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30 October 2018
Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Mohammad Abdul Malek (67, St. Marys, GA) today pleaded guilty to attempted enticement and coercion of a minor. Malek faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between August 23 and August 26, 2018, Malek engaged in email and text communications with an undercover detective posing as a 13 year-old girl. Malek asked for photos of the “child” and told her he wanted to teach her about “making love.” Malek was advised and acknowledged that the “child” was a minor, and suggested that they meet to engage in sex. On August 26, 2018, Malek traveled to Jacksonville to meet the “child,” and was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former CFO of New Haven Biotech Firm Admits Embezzling $1 MillionRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS MALONE, 49, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to charges related to his embezzlement of approximately $1 million from a New Haven biotech company that receives federal research grants.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Malone was the chief financial officer (CFO) of Artificial Cell Technologies, Inc. (ACT) of New Haven, a small biotech company that is currently working on developing better ways to deliver malaria and Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines to affected populations. In addition to receiving funding from private investors, ACT has received approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2008. As the CFO, Malone’s responsibilities included collecting, posting, and depositing investor and grant funds; tracking and reporting grant expenditures; managing accounts payable and cash disbursements; facilitating payroll; reconciling ACT credit card and bank accounts; and providing overall financial management.
In November 2016, ACT’s chief executive officer discovered that Malone was paying himself approximately $660,000 in annual salary, far above the approximately $281,000 in salary he was entitled to receive. Upon further review of payroll and other financial records, ACT’s CEO discovered that, for several years, Malone had been writing checks to himself that were disguised as bonuses, that he had been giving himself unauthorized additional salary payments, that he had been using the ACT credit card for personal expenditures, and that he had used ACT’s funds to make unauthorized donations to an organization that Malone personally supported. A subsequent forensic audit revealed that, between 2012 and 2016, Malone had embezzled nearly $1 million from ACT.
Malone was arrested on a criminal complaint on March 1, 2018.
Malone pleaded guilty to four counts of theft from a program involving federal funds, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count. He also has agreed to pay restitution of $1,031,508.07.
Malone is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on January 18, 2019. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Former CEO of Mariner’s Bank and Accomplice Both Charged with Scheme to Obtain Nominee Loans from Mariner’s BankRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former CEO of Mariner’s Bank and an accomplice both were charged today for their roles in a scheme to obtain nominee loans from Mariner’s Bank, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Fred Daibes, the former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mariner’s Bank, and Michael McManus, the CFO of Daibes Enterprises, a consortium of companies specializing in real estate development, were charged by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to misapply bank funds and to make false entries to deceive a financial institution and the FDIC. Daibes, 61, of Edgewater, New Jersey, also was charged with five counts of misapplying bank funds, six counts of making false entries to deceive a financial institution and the FDIC, and one count of causing reliance on a false document to influence the FDIC. McManus, 61, of Madison, New Jersey, was charged with four counts of misapplying bank funds, one count of making false entries to deceive a financial institution and the FDIC, one count of causing reliance on a false document to the influence the FDIC, and two counts of loan application fraud. The defendants will have their initial appearances and arraignments at a later date.
According to documents filed in this case:
Daibes was the founder and, until April 2011, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mariner’s Bank. During the relevant time period, Mariner’s Bank was subject to federal banking regulations that placed limits on the amount of money that the bank could lend to a single borrower (the “Lending Limits”). Between January 2008 and December 2013, Daibes, McManus, and others orchestrated a nominee loan scheme designed to circumvent the Lending Limits by ensuring that millions of dollars in loans (the “Nominee Loans”) flowed from the nominees to Daibes, while concealing his beneficial interests in those loans from both Mariner’s Bank and the FDIC.
Daibes and others recruited nominees, including McManus, to make materially false and misleading statements and material omissions to Mariner’s Bank to obtain the Nominee Loans, including by concealing that Daibes was the true beneficiary. After receiving the proceeds of the Nominee Loans, the nominees distributed these monies to Daibes. Daibes and the nominees also failed to disclose to Mariner’s Bank that, in certain instances, Daibes pledged the collateral for the Nominee Loans, while, in other cases, he arranged to make both the interest and principal payments on the Nominee Loans.
In order to convince Mariner’s Bank to approve two of the Nominee Loans, McManus signed and provided to Mariner’s Bank a false certification attesting to the profitability of gas stations that two of the nominees had pledged as collateral after purchasing the gas stations from Daibes in sham transactions. After the FDIC began an investigation into one of the Nominee Loans, Daibes, McManus, and others created and submitted to the FDIC a backdated sales contract to make it falsely appear as though one of the nominees had obtained one of the nominee loans from Mariner’s Bank in order to pay Daibes for his interest in a real estate venture.
On the count of conspiracy to misapply bank funds and to make false entries to deceive a financial institution and the FDIC, the defendants face a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. On the counts of misapplying bank funds, making false entries to deceive a financial institution and the FDIC, and causing reliance on a false document to influence the FDIC, the defendants face a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. On the counts of loan application fraud, McManus faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Mahoney, special agents of the FDIC, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Sean Farrell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are only accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Daibes: Lawrence S. Lustberg, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
McManus: John C. Whipple, Esq., Morristown, New JerseyFederal and State Officials and Maine ACLU Attorney Available to Field Election Fraud and Voting Rights ClaimsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced today that his office, in cooperation with Maine State officials, will participate in the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018 general elections. The program is designed to handle complaints in the District of Maine of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington and the State of Maine Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) John G. Osborn and Andrew McCormack have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Maine. Maine Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Phyllis Gardiner and Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn will coordinate election oversight for the State of Maine. Attorney Zachary Heiden of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maine will also be available to assist anyone who experiences difficulty in exercising their right to vote.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Frank stated that AUSAs/DEOs Osborn and McCormack will be on duty in his office while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (207) 771-3214 (AUSA Osborn) and (207) 262-4615 (AUSA McCormack).
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (207) 774-9322.
AAG Phyllis Gardiner may be contacted at the Attorney General’s Office by calling: (207) 626-8830. Deputy Secretary of State Flynn can be reached at (207) 624-7650. Attorney Zachary Heiden of the ACLU of Maine will be available at (207) 650-9535.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney Frank said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
Essex County, New Jersey Man Admits to Illegal Food Stamps SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted today that he took part in a food stamps fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Manuel Venegas, 54, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2015 to March 2018, Venegas was an employee of Jenny’s Deli, a small grocery store in Newark, New Jersey. Venegas’s daughter, Maria Teresa Venegas, was the listed owner of Jenny’s Deli and pleaded guilty to the same crime in September 2018.
Jenny’s Deli was authorized to accept benefits provided by SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retail food stores approved for participation in SNAP may sell food in exchange for SNAP benefits but may not exchange SNAP benefits for cash. According to the charges against them, Maria Teresa Venegas and Manuel Venegas exchanged more than $885,000 in SNAP benefits for cash between 2011 and 2018.
Every SNAP recipient receives an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, to use to make purchases. Every retailer authorized to accept SNAP benefits has an EBT terminal. Food purchases are made by swiping the card at the terminal. After the customer enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN), the EBT terminal verifies the PIN, determines whether the customer’s account balance is sufficient to cover the proposed transaction, and informs the retailer whether the transaction should be authorized or denied. The amount of the purchase is deducted electronically from the SNAP benefits reserved for the customer and the purchase amount is credited to the retailer’s designated bank account.
In addition to the high volume of SNAP benefits redemptions for Jenny’s Deli, indicating fraud, law enforcement agents verified the fraudulent exchange of SNAP benefits for cash through the use of an undercover law enforcement agent who engaged in approximately 20 “purchases” at Jenny’s Deli where Manuel Venegas, Maria Theresa Venegas, or another Jenny’s Deli employee acting at their direction exchanged money for SNAP benefits.
The SNAP fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for March 6 2019.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Laurie Fierro, Esq.
El Salvadoran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
An El Salvadoran man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Boris Martines-Garcia, age 35, a citizen of El Salvador illegally present in the United States and residing in Hopkinton, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Martines-Garcia admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in December 2006 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Martines-Garcia was found by immigration agents in July 2018 after Martines-Garcia was stopped for speeding in Delaware County, Iowa.
Martines-Garcia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Martines-Garcia was sentenced to 100 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martines-Garcia is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-2038-CJW.
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Drug Source Sentenced to 12.5 Years for Interstate Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Jessie Acosta, 41, of San Pedro, California, was sentenced to 150 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana throughout the Middle District of Alabama and Georgia, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin. Acosta’s sentencing is the last of a string of convictions that dismantled a sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracy that stretched from San Pedro, California to Alabama and Georgia.
According to the evidence, the drug conspiracy consisted of 13 co-conspirators (including Jessie Acosta) who agreed to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. The 13 co-conspirators include:
- Dywane Lamont Turner, 37, of Smiths Station, Alabama. Turner was previously sentenced to 235 months in prison.
- Shauntell Martrece Walker, 28, of Columbus, Georgia. Walker was previously sentenced to 78 months in prison.
- RT Ray, 41, of Columbus, Georgia. Ray was previously sentenced to 63 months in prison.
- James Wesley Meadows, 48, of Smiths Station, Alabama. Meadows was previously sentenced to 77 months in prison.
- Ivan Dewayne Green, 38, of Columbus, Georgia. Green was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison.
- Ryan Kendrick Riggs, 35, of Auburn, Alabama. Riggs was previously sentenced to 92 months in prison.
- Christopher Bernard Adams, 39, of Columbus, Georgia. Adams was previously sentenced to 37 months in prison.
- Robert Williams, Jr., 35, of Smiths, Alabama. Williams was previously sentenced to 120 months in prisn.
- Danny Shane Lavender, 31, of Phenix City, Alabama. Lavender was previously sentenced to 15 months in prison.
- Calvin Ashford, 42, of Columbus, Georgia. Ashford was previously sentenced to 78 months in prison.
- Yasmin Jenean Walker, 50, of Columbus, Georgia. Walker was previously sentenced to 3 months in prison.
- Melvin John Williams, Jr., 28, of Columbus, Georgia. Melvin Williams was previously sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Also sentenced were Jessie Acosta’s brother, Joseph Acosta 30, of San Pedro, California and Vivian Ruvalcaba, 41, of San Pedro, California. Both Joseph Acosta and Vivian Ruvalcaba were prosecuted for their role in moving drug money between Alabama and California.
According to U.S. Attorney Franklin, “Friday’s sentencing is a victory for the citizens of Alabama and Georgia. From California, Mr. Jessie Acosta supplied large quantities of dangerous narcotics to communities in Phenix City, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia. Mr. Jessie Acosta’s long prison sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes. I applaud the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement in dismantling a sophisticated drug trafficking organization that stretched across the Country. I have no doubt that Mr. Jessie Acosta never expected to be prosecuted in Alabama. Drug traffickers everywhere should understand that aggressive drug enforcement may land them in prison far from home – just like Mr. Jessie Acosta.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the following agencies: The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Central Alabama Drug Task Force, the Millbrook Police Department, the Eufaula Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the Russell County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbus, Georgia Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Administration, the Prattville Police Department, the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, the Metro Drug Task Force, the Columbus Georgia Regional Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Troupe County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama National Guard Counter Drug Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Verne H. Speirs prosecuted the case.
Dominican Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Raul Vantroi Arias Ruiz, 36, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least December 6, 2016, through May 2, 2017, the defendant arranged for the sale of fentanyl to customers in New Hampshire, using his co-defendant, Yossi Rafael Rincon-Ramirez, to make drug deliveries. Four of the fentanyl sales he arranged during that time period were made to an undercover DEA agent in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Based on these drug buys, law enforcement officers arrested the defendant at his residence in Methuen, Massachusetts on May 2, 2017. After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, which included two adjacent apartments on the second floor of the building, law enforcement officers found approximately $941,994 in U.S. currency and two firearms, as well as approximately 90 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of heroin, and 30 pounds of marijuana.
The $941,994 was forfeited to the United States in a civil forfeiture proceeding. As part of his plea agreement, Arias Ruiz also forfeited the firearms.
Arias Ruiz, who pleaded guilty on July 25, 2018, still faces state charges in Massachusetts related to the drugs and firearms seized from the Methuen residence. He is likely to be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his sentence.
On April 23, 2018, Rincon-Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Rincon-Ramirez was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison on August 23, 2018.
“Trafficking in fentanyl has caused great damage to the citizens of our state,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to stop the distribution of this deadly drug and protect the public, we will seek substantial prison sentences for those who profit from its sale. By working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate, arrest and prosecute traffickers, we will improve public safety in the Granite State.”
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison in order to profit and destroy lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities so every time we take fentanyl off the streets, lives are saved. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, county and state law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the police departments of Hudson, NH, Nashua, NH, and Methuen, MA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck handled the asset forfeiture matter.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense Committed Three Months After Release from PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tijuan Arrington, 41, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
At the time of his arrest by MPD officers in Southeast Washington, Arrington was on federal supervised release following his release from incarceration after being sentenced in 2016 for his role in a large-scale narcotics conspiracy.
Arrington pled guilty on Oct. 29, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces an estimated range of 37 to 46 months in prison. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2019 by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 15, 2018, at approximately 9 p.m., MPD officers were on routine patrol in the 1300 block of Barnaby Terrace SE when they observed Arrington and other men with open containers of alcohol. When officers went to make contact with the individuals, Arrington immediately ran from the police; in the process, he dropped a loaded firearm. Arrington was detained after he was pursued running into his residence that was located up the block. In the middle of the street and in Arrington’s flight path, officers recovered a semiautomatic Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. There were 20 bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber.
