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Friday 14 September 2018
East Bridgewater Man Arrested for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An East Bridgewater man was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with producing child pornography.
Daniel O’Connor Jr., 57, was charged with one count of production/attempted production of child pornography. He appeared in federal court yesterday and was ordered detained pending a detention and probable cause hearing scheduled for Monday, Sept. 17, 2018.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, on June 7, 2018, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at the home of O’Connor Jr., where they located two iPhones belonging to the defendant. An onsite forensic review of one of the phones revealed images of child pornography.
It is alleged that further review of the phone revealed approximately 137 images and approximately 20 videos of child pornography. In addition, the phone contained multiple apps popular with minors, such as Kik Messenger. A review of O’Connor’s Kik app revealed chats between O’Connor and an 11-year-old girl during which O’Connor solicits and receives a number of images and videos depicting child pornography.
The charge of producing child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $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; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Drug Traffickers Charged with Kidnapping, Extortion, and Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin in Utah CaseRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Federal prosecutors in Salt Lake City have unsealed charges alleging three individuals operating a drug trafficking organization traveled from Phoenix to Salt Lake City in August and kidnapped a 17-year-old boy at gunpoint from his mother’s Utah business while trying to collect a heroin-related drug debt.
The defendants conducted surveillance on a business in West Valley City operated by the victim’s mother for two days before striking. They entered the business and demanded more than $20,000 in compensation for heroin that was seized as evidence by law enforcement officers when she was stopped while transporting the drugs from Minneapolis to the Salt Lake valley. The defendants, according to a complaint in the case, told her she was responsible not only for the cost of the kilogram of heroin seized from her on Aug. 11, 2018, but was also responsible for heroin seized from another member of the drug trafficking organization.
Charged in the case are Oscar Rene Chacon Lopez, age 26, a Honduran citizen living in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico; and Jeanette Mejia, age, 25, Juan Carlos Moreno Trinidad, age 41, Nadia Carolina Avalos, age 33, and Issa Jassim Al-Sadoon, age 26, all of Phoenix.
The defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin in a federal indictment. Chacon, Moreno, Avalos and Al-Sadoon are charged with kidnapping and Hobbs Act extortion in the indictment. Moreno, Avalos and Al-Sadoon are charged with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and Chacon and Mejia are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The case stems from an investigation into a drug trafficking organization conducted by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and the Salt Lake City Division of the FBI. The West Valley City Police Department has also assisted with the case.
The complaint alleges the investigation has established that the defendants charged in the case have conspired with others to distribute 1000 grams or more of heroin in Utah.
The complaint alleges the individuals conspired to commit overt acts in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Law enforcement officers seized approximately 990 grams of heroin and 28 grams of cocaine during the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit in West Jordan on April 10, 2018. During a traffic stop in Sandy on the same day, investigators seized 638 grams of heroin, 43 grams of cocaine, and $1,300. Later the same day, investigators seized approximately 567 grams of heroin, 17 grams of cocaine, $2,195 in cash, and packaging material consistent with illegal drug distribution during the execution of a search warrant in Magna.
The juvenile victim was abducted on Aug. 13, 2018. The victim called his mother and told her he had been taken by men who wanted money from her. She also received a short video of the inside of her truck demonstrating the kidnappers had also stolen her truck. In the following hours, Chacon sent numerous typed text messages and recorded voice messages. The complaint alleges the juvenile was kidnapped because of a drug debts and he would only be released unharmed if she did what she was told and deposited cash into bank accounts he had provided. He threatened her son and other children at her home with physical violence. Chacon made it clear he directed the kidnappers in Utah and that her son would be released only after he was paid at least $10,000.
FBI agents, Utah County Major Crime Task Force detectives, and West Valley police officers were able to locate and remove the juvenile victim later that evening from a Salt Lake County hotel room and return the juvenile unharmed to his home. Chacon, Moreno, Al-Sadoon and Avalos were charged in a complaint filed Aug. 20, 2018. Mejia was added as a defendant in the case when it was presented to a grand jury Sept. 4, 2018.
The maximum potential for the heroin conspiracy charge is life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. The potential penalty for brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense is 7 years in prison. Kidnapping carries a potential life sentence with a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence. The Hobbs Act extortion count and the conspiracy to commit money laundering both have potential 20-year sentences.
Moreno, Al-Sadoon, and Avalos have been arraigned on the charges in the indictment and have entered pleas of not guilty to the charges. A five-day jury trial has been set for Nov. 13, 2018, before U.S. District Judge David Sam. The defendants are in custody pending trial. Federal arrest warrants are pending for Chacon and Mejia.
Cooperstown Man Charged with Money Laundering, Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas K. Lagan, age 60, of Cooperstown, New York, and formerly of Slingerlands, New York, was arraigned today on money laundering and tax charges relating to the theft of approximately $11.8 million from estates for which he served as a fiduciary.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood; James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
A federal indictment charges that Lagan, between November 2011 and February 2018, conspired with Richard J. Sherwood to launder the proceeds of a fraud conspiracy. Lagan is also accused of failing to report more than $5.3 million in income to the Internal Revenue Service in 2013 and 2015. In a separate indictment being prosecuted by the New York Attorney General’s Office, Lagan is charged in Albany County Court with grand larceny in the first degree, criminal possession of stolen property, and a scheme to defraud. The charges in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lagan appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, who ordered him released on his own recognizance.
If convicted on the federal charges, Lagan would face up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Lagan’s alleged co-conspirator, Sherwood, pled guilty in June 2018 to federal and state charges.
Sherwood, an attorney since 1988, practiced primarily in the area of trusts and estates. Starting in about 2006, he provided estate planning and related legal services to Capital Region philanthropists Warren and Pauline Bruggeman, and to Pauline’s sister, Anne Urban, all of Niskayuna, New York. Sherwood was advising the Bruggemans when, in 2006, they signed wills directing that all their assets go to charities, churches and civic organizations, aside from bequests to Anne Urban and Julia Rentz, Pauline’s other sister.
Warren Bruggeman died in April 2009, and Pauline died in August 2011. At the time of her death, Pauline had personal and trust assets valued at approximately $20 million.
