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Wednesday 19 September 2018
Violent Gang Leader Sentenced to Two Life Terms for Ordering Six Murders and an Attempted Murder as Part of RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The longtime leader of one of Newark’s largest and most violent street gangs was sentenced today to two concurrent terms of life in prison for his role in six murders, an attempted murder, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses as part of a racketeering conspiracy involving the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” a/k/a “Blaze,” a/k/a “Blizzie,” a/k/a “Castor Troy,” 41, of Belleville, New Jersey, the gang’s leader, was convicted in July 2018 following a two-month trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Hamlet was charged in November 2016 in a 22-count indictment charging 14 members and associates with, among other things, seven murders, numerous attempted murders, and numerous other violent and drug trafficking crimes committed as part of the racketeering conspiracy. Twelve of the 14 defendants charged in the indictment have now been convicted. The two remaining defendants, Hanee Cureton and Khalil Stafford, are pending trial.
An additional 68 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation. Sixty-six individuals also have been convicted, and charges remain pending against two.
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of Corey Hamlet’s reign of terror on the streets of Newark,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “At this point, close to 70 members of the Newark set of the Grape Street Crips, a violent criminal organization that committed murders and other acts of violence in order to maintain control of a large portion of the illegal drug trade in Newark, have been removed from the streets. In the case of the gang’s leader, Hamlet, it’s for the rest of his life. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to go after dangerous criminals like this to protect the public.”
“Corey Hamlet, the leader of the Grape Street Crips, chose to order others to kill and now he can serve time for the gang,” Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “This conduct will not be tolerated and today’s sentence should send a message that the FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will pursue and prosecute members of violent street gangs who seek to inflict violence and fear in our communities. The gang was responsible for four murders, an attempted murder, racketeering conspiracy and drug trafficking. The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface and are steadfast to making Newark and the surrounding communities, a safe place for our citizens.”
“The sentencing of Corey Hamlet closes the chapter on one of Newark’s most violent offenders,” Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division said. “The residents of Newark can be confident that the men and women of DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who choose to violate the rule of law. Every citizen has the right to live without fear, and the conviction and sentencing of Corey Hamlet helps to make that possible.”
According to the documents filed in this case and other cases and the evidence presented at trial:
The Grape Street Crips engaged for years in numerous acts of murder, robbery, extortion, and drug trafficking throughout Newark. As the leader of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips, Hamlet’s orders resulted in six murders committed by members of the gang.
The trial highlighted numerous violent acts committed by Grape Street Crips members as part of the racketeering conspiracy, some of which targeted members of rival gangs and others that targeted Grape Street Crips members whom Hamlet perceived to be a threat to his position as the leader of the gang:
• June 14, 2010: The murder of Leroy Simmons;
• Dec. 23, 2010: The murder of Rodney Kearney;
• Oct. 10, 2011: The attempted murders of eight individuals who were caught in the cross-fire when Hamlet’s second-in-command Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welchs,” and another Grape Street Crips member attempted to murder a gang member who they suspected had cooperated with law enforcement;
• May 3, 2013: The murder of Tariq Johnson;
• Oct. 27, 2013: The attempted murders of Almalik Anderson and Saidah Goines.
• Nov. 12, 2013: The murder of Anwar West;
• March 3, 2014: The murders of Wesley Child and Velma Cuttino—an innocent bystander—as well as the attempted murder of Maurice Green;
The trial revealed that Hamlet ordered many of the murders as revenge against Almalik Anderson, a rival with whom he had a long-running dispute. One of Hamlet’s fellow gang-members attempted to broker a truce with Anderson at the Short Hills Mall. After the meeting at Short Hills, Hamlet used his Instagram account to assert that Anderson had cooperated with law enforcement. On Hamlet’s orders, four gang members then hunted Anderson down and sprayed his car with bullets, nearly killing him and passenger Saidah Goines, a relative.
Within two weeks, Hamlet successfully ordered two other gang-members to murder Anwar West, the fellow gang-member who had attempted to broker peace between Hamlet and Anderson. On Hamlet’s orders, co-defendant Rashan Washington left West alone inside a Jeep Cherokee knowing that another gang member intended to walk up and shoot West in the head.
Hamlet then ordered the murder of Maurice Green, Anderson’s brother. On March 3, 2014, Manley and Hamlet, the long-time leader of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, were riding in Manley’s Jeep Cherokee when they pulled alongside a car being driven by Green. Although Hamlet aimed a firearm at Green and the car’s other occupants, Green pulled off before any shots were fired. A short time later, Ahmad Manley found Green, and a car chase ensued. The chase concluded when Green’s car crashed into other vehicles at the intersection of Irvine Turner Boulevard and Spruce Street in Newark. Numerous shots fired from Manley’s Jeep Cherokee at Green’s vehicle struck Green and killed Wesley Childs, a passenger in Green’s car. In addition, Velma Cuttino – an innocent bystander who was a passenger in one of the vehicles that had crashed at the intersection – was shot through the head and killed.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Nickerson, with the investigation. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontura, for their long and close collaboration on the case
The government is represented by Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry A. Kamar of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Defense counsel: Anthony J. Iacullo, Clifton, New Jersey
Veterans Affairs Official Charged with Taking Bribes to Help Business Associates Rig Federal Contracting ProcessRead the Press Release
DENVER – Dwane Nevins, age 54, of Denver, Robert Revis, age 59, and Anthony Bueno, age 43, were arrested today pursuant to warrants issued in connection with an indictment charging them with conspiring to pay and receive bribes in exchange for creating an opportunity to commit a fraud against the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, FBI Special Agent in Charge Calvin A. Shivers, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Central Field Office Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein, and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Kari Overson. The defendants are also charged with paying and receiving bribes, or aiding and abetting the payment of bribes. Dwane Nevins was separately charged in another count with extortion under color of official right and in two counts with violating the federal conflict of interest statute. All three defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty, where they were advised of the their rights and the charges pending against them.
As alleged in the indictment, Dwane Nevins — a small business specialist at the VA’s Network Contracting Office in Colorado — agreed to take bribes offered by Revis, Bueno and an undercover FBI agent to help them manipulate the process for bidding on federal contracts with the VA. Revis and Bueno, working with Nevins, agreed to submit fraudulent bids from service-disabled-veteran-owned small businesses under contract with their consulting company so that federal contracts would be set aside for only those companies. As Bueno allegedly explained, they would then “own all the dogs on the track.” Nevins, Bueno and Revis worked to conceal the nature of the bribe payments by either kicking back to Nevins a portion of the payments made to their consulting company, or by asking their consulting company’s clients to pay Nevins for sham training classes related to federal contracting.
The indictment also alleges that, after complaining about not being paid by Revis and Bueno for his participation in the scheme, Nevins used his official position at the VA to extort approximately $10,000 from an undercover FBI agent, telling the agent that “the train don’t go without me. You know what I mean? I’m the engine. I’m the caboose. I’m the engine room.” Nevins also allegedly told the undercover FBI agent “this is a business and businessmen need to get paid . . . . so I can have my Christmas, you know what I’m saying?”
The indictment alleges that the conspirators attempted to rig the process related to two particular contracts, both of which related to medical equipment and not to the construction of any VA facilities. The first contract related to the procurement of LC bead particle embolization products by a VA hospital in Salt Lake City and the second related to the procurement of durable medical equipment for VA facilities located throughout the region.
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bryan D. Fields.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Upshur County man sentenced for role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Larry Harper, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 135 months incarceration for conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Harper, also known as “Skip,” age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” in February 2018. Harper admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The crime occurred in Upshur County and elsewhere from March 2016 to September 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
United States Attorney Announces the Hiring of Two New Assistant United States AttorneysRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the appointment of Joy Pittman Thorp as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division and Mark R. Morgan as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division for the Northern District of Oklahoma. They are scheduled to be sworn in Friday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m., at the United States District Courthouse by Chief United States District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit, Ms. Thorp will prosecute civil actions on behalf of the United States of America to recover damages for fraud and other offenses and impose civil penalties for violations of the federal health, safety and economic welfare laws. One of her primary focuses will be combating the opioid crisis in northeastern Oklahoma. Previously, Ms. Thorp served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 14th and 27th Districts of Oklahoma and as a Deputy Attorney General with the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. She received her undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.
As a Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Morgan will represent the United States of America in the prosecution of criminal cases. He joins the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office where he worked as an Assistant District Attorney. While there, he served as the director of the Robbery Unit, the deputy director of the Gang and Organized Crime Prosecution Unit, and as a member of the Crimes Against Children Unit. Mr. Morgan received his Bachelor of Science (cum laude) from Missouri State University and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.
