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8 November 2018
Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Carlos Walker, 43, of Newton, Mississippi, was sentenced on November 6, 2018, for his participation in the possession with intent to distribute two kilograms of cocaine. Walker pled guilty to the charge in June of 2017.
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release. The judge ordered that Walker undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse while in prison and during his supervised release. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Walker pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Street Enforcement Narcotics Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria A. Bedwell.
Dominican Republic Man Re-Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Drug Charges and Six Months in Prison for Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez re-sentenced Tomas Liriano Castillo, 44, to 121 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and six months in prison for illegal entry, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Gomez also ordered Castillo to pay a $210 special assessment and complete 300 hours of community service.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on May 9, 2016, Castillo traveled by boat from Tortola to Hull Bay, in St. Thomas with a back pack containing cocaine. After Castillo got off the boat with the back pack, he tried to discard the backpack when he saw agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approaching him. Testimony at trial further established that when the back pack was recovered, it contained approximately 5.8 kilograms of cocaine, and that Castillo was not in the Virgin Islands lawfully. Castillo appealed unsuccessfully to the Third Circuit. Although, the Third Circuit affirmed the convictions, it noted an error in the sentence and remanded for resentencing.
The case was investigated by the DEA and U. S. Customs and Border Protection. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.
District Court Permanently Enjoins 20 Defendants Connected to a Multi-Million Dollar Mail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal court in Las Vegas, Nevada permanently enjoined six individuals and 14 corporate entities from activities related to an alleged mail fraud scheme, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed in February, 2018, the United States alleged that the defendants mailed thousands of fraudulent solicitations each week. The solicitations purported to inform recipients that they had won large cash or prize packages, but needed to pay a fee to claim the winnings. The solicitations were styled as individual notices and stressed to recipients that they must return the requested fee quickly. According to the complaint, some of the solicitations contained what appeared to be handwritten notes congratulating the recipients on their good fortune, while others reassured recipients that the letters were not a scam. Individuals who sent the requested fees did not receive the expected prizes. The complaint alleged that the Las Vegas-based scheme defrauded consumers out of more than $10 million.
“Consumers should be able to open their mail without encountering false promises of wealth,” said Assistant Attorney General Joseph H. Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department has and will continue to relentlessly pursue schemes like this one.”
“Some of these defendants constantly changed their schemes in attempts to stay one step ahead of the law,” said Delany DeLeon-Colon, Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “These results make clear that we will peel back the layers, find the individuals behind these schemes, and hold them to account.”
The complaint alleged that defendant Patti Kern orchestrated the activities of the other individual defendants, all of whom live in the Las Vegas area. The complaint alleged that defendants Edgar Del Rio, Sean O’Connor, and Epifanio Castro printed the solicitations; defendant Andrea Burrow opened and processed victim responses; and defendant Stephen Fennell managed the scheme’s lists of recipients. The solicitations were mailed under a plethora of company names, including 11 of the entities named as corporate defendants in the complaint.
The district court entered a default judgment against 11 defendants today and previously entered consent decrees against the nine other defendants named in the complaint. Those orders prohibit the defendants from mailing solicitations like those identified in the complaint, as well as from engaging in activities related to such mailings, including receiving, handling, or opening any victim mail responding to solicitations and using or benefiting from lists of victims who previously responded to solicitations. Additionally, the orders authorize the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to open mail that was detained by law enforcement and return payments to the scheme’s victims.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jacqueline Blaesi-Freed of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Additional information on the original enforcement actions and Department of Justice’s efforts to combat elder fraud is at: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-coordinates-nationwide-elder-fraud-sweep-more-250-defendants.
Department of Justice’s Judicial Studies Institute Celebrates Impact on Mexico’s JudiciaryRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development and Training (OPDAT), with the support of the Department of State’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Division (INL), celebrated the release of “Reflections on the Accusatory System: Shared Experiences” in the Salón Marqués-Conde of the Hotel Marquis Reforma in Mexico City on the evening of Nov. 7.
This volume, authored by a cohort of judges from the Puerto Rican Judiciary, the Federal Judiciary of the United States, and the Judiciary of Colombia, gathers the insights of OPDAT’s closest judicial partners on the role of judges within Mexico’s new accusatory criminal justice system. These judges have generously volunteered their time and expertise to work with OPDAT’s Judicial Studies Institute (JSI) in Mexico and Puerto Rico since 2016. The Honorable Edgardo Rivera García, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, and the Honorable Gustavo Gelpí, Chief Judge of U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, have been especially instrumental in supporting OPDAT’s programming. The JSI program, funded by the Merida Initiative, strengthens the effectiveness of hundreds of Mexican federal appellate and amparo judges.
“The exchange among our dear friends at the Puerto Rican Supreme Court and the Puerto Rican federal courts, gave us a completely distinct outlook from the judicial trainings in countries like Chile and Colombia,” said Justice of the First Chamber of the Mexican Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo. “The shared experience [of the Mexico-Puerto Rico Judicial Studies Institute] has been and continues to generate the most useful knowledge for Mexico’s new accusatory criminal justice system.”
This event commemorated the commitment of OPDAT and its partners to supporting Mexico’s judicial sector in the face of the challenges presented by transnational organized crime.
Defendant arraigned in phone scam targeting U.S. victimsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Mehboob Mansurali Charania was arraigned on charges relating to his involvement in a transnational criminal organization that victimized over 340 people in the United States through a fraudulent India-based call-center scheme, resulting in over $200,000 in losses. Charania was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2018.
“Telephone scammers seek to profit by exploiting United States citizens, including the elderly and other vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Citizens should be wary of anyone demanding money over the phone.”
“Since 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has investigated numerous instances in which individuals who fraudulently represent themselves as IRS officials in order to extort money from taxpayers,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We will not back down from our pursuit of these criminals, and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: The indictment alleges that the defendant took part in a sophisticated scheme organized in India, including a network of call centers. Call center operators allegedly telephoned U.S. residents and misled the potential victims into sending money utilizing a number of different confidence scams.
The scams included IRS impersonation scams where the callers pretended to be IRS employees demanding payment of taxes and fees. Other scams included grant scams where callers directed victims to pay upfront fees for fictitious grants, student loan scams where callers threatened victims if they did not pay fictitious taxes and fees associated with student loans, and hacking scams where callers would gain remote access to the victim’s computer, lock the victim out of the computer, and deny access to the computer until the victim provided payment.
If the victims agreed to pay, the call centers allegedly would have the victims send the funds to the attention of fictitious names used by Charania through wire transfers, including through MoneyGram and Western Union. The indictment charges Charania with wire fraud and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Charania, a citizen of India residing in Atlanta, was arraigned on November 7, 2018 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand. 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.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Assistant U.S Attorney Jolee Porter is prosecuting the case.
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.
Debra Bluto Pleads Not Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Debra Bluto, 64, of St. Albans Bay, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges that she defrauded the Social Security Administration. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Bluto on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
On October 24, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a four-count indictment charging Bluto with stealing government funds and making false statements to the Social Security Administration. According to the indictment, Bluto’s grandson began receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits from the government in 2001. SSI is a special needs-based benefit program designed to provide financial assistance to aged, blind and disabled persons who have little or no income. The benefits for Bluto’s grandson were paid directly to Debra Bluto as her grandson’s representative payee.
For most of the period between May 2008 and January 2017, Bluto’s grandson was incarcerated following his convictions for serious crimes. By law, Bluto’s grandson was not entitled to receive SSI benefits during any period of incarceration. Nonetheless, Bluto continued to receive her grandson’s SSI benefits for the entire time he was in jail. According to the indictment, in annual reports she had to file with the Social Security Administration, Debra Bluto concealed the fact that her grandson was in prison and falsely claimed that she used all the SSI funds to pay for his care. In fact, the indictment charges, Debra Bluto converted those illegitimate payments – which totaled approximately $50,000 - to her own benefit.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty.
If convicted, Bluto faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration.
Bluto is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Danville Man Sentenced on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Danville, VIRGINIA – A federal court today sentenced Keemo Jonathan Lee, a Danville man who previously pleaded guilty to a series of federal drug and gun charges related to the sale of cocaine, heroin and illegal firearms, to 37 months in federal prison. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen made the announcement as part of the Western District of Virginia’s ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative to reduce violent crime.
Lee, 23, pleaded guilty on August 7, 2018, to three counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and two counts of the sale of a firearm to a prohibited person.
“As this prosecution indicates, we are committed to working with our federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners through our Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative to reduce violent crime in Danville,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “We have made progress towards this goal over the past several months, but will continue our coordinated assault until we achieve a significant and lasting reduction.”
According to a statement of facts read into the record at a previous hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Swartz, should the matter have gone to trial the United States would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that on multiple occasions, officers with the Danville Police Department, utilizing a confidential source, made controlled purchases of cocaine, heroin, and illegal firearms from Lee.
One such controlled purchase, on June 29, 2017, was conducted at a gas station 326 feet from Danville Community College and 908 feet from Grove Park Preschool’s playground. During the June 29, 2017 controlled buy, Lee sold a confidential source 3.2 grams of cocaine and a Smith & Wesson M&P .40 Shield handgun, with ammunition, for $500.
On July 25, 2017, during another controlled purchase, Lee sold a confidential source cocaine and a SCCY CPX-1 handgun for $400. After Lee changed locations for the transaction multiple times, the exchange ultimately took place 726 feet from Danville Community College.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Danville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Swartz prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program designed to bring 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’s renewed focus on targeting each community’s most violent criminals. The Department of Justice directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as the local civilian community, to develop effective, targeted strategies to reduce violent crime. This case is a product of that collaborative effort.
DOJ and DHS Issue New Asylum RuleRead the Press Release
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen today announced an Interim Final Rule declaring that those aliens who contravene a presidential suspension or limitation on entry into the United States through the southern border with Mexico issued under section 212(f) or 215(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) will be rendered ineligible for asylum.
The Acting Attorney General and the Secretary issued the following joint statement: “Consistent with our immigration laws, the President has the broad authority to suspend or restrict the entry of aliens into the United States if he determines it to be in the national interest to do so. Today's rule applies this important principle to aliens who violate such a suspension or restriction regarding the southern border imposed by the President by invoking an express authority provided by Congress to restrict eligibility for asylum. Our asylum system is overwhelmed with too many meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources, preventing us from being able to expeditiously grant asylum to those who truly deserve it. Today, we are using the authority granted to us by Congress to bar aliens who violate a Presidential suspension of entry or other restriction from asylum eligibility.”
Section 212(f) of the Immigration and INA states that “[w]henever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
Further, Section 215(a) of the INA states that it is “unlawful…for any alien to depart from or enter or attempt to depart from or enter the United States except under such reasonable rules, regulations, and orders, and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may prescribe.”
In Section 208(d)(5)(B) of the INA, Congress specified that the Attorney General “may provide by regulation for any other conditions or limitations on the consideration of an application for asylum.”
Today’s new rule applies to prospective presidential proclamations, and is not retroactive.
Asylum is a discretionary form of relief granted by the Executive Branch on a discretionary basis to those fleeing persecution on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The rule does not render such aliens ineligible for withholding of removal under the INA or protection from removal under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.The Interim Final Rule can be found here.