In pleading guilty, Sherwood admitted that after Pauline Bruggeman’s death, he and Lagan conspired to steal and launder millions of dollars from her estate as well as from Anne Urban, who died in 2013. Their conspiracy came to include the diversion and transfer to themselves of several million dollars belonging to Julia Rentz, a resident of Ohio, who was suffering from dementia at the time of the thefts and died in 2013.
The federal case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
The state case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Christopher Baynes and Matthew Peluso of the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Daniel G. Cort and Deputy Bureau Chief Stacy Aronowitz. The Criminal Justice Division is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Margaret Garnett. The investigation was led by Investigator Mark Spencer of the Attorney General’s Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator Antoine Karam. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Dominick Zarrella. Meaghan Scovello, Associate Forensic Auditor, provided the financial analysis. The Forensic Audit Section is supervised by Edward Keegan. Senior Analyst Sara Pogorzelski assisted in the investigation.
Convicted Felon Headed Back to Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Tristan Mack, 41, of East St. Louis, Illinois, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for knowingly possessing a gun after sustaining a felony conviction, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel handed down the sentence, which includes a three-year term of supervised release. Robinson also agreed to forfeit the firearm he illegally possessed.
Court proceedings revealed that on the evening of December 16, 2017, an Illinois State Police Trooper stopped a car driven by Mack in East St. Louis for speeding and running a stop sign. After noticing an odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle, the trooper conducted a search and discovered a loaded PA-63 semi-automatic firearm in the rear pouch of the driver’s seat, along with 36 grams of cannabis and six ecstasy tablets.
At the time of his arrest, Mack had a prior felony conviction for armed carjacking, an offense for which he was still on federal supervised release after having served 20 years in prison. As a result of his arrest in this case, Mack’s supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, a term that will run concurrently with his 46 month sentence.
The case was investigated by the Illinois State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
Clymer School Teacher Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Scott Aikens, 60, of Clymer, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy V. Murray, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in late June 2018, Homeland Security Investigations in Buffalo received information that a user, identified as "EJD," was active on the Thai based child pornography open website "Boyxzeed2.net.” Investigators traced the email address utilized by “EJD” to the defendant.
On September 14, 2018, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence on Route 474 in Clymer. During the search, multiple electronic devices were recovered, including a laptop and two desktop computers. At the time that the search warrant was executed, HSI special agents observed Aikens sitting in front of his computer. According to the complaint, there were multiple images on the computer screen of young prepubescent males with their genitals exposed.
The defendant is a 7-12 grade school teacher with the Clymer Central School District.
Aikens made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and is being held pending a detention hearing on September 18, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.
Members of the public who have specific information related to this case are urged to contact the HSI Buffalo Office at 716-464-6070. HSI victim-witness specialists will be available to assist any parent or guardian should they need victim-related resources. If any members of the public have general questions or concerns regarding sexual abuse of children or would like guidance on how to discuss this issue with children, please call Justice and Hope for Children at 716-338-9844.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Carson Morris, Former New York State Correction Officer at Downstate Prison, Sentenced to 40 Months for Beating Inmate Kevin Moore and Falsifying RecordsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CARSON MORRIS, a former New York State Correction Officer, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 40 months in prison for the November 12, 2013, beating of Kevin Moore, a 54-year-old inmate at the Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, New York, and for falsifying records to cover up the beating.
MORRIS pled guilty on November 1, 2017, to assaulting Moore in violation of Moore’s rights under the United States Constitution by repeatedly striking him as he lay restrained on the floor. Moore was hospitalized for approximately two weeks with multiple serious injuries from the beating, including facial bone fractures, five broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. MORRIS also pled guilty to conspiring to violate Moore’s civil rights, as well as to falsifying and conspiring to falsify Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”) records concerning the assault.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Carson Morris participated in a brutal gang-style assault of inmate Kevin Moore, who lay defenseless on the prison floor begging for mercy. Morris and other officers then made up a false cover story to hide what they did, repeatedly lying in Corrections Department records and even creating a phony injury. All American citizens, including prisoners, are protected by the Constitution. Correction officers are not above the law, and when they beat inmates in their custody and lie about it, they are criminals and will be punished as criminals.”
Four other former New York State Correction Officers were charged in connection with the assault and cover-up. On November 20, 2017, Kathy Scott and George Santiago Jr. were convicted following a two-week jury trial of violating and conspiring to violate Moore’s Constitutional rights by repeatedly kicking and punching him as he law restrained on the floor; as well as falsifying and conspiring to falsify records in an attempt to cover up the beating. On July 21, 2018, Judge Karas sentenced Scott, who was a sergeant and the commanding officer on the scene, to 100 months in prison, and Santiago to 87 months in prison. Former Correction Officers Andrew Lowery and Donald Cosman pled guilty to the same charges pursuant to cooperation agreements with the United States on July 27, 2016, and August 31, 2016, respectively. On July 25, 2018, U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román sentenced Lowery to a three-year term of supervised release. Cosman’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the evidence introduced at trial:
On November 12, 2013, Kevin Moore, then 54 years old, was brought to the 1D Housing Unit at Downstate Correctional Facility to be housed overnight. Moore objected to his cell assignment and a verbal dispute ensued between Moore and a group of corrections officers. After Moore yelled, in sum and substance, “I’m a monster,” multiple officers, including MORRIS, forced Moore to the floor, restrained him, and then proceeded to assault Moore as he lay there, repeatedly punching and kicking Moore in the head and body. At no time did Moore ever try to attack, touch, or even make a threatening gesture toward any of the officers. While Moore lay defenseless on the floor, MORRIS repeatedly kneed, punched, and kicked Moore in the torso. Santiago, who was wearing boots, delivered a soccer-style kick to Moore’s face and continued to strike Moore after Moore was handcuffed. During the beating, Santiago laughed and taunted Moore, yelling “Who’s the monster now.”
Scott, who was a sergeant and the supervising officer on the scene, was present for the entire beating and was legally required to stop the excessive force being used by her subordinates. Instead of taking action to stop the unlawful violence, Scott encouraged it, ordering an officer to hold Moore down on the floor while other officers, including MORRIS, continued to knee, kick, and punch him. During the beating, Moore repeatedly cried out in pain and begged the officers to stop hurting him.