“Joy and Mark will be great additions to our team. Both have worked as public servants and understand the challenges we face here in northeastern Oklahoma. Joy will contribute to the vital work of the ACE unit as it strives to combat the ongoing opioid crisis, while Mark brings his expertise in the fight against violent crime. I look forward to working with both professionals and know their experience will be an asset to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Stealing More than 70 Firearms from Gun StoresRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Ronquieze Head, 36, and Seronte Newby, 30, both of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes related to theft from gun stores in Ohio and Kentucky.
Specifically, the defendants each pleaded to one count of conspiracy to commit theft and two counts of theft from a federal firearms licensee. Head also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the pleas entered into yesterday before U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning.
Head and Newby stole approximately 20 firearms from a gun store in Sharonville, Ohio on July 2, 2017. On July 8, 2017, the defendants stole approximately 22 firearms from a gun store in Florence, Ky. Finally, the pair stole approximately 32 weapons from a third gun store in Springboro, Ohio on July 16, 2017.
The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2017.
Conspiracy to commit theft is punishable by up to five years in prison. Theft from a federal firearms licensee, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm are each crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and Sharonville, Springfield, Florence, Springboro and Cincinnati police departments, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney and Matthew Singer, who are prosecuting the case.
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.
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Twenty-Four More Defendants Charged Federally in Surge to Reduce Violent Crime in LouisvilleRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced this month’s latest surge efforts to aggressively tackle violent crime in Metro Louisville with the Louisville Federal Grand Jury returning 21 felony indictments charging 24 individuals with numerous counts, including firearms violations and possession and distribution of illegal narcotics.
This month’s federal indictments are in addition to the previous two rounds of indictments against 60 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) defendants, totaling 84 total PSN defendants this calendar year. The charges continue to develop this year through an ongoing partnership between multiple law enforcement agencies to maximize penalties for the “trigger pullers,” the most violent repeat offenders as part of the Department of Justice’s PSN initiative.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods or PSN is more than another bureaucratic program, or a logo,” announced U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman, “It is a commitment to aggressively reduce violent crime in Louisville through true partnerships with ATF, LMPD, and other engaged partners. Much more to come as we are not there yet.”
Defendants charged in the latest surge have previously been found guilty of numerous crimes including: manslaughter, possession of controlled substances, drug trafficking, assault, robbery, receiving stolen property, and wanton endangerment among other charges.
If convicted at trial, the maximum sentence for unlawfully possessing a firearm is no more than ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. If that firearm is possessed or used in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a defendant faces a mandatory minimum five years in prison in addition to the sentence received for the underlying charges, and could receive up to life in prison.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nute Bonner, Terry Cushing, Tom Dyke, Larry Fentress, Amanda Gregory, Jo Lawless, Erin McKenzie, Randy Ream, Mac Shannon, Amy Sullivan, Christopher Tieke, Lettricea Jefferson-Webb, David Weiser, Stephanie Zimdahl and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ebery Haegle with stalwart assistance from Laura Stinson, Western District of Kentucky Grand Jury Coordinator. The cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Louisville Metro Police Department, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Kentucky. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Today’s indictments are part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative in the Western District of Kentucky.
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tulsa Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Cherie Michelle Kelley, 36, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty in United States District Court, Tuesday, to participating in a methamphetamine and heroin distribution conspiracy and to possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.
From August 2017 to April 2018, Kelley conspired with Dannie Dill, 47, of Tulsa, along with others, to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, in the greater Tulsa area. Dill was labeled by law enforcement as a “Top Ten” suspect of Operation Alpha, a Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative targeting northern Oklahoma’s most dangerous criminals.
As part of their scheme, Kelley and Dill stored narcotics and drug proceeds at two different houses where they lived together, one in Broken Arrow and one in Tulsa. Kelley would receive narcotics, including heroin, from her source of supply in Tulsa and use some of the heroin herself. Then she and Dill would resell the remainder of the narcotics. Kelley also agreed to allow her narcotics supply source to send illegal drug shipments for distribution from outside the state of Oklahoma to the Broken Arrow location.
“Methamphetamine and heroin continue to plague neighborhoods in northeastern Oklahoma because of criminals like Kelley and Dill. Drug dealers should know that our community is not open for their business,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders in an effort to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
The initiative originally started in 2001 but was revitalized in October 2017 as a result of the rise in violent crime the two previous years. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been upgraded and enhanced with new technologies, better accountability, and stronger partnerships within communities.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in a coordinated effort to bring Kelley and Dill into custody in connection with the crime, including the Tulsa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn A. McCormick and Thomas E. Duncombe prosecuted the case.
Texas Parole Officer Guilty of Federal ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 33-year-old Beaumont, Texas woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Ashley Haley pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.
According to information presented in court, since April 12, 2010, Haley was employed as a parole officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice out of the Beaumont office. Haley’s job duties included supervising parolees who were released from prison. Mandatory conditions of parole for parolees include not using any illegal narcotics, not violating any laws, and submitting to random urinalyses. Haley had access to confidential lists of parolees who would be subject to random urinalyses and provided a parolee the confidential urinalyses lists. In conducting samples for the random urinalyses, Haley also allowed persons other than parolees to submit urine samples for testing. In exchange, Haley received monthly cash payments and other items, such as automobile tires, from parolees
“We place special trust in parole officers and it weakens the entire criminal justice system when one is corrupt,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “We will prosecute any public official who abuses that trust placed in them.”
Under federal statutes, Haley faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-OIG, Beaumont Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Rapp.
Texas Couple Indicted on Forced Labor and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendants Mohamed Toure, 57, and Denise Cros-Toure, 57, of Ft. Worth, Texas, were charged today in a five-count indictment with forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and conspiracies to commit forced labor and alien harboring, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McGallicher of the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. Defendant Toure was also charged with making false statements to federal agents. The defendants were arrested on April 26, 2018, after being charged by criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, in January 2000, the defendants arranged for the victim, then a minor child, to travel alone from her village in Guinea, West Africa, to Southlake, Texas, to work for them in their home. For more than 16 years, the Toures allegedly forced her to work long hours – demanding she handle childcare, cook, clean, and perform yardwork. Although the victim was close in age to their five biological children, the couple denied her access to schooling, medical care, and other opportunities they afforded their own children, and on several occasions Denise Cros-Toure slapped or struck her as punishment. Until neighbors helped the victim escape in August 2016, the defendants allegedly denied her any pay, isolated her from her family and threatened serious harm if she refused to work.
As part of their scheme to compel the victim’s labor, the defendants confiscated her official documents and caused her to remain unlawfully in the United States after her tourist visa expired in March 2000 and threatened to send her back to Guinea if her work was unsatisfactory.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. If convicted of alien harboring, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rebekah Bailey and William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wolfe for the Northern District of Texas.
Texas Couple Indicted on Forced Labor ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Defendants Mohamed Toure, 57, and Denise Cros-Toure, 57, of Ft. Worth, Texas, were charged today in a five-count indictment with forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and conspiracies to commit forced labor and alien harboring, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Mohamed Toure was also charged with making false statements to federal agents.
The defendants were arrested on April 26, 2018, after being charged by criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, in January 2000, the defendants arranged for the victim, then a minor child, to travel alone from her village in Guinea, West Africa, to Southlake, Texas, to work for them in their home. For more than 16 years, the Toures allegedly forced her to work long hours – demanding she handle childcare, cook, clean, and perform yardwork. Although the victim was close in age to their five biological children, the couple denied her access to schooling, medical care, and other opportunities they afforded their own children, and on several occasions Denise Cros-Toure slapped or struck her as punishment. Until neighbors helped the victim escape in August 2016, the defendants allegedly denied her any pay, isolated her from her family and threatened serious harm if she refused to work.
As part of their scheme to compel the victim’s labor, the defendants confiscated her official documents and caused her to remain unlawfully in the United States after her tourist visa expired in March 2000. They threatened to send her back to Guinea if her work was unsatisfactory.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. If convicted of alien harboring, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rebekah Bailey and William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wolfe for the Northern District of Texas.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft Offenses Involving Gas Pump SkimmersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Noel Graveran-Palacios (37, Tampa) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiracy, credit card fraud, and identity theft. A federal jury found Noel Graveran-Palacios and his twin brother, Yoel Graveran-Palacios, guilty on April 24, 2018. Yoel Graveran-Palacios was sentenced on September 4, 2018, to 9 years in federal prison.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Noel and Yoel Graveran-Palacios worked together, and with others, to place skimmers on gas pumps in the Tampa Bay area. Using the account numbers stolen from the skimmers, they made counterfeit credit cards and then used them to purchase merchandise including gas, toys, clothes, and gift cards, at area retailers. They then used the gift cards to purchase merchandise at home improvement stores, and later returned the items for cash. Trial evidence included hundreds of recovered stolen account numbers, as well as dozens of store surveillance videos featuring the conspirators using the counterfeit credit cards.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Springfield Doctor Sentenced for Illegally Sharing Patient Medical FilesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield gynecologist was sentenced today in connection with allowing a pharmaceutical sales representative to access patient records and lying to federal investigators.
