Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
14 November 2018
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution and Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of A Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
DENVER – Daniel Mata-Armendariz, age 23, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello to serve 120 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steven Cagen announced. Following his prison sentence, Judge Arguello ordered the defendant to serve 4 years on supervised release. Defendant Mata-Armendariz appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals at the conclusion of the hearing.
Mata-Armendariz was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on February 6, 2018. A superseding indictment was obtained on March 20, 2018. The defendant pled guilty before Judge Arguello on June 5, 2018. He was sentenced on November 13, 2018.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the defendant’s plea agreement, between November 21, 2017, and December 14, 2017, the defendant sold quantities of methamphetamine as well as cocaine and heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer. Prior to November 16, 2017, the undercover officer learned about an individual who sold controlled substances in Colorado Springs. On November 16, 2017, the officer purchased approximately 15.2 grams of methamphetamine from that individual. On November 20, 2017, the officer contacted the individual in order to arrange another sale scheduled for the following day. On November 21, 2017 the individual stated to the officer that he wished to introduce him to the source of supply, who was the defendant.
On November 21, 2017, the defendant offered to sell the undercover officer an ounce of heroin for $1,250. He also asked the undercover officer if he wanted to purchase firearms, such as two AK-47s for $600 each, Glock pistol for $300 to $400, a Mack-10 capable of full automatic fire for $800 or another firearm. Eventually the defendant sold the undercover officer approximately 86.5 grams of methamphetamine. The defendant also showed the officer pictures of firearms on his phone. On November 27, 2017 the defendant sold the undercover officer approximately 14 grams of heroin, 22 grams of cocaine and a 9mm pistol all for $2,000. The officer met again with the defendant on December 6, 2017. The defendant sold him approximately 221.5 grams of methamphetamine for $2,550. Yet again on December 14, 2017 the defendant sold him approximately 113.5 grams of methamphetamine.
On January 1, 2018 the defendant was driving a car in Colorado Springs when he was pulled over by law enforcement. During the lawful traffic stop officers learned that the defendant had an outstanding felony arrest warrant. Officers observed a handgun in plain view between the driver’s seat and the center console. It had a full magazine and a round in the chamber and was readily accessible to the defendant when he sat in the driver’s seat. Officers ran the serial number on the handgun and determined it was reported stolen. Additionally, officers recovered the defendant’s backpack from the car. In the backpack there were several baggies containing controlled substances, including a bag containing approximately 15 grams of heroin, one containing approximately 4.9 grams of cocaine, and five separate baggies containing a total of approximately 69.4 grams of methamphetamine. On January 2, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment. During the search numerous firearms and ammunition were recovered, including two AK-47s, and a .40 caliber pistol. The parties stipulated that the defendant sold or possessed with the intent to distribute a total of 490.9 grams of methamphetamine, 29 grams of heroin, and 26.9 grams of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department and HSI Denver. The defendant was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel McIntyre.
College Student in Ithaca Pleads Guilty to Federal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Maximilien R. Reynolds, age 21, of Rumson, New Jersey (currently residing in Ithaca, New York, while attending college), pled guilty yesterday to two federal felony firearms offenses, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)-New York Field Division; Chief Peter Tyler-City of Ithaca Police Department; and Chief Kathy Zoner-Cornell University Police.
Reynolds pled guilty to one count of willfully causing false statements to be made to a licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm (a Savage MSR-15 Multi-Caliber .223/5.56mm Patrol Rifle) and one count of possessing firearms not registered in the National Firearms Registry and Transfer Record, related to his possession of a sawed-off Savage MSR-15 Multi-Caliber 223/5.56mm Patrol Rifle, a destructive device (bomb), and a silencer. Each offense has a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of 3 years following any term of incarceration. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2019 in Albany, New York, before Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Maximilien R. Reynolds admitted that on November 28, 2017, he gave another student money to purchase a Savage MSR-15 Multi-Caliber .223/5.56 mm Patrol Rifle. Reynolds later cut down the barrel of the rifle, making it illegal to possess. He also admitted that he possessed a destructive device (bomb) and a firearms silencer seized from his apartment in Ithaca by Federal Agents and Ithaca Police on March 7, 2018. In pleading guilty, he also admitted that he possessed a .25 caliber Bauer Arms semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number that was recovered by New York State Police divers from a canal on the south end of Cayuga Lake.
At the time of his arrest on March 7, 2018, Reynolds was a part-time student at Tompkins-Cortland Community College. He was previously enrolled as a full-time student at Cornell University, but was on an academic leave of absence.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Maximilien R. Reynolds also agreed to the forfeiture of the destructive device (bomb) and silencer, as well as to the abandonment of the Bauer Arms .25 caliber semiautomatic pistol with obliterated serial number, 917 rounds of .223 caliber rifle ammunition, 135 rounds of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition, several .223 caliber magazine clips, 2 bullet-proof vests, a laser sight, ball bearings, a gas mask, chemicals of various kinds, a pipe section with one endcap, a flare gun, and other items seized during this investigation from his apartment and a storage unit. The Savage MSR-15 Multi-Caliber .223/5.56 mm Patrol Rifle was previously forfeited through an administrative proceeding.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the City of Ithaca Police Department, the Cornell University Police, the New York State Police and the Tompkins-Cortland Community College Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office.
Chevy Chase Man Who Secretly Videotaped Children in His Home Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jonathan Mark Oldale, age 55, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of production and possession of child pornography, arising from Oldale secretly filming children using hidden cameras in the bathrooms of his home.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to Oldale’s plea agreement, on May 5, 2017, the Montgomery County Police Department received a complaint from an employee at a children’s gymnastics facility that Oldale had placed a backpack containing a camera disguised to look like an automobile key fob in a bathroom at the facility. The employee also told officers about a prior incident in which Oldale had left a backpack in the same bathroom. A search of Oldale’s residence on May 9, 2017, recovered electronic media, including three laptop computers. A subsequent forensic review of the computers revealed that two of the computers had installations of browsers used to access the “dark web,” and some of the files accessed had titles consistent with child pornography. The dark web is the part of the World Wide Web that requires specific software, configurations or authorization to access, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous. One of the laptops had previously connected to a dark web site used to exchange child pornography. The third computer contained image and video files of children with exposed genitalia, including in public bathrooms.
On July 5, 2017, Montgomery County Police officers executed a second search warrant at Oldale’s residence and seized a cell phone, three “spy cameras,” six MicroSD cards (small memory cards used in cameras and phones to store information), and six USB drives. All of the removable media, except one MicroSD card, contained videos created using surreptitious “spy” camera that had been placed by Oldale in bathrooms in his residence.
Videos recorded in the bathrooms show that the cameras were placed at waist height or lower, for example under the sink and in a basket in the shower, and that multiple cameras were placed in a bathroom. The videos show that Oldale would enter the bathroom to adjust the cameras just before children entered the bathrooms and just after the children left. Between May and July 2017, Oldale recorded more than 1,000 videos using the hidden cameras in his bathrooms. The videos depict minor children changing into and out of bathing suits, taking showers, and using the toilet.
Children were invited to “splash parties” at Oldale’s residence in June and July 2017, including by e-mailed invitations sent to their parents. Children would become covered with grass while playing on an inflatable structure in the back yard. Oldale encouraged the children to change clothes or take showers before they went home. Of the approximately 84 children who appear in the videos taken in the bathroom, approximately 60 are depicted nude at some point in the videos.
Forensic analysis of the USB drives revealed that Oldale stored videos in a nested file folder structure. Subfolders were named for the month and within those folders were additional subfolders with event names, like party or camp. On two of the USB drives there were subfolder that included lists of children’s names followed by a description of the swimsuit worn by the child. In all, there were nine subfolders with names indicative of events and containing videos of children in the bathrooms at Oldale’s residence.
As part of his plea agreement, Oldale must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). In addition, Oldale has agreed to the entry of a $400,000 money judgment in lieu of forfeiture of Oldale’s interest in his residence, which Oldale used to facilitate his crimes.
Oldale and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Oldale will be sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2019 at 10 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting the federal case.
###
Career-Criminal Drug Trafficker Sentenced in Multi-State Cocaine, Marijuana Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Savannah man with an extensive felony record will spend more than 15 years in federal prison for his part in a cross-country drug-trafficking conspiracy.
United States District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. sentenced Keith Jamal Brigham, a/k/a “Glock,” 44, to 188 months in federal prison after Brigham pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 grams or More of Cocaine and Marijuana, announced Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine.
Brigham has six previous felony narcotics-related convictions in state court. His latest sentence, however, is in federal court, and there is no parole in the federal system. His sentence will be served consecutive to a sentence for violating state parole. Upon release from federal prison, Brigham will be on federal supervised release for four years.
Brigham was part of a coast-to-coast drug trafficking organization that spanned from California to Savannah. As outlined in court records and in various hearings, marijuana sales were used to finance cocaine purchases, with cash proceeds hidden in candy machines and shipped to hubs in Atlanta and California. Co-conspirators in those areas shipped pounds of marijuana and kilograms of cocaine to Savannah via U.S. Mail and in vehicles with hidden compartments.
While on state parole for a previous drug conviction, Brigham served as a major cocaine dealer in Savannah for the drug trafficking organization. During the investigation, agents intercepted him on court-authorized wiretaps and seized more than 600 grams of cocaine from his residence as well as 1.5 kilograms of cocaine that was attached with magnets in the rear fender wells of a vehicle to thwart detection by law enforcement. Authorities also seized more than $17,000 in cash.
Brigham was in frequent phone contact with several co-conspirators, including Karteau Jenkins, who is alleged to be the main source of supply of cocaine for the drug trafficking organization. Jenkins is alleged to have coordinated with Eugene “Poncho” Allen, who is alleged to be a ringleader of the drug trafficking organization despite currently serving a life sentence for murder in a Georgia state prison. Allen is alleged to have run his organization using smuggled contraband phones.
Allegations and charges presume the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A federal grand jury in August 2017 charged 20 defendants with drug trafficking offenses related to this investigation; most of them have pled guilty. During this investigation, agents seized eight firearms, more than 200 pounds of marijuana, multiple kilograms of cocaine, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
“It’s astonishing that a drug trafficker could continue to peddle poison in our communities despite multiple felony convictions – but for Keith Brigham, that ends today,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Through coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, we are determined to take these criminals off our streets and out of our neighborhoods.”