At the time of his arrest, Arrington was on federal supervised release following his release from prison three months earlier for trafficking hundreds of grams of heroin. That case involved an FBI drug trafficking investigation that began in the Barnaby Terrace area and extended into Maryland. Arrington was one of 16 people to plead guilty in the investigation. He now faces formal revocation of his supervised release and additional incarceration separate and apart from the sentence that he faces for possessing the loaded firearm on June 15, 2018.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Legal Assistant Emma Atlas and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosen and Christopher Macchiaroli, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Dealer of Deadly Drugs Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of the McKeesport and Munhall areas of Allegheny County, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to five years in prison and six years of supervision on his conviction of distributing drugs that caused a woman’s death, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence yesterday on 27-year-old William Harvey Scott, Jr., aka "Pac Man".
According to information presented to the court, the deceased body of a female victim was found by her family, near several empty stamp bags marked "Lizz" and a straw. The victim was determined to have four times the lethal dose of fentanyl in her system. Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration searched her phone and determined that the defendant supplied the deadly drugs. Police then utilized her phone to contact the defendant for more drugs and William Harvey Scott, Jr. arrived with 10 more stamp bags marked "Lizz." Scott was arrested and his phone indicated that the deadly drugs came from his supplier, Henry Little-Proctor. An investigation of Little-Proctor was launched, resulting in a search warrant for his residence and the seizure of drugs and parts/ammunition for an assault rifle. Ultimately, Little-Proctor was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration and six years of supervised release. Both defendants were sentenced to pay $6,237.17 in restitution to the victim’s family for her funeral and other expenses.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon listened to a member of the victim’s family talk about what the victim was like, how the overdose incident impacted her family and what the appropriate sentence should be. Judge Bissoon stated that the defense request for no further incarceration was "insufficient" for crimes that she specifically found to be "very serious" and that there is no sentence long enough to replace what the victim meant to her family. Near the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, the Judge determined that five years in prison, followed by six years of supervision, would fulfill all of the goals of sentencing--including just punishment for the offender, stopping the defendant from future crimes and also deterring others from selling drugs in the future.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt, of the Major Crimes Section, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the DEA for leading the investigation resulting in the successful prosecution of Scott, and noted the important and valuable assistance of many other law enforcement agencies.
Cudahy Man Sentenced in Green Bay Federal Court on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 29, 2018, Adam J. Westphal, also known on-line as “daddyinyouagain” (age: 41) of Cudahy, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison by Chief District Judge William C. Griesbach. Additional charges of distribution of child pornography and child enticement were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
In March of 2018, a Winnebago County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigator began an on-line conversation with an individual utilizing the screen name of “daddyinyouagain.” The investigator subsequently discovered that “daddyinyouagain” was, in fact, Adam J. Westphal. Westphal believed he was corresponding with a 34 year-old mother of a 14 year-old daughter who like himself possessed an interest in child pornography, when in actuality he was instant messaging the ICAC investigator. Westphal began sending the investigator numerous images and videos of child pornography while engaged in sexual conversations centered around the molestation of children. Of particular concern to law enforcement were Westphal’s repeated references to his plans and desires to sexually abuse specific minor relatives.
In early April, Westphal proposed to the investigator that he drive to Neenah, Wisconsin, to meet with the fictitious woman’s 14 year-old child for the purpose of engaging in sexual intercourse. He further proposed that they produce a video of the sexual encounter with the intent of sharing it on the internet. On April 5, 2018, Westphal arrived at the agreed upon location in Neenah and was promptly taken into custody by law enforcement.
In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the “very serious nature of the crime” and stated that the defendant’s actions “cried out for justice.” In addition to the 15 year prison sentence, he ordered Westphal to spend 15 additional years on supervised release upon his discharge from federal prison. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the West Allis Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS),
Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, (414) 297-1700
Connecticut U.S. Attorney's Office Celebrates Community Policing AwardsRead the Press Release
New Haven – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted a Community Policing Awards Ceremony this afternoon that recognized 15 law enforcement officers and community members from cities and towns across the state.
“Today we honor the very best in community policing in Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. “These deserving law enforcement officers understand that community policing is an effective way to prevent crime, solve neighborhood problems and keep our cities and towns safe and secure. They know that it is critically important to engage with members of the community in positive, friendly and constructive ways, long before a call for service. My sincere congratulations to each of these award recipients. I thank them for their invaluable work, which continues to strengthen the communities they serve.
Below is a list of the award winners and the nominations submitted on their behalf. Photos of today’s ceremony are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Facebook page.
Clinton Police Department
Chief Vincent DeMaioChief of Police Vincent DeMaio, nominated by the Clinton Board of Police Commissioners, has implemented multiple programs geared toward improving relations with the Clinton community while operating within a budget five percent below the previous year.
The Chief reintroduced the DARE program to the elementary and middle school to rave reviews by teachers and parents. The revamped program focuses on decision-making strategies and awareness.
All Clinton officers have been trained and equipped to administer Narcan to combat opioid overdoses. To date, Narcan has been administered on 15 calls with three being life-saving.
The Child Safety Seat Installation Program is staffed by personnel trained and certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute (NHTSA) in proper child safety seat installation. The program has installed 100 seats and donated 20 to those unable to afford new car seats. Our trained officers visited the Day Care Centers in Clinton and held seminars to educate the parents on proper use. This approach reached more people as it removed any fear of going to the police station. It brought officers closer to the community they live and care about and left a positive message.
Additionally, the Chief has implemented the “R.A.D. Rape & Aggression Defense” program and a redesigned K9 program. He has engaged the department in multiple social media platforms, created the Shoreline Technical Crimes Investigative Group and implemented the Lethality Assessment program.
The Clinton Police Department continuously looks for ways to educate the public on crime prevention and awareness of public safety hazards, frequently partnering with the school system and other community groups to make public service announcements or host presentations to help make the community safer. One of the more recent successes was hosting the “Chasing the Dragon” program to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic facing our State and the Nation.
Lastly, Chief DeMaio hosts a monthly radio program on ICRV radio called “SCAM PATROL” which alerts citizens to many scams, frauds and other types of cyber-crime and how to protect themselves and their identities.
Connecticut State Police
Trooper First Class Dawn TaylorTFC Taylor has approximately 13 years of service with the Connecticut State Police. She has served as a Patrol Trooper, Academy Instructor, Resident Trooper and Narcotics K9 Handler. Currently, she is the Resident Trooper in Deep River where she has an excellent reputation within the community.
TFC Taylor is involved in many events and activities in the Deep River and Troop F area. She is actively involved with Regional School District #4 (Deep River, Essex and Chester). She regularly visits the schools at bus drop-off and pick-up times and often walks the halls speaking with the students. TFC Taylor supports the DARE program, conducts K9 demonstrations, attends school events and sporting games. TFC Taylor is actively involved with many “Tri-Town” area groups to include the “Safety Awareness Committee,” “Youth & Family Coalition,” and “Juvenile Review Board.” She also teaches a “Drug Endangered Children” (DEC) class at the Academy to new police recruits.
TFC Taylor is very involved with community events, which include the annual Deep River Muster weekend and several other parades and road races. TFC Taylor’s positive and energized attitude about community policing make her “stand out” among her peers.
Connecticut State Police
Sergeant James T. ScottSergeant James Scott champions community policing efforts of the Connecticut State Police from the non-traditional role of supervisor for Recruitment and Selections. Sergeant Scott recognizes where normal recruiting suffers, and employs active recruiting efforts where building trust and community are needed.
In October 2016, noting the need and decline in diverse police applicants nationwide, Sergeant Scott actively sought to build diversity in not only CSP recruitment, but also with state and regional law enforcement. The efforts in the spirit of building trust and legitimacy between police and the communities they serve begin with creating a workforce that is diverse. In a recruitment cycle that began post-Ferguson and post-Dallas, it was expected that CSP recruitment might also follow the nationwide trend of fewer applicants, both minority and otherwise. Sergeant Scott was also facing a recruitment cycle with no budget for recruitment efforts.
Despite these obstacles, Sergeant Scott used outside the box thinking to attract the most sought after candidates. This includes his collaboration with Central Connecticut State University’s Communications Department, where students produced two recruitment videos: one highlighting the multi-dimensional aspects of the duties of the State Police (known as the Action video); and a five-member impactful testimonial video highlighting minority and female troopers, who spoke about the State Police career, both in uniform and plain clothes (known as the Impact Testimonial video). The “Action” video was released upon announcement of the test and ran for three weeks. The “Testimonial” video was released with one week remaining during the application period, specifically designed to target minority and women applicants. He also utilized social media to an extent never before used by CSP in recruitment efforts, in a calculated attempt to reach younger candidates who may not have otherwise engaged with the CSP.
While the results of this campaign were expected to be noticeably lower than previous testing cycles due to recent events and trends (Ferguson, Dallas, etc.), the final numbers recorded for the 2017 recruitment cycle surprisingly were comparable to the 2014 efforts, with a near equal number of overall candidates. More importantly, the majority of individual minority demographic groups rose exponentially, to include a rise in applicants who identified as Hispanic males; African American and Hispanic females; and Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander applicants, each specifically registering as all-time highs (DAS, 2017).
In addition, Sgt. Scott continues to assist in other CSP initiatives through the year. This includes The Albertus Magnus Criminal Justice Camp, where he has assisted with coordinating the camp since its inception. This camp has been hosted free of charge for nine consecutive years, and over 1,000 students have registered to attend. He also coordinates the annual Battle of the Badges, where he has partnered with Yale University Police Department and organized a bench press fundraiser for the last eight years. Over $5000 has been donated to Smilow Cancer Center as a result. Finally, Sgt. Scott serves in a volunteer leadership capacity for the Tunxis Community College Foundation, where in addition to serving on the board, he personally funds a criminal justice scholarship.
Connecticut State Police
Trooper Katharine CummingsTrooper Kate Cummings is at the forefront of the Connecticut State Police community policing efforts as the Statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator. Although her title is the Statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator for the Connecticut State Police, the role in which she has served over the course of the past year has evolved to include many aspects of the Juvenile Justice System, current adolescent trends, and the School Resource Officer Programs. The highlights in community policing that she has accomplished during the 2017-2018 School Year include:
As the Statewide D.A.R.E. Coordinator, she serves as the D.A.R.E. Instructor in communities that do not have a certified D.A.R.E. Officer, a Police Department, or a Resident Trooper Program. D.A.R.E. is a 10-week program of 45 minute sessions that cover the following topics: responsibilities, risks, consequences, peer pressure, resistance strategies, and coping skills, bullying/cyber bullying reporting, being a good citizen, and health effects of alcohol and tobacco use. She has taught 38 complete 10-week D.A.R.E. Programs during the last school year on her own. In addition to the traditional D.A.R.E. Program, Trooper Cummings sits on the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Oversight and Policy Committee as the Connecticut State Police representative. This year, the committee drafted a report for the Connecticut Legislature on ways to reduce the number of school-based arrests in the State of Connecticut. Trooper Cummings is also bilingual as she is fluent in Spanish. She is able to teach and present in schools where the students are best served by learning important skills and getting information in Spanish. This is illustrated by her presentation in Spanish at Hanover Elementary School in Meriden for their 5th Grade Career Day.
She also serves as one of the Connecticut State Police Social Media Liaisons through the Public Information Officer, and she moderates a public Instagram page, @CT_Dare_Trooper, which has nearly 6,000 followers from around the world. The page is used to connect with communities to highlight the incredible work of Connecticut's students, showcase the many roles of Connecticut State Troopers, increase our partnerships with local Police Departments and non-profit agencies, provide safety information, and most importantly, serve as a positive social media role model for adolescents. By using this medium, she connects with a younger generation in a variety of ways and demonstrates how we, as a society, can use social media in a positive, healthy way.
Over the past three years, Trooper Cummings developed internet safety and social media presentations for middle school students, high school students, college students, and a parent presentation, which covers social media trends and ways we can use social media safely and positively.
Trooper Katharine Cummings has been a significant presence and a key component of the Community Policing effort for the Connecticut State Police. Her interpersonal talent and bilingual ability gives her the skills to connect with children, teens and adults no matter the venue or issue. She has provided a template for a multitude of law enforcement officers throughout the State of Connecticut by virtue of her willingness to connect with people no matter who they are and what their needs may be.
East Hartford Police Department
Lieutenant Joshua LitwinLieutenant Josh Litwin has worked with the East Hartford Police Department since 2002 and has served as a Firearms Instructor, Field Training Officer and as an Investigator in the Detective Division. In his current assignment as the Chief Executive Officer, Lieutenant Litwin has been instrumental in reviving the Community Service Officer program. In this capacity, Lieutenant Litwin has hosted many community outreach events such as Block Watch Meetings, Toy Drives, and Sandwich with a Cop and Coffee with a Cop events. He has also been the driving force behind the East Hartford Police Department’s involvement in the National Night Out event. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Over the last two years, this event has brought hundreds of families throughout the community to the police department to share stories, see demonstrations and have a fun family night out.
Lieutenant Litwin has also participated in a variety of other programs that reach out to local religious and faith based organizations, and he helps to organize and present at the Department’s Citizen Police Academy. Lieutenant Litwin’s tireless dedication to these community based programs is evident and he continues to look for new ways each year for his Department to create a partnership and improve the quality of life for the community he serves.