Rita Luthra, M.D., 67, of Longmeadow, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year of probation. In April 2018, Luthra was convicted by a federal jury of one count of violation of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act and one count of obstruction of a criminal health care investigation.
From January 2011 through November 2011, Luthra allowed a pharmaceutical company sales representative from Warner Chilcott to access protected health information in her patients’ medical files. She later provided false information to federal agents when interviewed about her relationship with Warner Chilcott.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office; Sean Smith, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Leigh-Alistair Barzey of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and Scott A. Rezendes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Yeager, Chief of Lelling’s Healthcare Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
Southern Meat Market Owner Sentenced to 51 Months Imprisonment for Major Fraud against the United StatesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN– A local man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for major fraud against the United States. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, Guy Randal Stockard, a/k/a Randy, 59, defrauded the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, of more than $1.2 million over an approximately 28-month period.
As part of the scheme, Stockard owned and operated Southern MeatMarket, a small retail market in Memphis, Tennessee. Southern Meat Market was authorized to accept SNAP benefits from customers as payment for eligible food items.
Beginning in January 2015 and continuing through April 2017, Stockard used Southern Meat Market to conduct fraudulent SNAP transactions totaling $1,206,958.00. To carry out the fraud, Stockard bought customers’ SNAP benefits at a discount in exchange for cash. Stockard then redeemed those benefits at their full dollar value, receiving electronic funds transfers of SNAP funds to his business bank account.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Protection of the U.S. Treasury and taxpayer resources is a top priority for this office. This long term fraudulent scheme caused significant loss to the SNAP Program, and the defendant will now serve a substantial sentence for his crimes of dishonesty."
On September 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Stockard to 51 months imprisonment; 3 years supervised release, and ordered Stockard to pay $1,206,958.00 in criminal forfeiture and restitution.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Murre Foster prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Teray Bush, 43 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, announced U. S. Attorney Kirsch.
Bush was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2017, Bush transported almost 2 pounds of methamphetamine from Michigan to Indiana as part of a plan to distribute it. Bush has four prior felony convictions and two misdemeanor convictions. He has violated his parole or probation twice and has twelve other contacts with the law.
This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Carmel Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
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Six Prosecuted for Illegal Reentry in AugustRead the Press Release
MACON: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that six (6) individuals were prosecuted in August by his office for illegal reentry into the country after having been deported and removed. All defendants convicted of Illegal Reentry are subject to deportation proceedings following their sentences.
Two (2) individuals were indicted by a Grand Jury on August 15, 2018 for Illegal Reentry. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct. All of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Those indicted were:
FEISAR NAJERA-FLORES, age 40, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on August 8, 2011 and February 16, 2012, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Najera-Flores was found unlawfully in Tift County on June 24, 2018. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit.
OTILO PEREZ-ESCOBAR, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on November 30, 2012 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Perez-Escobar was found unlawfully in Sumter County on June 21, 2018. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Crane.
Four (4) individuals pled guilty to the charge of Illegal Reentry in August. Those who pled guilty are:
JOSE FELIPE CERVANTES-MONDRAGON, a citizen of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to Illegal Reentry on August 8, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. Mr. Cervantes-Mondragon was indicted on the charge on June 12, 2018, after being removed and deported from the United States on December 13, 2011 and December 4, 2014, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Morgan County unlawfully on March 29, 2018. Sentencing is set for October 3, 2018. Mr. Cervantes-Mondragon faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Easterling.
JOSE SERRANO-HERNANDEZ a citizen of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to Illegal Reentry on August 8, 2018 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. Mr. Serrano Hernandez was indicted on the charge on June 12, 2018, after being removed and deported from the United States on January 22, 2009 and March 31, 2015, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Athens-Clarke County unlawfully on May 3, 2018. Sentencing is set for October 3, 2018. Mr. Serrano-Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Easterling.
BALDEMAR LOPEZ AGUILON, aka ELIAS LOPEZ-GOMEZ, a citizen of Guatemala, entered a plea of guilty on August 28, 2018 to a Superseding Information charging him with Illegal Reentry after being removed and deported from the United States on July 30, 2003 and July 18, 2012 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Butts County unlawfully on June 8, 2018. His sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2018. He faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCommon III.
BRAULIO CARRILLO-CARRILLO, a citizen of Mexico, entered a plea of guilty on August 28, 2018 to Illegal Reentry after being removed and deported from the United States on June 5, 2012, September 16, 2012, June 9, 2013, June 16, 2013 and June 16, 2015, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Houston County unlawfully on February 7, 2018. He was sentenced on August 28, 2018 to time served.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCommon III.
Questions concerning these cases should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Six People Linked to Santa Fe Springs Street Gang Have Been Convicted of Federal Racketeering and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Six members of the Canta Ranas Organization (CRO) – a violent, Mexican Mafia-affiliated criminal enterprise composed of members and associates of the Canta Ranas street gang – have been convicted of numerous federal offenses, including participating in a racketeering scheme.
The six defendants linked to Canta Ranas, a gang that operates primarily in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, each were found guilty of being part of a conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The convictions came in two jury trials, the second of which ended this week.
“This dangerous organization caused misery in several communities by regularly engaging in acts of violence, drug trafficking and other criminal acts,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “These convictions are part a larger case that illustrates our dedication to improve our communities by combating the mayhem caused by violent criminal gangs. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners, including local police agencies like the Whittier Police Department, who make it possible for us to bring significant criminal cases that reduce the negative impacts caused by groups like the Mexican Mafia.”
After three weeks of testimony, the first trial concluded on August 27 with three CRO members being found guilty of various federal offenses, including violating the RICO Act. The defendants found guilty by the federal jury were:
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Enrique Holguin, also known as “Boxer,” 56, a senior member of the Canta Ranas gang, who was shown to have been in direct communication with the leader of the CRO – Mexican Mafia member David Gavaldon, who is currently serving a life sentence in state prison after being convicted of murder. Prosecutors argued that Holguin played a key role in the CRO, which included acting on behalf of Gavaldon to set up a “mesa” – an ad hoc commission of Mexican Mafia-affiliated inmates designed to control illegal activities – inside the California Institute for Men in Chino. In addition to the RICO conspiracy count, the jury also convicted Holguin of committing a violent act in aid of racketeering (VICAR) for his role in the attempted assault of a fellow inmate at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown because the intended target was perceived to be an informant for law enforcement authorities.
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Donald Goulet, also known as “Wacky,” 31, was a foot soldier involved in drug trafficking, collecting extortionate “taxes,” and committing violent crimes on behalf of Gavaldon and the CRO. At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Goulet was also tasked with helping Gavaldon to expand the CRO’s territory into Riverside. Prosecutors also presented evidence of a home invasion robbery, during which Goulet and a co-conspirator tied up victims with duct tape at gun point while they ransacked the victims’ home. The federal jury convicted Goulet of participating in the RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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Emanuel Higuera, also known as “Blanco,” 33 – who was a member of the Brown Brotherhood, another gang controlled by Gavaldon – was found guilty of trafficking drugs on behalf of the CRO. In addition to the RICO conspiracy, Higuera was found guilty of methamphetamine-related offenses, one of which involved Higuera attempting to assault law enforcement officers.
On the second day of the August trial, a fourth defendant, Juan Nila, 25, pleaded guilty to his involvement in the RICO conspiracy and drug trafficking conspiracy.
The second trial concluded on Tuesday after a jury heard testimony for one week. After only two hours of deliberations, the jury convicted two more members of the CRO on charges of conspiracy to violate RICO, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The two defendants found guilty were:
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Monica Rodriguez, also known as “Smiley,” 40, one of Gavaldon’s “secretaries,” who passed gang-related messages between Gavaldon and gang members, and generally acted as Gavaldon’s eyes and ears on the street. During the trial, the jury saw a video of a meeting between Rodriguez and Gavaldon, who at the time was being housed in Pelican Bay State Prison, in which Rodriguez asked Gavaldon to order the death of another member of the organization.
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Alexis Jaimez, also known as “Lex,” 30, another CRO “foot soldier,” who was involved in a failed scheme to smuggle drugs into a California state prison. The evidence presented at the trial also showed that that Jaimez was involved in a gang-related assault that resulted in severe, permanent injuries to the victim.
As a result of these convictions, all six defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Additionally, Goulet, Higuera, Rodriguez, and Jaimez face mandatory minimum prison terms of 10 years, while Nila faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years. United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner is scheduled to sentence these defendants later this year.