“Despite six felony convictions, Brigham chose to continue to plague our streets with drugs and the crimes that result from it,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “It is our hope that after more than 15 years in federal prison, without any option for parole, he will come to the realization that his actions will not be tolerated by the FBI and our law enforcement partners.”
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Chatham County Narcotics Unit (CNT), the Savannah Police Department, the Chatham and Effingham County Sheriffs’ Offices, the United States Postal Inspector’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, which is the premier law enforcement unit whose task is to dismantle multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organizations. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney/Assistant District Attorney Noah Abrams, and Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Gilluly and Frank Pennington.
For any questions, please contact Barry Paschal at the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Career Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Tony Washington, age 33, of Baltimore, today to 14 years in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for combining, conspiring, confederating, and agreeing to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
In July 2018, Washington was convicted on the sole charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin after a two-week trial.
Between July 2015 and April 2016, the defendant, and co-defendants, Jamal Carter, DeAndre Smith, Dymir Rhodes, and others managed a drug trafficking operation in and around an apartment complex in Baltimore known as “Pedestal Gardens.” Washington acted as a distributor for the organization and routinely distributed “packs” of heroin to customers. Typically, each “pack” contained approximately 50 gel capsules of the drug, or approximately 5 grams. Washington was one of thirteen defendants indicted in the case. Twelve of the defendants, including DeAndre Smith, pled guilty prior to trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers obtained authorization to intercept communications over Carter’s cellular telephone, in which Washington communicated with other members of the conspiracy to coordinate the distribution of drugs.
In addition to distributing heroin, Washington and other members of the conspiracy stored and possessed firearms. Pedestal Gardens is located in close proximity to Mashburn Elementary School. During surveillance of the drug shop, law enforcement officers observed school children walking to school past Pedestal Gardens where Washington and other members of the conspiracy distributed heroin.
During a pre-trial motion’s hearing, Washington testified under oath concerning his waiver of his Miranda rights. In sentencing Washington, the Court concluded that Washington testified falsely and considered those false statements in determining Washington’s sentence.
Co-Defendants:
Deandre Smith, age 28, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy. Sentenced to 25 years in federal prison;
Garrion McCellan, age 30, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and using a firearm to murder two individuals in furtherance of the conspiracy. Sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
Jamal Carter, age 24, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy. Sentenced to 11 years in federal prison;
Dymir Rhodes, age 32, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy. Sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Christopher J. Romano who are prosecuted this case.
# # #
California Resident Sentenced to Prison for Stealing over $7.5 Million of Taxpayer MoneyRead the Press Release
Norma Morfin, aka Norma Morfin Mandujano of Salinas, California, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Alex G. Tse.
On July 18, 2018, Morfin pleaded guilty to conspiring to file fraudulent claims for income tax refunds. According to the plea agreement and documents filed with the court, Morfin admitted that, during 2012, she conspired with her co-defendants to obtain the personal identifying information of others, and to use that information to file more than 2,300 fraudulent income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. These returns reported false wages, dependents, education expenses, and tax credits, and claimed fraudulent tax refunds of more than $9 million, of which more than $7.5 million were paid.
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, United States District Court Judge, in San Jose. In addition to the 30 month sentence and the $7,505,519 in restitution, Morfin was also sentenced to a three year period of supervised release. Co-defendants Jackie Ramos, Antonio Ahumada, and Ana Bajo have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Tse commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pitman and Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Bronx Man Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Attempting to Provide and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to IsisRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that ADAM RAISHANI, a/k/a “Saddam Mohamed Raishani,” pled guilty to attempting to provide and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”). RAISHANI pled guilty today to a Superseding Information in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As he admitted in court today, Adam Raishani helped another man travel to Syria to join and train with ISIS, and he plotted to make that trip himself to carry out his own desire to wage violent jihad. Thanks to the excellent work of the FBI and the NYPD, Raishani’s trip to ISIS was canceled at the airport. This would-be ISIS terrorist now awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Information, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:
Beginning in at least the fall of 2015, RAISHANI conspired with another ISIS supporter (“CC-1”) to provide material support to ISIS by means of CC-1 traveling abroad to join and fight for ISIS. On or about October 30, 2015, CC-1 departed from JFK Airport for Istanbul, Turkey, where he planned to cross into Syria to join ISIS. RAISHANI arranged for CC-1’s transportation from the Bronx, New York, to John F. Kennedy International Airport (“JFK Airport”), and RAISHANI accompanied CC-1 from the Bronx to JFK Airport.
RAISHANI continued communicating with CC-1 following CC-1’s departure. For example, on or about January 2, 2016, RAISHANI sent an email to CC-1 stating: “Glad tidings brother. Its [sic] been some time since your voyage. I pray to Allah The ALL MIGHTY to grant you success. Until next time.”[1] On or about April 1, 2016, RAISHANI sent another email to CC-1 stating: “I hope Allah has bestowed you what you were seeking. . . . May Allah grant you sincere and clean intentions and make you among the righteous in Janatal Firdaus [a reference to Islamic paradise]. . . . Please return this email and respond to what we agreed upon before your departure. Until next time.” On or about May 3, 2016, CC-1 responded to RAISHANI, indicating that he had succeeded in joining the Islamic State. CC-1 informed RAISHANI that CC-1 was “fine and well,” that CC-1 “wished you [RAISHANI] were here with me,” and that “here we are living with izza [honor].”
Also in May 2016, CC-1 posted content on a particular social media application (“Application-1”) indicating that CC-1 was living in the Islamic State and fighting on its behalf. For example, CC-1 sent messages to another user of Application-1 stating: “I’m living in the Islamic state safely and secure by the permission of Allah,” “[h]ere we are fighting the kuffars [non-believers],” and “I left the land of kuffars now I’m living in the khilafah [the caliphate].” CC-1 also posted a photograph on Application-1 that shows CC-1 carrying an assault rifle and a flag representative of ISIS.
Between January and June of 2017, RAISHANI had a series of meetings with individuals who were, unbeknownst to RAISHANI, a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement and an undercover law enforcement officer. In the course of those meetings, RAISHANI admitted that he had previously helped another person (CC-1) travel overseas to join the Islamic State, and stated that he intended to travel overseas to join ISIS himself. During those meetings, RAISHANI also downloaded and viewed violent ISIS propaganda videos, and indicated his desire to wage jihad and his belief that the Quran can be read to justify the violence, including beheadings, engaged in by ISIS.
By April 2017, RAISHANI was actively planning to travel abroad to join ISIS. RAISHANI indicated that he aspired to join ISIS in Syria and that he aimed to travel before the end of Ramadan, an Islamic holy month that ran from approximately May 26 through June 24 of 2017. In June 2017, RAISHANI made preparations to leave, including by paying off debts and purchasing clothing that he intended to wear for training with ISIS overseas. RAISHANI indicated his intention to meet an ISIS member in Turkey, who would facilitate RAISHANI’s joining the terrorist organization in Syria. On June 21, 2017, RAISHANI attempted to board a flight bound for Turkey (via Portugal) at JFK Airport, at which point law enforcement officers arrested him.
Following RAISHANI’s arrest, the FBI searched RAISHANI’s Bronx residence pursuant to a search warrant. Among the evidence recovered was a letter from RAISHANI addressed to members of his family, which the FBI found in a safe in RAISHANI’s bedroom. In the letter, RAISHANI – who left behind his wife and young son when he attempted to travel to Syria to join ISIS – advised his wife that she could still choose to “[j]oin” him in the Islamic State, and he expressed regret that she did not share his radical views and that he had been unable to convince her to accompany him to join ISIS. RAISHANI also wrote: “Do Not Divulge this document and other documents that I have giv[en] to you to the authorities. Do not believe their plots. Do not divulge my absences but instead say I went to do volunteering outside the country with my medical skills and health background.”
* * *
RAISHANI, 32, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely, ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to provide material support or resources to ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Sentencing is scheduled for March 8, 2019, at 3:00 p.m., before Judge Abrams.
Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, and the NYPD’s Intelligence Division. Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers also thanked the New York Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sidhardha Kamaraju, Jane Kim, and George D. Turner are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
[1] Communications and conversations discussed herein are described in substance and in part.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — David John Cannon, 47, of Bakersfield, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to nine years in prison and a $5,100 penalty assessment for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Cannon received and distributed child pornography using a computer from approximately July 2012 until August 2016. He received and distributed over 1,016 images and 32 videos that depicted minors, some of which were prepubescent, engaging in sexual activity.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. S. Richards prosecuted the case.
Cannon was ordered to surrender to serve his sentence beginning on January 2, 2019.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Anchorage Man Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that an Anchorage man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine intended for distribution.
Sergio Jauna Devoe, 28, of Anchorage, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 10 years in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents, on May 24, 2017, APD’s Community Action Policing (CAP) and Vice units arranged to purchase heroin from Devoe at the Northway Mall, in front of the Carrs grocery store. Specifically, a call was placed to Devoe, and he agreed to sell two ounces of heroin for $1,850 each. Devoe arrived driving a Lexus sedan accompanied by another individual in the passenger seat, before officers immediately blocked in the vehicle. Officers observed a firearm in plain view located inside the vehicle. Upon being detained, a rolled up $5 bill containing .75 grams of cocaine fell out of Devoe’s hand. Devoe said he didn’t know about the gun, that he was not involved with drugs anymore, that he had $1,000 in his pocket, that he was borrowing his girlfriend’s car, and that he just picked up his passenger.
Located inside the vehicle was a stolen and loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Shield pistol, along with a lock box that contained 51.5 grams of methamphetamine and 25.27 grams of fentanyl, which was marketed as heroin. Fentanyl, sometimes known on the street as “Grey Death,” is a powerful opioid that is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Law enforcement officers also seized two cell phones, two digital scales, and 8.8 grams of marijuana.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Stinson.
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.
9 Defendants Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Massive Tax and Identity Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (“IRS-CI”), announced charges today against nine individuals for their participation in a long-running scheme to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of children, resulting in millions of dollars in estimated loss to the United States Treasury. Eight of the defendants were arrested this morning and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses today. MARCOS DE JESUS PANTALEON remains at large.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants used their experience as tax preparers to skirt U.S. tax laws by using the stolen identities of children to help increase their clients’ tax returns. All told, the defendants’ years’ long scheme resulted in tens of millions of dollars in questionable credits. Now the defendants’ businesses are shut down – literally – and the defendants face significant time in prison for tax fraud.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge James D. Robnett said: “Stealing the identities of children to file false tax returns is reprehensible. These individuals allegedly demonstrated a blatant disregard of the integrity of the United States tax system and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS-CI special agents are determined to investigate these crimes and protect the honest taxpayers.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed this morning and information in the public record:
Under federal law, taxpayers may be entitled to claim certain tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (“EITC”) available to qualifying low and moderate income working individuals and families. If the individual claims the EITC based on having a child, the individual must list the name and Social Security Number (“SSN”) of the child on his or her tax return, along with completing a separate schedule that contains the child’s name, SSN, year of birth, relationship to the taxpayer, and how many months the child lived with the taxpayer during the tax year.