Enfield Police Department
Officer Eddie G. NunoOfficer Eddie Nuno is a 25-year veteran of the Enfield Police Department. (He undertook service with this agency after a period of service with the United States Coast Guard.) Over the course of his Enfield Police Department career, Officer Nuno has worked in a variety of capacities, but apparent throughout his tenure has been a true dedication to the concept of community policing.
Officer Nuno serves as the Enfield Police Department’s representative to the town’s Juvenile Review Board, and also serves as the department’s liaison to the Enfield Youth Services Agency. It is fair to say that he uses his bilingual language skills to serve as the department’s liaison to the town’s Hispanic community. He is well known, particularly in the Thompsonville section of town, for his regular community interactions, stopping to visit with community youth, joining assorted sports games while they are “in progress,” meeting with landlord associations, and helping businesses do everything possible to succeed. Enfield is also very fortunate in that Officer Nuno serves as a Field Training Officer, placing him in a position to pass on the skills and positive mindset that he possesses to the next generation of Enfield Police Officers.
Officer Nuno is among the most conscientious and committed of officers. His ability to maintain this demeanor after 25 years of service is indicative of just how deeply he believes in the policing mission.
Town of Groton Department
Officer Richard SavinoOfficer Richard Savino is assigned as the Town of Groton Community Policing Officer (CPO) in which position he has been organizing and participating in multiple community events since his appointment. These efforts have not only raised money for charitable causes, but have bridged the gap between law enforcement and the community he serves and protects. Officer Savino has been an organizer, participant and supporter in all of the following events, prior to and during his official assignment as the CPO:
“Cop on Top,” where officers spent the night on top of a local car dealership in freezing cold temperatures to raise money for Special Olympics; “Law Enforcement Torch Run,” where officers from around the region run for miles in their communities with the Special Olympics Torch, raising money and awareness for Special Olympics; “Penguin Plunge,” where officers and members of the community dive into freezing ocean waters raising money and awareness for the Special Olympics; “Tip a Cop,” where officers wait on tables at a local restaurant raising money and awareness for Special Olympics; “Coffee With a Cop,” where law enforcement officers visit a local coffee shop encouraging community members to join them in conversation over a cup of coffee; “Bumpers ‘N Books,” where law enforcement and local residents decorate the trunks and bumpers of their vehicles in various popular children’s book themes; bringing the community together while encouraging children to read and visit their local library; “MADD Car Show” where multiple classic car owners display their vehicles while supporting those who have been impacted by drunk or drugged driving, and “National Night Out” where multiple local businesses, restaurants, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical personnel and health care related organizations gather with the community, eating food, playing games and participating in various events.
The initiatives undertaken by Officer Savino are great examples of what constitutes effective community policing.
In addition to the community policing programs, Officer Savino meets with victims of domestic violence in the community, diligently following up on their cases and assuring that they are getting all of the assistance they need. Officer Savino has been working with local businesses and residents in dealing with noise complaint issues; understanding the needs and concerns of all parties involved.
Officer Savino is an example to all and a true leader in his community.
New Canaan Police Department
Officer Ron BentleyOfficer Ron Bentley has been a member of the New Canaan Police Department since 2005.
Following a brazen daytime violent robbery of a local jewelry store, the New Canaan business community was terrified that this type of crime might happen again. It was at that time, the New Canaan Police Department decided to create the position of Community Impact Officer. Officer Bentley was appointed to that position and is responsible for the New Canaan business district. He has built strong relationships with business owners and residents, and has created a sense of safety and community in the center of town.
Officer Bentley helped implement “Coffee with a Cop” to further foster positive relationships between police officers and the community. He has helped to deter criminal activity, and overall has made the center of New Canaan a safer place to visit.
In addition to his work downtown, Officer Bentley has worked with the town’s youth through his role as baseball coach for the New Canaan High School Varsity Baseball Team and was a previous School Resource Officer at New Canaan High School.
New London Police Department
Sergeant Max BertschSergeant Max Bertsch has been with the New London Police Department since January 2006. He has been assigned to the Patrol Division, the School Resource Officer Program and is a certified motorcycle officer. Sergeant Bertsch is currently assigned to the Patrol Division as a Street Sergeant.
Sergeant Bertsch has organized the National Night Out program for the New London Police Department for the past eight years. This event links police and elementary school youth together in a fun atmosphere at Ocean Beach Park. Each year the number of children attending and parents has increased, with over 500 in attendance this past August. Sgt. Bertsch also served as the School Resource officer in New London prior to being promoted. His devotion to the youth of the city has found him on numerous fishing trips with school-aged children on his own time. As the SRO, he organized a school based program for high school aged children, similar to a citizens police academy, which continues to today. His efforts with the New London Schools has resulted in great strides being made in connecting youth to police and furthering the goals of Community Based Policing.
Norwalk Police Department
Officer Jean-Maxime SixtoBorn in Haiti, Jean-Maxime Sixto (“Max”) and his family moved to the United States in 1971, making a home in Norwalk. He, like many other young adults from Norwalk, worked at Stew Leonard’s. This is where Max honed his gift of conversation. The Norwalk Police Department hired Max Sixto in January of 1997 and, in 1999, he was assigned to the Community Police Unit. Officers in the unit worked out of the South Norwalk Train Station, patrolling and conducting outreach to specific areas of South Norwalk.
Officer Sixto was assigned to the Roodner Court Housing Complex. At the time, Roodner Court was plagued with drug trafficking and violent crime. The close relationships Max formed with many members of the Roodner Court community were invaluable in combating such crime. That is, many individuals living in Roodner Court had enough trust in Max that they were willing to share information about the rampant crime occurring in their community allowing the police to bring many of the offenders to justice. The positive effect of Officer Sixto’s constant presence in Roodner Court and his incredibly warm personality were apparent the minute he entered the Housing Complex, whether by bicycle or on foot. Today, Max cannot step foot in Roodner Court without a resident yelling, “Hey Sixto,” followed by a high-five or a hug.
In addition, Officer Sixto has worked with members of the Roodner Court community to beautify the complex with bright flower plantings. This had a ripple effect within the complex, with residents pitching in to clean up and to even create two vegetable gardens within the complex. Officer Sixto also spends a lot of time at the Roodner Court Learning Center, which provides afterschool education opportunities for the youth in Roodner Court. Officer Sixto reads to the kids and is a positive role model for them. He also spends time with the kids at Grass Roots Tennis and meets with the junior counselors to discuss leadership issues. Officer Sixto recently noticed that a young resident of Roodner Court did not have a bicycle, and so he arranged to bring a donated bicycle to the little girl, bringing smiles to her face and to that of her grandmother.
In addition to his duties in Roodner Court, Officer Sixto is often called up to assist with other community outreach events such as Coffee with a Cop, NPD Ice Cream Day, Community Police Holiday Party, SoNo Alliance, Norwalk Open House and many more.
Max is a decorated officer receiving numerous awards and recognitions from not only the Norwalk Police Department, but from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office. Officer Sixto has received numerous letters of appreciation from community members as well as recognition for Community Service from the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Officer Max Sixto is the definition of a Community Police Officer. His hard work and dedication to the community are second to none. He has spent his career working hard to make Norwalk a safer place while creating police-community partnerships.
Stamford Police Department
Officer Silas ReddOfficer Silas Redd has over 30 years’ experience with the Stamford Police Department and his commitment to the City of Stamford has never wavered. Over the past 30 years, Officer Redd has helped the police department create and sustain a strong relationship with the community. This is what we now call “Community Policing.” Officer Redd has always taken the initiative to foster those relationships long before it became a catch phrase. It is who he is!
Officer Redd is currently assigned to the Stamford Police Department’s Youth Bureau where he coordinates the Truancy Initiative Program. He is also a founding member of the Juvenile Review Board, a member of the Absentee Review Board, a founding member of the Community Oriented Policing Program, and a founding member of the Stamford Police Boys Leadership Group. Officer Redd also conducts mediations between troubled youths and families. Officer Redd even takes it a step further and works diligently to assist those youth and families in seeking services that will have a positive influence with the families.
Officer Redd is an advocate for cultivating strong lines of communication between the community and police by working closely with and meeting with community leaders. This is achieved through forums at churches, schools and community events. Officer Redd has built lasting friendships and partnerships within the community that enable him to remedy and effectively address a host of issues. Moreover, Officer Redd has been very instrumental in mentoring youth and stressing the importance of education, being a positive influence and making good choices. Officer Redd also spends a great deal of time educating other Stamford officers as to what the community wants and expects from the police.
Officer Redd has demonstrated an unrivaled passion in educating youth and guiding them in the right direction. He continues to be an asset for the department, but more importantly the community. Officer Redd is a credit to the Stamford Police Department and his commitment to Stamford should be emulated by all.
University of Connecticut Police Department
Officer Justin CheneyOfficer Justin Cheney joined the University of Connecticut Police Department in June of 2015 and immediately began a focus on community oriented policing work. A long-standing member of the community and alumnus of UConn, Justin quickly became a friendly and recognizable member of the patrol operations section and exemplified the best tenets of community partnership and problem solving. In 2016, he became a member of the UConn PD Safety Techniques and Awareness Resource Team, the unit of officers that provide educational programming and events across the community. As a member of the S.T.A.R.T., he provides ongoing instruction and facilitation to the UConn and surrounding community in the areas of self-defense, general safety, primary prevention education to reduce sexual violence, team building and communication workshops, and more. In the summer of 2017, Justin joined the Community Outreach Unit to engage in community education on a full-time basis.
Justin’s enthusiasm and innovative approach to community policing strategies helped him to propose a dynamic new program in the spring of 2018. After considerable research in the area, he launched the UCPD Community Outreach Dog program. With the generous support and assistance of Canine Companions for Independence, Justin was partnered with Tildy, a facility dog. Tildy, a two-year-old yellow lab and golden retriever mix, was trained by CCI as a facility dog and Justin was matched and trained with her at CCl’s Northeast Training Center in April of 2018.
Tildy and Justin now spend their days engaging with the community in person and through Tildy’s increasingly popular lnstagram page where Justin has masterfully captured Tildy’s “voice” as a means to connect with people. Justin and Tildy act as the police department’s outreach ambassadors and have promoted creative new ways to build bridges to the community. Tildy can also act in a limited supportive role to victims of violent crime if her skills would assist in building comfort with the investigative process for the community. Officer Cheney and Tildy are on lnstagram (uconnpd_officertildy) and have over 900 followers. Tildy is absolutely adorable and a hit with our community. (They like Justin too!)
On a daily basis, Officer Justin Cheney has been an example of the best community oriented policing strategies in our profession and his innovative approach to the Community Outreach Dog program has opened doors in an unprecedented way.
University of New Haven Police Department
Sergeant Luis Dos SantosSince joining the University of New Haven Police Department, after a long career at Western Connecticut State University, Sergeant Luis Dos Santos has become an integral part of the University community. He has shown leadership and initiative in handling traditional police duties and excelled in community outreach. He regularly volunteers to spearhead new outreach initiatives. The UNHPD’s primary community policing vehicle is its Residence Hall Officer (RHO) program. Each officer is assigned as a liaison to a Residence Hall, provides regular interaction with the students and staff, provides support to residence assistants, follows up on police incidents and provides educational programs for residents. Sgt. Dos Santos regularly attends Hall staff meetings, provides educational programs to residents such as “Think before you Drink” and proper behavior at off campus parties. He assists other officers in presenting career development programs to our public safety discipline students, who are a significant proportion of the student body. He also assists officers in presenting student safety and self-defense programs. Some of the outreach programs that he has personally initiated or spearheaded are:
“Drunk Sundaes,” where students don “drunk goggles” and operate a controlled golf cart ride to truly appreciate how impaired driving can affect one’s judgement; “ARC Dream Orientation” for special needs students, and “Do NUT Drink and Drive,” a Public Safety Block Party to kick off National Campus Safety Month.
As a supervisor, Sgt. Dos Santos, provides guidance and assistance to other officers with community outreach programs. As both a supervisor and officer, he diligently follows up on all incidents within his areas of responsibility. His interventions and educational talks have mitigated many small problems before they became major issues. His reputation for thoroughness and commitment to the community is well known throughout the University and the city of West Haven.
In short, Sgt. Dos Santos has become an overall role model and mentor for the University’s student population.
Waterbury Police Department
Sergeant Ryan Bessette
Lisa VelezSergeant Ryan Bessette serves as Officer in Charge of the Community Relations Division at the Waterbury Police Department. This division encompasses various agencies including the Neighborhood Police Officers, Mounted Unit Officers, Police Activities League (PAL) and a civilian Blight Control Team. This collaborative approach focuses on reaching out to 23 active neighborhood associations, addressing quality of life-related issues, building and fostering relationships with the community and providing mentorship/positive programs for Waterbury youths. Sergeant Bessette works tirelessly with a team of dedicated officers and civilian personnel to serve the needs of the community and educate residents, all while preventing and solving crimes.
Lisa Velez, President of the Brooklyn Neighborhood Association, has also served as President of the Waterbury Neighborhood Council, which consists of various active neighborhood associations. She has created a dedicated working relationship with Sergeant Bessette and the entire Community Relations Division. Lisa has been a longtime advocate of community oriented policing and served to facilitate community engagement. Importantly, she continues to help strengthen the relationship between the Neighborhood Council and the Waterbury Police Department.