Czar Entertainment Founder James Rosemond Sentenced to Life in Prison for Ordering the Murder of Lowell FletcherRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES ROSEMOND, a/k/a “Jimmy the Henchman,” was sentenced today to life plus 30 years in prison for ordering the murder of Lowell Fletcher, a/k/a “Lodi Mack.” A jury convicted ROSEMOND of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and firearms offenses following a nine-day retrial before United States District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who sentenced ROSEMOND.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “James Rosemond’s thirst for revenge following the assault of his son left 32-year-old Lowell Fletcher dead on a dark Bronx street. Our Office has fought for justice for Fletcher’s family for more than four years and through three jury trials. Now, Rosemond’s fate has been sealed and he has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for this crime.”
According to court papers and the evidence at trial:
ROSEMOND, 53, of New York, New York, was the founder of Czar Entertainment, a rap music management company, and also the head of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization. In March 2007, members and associates of a rival rap music group known as “G-Unit,” including Marvin Bernard, a/k/a “Tony Yayo,” and Lowell Fletcher, a/k/a “Lodi Mack,” assaulted ROSEMOND’s son. ROSEMOND’s son was not seriously injured in the assault, and Fletcher ended up serving prison time for his involvement in the assault. Nevertheless, in 2009, ROSEMOND recruited a crew of men to murder Fletcher upon his release from prison by promising at least $30,000 in payment for killing Fletcher. At ROSEMOND’s direction, members of the murder crew selected a dark and secluded location for the murder in the vicinity of Mount Eden and Jerome Avenues in the Bronx, and lured Fletcher to that spot. When Fletcher arrived there in the evening on September 27, 2009, a member of the murder crew stepped out of the shadows and fired five bullets into Fletcher’s back and arms using ROSEMOND’s .22 caliber handgun with a silencer. Fletcher died later that night. On October 2, 2009, ROSEMOND had a trusted employee of his cocaine organization provide a kilogram of cocaine – worth about $30,000 in street value – to a member of his murder crew as payment for the murder.
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At the conclusion of ROSEMOND’s first trial, in February and March 2014, a mistrial was declared after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the counts against ROSEMOND relating to the murder-for-hire of Fletcher. At ROSEMOND’s second trial in December 2014, ROSEMOND was convicted on all counts. On appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, ROSEMOND argued in part that his conviction in this murder-for-hire case should be overturned because certain rulings by the trial court effectively barred him from advancing a line of defense that ROSEMOND wanted to pursue – namely, ROSEMOND’s claim that although he ordered hitmen to shoot Fletcher, he did not intend for the shooting to result in Fletcher’s death. In November 2016, the Second Circuit vacated ROSEMOND’s conviction and remanded the case for a new trial, which began November 6, 2017, and ended on November 28, 2017, when a unanimous jury found ROSEMOND guilty of all the charges against him.
Mr. Berman thanked and praised the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their persistence and outstanding work in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. The trial was conducted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samson Enzer, Drew Skinner, and Elizabeth Hanft.
Council Bluffs Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On November 6, 2018, Richard John Massey, age 68, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor, and traveling in interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum and FBI Special Agent In Charge Randall C. Thysse. The arrest followed an indictment on these charges returned by a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of Iowa on October 30, 2018. These offenses are alleged to have occurred between October 2017 and April 26, 2018.
Massey was arrested at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as he entered the United States on a flight originating from Mexico. On November 7, 2018, Massey made an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Dallas, Texas, and was ordered to appear in the Southern District of Iowa on a subsequent date. Massey remains in custody pending proceedings in the Southern District of Iowa.
The public is reminded that an Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless he is proven guilty.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Omaha Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Alexander Isaiah Perez, age 22, of Metro Denver was sentenced today to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years on supervised release, for the production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steven Cagen announced. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger. Perez appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the defendant’s plea agreement, on May 25, 2017, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Cyber Crime Center (C3), Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU), received information from the INTERPOL Specialist Group on Crimes Against Children regarding a series of images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor male, later identified as Minor #1, that had been posted on an Internet bulletin board. HSI C3 CEIU took additional investigative steps and forwarded the investigative information received from INTERPOL and the results of their investigation to HSI Denver.
The information relayed by INTERPOL to HSI C3 CEIU reflects that sexually explicit images depicting Minor #1 had been posted by multiple users on “The Bulletin Board” located on an anonymity network known as “The Onion Router” or Tor. Tor was originally designed, implemented, and deployed as a project of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for the primary purpose of protecting government communications. Numerous images of Minor #1 were recovered from The Bulletin Board.
During the investigation agents identified another photograph of the defendant taken by the same digital camera that was used to take images posted on The Bulletin Board. Additional images of the defendant were posted on his social networking accounts. Agents determined from one of the defendant’s Facebook accounts that he took a job as a summer camp counselor in Colorado. A search warrant executed at the camp resulted in the seizure of the digital camera identified during the investigation, as well as a laptop and an iPhone, all belonging to the defendant. The investigation revealed that the defendant both took pictures of and live-streamed his sexual abuse of Minor #1. The sexually explicit conduct occurred in the December 2014 to January 2015 time frame.
This matter was investigated by HSI Denver, as well as INTERPOL. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Cleveland man pleads guilty after arrest with large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, PCP and crack cocaineRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man pleaded guilty to drug charges in federal court after he was found to have large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, PCP and crack cocaine.
Germine Bradley, 35, pleaded guilty to six counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 14
Bradley, on April 26, possessed 17 grams of PCP, 11 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of crack cocaine and four grams of fentanyl, according to court documents.
On May 31, Bradley possessed 41 grams of PCP and 249 grams of cocaine, according to court documents.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Morrison.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 342 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Ronald Crittenden, 66, of Cincinnati, was sentenced today to 342 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. Crittenden was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, to be served after completion of his prison term.
Crittenden was convicted of conspiring with others to distribute over 1.4 kilograms of heroin and over 5.8 kilograms of crack cocaine, in 2016 and 2017. He directed the actions of multiple addicted women, who worked as prostitutes and drug couriers for his benefit. Crittenden supplied these addicts with heroin and cocaine, each day, to ensure their continued compliance. Agents seized ten firearms from his residence during the execution of a search warrant. Court documents showed that Crittenden had been convicted of felony drug trafficking offenses on three prior occasions.
Crittenden was indicted in November 2017, along with other members of the conspiracy. All entered guilty pleas. Tiffany Glass was sentenced to 42 months in prison; Kenneth Eva was sentenced to 21 months in prison; and a third Defendant, Susan Page, is set for sentencing on December 20, 2018. Under federal law, each Defendant must serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentence.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, jointly made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cincinnati Police Department, and the Elsmere Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tony Bracke.
Chesterfield Man Sentenced for Identity Theft and FraudRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – William Davidson was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his use of unauthorized access devices. Davidson appeared before Judge Ronnie L. White and is scheduled to have a supervised release revocation hearing before Judge Catherine D. Perry on November 19, 2018 on an unrelated matter. Davidson remains in federal custody pending the hearing.
According to court documents, Davidson obtained employment with a retail establishment in August 2017 while completing a sentence with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He maintained that employment upon his release from the Bureau of Prisons to the supervision of the United States Probation Office in August 2017.
During a review of store surveillance tapes in December 2017, fraud investigators realized that Davidson was fraudulently obtaining store gift cards by pretending to conduct merchandise returns for non-existent customers. He used a fictitious employee number as well as the employee number of a co-worker in order to initiate the fraudulent returns. The majority of the returns were obtained between August 16th and September 28th, 2017.
Davidson admitted that he used the fraudulent obtained gift cards to purchase items for friends and family members in the St. Louis Metropolitan area and in other states. The total intended loss is approximately $6,500.
Davidson, 63, of Chesterfield, pleaded guilty on August 2, 2018 to one count of access device fraud.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the City of Des Peres Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Cape Cod Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Provincetown, MA, man found passed out in a vehicle in Warwick, RI, by police, and to be in possession of more than 230 grams of methamphetamine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Gregory Lee, 49, was arrested by Warwick Police on August 4, 2017, after they discovered two large plastic bags that contained methamphetamine inside of Lee’s vehicle.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 4, 2017, at approximately 8:30AM, officers responded to a 911 call of a person passed out inside a vehicle. After several attempts, officers were able to roust Lee who nervously began looking around his vehicle, under his body and legs, and grabbing at various items within the vehicle. Lee was ordered by police to exit the vehicle.
After exiting the vehicle, Lee was observed by police to be sweating profusely, fidgety, shaking uncontrollably, and unable to stand still. After denying he was in possession of any illegal narcotics, Lee agreed to allow the officers to search his vehicle. From inside a backpack located on the front seat, officers seized two large plastic bags that tested positive for methamphetamine. The bags of methamphetamine weighed 115.9 and 115.6 grams respectively.
Lee’s guilty plea before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
Lee, who was released on $100,000 bond with surety one day following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on August 7, 2017, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on February 9, 2019.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by statutory penalties of a minimum mandatory 10 years up to life in federal prison, up to lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard W. Rose and Ly T. Chin.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. - A resident of Newberry Springs, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of distributing methamphetamine in violation of federal drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Richard Sperry, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Sperry distributed five grams or more of methamphetamine on two occasions, February 4 to 7, 2017, and April 7 to 10, 2017.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2018 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Richard Sperry.
Blaine Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the sentencing of SCOTT FRANCIS FORTIER, 39, to 25 years in prison for producing and possessing video files containing child pornography. FORTIER, who was convicted by a federal jury on January 25, 2018, on one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, was sentenced on November 7, 2018, before Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addressing the defendant’s conduct, Judge Schiltz referred to FORTIER and the campers at Circle R Ranch as, “a wolf let loose in a field of sheep,” and further described FORTIER’S dishonest testimony at trial as so preposterous as to be embarrassing.
“Scott Fortier is a serial predator and rapist who victimized underage girls whom he met at a summer camp where he frequented,” said U.S. Attorney MacDonald. “I am grateful that the Court recognized the severity of this type of predatory conduct and I commend the diligent work of the investigators and prosecutors in bringing this defendant to justice.”
"The defendant used his position in the camp to prey on his victims and then further victimized them by producing child pornography and we are satisfied that he will now have to pay for his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Jill Sanborn. “We have no greater duty than to protect the most vulnerable among us, and the men and women of the FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to harm our children.”
As proven at trial, FORTIER was associated for many years with Circle R Ranch (“the Camp”), a co-ed horseback riding summer camp located in Todd County, Minn. Through his involvement with the Camp, FORTIER met a 17-year-old minor (Minor Victim #1). On September 9, 2016, FORTIER invited Minor Victim #1 and her 15-year-old friend (Minor Victim #2) to his house in Blaine, Minnesota, where he gave them both alcohol and subsequently used each minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. FORTIER used his cell phone to produce multiple videos of himself engaging in the sexually explicit conduct with Minor Victim #1 and Minor Victim #2. Following an execution of a search warrant, law enforcement discovered that FORTIER also possessed videos of children under the age of 12 engaging is sexually explicit conduct, along with thousands of other images of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing, the Government introduced statements by Minor Victim #1 and Minor Victim #2, as well as statements by a number of other victims detailing years of sexual misconduct and rapes committed by FORTIER against underage girls at the Circle R Ranch.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
SCOTT FRANCIS FORTIER, 39
Blaine, Minn.