Starting in 2009, and continuing for multiple years, ARIEL JIEMENEZ, a/k/a “Melo,” IRELINE NUNEZ, ANA YESSENIA JIMENEZ, EVELIN JIMENEZ, LEYVI CASTILLO, CINTHIA FEDERO, GUILLERMO ARIAS MONCION, MARCOS DE JESUS PANTALEON, a/k/a “Junior,” and JOSE CASTILLO, a/k/a “Jairo,” abused the EITC program with their knowledge of the tax system by using the stolen identities of numerous children to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns for their clients. These clients were not supporting, residing with, or related to the children they claimed as a dependent. Rather, they paid the defendants between $1,000 and $1,500 for each child falsely added to their returns. The inclusion of these false dependents allowed clients to claim tax refunds they were not entitled to, chiefly the EITC.
All of the defendants initially worked together at the same tax-preparation business. In approximately 2013, MONCION, PANTALEON, and JOSE CASTILLO started their own tax-preparation business. In approximately 2014, JOSE CASTILLO left to start his own, third tax-preparation business. All three businesses engaged in the same conduct of possessing stolen identities of children and adding those identities to clients’ tax returns in exchange for a fee.
The tax returns filed by the defendants’ associated businesses indicate markedly high rates of returns seeking the EITC. For example, for returns filed from tax year 2010 through 2017, between 56 percent and 74 percent of all returns prepared by the defendants’ businesses claimed the EITC. In contrast, between 34 percent and 39 percent of all tax returns filed in the Bronx, New York, and between 18 percent and 21 percent of all tax returns filed nationwide for the same time period sought the EITC.
In total, between 2009 and the present, the returns filed by the defendants’ businesses claimed more than $44 million in the EITC.
In addition to the fraud described above, EVELIN JIMENEZ, LEYVI CASTILLO, FEDERO, MONCION, and JOSE CASTILLO each fraudulently claimed dependents on their own personal tax returns.
* * *
A chart listing the defendants, and the charges and maximum penalties they face is attached. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI. He also thanked the New York City Department of Investigation for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Ni Qian, and Daniel C. Richenthal are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Charges
Maximum Penalties
Ariel Jimenez, a/k/a “Melo” (34, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
32 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Ireline Nunez (36, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
32 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Ana Yessenia Jimenez (36, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
32 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Evelin Jimenez (32, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
Subscribing to a false return
35 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Leyvi Castillo (35, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
Subscribing to a false return
35 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Cinthia Federo (31, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft
Subscribing to a false return (two counts)
38 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Guillermo Arias Moncion (32, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims (two counts)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud (two counts)
Aggravated Identity Theft
Subscribing to a false return (four counts)
74 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Marcos De Jesus Pantaleon, a/k/a “Junior” (28, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims (two counts)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud (two counts)
Aggravated Identity Theft
62 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
Jose Castillo, a/k/a “Jairo” (42, of New York, New York)
Conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims (three counts)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud (three counts)
Aggravated Identity Theft
Subscribing to a false return
95 years in prison
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be imposed consecutively to any other sentence
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
2018 Holiday Travel ReminderRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – As the upcoming holiday travel season approaches travelers are reminded to take extra care to ensure they have not packed firearms in their carry-on bags before leaving home. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has led the nation in the number of guns detected at checkpoints for five of the last six years.
“As of November 12, 2018, 293 weapons have been recovered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, of which 248 were found in the TSA passenger security lines, while 45 firearms were discovered in checked baggage,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Most passengers simply forget they have a gun in their possession until they reach the airport checkpoint. Unfortunately, the oversight is still a violation of the law.”
“The reason we are making this announcement today is because the message is clearly not hitting the mark,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Despite the fact that our enforcement policies have become more strict, incidents of guns detected at checkpoints have increased substantially. Don’t let your holiday travel plans be significantly disrupted for a simple mistake.”
“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has led the nation in firearms detected by Transportation Security Officers at security checkpoints five of the last six years, and has already surpassed last year’s national record of 245,” said Mary Leftridge Byrd, TSA Federal Security Director for Atlanta. “We are urging passengers to thoroughly check their personal belongings for prohibited items like firearms, especially in carry-on bags, before leaving to the airport.”
Travelers who do not comply with firearm laws can expect a delay in their travel plans. Violators with a valid weapons permit will have their firearm confiscated and issued a federal citation. They will also be required to appear in court and will be subject to a $130 fine. Violators without a valid weapons permit will be arrested, charged and may face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. In addition, offenders are also subject to civil penalties levied by the TSA that can range between $2,000 to $13,000 per violation.
Travelers are advised to become familiar with TSA’s policy for transporting their guns prior to traveling to the airport, as firearms are permitted in checked baggage. (See TSA’s policy here). Don’t put a damper on your holiday travel – properly secure your firearms before your plans unravel.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
15 Defendants Arrested for Trafficking Crack Cocaine throughout the East End of Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, three separate indictments were unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging 12 defendants as part of a coordinated federal and state takedown of several large-scale crack cocaine distribution operations in various areas of the East End of Long Island. In addition, one defendant was charged in a complaint with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of crack cocaine. The defendants facing federal charges were arrested today, arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judges Anne Y. Shields and Steven I. Locke, and all ordered detained pending trial. Two additional defendants were arrested on related New York state drug charges by members of the East End Drug Task Force. Three federal defendants remain fugitives.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Timothy Sini, District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDA), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), George P. Beach II, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), David Heggermiller, Chief, Riverhead Police Department (RPD) and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Office (ATF), announced the charges.
“The toxic mix of street gangs, drug dealing and illegal firearms poses a direct threat to the safety of our citizens and our community,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The Eastern District and our law enforcement partners in the FBI, ATF and Suffolk County will continue to target, penetrate and destroy criminal gangs that inflict addiction, violence and grief on the people of Suffolk County.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the NYSP Troop L and its Commander, Major David C. Candelaria, for their assistance in the investigation.
“The epidemic of illegal drugs and associated criminal activity negatively affects individuals and communities across the country, from every background and walk of life,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “As these arrests today demonstrate, the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, along with our federal, state and local partners, will not rest until the individuals and criminal networks responsible for creating this atmosphere of lawlessness and violence are held accountable for their alleged crimes.”
“The defendants as alleged, were part of a ring made up of gang members that spread dangerous narcotics throughout their communities, stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Benedict. “ATF stands with our law enforcement partners as a united front to prevent these illegal narcotics rings from harming our citizens. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s office for their work in prosecuting the case.”
“Because of the great collaboration among federal, state and local law enforcement, the East End of Long Island is safer,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Sini. “My office will continue to work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to eradicate violent street gangs from our communities. I want to particularly applaud the outstanding work done by my office’s East End Drug Task Force and the prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York.”
“The importance of working with our law enforcement partners is evident in the results of the takedown of these crack cocaine distribution operations,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “These individuals, many of whom are affiliated with the Bloods street gang, have spread narcotics in our communities and have preyed upon the addicted. We will continue to target dealers and dedicate resources to fighting this epidemic.”
“Today’s arrests are the result of an aggressive strategy to stop illegal drug trafficking and keep crack cocaine and other deadly drugs off our streets,” stated NYSP Superintendent Beach. “Together, with our partners in federal, local and state law enforcement, we can and will stop the infiltration of harmful narcotics into our communities and we will continue to work vigilantly to put dangerous individuals like these gang members behind bars.”
“The cooperation between agencies in this investigation is unparalleled,” stated RPD Chief Heggermiller. “Thanks to everyone for their dedication and relentless work protecting our communities here on the East End.”
As alleged in court filings, in early 2018, members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force began conducting an investigation into street gangs and narcotics traffickers operating in and around Riverhead. The defendants, many of whom were members or associates of the Bloods street gang, were involved in the large-scale distribution of crack cocaine. Several of the defendants would “cook” powder cocaine into crack cocaine, to increase its potency and street value. In one instance, while a defendant was cooking cocaine, a child was present in the residence. Members of law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple locations today, recovering seven firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, three kilograms of cocaine, four pounds of marijuana, a quantity of crack cocaine and heroin and $10,000 in cash.
The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The federal cases are being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
Terrill Latney (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)
Age: 39
Riverhead, New YorkRomaine Hopkins (also known as “Foo”)
Age: 36
Riverhead, New YorkMatthew Pittma (also known as “Pearl”)
Age: 43
Southampton, New YorkKenneth Belcher (also known as “KB”)
Age: 31
Riverhead, New YorkKotarra jackson (also known as “Red”)
Age: 36
Riverhead, New YorkJohn Gamble (also known as “Bones”)
Age: 37
Shirley, New YorkRandy Smith
Age: 33
Riverhead, New YorkDeon Shorter
Age: 22
Mastic, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (JS)
Tramaine Brown (also known as “Bootsie”)
Age: 29
Jamesport, New YorkQuandol Lewis
Age: 34
Riverhead, New YorkDemario Weston (also known as “MK”)
Age: 34
Riverhead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-604 (JS)
Dayna Barrow (also known as “SI”)
Age: 35
Riverhead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-605 (JFB)
Daniel Harris
Age: 25
Riverhead, New YorkE.D.N.Y. 18-MJ-1112
13 November 2018
Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Jewish Community CenterRead the Press Release
Chadwick Grubbs, who is currently in state custody on separate cases, pleaded guilty today to federal charges related to threatening letters he wrote on three separate dates in May to the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Whitefish Bay. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Special Agent-in-Charge Justin Tolomeo of the FBI’s Milwaukee Division made the announcement.
Grubbs, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of mailing threatening communications and one count of threatening to injure and destroy property by fire and an explosive. Information presented during the plea hearing established that Grubbs sent three letters to the JCC in which he threatened to use firearms to cause “maximum carnage” and threatened to use explosives to destroy the JCC. In his letters, Grubbs used numbers and symbols associated with white supremacist ideology.