Immediately after the beating, MORRIS and other officers, led by Scott, engaged in an elaborate cover-up of the crime they had committed. They made up a false cover story that Moore had attacked Cosman and that MORRIS had to strike Moore once in the head to save his fellow officer. To make this lie believable, the officers claimed that Moore had injured Cosman’s back by pushing him backward onto a table. But because nothing of the sort had occurred, they created a phony injury. Specifically, Santiago hit Cosman repeatedly on the back with a baton, MORRIS rubbed the area with his hand to make the baton marks look worse, and Scott photographed the fake injury. Scott then prepared a false Use of Force Report describing the incident and incorporating the photos and false statements from herself and other officers, including MORRIS, and submitted the false report to her superiors. Scott, Santiago, and MORRIS also pressured other officers to lie to investigators about what had occurred.
Moore was severely injured, suffering multiple facial fractures, five broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, among other injuries. According to the medical evidence, Moore received at least four forceful blows to the face and torso, including one crushing strike to the right eye that was consistent with a kick from a boot.
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MORRIS, 33 of Coconut Creek, Florida, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and one year of supervised release. MORRIS must surrender to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on December 10, 2018.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Agents at the United States Attorney’s Office. Mr. Berman also thanked the DOCCS Office of Special Investigation and the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit and the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Dember and Pierre Armand are in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on September 14, 2018, Alberto Giovanni Zamora, 34, of Oxnard, California, was sentenced to 10 years (120 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture or substance containing heroin. Following the prison term, Zamora will serve five years on supervised release.
On August 25, 2017, a Seward County Sheriff’s Sergeant patrolling I-80 stopped a car driven by Zamora’s co-defendant, Juan Jesus Nava, for following too closely. Zamora was the passenger and owner of the car. Both Nava and Zamora gave verbal consent to search. During a search of the car, 15 packages of heroin, weighing approximately 24 ½ pounds, (approximately 11 kilograms), were found. Photos were obtained which showed Zamora driving the car across the border into the United States from Mexico on August 22, 2017.
Nava pled guilty to misprision of a felony for failing to notify Seward County deputies that Zamora was transporting heroin. Nava was sentenced in May of 2018 to 27 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Seward County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA).
Brockton Woman Sentenced for KidnappingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the armed kidnapping of a Quincy man and two children.
Yesenia Diaz, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to four years in prison and two years of supervised release. In December 2017, Diaz pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
In January 2018, co-defendant Malik Bangura, 20, was sentenced to 17 years in prison and two years of supervised release. On Aug. 23, 2018, co-defendant Sedrick Oliveira, 26, of Stoughton, was sentenced to 21 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Aug. 16, 2018, Diego Pires was sentenced to 217 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
On Oct. 8, 2016, at approximately 10:25 p.m., a 30-year-old man was kidnapped from the driveway of his Quincy home after being struck in the head with a revolver as he got out of his truck, and dragged into a nearby sedan. The victim had two children strapped into car seats in his truck, as well as approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, at the time he was assaulted.
Once the victim was in the sedan, two masked perpetrators, later identified as Pires and Bangura, drove the victim’s truck, with the children still inside, to a secluded location where they unloaded the marijuana and $20,000 from the victim’s truck, into the sedan. The victim, who was face-down in the backseat of the sedan at gunpoint, begged for his life and the life of the two children who were still in their car seats in the back of his truck.
Pires, Bangura, Diaz, and Oliveira then drove the sedan with the drugs, cash and the victim, from Quincy to Brockton and called the victim’s wife demanding $100,000. Law enforcement officers spotted the sedan as it drove through Brockton, recognized the vehicle from a drive-by shooting that occurred in August 2016, and began to follow it. After the defendants recognized the police, they attempted to flee, but ultimately abandoned the sedan in a Brockton driveway. The victim escaped, flagged down law enforcement officers, and described to them the secluded location where the truck had been deserted. Law enforcement located the truck with the children inside, who were unharmed. Diaz was subsequently found standing by the sedan and arrested.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief John Crowley; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily O. Cannon of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Trans-National Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering ring operating between Massachusetts and California.
Mario Castro, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2019.
Castro is one of 11 men from Massachusetts and California who were indicted in 2016 on drug and money laundering conspiracy charges. Beginning in at least 2013, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to transport sizeable quantities of methamphetamine from San Diego, Calif., to Massachusetts, where it was distributed in the greater Boston area. Proceeds from the sale of that methamphetamine were then transported and/or transferred back to California and laundered in various ways. In his plea agreement, Castro admitted that in December 2015, agents seized approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine hidden in his pants, and that he intended to distribute some of the drugs.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, both provide for a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. The Reading, Watertown, Quincy, Chelsea, Braintree, Peabody, Waltham, and Woburn Police Departments, and Connecticut State Police assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Jared C. Dolan of Lelling’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Gang Member Sentenced for Distributing Drugs in and Around Public Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston gang member was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing crack cocaine in a Jamaica Plain housing development.
Cerone Davis, a/k/a “Jp,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year and one day in prison and six years of supervised release. Davis previously pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility.
Following a two-year investigation, Davis and eight co-defendants were charged in January 2018 in connection with illegal drug distribution and firearm possession within and near the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development. Davis, a member of the Heath Street Gang, sold cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, in April 2017. According to court documents, Davis was most recently arrested in Westbook, Maine, and charged with sex trafficking after police responded to an advertisement on Backpage.com soliciting sex with a prostitute for $300. The contact information associated with the online advertisement was traced back to Davis.
The investigation and arrests sought to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments for residents by removing individuals who trafficked drugs and/or were actively involved in violence and gang disputes.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement. Assistance was also provided by the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bergen County, New Jersey, Man Admits Bribing State Department EmployeeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted giving a bribe to an employee of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Luis Santos, 37, of Teaneck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of bribery of a public official.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Santos paid $2,381 to a U.S. Consular Adjudicator in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to favorably handle and review non-immigrant visas, which allowed individuals from the Dominican Republic to apply for entry into the United States.