These two trials arise from a federal grand jury indictment charging 48 defendants that was the result of Operation “Frog Legs.” With the recent convictions and guilty pleas from several other defendants, 38 defendants remain scheduled to go to trial in groups beginning in November.
Operation Frog Legs is the result of an investigation by the Southern California Drug Task Force, which is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative. The Task Force members that participated in Operation Frog Legs were U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation, the Whittier Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit.
The trial prosecutors for the two recent trials were Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Alexis Chen, Jamie A. Lang, Victoria A. Degtyareva, Kathy Yu, and Chelsea Norell, who are all members of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
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Silver Spring Pimp Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of Two MinorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Roland Chick Akum, age 25, formerly of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for two counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Judge Blake imposed the sentence on September 18, 2018, and also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Akum must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to Akum’s plea agreement, between June and August 2017, Akum, a/k/a “Rayne,” transported two minor females, 15 and 17 years old, respectively, to a motel in College Park, Maryland, in order to engage in commercial sex acts. Akum used Backpage, a website that marketed commercial sex, to advertise the girls and kept a portion of the proceeds that customers paid the girls for commercial sex acts. On July 7, 2017, the 15-year-old girl left Akum and the hotel and contacted law enforcement authorities. Akum continued to traffic the 17-year-old girl until he was arrested on August 10, 2017, as part of an undercover operation targeting Backpage, and was released on bond the following day.
On September 30, 2017, Akum, who is a citizen of Cameroon, purchased a one-way ticket from Dulles International Airport to Cameroon, scheduled to depart on October 12, 2017. Akum was arrested again on October 3, 2017, and remains in custody.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks and Chief Tim Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Ray D. McKenzie, who prosecuted the case.
Russellville Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Division, announced today that Carson Arcia, 33, of Russellville, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.
United States District Court Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr., sentenced Arcia on Wednesday following an investigation that revealed Arcia had produced child pornography of an infant girl. Judge Marshall also ordered that Arcia remain on supervised release for the rest of his life.
The investigation began on May 11, 2015, when HSI agents discovered images of child pornography being shared on the internet through a photo-sharing website. Agents were able to trace those images to Arcia and obtained a search warrant for his home.
On July 23, 2015, agents conducted a search of Arcia’s home. Arcia admitted to using the internet to download child pornography, and he told agents he was in possession of over one thousand images and videos of child pornography. Agents collected three laptop computers, four hard drives, and a number of other electronic devices. Forensic examination of those devices revealed more than 1800 still photos and more than 600 videos of child pornography.
Among those videos, agents discovered that some of them had been created by Arcia himself. The videos show a progression of deviant sexual behavior. Initially, Arcia went to stores, laundromats, and other locations, where he would sneak up behind women and film up their skirts. He later began masturbating at these locations, and filmed his actions.
More recent videos on his computer included Arcia approaching children in public locations. Arcia would stand near children while the children were in shopping carts or standing with their parents. He would put his penis in front of the children’s faces and film their reaction.
Several videos depicted two young girls, approximately two to three years old. Arcia videoed himself holding candy in his hand to entice a little girl, and then putting his penis in his hand next to the candy. The image that Arcia pleaded guilty to producing was a video of himself with a female baby, described as an infant, on a changing table. Arcia pushed the baby’s diaper to the side, focused his camera on the area exposed, and masturbated next to the baby, touching her leg with his penis.
Arcia was indicted on August 1, 2017, in a three-count indictment charging him with production of child pornography, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. On April 30, 2018, Arcia pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
There is no parole in the federal system. When Arcia is released upon completion of his 22-year sentence, he will remain on supervised release for the rest of his life. Conditions of his supervised release include registering as a sex offender and having no contact with minors.
The case was investigated by HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison Bragg.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line athttp://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWSRochester Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Colin B. Montague, 63, of Greece, NY, who was convicted after a seven-week jury trial of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, drug conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering, was sentenced to serve life in prison by U.S. Chief District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The judge also ordered a $10,000,000 money judgment against the defendant, which represented the gross proceeds Montague obtained from the criminal enterprise.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Marangola and Brett A. Harvey, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant was the head of a national cocaine trafficking organization involving individuals in Rochester, NY; Arizona; California; and Nevada. Through the organization, Montague was responsible for arranging the transportation of several hundred kilograms of cocaine from the western United States to the Rochester area between 2008 and June 2014. The organization used various methods for transporting the cocaine, including tractor-trailers, drug couriers, and sending packages of cocaine through the U.S mail. After receiving the shipments, the defendant and other members of the organization would distribute the cocaine to other upper-level and mid-level drug traffickers in the Rochester area.
The organization was uncovered by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Rochester Police Department after a wiretap investigation culminated in the seizure of a six-kilogram shipment of cocaine from a courier as the drugs were being transported from Pennsylvania to Rochester. After seizure of that drug shipment, Montague fled to Atlanta, Georgia, where he lived under a false identity for six months until he was captured by the United States Marshals Service.
The defendant also owned and operated Montague Enterprise, Inc., a real estate business in Rochester. During the conspiracy, Montague laundered more than $2,350,000 in drug proceeds through bank accounts associated with the real estate business. Also, the defendant purchased six properties in the Rochester area using drug proceeds. As part of the sentence, Montague was ordered to forfeit of sums of money from the sale of 19 real properties owned by Montague Enterprises, Inc. that were sold by the U.S. Marshals and that represented either proceeds of the narcotics enterprise or were involved in money laundering.
“The life sentence imposed upon this defendant should serve as a warning to those who seek to enrich themselves by selling drugs and, in so doing, destroying the lives of others,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “At this point, all of money in the world would be insufficient to purchase the defendant even one second of freedom, and thus, in the end, his conduct literally cost him everything—in fact, even his own life can be added to the list of those destroyed by his drug-dealing.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Mark Simmons; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge; and the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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Rhode Island Man Charged in Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was arrested today and charged in connection with a scheme to embezzle over a million dollars from a Massachusetts company.
Michael H. Tran, 34, of Woonsocket, R.I., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Tran was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the indictment, Tran and a product manager for a Bellingham, Mass. company that specializes in manufacturing precision machine parts, worked together to embezzle millions of dollars from the company. From December 2013 to May 2016, it is alleged that the product manager told the company owners that he was purchasing equipment for the company using his PayPal account, which was linked to the company’s credit cards. Instead of making legitimate equipment purchases, however, the product manager used his PayPal account to pay Tran, who withdrew the money in cash and used it to pay for personal expenses. Tran and the product manager concealed the fraud by submitting fraudulent invoices and purchase orders to the company in the name of non-existent vendors, such as “A Plug Tool Supply,” and “MHT Industrial.”
The charging statute for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of Lelling’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Physician and Two Clinic Operators Found Guilty for Their Roles in $17 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a physician and two clinic owners and operators guilty yesterday for their roles in a $17 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
John P. Ramirez (Ramirez), M.D., 64; Ann Nwoko Shepherd (Shepherd), 62; and Yvette Nwoko (Nwoko), 30, all of Houston, Texas, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud after a six-day trial. In addition, Nwoko was convicted of three counts of health care fraud, Shepherd was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and Ramirez was convicted of three counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12 before U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately December 2011 to August 2015, Ramirez, Shepherd and Nwoko conspired and schemed to defraud Medicare out of payments for medical services. Shepherd owned and operated Southwest Total Medical Inc., a purported medical clinic doing business as Amex Medical Clinic in Houston. Shepherd sold medical orders and other documents signed by Ramirez to home-health agencies in and around Houston. Ramirez falsely certified in these medical orders information about the patient’s medical condition and need for medical services. Co-conspirators at home-health agencies then used the false and fraudulent paperwork signed by Ramirez and sold by Shepherd to bill and receive payment from Medicare for medical services that were not medically necessary or not provided. Later in the conspiracy and scheme, Nwoko acted as the manager of Amex Medical Clinic where she too sold false and fraudulent paperwork used by co-conspirators to bill and receive payment from Medicare for similarly unnecessary medical services, the evidence showed. Shepherd also caused Amex Medical Clinic to bill Medicare for purported physician services that were actually provided by an unlicensed practitioner, if at all, the evidence showed.
In all, Ramirez, Shepherd and Nwoko caused Medicare to pay approximately $17 million on false and fraudulent claims submitted during the charged conspiracy, the evidence showed.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorney Scott Armstrong of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in 12 cities across the country, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Committing Three Robberies and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted committing three armed robberies in Salem, Ocean, and Cumberland counties in November 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Terrance Robinson, 31, of Havertown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of bank robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 1, 2017, Robinson and Jeffery Edmonds, 45, of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, drove together to a convenience store in Upper Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, stopping along the way to pick up a handgun and remove the license plates from the car that Edmonds was driving. After arriving at the convenience store, Edmonds remained in the getaway car while Robinson entered the store with the handgun and stole some money.