Convicted:
- Production of child pornography, 1 count
- Possession of child pornography, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 300 months in prison
- 10 years of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Baton Rouge Man Indicted for International Money Laundering in Furtherance of International Drug Conspiracy, Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business, and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury recently returned a five-count indictment charging DONOVAN J. BARKER, age 59, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with aiding and abetting a conspiracy to distribute tramadol and carisoprodol, international money laundering, unlawful money transmitting, and possession of tramadol. On October 25, 2018, BARKER made his initial appearance in court and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the indictment, BARKER owned and operated several businesses, including Quantum Information Technologies, Caring Partners 1, LLC, Don Western Sky, LLC, Life Positive Services, LLC, and Healthy Life 1, LLC. The indictment alleges that although BARKER represented that his businesses sold and distributed green tea extracts and herbal supplements, he was actually working with others to import Schedule IV controlled substances into the United States, to re-package and distribute the controlled substances to individuals within the United States who had purchased the substances online, to accept payments from the individual buyers, and to transmit funds from the sales to others operating outside the United States. In addition to charging BARKER with aiding and abetting a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, the indictment charges BARKER with engaging in international financial transactions to promote the conspiracy, by wiring funds from his business bank accounts in Baton Rouge to India.
The indictment also charges BARKER with illegally operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to the indictment, from October 2012 through February 2016, BARKER received more than $4.6 million in payments—including payments by money order, personal check, and credit card —from individuals all across the United States who had purchased controlled substances and other substances over the internet and who directed their payments to BARKER. As BARKER received the funds, he wired the majority of the funds out to other individuals and businesses, including, on more than two hundred (200) different occasions, to foreign bank accounts in the Philippines, India, China, and Canada. Through this pattern of activity, according to the indictment, BARKER was operating a money transmitting business without an appropriate state license and without complying with the applicable federal registration requirements.
Finally, the indictment alleges that on May 24, 2016, BARKER knowingly and intentionally possessed tramadol, a controlled substance, in violation of federal law.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “This indictment demonstrates the lengths to which international drug traffickers will go to deliver drugs and the efforts my office will make to stop them. We are committed to eliminating the international financial network used by drug dealers to bring drugs to our country and launder their illegal proceeds. I want to thank our prosecutors and our federal, state, and local partners for their extraordinary efforts in this case.”
“The Special Agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation are an integral part of drug investigations that involve the laundering of money through sophisticated means such as those implemented by Donovan Barker,” stated Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge of IRS – Criminal Investigation. “More and more often individuals are using the internet and access to international banks to keep their misdeeds hidden from the eyes of law enforcement. However, the dissection of international money laundering schemes is an area of expertise in which IRS- CI excels. It is our hope that Barker’s drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy was thwarted by his indictment, and now we will continue working to ensure that Barker receives justice for what we believe are his illegal actions.”
“The DEA is committed to arresting and bringing to justice those who divert and traffic prescription drugs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Arnett. “Opiate abuse is a major problem in the Baton Rouge area and throughout the nation. The diversion of prescription pain killers contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, which is devastating our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in this area and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone that illicitly distributes these drugs.”
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who serves as a Deputy Criminal Chief within the Criminal Division. The investigation received valuable assistance from the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Plaquemine Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, and the Louisiana State Police.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Aston Township Man Indicted for Manufacturing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Charles Orlando, 41, of Aston Township, PA was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with five counts of manufacturing child pornography, two counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
The federal indictment charges him with manufacturing sexually explicit images involving two minor girls, and with receiving and possessing an additional 1,300 pornographic images of children on the Internet. The indictment charges the defendant with committing these crimes since 2011.
“Manufacturing child pornography is one of the most serious charges that my Office pursues,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop child exploitation, as these types of crimes affect our youngest and most vulnerable members of the community.”
If convicted, Orlando faces a statutory maximum sentence of 210 years’ incarceration, a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment, 5 years up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $2,000,000 fine, an $800 special assessment, and, if found not to be indigent, an additional $15,000 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anamosa Man Sentenced to over Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced today to over eleven years in federal prison.
Austin Marek, age 23, of Anamosa, Iowa, received the sentence after a June 4, 2018, guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Marek admitted that, in 2016, he knowingly possessed child pornography, including at least one image of prepubescent children.
Marek was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Marek was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment. Special assessments of $5,100 were imposed, and Marek must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 18-34.
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Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Violating Federal Firearms Laws Relating to June 2016 Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Blackwood, 46, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in relation to a June 2016, armed bank robbery.
Blackwood was arrested on June 1, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with the armed bank robbery of the Bank of the West located at 780 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. According to the complaint, Blackwood entered the bank, pointed a handgun at a bank teller, and demanded money. After the bank teller responded to Blackwood’s demand for money, Blackwood left the bank.
Blackwood subsequently was indicted on June 30, 2016, and was charged with armed bank robbery, using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the indictment, Blackwood committed the three crimes on June 1, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Blackwood was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of robbery and second degree commercial burglary.
On June 28, 2018, Blackwood pled guilty to using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Blackwood admitted that on June 1, 2016, he entered the Bank of the West in Albuquerque, approached a bank teller’s window, pointed a firearm at the bank teller and demanded money. Blackwood further admitted that he continued to point the firearm at the bank teller after receiving an amount of money and demanded that the bank teller give him more money.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Acoma Pueblo Woman Sentenced for Federal Child Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Shania Shroulote, 25, an enrolled member of the Acoma Pueblo who resides in San Fidel, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to three years of probation for her conviction on a misdemeanor child abuse charge.
On June 28, 2018, Shroulote pled guilty to an information charging her with child abuse. In entering the guilty plea, Shroulote admitted that on March 11, 2017, she operated a motor vehicle recklessly within the Acoma Pueblo while under the influence of alcohol and caused a single vehicle collision. Shroulote further admitted that her actions endangered the health and wellbeing of a child who was a passenger in the vehicle and was injured in the collision.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Acoma Pueblo Tribal Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Spindle.
7 Members of $3.1 Million Stolen Car Ring Charged in White Plains Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging seven men with operating a national stolen car ring involving approximately 60 stolen cars worth approximately $3.1 million. The defendants are charged with conspiracy and the possession, sale, and transportation of stolen cars. Four of the defendants were arrested today and will be presented in White Plains federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith. The other three defendants were arrested and will be presented before federal judges in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “As alleged, these defendants operated a nationwide stolen car ring involving stolen luxury cars worth more than $3 million. They stole from rightful owners and used a criminal network of thieves, fraudsters, and forgers to line their pockets, all while driving themselves around in stolen Lamborghinis, Range Rovers, and other pilfered prizes. With our partners at the FBI and the State Police, we have slapped a boot onto these fast-paced heists, and will now tow the defendants off to justice.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. stated: “As alleged, these individuals conspired to steal property, defraud state and local authorities, and unwittingly involve private citizens in an auto-theft ring spanning the country. This kind of criminal activity undermines public confidence and destabilizes communities. Thanks to the diligence and hard work by law enforcement, these arrests have put the brakes on this criminal enterprise.”
NYSP Superintendent George P. Beach II stated: “Through this collaborative investigation among law enforcement partners at all levels, we have uncovered a highly organized, national car theft operation that was allegedly responsible for victimizing car buyers all across the country. I want to commend the efforts of all of those involved in bringing this alleged criminal activity to an end and for the outstanding work that led to the arrests in this case.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
From October 2017 through November 2018, MARVIN WILLIAMS, NICHOLAS DIXON, a/k/a “Robbie,” JASON HIGNEY, BESAR ISMAILI, STEVEN KLEIN, LASHAUMBA RANDOLPH, and ABDURAHAMIN SHABAZZ, a/k/a “Abdurahmin Shebazz,” a/k/a “Abdur,” operated a stolen car ring, during which they (1) obtained stolen cars from, among other places, Michigan and Florida; (2) transported the stolen cars to, among other places, the Southern District of New York and Connecticut, for resale; (3) created and/or obtained false titles, registrations, and temporary license plates for the stolen cars; (4) used the false car records to deceive car buyers and the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles; and (5) used online markets, such as eBay, to solicit buyers of the stolen cars across the country, including in the Southern District of New York.
* * *
WILLIAMS, 32, of Torrington, Connecticut, DIXON, 43, of Tamarac, Florida, HIGNEY, 39, of Terryville, Connecticut, and KLEIN, 55, of Easton, Connecticut, are each charged with the sale or transportation of stolen vehicles and conspiracy to do the same, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. ISMAILI, 37, of Waterbury, Connecticut, RANDOLPH, 44, of Atlanta, Georgia, and SHABAZZ, 45, of Providence, Rhode Island, are each charged with conspiracy to sell and transport stolen vehicles, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the State Police. Mr. Berman also thanked the Waterbury Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles, the South Dakota Lake County Treasurer’s Office, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Deininger and David Felton 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.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
5 Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Involvement in Murder of Ft. Defiance ManRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell sentenced Loren Wauneka, 37, of Fort Defiance, Ariz., to 137 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for voluntary manslaughter, and Lisa Benally, 39 of Fort Defiance, Ariz., to 97 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for accessory-after-the-fact. Judge Campbell also sentenced three additional co-defendants; Cameron Jones, 34, of Wide Ruins, Ariz., Eric Cornfield, 27 of Fort Defiance, Ariz., and Mick Hubbard, 27, of Ganado, Ariz. to terms of imprisonment ranging from 27 months to 60 months for their involvement in the murder.
On Jan. 19, 2016, during an argument and physical fight with the victim, Wauneka assaulted and killed the victim by striking him with a bat. After the murder, Benally, Jones, and Cornfield helped clean up the victim’s blood and assisted with rolling the victim’s body in a rug to conceal the murder. Knowing that Wauneka killed the victim, Hubbard, Jones, Benally, and Cornfield failed to notify law enforcement.
The victim died of blunt force injuries. The victim and all defendants are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-8093-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-152_Wauneka et. al.
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
14 Members of A Washington Heights Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Keith Kruskall, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced today that PEDRO VICIOSO DE LIMA, a/k/a “Pep,” a/k/a “Pepo,” VICTOR HIDALGO, a/k/a “Jordan,” a/k/a “Vico,” DAVID PEREZ, a/k/a “Bori,” a/k/a “Macho,” JACINTO GARCIA, a/k/a “Cuba,” SIXTO VANCAMPER-BRITO, a/k/a “Cito,” CESAR GIL, a/k/a “Ralphy,” JUAN GIL CABRAL, a/k/a “Menor,” ANTHONY BELLIARD, a/k/a “Jafet Montas,” a/k/a “Café,” MAYRA MONSANTO, a/k/a “La Flaca,” RICKY ROSA, a/k/a “Pra,” a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Moreno,” MINERVA VENTURA, a/k/a “La Bori,” MARK VIERA, a/k/a “Leo,” a/k/a “Biz,” ROMEO SUNCAR, a/k/a “Stacks,” and ANTONIO YERIS ALMONTE, a/k/a “Ciobao,” have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin. Eleven of the defendants were arrested yesterday evening and this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court this afternoon. PEREZ and ROSA remain at large, and GIL will be transferred from immigration detention next week. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Colleen McMahon.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants operated a distribution network of highly addictive and dangerous drugs, which has been plaguing a Washington Heights community for years. Even after they realized the potency of the drugs they were distributing and selling – and the overdose risk those drugs posed – the defendants allegedly continued to sell their poison in order to protect their brand. Today’s arrests are part of our continued commitment, along with our law enforcement partners, to stop the flow of heroin and fentanyl onto the streets of New York City.”