“Mr. Grubbs’ violent threats against the Whitefish Bay Jewish community attempted to undermine the safety and security of all community members,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to prosecute these cases vigorously so that all people, no matter their religious beliefs, can live their lives freely and without fear.”
“The freedom of religion is among our most cherished rights,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger. “No one should be afraid to exercise his or her religious beliefs in this country. The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting anyone who threatens harm to someone because of their faith.”
“Protecting civil rights is one of the highest priorities of the FBI,” said SAC Justin Tolomeo. “We will vigorously investigate those who seek to intimidate with threats of violence motivated on bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity, and bring them to justice.”
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker released a statement on the FBI’s 2017 Hate Crimes Statistics report, published this morning. The Acting Attorney General’s full statement reflects on the troubling increase in anti-Semitic religious hate crimes in 2017, outlined in the report. Last month, the Justice Department launched a new comprehensive hate crimes website designed to provide a centralized portal for the Department’s hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other related organizations and individuals. More information on the website and an update on Justice Department hate crimes prosecutions can be found here.
Grubbs faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the explosives threat charge and a penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the mailed threats charges.
The FBI is leading the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Haanstad of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Kathryn Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting this case.
Wilson Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan, sentenced MICHAEL EUGENE BLAKENEY, 29 from Wilson, North Carolina, to 37 months in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release. Additionally, as the defendant had his supervised release revoked he was sentenced to 30 months custody.
BLAKENY was named in a 6-count Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina on November 29, 2017. On May 15, 2018, pursuant to a written Plea Agreement, BLAKENEY pled guilty to Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1).
Investigation was initiated by the Wilson Police Department (WPD) in Wilson, North Carolina, as part of an on-going investigation into drug trafficking in Wilson, North Carolina. Officers of the Wilson Police Department received information that BLAKENEY was involved in the distribution of cocaine base in the Wilson area. At the time of the investigation, BLAKENEY was under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina due to a prior federal conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession With Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base. Following his arrest on September 8, 2017, BLAKENEY provided a statement to agents reporting that he had been selling crack cocaine between May and August of 2017.
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter investigated by the Wilson Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Edward Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Wetzel County man sentenced for connection to a drug distribution operation in Wetzel and Tyler CountiesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Alex King, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for his involvement in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
King, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances” in August 2018. King admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from 2016 to April 2018 in Wetzel County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.
The investigation was funded in part 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.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii Moves to Dismiss Charges Against Isaiah McCoyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Earlier today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii moved to dismiss the Second Superseding Indictment against Isaiah McCoy. The dismissal was deemed appropriate in light of information the U.S. Attorney’s Office became aware of in the past several days. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway granted the motion during a hearing held this morning. In announcing the dismissal, Kenji M. Price, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, stated: “Despite today’s dismissal, this office will continue the important work of investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes in Hawaii. We remain committed to tirelessly pursuing those who break the law, all the while vigilantly upholding the fundamental principles of integrity and justice that govern everything we do.”
U.S. Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak Issues a Progress Report on Fighting the Opioid EpidemicRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia remains resolute in fighting the opioid epidemic that has plagued communities throughout the United States. According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, more than 140 Americans die daily from an opioid overdose, and in 2017, nearly 1,050 Georgians died from an opioid overdose. It is imperative that all levels of law enforcement, community organizations, policy makers, and citizens remain firmly committed to battling this epidemic.
“Earlier this year, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and set a goal to reduce opioid prescriptions by one-third over the next three years,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “In our District, the results are promising. There were approximately 20 percent fewer opioid prescriptions written and filled in Fiscal Year 2018 than in Fiscal Year 2016, and the total Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) decreased over 18 percent for that same period. But our work is far from done. We are committed to further reducing the excess supply of prescription opioids which has unintentionally fueled the epidemic.”
“The DEA is committed to continuing the progress that has been made against the opioid epidemic by collaborating with local, state and federal law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in an effort to decrease the growing prescription drug abuse problem in our state,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through this collaborative effort, we will continue to target those criminals in Georgia and elsewhere who illegally distribute prescription drugs in our communities.”
In 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia launched Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement). Operation SCOPE is designed to identify and prosecute those who illegally distribute opioids in our community through a collaborative partnership with state and local law enforcement. The initiative takes a three-fold approach to fighting the opioid crisis and focuses on:
●Identifying medical practitioners who overprescribe opioids, and those who defraud our health care system. For example, our office recently identified and sent approximately 30 medical professionals notification letters who were prescribing opioids in higher quantities or does than their peers. The letters provided prescribers with information pertaining to their opioid practices relative to their peers and referred them to educational materials to assist them in adopting safe opioid practices. Read more here.
●Investigating and prosecuting drug traffickers who illegally distribute opioids within the District, particularly those suppliers who are responsible for overdose deaths and non-fatal overdoses resulting in serious bodily harm caused by their product. For example, in
United States v. Edward Culton and Hubert Nathans: These defendants were charged with distributing fake Roxicodone pills that actually contained fentanyl. The distribution of the fake pill resulted in one overdose death and one non-fatal overdose in October 2017 and January 2018, respectively. Nathans pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl on August 13, 2018, and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for November 13, 2018. Read more on this case here;
United States v. Donquell Weddington: Donquell Weddington was charged with distributing heroin April 2017, which resulted in the death of a 33-year old student who suffered and was treated for a drug overdose. The student later collapsed and died at Hartfield-Jackson International Airport the morning after being treated for the heroin overdose. Weddington’s case is currently in the pretrial phase. Read more on this case here; and
United States v. Michelle Dawn Dorsey, et al: Michelle Dawn Dorsey, Nigel Alan Waddell, Derrik Omar Frazier, and Tyler Josiah Matthews were charged with trafficking heroin. Dorsey is charged with distributing heroin, resulting in serious bodily injury in February 2016 and February 2017. Frazier is charged with aiding and abetting Dorsey’s distribution of heroin in February 2017, resulting in serious bodily injury. Waddell was sentenced to three years in federal prison on February 7, 2018. Matthews pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and is awaiting sentencing. Read more on this case here.
●Targeting online suppliers, mainly from China and Mexico, who traffic opioids that can be purchased anonymously through the Dark Net.
The following are other opioid-related cases relating to traffickers, medical professionals, and others who committed serious drug crimes in the District:
United States v. Dr. Joseph L. Burton: Dr. Burton, a pathologist and former county medical examiner, and his conspirators were charged in a scheme to prescribe controlled substances outside of the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In return for sexual favors, Dr. Burton supplied opioids to women who sold the pills. Dr. Burton was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on August 30, 2018. Read more on this case here.
United States v. Dr. John Michael Gowder, et al: John Michael Gowder, Dr. David Gowder, and Dr. James Heaton, were charged with illegally distributing oxycodone and other controlled substances outside the usual course of professional medical practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. They also allegedly directed employees of the Union General Hospital to assist them in distributing the drugs. Read more on this case here.
United States v. Elgin Demarco Jordan: Elgin Jordan was convicted of trafficking heroin and cocaine in the English Avenue area, along with money laundering. He used the proceeds from his drug activity to purchase several properties in the English Avenue area. Jordan was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to forfeit 14 properties, some of which were transferred to the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Police Foundation to be used for police recruit housing. Read more on this case here.
United States v. Bernard Stokley, et al: Bernard Stokley, a/k/a Big Pat, Tobias Ellison, Alvin Hughley, a/k/a Alvin Beasley, and Vance Hoard, a/k/a Bernard Hoard, a/k/a Vance Holland were charged with conspiracy to import and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and money laundering. The defendants advertised their heroin on Facebook, and accepted orders over the telephone and through social media, including Facebook and Snapchat. Read more on this case here.
While the war to defeat the opioid crisis is far from over, the battle is being fought on several fronts. Specifically,
In August 2018, the Department of Justice and the DEA announced a proposal to decrease the in manufacturing quota for the six most frequently misused opioids by 10% in 2019. To learn more about the proposed plan click here.
On October 1, 2018, the Department of Justice awarded approximately $320 million to combat the opioid crisis in the United States, of which $5,791,356 was awarded to support programs here in Georgia. In the Northern District of Georgia, $2,240,783 was specifically awarded to support drug programs, youth-mentoring programs, and local agencies in Cobb and Douglas Counties. A breakdown of the awards can be found here.
On June 15, 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia partnered with the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Office to create a public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of the devastating effects of opioids. On June 15, 2018, the PSA started airing for five weeks in 17 movie theaters across the District, featuring Joseph Abraham, a 19-year old from Gwinnett County, GA, who lost his battle with drug addiction minutes after taking a fatal mixture of heroin and fentanyl. The PSA ran a total of 76,887 times and was seen by over one million viewers. To view the PSA click here.
For the referenced cases, members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Fraud and Racketeering Schemes that Involved the Attempted Capital Murder of State District Court Judge Julie KocurekRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 29-year-old Marcellus Antoine Burgin of Cypress, TX, and 27-year-old Rasul Kareem Scott of Marrero, LA, to 300 months and 210 months in federal prison, respectively, for carrying out fraud and racketeering schemes that involved the attempted capital murder of State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek in November of 2015.
That announcement was made by U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs; IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Goss, Houston Field Office; Austin Police Chief Brian Manley; and, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, Houston Division.
In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ordered that Burgin and Scott be placed under supervised release for a period of five years and pay restitution, joint and severally, in the amount of $22,315.80.
In November 2017, Burgin and Scott pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statue. Evidence presented during trial earlier this year for their co-defendant--31-year-old Chimene Hamilton Onyeri--revealed that in November 2015, all three defendants conspired to commit various fraudulent schemes for financial gain in Austin, Houston, the state of Louisiana and surrounding areas. Schemes included converting stolen debit card numbers obtained from skimming devices into cash. The Onyeri racketeering enterprise involved mail fraud, bribery of a public official, wire fraud, document fraud, access device fraud, money laundering and attempted murder.
According to testimony, when the existence of the criminal enterprise was threatened, Onyeri responded with violence. On the night of November 6, 2015, Onyeri attempted to murder State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek, whom Onyeri believed was going to sentence him to prison, by shooting Judge Kocurek while she sat in her car outside her home in Austin. As a result of the incident, Kocurek suffered serious bodily injury from multiple gunshots and resulting shrapnel.
On October 2, 2018, Judge Yeakel sentenced Onyeri to life in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO statute, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and six counts of witness tampering.