The bribery charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S Department of State Diplomatic Security Service with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen D. Stringer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Thomas Ambrosio Esq., Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Altoona Woman Charged with Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On August 28, 2018, a federal grand jury charged Leesa Marie Parkhill-Nieland, age 47, of Altoona, with Social Security fraud, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Parkhill-Nieland is charged with theft of government funds, Social Security fraud, and making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. Parkhill-Nieland is alleged to have received Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits from about December 2012 until about April 2018. According to the Indictment, during this time, Parkhill-Nieland was self-employed through two different businesses, Pine Hollow Stables and Coat of Many Colors. Parkhill-Nieland is alleged to have concealed and failed to disclose that employment from the Social Security Administration in order to continue to receive payments.
The defendant appeared in United States District Court in Des Moines on September 14, 2018. The public is reminded that an Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless she is proven guilty.
This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration—Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
16 MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Assault and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Fresno, California returned a five-count indictment yesterday against 16 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott for the Eastern District of California announced.
The defendants are charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering (two counts); conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana; and being an alien in possession of a firearm (two counts). The defendants are:
- Denis Barrera-Palma, 24, of Mendota, California, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a pipe) and drug conspiracy;
- Mario Alexander Garcia, 31, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Francisco Lizano, 24, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy and alien in possession of a firearm;
- Jefferson Guevara, 19, of Los Angeles, California, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Ever Membreno, 18, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Edgar Torres-Amador, 21, of Mendota, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a pipe);
- Lorenzo Amador, 20, of Mendota, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (a stabbing instrument) and drug conspiracy;
- Jose Wilson Navarette-Mendez, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Denis Alfaro-Torres, 22, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Santos Bonilla, 26, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Henry Bonilla, 18, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Marvin Villegas-Segovia, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Christian Hidalgo, 21, of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy;
- Brenda Yajaria Morales, 25 of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy and alien in possession of a firearm;
- Claudia Lizaola, 39, of San Bernardino, California, charged with drug conspiracy; and
- Oscar Reyes, 29 of Mendota, charged with drug conspiracy.
According to the complaint and indictment, the defendants were allegedly members of MS-13 operating in Mendota and Los Angeles. MS-13 is a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. Its members span the nation and are active internationally as well. The charges allege that in May 2018, Denis Barrera-Palma and Edgar Torres-Amador assaulted another individual with a dangerous weapon in furtherance of MS-13 and in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase their status within, MS-13. They further allege that in August 2018, Lorenzo Amador assaulted another individual with a dangerous weapon in furtherance of MS-13 and in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase his status within, MS-13. The charges also allege that all defendants, except Amador-Torres, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
These charges follow initial charges filed via complaint in August 2018, after which most of the defendants were arrested on Aug. 30. As set forth in the complaint, MS-13 allegedly engaged in street level drug sales to fund the gang’s various criminal activities. The gang allegedly would acquire drugs, parse them out among members with a directive that they sell the drugs within a certain period of time and return all proceeds to the gang. Those proceeds would then allegedly be used for a variety of purposes, including funding trips to obtain drugs or commit acts of violence, putting money on the books of incarcerated MS-13 members, sending money to MS-13 members in El Salvador, and obtaining more narcotics to sell. Among the alleged assaults gang members engaged in were the May 2018 pipe attack in front of an elementary school in Mendota and an Aug. 12 stabbing in Mendota. Both alleged events involved MS-13 members assaulting individuals believed to be members of a rival gang to MS-13.
A number of the defendants are also facing charges in Fresno County Superior Court, including Denis Barrera-Palma and Ever Membreno, who are charged with conspiracy to commit murder with a gang enhancement.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). The CHP Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol that provides statewide enforcement to combat violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson, Angela Scott, Kathleen Servatius and Kimberly Sanchez of the Eastern District of California are prosecuting this and related cases. Senior Fresno County Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis is prosecuting related cases in Fresno County Superior Court.
All defendants, except Lorenzo Amador are in custody. Amador is at large and a warrant for his arrest is outstanding.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Thursday 13 September 2018
“Winter Hat” Robber Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Seven Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Harrison Lewis III, age 54, of Catonsville, Maryland, today to 11 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for six counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. A federal jury convicted Lewis of those charges on May 18, 2018. Lewis was dubbed the “winter hat” robber due to the hats he wore during the robberies as part of his disguise.
The sentence 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.
According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, Lewis committed bank robberies in Catonsville on December 28, 2016, January 5, 2017, January 6, 2017, January 11, 2017; a robbery and an attempted robbery on January 19, 2017 in Ellicott City; and a robbery on January 30, 2017 in Phoenix, Maryland. According to evidence presented at trial, Lewis entered each bank wearing a hat and sunglasses, approached the teller, passed the teller a note that demanded U.S. currency, and then fled the bank after the teller complied and handed over cash. The notes referenced an armed partner outside the bank, and instructed the tellers to not use any security measures such as alarms, dye packs, bait money, or tracking devices. Lewis also demanded the notes back from the tellers.
As to the January 19, 2017 attempted robbery, Lewis, entered a bank wearing a disguise, including a hat and sunglasses, passed a note, and then fled the bank after the teller told him that she could not read it. Minutes later, while wearing the same disguise, Lewis walked less than 100 yards down the street to another bank, again passed a note demanding money, and fled after the teller complied and handed over cash.
At his trial in May, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges relating to robberies that took place on December 31, 2016 in Sykesville and January 10, 2017 in Ellicott City.
In 2002, Lewis was convicted of federal bank robbery, and was sentenced to 150 months in prison on that charge. As part of his guilty plea in 2002, Lewis admitted to robbing 19 banks over the course of three months in 2001, using a demand note.
United States Attorney Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Budlow and Paul Riley, who prosecuted this case.
Wisconsin Man in State Custody Indicted for Hate Crime by Threatening Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, WisconsinRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that a federal grand jury in Wisconsin returned an indictment charging Chadwick Grubbs, 33, with obstruction and attempted obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs, by mailing threats on three separate dates in May to the Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay. In addition to three religious obstruction charges, the indictment also charges Grubbs with three counts of mailing threatening communications and one count of threatening to injure and destroy property by fire and an explosive.
The defendant is currently being held in state custody on separate cases.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI is leading the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Haanstad of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Kathryn Gilbert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting this case.
West Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Zaid Bader Jacob, 49, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between January and April 2015, Jacob used a computer to receive files depicting child pornography. Jacob was identified by law enforcement after they identified an IP address at Jacob’s residence that was making child pornography available over the internet via a peer-to-peer file sharing program.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
Jacob is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on November 29, 2018. Jacob faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Ventura Man Arrested on Federal Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former music teacher who contracted with a number of school districts in Southern California was arrested today pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment that alleges multiple crimes against children, including the production of child pornography.
John Edward Zeretzke, 60, of Ventura, was arrested late this morning without incident by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Zeretzke is expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
The five-count indictment alleges that Zeretzke coerced a female minor to produce child pornography, that he attempted to entice another victim to send him sexually explicit images, that he traveled to the Philippines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with other minor victims, and that he twice received child pornography over the internet.
None of the victims in this case are located in Southern California.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Zeretzke would face a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also would face mandatory minimum sentences for several of the offenses, including a mandatory 15-year prison for the offense of producing child pornography.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Rhoades, Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
U.S. Attorney’s Office indicts 9 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine in Calcasieu, Beauregard parishesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that nine defendants were indicted for distributing methamphetamine and cocaine in Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes.
Five defendants from Calcasieu Parish and four illegal aliens from Cuba were named in the 16-count indictment. They are:
Antonio Montero, 55, of Cuba;
Julio Elizagarate, 67, of Cuba;
Michael Miers, 56, of DeRidder, Louisiana;
Zet Elizagarate, 56, of Lake Charles;
Feliz Perez, 55, of Cuba;
Juan Gonzalez, 66, of Cuba;
Gary S. Byrd, 47, of Sulphur, Louisiana;
Lionel Peschier, 48, of Sulphur; and
Angie Perez, 47, of Sulphur.
According to the indictment, Montero, Julio Elizagarate, Miers, Zet Elizagarate, Gary Bryd, Lionel Peshier and Angie Perez conspired to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from June 7, 2017 to July 31, 2018. Montero, Elizagarate, Miers, Zet Elizagarate, Felix Perez and Juan Gonzalez conspired to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine from May 31, 2018 to July 31, 2018. The illegal activity took place in Calcasieu and Beauregard parishes. Julio and Zet Elizagarate are married. Angie Perez and Felix Perez are not related.
The defendants have been arrested except for Byrd, Peschier and Angie Perez. Charges include: Count 1 – conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Counts 2 and 4 to 9 – methamphetamine distribution; Count 3 – attempted distribution of methamphetamine; Counts 10 and 11 – possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Count 12 – conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine; and Counts 13 to 16 – possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The defendants face various possible penalties depending on the drug quantity involved, their roles in the conspiracy and their criminal history. On the drug conspiracy and distribution counts, some defendants face up to 20 years and one defendant faces up to 40 years in prison. The defendants also face up to life of supervised release. Additionally, the defendants face fines up to $5 million and forfeiture of property seized in the case.
COUNTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Antonio Montero * * * * * * Julio Elizagarate * * * * * * * * Michael Miers * * * * Zet Elizagarate * * Felix Perez * * Juan Gonzalez * * Gary Byrd * * Lionel Peschier * * * Angie Perez * *Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, Louisiana State Police, Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Combined Anti-Drug Task Force, Beauregard Sheriff’s Office, Lake Charles Police Department, Iowa Police Department and Deridder Police Department participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.s. Attorney, Jackson County Sheriff, and Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Announce Significant Operation on Gulf CoastRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – This week, federal, state and local law enforcement on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are executing numerous arrest warrants in and around Jackson County, including a number of individuals indicted and arrested on federal criminal charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell.
Over the last 13 months, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") has led a multi-agency investigation with the South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team and the Federal Bureau of investigation‘s Safe Street Task Force, focusing on career criminal offenders, armed narcotics traffickers, and documented gang members in and around Moss Point and Pascagoula. This investigation involved over thirty (30) controlled purchases of illegal firearms and/or narcotics, targeted follow-ups and interviews driven by and based upon intelligence and evidence gathered, and coordination prosecutors and officers to prioritize and marshal resources towards the worst criminal offenders in these communities.
This collaborative effort has resulted in the indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of 17 defendants on gun charges, half of whom have already pled guilty or have indicated they will be pleading guilty.
Ninety-seven (97) illegal firearms were purchased or seized in this initiative, including a firearm that had been stolen out of a marked police car. Twenty (20) of these illegal firearms were either reported stolen or had obliterated serial numbers.
"The arrests this week are the result of months of hard work by special agents, officers, and prosecutors to take violent criminals off our streets and put them in jail where they belong. Today’s announcement, coupled with the significant increase in the number of indictments throughout the Southern District Mississippi, should serve as warning to criminals on the Coast and throughout Mississippi – you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished for your crimes. You can expect to see a lot more of us in the coming months, as we expand our crime fighting efforts, help law-abiding citizens take back their communities and make the Coast safe again," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team is a partnership between the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of the cities of Moss Point, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, and Gautier, with the goal to eliminate illegal narcotics from Jackson
County by investigating complaints of illegal narcotics activity, arresting illegal narcotics offenders and aid in the criminal prosecution of these offenders.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force is a Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative and receives funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington, D.C. It is made up of special agents from the FBI and law enforcement officers from the Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier and Ocean Springs Police Departments, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol.
Two Louisiana Men Sentenced for Smuggling Live White-Tailed Deer into MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Edward L. Donaldson Jr., 75, and John Jared Oertling, 42, both residents of Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, were sentenced in Hattiesburg Tuesday on charges of conspiring to smuggle live white-tailed deer into Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
United States District Judge Keith Starrett sentenced Donaldson and Oertling each to three years of probation, a fine of $10,000, and a worldwide prohibition from hunting of any type for one year. Oertling was also sentenced to serve 6 months of house arrest under location monitoring. Judge Starrett further ordered that the 1,031 acre high-fenced enclosure, known as Turkey Trot, and owned by Donaldson’s daughter and Oertling’s wife, is to be quarantined by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks for 5 years and the white-tailed deer inside are to be subjected to testing for chronic wasting disease paid for by Donaldson and Oertling in the amount of $120,000.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago stated: "We take our mission working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the citizens of Mississippi in conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, considers the potential spread of disease caused by the illegal commercialization of wildlife resources a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our State partners to assist them in these important investigations."