DEA Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Kruskall said: “Today's heroin is deadlier for two reasons: fentanyl potency and traffickers’ motives. Two to three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal. And, traffickers, not chemists, are pushing their toxic mixture of heroin and fentanyl on our streets for no reason other than money. New York law enforcement is weeding out those responsible for the record number of fatal overdoses in our city and warning users that every dose could be their last dose.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “These individuals allegedly distributed fentanyl laced heroin out of a building on 167th street, with a total disdain for the lives of their customers. This investigation rids the community of Washington Heights of alleged criminals that continue to fuel the opioid epidemic. Opioid addiction touches families and communities across our country, and we will remain focused on criminals who seek to distribute these highly addictive drugs with little regard for the lives ruined.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Abuse of heroin and the deadly additive fentanyl has cut a wide swath across our nation, affecting people from all walks of life, in every neighborhood. To combat this scourge, the NYPD and our partners on the Drug Enforcement Strike Force are relentless in our work to shut down illegal drug supplies, to send dealers away with meaningful prison sentences and, ultimately, to save New Yorkers’ lives. For dismantling this alleged dangerous drug organization based in Washington Heights, I congratulate and thank everyone involved in this important case.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment:[1]
The defendants were members of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that operated in Manhattan, New York, and controlled heroin sales from a building at 501 West 167th Street (the “DTO’s Drug Building”) and the surrounding vicinity (the “DTO’s Drug Territory”). As a means of marketing its heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin, and to ensure that the only heroin sold in the DTO’s Drug Territory belonged to the DTO, the DTO placed stamps on the glassines of heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin that it sold to customers. Among the stamps the DTO used were “Annuit Coeptis,” “Toyota,” “Ras Baraka,” and “Porsche.” From July 2016 to October 2018, the DTO is estimated to have distributed more than 85 kilograms of heroin, much of it laced with fentanyl.
Glassines marked with the DTO’s stamps were recovered at the scene of fatal and nonfatal suspected overdoses of individuals who were believed to be customers of the DTO. For example, on March 29, 2018, an individual died of a suspected heroin overdose in a building across the street from the DTO’s Drug Building, and glassines marked with the stamps “Ras Baraka” and “Porsche” were recovered at the scene of the overdose death, along with a slip of paper with the name and phone number of a member of the DTO. Certain members of the DTO were aware of suspected overdoses resulting from the use of fentanyl-laced heroin sold by the DTO. The DTO was nevertheless reluctant to change the stamps it used to label the DTO’s heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin because the stamps were known by the DTO’s customers, and the DTO wanted to maintain its reputation for selling a strong product.
* * *
LIMA, 49, HIDALGO, 58, PEREZ, 36, GARCIA, 61, VANCAMPER-BRITO, 51, GIL, 26, GIL CABRAL, 28, BELLIARD, 29, MONSANTO, 59, ROSA, 32, VENTURA, 64, VIERA, 46, SUNCAR, 33, and ALMONTE, 26, each of New York, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiring to distribute heroin, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life 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 defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force. The Strike Force comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the New York National Guard, the Clarkstown Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port Washington Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The Strike Force is partially funded by the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”), which is a federally funded crime fighting initiative and part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDTEF”) program.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Aline R. Flodr, and Dominic Gentile are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
7 November 2018
Woman Sent to Prison for Smuggling a Minor Child into the United StatesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 42-year-old Raymondville woman has been sentenced following her conviction of attempting to bring a minor alien into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Melissa Grimaldo pleaded guilty Aug. 7, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera handed Grimaldo a 21-month sentence.
A co-conspirator from Austin contacted Grimaldo via Facebook Messenger and hired her to smuggle a minor child into the United States from Mexico. Grimaldo used the Social Security card and identifying information of her own biological daughter to prepare the child to evade American authorities.
On April 2, 2018, Grimaldo and her boyfriend, a self-registered sex-offender, crossed into Mexico, picked up the minor child from her family and attempted to enter the United States through the pedestrian lanes at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. Grimaldo claimed the minor child was her own and presented her biological child’s Social Security card. She also told authorities she had submitted applications for U.S. Passports for both herself and the minor child, but they had not yet been processed.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers questioned the minor child about the child’s school, teachers, grade level, age and birthday. The child gave answers that were inconsistent with the identification Grimaldo provided. The minor child grew very nervous and began looking around the room and avoiding eye contact with the officers.
After further questioning, Grimaldo admitted the child was not hers or a U.S. citizen, admitting she was to be paid $2000 to transport the child into the United States. She also admitted the identifying documents were that of her own biological daughter who had been taken away by Child Protective Services. Grimaldo was to take the child to her home to further coordinate the smuggling conspiracy.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly D’Andrea prosecuted the case.
Wetzel County man sentenced for his connection to a drug distribution operation in Wetzel and Tyler CountiesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – John M. Talkington, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 63 months incarceration for his role in a methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution operation that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Talkington, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances” in July 2018. Talkington admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base from 2016 to April 2018 in Wetzel County, parts of the southern district of West Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia.
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.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Western Slope Man Sentenced for Making False Statement to Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
DENVER – A Grand Junction man was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger to serve 6 months in federal prison followed by 6 months on home detention for making false statements to a firearms dealer, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and ATF Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston announced. James Russell Wich, age 32, was first indicted by a federal grand jury in Grand Junction on October 19, 2017. He pled guilty to making a false statement to firearms dealers stating that the firearms were for his own possession when in fact he gave them to two known felons who are drug dealers. The guilty plea was before Chief Judge Krieger on May 31, 2018. He was sentenced on November 6, 2018 in Grand Junction. Wich is free on bond and has 45 days to turn himself in to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
According to the stipulated facts contained in Wich’s plea agreement, on January 26, 2017, law enforcement stopped a vehicle occupied by an individual who had four firearms and 4.68 kilograms of methamphetamine. Two of the four firearms were purchased by Wich ten days earlier.
Additional investigation found that Wich had purchased multiple firearms from four different sources. Further, the investigation revealed a suspected firearm and drug trafficking operation involving a California resident. California law enforcement executed an arrest warrant on the individual’s home on May 31, 2017. During that search eight firearms purchased by Wich were found.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from local authorities. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Hautzinger.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. National Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for the Attempted Murder of U.S. Consulate Official in MexicoRead the Press Release
A U.S. national and former medical student was sentenced to 264 months in prison for the 2017 shooting of a U.S. diplomat stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Acting Special Agent in Charge Tom Jones of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christian J. Schurman for U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security and Director for Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement.
Zia Zafar, 33, of Chino Hills, California, previously pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder of an internationally protected person and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Zafar was sentenced by U.S District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to the prison sentence, Zafar was sentenced to serve eight years of supervised release.
“Zia Zafar targeted a U.S. government employee and surveilled him before shooting him in the chest at close range,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Department of Justice will do everything in its power to prosecute anyone who targets U.S. officials at home or abroad. I commend the investigative team and our law enforcement partners in Mexico for their outstanding work in bringing Zafar to justice for this premediated heinous act.”
“The FBI works closely with international partners and security services in order to conduct complex investigations and acquire evidence from abroad for criminal prosecutions in the United States,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jones. “I want to thank the Mexican government for their full support and cooperation throughout this investigation.”
“The Vice Consul was targeted and shot because he represented the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger. “No one should doubt the resolve of law enforcement to steadfastly investigate and apprehend those who attack us. I wish to express our sincere thanks to the many United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies involved in the apprehension and return of this defendant to the United States to face justice.”“The Vice Consul was targeted and shot because he represented the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger. “No one should doubt the resolve of law enforcement to steadfastly investigate and apprehend those who attack us. I wish to express our sincere thanks to the many United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies involved in the apprehension and return of this defendant to the United States to face justice.”
“Today’s sentencing of Zia Zafar sends a strong message: Diplomatic Security is committed to making sure those who attack diplomatic personnel representing America abroad face serious consequences,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Schurman. “Diplomatic Security’s strong relationships with the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. and foreign law enforcement partners around the world continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice. Such crimes threaten the national security of the United States.”
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea and facts presented at the sentencing hearing, on Jan. 6, 2017, Zafar, then living in Guadalajara, Mexico, armed himself with a firearm and wore a wig and sunglasses to disguise his appearance. He then waited in a parking garage for the victim, a vice consul who worked at the U.S Consulate in Guadalajara, following him as he walked towards his vehicle. After noticing a security guard nearby, Zafar changed his location to the vehicle exit ramp, where he waited for the vice consul to exit. When the vice consul approached the exit in his car, Zafar fired a single shot into the vehicle, striking the vice consul in his chest. The vice consul survived, but the bullet remains lodged in his spinal column, as it was deemed too dangerous to remove. Zafar admitted that he targeted the vice consul because he knew from earlier surveillance that the victim worked at the U.S. Consulate.
FBI and DSS investigated the case in close cooperation with Mexican authorities and with valuable assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorney Jamie Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Walutes of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Progress in Making Communities Safer Through Multiple Targeted Strategies to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced progress in combatting violent crime through a series of targeted strategies as part of the Department of Justice’s revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of PSN, an evidence-based program that the Department made the centerpiece of its violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch has employed the enhanced PSN program to tackle the full spectrum of violent crime issues facing the district. Northern District of Illinois prosecutors target criminal organizations, leading to prosecutions of complex RICO, narcotics, and drug trafficking enterprises. The PSN program also identifies criminals with the most violent backgrounds and removes them from the community through prosecution of individual violent crime, drug, and firearm possession cases. Resources are also invested in local prevention and reentry programs that seek to implement lasting reductions in crime through community engagement.
“A fundamental duty of our government is to keep people safe, and one of our primary goals as federal prosecutors is to reduce violent crime, particularly in large urban areas like Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “As part of DOJ’s revitalized PSN program, we have worked closer than ever with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to increase prosecutions of trigger-pullers, drug traffickers, carjackers, and those who illegally use and possess firearms. We will use every available federal law enforcement tool to reduce the unacceptable level of violent crime and help keep our citizens safe.”
The PSN program has enabled the U.S. Attorney’s Office to sustain and expand upon its recent increase in the prosecution of violent crime and gun offenders. For example, during each of the last two fiscal years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged more federal firearms offenses than were charged in any prior fiscal year for more than a decade. Crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) reveal significant reductions in violent crime in Chicago in the past year. Through Oct. 31, 2018, Chicago has seen 107 fewer murders (a reduction of 19%) and 387 fewer shootings (a reduction of 16%) compared to 2017.
“While we are making progress, we realize that a great deal of work remains to be done to attack our stubborn violent crime problem in Chicago,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
Through enforcement actions and community partnerships, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Enforcement Actions
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has worked tirelessly with its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute criminal organizations and individuals who commit violent crime across the Chicago area. The office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to investigate and prosecute violent offenders. Our key state and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Illinois State Police (ISP), the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and numerous county and local police departments and municipalities throughout the district.
“The thriving partnership we have with federal, state, and local law enforcement is essential to our collaborative efforts to combat violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our goal for the remainder of 2018 and into 2019 is to continue to bring to justice those offenders who commit drug, gun, and violent offenses in our neighborhoods.”
During the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted hundreds of defendants for violent crimes, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking, including:
RICO Prosecutions
- Last month, a joint federal and state investigation resulted in racketeering and murder charges against five alleged members of a Chicago street gang faction known as the Goonie Boss. The charges allege that Goonie members and their associates terrorized the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side and were responsible for eleven murders, six attempted murders, and two assaults. The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked closely in the multi-year investigation with the FBI, CPD, and Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- In February 2018, more than 30 alleged high-ranking members of the Latin Kings street gang were charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy in a case investigated by the FBI, CPD, and several other state and local law enforcement agencies under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The indictment charged numerous acts of violence, including six murders and three attempted murders in Chicago and the surrounding area.