Computer Sciences Corporation Agrees to Pay $389,355 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations in Connection with Hanford Site Electronic Medical Records SystemRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), a government contractor headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, has agreed to pay $389,355 to resolve allegations that its predecessor corporation violated the False Claims Act in connection with its implementation of an electronic medical records system intended for use at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site. Between 2005 and 2012, CSC held a DOE prime contract to provide occupational health services for Hanford Site workers. As part of that contract, CSC was required to implement an electronic medical records system for the medical records of Hanford Site workers. In 2015, after the CSC prime contract was completed, CSC merged its government contracts business with another company, SRA International, to form CSRA, Inc.
The United States alleged that CSC submitted false claims and statements to DOE representing that the electronic medical records system was functional and would operate as intended and in accordance with contractual and DOE requirements.
United States Attorney Harrington said, “Hanford Site workers perform a vitally important mission through which they risk exposure to radioactive and hazardous materials. It is critical that accurate health records be maintained concerning these workers. This settlement underscores our determination to utilize all tools at our disposal to ensure that public funds are efficiently spent in a manner that best serves workers, the public, and the environment. I commend the outstanding work of the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, which made this resolution possible.”
“The health and well-being of Hanford Site workers is paramount to the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission,” said Acting Inspector General April G. Stephenson. “The Office of Inspector General is committed to investigating allegations of misconduct that, if true, could place those workers at risk. Because of the hazardous environment in which these workers conduct Department operations, it is vital that proper health records are maintained. We will continue to work aggressively with our investigative partners to pursue those who do not fulfill their contractual obligations and attempt to provide false information to the government.”
The allegations resolved by this settlement were initially brought in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by two former CSC employees, Kirtley Clem and Matthew Spencer. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Clem et al. v. Computer Sciences Corporation, 16-cv-5160-LRS (E.D. Wash.) Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can sue on behalf of the United States, and share in any recovery. Mr. Clem and Mr. Spencer will receive $81,764 of the settlement.
Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter negotiated the settlement, which was the result of a joint investigation conducted with the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no admission of liability.
Chinese Intelligence Officers and Their Recruited Hackers and Insiders Conspired to Steal Sensitive Commercial Aviation and Technological Data for YearsRead the Press Release
Chinese intelligence officers and those working under their direction, which included hackers and co-opted company insiders, conducted or otherwise enabled repeated intrusions into private companies’ computer systems in the United States and abroad for over five years. The conspirators’ ultimate goal was to steal, among other data, intellectual property and confidential business information, including information related to a turbofan engine used in commercial airliners.
The charged intelligence officers, Zha Rong and Chai Meng, and other co-conspirators, worked for the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security (“JSSD”), headquartered in Nanjing, which is a provincial foreign intelligence arm of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”). The MSS, and by extension the JSSD, is primarily responsible for domestic counter-intelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of political and domestic security.
From at least January 2010 to May 2015, JSSD intelligence officers and their team of hackers, including Zhang Zhang-Gui, Liu Chunliang, Gao Hong Kun, Zhuang Xiaowei, and Ma Zhiqi, focused on the theft of technology underlying a turbofan engine used in U.S. and European commercial airliners. This engine was being developed through a partnership between a French aerospace manufacturer with an office in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, and a company based in the United States. Members of the conspiracy, assisted and enabled by JSSD-recruited insiders Gu Gen and Tian Xi, hacked the French aerospace manufacturer. The hackers also conducted intrusions into other companies that manufactured parts for the turbofan jet engine, including aerospace companies based in Arizona, Massachusetts and Oregon. At the time of the intrusions, a Chinese state-owned aerospace company was working to develop a comparable engine for use in commercial aircraft manufactured in China and elsewhere.
Defendant Zhang Zhang-Gui is also charged, along with Chinese national Li Xiao, in a separate hacking conspiracy, which asserts that Zhang Zhang-Gui and Li Xiao leveraged the JSSD-directed conspiracy’s intrusions, including the hack of a San Diego-based technology company, for their own criminal ends.
“For the third time since only September, the National Security Division, with its US Attorney partners, has brought charges against Chinese intelligence officers from the JSSD and those working at their direction and control for stealing American intellectual property,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This is just the beginning. Together with our federal partners, we will redouble our efforts to safeguard America’s ingenuity and investment.”
“State-sponsored hacking is a direct threat to our national security. This action is yet another example of criminal efforts by the MSS to facilitate the theft of private data for China’s commercial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “The concerted effort to steal, rather than simply purchase, commercially available products should offend every company that invests talent, energy, and shareholder money into the development of products.”
“The threat posed by Chinese government-sponsored hacking activity is real and relentless,” said John Brown, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Office. “Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of our private sector, international and U.S. government partners, is sending a strong message to the Chinese government and other foreign governments involved in hacking activities. We are working together to vigorously investigate and hold hackers accountable regardless of their attempts to hide their illicit activities and identities.”
On October 10, the Department of Justice announced that a JSSD intelligence officer was extradited to the Southern District of Ohio, on charges that he attempted to steal trade secrets related to jet aircraft engines, and in September, in the Northern District of Illinois, a U.S. Army recruit was charged with working as an agent of a JSSD intelligence officer, without notification to the Attorney General.
As the indictment in the Southern District of California describes in detail, China’s JSSD intelligence officers and hackers working at their direction masterminded a series of intrusions in order to facilitate intrusions and steal non-public commercial and other data. The hackers used a range of techniques, including spear phishing, sowing multiple different strains of malware into company computer systems, using the victim companies’ own websites as “watering holes” to compromise website visitors’ computers, and domain hijacking through the compromise of domain registrars.
The first alleged hack began no later January 8, 2010, when members of the conspiracy infiltrated Capstone Turbine, a Los-Angeles-based gas turbine manufacturer, in order to steal data and use the Capstone Turbine website as a “watering hole.”
China’s intelligence service also sought, repeatedly, to hack into a San Diego-based technology company from at least August 7, 2012 through January 15, 2014, in order to similarly steal commercial information and use its website as a “watering hole.”
Chinese actors used not only hacking methods to conduct computer intrusions and steal commercial information, they also coopted victim company employees. From at least November 2013 through February 2014, two Chinese nationals working at the direction of the JSSD, Tian Xi and Gu Gen, were employed in the French aerospace company’s Suzhou office. On January 25, 2014, after receiving malware from an identified JSSD officer acting as his handler, Tian infected one of the French company’s computers with malware at the JSSD officer’s direction. One month later, on February 26, 2014, Gu, the French company’s head of Information Technology and Security in Suzhou, warned the conspirators when foreign law enforcement notified the company of the existence of malware on company systems. That same day, leveraging that tip-off, conspirators Chai Meng and Liu Chunliang tried to minimize JSSD’s exposure by causing the deletion of the domain linking the malware to an account controlled by members of the conspiracy.
The group’s hacking attempts continued through at least May of 2015, when an Oregon-based company, which, like many of the other targeted companies, built parts for the turbofan jet engine used in commercial airliners, identified and removed the conspiracy’s malware from its computer systems.
Count Two of the indictment charges a separate conspiracy to hack computers in which Zhang Zhang-Gui, a defendant charged in Count One, supplied his co-defendant and friend, Li Xiao, with variants of the malware that had been developed and deployed by hackers working at the direction of the JSSD on the hack into Capstone Turbine. Using malware supplied by Zhang, as well as other malware, Li launched repeated intrusions that targeted a San Diego-based computer technology company for more than a year and a half. These intrusions caused thousands of dollars of damage to protected computers.
Count Three of the indictment charges Zhang Zhang-Gui with the substantive offense of computer hacking a San Diego technology company, which was one of the targets of the conspiracies alleged in Counts One and Two.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI, led by the San Diego Field Office, conducted the investigation that resulted in charges announced today. This case is being prosecuted by Alexandra Foster and Sabrina Fève of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Jason McCullough of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in this matter, and the Department appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by France’s General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) and the Cybercrime Section of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office during the investigation of this matter.
Case Number: 13CR3132-H
Chinese Intelligence Officers and Their Recruited Hackers and Insiders Conspired to Steal Sensitive Commercial Aviation and Technological Data for YearsRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
WWW.JUSTICE.GOV
Chinese Intelligence Officers and Their Recruited Hackers and Insiders Conspired to Steal Sensitive Commercial Aviation and Technological Data for Years
Chinese intelligence officers and those working under their direction, which included hackers and co-opted company insiders, conducted or otherwise enabled repeated intrusions into private companies’ computer systems in the United States and abroad for over five years. The conspirators’ ultimate goal was to steal, among other data, intellectual property and confidential business information, including information related to a turbofan engine used in commercial airliners.
The charged intelligence officers, Zha Rong and Chai Meng, and other co-conspirators, worked for the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security (“JSSD”), headquartered in Nanjing, which is a provincial foreign intelligence arm of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”). The MSS, and by extension the JSSD, is primarily responsible for domestic counter-intelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of political and domestic security.
From at least January 2010 to May 2015, JSSD intelligence officers and their team of hackers, including Zhang Zhang-Gui, Liu Chunliang, Gao Hong Kun, Zhuang Xiaowei, and Ma Zhiqi, focused on the theft of technology underlying a turbofan engine used in U.S. and European commercial airliners. This engine was being developed through a partnership between a French aerospace manufacturer with an office in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, and a company based in the United States. Members of the conspiracy, assisted and enabled by JSSD-recruited insiders Gu Gen and Tian Xi, hacked the French aerospace manufacturer. The hackers also conducted intrusions into other companies that manufactured parts for the turbofan jet engine, including aerospace companies based in Arizona, Massachusetts and Oregon. At the time of the intrusions, a Chinese state-owned aerospace company was working to develop a comparable engine for use in commercial aircraft manufactured in China and elsewhere.
Defendant Zhang Zhang-Gui is also charged, along with Chinese national Li Xiao, in a separate hacking conspiracy, which asserts that Zhang Zhang-Gui and Li Xiao leveraged the JSSD-directed conspiracy’s intrusions, including the hack of a San Diego-based technology company, for their own criminal ends.
“For the third time since only September, the National Security Division, with its US Attorney partners, has brought charges against Chinese intelligence officers from the JSSD and those working at their direction and control for stealing American intellectual property,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This is just the beginning. Together with our federal partners, we will redouble our efforts to safeguard America’s ingenuity and investment.”
“State-sponsored hacking is a direct threat to our national security. This action is yet another example of criminal efforts by the MSS to facilitate the theft of private data for China’s commercial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “The concerted effort to steal, rather than simply purchase, commercially available products should offend every company that invests talent, energy, and shareholder money into the development of products.”
“The threat posed by Chinese government-sponsored hacking activity is real and relentless,” said John Brown, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Office. “Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of our private sector, international and U.S. government partners, is sending a strong message to the Chinese government and other foreign governments involved in hacking activities. We are working together to vigorously investigate and hold hackers accountable regardless of their attempts to hide their illicit activities and identities.”
On October 10, the Department of Justice announced that a JSSD intelligence officer was extradited to the Southern District of Ohio, on charges that he attempted to steal trade secrets related to jet aircraft engines, and in September, in the Northern District of Illinois, a grand jury indicted a U.S. Army recruit who is accused of working as an agent of a JSSD intelligence officer, without notification to the Attorney General.
As the indictment in the Southern District of California describes in detail, China’s JSSD intelligence officers and hackers working at their direction masterminded a series of intrusions in order to facilitate intrusions and steal non-public commercial and other data. The hackers used a range of techniques, including spear phishing, sowing multiple different strains of malware into company computer systems, using the victim companies’ own websites as “watering holes” to compromise website visitors’ computers, and domain hijacking through the compromise of domain registrars.
The first alleged hack began no later January 8, 2010, when members of the conspiracy infiltrated Capstone Turbine, a Los-Angeles-based gas turbine manufacturer, in order to steal data and use the Capstone Turbine website as a “watering hole.”
China’s intelligence service also sought, repeatedly, to hack into a San Diego-based technology company from at least August 7, 2012 through January 15, 2014, in order to similarly steal commercial information and use its website as a “watering hole.”
Chinese actors used not only hacking methods to conduct computer intrusions and steal commercial information, they also coopted victim company employees. From at least November 2013 through February 2014, two Chinese nationals working at the direction of the JSSD, Tian Xi and Gu Gen, were employed in the French aerospace company’s Suzhou office. On January 25, 2014, after receiving malware from an identified JSSD officer acting as his handler, Tian infected one of the French company’s computers with malware at the JSSD officer’s direction. One month later, on February 26, 2014, Gu, the French company’s head of Information Technology and Security in Suzhou, warned the conspirators when foreign law enforcement notified the company of the existence of malware on company systems. That same day, leveraging that tip-off, conspirators Chai Meng and Liu Chunliang tried to minimize JSSD’s exposure by causing the deletion of the domain linking the malware to an account controlled by members of the conspiracy.
The group’s hacking attempts continued through at least May of 2015, when an Oregon-based company, which, like many of the other targeted companies, built parts for the turbofan jet engine used in commercial airliners, identified and removed the conspiracy’s malware from its computer systems.
Count Two of the indictment charges a separate conspiracy to hack computers in which Zhang Zhang-Gui, a defendant charged in Count One, supplied his co-defendant and friend, Li Xiao, with variants of the malware that had been developed and deployed by hackers working at the direction of the JSSD on the hack into Capstone Turbine. Using malware supplied by Zhang, as well as other malware, Li launched repeated intrusions that targeted a San Diego-based computer technology company for more than a year and a half. These intrusions caused thousands of dollars of damage to protected computers.
Count Three of the indictment charges Zhang Zhang-Gui with the substantive offense of computer hacking a San Diego technology company, which was one of the targets of the conspiracies alleged in Counts One and Two.