Edmonds and Robinson robbed an Ocean First Bank in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey, on Nov. 6, 2017, and a Fulton Savings Bank in Alloway Township, New Jersey, on Nov. 14, 2017. Prior to robbing the banks, Edmonds and Robinson removed the license plates from the getaway car. Robinson stayed in the getaway car while Edmonds entered the banks and robbed them with a handgun.
Each of the three robbery counts carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence charge carries a consecutive minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment. Each offense also carries a potential $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2019.
Edmonds previously pleaded guilty for his alleged roles in the robberies, and his sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster in Philadelphia, special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Paterson, New Jersey, Woman Admits Distributing Fake Percocet Pills Containing HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, woman today admitted conspiring to distribute thousands of pills containing heroin in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Karen Rojas, 28, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of substances containing heroin.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
At their residence in Paterson, Rojas’ boyfriend, Juan Vidal, manufactured pills that were made with heroin and that were made to resemble Percocet pills. Vidal used a press to make the pills and Rojas then sold the pills for approximately $5 dollars per pill. Between February 2018 and April 2018, Rojas sold thousands of pills that were manufactured by Vidal.
On April 18, 2018, for example, in a recorded transaction, Rojas was asked by a cooperating witness for 100-150 heroin pills. Rojas sold the cooperating witness 40 heroin pills, for approximately $200, and Rojas indicated that Vidal needed to “get supplies,” meaning to purchase more heroin, in order to make additional pills.
Rojas and Vidal were previously charged by criminal complaint in April 2018 with conspiracy to distribute these drugs. Vidal entered a guilty plea on Sept. 12, 2018, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2018.
The distribution of narcotics offense carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years imprisonment, a maximum penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Rojas’ sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2018.
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 leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: Paul Uhlik Esq., Clifton, New Jersey
Operation Hardest Hit Heroin Supplier Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $5.7 million for leading, organizing, and supplying a major heroin trafficking operation that resulted in at least one death.
“Leroy Perdue pumped a massive quantity of heroin into Hampton Roads for nearly a decade,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This eight-time previously convicted drug felon supplied heroin while armed. He supplied heroin to gang members. He even continued to supply heroin after discovering his drugs resulted in a fatal overdose. This case is a prime example of the power of law enforcement collaboration, and a fitting result for a defendant who choose to destroy families by trafficking opioids. I want to thank our prosecutors and our investigative partners for their extraordinary effort and dedication to this important case.”
According to court documents, Leroy Perdue, aka “Dink,” “Big Heat,” 46, served as the primary leader and organizer of a Hampton Roads based heroin trafficking organization distributed in excess of 100 kilograms of heroin (approximately 250,000 doses) over a 10-year period. In May, following a two-week trial, a federal jury found Perdue guilty of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute one kilogram or more of heroin; interstate travel in aid of racketeering; and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
“With this final conviction and life sentence, one of the largest heroin trafficking operations in Hampton Roads has been completely shut down and we have taken one of the biggest drug dealers in the region off the streets,” said Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia. “My team and I have worked alongside both federal and local partners to interrupt the flow of heroin and fentanyl that drug dealers like Perdue pump into our communities. Multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency operations like Operation Hardest Hit continue to put dangerous individuals behind bars while also educating the public on the dangers of these drugs. I want to thank everyone involved with Operation Hardest Hit and securing this important conviction.”
On Aug. 14, 2017, over 300 law enforcement agents made arrests and executed search warrants in Virginia, Georgia, and New York. The takedown was the result of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated Operation Hardest Hit.
“For years this defendant and his associates preyed on vulnerable people for profit and greed,” said Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division. “They celebrated and bragged about their criminal enterprise, and showed no concern for its impact on the community or remorse when they learned their crimes resulted in death. Their conduct defied basic decency and demonstrates the need for vigilance and collaboration by law enforcement in targeting high level traffickers and violent criminal organizations that poison our community and terrorize our neighborhoods.”
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Leroy Perdue and his drug trafficking organization (Perdue DTO) in early 2016 following the heroin overdose death of a young resident of Chesapeake. With the participation of nearly two dozen Confidential Human Sources, law enforcement infiltrated the Perdue DTO and made 10 undercover controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl. On June 22, the investigative team arrested Rhadu Schoolfield, 33, of Portsmouth, in Norfolk with more than 800 grams of heroin after he returned from a trip to New York. According to the indictment, the Perdue DTO Members of the Perdue DTO were responsible for supplying a violent gang based in Portsmouth and continued to sell dangerous narcotics even after learning that their drugs resulted in death.
Perdue, who described himself as the “Dogfood King” (“dogfood” is slang for heroin), financed the production of a music video for his co-conspirator and cousin, Rhadu Schoolfield, called, “Dumb Hard,” which contained children singing lyrics along with Schoolfield and other co-conspirators that glamorized the drug trade. According to one court filing, Perdue had at least eight prior adult felony drug convictions.
Twelve of Perdue’s co-conspirators, including his son, two cousins, and several close childhood friends were sentenced to a combined total of nearly 170 years of imprisonment. See table below for sentencing details:
Name, Age
Hometown
Date Imposed
Sentence
Rhadu J. Schoolfield, 33
Portsmouth
February 21, 2018
288 months
Abraham A. Atkins, 35
Portsmouth
December 12, 2017
240 months
Tywon McKelvy, 42
New York
April 5, 2018
235 months
Darion D. Perdue, 24
Portsmouth
October 17, 2017
228 months
Eddie L. Tyson, 46
Portsmouth
December 12, 2017
180 months
Dominic Diablo Mosley, 35
Portsmouth
January 30, 2018
180 months
Kevin R. Lawrence, 37
Portsmouth
January 31, 2018
96 months
Nicholas W. Godwin, 37
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
148 months
Jamars A. Cooper, 26
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
132 months
Victoria A. Waller, 42
Portsmouth
January 3, 2018
126 months
Edward W. Muckle, 32
Portsmouth
December 13, 2017
108 months
Christina N. James, 41
New York
February 7, 2018
60 months
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson, Kevin P. Hudson, and Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-116.
Ohio County man sentenced for cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin J. Pugh, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for a cocaine charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Pugh, age 38, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location” in June 2018. Pugh admitted to selling cocaine near Bloch Playground in October 2017 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, are investigating. The United States Marshals Service made the arrest.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.O'Fallon Bank Robbery Suspect Charged, Remanded to Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
The man accused of robbing the First National Bank of Waterloo in O’Fallon, Illinois, on September 6th is now in federal custody, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Daryl A. Smith, 48, of Cahokia, Illinois, was arrested at a friend’s home on Tuesday based upon a federal complaint and arrest warrant issued on September 11.
Earlier today, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis, Illinois, returned a one-count indictment charging Smith with the bank robbery. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Smith made his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis this morning and pleaded not guilty. He was ordered detained until trial, which is currently set to begin on November 5.
The investigation was conducted by the O’Fallon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Nonprofit Organization and Its Management Company Agree to Pay over $500,000 to Resolve Allegations of Grant FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers, Inc. (NASCIO) and American Management Resources, Inc. (AMR) have agreed to pay the United States $528,575.82 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by making false and misleading statements in connection with obtaining grants from the Department of Justice’s National Justice Information Sharing Initiative.
This civil settlement resolves allegations that NASCIO failed to disclose conflicts of interest related to its contract with AMR that were required to be disclosed under the grant program’s rules. The United States contends that the failure to disclose these conflicts of interest resulted in the DOJ approving grant funding that NASCIO would not have otherwise been awarded.
“This settlement sends a clear message that recipients of federally funded grants must strictly adhere to the regulations applicable to those grants and fully and fairly disclose the information called for under these grants,” stated Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Both NASCIO and AMR have responsibly and expeditiously addressed the concerns raised by the United States, and we expect other grant recipients who do not follow the applicable regulations will do the same.”
“This investigation demonstrates the DOJ-OIG’s commitment to ensure that tax payer dollars are used appropriately, and that only authorized grant recipients who follow regulations and provide full disclosure to the government receive DOJ grant funds,” stated William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s (DOJ-OIG) Chicago Field Office.
This case was a result of an investigation by the DOJ-OIG Chicago Field Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer A. Williams handled the matter for the United States. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Extortion ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tony John Evans, 30, formerly of New York, N.Y., pled guilty today to extortion related to a wide-ranging scheme that caused a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Evans pled guilty before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by extortion and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done. Judge Sullivan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 24, 2019. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Evans faces an estimated range of 57 to 71 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.
Evans and several members of his family were indicted in April 2018.