The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office investigated this case. The 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in (Calcasieu Parish) Lake Charles, Louisiana; Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office; U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Louisiana; the U.S. Marshals Service; Travis County Sheriff’s Office; and, the Houston Police Department provided valuable assistance during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dayna L. Blazey of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Two Delano Residents Sentenced for Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Raul Oropeza Lopez, 51, and Ana Maria Oropeza, 45, both of Delano, were sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill. Raul Oropeza Lopez was ordered to serve three years and one month in prison and to pay $1,283,160 in restitution. Ana Maria Oropeza was sentenced to three years of probation, and ordered to serve eight months on house arrest. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit over $167,00 in seized cash.
According to court documents, Raul Oropeza Lopez obtained social security numbers, names, and other personal identifying information of U.S. citizens and legal residents and then fraudulently used such information to provide undocumented workers with false identities required to work in the United States as farm laborers. Then, when the undocumented workers were laid off at the end of the growing season, Raul Oropeza Lopez and his wife filed fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of the assumed identities, relying on the work performed by the undocumented workers to fraudulently claim unemployment insurance benefits. Over a period of six years, the couple submitted more than 520 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims on behalf of over 70 individuals.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the California Employment Development Department, Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. McKeon prosecuted the case.
Tualatin, Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Ronald Eugene Stover, 64, of Tualatin, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property criminally derived from wire fraud and a scheme to defraud investors.
According to court documents, beginning in 2010, Stover began soliciting short-term loan investments to fund various Xtreme Iron capital projects. Stover claimed to have a long track records of success in real estate development, business and banking and relied heavily on investor introductions made by other professional intermediaries to establish his credibility. Xtreme Iron owned a heavily-leveraged fleet of Caterpillar and John Deere heavy equipment in Frisco, Texas and maintained an office in Wilsonville, Oregon.
At Stover’s urging, investors sent funds to Tri-Core Funding Group, an entity wholly owned and controlled by Stover. Stover falsely claimed the company had a sound business model, strong growth opportunities and manageable debt exposure. In addition to Stover’s many false claims about the business’s health and viability, he advanced many falsehoods about the nature of the investment opportunity including, but not limited to: investor funds would be used exclusively for business purposes, Stover himself would provide additional capital sourcing from his own funds and investors would receive short-term repayment of their loan notes plus interest.
As alleged in the count of conviction, Stover emailed a victim in May 2012, soliciting funds to purchase heavy equipment from Caterpillar. In response to the solicitation, Stover executed a 30-day loan note promising repayment plus interest. The victim wired $175,000 to Tri-Core Funding Group the next day. Unbeknownst to the victim, Stover never intended to use the money as promised. Immediately after receiving the funds, Stover used the funds to make over a year’s worth of mortgage payments on his residence in Tualatin, which was on the brink of foreclosure. Stover never repaid his victim.
Stover faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on February 25, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken. As part of the plea agreement, Stover has agreed to pay more than $3.2 million in restitution and nearly $169,000 to satisfy a forfeiture money judgement.
The IRS and FBI investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Donna Brecker Maddux and Julia E. Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Trader Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Misappropriating $1.1 Million in CryptocurrenciesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — In the first criminal prosecution in Chicago involving the cryptocurrency trading industry, a federal judge has sentenced a trader to 15 months in prison for misappropriating $1.1 million in Bitcoin and Litecoin.
Over a two-month period in the fall of 2017, JOSEPH KIM, 24, of Phoenix, Ariz., misappropriated at least $600,000 of his trading firm’s Bitcoin and Litecoin cryptocurrency for his own personal benefit. At the time, Kim worked in Chicago as an assistant trader for Consolidated Trading LLC, a proprietary trading firm that had recently formed a cryptocurrency group. After being terminated by Consolidated, Kim engaged in another fraud scheme in which he incurred $545,000 in losses by trading cryptocurrencies on behalf of at least five investors, including friends and friends of friends who had invested retirement savings. Four of Kim’s victims testified about their losses at the sentencing hearing Friday before U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood in Chicago.
When Kim was charged earlier this year, the federal prosecution marked the first criminal case in Chicago involving the cryptocurrency trading industry. Kim pleaded guilty in May to one count of wire fraud.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Substantial assistance was provided by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which filed its own enforcement action against Kim.
“It is important that the public know that despite the complexity of cryptocurrency trading, the criminal justice system will hold traders and investment professionals accountable for cheating and stealing,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunil Harjani and Sheri Mecklenburg argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
According to the charges, Kim transferred large sums of Consolidated’s Bitcoin and Litecoin to personal accounts to cover his losses trading cryptocurrency futures on foreign exchanges. In order to conceal the transfers, Kim lied to the firm’s management about the location of the company’s cryptocurrency and his trading of the company’s cryptocurrency.
After Consolidated’s management team discovered the misappropriation and terminated him, Kim solicited funds from friends and friends of friends to trade cryptocurrencies. Kim told these investors that he had voluntarily left Consolidated, and he concealed the fact that he was fired for misappropriation. He also sent investors false account statements that showed his initial trading of their funds was profitable, when, in reality, Kim’s trades were experiencing substantial losses.
Three from Akron indicted for having nine firearms and ammunitionRead the Press Release
Three Akron residents were indicted on federal firearms charges after they were found to have nine firearms and ammunition.
Ronald Black, 43, Jeremy Willard, 36, and Lotus Evans, were each indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
The trio were found on June 27 to be in possession of five rifles, four handguns and ammunition. None of the defendants were permitted to possess firearms because of previous convictions: Black and Willard for domestic violence, Evans for attempted aggravated drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Daly, following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Akron Police Department.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Richland County Men Indicted on Methamphetamine-Related chargesRead the Press Release
Three men from Richland County, Illinois, have been indicted on federal methamphetamine-related charges, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Michael F. Jones, 41, of Olney, Illinois, was indicted in a five-count indictment. Count 1 charges that from April 2018, until on or about October 27, 2018, in Richland County, Jones conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Counts 2 through 5 charge that Jones knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine in Richland County on four separate dates in October 2018. With respect to Count 1, Jones faces a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and supervised release of not less than 5 years. With respect to Counts 2 through 5, Jones faces on each count up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and supervised release not less than 3 years.
Brian E. Jordan, 51, of Olney, Illinois, was indicted in a three-count indictment. Counts 1 and 2 charge Jordan with knowingly and intentionally distributing methamphetamine in Richland County on two dates in October 2018. Count 3 charges that Jordan knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine on October 27, 2018. With respect to all three counts, Jordan faces on each count up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and supervised release not less than 3 years.
Bradley J. Williams, 33, of Olney, Illinois, was indicted in a three-count indictment. Count 1 charges that Williams knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of methamphetamine on July 2, 2018, in Richland County. Counts 2 and 3 charge that Williams knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine in Richland County on two dates in October 2018. With respect to Count 1, Williams faces 5 to 40 years in prison, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and supervised release not less than 4 years. With respect to Counts 2 and 3, Williams faces on each count up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and supervised release not less than 3 years.
All three indictments were returned on November 6. Jones, Jordan, and Williams all appeared in federal district court today for initial appearances and arraignments. All three are scheduled for separate jury trials in Benton, Illinois, on January 14, 2019.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigations of these cases were conducted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
The Guardians Project provides grant administration training to Montana communitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the Guardians Project, a task force to fight federal program fraud, is providing grant administration training to Montana’s Native American community and will be in Harlem on Nov. 19.
The Harlem training will start at 10 a.m. in the Planning Department Conference Room. The session is open to the public.
The Guardians Project joins federal agencies together to prosecute those attempting to take federal funds for private gain. The agencies include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, several Offices of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Since 2013, the project has resulted in more than 100 felony convictions, more than $15 million in restitution, more than $3.5 million in fines and a $1 million civil judgment. Prosecuted crimes include conspiracy, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, obstruction of justice, money laundering, blackmail, and tax evasion.
The Guardians Project is reaching out to the communities to train individuals working with federal grants and funding. These trainings are presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon, and Christopher Wood, a special agent with the Department of Interior, Office of Inspector General.
In the past several months, trainings have been provided in Browning, Poplar, Box Elder, Lame Deer, Crow Agency and Harlem.
U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme said, “We are committed to ensuring that federal funds are used for their intended purpose for the benefit of all of the intended recipients. However, we want to ensure that those who work with federal grants are trained on how to handle them correctly, and those who discover misuse know how to report such misuse and be protected under whistleblower statutes.”
“When misuses are discovered, they will continue to be investigated by the Guardians Project and prosecuted by our office,” Alme said.
###
Texas Receives 84 Months for Use of Firearm in Robbery Affecting Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Patrick Miller, a 25 year old resident of Kaufman, Texas was sentenced to 84 months incarceration, ordered to pay $387.20 restitution after being convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to a factual statement Miller signed in connection with his guilty plea, on Christmas Day, 2017, Spanish Fort Police Department received a 911 call from a store clerk at Circle K Convenience Store located at 6490 Old Spanish Trail in Spanish Fort, Alabama in reference to a robbery. Almost immediately another 911 call came in from a patron of the store who told police that the robber ran across Spanish Trail to a vehicle that was parked behind Rite Aid Drug Store. The patron advised police dispatch that the robber got into the passenger side of the vehicle. The patron described the vehicle as an older model grey truck with blue writing on the side.
Spanish Fort police officers responded to the location at approximately 5:00 pm., they were told that a white male entered the store, went to the cooler and selected a six pack of Bud light beer and then returned to the register. The clerk stated that, after the robber pulled out a camouflage wallet and asked for a pack of Camel Turkish Royal Blend cigarettes in a box, he lifted his shirt and showed her a handgun located in his waist band. The store clerk stated that the robber then stated, “this is no joke, and I want all the money in the register." The store clerk then opened the register, and gave the robber all the money in the register. The store clerk described the robber as very tall and wearing a grey hoodie with a brown neck warmer. The total amount in cash stolen was approximately $387.20.The patron stated that after entering the store and going to the coolers, he heard a large amount of change hitting the counter, and it got his attention. The patron stated that when he looked, he could see money in the bag the robber was carrying. He advised police that he could tell something was wrong, and followed the robber out of the store. Once in front of the store, the robber began to walk toward the south of the building. The patron said that the robber showed him the butt of the handgun he was carrying. The patron then stopped following the robber and returned to his vehicle to retrieve his phone.