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The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI, led by the San Diego Field Office, conducted the investigation that resulted in charges announced today. This case is being prosecuted by Alexandra Foster and Sabrina Fève of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Jason McCullough of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in this matter, and the Department appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by France’s General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) and the Cybercrime Section of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office during the investigation of this matter.
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Charleston Man Sentenced for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Labaron Bulley, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., to 33 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Stuart credited the collaborative investigative efforts of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) with the successful prosecution of Bulley.
“We are laser focused on reducing violent crime on Charleston’s west side,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Getting guys like Bulley off the streets of Charleston can only help make the city safer.”
Bulley previously pled guilty in July admitting to possessing a firearm on March 15 of this year at his girlfriend’s west side residence. At the time he possessed the firearm, Bulley admitted that he had been convicted in 2014 in West Virginia of the felony offense of attempting to commit a felony.
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 effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Businessman Indicted for Conspiring to Bribe Senior Government Officials of the Republic of HaitiRead the Press Release
A businessman was charged in a superseding indictment filed today for his alleged participation in a scheme to bribe senior government officials of the Republic of Haiti in connection with a planned $84 million port development project, and to launder funds in order to promote the bribery. An alleged co-conspirator was previously charged in the original indictment.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling of the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Director Christopher Hacker of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Harold M. Shaw of the FBI’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Roger Richard Boncy, 74, a dual U.S. and Haitian citizen who resides in Madrid, Spain, was charged in a superseding indictment filed in the District of Massachusetts with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Travel Act, one count of violating the Travel Act and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The superseding indictment also charges Boncy’s co-conspirator, Joseph Baptiste, DDS, 66, of Fulton, Maryland, with the same crimes. Baptiste was originally charged by indictment in this case in October 2017. Baptiste’s trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 3, in the District of Massachusetts in Boston.
The superseding indictment alleges that Boncy and Baptiste solicited bribes from undercover agents posing as potential investors in connection with a proposed project to develop a port in the Mȏle St. Nicolas area of Haiti. The proposed project was expected to cost approximately $84 million and was to involve the construction of multiple cement factories, a shipping-vessel recycling station, an international transshipment station with numerous slips for shipping vessels, a power plant, a petroleum depot and tourist facilities.
During a recorded meeting at a Boston-area hotel, Boncy and Baptiste allegedly told the agents that, in order to secure Haitian government approval of the project, they would funnel the payments to Haitian officials through a non-profit entity that Baptiste controlled, which was based in Maryland and purported to help impoverished residents of Haiti. In intercepted telephone calls, Boncy and Baptiste also allegedly discussed bribing an aide to a high-level elected official in Haiti with a job on the port development project, in exchange for the aide’s help in obtaining the elected official’s authorization for the project.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Boston Field Office and International Corruption Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorney Elina A. Rubin-Smith of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Baldwin County Kingpin Sentenced to 145 Years in Federal Prison Without Parole, Fourteen Others SentencedRead the Press Release
MACON: United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Charles E. Peeler, announces that DELMA GODDARD, A/K/A “SHUG” AND “BIG HXMIE” age 38, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Marc T. Treadwell to serve 145 years in federal prison in Macon today. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mr. Goddard was found guilty by a jury of his peers of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute more than 280 Grams of Crack Cocaine, more than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine, and more than 100 Grams of Heroin on July 30, 2018. The jury also convicted Mr. Goddard of four counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine; six counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine; five counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; five counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; one count of Distribution of Heroin; and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.
Mr. Goddard was the lead conspirator and is a member of the Nine-Deuce gang in Baldwin County. The Nine-Deuce gang is affiliated with the Bloods national street gang. During the period between 2013 and 2016, the Nine-Deuce gang was responsible for numerous gang-related assaults in Baldwin County, Georgia. The gang is identified by its use of the color red, as well as particular hand signs, and it is fueled by proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in Milledgeville and the surrounding counties. Mr. Goddard was responsible for obtaining, manufacturing and distributing crack cocaine, and also for distributing methamphetamine and heroin.
As part of the investigation, agents from the DEA, FBI, ATF and Ocmulgee Drug Task Force were responsible for removing more than 10 ounces of crack cocaine, more than 10 ounces of methamphetamine, and more than 10 ounces of heroin from the streets of Milledgeville. In addition, 17 firearms, including two assault rifles, were purchased from Mr. Goddard and/or seized during a search warrant executed at his residence.
Evidence established during the trial proved that Mr. Goddard sold various quantities of crack cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin to government operatives. Mr. Goddard has a prior conviction for the Sale of Cocaine in 2000.
For their part in this case, fourteen other individuals, several of whom were Nine-Deuce gang members, were also sentenced:
- CHAD DELACY FREEMAN, A/K/A “BIG BONE” AND “BONE LOCO” (gang member), age 45, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison.
- ALONZO BUTTS, age 44, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison.
- DEMALE HAMPTON, A/K/A “RABBIT” AND “RAB”, age 41, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.
- EDWARD ANTONIO BROWN, A/K/A “PLUG” (gang member), age 41, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison.
- ISHMAWIYL ABDHAL DAVIS, A/K/A “NY” AND “NEW YORK” (gang member), age 35, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison.
- DEMETRIUS JAMEL HARDEN, A/K/A “MEAT DAWG” & “MEAT DOG” (gang member), age 32, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
- MONTAVIOUS JERMELL BARNES, A/K/A “COOT” AND “KOOT” (gang member), age 23, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
- TRAVIS GLENN, A/K/A “T” AND “TG” (gang member), age 41, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.
- DEMOND MONTERIO DENNIS, A/K/A “DOUBLE DEUCE” (gang member), age 34, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison.
- DERRICK MOSLEY, A/K/A “D MO” (gang member), age 38, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison.
- DESHAWN RANSOM, A/K/A “NEPHEW” (gang member), age 23, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
- ERIC DEMETRIUS VEAL, age 46, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
- JEVON DESHAWN CLARK, A/K/A “DUB” AND “J DUB” (gang member), age 35, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
- CYNTHIA BOLSTON SMITH, A/K/A “CYNT,” age 70, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to two years of probation.
“These sentencings and the dismantling of this gang are the result of a true partnership between District Attorney Steve Bradley’s office, Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee’s office, the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, DEA, FBI, ATF, and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia,” said United States Attorney Charles E. Peeler. “To those who choose to engage in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking and violent crime, take note: Federal and State law enforcement and prosecutors are teaming up to take you down. Providing the citizens of Middle Georgia with the safe neighborhoods and drug free communities they deserve is the top priority of this office. Thank you to the hard work of law enforcement in this matter.”
“Baldwin County residents can sleep better tonight knowing that this sentence has been returned against this violent crack, powder cocaine and methamphetamine trafficker,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division. “This case demonstrates how DEA and its local, state and federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office present a united front to disrupt, dismantle and destroy gang-related drug trafficking organizations.”
“Nothing infects our communities more than the infiltration of drugs and guns onto our streets,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of FBI Atlanta. “Goddard’s conviction and sentencing are only the beginning of our efforts to protect the good citizens of Baldwin County from the menace this top level gangster and his fellow gang members posed.”
“Sheriff Bill Massee and I both appreciate the excellent coordination between our personnel and those in the Federal system. That partnership has led to a real, identifiable reduction in local gang and drug activity,” said Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Steve Bradley. “These were serious, historical offenders we took off the street, and Baldwin County is much safer as a result.”
The case was brought as part of OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) programs. OCDETF and PSN are programs that have been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office; Ocmulgee Drug Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco’ Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Calhoun and Michael Solis are prosecuting the case for the Government with participation and cooperation of Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Steve Bradley.
Questions concerning this case can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Algerian Terrorist is Sentenced to 15 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers announced that an Algerian man was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists. United States District Judge Petrese B. Tucker presided over the proceeding.
Ali Charaf Damache, 53, also known as Theblackflag, was indicted in 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of attempted identity theft to facilitate an act of international terrorism. He was extradited from Spain in 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2018.
Damache, his co-defendant Mohammad Hassan Khalid, and others conspired to support, recruit, and coordinate a terrorist cell, consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States, to wage violent jihad in and around Europe. Among those with whom Damache conspired is Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, a/k/a Fatima LaRose, a/k/a Jihad Jane, a resident of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Though there were several involved in the conspiracy, Damache was the driving force behind the terrorist cell that he formed. He enticed LaRose and Ramirez to travel to Ireland to live with him and train in the ways of violent jihad; convinced Khalid, LaRose and others to recruit men online to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe; and began to coordinate explosives training for his co-conspirators. He also trained Ramirez’s young son in the ways of violent jihad.
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of a long and arduous prosecution that has spanned more than nine years, involved four defendants and five unnamed co-conspirators, and required multiple coordinated international arrests and two extradition applications,” said U. S. Attorney McSwain. “Damache and his co-conspirators were motivated by hate and prejudice, and their criminal activities presented a very real danger to our country and the world. This case is a prime example of the remarkable results we can accomplish when law enforcement – both foreign and domestic – work together to stop our enemies who intend to wage war on our way of life. As this case shows, our resolve to dismantle extremists groups is stronger than ever.”
“At a time when radical terrorist groups use the Internet to recruit new members and coordinate attacks against innocent people, the National Security Division remains committed to investigating all possible threats to our country aggressively — including those that take place online,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Through close cooperation with our international law enforcement partners and the dedicated work of our agents and prosecutors, we have brought Damache to justice. The sentence in this case and order of removal have made the United States safer, and I applaud the women and men throughout the law enforcement community who made it happen.”
This case was investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and the FBI Field Divisions in Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and the IRS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Spain provided substantial assistance. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Blue and C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Algerian Man is Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiring with Pennsylvania Woman and Others to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and United States Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that an Algerian man was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists. United States District Judge Petrese B. Tucker presided over the proceeding.
Ali Charaf Damache, 53, also known as Theblackflag, was indicted in 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and one count of attempted identity theft to facilitate an act of international terrorism. He was extradited from Spain in 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2018. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States and return to Ireland, where he is a citizen, or alternatively, Algeria.
Damache, his co-defendant Mohammad Hassan Khalid, and others conspired to support, recruit, and coordinate a terrorist cell, consisting of men and women from Europe and the United States, to wage violent jihad in and around Europe. Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, aka Fatima LaRose, aka JihadJane, a resident of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are among Damache’s co-conspirators.
Though there were several involved in the conspiracy, Damache was the force behind the terrorist cell he formed. He enticed LaRose and Ramirez to travel to Ireland live with him and train in the ways of violent jihad; convinced Khalid, LaRose and others to recruit men online to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe; and began to coordinate explosives training for his co-conspirators. He also trained Ramirez’s son in the ways of violent jihad, on one occasion taking him to a public park for physical training that scared him.
“At a time when radical terrorist groups use the Internet to recruit new members and coordinate attacks against innocent people, the National Security Division remains committed to investigating all possible threats to our country aggressively — including those that take place online,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Through close cooperation with our international law enforcement partners and the dedicated work of our agents and prosecutors, we have brought Damache to justice. The sentence in this case and order of removal have made the United States safer, and I applaud the women and men throughout the law enforcement community who made it happen.”
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of a long and arduous prosecution that has spanned more than nine years, involved four defendants and five unnamed co-conspirators, and required multiple coordinated international arrests and two extradition applications,” said United States Attorney McSwain. “Damache and his co-conspirators were motivated by hate and prejudice, and their criminal activities presented a very real danger to our country and the world. This case is a prime example of the remarkable results we can accomplish when law enforcement – both foreign and domestic – work together to stop our enemies who intend to wage war on our way of life. As this case shows, our resolve to dismantle extremists groups is stronger than ever.”
This case was investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and the FBI Field Divisions in New York, Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and the IRS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Spain provided substantial assistance. Authorities in Ireland also provided assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Blue and C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
5 Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LUIS SEMIDAY, a/k/a “PopOff,” RICHARD JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Showtime,” KEVIN CRUZ, a/k/a “Juice,” IRA LAWSON, a/k/a “Malachi,” and CURTIS HINES, a/k/a “Curt,” a/k/a “Gz,” with robbery conspiracy, robbery, and murder through the use of a firearm. The charges arise out of a robbery of a marijuana dealer in the Bronx on February 4, 2018, during which Jonathan Tuck was unintentionally shot and killed. JIMENEZ, CRUZ, LAWSON, and HINES were arrested yesterday and this morning, and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. SEMIDAY is still at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants planned and carried out the violent armed robbery of a marijuana dealer in the Bronx. In the course of that robbery, 25-year-old Jonathan Tuck was killed. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the NYPD and the Special Agents of our Office, five defendants now face charges for their role in these terrible crimes.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “I applaud the tireless work of our NYPD detectives and our partners at the Southern District, whose close collaboration led to today’s charges. We have zero tolerance for crime and violence of any kind in our city, and New Yorkers in every neighborhood deserve to feel safe on our streets. Today, these five men are correctly being held accountable for their actions – which include, tragically, ending another man’s life.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
On February 4, 2018, SEMIDAY, JIMENEZ, CRUZ, LAWSON, and HINES planned and carried out a gunpoint robbery of a drug dealer at 2334 Washington Avenue in the Bronx. During the course of the robbery, Jonathan Tuck was unintentionally shot and killed.
