud scheme. In announcing the sentence, Judge deGravelles highlighted the impact that JAMES’ conduct had on the identity theft victims, and, in particular, one who detailed for the Court the numerous problems she has encountered and continues to encounter as a result of JAMES stealing her identity.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This conviction and sentence highlight that prosecuting fraudsters and identity thieves will remain a priority of this office. The cowardly act of using personal identifying information of unassuming victims will not go unchecked on our watch. I'm grateful for the hard work of our prosecutors and the investigative work and support provided by the US Department of Education - OIG whose efforts were essential in obtaining justice in this case."
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Education – OIG. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Pugliese.
Four Sentenced for Involvement in Local Pill MillRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that AMANDA JEPPE, age 34, ALAN GREGOIRE, age 36, CHANTELL EVERS, age 28, and JESSIE EVERS, age 28, were sentenced today after previously pleading guilty for their roles in an oxycodone conspiracy stemming from a pill mill that operated out of Gulf South Physician’s Group in Metairie.
According to court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but prior to January 2015, and continuing to on or about March 2016, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELL EVERS and JESSIE EVERS obtained medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone from Dr. Shannon Ceasar in exchange for a flat fee of $500 cash per prescription. The purpose of obtaining the prescriptions was to divert the oxycodone to drug traffickers and addicts. On August 21, 2018, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELL EVERS, and JESSIE EVERS pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Acquire or Obtain Possession of Oxycodone by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, or Subterfuge, in violation of Title 21, United States Code Sections 843(a)(3) and 846.
Shannon Ceasar was a physician and former co-owner who operated Gulf South Physician’s Group. Ceasar ran a “pill mill,” i.e., an operation in which he prescribed controlled substances to drug seekers and drug abusers without a legitimate medical purpose and in exchange for a flat fee. He previously pled guilty for his role in illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances, threatening to assault or murder federal law enforcement officers, and health care fraud. On March 7, 2018, Ceasar was sentenced to 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons. His business partner, Stephen Guilbault, also previously pled guilty for his role in controlled substances violations and health care fraud, and was sentenced to 24 months in the Bureau of Prisons on August 22, 2018.
U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced JEPPE, GREGOIRE, and JESSIE EVERS to probation for a period of five years, including six months of home confinement to begin immediately. CHANTELL EVERS was sentenced to five years probation.
U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG, and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Shirin Hakimzadeh and Myles Ranier were in charge of the prosecution.
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Fort Hall Man Indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious InjuryRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stormy Ray Adakai, 23, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was indicted today by a federal grand jury sitting in Pocatello on one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
The indictment alleges that on or about September 2, 2018, Adakai assaulted a victim by intentionally hitting him in the face and head with rocks, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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