Still shots taken from the surveillance video showing the robber and his weapon were placed on the Spanish Fort Police Department Facebook page and given to Channel 15 News and Channel 10 News to broadcast.Three days later, on December 28, officers received a call from Miller’s employer who said he saw a TV broadcast and he identified the robber as Patrick Miller. Miller’s employer stated that he had also been in touch with the family Miller was living with in Spanish Fort. He provided a telephone number for Miller and advised his office was closed for the day. He said that he told his staff not to come in because he feared for their safety. Miller’s employer stated that Miller was currently driving a company truck which was described as an older Chevrolet with blue emblems on the door. He also advised that Miller was currently living with a family in Spanish Fort.
Also on December 28th, member of the family Miller lived with called with additional information. He stated that he had seen the broadcast from the Circle K, and that the robber was Miller. He stated that Miller had lived with his son at Auburn, and was currently living with him at his home in Spanish Fort. The family member stated that Miller was wearing a Broncos pull over that his son had given Miller and a neck warmer used when duck hunting by his son. The family member also stated that the handgun Miller used in the robbery belonged to his son as well. The family member stated that his son had brought Miller to live with them because of a drug problem, and was attempting to help him recover from addiction. The family member also stated that Miller was currently occupying a Chevy pickup that belonged to his boss. He advised that the truck was silver or grey with blue emblems on the doors. The family member also advised that Miller had shaved his beard earlier in the day.
Miller was located and arrested. At the time of arrest, Miller was in possession of a green camouflage wallet. He was also in possession of $267.00 in cash.
Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with officers of the Spanish Fort, Alabama Police Department investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Sussex County, New Jersey, Tax Preparer Admits Failing to Pay Payroll Taxes and Make Personal Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Lafayette, New Jersey, tax preparer today admitted he did not pay payroll taxes and failed to make a personal income tax return, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Thomas Kurczewski, 71, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with one count of failing to pay payroll taxes and one count of failing to make personal income tax returns, resulting in a total loss of $338,204.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Kurczewski was the sole owner and manager of a tax return preparation business that used the names “Tom K – The Tax Consultant” and “Tom K and Associates – The Tax Consultants.” During the years 2011 through 2014, the tax return preparation business employed two individuals, but Kurczewski failed to pay payroll taxes for them. He also failed to file an individual tax return and pay federal income taxes for calendar years 2011 through 2015.
The failure to pay payroll taxes count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The failure to file personal income tax returns count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Stephen Ferketic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Stockton Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Timothy Stout, 31, of Stockton, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to four years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2018, Stout unlawfully possessed four firearms, including a stolen handgun and an AR-15-style .223-caliber rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches in length that was not registered to Stout in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stout also possessed two 30-round, high-capacity rifle magazines, and more than 160 rounds of rifle and handgun ammunition. Stout cannot lawfully possess firearms because he previously was convicted of felony offenses, including in Alameda County in May 2016 for grand theft and in June 2016 for exhibiting a firearm in the presence of an officer.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling 23 Kilograms of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute through the Cyril E. King AirportRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Shahime Ludvig, Jr., 20, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty today in District Court before District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Sentencing is set for March 14, 2019.
According to court documents, Ludvig attempted to smuggle twenty-three kilograms of cocaine through the Cyril E. King Airport to Atlanta, Georgia on Delta Flight #307. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agents at the airport discovered that Ludvig’s checked suitcase contained white brick-like objects that field tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately twenty-three kilograms.
Ludvig faces a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and not more than life and a fine of $10,000,000.00.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
St. John Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Illegal Aliens and Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Brice Todman, 36, of St. John, and Jose Alfredo Rondon Castro, 40, of the Dominican Republic, both pleaded guilty today in District Court before District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez. Todman pleaded guilty to bringing aliens into the United States and Castro pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Todman’s sentencing is set for February 13, 2019 and Castro’s sentencing is set for March 14, 2019.
According, to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) apprehended a vessel in the area of North Haulover Bay, St. John after agents observed the vessel operating with no lights. After the vessel was stopped, AMO agents observed five male individuals on board. The ensuing investigation identified Todman as the captain and the other four male individuals, including Castro, as persons who were not U.S. citizens. Castro had been previously ordered deported in February 2018 and did not have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
Todman and Castro both face sentences of up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
St. Croix Man Convicted at Trial is Sentenced to 240 Months for Conspiracy and Possession of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis, on November 8, 2018, sentenced Jose R. Hodge, age 38, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, to 240 months in prison for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Lewis also sentenced Hodge to five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a fine of $10,000.000 and a special assessment of $200.00.
On June 26, 2018, a federal jury convicted Hodge along with five co-defendants on cocaine related charges. Evidence at trial revealed that a transnational drug trafficking organization planned the retrieval from the high seas of over 300 kilograms of cocaine during the period of the conspiracy which existed from January 2014 to March 2016. Hodge functioned as a manager in the organization. He managed the mid-sea retrieval of 35 kilograms of cocaine in August 2014, 71 kilograms of cocaine in October 2014, 80 kilograms of cocaine in November 2014, 30 kilograms of cocaine in December 2014 and 87 kilograms of cocaine in November 2015. Except for the November 2014 shipment, all other shipments were successfully retrieved and transported, via boat, to St. Croix. On November 14, 2015, law enforcement agents seized the 87 kilogram shipment which was packaged in four suitcases on a beach at Knight’s Bay on St. Croix. They apprehended four members of the organization including Hodge.
Fourteen individuals were originally charged as part of the drug trafficking organization. Prior to trial six defendants entered guilty pleas and were sentenced. Of the six defendants that went to trial one other besides Hodge, that is, Jesus Burgos-Montanez, was sentenced to 68 months of incarceration for his role in the offense.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alphonso G. Andrews, Jr. and Everard E. Potter.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Donovan Gomez, 23, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced last Tuesday to 46 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Gomez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye. Judge Nye also sentenced Gomez to three years supervised release after he is finished serving his prison term. Gomez was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 17, 2018.
According to court records, on April 3, 2018, Gomez illegally possessed a firearm at the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Casino Hotel. Gomez was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2017 felony conviction for vehicle theft and 2018 felony conviction for second degree robbery, both out of Spokane. Law enforcement learned about Gomez’s illegal firearm possession when Gomez photographed himself in one of the hotel rooms holding a gun and posted it on social media. Someone alerted casino security, who called the tribal police, who called Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The FBI, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office are credited with the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
# # #
South Euclid man indicted for brandishing a firearm during Painesville bank robberyRead the Press Release
A South Euclid man was indicted for using a firearm to rob a bank in Painesville.
Clark brandished a firearm on Aug. 13 when he robbed the Northwest Bank on Richmond Street, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Robert J. Patton following an investigation by the FBI and Painesville Police Department
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Solon woman indicted for laundering drug profits through her company through the purchase and sale of homes around Northeast OhioRead the Press Release
A Solon woman was indicted for laundering drug profits through her company through the purchase and sale of homes around Northeast Ohio.
Jennifer Harrison, 36, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to launder money.
Harrison owned Priority Property Services LLC, a business that operates as a general contractor handling home repairs, inspections and maintenance. Harrison and a Maple Heights drug trafficker identified in the indictment as CC1 conspired between 2010 and 2014 to launder CC1’s drug profits, according to the indictment.
CC1 provided cash to Harrison to be used to purchase property and real estate. CC1 also provided cash to purchase supplies, appliances and other items to improve the value the of the property. Harrison sometimes re-sold the property and provided a portion of the proceeds to CC1, according to the indictment.
At times, Harrison deposited cash from CC1 into Priority Property Services LLC’s bank account, then wrote checks to CC1, giving the false impression she was paying CC1 for work and services performed at various properties such as landscaping and roofing, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Riedl following an investigation by the ATF, Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigations, U.S. Secret Service and the Northern Ohio Law Enforcment Task Force.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Seven people from Northeast Ohio indicted on federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
Seven people were indicted on federal firearms charges.
Indicted are: Demond C. Smart, 29, of Akron; Eric S. Smith, 49, of Akron; Leighland Johnson, 33, of Youngstown; Russell Littlejohn, 31, of Cleveland; Howard Frost, 39, of Lorain; Edward Campbell III, 27, of Youngstown and Essence D. Williams, 23, of Youngstown.
Smart is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Smart was arrested on Aug. 29 with a TK firearm following a chase in which Smart was driving a stolen car. Smart has previous convictions that prohibit him from having a firearm, including for felonious assault and firearms crimes, according to the indictment.
Smith is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Smith possessed a J.P. Sauer and Sohn .357 Magnum Western Marshal revolver on June 17, despite previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapons, attempted battery with a deadly weapon and other crimes, according to the indictment.
Johnston is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He possessed a Glock .40-caliber pistol and ammunition despite a previous conviction for robbery, according to the indictment.
Frost on Sept. 17 possessed a Raven MP-25 pistol and ammunition, despite a previous conviction for drug trafficking. Frost also possessed 17 grams of fentanyl and 2 grams of crack cocaine, according to the indictment.
Campbell is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm while Williams is charged with aiding and abetting.
Campbell possessed a Smith & Wesson, 9mm pistol, a Taurus, 9mm pistol, and a Century Arms, 7.62 rifle on March 5, 2018, despite a previous federal conviction for racketeering. He was aided and abetted by Essence D. Williams in the possession of these firearms, according to the indictment.
Littlejohn is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Littlejohn possessed a Phoenix Arms, Model HP22A, .22 caliber pistol, and ten rounds of .22 caliber ammunition on Oct. 10, after having been previously convicted of robbery with a firearm specification in 2010 and felonious assault, according to the indictment.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The Smart and Smith cases were investigated by the ATF and Akron Police Department and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Daly. The Littlejohn case was investigated by the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority and ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad J. Beeson. The other cases were investigated by the ATF and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Seven indicted on drug distribution chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Seven people from New York and West Virginia were indicted this month by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg on drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
The 14-count indictment alleges those named conspired with one another to distribute “crack” cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride, also known as “coke,” in Monongalia County and elsewhere from the Spring of 2018 until November 2018. Those named in the indictment are:
• Lemar Sheldon Conliffe, also known as “AB,” age 42, of Morgantown, West Virginia
• Levon Williams, also known as “Slim,” age 36, of Bronx, New York
• Kenneth Buzzo, age 57, of Granville, West Virginia
• Sandra Riggleman age 58, of Granville, West Virginia
• Bonnie Jo Korzun, age 38, of Granville, West Virginia
• Tyler Hammack, age 20, of Westover, West Virginia
• Clifford “Mike” Nethken, age 45, of Morgantown, West VirginiaAssistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Serial armed robber found guilty in federal trialRead the Press Release
Indianapolis man robbed four retail stores at gunpoint in 2017
PRESS RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the conviction of Kevin Ingram, 28, following a federal criminal trial. The jury found Ingram guilty of all charges, which stemmed from four robberies of retail stores in Indianapolis in October 2017, and using a firearm in each of the four robberies. The trial was held before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
“Hoosiers should feel safe in their daily lives and not have to fear violence when they go to the store or the salon,” said Minkler. “Those who choose to terrorize our community with violence, particularly those who use firearms, will feel the full weight of federal law enforcement brought to bear on their crimes.”