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SEMIDAY, 22, of the Bronx, New York, JIMENEZ, 21, of New York, New York, CRUZ, 23, of the Bronx, New York, LAWSON, 24 of the Bronx, New York, and HINES, 20, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and the Special Agents of the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He added that the investigation is continuing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and Danielle Sassoon 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 constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
2018 Eastern District Election Officer AppointedRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robin Pendergraft, Chief of the Criminal Division will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections. AUSA Pendergraft has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of any complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said United Staes Attorney Higdon. “The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise may exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Higdon stated that AUSA/DEO Pendergraft will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 919-856-4530.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Raleigh FBI field office can be reached by the public at 919-380-4500.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Higdon said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
29 October 2018
Woman Indicted for Conspiracy to File False Tax Returns and Making False Statements to a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
A woman was arrested on Friday, October 26, 2018, following an indictment for conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns and making false statements to a federal agent, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Byung J. Pak for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to the indictment, between approximately 2011 and 2014, Tiffany Lewis and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the payment of income tax refunds by filing false tax returns. After directing the tax refunds into bank accounts they opened and controlled, Lewis and her co-conspirators used checks and debit cards to withdraw cash or to pay for personal items. Later, when interviewed by an Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation special agent, Lewis lied about her purported purchase of a tax return preparation business.
If convicted, Lewis faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and 5 years in prison for the false statements charge. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. One of Lewis’s co-conspirators, Renault Shinall, was sentenced in July 2018 to 37 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to his part in the conspiracy.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Pak thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys David Zisserson and Sean Beaty, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Brown, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Virginia man sentenced for cigarette smuggling chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Udayappan Subramanian, of Haymarket, Virginia, was sentenced to 12 months probation for unlawful cigarette smuggling, First Assistant United States Attorney Randy Bernard announced today.
Subramanian, age 41, pled guilty to one count of “Trafficking of Contraband Cigarettes” in June 2018. He transporting large quantities of contraband cigarettes across state lines for redistribution and sale. The cigarettes were acquired in Virginia, where the tax rate for cigarettes is one of the lowest in the nation, and sold in other states, including New York, which has one of the nation’s highest tax rates. The cigarettes were possessed and transported in West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Stein prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations, the Frederick County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Valdosta Man Convicted on Charge Related to Major Cocaine Ring, Hundreds of Kilograms Distributed Across RegionRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA-- United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Charles E. Peeler, announced that Henry Austin, II a/k/a “Poochie,” age 49, of Valdosta, Georgia was convicted Wednesday, October 24, 2018 of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine base following a three day jury trial before United States District Judge Hugh Lawson. Jurors took one hour to deliberate the charge. Austin’s sentencing will occur before Judge Lawson at a later date.
Jurors heard evidence collected by a half-dozen law enforcement agencies during a more than two-year investigation. Evidence revealed a cocaine and crack cocaine distribution circuit stretching from Atlanta to South Georgia, including Tifton, Valdosta, Omega, Hahira, Adel, Moultrie, Northern Florida, and other nearby communities. Austin and 18 co-conspirators, all who previously pled guilty and been sentenced, distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine sold as powder and also manufactured into crack cocaine. Mr. Austin’s drug dealing career dates back to the 1990s. When speaking of his crack cooking skills, witnesses widely described Mr. Austin as “one of best.”
“Another major illegal drug ring operating in Georgia has been smashed,” said Charles Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “This office and the law enforcement agencies we work with daily are committed to stopping these destructive drug operations flowing in our state. I applaud the courageous efforts put forth by our law enforcement agencies who are successfully ending illegal drug operations in their communities.”
This investigation and Mr. Austin’s conviction represent the hard work of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Tift County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Julia C. Bowen, Michael T. Solis and Leah E. McEwen are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors 140 Officers and Agents for Outstanding Work in Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office honored 140 law enforcement officers, agents, and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, drug traffickers, sexual predators, fraudsters, and other criminals. The event took place at the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu said the Office’s 36th Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the exceptional work performed by honorees on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption, and terrorism and other national security matters. Their efforts led to convictions in 38 cases that had an impact locally, nationally, and internationally. The ceremony took place on Oct. 25, 2018.
“These awards are a way to recognize the outstanding work that takes place every day to protect the citizens of the District of Columbia from threats at home and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “As prosecutors, we are inspired by the commitment shown by our law enforcement partners, who work around the clock to keep us safe.”
The ceremony honored the achievements of people from 23 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S, Marshals Service, and other partners.
Among cases highlighted at the ceremony, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized the work of more than 20 members of a team from the FBI, the U.S. State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency for their investigation into the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. The attack led to the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty. The investigation resulted in the capture and eventual trial of Libyan militia leader Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who was found guilty by a jury last year of federal charges for his role in the crimes.
The Office also recognized a team from the MPD, the ATF, and the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, for work leading to the conviction of Jerome Lewis on murder and other charges for setting a house fire in Northeast Washington in 2013 that caused the death of a four-year-old child, Samauri Michelle Jenkins. She was among tenants in his home. In addition to being sentenced to prison, Lewis was ordered to pay more than $200,000 to the estate of the child, based on an insurance pay-out he received after the fire.
In another murder case, an MPD detective was honored for his investigation into the death of Tricia McCauley, who was slain on Christmas Day 2016 while on her way to a gathering with friends. The work led to conviction of Duane Johnson, a stranger to the victim who was arrested a day after the murder. Johnson is serving a 30-year prison term.
Two detectives from MPD and an FBI Special Agent were honored for their investigation of Daraya Marshall, who persuaded four girls, ages 14 to 17, to prostitute for him in a sex trafficking operation out of an apartment in Southeast Washington. Marshall later pled guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Marshals Service, MPD, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Cook County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office were recognized for work leading to the conviction of Bilal Ahmed, a dentist who sexually assaulted five former dental patients and one former employee and improperly touched another former employee. Ahmed was sentenced last year to a 16 ½-year prison term for the crimes.
The ceremony reflected the wide variety of cases that are investigated by law enforcement agencies in the District of Columbia. Many honorees were recognized for work in cases involving money laundering, bank fraud and other white-collar crimes, including teams from the FBI’s Washington Field Office that identified fraudsters who cheated non-profits, including one who stole nearly $150,000 from a foundation for veterans.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Efforts to Protect Voters and Prevent Fraud in November 2018 ElectionsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Todd M. Allison will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general elections on Nov. 6, 2018. AUSA Allison has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for Arizona. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the District of Arizona’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with DOJ in Washington, D.C.
“Our democracy relies upon free and fair elections, and we are asking for community support to help us ensure that every eligible voter can freely exercise his or her right to vote,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “It is imperative that anyone who has knowledge of suspected voter intimidation, discrimination, or election fraud report that information immediately to our Office, the FBI, or DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud, voter intimidation, and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, persons attempting to interrupt or intimidate voters by questioning, challenging, photographing or videotaping them at polling places – especially under the guise of uncovering illegal voting – may be violating federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the electoral franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Allison will be on duty in this District the entire time that the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (602) 595-2866.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and any other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (623) 466-1999.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C. by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint format at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-141_ Gen Elections
U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady Remarks following Robert Bowers’ Initial AppearanceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Remarks of Scott W. Brady, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, following the initial appearance in federal court of Robert Bowers:
"On Saturday, October 27, 2018, my office charged Robert Bowers with federal murder and assault charges relative to the horrific acts of violence he committed at the Tree of Life synagogue.
Today, Robert Bowers made his first appearance in federal court. The Judge advised him of the charges against him. He is detained in jail, without bond.
The federal Magistrate Judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday, November 1 at 10:00 a.m. At that time, we will have the opportunity to present evidence demonstrating that Robert Bowers murdered 11 people who were exercising their religious beliefs, and that he shot or injured six others, four of whom were police officers responding to the shooting.
Our investigation of these hate crimes continues. Under the law, we must present this case to a federal grand jury within 30 days of today.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims’ families and with the community. Rest assured, we have a team of prosecutors working hard to ensure that justice is done."
Two Tampa Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted two Tampa men for conspiracy to commit identity theft crimes announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Michael Williams.
This case involved use of counterfeit access devices – debit or credit cards – trailing from South Carolina to Alabama to purchase goods or pre-paid gift cards.
A three-count federal indictment charges OSMANI RAMIREZ CHAVEZ and YANKO TORRES VADELLA ALBA of Tampa, Florida, with conspiring in October 2018 in Jefferson County and elsewhere to traffic in counterfeit access devices by using them to obtain money, goods and services. The indictment also charges them with separate counts of using a counterfeit device and possession of more than fifteen counterfeit access devices on October 9, 2018 in Jefferson County.
As part of the conspiracy, Chavez and Alba went on an extended weekend spree that spans from South Carolina to Alabama buying goods and pre-paid gift cards with counterfeit credit and debit cards. They hit Walmart stores in North Augusta, South Carolina, Augusta, and Thomson, Georgia, and Oxford, Pell City, Leeds, Hoover, Homewood and Birmingham, Alabama. The defendants were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama and were found in possession of the largest number of counterfeit credit and debit cards seized by the Task Force in the Northern District of Alabama.
“The defendants in this case are facing federal charges due to the collaborative work of the Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force with Regions Bank and Walmart Global Investigations to identify the culprits and gather the evidence of widespread fraud,” Town said. “Defendants should know that if you travel to the Northern District of Alabama with the intention of committing identity theft crimes, you will be prosecuted in federal court.”
“The prosecution of suspects committing financial crimes is an investigative priority of the U. S. Secret Service, Birmingham Field Office. Our financial crimes task force aggressively investigates financial crimes and seeks to bring offenders to justice,” Williams said. “This case is a perfect example of our mandate. We have to protect our local economy from fraudsters who travel from neighboring states to commit crimes in the Northern District of Alabama.”
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty both for making purchases with the counterfeit access devises and for possessing device-making equipment is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force investigated the cases in conjunction with Regions Bank and Walmart Global Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark is prosecuting the cases.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Stemming from the Illegal Manufacture of Machine GunsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that two men have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to charges related to the illegal manufacturing and possession of machine guns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2017 and April 2018, SEAN DEY, 39, of Torrington, made and manufactured machine guns, including AK-47-style and AR-style machine guns, suppressors, and other firearms. Dey entered into an agreement with GEORGE JAIMAN, 69, of Bridgeport, to sell machine guns, suppressors and firearms to third parties for profit. Neither Dey nor Jaiman possessed a valid license to deal firearms.
On March 28, 2018, in Bridgeport, Jaiman possessed an AK-47 style machine gun and an AR-style machine gun bearing a suppressor, neither of which had a serial number.
On April 3, 2018, Dey transferred an AR-style machine gun that he had manufactured to another individual for cash.
Dey was arrested on April 11, 2018, and Jaiman was arrested on June 4, 2018.
On October 25, 2018, Dey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage unlawfully in the business of selling firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of unlawful possession and transfer of a machine gun, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. On October 26, Jaiman pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Dey and Jaiman are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 15, 2019. Both defendants are released on bonds pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Identity and Mail Theft in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus CountiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Derek Hillgert, 29, of Carmichael, and Jeffrey Wilhite, 31, of Linden, pleaded guilty today to committing access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Hillgert and Wilhite worked together to steal United States Mail and conduct transactions with stolen identities. On the day of their arrests, they possessed over 200 pieces of stolen mail addressed to over 100 victims. With Wilhite’s assistance, Hillgert used a stolen identity to purchase a van at a dealership in Modesto. Hillgert presented a fraudulent driver’s license in the other person’s name but with Hillgert’s photograph, and he obtained a loan in the other person’s name for over $39,000. Wilhite opened a Target debit card account using a second stolen identity, and the defendants made more than $3,000 in purchases with it.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
Hillgert and Wilhite are scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on January 14, 2019. Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of stolen mail. Each count of access device fraud carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the aggravated identity theft, each defendant faces a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Tres Ex-Oficiales de Crystal City, Tejas Condenados a Prisión Federal por Esquema de SobornoRead the Press Release
Anunciaron el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash y Christopher Combs, Agente Especial en cargo de la Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) que hoy en Del Rio, la juez Alia Moses condenó a tres ex–oficiales de Crystal City en conexión con una esquema de soborno.
Juez Moses condenó al ex-Alcalde Interino Rogelio Mata, ex–Concejal de la Ciudad Roel Mata, y ex–Concejal de la Ciudad Gilbert Urrabazo a 33 meses, 21 meses, y 24 meses respectivamente. Juez Moses ordenó que los tres demandaos servirán tres años de supervisión después de servir su sentencia penal individualmente. Más, Juez Moses ordenó que los tres pagaran una multa de $2,000 y ordenó juicio de perdida de $11,291.73 en efectivo. El juicio de perdida representa la perdición de varios sobornos, cuales fueron recibidos de parte del co-demandado William James Jonas, III. Previamente, los tres demandados se declararon culpables de un cargo de soborno de una programa federal y admitieron que usaron sus posiciones oficiales para enriquecerse por medio de aceptar sobornos de parte de individuos con el motivo de contratar sus negocios con la cuidad.
Éste año, el Alcalde de Crystal City Ricardo Lopez y el ex–Abogado de la Cuidad, y el Director de la Cuidad Willam James Jonas, III, fueron condenados a 97 meses y 420 meses en prisión federal, respectivamente, por su participación en la esquema. Jonas fue ordenado de pagar $1,047,814.05 en restitución y Lopez fue ordenado de pagar $24,003.95 en restitución. Por su participación en la esquema, empresario Ngoc Tri Nguyen fue condenado a 17 meses de prisión federal y de pagar $6,000.00 en restitución y la perdida de $40,000.00.
La Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) investigaron éste caso con la asistencia del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Tejas División Investigativa de Crimen (DPS-CID, por sus siglas en inglés), la División de Texas Ranger, y el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD, por sus siglas en inglés). Abogado Asistente de los Estados Unidos William R. Harris fue el fiscal de parte del gobierno.
Three Individuals Charged for Making False Statements to a BankRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that JARED CASTELLAW (“CASTELLAW”), and PATRICK HEALY (“HEALY”), employees of an undisclosed entity, ABC Homes, LLC, located in St. Bernard Parish, and VALERIE SCHONES (“SCHONES”), a loan officer from an undisclosed mortgage lending institution, XYZ Financial, based in Tuscon, Arizona, were charged on Thursday, October 25, 2018 in a one-count Bill of Information for Making False Statements to a Financial Institution.
According to the Information, beginning in or around October 2008 and continuing to on or about May 2009, CASTELLAW, HEALY, and SCHONES made false statements to the Federal Housing Administration “FHA” in order to qualify for FHA insured loans.
If convicted, CASTELLAW, HEALY, and SCHONES face a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, supervised release of up to 5 years, and a special assessment of $100.
U.S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharan E. Lieberman and Edward J. Rivera.
Three Former Crystal City, TX, Officials Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
In Del Rio today, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced three former Crystal City officials in connection with a bribery and kickback scheme announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs.
Judge Moses sentenced former Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata, former City Councilman Roel Mata, and former City Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo to 33 months, 21 months, and 24 months in federal prison, respectively. Judge Moses ordered that all three defendants be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing their respective prison terms. Judge Moses further ordered the three to each pay a $2,000 fine, and ordered them jointly and severally to pay a money judgment in forfeiture of $11,291.73. The forfeiture judgment represents divestiture of the various bribes, which were paid to them and to co-defendant William James Jonas, III. Previously, all three defendants pleaded guilty to one count of federal programs bribery while admitting to using their official positions to enrich themselves by accepting cash bribes from an individual seeking to do business with the city.
Earlier this year, Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez and former City Attorney and City Manager William James Jonas, III, were sentenced to 97 months and 420 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. In addition, Jonas was ordered to pay $1,047,814.05 in restitution and Lopez was ordered to pay $24,003.95 in restitution. Businessman Ngoc Tri Nguyen was sentenced to 17 months incarceration and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution and a $40,000 money judgment for his role in the fraudulent scheme.
The FBI conducted this investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Rangers and the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.Springhill man pleads guilty to supplying methamphetamine to Bossier City womanRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Springhill man pleaded guilty last week to supplying more than a kilogram of methamphetamine to a Bossier City woman.
Marlon G. Gladney, 42, of Springhill, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Gladney’s vehicle October 27, 2017. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a firearm, and Gladney was detained. During questioning, Gladney stated he distributed methamphetamine to Erin O’Daniel, 35, of Bossier City, Louisiana, who sold the drugs in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Gladney admitted providing at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to O’Daniel during the previous three months. O’Daniel was later arrested. A total of 396.2 grams of methamphetamine was found in her vehicle and home.
Gladney faces 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 12, 2019. O’Daniel pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. She faces 10 years to life in prison for the conspiracy count and five years for the firearms count to run consecutive to the conspiracy count. She also faces four years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of January 4, 2019.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Minden Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Six Alleged Street Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Allegedly Violating the RICO ActRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Six men who are alleged to be associated with a criminal enterprise generally known as Chad, Chad Brown, Chad Brown Posse, Chad Brown Cut Throats, Cut Throat Committee, Chad Brown Killers, CBK, The Bricks, and Hova Gang, among others (collectively, “the Chad Brown Gang”) have been charged by way of a federal indictment with violating the Racketeer Influenced Criminal Organization Act (RICO) by allegedly engaging in attempted murders, felony assaults, federal firearms offenses, drug trafficking and obstruction of justice.
It is alleged in the indictment that the six individuals are members of a criminal enterprise that engaged in violent crimes in aid of racketeering. Among the alleged crimes detailed in the indictment are four drive-by shootings in Providence. The violent criminal acts were allegedly carried out by members of the criminal enterprise with the use of firearms, in violation of federal law.
Four of the individuals named in the indictment are alleged to have participated in drive-by shootings that, according to the indictment and information presented to the Court, were in retaliation for felony assaults, shootings, and murders of Chad Brown gang members or associates, or members of other street gangs allied with the Chad Brown street gang. In at least one instance, in an apparent case of mistaken identity, multiple shots were fired into a car driven by a person who was not the intended target.
Utilizing technology provided by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives linked six shootings in Providence to the same firearm, allegedly owned by one of the defendants, and shared among gang members. Three of the shootings charged in the indictment involved that handgun.
The indictment, the result of a two-year Project Safe Neighborhoods Investigation by the Providence Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); ATF Task Force; United States Attorney’s Office; and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Lawrence J. Panetta, and Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré.
“Reducing violent crime has been and remains a top priority for the Department of Justice. Project Safe Neighborhoods allows federal, state and local law enforcement to collaboratively focus their resources to combat this problem. Together, we have used and will continue to use all of the investigative and legal tools available to us to target and hold responsible individuals responsible for driving and committing violent crime within our local communities,” commented United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch.
“The gun and gang violence perpetrated by this criminal enterprise is fueled by long-simmering feuds that has wreaked chaos and fear throughout every corner of our capital city. The actions of these defendants individually and collectively are extremely violent, show an utter disregard for human life, and cannot be allowed to flourish or further infect this community,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. “Addressing these criminal enterprises requires great cooperation between law enforcement agencies at every level. Working hand in glove with Providence Police and our state and federal partners, we have identified those responsible for the criminal enterprise, and we will use every available legal avenue to shut down and put an end to the organized and senseless violence being wreaked by these gangs.”
“These charges against six gang members centered in the Chad Brown neighborhood of Providence are another example of law enforcement’s collective strategy to target, disrupt and eliminate violent and dangerous criminal enterprises, and to cut off their means of funding from the illegal sale of drugs and guns,” said Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré. “Bringing federal, state and local resources to bear on this criminal enterprise is the best approach in dismantling an organization that uses violence as a means of operation. Using ATF technology and expertise to connect guns to shell casings which led to connecting gang members to shootings was instrumental, combined with using the police officers, detectives, agents and prosecutors to build a case that resulted in these indictments. Providence and the region will be a safer place with these individuals off the street.”
“Investigating, arresting, and incarcerating criminals who use guns and violence to intimidate communities and commit violent crime is ATF’s number one priority in Rhode Island. ATF is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and bring the most advanced forensic science to the fight against gun crime,” said Lawrence Panetta, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston. “The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. ATF works to reduce violent crime by targeting and dismantling these types of criminal organizations who pose the greatest threat to public safety.”
The 29-count indictment unsealed today charges:
- Delacey Andrade. 24, of North Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; four counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; three counts of Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; and Distribution of Cocaine;
- Keishon Johnson, 28, of Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; three counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; three counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; three counts of Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; and Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana;
- Montrel Johnson, 22, of Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; two counts of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; four counts of Obstruction of Justice; and Criminal Contempt of Court;
- Marcel Jones, 30, of West Warwick, with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; and Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence;
- Kendrick Johnson, 27, of North Providence, with Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization; Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence; and six counts of Distribution of Cocaine; and
- Christopher Britto, 25, of Warwick, with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering and Use of a Firearm in a Federal Crime of Violence
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The case is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gerard B. Sullivan and Sandra R. Hebert, and Assistant Attorney General James Baum of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, and ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Lawrence J. Panetta acknowledge and thank the member agencies of the ATF Task Force, the Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, as well as the North Providence Police Department and the United States Marshals Service for their efforts in the investigation.
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San Diego Jury Convicts Child PredatorRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 25, 2018
SAN DIEGO, CA – On Thursday, October 25, 2018 a federal jury in San Diego, California, found Isaiah Smallwood-Jackson guilty of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), announced United States Attorney Adam Braverman. The convictions trigger mandatory minimum sentences of 15 and 10 years, respectively.
According to evidence presented at trial, Smallwood-Jackson began communicating with a 14-year-old girl, using the social media application “Spotafriend.” The victim’s profile listed her true age of 14. Smallwood-Jackson admitted during chats with the victim that he was 21 years old and did not care that the victim was a minor. Communicating over social media, Smallwood-Jackson discussed sexual acts he wanted to perform with the minor. He convinced her to produce and send him sexually explicit pictures and to provide her address. The minor repeatedly told Smallwood-Jackson that she was not sure she wanted to meet with him, but he told her to “take a leap of faith.” He then traveled to her home, convinced her to come outside, and engaged in sexual activity with her. In texts afterward, Smallwood-Jackson apologized for hurting the minor victim. She disclosed the event to her sister, who reported it to law enforcement.
“Internet predators beware: the Department of Justice is committed to striking back against repugnant crimes against innocent children," said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse. The United States will utilize every tool available to it to hold these predators accountable.”
Defendant is set to be sentenced on January 28, 2019, at 9am before the Honorable Cynthia Bashant.
AGENCIES
This case was investigated by the Oceanside Police Department. The FBI then pursued federal charges through filing of a federal criminal complaint.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Access Device Fraud, Identity Theft, and Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Ahmad Nassar, 31, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from August 2015 through June 2017, Nassar was engaged in identity theft, unauthorized bank account takeovers, and obtaining and using unauthorized and counterfeit access devices in the form of credit cards, debit cards, account numbers, and other financial account information. On May 10, 2017, the execution of search warrants at two properties in Sacramento associated with Nassar led to the seizure of a loaded .22 caliber handgun from underneath a pillow in a bedroom of one of the properties in which Nassar himself was found. In addition, agents seized numerous boxes containing credit cards; debit cards; mail (some with “forwarding” address labels); and federal and state government-issued identification cards, which bore the names of people other than Nassar; and at least 55 electronic devices, including computers, cellular phones, thumb and storage media drives, and other electronic devices, including a “CelleBrite” device commonly used by law enforcement to conduct forensic examinations of cellular phones. Nassar stipulated to using intricate techniques to obtain victims’ personal identifying and financial information, including online account takeovers, that continued even after search warrants were executed on his properties. Nassar’s conduct caused at least $558,276.38 in actual loss.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew M. Yelovich is prosecuting the case.
Nassar remains out of custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled before United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on February 25, 2019. Nassar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the access device fraud and firearm possession offenses, and an additional two-year mandatory sentence for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutively to any other sentence received. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Eric J.D. Contreras, 33, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force (CCMNTF) agents arrested Contreras in Nov. 2017, after finding approximately 100.8 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, on Contreras and in his vehicle while executing a state search warrant.
Contreras subsequently was indicted on April 18, 2018, and was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Contreras committed the offenses on Nov. 29, 2017, in Chaves County, N.M. At the time, Contreras was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm made from a shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On June 19, 2018, Contreras pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Contreras admitted that on Nov. 29, 2017, CCMNTF agents executed a state search warrant on his vehicle and found methamphetamine concealed in the engine compartment. Contreras admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to others.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
RICO Indictment Charges “110” GangRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 14 men with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) from 2012 until now. According to the indictment, the 110 Gang uses murder, robberies, assaults, threats and firearms to control the gang’s territory and to expand the gang’s power and reputation. The gang also sells drugs and commits credit card fraud to make money. The indictment alleges that the following defendants, all residents of Syracuse, are members or associates of the 110 Gang:
Daquan Dowdell, a/k/a “Cannon,” age 27
Anthony Hopper, a/k/a “A-Dog,” age 31
Javon Peterson, a/k/a “Blaze,” age 36
Davon Sullivan, a/k/a “Lil Squeeze,” age 23
Jamar Long, a/k/a “Spanky,” age 23
Deshawnte Waller, age 41
Shaquille Breland, a/k/a “Shaq,” age 25
Reddell Smith, a/k/a “Renny,” age 33
Rashwan Wynn, a/k/a “Wormy,” age 42
Qualik Vaughn, a/k/a “Q,” age 24
Terry Linen, a/k/a “Six,” age 26
Jason Lebron, a/k/a “Rilla,” age 26
Kemnorris Kinsey, a/k/a “Pep,” age 31
Damani Prince, age 25
According to the indictment:
The gang’s territory is on the southwest side of the City of Syracuse, defined by Tallman Street to the north, Onondaga Avenue to the west, Centennial Drive to the south and Lincoln Avenue to the east. 110 Gang members routinely guard that territory and resort to acts of violence, if necessary, to ensure that no rival gang members encroach upon their territory to sell drugs, or for any other reason. 110 Gang members also occasionally resort to violence within their territory that is not directly related to their drug business, but helps to cement their reputation as violent and feared criminals. The gang uses intimidation, violence, threats of violence, robberies, assaults, murders and attempted murders to instill fear of the gang, and to protect and expand the gang’s operations. Gang members routinely carry firearms to protect their territory, protect their drug trade, project a violent attitude to rival gang members and to retaliate against rival gang who committed acts of violence against 110 Gang members.
The indictment details numerous specific acts involving murders, robberies, drug trafficking and credit card fraud. Those acts include 2 murders allegedly committed by 110 Gang members as well as several shootings targeting both rival gang members and other members of the public. Other acts are possessions of illegal firearms including the practice of sharing “community” guns among gang members, associates and others. Twenrty acts relate to the 110 Gang’s drug dealing, and 3 relate to its use of counterfeit credit cards at financial institutions, stores and businesses.