Firearm Trafficking and Firearm Theft Prosecutions
- A Kentucky man and two Illinois men were charged in May 2018 in an alleged scheme to purchase dozens of guns in Kentucky and illegally re-sell them in Chicago. Many of the guns were later recovered by law enforcement during criminal investigations. ATF, CPD, and ISP participated in the investigation as part of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
- In January 2018, an Indiana man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for bringing firearms into Illinois from Indiana and illegally selling them.
- One defendant was sentenced in May 2018 to seven and a half years in federal prison, while another was sentenced in November 2017 to eleven years, in connection with the theft of more than 100 guns from a cargo train. The investigation, led by ATF and CPD, resulted in the conviction of eleven individuals involved in the theft.
- Two Chicago men were indicted last month by a federal grand jury in Memphis for stealing 366 firearms from a shipping facility in Tennessee and transporting them to the Chicago area. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago provided assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis, ATF, the FBI’s Cargo Theft Task Force, the Midlothian, Ill., Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department.
- After an investigation by CPD, ATF, and FBI, a Chicago woman was indicted last month for allegedly straw purchasing handguns in Indiana on behalf of a convicted felon in Chicago, whom the woman knew could not legally purchase or possess a firearm.
Carjacking Prosecutions
- Federal carjacking and gun charges were brought against two teenagers in March 2018, after they allegedly stole a sport-utility vehicle at gunpoint in the Goose Island neighborhood of Chicago. The case was investigated by the Chicago 11th District Violent Crimes Task Force, which consists of agents and officers from the FBI, CPD, ATF, DEA, and HSI.
- Based on work by CPD and ATF, federal charges were brought in April 2018 against a Chicago man for allegedly taking multiple vehicles at gunpoint in various neighborhoods of Chicago. In the indictment, the defendant was charged with five counts of carjacking or attempted carjacking, and five counts of using, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Illegal Possession of Firearm Prosecutions
As part of PSN, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works directly with local police and state prosecutors to identify offenders in the most violent areas in our district, including neighborhoods on the west and south sides of Chicago. The office adopts many of these cases for federal prosecution. As noted above, over the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has increased its prosecution of illegal possession of firearms cases. More than 195 individuals were charged with federal gun crimes in Fiscal Year 2018, according to preliminary data.
“If you are a felon and you are caught with a gun in one of the high-crime neighborhoods in Chicago or elsewhere in the district, you should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and face the possibility of going to federal prison for a long time,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
Examples of felon-in-possession sentencings in federal court over the past year include:
- DEMONE RULE, of Chicago, and ALBERT DOWTHARD, of Rockford, were deemed Armed Career Criminals after previously being convicted of several felonies. Rule, whose criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking and attempted murder, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison, while Dowthard, who was previously convicted of multiple domestic battery offenses, was sentenced to 15 years.
- RICARDO BURGOS, previously convicted of aggravated battery of a peace officer and aggravated robbery, was also an aspiring rapper known as “Nation.” Police arrested him in Chicago in possession of a firearm that Burgos brandished while filming a rap video. The same .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol had been used in a shooting just two days prior to his arrest. Burgos was sentenced in January 2018 to 15 years in federal prison.
- MAURICE WALKER, of Chicago, was sentenced in August 2018 to more than six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun equipped with a laser sight. Walker was arrested after initially attempting to flee from police.
- JAMES HARRISON, a convicted felon from Chicago and a member of a street gang, was sentenced in August 2018 to more than six years in federal prison for illegally possessing an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun with a laser sight and extended magazine.
- TARNCHE HULL, of Chicago, was sentenced in January 2018 to more than five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun. Hull had previously been convicted of crimes more than 20 times, including three firearm-related convictions.
- QUINTREL MOORE, of Chicago, was sentenced in November 2017 to more than five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic pistol while on parole for a state drug conviction. Tests performed by ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) showed that the gun was linked to three separate shootings within seven months, all occurring near the location of Moore’s arrest in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago.
Last month, the Department of Justice announced that it is funding five additional violent crime prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois. With these additional resources, U.S. Attorney Lausch is creating a Gun Crimes Prosecution Team to enhance the prosecution of illegal firearm cases in certain police districts in Chicago. Working collaboratively with federal and local law enforcement, the new unit will focus on charging Chicago’s most dangerous criminals quickly after arrest, endeavoring to disrupt the cycle of violence in the neighborhoods most in need.
“We welcome the additional resources from the Department of Justice to strengthen our efforts to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
Narcotics Trafficking Prosecutions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office targets traffickers who bring illegal drugs into Illinois from other states or countries, with a particular focus on traffickers who use guns, violence and threats of violence to protect and promote their illegal businesses. The office also investigates and prosecutes large-scale dealers who distribute powerful opioids like fentanyl and heroin. Many of these investigations are conducted by OCDETF and HIDTA task forces, which involve teams of law enforcement agents and officers from multiple federal agencies and police departments working together to combat drug trafficking and its attendant violent crime in the Chicago area. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office often works directly with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to ensure that individuals selling drugs on the streets are charged with appropriate offenses in either federal or state court.
Recent examples of federal narcotics prosecutions include:
- Eleven defendants were charged in March 2018 with trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side. The OCDETF investigation involved extensive undercover and surveillance work, and resulted in the seizure of distribution quantities of the narcotics.
- A federal investigation into drug and gun trafficking in the west suburbs of Chicago led to charges in March 2018 against six defendants. Authorities seized four military-style assault rifles, three handguns, and several hundred rounds of ammunition. The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked closely with the FBI, CPD, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, Maywood Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Johnsburg Police Department.
- More than 12 individuals, including the owner of an auto body shop where drugs were stashed, were charged in April 2018 as part of an OCDETF investigation into alleged drug sales in Chicago’s Little Village and West Garfield Park neighborhoods. Authorities seized distribution quantities of heroin, fentanyl, MDMA pills and cocaine, as well as 12 illegal firearms, including an assault rifle.
- An Elmwood Park man was charged in May 2018 with importing fentanyl from China to sell in the Chicago area. This OCDETF investigation was led by DEA, FBI, and USPIS.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with HSI for the June 2018 arrest of a man who allegedly sold a kilogram of fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer near Midway Airport on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
- More than 50 defendants were charged in June 2018 as part of a joint federal and state investigation into heroin and fentanyl sales on the West Side of Chicago. As part of the probe, law enforcement shut down two open-air drug markets in the city’s North Lawndale and East Garfield Park neighborhoods. Authorities seized three kilograms of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine, 230 grams of fentanyl, and eight illegal firearms, including a semi-automatic assault rifle with a drum barrel magazine.
- An investigation by the Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force (RAVGTF) and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Police led to drug conspiracy charges in July 2018 against six individuals for alleged heroin and crack cocaine sales in the Rockford area. RAVGTF includes members of the FBI and Rockford, Loves Park, and Freeport Police Departments.
- An OCDETF investigation led to federal or state charges in August 2018 against nine individuals in connection with alleged cocaine and heroin sales in Joliet. The charges allege that the leader of this drug trafficking organization is affiliated with the Joliet faction of the Black Gangster Disciples street gang.
- Two Chicago pharmacy technicians were charged in August 2018 as part of a DEA investigation with stealing 56,000 pills of Hydrocodone and selling them for a profit.
- Federal drug charges were brought in August 2018 against seven individuals for alleged heroin and cocaine sales in Freeport. The investigation was jointly conducted by the RAVGTF and the Stateline Area Narcotics Team (SLANT), which is a task force led by ISP and the Freeport Police Department.
- The leader of a network of drug dealers was sentenced in September 2018 to 35 years in federal prison for trafficking heroin and cocaine to Chicago from California aboard Amtrak trains.
- A CPD and HIDTA task force investigation led to federal or state charges in September 2018 against more than 25 individuals for allegedly selling fentanyl, fentanyl-laced heroin, or heroin in Chicago. The federal charges describe drug sales in the Tri-Taylor, Humboldt Park and West Garfield Park neighborhoods on the city’s West Side, as well as deals in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side.
- A dozen defendants were charged last month with trafficking heroin on the West Side of Chicago in connection with an OCDETF investigation. During the probe, law enforcement seized one and a half kilograms of heroin, a half kilogram of crack cocaine, more than $892,000 in illicit cash proceeds, and a stolen handgun.
Community Partnerships
The revitalized PSN program continues to invest resources in many violence-prevention initiatives. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office participate in parolee forums and youth outreach forums.
The monthly parolee forums, also known as offender notification meetings, rotate among various Chicago neighborhoods. Recent parolees who have moved back into the neighborhoods are offered the chance to make an informed choice not to engage in further criminal activity. Researchers at Yale University found that ex-offenders who attend a forum are 30% less likely to commit a new offense than those who did not attend a forum.
The quarterly youth forums assist children aged 13-17 to identify a path other than gang membership. The youth forums are conducted in partnership with CPD, the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and the University of Chicago Crime Lab, which tracks the progress of the children to assess results.
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To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant’s Statement on the Departure of Attorney General SessionsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee thanks Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his dedicated service to our Nation and his effective leadership of the Department of Justice during his two-year tenure as Attorney General.
General Sessions’ strong leadership recommitted the Department to enforcing the rule of law, decreasing violent crime, and attacking the opioid epidemic. General Sessions is a prosecutor’s prosecutor, and was unwavering in his support of U.S. Attorneys as well as state and local law enforcement across the country. By providing us with additional prosecutors, General Sessions enhanced our ability to aggressively fight violent crime and keep our communities safe in the Western District of Tennessee.
We look forward to working under the leadership of our next Attorney General, as we continue to faithfully execute the laws of Congress and effectuate the law enforcement priorities of President Donald J. Trump.
U.S. Attorney Brady Statement on Departure of Attorney General SessionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania thanks Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his leadership of the Department of Justice during his two-year tenure as Attorney General.
General Sessions’ strong leadership recommitted the Department to the rule of law, religious liberty, decreasing violent crime and attacking the opioid epidemic. General Sessions was unwavering in his support of U.S. Attorneys as well as state and local law enforcement across the country. By providing us with additional prosecutors, we continue to aggressively fight the opioid epidemic and keep our communities safe in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
We look forward to working under the leadership of our next Attorney General, as we continue to effectuate the law enforcement priorities of President Donald J. Trump.
Tyler County man sentenced to more than 10 years for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles C. Williamson, of Sistersville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 121 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williamson, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine” in July 2018. Williamson admitted to selling methamphetamine in November of 2017 in Tyler County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Two Men Found Guilty of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Connection with Telemarketing Fraud Scheme Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that ANDREW OWIMRIN, a/k/a “Andrew Owens,” a/k/a “Jonathan Stewart,” and SHAHRAM KETABCHI, a/k/a “Steve Ketabchi,” were found guilty today in Manhattan federal court of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering in connection with a telemarketing scheme. OWIMRIN and KETABCHI were convicted following 12-day trial before United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Andrew Owimrin and Shahram Ketabchi conspired to target and victimize elderly people through aggressive and deceptive telemarketing. The various so-called investment opportunities were really just variations on fraudulent schemes to steal investors’ money. Now Owimrin and Ketabchi await sentencing for their crimes.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence presented at trial:
Beginning in at least October 2013 through March 21, 2017, OWIMRIN and KETABCHI worked for telemarketing companies (the “Telemarketing Companies”) that engaged in a fraudulent scheme (the “Telemarketing Scheme”), by which they promised to earn victims (the “Victims”) money in exchange for particular Victims making an initial cash “investment” in business development, website design, grant applications, or tax preparation services. Many Victims, the majority of whom are over 70 years old, “invested” thousands of dollars with the Telemarketing Companies, but did not earn any of the promised returns. When Victims sought refunds, or fought credit card charges, the Telemarketing Companies provided explanations and documentation to the credit card companies falsely representing that the Victims had received the promised services. OWIMRIN worked as a sales representative for two of the Telemarketing Companies, Olive Branch Marketing and A1 Business Consultants. KETABCHI, who worked for A1 Business Consultants, was responsible for, among other things, the submission of false documentation to the credit card companies in order to challenge the Victims’ attempts to recover their funds.