In mid-October 2017, Ingram robbed four Indianapolis stores at gunpoint in an eight-day spree. Two of the stores were beauty salons, where Ingram stuck a semi-automatic pistol in the faces and backs of store workers and customers. He demanded cash and threatened to shoot if they did not comply. The other two stores Ingram robbed were larger, one being a beauty supply shop and the other a dollar store. Ingram robbed both stores in the middle of the afternoon, with the stores full of patrons. In each case, he pretended to purchase an item and then leaned over the counter, drew his pistol, demanded money, and started counting down before threatening to shoot. In all, he stole approximately $3,000 in cash and threatened at least eight victims at gunpoint, all of whom were female.
Days after the fourth robbery, Ingram saw his face on the news from store security camera footage and fled to Houston, Texas. There, he is alleged to have committed at least three more robberies of individuals at knifepoint. He was apprehended in Indianapolis several weeks later.
At trial, the jury heard testimony from each of the women Ingram terrorized at gunpoint. In addition, the jury saw security video footage from each store Ingram robbed, which showed Ingram pointing the pistol and wearing distinct clothing that was also found on his Facebook page.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
“Mr. Ingram traumatized employees who were simply trying to do their jobs and customers who never thought someone would try to harm them while they were going about their daily lives," said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "This conviction is a testament to the dedication of our agents and our partners whose hard work on this ensured this individual is no longer a threat to the community.”
“The collaboration required to finalize a case of this magnitude is indicative of the dedication and commitment of our local law enforcement and the trust forged with members of our community”, said IMPD Chief Bryan Roach. “Our collective law enforcement efforts (local, state, and federal) will continue to focus on those individuals who perpetrate violence in our community for a better Indianapolis and Marion County for all.”
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Linder and Lawrence Hilton, who prosecuted the case for the government, Ingram faces a minimum of 82 years of imprisonment. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who commit violent crimes involving firearms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 2.3.
* * *
Serial Bank Robber Pleads Guilty, Admits Knocking over Six Banks in Six WeeksRead the Press Release
The federal prosecution of a serial bank robber who briefly terrorized the St. Louis metropolitan area took an important step forward today. Dandre R. Brown, 30, of Godfrey, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a six-count federal indictment charging him with five counts of bank robbery and one count of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines. The five charged robberies all took place in Madison County, Illinois, during a six-week span from November 2017 to January 2018:
As part of his guilty plea, Brown further admitted committing a sixth robbery involving the U.S. Bank in Florissant, Missouri, on December 11, 2017, and afterward fleeing in a stolen car back to Illinois. It is that conduct which formed the basis for Brown’s stolen vehicle conviction on count six.
All told, Brown stole nearly $37,000 from the six victim banks.
Brown’s bank robberies all followed the same basic modus operandi. Brown would enter the bank alone wearing something covering his head. He would present the teller with a note and then flee with the money to a vehicle parked a block or two away. On multiple occasions, when demanding money from the bank tellers, Brown would tell them he knew where they lived, intimating that he might come after them personally if they did anything to thwart his crimes.
Investigators were able to identify Brown because of outstanding police work at the local and federal level. After robbing the U.S. Bank in Alton, Brown dropped the demand note he had presented the teller. The note read, "Give me all the money NO Die Packs I have a weapon." Officers with the Alton Police Department found the note in the grass across the street from the bank and sent it to the FBI crime lab, where four latent fingerprints and one latent palm print were discovered and subsequently matched to Brown. After a federal arrest warrant was issued, the United States Marshals Service tracked Brown to Atlanta, Georgia, where they apprehended him on January 23, 2018.
During today’s plea hearing, the United States recounted additional evidence tying Brown to the crimes, including identifying characteristics visible in bank surveillance video and Brown’s connection to the various vehicles used in the robberies. One of those vehicles – a 2016 Chrysler 300 – Brown admitted stealing from a parking lot at the Gateway Regional Hospital in Granite City, Illinois, shortly before robbing the U.S. Bank in Florissant, Missouri. In exchange for Brown’s admission and guilty plea, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri agreed to forego prosecution of the Florissant robbery.
Brown is being held without bond pending his sentencing hearing, which is set for February 26, 2019, at 1:30 pm, at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois. He faces up to 20 years imprisonment on each of his five robbery convictions, and up to 10 years imprisonment on his conviction for transporting a stolen vehicle. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 3 years supervised release. Brown may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
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. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address violent crime, the Justice Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN ("PSN 2.0") 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.
"The prosecution of this serial bank robber demonstrates the success of the PSN program by the tremendous collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies," said United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "The full weight of federal law enforcement must be brought to fight this type of violent crime."
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and the Alton Police Department, in concert with the Illinois State Police, Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the following police departments: Granite City, St. Louis County, Godfrey, East Alton, Wood River, and Edwardsville. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Piper, Jr.
Salvadoran Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Marvin Jeovanny Flores Escolero, age 37, and a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced today to time served (30 days in jail), for illegal re-entry into the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Flores Escolero admitted that he was removed from the United States to El Salvador on February 13, 2010. On October 14, 2018, he was arrested by an ICE Officer in Walton, Delaware County, New York.
Following his sentencing, Flores Escolero was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Round Rock Man Sentenced to 131 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, Rodrick D. Begay, 64, of Round Rock, Ariz., was sentenced by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 131 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. The sentence reflects a downward adjustment of approximately four months to account for the time Begay served in tribal custody for the same incident. Begay had previously pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a minor.
On April 13, 2017, Begay, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, who is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-8164-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-153_Begay
# # #
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.
Reputed Member of Mafia Insane Vice Lords Convicted for Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On November 13, 2018, after a five-day jury trial before the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, Senior U.S. District Judge, James Silas, 50, of the Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois, was convicted of conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Sentencing is set for 2:00 p.m., April 24, 2019 in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga. Based on a prior drug conviction and a corresponding notice of enhancement filed by the United States, Silas faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, to be followed by no fewer than 10 years of supervision by U.S. Probation. He also faces a fine of up to $20,000,000.
Witnesses at trial testified that Silas, who is reputed to be a member of the nationwide street gang Mafia Insane Vice Lords and known by the moniker “the Prince,” served as a multi-kilogram source of supply to heroin distributors and fellow gang members based in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Knoxville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and elsewhere. Beginning in 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a series of court-authorized wiretaps on a number telephones belonging to gang members as a component of the large-scale investigation. Through these wiretaps, they discovered the involvement of Silas in this interstate conspiracy. Silas was arrested in Illinois and brought to the Eastern District of Tennessee for trial.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA, in conjunction with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and with the assistance of local and federal law enforcement agencies in the Chicago area. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Wilson and Scott Winne represented the United States at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Porter indicted the case and handled pre-trial matters.
###
Price Montgomery Convicted on Charges Relating to the Killing of a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – After deliberating for approximately five hours, a federal jury found Price Montgomery guilty of violating federal drug, firearms, witness tampering and money laundering laws and James Perrin guilty of violating federal drug and firearms laws. Montgomery’s conviction for killing a federal witness carries a mandatory life sentence.
"Today, justice has been served in the murder of federal witness Tina Crawford. Twelve citizens in western Pennsylvania found Price Montgomery guilty of the murder of Ms. Crawford and the attempted murder of Patsy Crawford in the same attack," stated U.S. Attorney Brady. "The Department of Justice mobilized all available resources in the investigation of Ms. Crawford’s murder and today’s result is a testament to the tireless efforts of a team of prosecutors and law enforcement agents."
Montgomery and Perrin were also convicted of operating a drug conspiracy which distributed over a kilogram of heroin in the Pittsburgh area.
Montgomery, formerly of William Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Perrin, formerly of Sherman Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were tried before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak. Assistant United States Attorneys Shaun E. Sweeney and Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
According to evidence presented during the trial, from April 2013 until June 2014, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Montgomery and Perrin conspired to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. On June 8, 2014, Montgomery and Perrin, who both have prior felony convictions, possessed 16 firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Montgomery also conspired to commit money laundering by using the proceeds of his illegal drug trafficking to purchases items, including cars and lease-to-purchase agreements on homes. Finally, the evidence proved that approximately an hour before Tina Crawford was scheduled to appear at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to discuss her role as a courier in the Montgomery drug distribution organization, Price Montgomery shot and killed her and wounded her mother, Patsy, in the garage area of the Hill District home they shared.
The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison for Montgomery. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000 or both for Perrin. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Western Pennsylvania office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation led the investigation, assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in this case.
Pennsylvania fugitive Shawn Christy indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man who was a fugitive was indicted on federal firearms charges.
Shawn Christy, 27, of Macadoo, Pennsylvania, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice.
Christy had become a fugitive from justice fleeing from charges out of the Middle District of Pennsylvania for threats against the President and interstate communication of threats. Christy was located in Ohio after an extensive manhunt. Christy was found to be in possession of a firearm and ammunition when he was arrested on Sept. 21, 2018.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Riley following an investigation by the FBI and ATF.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Paola Man Sentenced in Federal Meth Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Miles Joseph McWhorter, 34, Paola, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. McWhorter was yelling, moving erratically and acting aggressively toward law enforcement officers when they stopped his car in Ottawa, Kan. Investigators found almost a pound of methamphetamine in the car, as well as ammunition and $2,724 in cash. After McWhorter was arrested, McWhorter’s girlfriend was arrested with 200 grams of methamphetamine and a shotgun belonging to McWhorter.
McAllister commended the Franklin County Drug Enforcement Unit, the KBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.