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Darren J. LaMarca and Dave Fulcher.
Two Chicago Men Charged in a Federal Complaint in Connection with a Traffic StopRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Alfredo Quintero, 21, of Chicago, and Alonso Villalvazo, 22, Chicago, were charged in a federal criminal complaint regarding a traffic stop which resulted in the seizure of approximately 7.5 pounds of cocaine.
According to the affidavit of the complaint, on September 10, 2018, a DEA Task Force Officer stopped a grey Chevrolet pickup truck traveling eastbound on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri, for a traffic violation of failing to properly affix a valid and readily identifiable license plate to a vehicle. The driver, Alonso Villalvazo, and passenger, Alfredo Quintero, both gave completely different accounts of their travel to Chicago. Quintero gave the officer consent to search the vehicle for suspected illegal narcotics or large bulk currency. During the search, he disclosed to the officer that narcotics were inside the vehicle hidden in a void inside the front vehicle differential and showed the officer the location of the narcotics. After dismantling the front vehicle differential, seven individually wrapped bundles were recovered and investigators seized approximately 3,489 gross grams (7 ½ lbs.) of cocaine.
Quintero and Villalvazo were charged with one felony count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The United States Attorney requested that both be detained pending trial.
As is always the case, charges set forth in the complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Orwick is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Northern Ohio and Canton police detective among those being honored at Attorney General's Award ceremony next weekRead the Press Release
Two Assistant United States Attorneys who successfully prosecuted an international terrorism investigation and a Canton police detective who worked collaboratively to combat the opioid epidemic are among those being honored with Justice Department’s highest recognition Tuesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Shepherd and Michael Freeman will receive the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security. Canton Police Detective Michael Rastetter will receive the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions will honor efforts by people from inside and outside the Department of Justice in Washington on Tuesday at the 66th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice.
“These honorees are exceptional because they each thought outside the box to come up with new ways to tackle persistent law enforcement problems,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “AUSAs Shepherd and Freeman worked tirelessly along with agents and analysts to trace the flow of funds from the United States to halfway around the world, money that was to be used to fund terror attacks. Detective Rastetter leads an effort that creates new partnerships to address an epidemic that has caused so much pain and suffering in Ohio. They each represent the best of our community and further the mission of the Justice Department.”
Canton Police Lt. John Gabbard said: “The Stark Outreach Support team is effective because of Detective Rastetter and our community partners. Their dedication cannot be measured by the number of hours they work or homes they visit. The impact they have on individuals and families struggling with addiction can only be attributed to their compassion, patience and sense of duty. As part of this team, Detective Rastetter has improved lives in our community and that is the essence of our mission as a law enforcement agency.”
Shepherd and Freeman led a team of FBI agents and analysts from at least five different field offices in the investigation and prosecution of Yahya Farooq Mohammad, Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad, Asif Salim, and Sultane Salim.
These four men in 2009 provided more than $20,000 to Anwar Al Awlaki in Yemen, just four months before a member of Awlaki’s group attempted to detonate a bomb in his pants while flying on a plane over Detroit. Through the painstaking efforts of Shepherd, Freeman and the entire team, they were able to track down these payments and pursue these four defendants across the globe. Additionally, Yahya Mohammad would later plot to kill a federal judge assigned his case and arranged for payments to a would-be hitman for the murder of the judge.
All four defendants were ultimately convicted and the leader, Yahya Mohammad, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison.
Shepherd works in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland while Freeman works in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Toledo.
Rastetter was honored for his work on the Stark County Support initiative, which has led to a dramatic decrease in fatal overdoses, an increase in people being placed in drug treatment facilities and has been replicated throughout the region.
The Canton Police Department was grappling with the opioid epidemic in 2017 when it created the Stark Outreach Support initiative. Canton police put together a team consisting of a nurse, a social worker and a vice detective. The team created lists of all individuals who overdosed in the city and survived. Then the team visited each person offering services.
The police worked closely with local partners that provide drug rehab and recovery services, utilizing detox beds they made available for the effort. By the end of 2017, our non-fatal overdoses had decreased by 19 percent compared to 2016. Overdose deaths in Canton were reduced by over 55 percent compared to 2016. This came at a time when Ohio was experiencing a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths.
Troy Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Creating Child Pornography of Young Girl, TeenRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Shawn Whitaker, 32, of Troy, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison for creating child pornography of a five-year-old and a 15-year-old.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Troy Police Chief Charles Phelps announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, from at least November 2016 until March 2017, Whitaker engaged in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female. Whitaker recorded their intercourse on his iPhone and also took multiple sexually explicit photographs of the minor.
Law enforcement officials searched Whitaker’s electronic devices as part of the investigation into the conduct involving this victim and discovered additional child pornography.
Further investigation revealed that, in October 2016, Whitaker had also created child pornography of a five-year-old girl. Investigators discovered 21 pictures of the victim in various states of undress and multiple close-up images of the girl nude. Whitaker took these photographs at his residence in Troy and instructed the girl how to pose for these pictures.
Whitaker pleaded guilty in November 2017 to two counts of producing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Troy Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Toledo man indicted for using firearm to rob bank and steal carRead the Press Release
A Toledo man with a prior conviction for robbery was indicted for using a firearm to rob a bank and steal a car this summer, as well for escape.
Don Woodson Ellis, 28, was indicted on two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count each of carjacking, bank robbery, escape and being a felon in possession of firearm.
Keiva Johnson, 47, and Antoine Moore, 35, both of Toledo, were indicted on one count each of assisting escape.
Ellis on Aug. 13 used a fiream to carjack a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix and to rob the Fifth Third Bank at 3428 Glendale Ave. in Toledo. He was prohibited from having a firearm because of a conviction in 2012 for bank robbery, according to the indictment.
Ellis escaped from custody in the Lucas County Corrections Center on Aug. 15. He was assisted by Johnson and Moore, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Toledo Police Department and is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Texas men plead guilty to trafficking 10 kilograms of fentanylRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that two Texas men pleaded guilty to trafficking more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl through Louisiana.