In his plea agreement, Evans admitted that from November 2016 through April 2017, he worked with several individuals to extort and defraud others out of money, precious metals, and luxury merchandise. As part of the scheme, he pretended to be a mobster in order to get a Maryland man to provide him and his fellow conspirators with money, luxury goods, and gold. Evans threatened to harm the man and his family if payments were not made.
As a result of Evans and other conspirators’ actions, the man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer in the District of Columbia over a three-month period for the purpose of providing it to Evans and the other conspirators. Towards the end of the conspiracy, the man delivered more than $1 million in gold—which he had purchased with embezzled funds—to a hotel in New York. Evans admitted that he retrieved the gold bars, delivered them to other individuals, and sold several of the bars to a gold dealer in New York in exchange for cash.
In October 2017, the FBI executed a search warrant on Evans’s safe deposit box at a bank in New York. The safe deposit box contained gold and expensive jewelry, including luxury watches and diamonds. As part of his plea agreement, Evans agreed to forfeit his rights to all of the items recovered from the safe deposit box. He also surrendered two additional one-kilogram gold bars to the FBI, along with a Rolex watch, which he purchased with criminal proceeds.
Charges against five co-defendants remain pending.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Kristy Penny, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
New Haven Gang Enforcer Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PADILLA, also known as “Chewie,” 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 216 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a violent New Haven street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2014, ATF and the New Haven Police Department began “Operation Red Side” through a series of controlled narcotics purchases and firearms seizures. The investigation revealed that members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB, under the direction of Jeffrey Benton and others, transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
PADILLA was an RSGB enforcer who committed shootings and robberies on behalf of the gang. He also traveled to Maine several times at Benton’s direction to watch over the gang’s drug trafficking operation.
PADILLA has been detained since August 18, 2014. On that date, a search of his residence revealed a loaded .45 caliber handgun and a box of .45 caliber auto ammunition.
PADILLA subsequently began assisting the government in the prosecution of this matter.
On September 29, 2015, PADILLA pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, one count of murder in aid of racketeering, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
In pleading guilty, PADILLA admitted his involvement in the gang-related murders of Derrick Suggs on March 18, 2011; Kevin Lee on April 20, 2011, and Donell Allick on June 24, 2011. He also admitted that he shot and wounded individuals in New Haven on February 23 and March 29, 2011, and that he participated in a home invasion robbery on Putnam Street in New Haven on May 30, 2012. He further admitted his role in the trafficking of narcotics in Connecticut and Maine, and that, as a convicted felon, he illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition on August 18, 2014.
On March 16, 2017, PADILLA pleaded guilty to the additional offenses of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In pleading guilty, PADILLA admitted that, on March 14, 2009, when he was 16 years old and prior to his membership in RSGB, he shot and killed Thomas Daniels, Jr., during a failed robbery attempt in New Haven.
As a result of this investigation, 21 members and associates of the RSGB were convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine. The investigation has resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012, and the 2009 murder of Thomas Daniels, Jr. PADILLA is the last defendant to be sentenced.
Benton pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from this investigation and admitted that he participated in four gang-related murders and one attempted murder. On October 4, 2017, he was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their prison term and are not eligible for parole.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation was the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter was prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Multi-Convicted Felon Charged with Firearms and Drug Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count indictment, returned on September 18, named Mario Tiller, age 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on June 19, 2018, Tiller possessed with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as crack. The indictment further alleges that Tiller unlawfully possessed a Glock 9 millimeter pistol in furtherance of the drug offense, after having been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those convictions include two convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, two convictions for terroristic threats, and one conviction for theft by unlawful taking. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, along with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Indicted for Using Phony Payments, False Identity Theft Claims to Obtain FundsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Old Bridge, New Jersey, man was indicted today for allegedly using phony payments and false identity theft claims to deceive credit card companies and banks into giving him funds and extending credit, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Sandy John Masselli, 56, was initially arrested in October 2017 and charged by complaint with bank and wire fraud. Today’s indictment similarly charges Masselli with three counts of bank fraud and three counts of wire fraud.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2014 through July 2017, Masselli engaged in three separate but related schemes to fraudulently obtain credit and funds from various credit card companies and two brokerage firms.
In one, Masselli opened accounts with certain credit card companies, made purchases with these accounts until he had almost reached or exceeded the credit limit, and then purported to send payments from bank accounts that he knew did not have sufficient funds to cover the purchases. Before the fraudulent payments were rejected for insufficient funds, the credit card companies temporarily credited Masselli’s accounts based on those payments, providing him access to additional credit and allowing him to continue to make purchases. Masselli failed to pay these balances and the credit card companies sustained substantial losses.
In another scheme, Masselli opened credit accounts with two credit card companies, made thousands of dollars in purchases, and then falsely represented to these credit card companies that the accounts had been opened fraudulently and used without his authorization, causing these companies to close the accounts and sustain losses.
As part of a third scheme, Masselli attempted to deposit more than $600,000 in checks from a closed account into a new brokerage account, which he then tried to use for various personal expenses. Those transfers were unsuccessful because the checks he deposited were ultimately returned as unpaid.
The bank fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Gregory W. Ehrie, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Memphis Campaign Targets Illegal Gun PurchasesRead the Press Release
NSSF, ATF, U.S. Attorney, Area Law Enforcement Emphasize ‘Don't Lie for the Other Guy’
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As part of an ongoing national effort to help prevent illegal "straw" purchases of firearms, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Tennessee, are reminding the public in the Memphis area that stiff penalties are in place for individuals convicted of such purchases.
Billboard advertisements for the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program have been purchased by NSSF in key locations throughout the region with the message: "Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail. Don't Lie for the Other Guy."
The month-long public awareness campaign was officially launched September 18, 2018, with a short program at the Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Dr., Memphis, Tenn. Present at the event were representatives of the ATF Nashville Field Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Shelby County Attorney’s Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Memphis, Memphis Police Department and NSSF.
More than 22.5 million impressions will be delivered via billboards, digital and social media advertising around Memphis along with more than a half a million impressions through 30-second radio spots airing on local stations. Memphis was chosen for this special campaign by ATF. No taxpayer dollars are used. The program is funded in full by the firearms industry.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As part of our violent crime reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited and dangerous persons, and to remove violent offenders from our streets. We thank and commend the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the ATF for their shared crime prevention efforts to warn people about the consequences of providing firearms to prohibited persons such as convicted felons. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, or you will be facing up to 10 years in federal prison."
"As evidenced, the firearms industry is proud of its longstanding cooperative relationship with the ATF and the entire law enforcement community by assisting them in their efforts to combat the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms," said NSSF Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.
"Don't Lie" is a cooperative programbetween ATF and NSSF, the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. The effort was developed more than a decade ago to raise public awareness about the seriousness of the crime of purchasing a firearm for someone who cannot legally do so. The program also helps ATF educate firearms dealers so they can be better prepared to deter potential straw purchases. The public campaign drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase faces a stiff federal felony penalty of up to 10 years in jail or up to $250,000 in fines.
To legally purchase a firearm, a person must be able to pass an FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check and fully comply with state and local laws. When a criminal knows he cannot pass this check, he may try to induce a friend or other person to make the purchase on his behalf, which is known as a straw purchase and is a felony.
This public awareness campaign constitutes only part of the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" outreach effort. The full "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program, which also involves educating firearms retailers to better detect and prevent straw purchases, has been rolled out in major cities throughout the country. In the retailer segment, federal firearms licensees are provided a "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" retailer kit containing a training video and informational brochure for storeowners and staff, as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter illegal straw purchases.
Some of the Memphis area billboard locations and radio stations airing public service announcements are provided below:
Billboards:
• Several locations along I-240
• Several locations along I-40
• Several locations along I-55
Radio Stations:
• KJMS (V101)
• KWNW (101.9 KISS FM)
• WHRK (K97.1)
• WMC 790 AM
• WREC 600 AM.
Learn more about Don't Lie for the Other Guy at www.dontlie.org.
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
McNairy County Men Indicted Federally for Being Felons in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury returned an indictment against two McNairy county men for being felons in possession of firearms. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictments today.
According to the indictment, Chaderick McClain, 27, of Selmer, was charged with two counts of possessing a firearm transported in interstate commerce after being convicted of a felony, in violation of Title 18, USC, § 922 (g) (1). The United States also seeks criminal forfeiture of any proceeds related to the crime.
Corey Mayfield, 43, of Ramer, Tennessee, was also charged with two counts possessing a firearm transported in interstate commerce after being convicted of a felony, in violation of Title 18, USC, § 922 (g)(1). The United States also seeks criminal forfeiture of any proceeds related to the crime.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Felons with multiple prior convictions present a public safety risk in West Tennessee, and will be held accountable for illegal possession of firearms."