Otis, Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography Using DropboxRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – William Borges, 20, of Otis, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to one count of distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, investigators identified Borges in September 2016 as part of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office into the use of Dropbox, a cloud-based file sharing application, to distribute media depicting the sexual exploitation of children. A federal search warrant issued to Dropbox produced the email address Borges used to create a Dropbox account identified by investigators as containing child pornography. Investigators later matched three video uploads to Dropbox depicting the sexual abuse of young children to the IP address of Borges’ home in Otis. During a search of Borges’ home, he admitted to possessing child pornography and trading images and videos using Kik Messenger and Dropbox.
Borges faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime term of supervised release. He will be sentenced on February 11, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken.
The FBI Sacramento Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) and FBI Salem Resident Agency investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Amy Potter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The FBI’s CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations—many of them undercover—in coordination with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering underage victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at www.fbi.gov/tips.
Ohio County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA –Caveizz Cunningham, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years probation for heroin and cocaine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cunningham, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine Base” in August 2018. Cunningham admitted to conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine base in January 2018 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.Northfield Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Robert Gallagher Sr., 50, of Northfield, pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to obtain Social Security disability insurance benefits, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gallagher has managed and worked as a mechanic at since 2008. In May of 2012, Gallagher applied for disability insurance benefits and falsely claimed that he had been unable to work since January 1, 2011. To receive disability insurance benefits, an individual must have a medical disability that prevents the claimant from performing “substantial gainful activity”—that is, work activity that is the type ordinarily done for pay or profit. Social Security advised Gallagher that he was required to report whether he was working, regardless of his income, and that if he provided Social Security with “false information on purpose, [his] benefits will be stopped.” However, although Gallagher was managing and working when he applied for benefits, he concealed his work activity from Social Security. As a result, Gallagher began receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits in October of 2013.
In December 2016, during an in-person work activity review, Gallagher again told Social Security that he had not been working. In 2017, during an audit of Department of Motor Vehicle inspections by the New Hampshire State Police, Gallagher told the inspector that he worked approximately 47 hours per week as both a mechanic and state vehicle inspector. Gallagher subsequently admitted to an investigator from the Office of the Inspector General, that he had worked since 2008 and that he lied to Social Security when he claimed that he was not working. As a result of his concealment, Gallagher received Social Security disability insurance benefits that he was not entitled to receive from October 2013 through March 2017.
Gallagher is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2018.
“Federal benefits programs provide important support for qualified individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who use fraudulent means to obtain benefits are committing a serious federal crime. We work closely with federal agencies to ensure that federal benefits only go to those who truly deserve them.”
“Mr. Gallagher’s false statements allowed him to collect funds from the Social Security Administration’s Disability Trust fund that he was not entitled to,” said Scott Antolik, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General Boston Field Division. “I hope these charges will be a warning to those who might lie to the Social Security Administration to fraudulently obtain disability benefits to the detriment of those who are truly deserving. I thank our partners with the New Hampshire State Police for their assistance with this investigation.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to conduct investigations with our counterparts to combat fraud,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge, Joseph W. Cronin Boston Division. “We will seek prosecution of those individuals who choose to use the U.S. Mail to facilitate crimes like these. Mr. Gallagher made fraudulent statements to financially gain from a system designed to support those in need.”
This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter.
###
Nigerian National Indicted for Internet Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nigerian national in St. Robert, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in a conspiracy that used various internet scams to defraud victims.
Segun Prosper Otaru, 26, was charged in a 12-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. Otaru is a Nigerian citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States.
The federal indictment alleges that Otaru participated in wire fraud conspiracy that lasted from 2015 to Oct. 9, 2018, in Greene and Pulaski Counties. Conspirators defrauded their victims through various scams, according to the indictment, including posting internet advertisements on sites such as Craigslist.com, for goods, services and rental accommodations. Conspirators allegedly sought to induce individuals who responded to the advertisements to pay for the goods and services, which they had no intention to provide.
For instance, the indictment says, conspirators used existing pictures and descriptions of properties from legitimate websites to create fraudulent Craigslist postings under properties for rent. When victims responded to the advertisement, conspirators instructed them to send a deposit in order to hold the property, typically through a money service business such as MoneyGram or Western Union, to an account controlled by the conspirators, including accounts established and maintained by Otaru in Springfield, Mo., and Waynesville, Mo.
Conspirators allegedly defrauded business wholesalers by tricking them into wiring funds into accounts they controlled as purported “shipping fees” for merchandise they purchased using stolen credit card numbers. After using a stolen credit card number to purchase items from the victim businesses, the indictment says, conspirators told the victim the merchandise needed to be shipped to a foreign country. Conspirators insisted on using their own shipper, instructed victims to charge the full amounts for the merchandise plus shipping fees to the stolen credit card numbers, and instructed victims to send the shipping fees to “their shipper” at the provided bank account maintained by the conspirators, including Otaru’s accounts.
According to the indictment, Otaru also participated in a scheme to submit false and fraudulent federal income tax returns in order to receive refunds. Conspirators used stolen identities to file returns that listed false employers, wages, and employment taxes paid. At least 167 false and fraudulent federal income tax returns were designated for deposit to seven different bank accounts controlled by Otaru and another person. These 167 federal tax returns requested refunds totaling approximately $644,280. They actually received at least $24,356 in fraudulently-obtained tax refunds.
In furtherance of the schemes and conspiracy, Otaru and his co-conspirators opened and maintained a series of bank accounts. Some of Otaru’s accounts were in his name and some were in the names of various aliases. In order to open bank accounts using false names, Otaru obtained from his co-conspirators false identification documents, usually counterfeit passports and drivers’ licenses, purportedly issued by nations in Africa, such as Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. The false passports contained forged and counterfeit United States visas, as false evidence of the bearer’s evidence of authorized stay and employment in the United States.
In April 2017, the indictment says, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package sent to Otaru from Nigeria that was manifested as “local body scrub.” In addition to a container of soap, the package contained four counterfeit passports (purportedly issued by Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) with four corresponding foreign driver’s licenses. All documents displayed Otaru’s picture but bore different names. All documents were fraudulent, and the passports further contained counterfeit United States visas.
In August 2017, the indictment says, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package sent to Otaru from Nigeria that was manifested as “native suite and sandals.” Hidden in the soles of the sandals were four counterfeit passports (purportedly issued by Nigeria, Gambia, South Africa, and Liberia) with four corresponding foreign driver’s licenses. All documents displayed Otaru’s picture, but bore different names. All documents were fraudulent, and the passports further contained counterfeit United States visas.
Otaru allegedly also possessed a fraudulent Kenyan passport and two fraudulent Nigerian passports.
Otaru kept some of the funds obtained from the alleged schemes for his own use. He transferred some of the funds to co-conspirators in the United States and in other countries. He sometime used the funds to purchase vehicles for export to co-conspirators in Africa.
In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment charges Otaru with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, one count of theft of public money, and two counts of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Otaru to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged conspiracy.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Newton Falls woman indicted for stealing $377,000 from healthcare plans she administered and using the money to pay personal and business expensesRead the Press Release
A 26-count indictment was filed today accusing a Newton Falls resident of stealing more than $375,000 from healthcare plans she administered and using the money to pay for personal and business expenses, said Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Pamela S. Priddy, 58, was charged with 22 counts of bank fraud and four counts of theft from a health benefit program.
In 2010, Priddy started Health Plan Administrators LLC (“HPA”), a company that was a third-party administrator of healthcare plan benefits. It was located in Austintown. Priddy was HPA’s President, founder and owner majority owner.
HPA had several clients that were companies which sponsored self-funded health care benefit plans for their employees. These companies hired HPA and paid it a fee to administer their benefit plans. Priddy knew HPA was required by law and by contract to establish individual segregated bank accounts for each of the client companies to hold, in trust, the funds the companies sent to HPA to pay claims from medical service providers, according to the indictment.
From at least January 1, 2012 through November 13, 2013, Priddy diverted and used approximately $377,091.74 of HPA clients’ money in connection with a health care program as general assets of HPA and for Priddy’s personal benefit. Priddy did so through (a) Company Account Misappropriations and, (b) Health Care Service Provider Refunds Misappropriations.
From on or about January 4, 2012 through on or about January 10, 2013, Priddy obtained approximately $151,568.66 in funds from Company’s accounts. Priddy failed to disclose to the clients that following the termination of their business relationship with HPA the material fact that there were substantial remaining funds in the Company’s client claim accounts.
From on or about January 1, 2012 through on or about November 13, 2013, Priddy misappropriated approximately $225,523.08 of health care service provider refunds. Health care service providers sent approximately 178 checks representing refunds due to Companies to HPA. The refunds were due to multiple claim payments, payments made without accounting for network discounts, and payments paid in error by HPA, on behalf of HPA clients, with clients’ health plan assets, as evidenced by multiple Explanation of Benefit forms and refund request letters generated by HPA or refund forms generated by service providers. The majority of the refunds were due to former clients of HPA and were received after the clients had terminated services with HPA.
Instead of depositing those checks to Companies’ client accounts, crediting clients’ accounts, or refunding the money, Priddy caused those checks to be deposited in HPA accounts and the funds were used for HPA business expenses and Priddy's personal benefit. Priddy failed to disclose to the clients the material fact that HPA received refunds from providers, but those funds were not deposited into the client claims accounts or credited to the client’s bill with HPA.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Kall following an investigation by U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
New York Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Pearl River, New York, man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for photographing and filming a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and sharing those images online, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Richard Murphy, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Murphy admitted that in December 2016, he persuaded a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of taking photos and videos of that conduct. Murphy also admitted that he took video of the child performing a sex act on him. In addition, Murphy admitted that he shared the sexually explicit images with another individual online.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Murphy to 15 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a hearing within 90 days of today’s sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation.
The government is represented Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit, and Leticia Vandehaar, Chief of Staff to the U.S. Attorney.
Defense counsel: David I. Goldstein Esq., Chestnut Ridge, New York
Native of Mexico Sentenced for Illegally Re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Juan Felix Andres, 20, of Mexico, who was convicted of illegal reentry after deportation following conviction of an aggravated felony, and violation of supervised release, was sentenced to serve 14 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that on April 16, 2016, the defendant was convicted in Texas of aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain, an aggravated felony. Following that conviction, Andres was ordered removed to Mexico from the United States.
On February 27, 2018, while an order of removal was still in effect, the defendant was found in the United States at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in Lewiston, NY. An automated scan of the defendant’s fingerprints were obtained for comparison and matched the fingerprints on file with the FBI and confirmed that Andres was the same person who was convicted in Texas. The defendant did not obtain the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or his successor, the Secretary for Homeland Security, to re-enter the United States.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
# # # #