Felipe Rodriguez, 22, of McAllen, Texas, and Brandon Montoya, 24, of Kaufman, Texas, pleaded guilty before Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the guilty plea, a Louisiana State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop May 10, 2018 on an SUV on Interstate-20 at mile marker 31 going eastbound. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag containing an unknown substance. The vehicle was brought to Louisiana State Police Troop G headquarters. Upon a more thorough search, 10 plastic 1-kilogram bags containing fentanyl were found. The defendants admitted to transporting the drugs. They said they had been approached in Houston to travel to California to obtain the drugs. They were then instructed to drive to Atlanta, Georgia, where they would be paid for the delivery.
“Fentanyl kills, and drug dealers are selling this highly addictive drug at a growing rate,” Joseph stated. “The Department of Justice in collaboration with state and local law enforcement are fighting daily to limit the availability and spread of this deadly drug. This case alone involved enough fentanyl to kill everybody in the state of Louisiana. Through education of our youth and vigorous prosecution of those who traffic in synthetic opioids, my office is making the fight against this epidemic a top priority.”
“Fentanyl is the greatest and the most significant synthetic opioid threat to the United States, including here in Louisiana, where as little as 2 milligrams is a lethal dose,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam “The seizure in this investigation, which was 10 kilograms, saved countless lives – there was enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people. These convictions should send a message to all drug traffickers that DEA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who ruthlessly traffic this and other dangerous drugs.”
The defendants face up to 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set sentencing for January 31, 2019.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. In recent years it has become more widely available in the United States and grown as a threat to public safety. It only takes a very small amount of fentanyl or its derivatives- which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin or mucus membranes (such as being inhaled through the nose or mouth)- to result in severe adverse reactions including death. For more information about fentanyl, visit www.dea.gov/druginfo/fentanyl.
The DEA, Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields is prosecuting the case.
Tarrant County Man Guilty in East Texas Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A 58-year-old Fort Worth, Texas man has been found guilty of federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Wayne Alan Watson was found guilty of three counts of armed bank robbery today by a jury following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, Watson robbed three credit unions in the Eastern District of Texas: the City Credit Union located in Gainesville, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2017; the Altra Federal Credit Union located in Tyler, Texas, on Dec. 1, 2017; and the Texoma Educators Federal Credit Union in Denison, Texas, on Dec. 19, 2017. In each of the robberies, Watson displayed a gun and by force, violence, and intimidation robbed employees of the credit unions of currency. Additional robberies linked to Watson in Austin, Texas, and Wichita Falls, Texas, which occurred in January of 2018, led to his identification as the serial robber. A search warrant was executed at Watson’s residence in Fort Worth on Feb. 13, 2018, where the vehicle used in two of the robberies, a 2015 red Volkswagen Jetta, was located, in addition to several articles of clothing Watson wore in each of the robberies. Watson was indicted by a federal grand jury on Mar. 14, 2018 and charged in the Eastern District of Texas with federal violations.
Under federal statutes, Watson faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each charge 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers Division, Gainesville Police Department, Tyler Police Department, Denison Police Department, Austin Police Department, and the Wichita Falls Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lesley Davis Brooks and Maureen Smith.
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Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Jamelah Y. Martinez (23, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in 2016 and 2017, while working for Suncoast Credit Union, Martinez used her access to Suncoast customer accounts to steal account information. She then sold the information to a co-conspirator. Martinez’s co-conspirators used the stolen account information to fraudulently takeover the bank accounts. The conspirators deposited fraudulent checks into the victim accounts and then immediately transferred the fraudulently obtained funds to other co-conspirators, who maintained accounts at Suncoast. Once the fraudulent funds were received into the co-conspirators’ accounts, they were extracted via ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions. The co-conspirators shared in the proceeds.
The loss to Suncoast related to Martinez’s involvement in this scheme was $115,487.75. The investigation into Martinez’s co-conspirators is ongoing. One co-conspirator, Devin Williams, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel and Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Statement by Attorney General Sessions on the Election Security Executive OrderRead the Press Release
Attorney General Sessions today issued the following statement on the Election Security Executive Order:
“The American people will not tolerate attempts to undermine the integrity of our electoral process—especially by foreign countries and other bad actors. President Trump is committed to taking definitive action to prevent anyone—foreign or domestic—from illegally interfering in our elections, and the Department of Justice is proud to support him in this mission.
“Pursuant to the President’s executive order, the Department will work with our partners at the State Department, Treasury Department, and Department of Homeland Security, in order to identify enemies of our country who put our electoral integrity at risk. Once we do, we will take action to bring them to justice.
“I applaud President Trump’s leadership on this issue, and I want to echo the clear message he has sent today: we will not accept attacks on our free elections and we will do whatever it takes to protect them. This is what the American people demand, and this is what they deserve.”
St. Lucia Alien Sentenced for Improper Entry by an AlienRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Isidore Isidore, 61, of St. Lucia, was sentenced today for Improper Entry by an Alien, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller sentenced Isidore to 4.5 months’ imprisonment. Judge Miller ordered Isidore to pay a $10 special assessment. An immigration detainer was placed on Isidore, and his prior order of removal will be reinstated. Isidore will be taken into custody of the Department of Homeland Security and removed to St. Lucia.
According to court documents, Customs and Border Protection agents encountered Isidore on a private vessel in St. John on April 28, 2018. On August 20, 2018, Isidore pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien. Court documents showed that Isidore had been removed from the United States and was ordered not to reenter the United States without permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Isidore improperly entered the United States by failing to appear at a designated port of entry and failing to have permission to enter the United States.
The case was investigated by Home Land Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David White.
St. Croix Man Sentenced for Possession of 9 mm Handgun with Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Dale Ritter, 53, of St. Croix, was sentenced on September 13, 2018, in District Count on one federal count of Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number, and one local count of Illegal Use of Utility Equipment, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis sentenced Ritter to a prison sentence of twelve months and one day, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and imposed a $100 special assessment on the Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number count. Additionally, Ritter was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine on the Illegal Use of Utility Equipment count.