This case was investigated by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office; Selmer Police Department; and Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force; along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
"We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in addressing these career criminals and helping us keep them off the streets," said McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck.
"We hope this sends a message to criminals who have guns," said Assistant Chief Kim Holley of the Selmer Police Department.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised released and $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Eskridge is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Massachusetts State Trooper Agrees to Plead Guilty in Overtime Abuse InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A suspended Massachusetts State Police Trooper has agreed to plead guilty today in connection with the ongoing investigation of overtime abuse at the Massachusetts State Police (MSP).
Gary Herman, 45, of Chester, who was previously arrested on June 27, 2018, was charged with one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Herman has agreed to plead guilty pursuant to a plea agreement, but a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, Herman was an MSP Trooper assigned to Troop E, which was responsible for enforcing criminal and traffic regulations along the Massachusetts Turnpike, Interstate I-90. In 2016, Herman earned $227,826, which included approximately $63,053 in overtime pay.
According to court documents, Herman was paid for overtime shifts that he did not work at all or from which he left early. Herman concealed his fraud by submitting fraudulent citations designed to create the appearance that he had worked overtime hours that he had not, and falsely claimed in MSP paperwork and payroll entries that he had worked the entirety of his overtime shifts. On multiple occasions Herman fabricated bogus citations, copying the driver information from citations that he had issued months earlier, in order to be paid for overtime shifts he did not work at all.
Herman has agreed to plead guilty to collecting $12,468 for overtime hours that he did not work.
The overtime in question involved the Accident and Injury Reduction Effort program (AIRE) and the “X-Team” initiative, which were intended to reduce accidents, crashes, and injuries on I-90 through an enhanced presence of MSP Troopers who were to target vehicles traveling at excessive speeds.
In 2016, MSP received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.
Herman is the third Trooper to plead guilty as a result of the ongoing investigation. On July 2, 2018, former Trooper Gregory Raftery, 47, of Westwood, pleaded guilty, and on Sept. 14, 2018, suspended Trooper Kevin Sweeney, 40, of Braintree, pleaded guilty. Three other Troopers have been charged: on June 27, 2018, former Lieutenant David Wilson, 57, of Charlton; and former Trooper Paul Cesan, 50, of Southwick, were arrested and charged with the same crime. On July 25, 2018, retired Trooper Daren DeJong, 56, of Uxbridge, was charged.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of between six and 12 months of incarceration. The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Douglas Shoemaker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao, Mark Grady, and Neil Gallagher of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland and Texas Men Indicted for Alleged $364 Million Ponzi Scheme—One of the Largest Ever Charged in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted three men on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, arising from an alleged $364 million investment fraud scheme. The indictment was returned under seal on September 11, 2018, and unsealed on September 18, 2018, upon the arrests of the defendants. Charged in the indictment are:
Kevin B. Merrill, age 53, of Towson, Maryland;
Jay B. Ledford, age 54, of Westlake, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada; and
Cameron R. Jezierski, age 28, of Fort Worth, Texas.The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. A related enforcement action and complaint was announced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Co-Director of Enforcement Stephanie Avakian.
“Federal prosecutors, FBI agents, and our SEC partners together interrupted an ongoing fraud scheme, with the potential to victimize even more people. According to the indictment, the defendants lured investors through an elaborate web of lies, duping them into paying millions of dollars into this Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Most of these investors are just learning that they have been victimized. The effects of this kind of fraud can be devastating. We urge anyone who thinks they may be a victim to contact the FBI at www.FBI.Gov/MerrillLedford or e-mail [email protected].”
“The FBI takes our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously,” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI’s Baltimore Division. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others. We are committed to protecting investors from the illegal and deceptive practices Mr. Merrill and Ledford used to defraud investors out of their hard earned money and savings.”
According to the fourteen-count indictment, beginning in January 2013, the defendants perpetrated a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors of more than $364 million. The scheme was revealed with the arrests and unsealing of the indictment. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Merrill and Ledford invited investors to join them in purchasing consumer debt portfolios. “Consumer debt portfolios” are defaulted consumer debts to banks/credit card issuers, student loan lenders, and car/truck financers which are sold in batches called “portfolios” to third parties which attempt to collect on the debts. The defendants falsely represented to investors that they would use the investors’ money to buy consumer debt portfolios and make money for them by (1) collecting the payments that people made on their debts or (2) selling the portfolios for a profit to third party debt buyers--in a practice called “flipping.” According to the related complaint filed by the SEC, the victim investors included small business owners, restauranteurs, construction contractors, retirees, doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, talent agents, professional athletes, and financial advisors, located in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Las Vegas, Texas, and elsewhere.
The indictment alleges that in order to induce investors to participate, the defendants falsely represented who they were buying the debt portfolios from and how much they were paying for the portfolios; whether they were investing their own funds, and their track record of success. At times, according to the indictment, there was no underlying debt portfolio purchased with the investors’ money. To conceal the truth, the defendants created imposter companies with names similar to actual consumer debt sellers or brokers and opened bank accounts in the names of those imposter companies. In addition, to lend credibility to the transactions, the defendants created false portfolio overviews, sales agreements which used the names and forged signatures of actual employees of the sellers, created false collections reports, and falsified bank wire transfer records and bank statements.
Further, the indictment alleges that the defendants falsely represented that the monies they paid to investors were “proceeds” from collections and/or flipping debt portfolios, when in fact, the proceeds were paid from funds provided by other investors. The indictment alleges that Merrill, Ledford, and Jezierski personally enriched themselves and concealed their diversion of $73 million of investors’ funds to purchase and renovate high end homes in Maryland, Texas, Nevada, and Florida, purchase luxury automobiles, jewelry, boats, and a share in a jet plane, gamble $25 million at casinos, and support a lavish lifestyle.
The indictment seeks to forfeit nine properties, 26 luxury cars, one boat, interest in an aircraft, a life insurance policy, seven and nine carat diamond rings, and a 23 carat diamond bracelet, which were allegedly purchased with proceeds of the scheme to defraud.
If convicted, Merrill, Ledford, and Jezierski each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and for each of five counts of wire fraud. Merrill and Ledford each also face 20 years in prison for an additional two counts of wire fraud, as well as 20 years in prison for a money laundering conspiracy, and for each of four counts of money laundering. Finally, Merrill and Ledford face a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for identity theft. The defendants also face possible fines of $250,000, or twice the gross gain, for the wire fraud conspiracy and for each count of wire fraud and money laundering. Merrill and Ledford face an additional fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the property, for the money laundering conspiracy.
The SEC has filed a parallel civil complaint in this matter.
If you believe you may have been a victim, or have information concerning these charges, please complete a brief questionnaire at www.fbi.gov/MerrillLedford or you can email [email protected]. Your responses are voluntary. You may be contacted by the FBI.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Merrill and Ledford each had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore and Las Vegas, respectively, on September 18, 2018, and were ordered to be detained. Jezierski also had his initial appearance in Las Vegas and was released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services. Merrill is scheduled to have a detention hearing on Thursday, September 20th at 3:30 p.m. Jezierski is expected to have his initial appearance in Maryland on September 24, 2018, and Ledford is expected to be brought to Maryland for a court appearance at a later date.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI in Baltimore, Dallas, Las Vegas and Tampa, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General for their work in this investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joyce K. McDonald and Martin J. Clarke, who are prosecuting the criminal case.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Kory Almand, 35, of Manchester, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in early 2016 and continuing through his arrest in July of 2017, Almand conspired with other individuals in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine to obtain large quantities of fentanyl from sources in Lawrence, Massachusetts for distribution in New Hampshire and Maine. On July 19, 2017, Almand sold 100 grams of fentanyl to an undercover New Hampshire State Police detective. On July 25, 2017, Almand made a second sale of 198 grams of fentanyl to the undercover detective after which Almand was arrested and found to have a loaded .38 caliber firearm concealed in his waistband. Subsequent to Almand’s arrest, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on his vehicle and seized $750 in cash and an additional 267.67 grams of fentanyl.
Almand will be sentenced on January 4, 2019. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years on the drug conspiracy charge and an additional five-year mandatory minimum sentence on the firearm charge.
“The transportation of fentanyl into the State of New Hampshire poses a significant and ongoing threat to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “When dealers in dangerous drugs carry firearms, the peril to public safety is even greater. In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we will continue to work closely with all of our law enforcement partners to put fentanyl traffickers out of business. Because of the risks presented by these crimes, we will not hesitate to seek mandatory minimum sentences for traffickers, especially those who use or possess firearms.”
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police, and the Manchester and Tilton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Man with Assaultive Past to Serve over 3 Years for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a gun after multiple prior felony and domestic abuse convictions was sentenced today to more than 3 years in federal prison.