Thirteen other individuals have been convicted in connection with this case:
Defendant Name
Companies
Count(s) of Conviction
Arash Ketabchi
A1 Business Consultants,
Elevated Business Consultants,
Element Business Services
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
William Sinclair
Olive Branch Marketing,
Paramount Business Solutions
Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1349)
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
(18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))
Michael Finocchiaro
Olive Branch Marketing,
Paramount Business Solutions
Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1349)
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
(18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))
Narcotics Conspiracy
(21 U.S.C. § 846)
Joseph McGowan
Carlyle Management Group,
Vanguard Business Solutions
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Christopher Wilson
Olive Branch Marketing,
Paramount Business Solutions,
CTO Consulting
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Jack Kavner
Carlyle Management Group,
Vanguard Business Solutions
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Daniel Quirk
Carlyle Management Group,
Vanguard Business Solutions
Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1349)
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
(18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))
Narcotics Conspiracy
(21 U.S.C. § 846)
Peter DiQuarto
Elenchus Business Services
Harbinger Capital
Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1349)
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
(18 U.S.C. § 1956(h))
Narcotics Conspiracy
(21 U.S.C. § 846)
Thomas O’Reilly
CTO Consulting
Obstruction of Justice
(18 U.S.C. § 1519)
Raymond Quiles
Prestige Worldwide
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Brooke Marcus
First Trend
Tri-Star
Elite Business Services
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
Anthony Medeiros
Virtual Business Plus
Narcotics Conspiracy
(21 U.S.C. §§ 846)
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
(18 U.S.C. § 1349)
* * *
OWIMRIN, 29, of Hackensack, New Jersey, and KETABCHI, 47, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, were each convicted of one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. OWIMRIN and KETABCHI are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Stein on February 12, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
The maximum potential sentences in this case 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 the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Robert B. Sobelman, and Benet J. Kearney are in charge of the prosecution.
If you believe to have been a victim of the telemarketing companies listed above, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at 866-874-8900 or [email protected]. You may also report it to Detective Christopher Bastos at 917-480-7167 or [email protected].
Two Former Fiat Chrysler Executives and a Senior UAW Official Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Bribe Union OfficialsRead the Press Release
Two high-level executives of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC (“FCA” or “Fiat Chrysler”) and a senior official of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (“UAW”) were sentenced to prison today based on their convictions relating to a scheme to bribe UAW officials by Fiat Chrysler, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining in the announcement were Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Timothy Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Jerome Durden, 62, of Rochester, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison based on his prior August 2017 guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States before United States District Judge Paul D. Borman. Durden was a former Financial Analyst for Fiat Chrysler, and he had served as the Controller of the joint UAW-Chrysler National Training Center between 2008 and 2015. Durden presented false tax returns on behalf of the National Training Center and a “charitable” organization associated with former UAW Vice President General Holiefield known as the Leave the Light On Foundation in order to conceal over $1.5 million in illegal payments by Fiat Chrysler to senior UAW officials through the National Training Center and the foundation, all done in an effort to affect the labor-management relationship between Fiat Chrysler and the UAW. The senior UAW officials who were bribed included UAW Vice President Holiefield, UAW Assistant Director Virdell King, senior UAW official Keith Mickens, senior UAW official Nancy A. Johnson, who served as the second in command of the UAW’s Chrysler Department from July 2014 through 2016, and others.
The illegal payments included paying off the mortgage on Holiefield’s home, first-class airline travel, designer clothing, furniture, jewelry and custom-made watches.
Keith Mickens, 64, of Clarkston, Michigan was sentenced today to 12 months in prison based on his April 2018 conviction to conspiring with other UAW officials and FCA executives to take illegal payments from Fiat Chrysler. Between 2010 and 2014, Mickens was one of the senior UAW officials responsible for administering the collective bargaining agreements on behalf of tens of thousands of UAW members employed by FCA. Mickens served as a member of the UAW’s National Negotiating Committee in 2011 and was one of the UAW officials responsible for negotiating the collective bargaining agreements between the UAW and FCA. He also served as the co-Director of the National Training Center.
Mickens has admitted to helping transfer over $700,000 from FCA to former UAW Vice President Holiefield using two companies that Holiefield controlled with Monica Morgan, Holiefield’s girlfriend and later wife. FCA executives concealed the illegal payments using the bank account of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center.
Separate from the illegal activities involving UAW Vice President Holiefield, Mickens admitted that he and other senior UAW officials also accepted thousands of dollars’ worth of clothing, electronics, golf equipment, and other personal items that were paid for by FCA.
Michael Brown, 60, of West Bloomfield, Michigan was sentenced to 12 months in prison based on his felony conviction for providing misleading and incomplete testimony to a federal grand jury. Brown misled the grand jury in a deliberate effort to conceal the existence of the conspiracy to bribe UAW officials by FCA, FCA executives acting in the interest of FCA, the UAW, and UAW officials. Between 2009 and 2016, Brown was employed as a Director for Employee Relations at Fiat Chrysler.
The Court’s sentencings of Durden, Brown, and Mickens mark the third, fourth, and fifth defendants to be sentenced in the ongoing criminal investigation into illegal payoffs to UAW officials. On July 13, 2018, defendant Monica Morgan was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $190,747 in restitution for her tax fraud in connection with the receipt of illegal payments by her husband, the now deceased Holiefield, who had served as the Vice President of the UAW in command of the Chrysler Department. On August 27, 2018, Alphons Iacobelli was sentenced to 66 months in prison and ordered to pay $835,523 in restitution for his involvement in the conspiracy to bribe UAW officials and his submission of false tax returns.
“The Court’s sentences today are further strides forward in our effort to root out corruption in the leadership of the UAW because of illegal payments by Fiat Chrysler and its executives,” said United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “We want the hard working men and women of the union to know that federal law enforcement will uncover, prosecute, and punish any effort to undermine their collective bargaining process.”
Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Detroit office, stated, “Corporate Fraud continues to be a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation. When executives abuse the power they are given, it undermines our trust in the business sector and compromises the integrity of our economic and political system. Today’s sentencings serve as a warning to those who hold positions of trust and leadership. Muriel continued, “IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners will continue to work together to uncover these schemes and hold the corporate and union executives accountable.”
“Mickens, a former senior UAW official, conspired with former FCA management officials, including Durden, to accept illegal payments and other things of value from FCA in exchange for manipulating the collective bargaining agreement process at the expense of UAW members. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards to safeguard the assets of union members,” said James Vanderberg, Special Agent-In-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“Today’s sentencings of former FCA executives and a senior UAW official once again demonstrate that those who seek personal gain through deception and fraud will be brought to justice,” said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to the dogged pursuit of all those responsible for corrupting the collective bargaining process and stealing from the many hardworking and dedicated auto workers in our community.”
“Protecting members against corruption perpetrated by their union leaders is critical to the mission of the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS),” said Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for vigorously prosecuting those involved in the conspiracy. We will continue to work cooperatively with our law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone who abuses their union position for personal financial gain will be brought to justice.”
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey, Erin S. Shaw, and Adriana Dydell.
Two Dominican Nationals Plead Guilty to Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Dominican nationals pleaded guilty today to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Angel Milciades Santana Polanco, 31, and Julio Cesar Baez, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Baez also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 400 grams of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled Baez’s sentencing for Jan. 29, 2019, and Santana Polanco’s for Feb. 1, 2019.
According to court records, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted telephones used by Wareng Jhonny Villar-Ortiz, 30, and Saul Martinez Escarfuller, 31, both of whom are also Dominican nationals, and determined that Villar-Ortiz was a mid-level drug distributor and that Martinez Escarfuller delivered a kilogram of drugs to Villar-Ortiz in late January 2018. In February 2018, Villar-Ortiz was dissatisfied with the quality of the drugs and made arrangements for Martinez Escarfuller to take them back. On Feb. 14, 2018, agents observed Martinez Escarfuller exit Villar-Ortiz’s apartment building, get into his car, and drive off. A short while later, Martinez Escarfuller stopped his car, and Baez exited the vehicle and entered a second vehicle. Law enforcement then stopped the second vehicle and seized approximately 789 grams of fentanyl from Baez.
In addition, the investigation revealed that Santana Polanco was typically a distributor for Villar-Ortiz, and that he also tested the quality of drugs received by Villar-Ortiz. Between Feb. 8 and Feb. 12, 2018, agents intercepted communications between Santana Polanco and Villar-Ortiz in which Santana Polanco offered to supply Villar-Ortiz with a kilogram of drugs. Villar-Ortiz took possession of the drugs in order to test the quality before deciding whether to purchase them. On Feb. 15, 2018, Villar-Ortiz reported that the drugs were unacceptable and made arrangements for Santana Polanco to retrieve them. Agents subsequently obtained a search warrant for Villar-Ortiz’s residence and seized 978.6 grams of fentanyl from a hiding spot in the bathroom wall.
Martinez Escarfuller and Villar-Ortiz have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The charges of participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl and to possess with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl both provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Santana Polanco and Baez will also face deportation proceedings upon completion of their sentences. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Ipswich, and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Alaska Men Sentenced for Harassing, Killing Steller Sea Lions and Obstructing the Investigation into Their Illegal ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that two Alaska men were sentenced yesterday in federal court for harassing and killing Steller sea lions with shotguns, and obstructing the government’s investigation into their criminal activities.
Jon Nichols, 31, of Cordova, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith, to serve five years of probation, three months of home incarceration, 400 hours of community service, and pay a $20,000 fine. Nichols is also required to publish a public apology in a national magazine covering commercial fishing. Theodore “Teddy” Turgeon, 21, of Wasilla, was sentenced to serve four years of probation, one month of home incarceration, 40 hours of community work service, and pay a $5,000 fine.
In June 2018, Nichols and Turgeon each pleaded guilty to one count of Marine Mammal Protection Act – Illegal Take. Nichols also pleaded guilty to one count of Obstruction of a Marine Mammal Protection Act Investigation.
According to court documents, a federal investigation was launched after 15 Steller sea lions were found dead at the mouth of the Copper River, during the opening of the 2015 Copper River salmon season. During that season, Nichols was captain of the Fishing Vessel (F/V) Iron Hide, and Turgeon was part of his crew. The investigation revealed that, on various occasions between May and June 2015, Nichols regularly directed his crew, including Turgeon, to shoot at Steller sea lions while fishing in the Copper River fishing district. The shootings were carried out using a pair of shotguns kept aboard the vessel, one each belonging to Nichols and Turgeon. At times, Nichols would shoot the Steller sea lions himself, and at other times, Nichols would drive the F/V Iron Hide in the direction of the Steller sea lions to allow Turgeon and his crew to get a better shot.