All 14 defendants are charged with membership in a RICO conspiracy, conviction for which carries a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a period of supervised release of up to 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000.00. 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.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith said, “Today’s indictment marks the first step in holding 14 members of the 110 Gang responsible for the intimidation, violence, threats, robberies, assaults, and murders their gang has committed in Syracuse. Our work is far from done, and we will continue to collaborate with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to use every available tool to hold gang members and affiliates responsible for their crimes so that hard-working Syracuse citizens and their children do not have to endure the costs of gang violence. Thank you to all of the law enforcement agencies who worked together to bring this important case.”
“Today's arrests are the result of countless hours of dedicated work," said James Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Syracuse neighborhoods are safer than they were just hours ago, but the pursuit of violent gang members is not over. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to target and eliminate the significant threats to our communities posed by violent gang activity.”
Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said, “First, I’d like to thank all of our Law Enforcement partners for their help in the investigation and indictment of these violent offenders. Secondly, I think it is important to note that early on in this process, many of our local service providers offered various forms of assistance to gang members who wanted to take a different path. Many of them—in fact more than were indicted today—took advantage of this assistance, and consequently their names and faces are not part of this roundup.”
New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach, II said, “These arrests show how important collaboration and information sharing are among law enforcement agencies across our state. These vital partnerships were instrumental in these arrests and the dismantling of a dangerous criminal organization. We will not tolerate any kind of gang activity in our communities nor the racketeering, drug trafficking, burglary, and violence perpetuated by it. The State Police and our partners will continue to work together to rid our communities of these dangerous criminals and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
“Historically, the 110 Gang has been a source of drugs, violence, and crime throughout the southwest side of Syracuse,” said U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall. “Fourteen members of this gang are charged in a RICO conspiracy as a result of law enforcement collaboration and a determined goal of making our city safer from gang violence and drug trafficking.”
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Syracuse Police- Gang Violence Task Force, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Crime Analysis Center (OCAC), the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Onondaga County Sherriff’s Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur, with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.
Possession of Sawed-Off Shotgun Sends Dubuque Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and who was an unlawful user of methamphetamine was sentenced on October 26, 2018, to one year in federal prison.
Michael Dennison, age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 18, 2018, guilty plea to possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
In a plea agreement, Dennison admitted that he possessed the sawed-off shotgun from the summer of 2017 until February 16, 2018, when police officers seized it during a search warrant executed at his home. The gun was loaded. Sentencing documents indicate that officers also found methamphetamine hidden in a hole cut out from the Dennison’s mattress. Dennison also provided a urine sample that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Dennison was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Dennison was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Dennison is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1015.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Owner of Colorado Business Pleads Guilty to Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
An Arvada, Colorado, woman pleaded guilty today to one count of willfully making and subscribing to a fraudulent corporate income tax return announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents, Marlene Seo owned and operated a corporation called National Martial Arts Academy Inc., a martial arts instruction business. From 2011 through 2013, income from Seo’s martial arts school was deposited into bank accounts that she did not disclose to the corporation’s bookkeeper and accountants, which resulted in her underreporting the business’s gross receipts on corporate tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013 by approximately $650,000. Seo plead guilty to signing and filing a false 2012 U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, Form 1120, filed on behalf of National Martial Arts Academy.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 1, 2019. Seo faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Anahi Cortada and Lisa L. Bellamy, who are prosecuting the case.
One Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional Ten Years in Prison in Fort Dix Prison Child Pornography RingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Tennessee man was sentenced to an additional ten years in prison in connection with a child pornography ring at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix that was operated by inmates who were imprisoned for related offenses, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Charles Wesley Bush, 38, of Knoxville, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bush admitted that he possessed a micro SD Card containing 2,471 images and 95 videos of child pornography, including depictions of sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children, bestiality, and sadistic and masochistic conduct. In connection with his plea, Bush also admitted that he used a cellular telephone inside the prison to obtain and possess child pornography and that he knowingly engaged in the distribution of child pornography by agreeing to transfer the micro SD card to another inmate.
In addition to the additional prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Bush to 10 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Six other inmates – all of whom were serving sentences for prior child pornography offenses while committing the alleged crimes in this case – have pleaded guilty: Erik M. Smith, 36, of Iron Mountain, Michigan; Anthony C. Jeffries, 32, of Orange, Virginia; Brian J. McKay, 47, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania; Christopher D. Roffler, 30, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Jacob S. Good, 26, of Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Jordan T. Allen, 31, of Plain City, Ohio. Smith was sentenced to 151 months in prison, Good was sentenced to 10 years in prison; McKay and Allen were sentenced to 160 months in prison, and the other two defendants are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked officials of the Bureau of Prisons at Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel J. Vidoni and Alyson M. Oswald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: David Rudenstein Esq., Philadelphia
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Probation for Providing Marijuana to Prison InmateRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Warren, Ohio, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 18 months probation on her conviction of providing contraband in prison, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Malinda Penezich, 48.
According to information presented to the court, on or about November 27, 2016, Penezich provided a quantity of marijuana to an inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institutions and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Penezich.
New Haven Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LESHANDA LONG, 37, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraud and identity theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2015, Long stole the identity of an individual and used the misappropriated identity to obtain a credit card, rent an automobile, pay personal expenses and obtain cash advances.
Surveillance video at a bank ATM captured Long, disguised with an orange scarf and distinctive sunglasses, obtaining cash advances. A subsequent search of Long’s residence revealed the scarf and sunglasses, as well as the victim’s personal identifying material and the fraudulently obtained credit card.
Long was arrested on February 24, 2017. On September 7, 2017, she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. She has been detained since October 17, 2017, when her bond was revoked.
Long’s criminal history includes 21 prior convictions, including convictions for identity theft and larceny. She also has pending state charges for identity theft, forgery, larceny and robbery offenses.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Haven Police Department and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Morgantown woman sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Lori Murphy, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for heroin trafficking, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Murphy, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin within 1000 feet of Protected Location” in June 2018. Murphy admitted to distributing heroin near North Elementary School in April of 2017 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Midstate Man and Woman Charged with Defrauding Disabled Veteran of $316,360Read the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jason Ehrhart, age 48, of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, and Jason’s former wife, Laurie Ehrhart, age 48, of Newport, Pennsylvania, were charged with defrauding a disabled Veteran, the Veteran’s Administration, and the Social Security Administration out of $316,360.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Jason Ehrhart is charged by way of a criminal information with one count of health care fraud. Jason’s former wife, Laurie Ehrhart, is charged in an indictment with one count of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to the charges, a veteran who was a former resident of Perry County, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while serving in the U.S. Army in 1985. The veteran later began receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) and was eventually hospitalized on a permanent basis at the VA hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 2004.
On August 8, 2006, the veteran was deemed by the VA to be incompetent to handle his own financial affairs. As a result, on October 2, 2006, Jason Ehrhart successfully applied to serve as the veteran’s VA Fiduciary and Legal Custodian. Under the terms of a Fiduciary Agreement, Jason Ehrhart agreed to use all of the veteran’s VA disability benefits exclusively for the veteran’s benefit. The agreement warned him that the funds were not for his personal use. The Fiduciary Agreement also required Jason Ehrhart to submit an annual accounting to the VA with respect to the amount of money spent on the veteran’s behalf.
The charges allege, however, that between October 2006 and August 2016, Jason Ehrhart and Laurie Ehrhart, who was then Jason’s wife, misspent $316,360 of the veteran’s VA and Social Security disability benefits on themselves.
While Jason Ehrhart served as the veteran’s VA Fiduciary and Legal Custodian, all of the veteran’s VA benefits, plus most of his Social Security disability checks, were deposited into a checking account Jason opened as a legal custodian account in the veteran’s name. Altogether, $476,260 in federal benefits ($422,828 in VA disability, $48,187 in Social Security disability, and $5,244 in VA clothing allowance) were deposited into the account between January 2009 and August 2016.
The charging documents alleged that, at least $316,360 of the $476,260 was misappropriated by Jason and Laurie Ehrhart and converted to their own use. Checks totaling $218,832 ($96,202 payable to Jason Ehrhart and $122,630 payable to Laurie Ehrhart), some of which exceeded $5,000, $6,000 and $7,000, were drawn against the account. Of the $218,832, $157,742 was allegedly deposited into Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s joint checking account at the Juniata Valley Bank (JVB) and at least $23,496 was converted to cash. Thereafter, it is alleged that the funds in the joint JVB account were employed by Jason and Laurie Ehrhart to pay personal expenses.
The charging documents further allege that another $7,174 in checks were made payable to Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s two minor children. Jason Ehrhart allegedly instructed the children to take the checks to the bank, cash them, and surrender the cash to him.
Another $19,890 in checks were allegedly made payable to another couple who were Jason and Laurie Ehrhart’s best friends. According to the charges, Jason Ehrhart regularly treated the couple and their children to dinners out and at least two, all-expense paid vacations to Disney World in Florida, purchased two automobiles for the family, and paid for the wife’s dental work.
To conceal his embezzlements, it is alleged that Jason Ehrhart submitted eight false annual accountings to the VA in which he falsely claimed he spent $402,408 on the veteran’s behalf between October 2006 and October 2015. According to the charges, the itemized expenditures in the accountings were grossly inflated. For example, Jason Ehrhart claimed he paid the mortgage on the veteran’s residence ($1,631 per month) plus the veteran’s share of the mortgage on his mother’s residence ($881) after she died in May 2011. However, the lenders against both properties obtained judgments and they were eventually foreclosed and sold.
According to the charges, Jason Ehrhart also falsely claimed in the annual accountings that he spent thousands on miscellaneous expenditures for the veteran, including storage unit rentals, vehicle maintenance bills, state and local taxes, life and auto insurance, and credit card bills. However, in 2016 the veteran’s specially equipped wheelchair van, for which Jason Ehrhart claimed he spent approximately $32,395 for vehicle maintenance, was found broken down and abandoned along a Perry County roadside.
The veteran died at the Lebanon VA Hospital on July 30, 2018.
Laurie Ehrhart was arraigned on the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab this afternoon and released on her own recognizance. No date has yet been set for Jason Ehrhart’s initial appearance on the charges.
The Department of Veteran Affairs, the Office of Inspector General, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Mexican National Indicted on Illegal Re-entry Charges Faces 5th Removal if ConvictedRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Honduran national on illegal re-entry charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Alabama James G. Hernandez.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges GERARDO FRASCO-GUTIERREZ, 44, with being in the United States illegally on Feb. 10 after having been removed from Texas on four previous occasions. Frasco-Gutierrez was living in Boaz. Frasco-Gutierrez was first removed in March of 2006. In 2007, Frasco-Gutierrez was convicted of distributing methamphetamine in Etowah County and subsequently removed in March of 2008 and again in April 2012. In July of 2016, Frasco-Gutierrez was convicted of illegally reentering the United States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. This arrest marks the fifth time Frasco-Gutierrez has been found within the United States.
The maximum penalty for illegal re-entry when a prior aggravated felony conviction exists is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“Entering the United States without following lawful processes is a federal crime. Doing it five times is intolerable, especially while dealing poisonous methamphetamine in our District,” Town said. “Our nation’s laws must be respected, followed, and enforced fully, all elusive concepts for this illegal immigrant. The federal prison bed this defendant recently left will remain available for his return and we will work hard to ensure his stay behind bars is even longer.”
“The HSI Alabama Team is committed to promoting public safety in both the state of Alabama and the Nation,” Hernandez said. “HSI, in concert with our state and local partners, tirelessly pursues dangerous criminals threatening our society. We are proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Town in these efforts here in the Northern District of Alabama.”
Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s HSI investigated the cases, which the Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pillsbury is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican National Enters Guilty Plea to Marijuana Cultivation Operation in Sequoia National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alan Fernando Gomez-Paniagua, 26, a citizen of Mexico residing in Delano, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to cultivate, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Gomez-Paniagua fled from law enforcement officers investigating a large marijuana cultivation site in the McFarland Creek area in the Sequoia National Forest. He was ultimately stopped in a vehicle as he attempted to escape from the area. At the grow site, officers found and eradicated 15,852 marijuana plants, over 1,000 marijuana seedlings, and a loaded short-barreled shotgun with a pistol grip.
The marijuana cultivation operation had a devastating impact on the environment. Numerous oak trees had been cut down and the hillside was terraced to make room for the marijuana plants. Pesticide containers, trash, and thousands of feet of irrigation line were strewn throughout the site. In pleading guilty, Gomez-Paniagua agreed to make restitution to the U.S. Forest Service in the amount of $3,826 to cover the cost of cleaning up the grow site.
Gomez-Paniagua is scheduled for sentencing in federal court in Fresno on January 22, 2019. He faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Southern Tri-County Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and California Multi-jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CalMMET), a task force administered by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Mesa County Man Indicted for Removing Paleontological Resources from McInnis Canyons National Conservation AreaRead the Press Release
DENVER – Ricky Lee Armstrong, age 54, of Mesa County, Colorado, appeared in U.S. District Court last week after a federal grand jury in Grand Junction returned a two-count indictment charging him with excavation, removal, and transport of paleontological resources, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn and Bureau of Land Management Special Agent in Charge Gary Mannino announced.
The defendant made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gordon P. Gallagher, where he was advised of the charges pending against him as well as his rights. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.
According to the indictment, from a date unknown, but no later than July 11, 2018, and continuing to on or about July 13, 2018, the defendant allegedly knowingly excavated and removed paleontological resources located in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, which is located near Grand Junction, Colorado. He then transported the paleontological resources away from the area.
If convicted, Armstrong faces not more than 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, per count.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Chaffin.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law.