Nicholas Freitag, age 36, from Clear Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 28, 2018, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and domestic abuser.
In a plea agreement, Freitag admitted that, in July 2017, he and his girlfriend purchased a firearm from another individual at a truck stop in Evansdale, Iowa. After the gun was later found in the trunk of Freitag’s vehicle, Freitag stated that he needed the gun for protection during his employment as a truck driver. Freitag also has a prior felony conviction for possessing a firearm in February 2017.
Freitag was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Freitag was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Freitag 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 Clear Lake Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-3002.
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Life Sentence for Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that the Honorable Laurie Smith Camp, Chief United States District Court Judge, sentenced Jorge Alberto Sainz Navarrete, 32, today to life imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to 240 months for two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of laundering of monetary instruments. All sentences are to run concurrently. Sainz Navarrete was convicted following a jury trial in Omaha, Nebraska, that concluded on June 15, 2018.
Sainz Navarrete had previously been convicted in the District of Minnesota of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment in that earlier case, following which he was removed from the United States to Mexico.
The Nebraska case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas to Receive $390,599 in Federal Grant Money to Improve Public SafetyRead the Press Release
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (Kickapoo) will receive a $390,599 federal grant to address violent crime against Indian women. U.S. Attorney John F. Bash joined the Department of Justice today in announcing the award to the Kickapoo as part of more than $13 million in grants being awarded to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
“The specific purpose of this federal grant is to reduce crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking and stalking on the Kickapoo Reservation,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
With this funding, Kickapoo Tribal Government and Tribal Law Enforcement will develop or provide a crisis hotline, supportive services, support groups and victims assistance such as court accompaniment, advocacy, counseling and transitional housing assistance.
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
“There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
For a listing of today’s announced CTAS awards go to: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Kewa Pueblo Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Voluntary Manslaughter ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lena Quintana, 44, an enrolled member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a voluntary manslaughter charge.
Quintana was arrested on Nov. 27, 2017, on an indictment charging her with second degree murder on Sept. 7, 2016, on the Kewa Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M. According to the indictment, Quintana killed the victim by hitting him with a vehicle.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Quintana pled guilty to a felony information charging her with voluntary manslaughter. In entering the guilty plea, Quintana admitted that on Sept. 7, 2016, she killed the victim by driving her vehicle at a high rate of speed towards the victim and hitting him while he was walking on the side of the road. Quintana acknowledged that the victim died as the result of her actions.
At sentencing, Quintana faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.
KC Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service resulting in $182,410 in fraudulent refunds being issued.
Tanisha Williams, 40, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Court Judge Greg Kays to filing a false claim with the IRS and wire fraud.
According to court documents, Williams participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by helping in the filing of false income tax returns on behalf of others that claimed refunds to which they were not entitled. At times, Williams recruited individuals to file federal income tax returns under their own names and Social Security numbers. At other times, Williams used stolen identity information to file federal income tax returns. As part of the scheme, false Form W-2 information was used to inflate the income on the federal individual income returns filed for some of the taxpayers. These fraudulent refunds would then be deposited onto pre-paid debit cards. Once the funds were deposited to the debit cards, the money was withdrawn as cash or the cards were utilized for personal expenses.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Williams acknowledged that the scheme to defraud the IRS resulted in $182,410 in fraudulent refunds, an amount that Williams will be required to pay back as restitution.
Under federal statues, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Trent Shores joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Wyandotte Nation.
“I am proud of the productive partnership forged between my office and tribal nations. Our collaborative enforcement model delivers fair, impartial, and effective justice to tribal communities in the Northern District of Oklahoma. These justice focused grants will strengthen priority areas for each of the tribal recipients,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Implementing the programs and services supported by this funding will have a lasting impact in Indian Country. As United States Attorney, I will uphold the federal trust responsibility to the federally recognized tribes in northeastern Oklahoma.”
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Trent Shores joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Wyandotte Nation.
“I am proud of the productive partnership forged between my office and tribal nations. Our collaborative enforcement model delivers fair, impartial, and effective justice to tribal communities in the Northern District of Oklahoma. These justice focused grants will strengthen priority areas for each of the tribal recipients,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Implementing the programs and services supported by this funding will have a lasting impact in Indian Country. As United States Attorney, I will uphold the federal trust responsibility to the federally recognized tribes in northeastern Oklahoma.”
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including $373,511 in funding for public safety and community policing to the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa.
“Improving public safety and protecting vulnerable victims in all of our communities remains a priority for my office and the Department of Justice,” said Deegan. “Along with prosecuting the most violent and dangerous offenders in the district, the grant awarded to the Meskwaki Tribe is another step we are taking to make our communities safer for all.”
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert J. Troester of the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The following tribes in the Western District of Oklahoma have been awarded these amounts:
- Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma: $898,035 to combat violence against women
- Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes: $1,450,129 for corrections and victim assistance
- Citizen Potawatomi Nation: $476,650 for public safety and community policing
- Comanche Nation: $2,412,117 for public safety and community policing, substance abuse, violence against women, and justice for children
- Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma: $449,999 for victim assistance
- Kaw Nation: $746,001 for public safety and community policing and substance abuse
- Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians: $449,594 for victim assistance
- Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma: $239,671 for public safety and community policing
- The Chickasaw Nation: $1,422,800 for public safety and community policing and violence against women
- Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma: $157,463 for public safety and community policing
Throughout Oklahoma, nineteen tribes will receive $17,833,044 in public safety grants.
"In addition to prosecuting criminal cases in Indian Country, U.S. Attorney’s Offices support healthy tribal communities and the welfare of all tribal citizens," Mr. Troester said. "I am thrilled that the Department of Justice can make this financial investment to enhance public safety in Oklahoma’s Indian Country."
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand, and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming, and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
"With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities," said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO- U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Tribes receiving awards in the Northern District of California include the following:
Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe $256,150 Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria $450,000 Hoopa Valley Tribe Total $731,362 Hopland Band of Pomo Indians $265,539 Yurok Tribe Total $1,628,658In addition, the Karuk Tribe, spanning both the Northern and Eastern Districts of California, will be receiving a $1,682,084 grant.
“The programs funded by these awards can be extremely effective in improving public safety and preventing violence against vulnerable populations in Native American communities,” said United States Attorney Tse. “The funds granted to the tribes in this district reflect the Department of Justice’s continued commitment to support violence reduction and promote public safety.”
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
Washington -- United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including $899,135 to the Aroostook Bank of Micmacs and $899,556 to the Penobscot Nation for their violence against women programs, and $749,774 to the Point Pleasant Passamaquoddy Tribe for its justice and drug and alcohol abuse programs.
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
Justice Department Will Award up to $246 Million in Grants to Improve Public Safety in American Indian and Alaska Native CommunitiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – United States Attorney Dayle Elieson joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe who will receive $1,004,552; the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada who will receive $450,000; the Moapa Band of Paiutes who will receive $299,900; and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe who will receive $1,350,000.
Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs. CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.
In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.
“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues. We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”
The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.
Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Tax Return Preparer Operating Stores in Florida and MississippiRead the Press Release
The United States filed a civil injunction suit seeking to bar Lakeesha Tucker, Lakeesha Tucker LLC, and Simplified Financial Services LLC, from owning, operating, or franchising a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.
The complaint, filed in United States District Court in Florida, also requests that the court require Tucker and the LLCs to disgorge ill-gotten fees that they obtained from the U.S. Treasury through the alleged false tax return preparation.
According to the complaint, Tucker and her tax preparation businesses, Lakeesha Tucker LLC and Simplified Financial Services LLC, which in 2018 operated stores in Florida and Mississippi, but in the past have also operated stores in North Carolina and Tennessee, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds and profit through exorbitant and often undisclosed fees, at the expense of their customers and the U.S. Treasury.
The complaint alleges that Tucker and the businesses engage in misconduct, including:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit;
- Claiming improper filing status (e.g., head of household even though the person is not entitled to that status);
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses;
- Fabricating deductions, such as charitable contributions and unreimbursed, employee business expenses; and
- Charging deceptive and unconscionable fees.
According to the complaint, Tucker previously worked at LBS Tax Services. Since September 2014, the United States has filed 20 similar lawsuits in Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia, including suits against the franchisor of LBS and numerous former LBS franchisees and managers, many of whom allegedly rebranded and continued to operate tax preparation businesses. Through these lawsuits, the United States has obtained permanent injunctions and money judgments disgorging millions in ill-gotten tax preparation fees.
The IRS has a list of steps on its website that you can take and ten tips for choosing a tax preparer. Each year, the IRS releases the top 12 scams, known as the Dirty Dozen. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2018, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some information on its website for choosing a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division at [email protected] with details.