After learning there was an investigation into the dead Steller sea lions, from June 6, 2015, through October 2016, Nichols obstructed the investigation by, among other things, coordinating false stories between his crew members regarding the shooting of sea lions and about the presence of firearms aboard the vessel. For example, after encouraged to do so by Nichols, Turgeon lied to a NOAA law enforcement agent stating that the crew did not shoot sea lions and there were no guns on the F/V Iron Hide, when he knew these statements to be false.
The Steller sea lion is protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and is listed as an endangered species for the geographic area where the shooting occurred.
NOAA, Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA OLE) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward.
Thomas J.S. Atoigue and Austin Jay San Nicolas Sentenced for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants THOMAS J.S. ATOIGUE, age 27, from Dededo, and AUSTIN JAY SAN NICOLAS, age 23, from Santa Rita, were sentenced on November 6, 2018, in District Court by Senior District Judge Alex R. Munson, for Theft of Mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708. Defendant ATOIGUE was sentenced to two years probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment fee. Defendant SAN NICOLAS was sentenced to five months home detention with electronic monitoring, two years supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment fee.
ATOIGUE worked as a cargo screener for Unlimited Services Group, which at the time sub- contracted under United Airlines for the handling of cargo for the United States Postal Service. SAN NICOLAS was a cargo lead for Unlimited Services Group. Both defendants processed mail for delivery to Guam. During their employment, ATOIGUE and SAN NICOLAS stole numerous items from the mail system, including consumer electronics, Hydro Flasks, and vape juice. ATOIGUE retained, gifted, and sold approximately $16,037.87 in stolen items. SAN NICOLAS kept some of the stolen items and gave others to friends. SAN NICOLAS also stole a Springfield firearm during the course of his criminal conduct. The total value of the items SAN NICOLAS stole and received was approximately $6,412.98.
U.S. Attorney Anderson stated, “These are two of many recent cases involving the theft of mail by people working in positions of trust within a restricted-access area of Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport. Consumers expect to receive their goods that are shipped via the United States Postal Service. I am concerned that this pattern of activity is deterring off-island retailers from shipping to Guam, or otherwise increasing their cost of doing business here. The Department of Justice, in partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service, will continue our enforcement efforts to ensure the integrity of the mail system. Those who engage in this unlawful activity should expect prosecution by our office and the consequences of a felony conviction.”
Inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen F. Leon Guerrero prosecuted the case.
Ten Plead Guilty in Federal Court for Roles in Lexington Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that as of this week, a total of ten defendants out of Lexington County and surrounding areas have pled guilty in federal court for their roles in a meth distribution conspiracy.
The first seven defendants, (1) Rafael Redmond, a/k/a “Pockets,” 43; (2) Jennifer Logan, 42; (3) Andrew Michael Chamberlain, 31; (4) James Lloyd, 28; (5) Jeremy Davis, 31; (6) Robert Pendleton, a/k/a “Bobby,” 39; and (7) David Peeples, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Another two, (8) Terri Moore, 40; and (9) Brian Lorick, 45, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
These nine defendants each face a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison, with a possibility of up to life imprisonment. Evidence offered during their guilty pleas included audio and video surveillance of several defendants involved in drug trafficking and firearm possession. Children were present during one of these drug exchanges.
Defendants (2) Jennifer Logan, (4) James Lloyd, (8) Terri Moore, and (9) Brian Lorick also pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. They face a mandatory sentence of at least 5 years in federal prison, in addition to any other sentence imposed on the drug charges.
A tenth Defendant, Kyndal Hancock, 25, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs will sentence all ten defendants after reviewing presentencing reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted under the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001. Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Ten Individuals Charged in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging 10 individuals with conspiring to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. Joining Schneider in the announcement was Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Timothy Slater. Named in the federal indictment were:
RODNEY DUANE OBRYAN, 52 of Saginaw,
DEMETRIUS TYRONE CHAPPELL, 48 of Redford Township,
DEVITRI DESHAUNE SANTOS, 40 of Saginaw,
CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE ROY, 46 of Detroit,
MALCOLM DWIGHT OBRYAN, 60 of Grand Rapids,
KEVIN DEWAYNE SHACKS, 52 of Saginaw,
ROBERT EARL BROOKS, 46 of Saginaw,
EDWARD BRYANT JR., 58 of Saginaw,
THOMAS JAMAR MCKINLEY, 44 of Saginaw, and
MACK ADAM MCCLAIN, 32 of Saginaw
"We intend to continue to do all we can to rid our community and our neighborhoods of illegal drugs and the violence and dysfunction that accompany them,” stated United States Attorney Schneider. “I’d like to thank the entire law enforcement team that worked so hard on this case. This case demonstrates cooperation and teamwork at its best.”
“Today’s arrests in metro Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Detroit highlight the positive impact of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement upon communities throughout Michigan when we use every tool available to combat violent drug trafficking organizations wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods and flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics,” said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. “Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment free from illicit narcotics and the violence that goes hand-in-hand with these criminal activities. Only concerted collaboration – both among law enforcement and with our community members – will safely return our neighborhoods to the families living their lives in these communities each day. The FBI is proud to work side-by-side with each law enforcement agency involved in this investigation and today’s arrests, to include: the FBI Bay City Resident Agency Mid-Michigan Safe Streets Task Force, DEA, and ATF; the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, Flint Area Narcotics Group, and Western Wayne Narcotics Unit; the Michigan State Police, Bay City Police Department, Saginaw Police Department, and Detroit Police Department; and the Michigan National Guard.”
The indictment alleges that since at least the summer of 2017, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. The indictment alleges that over 500 grams of cocaine was involved in the conspiracy.
In conjunction with the unsealing of the indictment, FBI special agents, along with agents and officers from other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, executed numerous search warrants at various locations throughout Michigan.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Mid-Michigan Safe Streets Task Force along with the DEA, ATF, Michigan State Police, Bay City Police Department, Saginaw Police Department, Western Wayne Narcotics Unit, and the Michigan Army National Guard. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Turkelson.
Syrian Man Sentenced for Terrorism-Related CrimesRead the Press Release
Ahmed Alahmedalabdaloklah, aka Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Ahmad, 41, of Syria, was sentenced today to life plus 30 years in prison. Alahmedalabdaloklah was found guilty by a federal jury on March 16, of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiring to maliciously damage or destroy U.S. Property by weans of an explosive, aiding and abetting other persons to possess a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to possess a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange for the District of Arizona and Special Agent in Charge Michael DeLeon of the FBI’s Phoenix field office. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver.
“Alahmedalabdaloklah sought to harm American soldiers by conspiring with others to construct and supply improvised explosive device (IED) parts for bombs that were used in Iraq. He will now serve the rest of his life in prison,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The National Security Division will continue to bring to justice those who seek to harm American servicemen and women who bravely risk their lives in defense of our nation.”
“We owe a debt of gratitude to all American military personnel serving overseas. Protecting and ensuring justice for them is a priority that cannot be overstated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Strange. “Ahmed Alahmedalabdaloklah used his specialized engineering expertise to target our service members using IEDs, and his life sentence reflects the gravity of that choice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to prosecuting terrorist offenses, wherever they may occur.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the dedication of the FBI and our partners within the Joint Terrorism Task Force in pursuing and disrupting anyone who plans to harm U.S. persons or interests,” said Special Agent in Charge DeLeon. “We want to thank the Department of Justice and the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office, along with both local and foreign partners for their essential contributions to this case. The FBI sends our deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims, their families, and friends. The FBI's highest priority remains preventing terrorist attacks and combating terrorism here in the U.S. and around the world."
Between January 2005 and July 2010, Alahmedalabdaloklah designed, made and supplied components parts for IEDs for members and associates of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, an armed Iraqi insurgent group that opposed the U.S. military presence in Iraq. The component parts were intended to be used in IEDs against U.S. military personnel and property in Iraq.
On Aug. 30, 2006, U.S. military personnel discovered what, at that time, was one of the largest IED caches in Iraq at 50 Omar Street, Baghdad, Iraq (Omar Cache). The Omar Cache included numerous IED-related materials, including a completed IED triggering device that had three of Alahmedalabdaloklah’s fingerprints on the tape wrapped around the device. The U.S. military also seized raw material, tools, test equipment, schematics, and other items related to IED construction, including components for various types of IEDs and bomb making training aids. One document, which had numerous latent prints belonging to Alahmedalabdaloklah, described how to employ remote technology to command a mobile phone, wireless device and landline phone to detonate explosives.
Alahmedalabdaloklah subsequently moved to China and continued to support the 1920 Revolution Brigades by providing component parts for IEDs. In May 2011, Alahmedalabdaloklah was detained in the Republic of Turkey while transiting from China. He was extradited to the United States in August 2014.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Pimsner, Melissa Karlen and Bill Solomon for the District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Joseph Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Syrian Man Sentenced for Terrorism-Related CrimesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On Nov. 7, 2018, Ahmed Alahmedalabdaloklah, aka Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Ahmad, 41, of Syria, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver to Life plus 30 years. Alahmedalabdaloklah was found guilty by a federal jury on March 16, 2018 of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiring to maliciously damage or destroy United States property by means of an explosive, aiding and abetting other persons to possess a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to possess a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.
“Alahmedalabdaloklah sought to harm American soldiers by conspiring with others to construct and supply improvised explosive device (IED) parts for bombs that were used in Iraq. He will now serve the rest of his life in prison,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The National Security Division will continue to bring to justice those who seek to harm American servicemen and women who bravely risk their lives in defense of our nation.”
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all American military personnel everywhere and particularly those serving overseas. Protecting and ensuring justice for them is a priority for our office that cannot be overstated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “Ahmed Alahmedalabdaloklah used his engineering expertise to specifically target our service members, and the Court’s sentence reflects the atrocity of his terrorist crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to prosecuting terrorist offenses wherever they may occur.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the dedication of the FBI and our partners within the Joint Terrorism Task Force in pursuing and disrupting anyone who plans to harm U.S. persons or interests,” said Phoenix FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael DeLeon. “We want to thank the Department of Justice and the Arizona U.S. Attorney's Office, along with both local and foreign partners for their essential contributions to this case. The FBI sends our deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims, their families, and friends. The FBI's highest priority remains preventing terrorist attacks and combating terrorism here in the U.S. and around the world."
Between January 2005 and July 2010, Alahmedalabdaloklah designed, made and supplied component parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for members and associates of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, an armed Iraqi insurgent group that opposed the U.S. military presence in Iraq. The component parts were intended to be used in IEDs against United States military personnel and property in Iraq.
On Aug. 30, 2006, U.S. military personnel discovered what, at that time, was one of the largest IED caches in Iraq at 50 Omar Street, Baghdad, Iraq. The Omar Cache included numerous IED-related materials, including a completed IED triggering device that had three of Alahmedalabdaloklah’s fingerprints on tape wrapped around the device. The U.S. military also seized raw material, tools, test equipment, schematics, and other items related to IED construction, including components for various types of IEDs and bomb-making training aids. One document, which had numerous latent prints belonging to Alahmedalabdaloklah, described how to employ remote technology to command a mobile phone, wireless device, and landline phone to detonate explosives.
Alahmedalabdaloklah subsequently moved to China and continued to support the 1920 Revolution Brigades by providing component parts for IEDs. In May 2011, Alahmedalabdaloklah was detained in the Republic of Turkey while transiting from China. He was extradited to the United States in August 2014.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by David Pimsner, Melissa Karlen and Bill Solomon, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix and Joseph Kaster, Trial Attorney-National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
CASE NUMBER: CR-12-1263-PHX-ROS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-151_ Alahmedalabdaloklah
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Subury and Elizabeth City Men Sentenced for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced today, that TERRY LAVELLE INGRAM, 36, of Elizabeth City, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle for possession of a firearm and ammunition by felon. Chief Judge Boyle sentenced INGRAM to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
INGRAM’S co-defendant, CHRISTOPHER OMAR HINTON, 33, of Sunbury, was previously sentenced on August 23, 2018 by Chief United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Judge Boyle sentenced HINTON to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
HINTON and INGRAM were charged in a two-count indictment on February 28, 2018. HINTON pleaded guilty on June 26, 2018, and INGRAM pleaded guilty on April 30, 2018.
On April 7, 2017, HINTON robbed a Lucky City Sweepstakes in Raleigh, North Carolina. After entering the business he broke into the office, held up an employee at gunpoint, and stole about $8,000. On April 23, 2017, HINTON and INGRAM robbed the same business, again at gunpoint. They ordered two employees into a bathroom and blocked the door so the victims could not escape. HINTON and INGRAM then stole $10,302 from the business.
The Raleigh Police Department later located HINTON and INGRAM staying at a hotel in Raleigh. Inside a vehicle registered to HINTON, officers found a stolen Hi-Point 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Springfield Armory .40 caliber pistol, ammunition, an extended magazine, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Erin Blondel handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Statement of U.S. Attorney John W. Huber on Attorney General SessionsRead the Press Release
“Jeff Sessions served with distinction as the nation’s 84th Attorney General. During his tenure, he magnified the impact of his service. He reinvigorated and motivated federal, state and local law enforcement professionals to perform at the highest levels and produce results on behalf of their communities. He advanced President Trump’s priorities with strong leadership and purposeful expectations.
“Utah has directly benefitted from Attorney General Sessions’ leadership. After two years of sharp increases in Utah’s violent crime rates, we saw an 8 percent decrease last year as a direct result of Attorney General Sessions’ leadership. The trajectory he set in the Department of Justice will continue to serve our nation on multiple fronts – against immigration crime, violent crime, transnational criminal organizations, and the heroin and opioid crisis.
“Personally, I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as an advisor to Attorney General Sessions. He is a dedicated public servant – with decades of service as a U.S. Attorney, a U.S. Senator, and as the Attorney General of the United States. More importantly, I have come to know him as a kind and gracious gentleman, sincere in his desire to make our nation an even better place.
“I look forward to working under the leadership of the next Attorney General, and will continue to pursue the rule of law priorities of President Trump.”
State Contractor Convicted of Defrauding New York State on Federally Funded ContractsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – A jury voted yesterday to convict Nathaniel P. Lorenz, age 47, of Holley, New York, of wire and mail fraud charges, following a 7-day trial.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Douglas Shoemaker, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (USDOT-OIG); New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott; and Robert L. Keihm, Chief Investigator for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Investigations Bureau.
The evidence at trial established that Lorenz, a former police officer and sheriff’s deputy, submitted fake invoices to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in order to conceal that he was not buying the materials needed to perform bridge maintenance contracts in the Binghamton and Buffalo regions.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Nathaniel Lorenz ripped off New York State taxpayers by doing shoddy maintenance work on bridges New Yorkers depend on every day and then submitting phony paperwork to cover up his fraud. Together with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigilantly watch over federally funded contractors so that taxpayers get what they pay for.”
DOT-OIG Special Agent in Charge Douglas Shoemaker stated: “The conviction of Nathaniel P. Lorenz for fraud related to federally funded New York State Department of Transportation contracts demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the safety and integrity of public infrastructure projects. Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute individuals who inappropriately use federal taxpayer dollars.”
New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott stated: “This greedy contractor spent years blatantly shortchanging taxpayers and lining his own pockets while hastening the deterioration of highway pavement for which he was paid millions of dollars to help protect. The federal jury easily saw right through his criminal scheme and convicted him on all counts. I thank the United States Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General and the New York State Department of Transportation for their partnership investigating this matter, and United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York Grant C. Jaquith and his office for prosecuting this matter.”
Lorenz’s company, ACME Powerwashing Inc. (ACME) of Holley, contracted with NYSDOT in 2015 and 2016 to clean and seal the road portions of bridges, known as concrete bridge decks. The work involved cleaning the bridge decks and then sealing them with a chemical that makes the concrete more resistant to penetration by water, chlorides and waterborne contaminants, which might cause potholes and other deterioration. The Federal Highway Administration, part of the United States Department of Transportation, provided most of the money for these contracts.
Each of these contracts required ACME to purchase a certain amount of sealing chemical, based on how many square feet of concrete bridge deck was sealed. On three contracts in 2015 and 2016, Lorenz submitted fraudulent invoices to NYSDOT in order to conceal that he was not buying the amount of the sealing chemicals required by the contracts. Lorenz falsely claimed that he was buying sealing chemicals from S.E. Brett, Inc., another company that he owned that does not sell anything.
On these 3 contracts alone, NYSDOT paid ACME more than $1.1 million for bridge sealing work, and about $759,000 for bridge cleaning and other work. The evidence at trial established that ACME, which had been a NYSDOT contractor since 2010, was not buying the appropriate amount of sealing chemicals since at least 2012 and had saved at least $500,000 in avoided material costs. The loss to the government will be determined at sentencing.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2019 in Syracuse before Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. Lorenz faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to one or more governmental agencies. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by USDOT-OIG, NYSDOT’s Investigations Bureau, and the Office of the New York State Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
St. Thomas Man Indicted on Two Jewelry Store Robberies Related Gun Charges and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – On November 1, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a six count superseding indictment against Wayne Bellille, 46, with two Hobbs Act robberies, conspiracy, and related gun charges, United States Attorney Gretchen C. F. Shappert announced. Bellille made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and was detained pending further proceedings.
The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation into Hobbs Act robberies of two jewelry stores on St. Thomas: Signature Jewelers on August 19, 2015, and 3G’s Jewelry and Repair on September 14, 2015. According to the superseding indictment, Bellille and other co-conspirators conspired to rob the stores and brandished weapons to threaten and intimidate store employees. The robbers used duct tape to bind and gag the victims and then fled the store with cash andmerchandise.
If convicted, Bellille faces up to 20 years on each of the Hobbs Act robbery charges and a mandatory 7- and 25-year consecutive sentences for each brandishing of a firearm charge, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virgin Islands Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Stealing Guns out of St. Louis County Police CarsRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Joshua John Pollard was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing stolen firearms and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5,643.65 to the St. Louis County Police Department.
According to court documents, on January 12, 2018, Pollard broke the windows of a St. Louis County Police vehicle and forcefully stole a Colt AR-15, fully loaded with a 20-round magazine and a Remington 870 pump action shotgun loaded with four rounds.
On January 29, 2018, Pollard broke a window of a second St. Louis County Police vehicle and forcefully stole a Rock River, AR-15 and a Remington 870 pump action shotgun.
On January 30, 2018, Pollard broke the window of a vehicle and stole a 40-caliber Glock model G23 generation 4 semi-automatic firearm. Investigation by members of the St. Louis County Police Department led to the arrest of Pollard on February 1st who admitted breaking into the two police vehicles and another vehicle in St. Charles.
Pollard, 20, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty on July 31, 2018, to three counts of stolen firearms. He appeared today before U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Seven Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging PRAJEDES AVILA-VALENZUELA, age 50, of Mexico, DANIEL CARDONA-TOMAS, age 23, of Guatemala, GILBERTO CAZAREZ-MONTIEL, age 29, of Mexico, JUVER EDUARDO COREAS-BATRES, age 26, of El Salvador, SANTOS ASISCLO HERNANDEZ-MEJIA, age 31, of Honduras, JUAN PENALOZA-PENALOZA, age 22, of Mexico, and JUAN ANGEL VELASQUEZ-CANALES, age 35, of Honduras, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, AVILA-VALENZUELA, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, CARDONA-TOMAS, previously deported twice and found in Sampson County, CAZAREZ-MONTIEL, previously deported twice and found in New Hanover County, COREAS-BATRES, previously deported and found in Wake County, and HERNANDEZ-MEJIA, previously deported twice and found in New Hanover County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
PENALOZA-PENALOZA, previously deported and found in Wake County, is alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to a felony conviction (possession of cocaine). Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
VELASQUEZ-CANALES, previously deported twice, found in Johnston County, is alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to aggravated felony conviction (grand larceny). Therefore, if convicted, he would face a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
Serial Domestic Violence Abuser Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Dennis Gerald Robinson, 55, of Camden, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms, including a .22 caliber rifle and 20 gauge shotgun.
Robinson admitted that he engaged in a domestic violence dispute in May 2018, which ended with his victim fleeing the residence and Robinson firing his shotgun. Because Robinson is a convicted felon, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Robinson has previously been convicted of criminal domestic violence in the first degree; criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature; criminal domestic violence in the second degree; criminal domestic violence in the third degree; criminal sexual conduct with a minor; and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. According to court documents, Robinson’s prior domestic violence incidents involved a repeat victim, the repeated use of violence, and a return to the victim.
Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Robinson after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department and is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001. Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Self-styled “Financial Advisor” Ordered to Prison after Defrauding Professional Athletes Out of MillionsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A woman claiming to be a financial advisor and money manager has received that statutory maximum for defrauding former NBA players Travis Best and Dennis Rodman and NFL football players Ricky Williams and Lex Hilliard out of millions, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Peggy Ann Fulford, 60, formerly of Houston and New Orleans, pleaded guilty Feb. 1, 2018, to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison handed Fulford a 120-month prison sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay $5,794,870 in restitution to the victims.
At the hearing, the court heard from Kristin Williams, former wife of Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams, and Rebekah Hilliard, wife of former NFL player Lex Hilliard, who detailed how Fulford’s theft had devastated them and their families financially. During the hearing, Judge Ellison asked Kristin Williams how much of Ricky Williams’ NFL money Fulford got, to which she replied “All of it.”
While on bond in this case and after pleading guilty, Fulford had used the name “Peggy Jones.” During the hearing today, a New Orleans-area man provided additional testimony describing how Fulford, whom he knew as Jones, recently swindled him out of $25,000 to invest in a bogus medical company in Arizona.
In handing down the sentence, the court overruled all defense objections and gave Fulford the statutory maximum sentence of 120 months.
Fulford has also been known to use several aliases, including Peggy King, Peggy Williams, Peggy Simpson, Peggy Rivers, Peggy Barard, Devon Cole and Devon Barard.
Fulford admitted she falsely told victims she was a Harvard-educated financial advisor and money manager. She offered to manage their expenses for them and use their money exclusively to pay their bills, including their income tax payments and/or to make retirement investments for them. Instead, Fulford diverted millions of victim funds that she laundered through dozens of bank accounts to pay for her own personal expenses.
Fulford falsely told victims she graduated from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School and that she had made millions on Wall Street by buying and selling hospitals or on real estate in the Bahamas. She never requested a fee because she told the victims she already had millions of dollars and just wanted to protect them from losing their money.
However, she used most of their money, or intended to use most of their money, for her own personal purposes. Fulford communicated with victims in person, by phone and by email, inducing them to open or give her access to bank accounts which she raided and used for personal expenses such as luxury cars, real estate, jewelry and airline tickets.
In carrying out her scheme to defraud, Fulford moved victim funds back and forth between various bank accounts. As part of the plea, Fulford admitted she moved $200,000 in stolen funds from a bank account in Montana to a bank account in Texas.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.