Ritter previously pled guilty to the charges on March 23, 2018.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Ritter’s residence in Frederiksted, St. Croix. During the execution of this search warrant, DEA agents located a Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number. This firearm was determined to be operable and had been shipped in interstate commerce. Additionally, agents located unauthorized electric wires running from a pole owned by WAPA that provided electricity to Ritter’s residence and a marijuana grow room.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Task Force Officers with the Virgin Islands Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
Southwest Honkeys Gang Member Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Southwest Honkeys gang member was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for operating a methamphetamine conspiracy from his prison cell.
Nathaniel R. Eisenhour, 30, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole. Eisenhour was sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Dec. 15, 2016, to April 20, 2017. Eisenhour was incarcerated in the custody of either the Greene County jail or the Missouri Department of Corrections for almost the entire period of the conspiracy.
Eisenhour, a member of the Southwest Honkeys prison gang, admitted that he communicated with associates while he was incarcerated to sell methamphetamine and to collect money for past drug debts.
Eisenhour was arrested on Dec. 21, 2015, on an outstanding parole violation warrant. Eisenhour, while incarcerated, instructed one of his associates to take the money from drug sales to a family member. On Jan. 30, 2017, federal agents seized $31,800 from the family member who was holding the money for Eisenhour. In a jail call, Eisenhour had previously authorized another family member to obtain $200 from that same stash. The total of $32,000, including the seized amount and the $200 that was removed before the seizure, represented approximately 2.2 kilograms in methamphetamine sales, based on the price Eisenhour discussed with one of the associates who distributed for him after his arrest.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sixteen Indicted in Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – United States Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that 16 individuals are facing federal drug conspiracy charges for their involvement in a drug distribution ring. A federal criminal indictment was filed on August 23, 2018, and was unsealed today in federal court.
“The 16 individuals charged in the criminal indictment are alleged to have been part of a drug ring that distributed methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in Western North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate drug traffickers and dismantle drug networks that feed the deadly cycle of drug abuse, and jeopardize the safety and stability of our communities.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said, “All participating agencies played a crucial role in the eradication of this poly-drug distribution network. Their methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana trafficking activities posed a threat to the quality of life in Western North Carolina. The dismantling of this organization makes the affected areas a safer place today. DEA thanks its federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who had a direct impact in making this investigation a success.”
“ATF is proud to have been a part of a collaborative effort with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners. Today’s federal charges will dissolve this drug network, which will have a positive impact on the level of gun violence, violent crime and drug activity in the area,” said Wayne Dixie, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Charlotte Field Division.
According to allegations contained in the criminal indictment, from 2014 until August 2018, the defendants operated as a drug conspiracy responsible for trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in Western North Carolina, centered in and around Catawba County. The conspiracy extended well beyond North Carolina to Georgia, Texas, California, Illinois, Mexico and elsewhere, and involved the trafficking of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics. The 16 defendants named in the indictment are all charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the defendants face additional offenses related to drug trafficking. Those named in the indictment are:
- Juan E. Villarreal, 28, of Hickory, N.C.
- Jesus Bedolla, 25, of Sweetwater, Tennessee
- Tommy Warren Boyett, 33, of New London, N.C.
- Joey Antoine Carroll, 32, of Lincolnton, N.C.
- Ricardo Cervantes-Sanchez, 39, of Hickory, N.C.
- Ivan Garcia-Arcos, 34, of Newton, N.C.
- Clayton Ismael Rivera-Trejo, 22, of Hickory, N.C.
- David Charles McIntosh, 37, of Conover, N.C.
- Manuel Bernarno Martinez, Jr., 33, of Alamo, Texas
- Ricky Joe Moses, 39, of Conover, N.C.
- Cindy Santillan, 25, of Taylorsville, N.C.
- Daniel Santillan, 36, of Hickory, N.C.
- Martin Vidal Santillan, 53, of Hickory, N.C.
- Rogelio Vidal Santillan, 51, of Hickory, N.C.
- Juan Manuel Villagomez, 29, of Hickory, N.C.
- Raymundo Villarreal, 21, of Newton, N.C.
McIntosh, Carroll, Juan Villarreal and Raymundo Villarreal are also charged with separate counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Juan Villarreal and Raymundo Villlarreal face additional charges of attempt to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Each defendant in the indictment is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of up to life in prison and a monetary fine of up to $10 million.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Secret Service; the United States Probation Office; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office; the Hickory Police Department; the Newton Police Department; the Lincolnton Police Department; the Maiden Police Department; and the Cornelius Police Department. U.S. Attorney Murray also thanked the DEA’s offices in McAllen, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Knoxville Tennessee, and the 9th Judicial Drug Task Force in Tennessee for their assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Sioux Center Man Sentenced to Prison for Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
The coach of a boys’ basketball team who secretly made videos of boys on the team showering, was sentenced on September 12, 2018, to 15 years in federal prison.
Curtis Van Dam, age 36, from Sioux Center, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 11, 2018, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
In a plea agreement, Van Dam admitted that between November of 2013 and October of 2017, in the Northern District of Iowa, he used minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, using cameras, cell phones, SD cards, and an Apple MacBook A1181 Laptop personal computer.
Van Dam was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Van Dam was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 7-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Van Dam was ordered to pay two special assessments of $100 and $5000. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan stated, “This case demonstrates our office’s continuing resolve to keep our children safe from sexual exploitation. We commend the fine work of the Sioux Center Police Department in this matter, and reiterate our commitment to working with our state and local partners to fight child exploitation in our communities.”
Van Dam 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 Timothy T. Duax and investigated by the Sioux Center Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 18-CR-04005.
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Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Engaging in Prostitution with MinorsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for engaging in numerous paid sexual acts with underage girls, along with restitution of approximately $240,000 to be paid into a trust fund for the victims and a $100,000 fine.
WILLIAM WHITLEY paid four minors to engage in sex acts with him on multiple occasions from 2012 to 2016. Three of the victims were runaways at the time they encountered Whitley. Two of his victims were 14 years old when Whitley first took advantage of them. At the time of the criminal conduct, Whitley was employed as an officer with the Chicago Police Department.
Whitley, 62, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall imposed the sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Substantial assistance was provided by the Carol Stream Police Department, Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“Defendant engaged in the sexual exploitation of children, which is one of the most heinous crimes one can commit,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Elizabeth Pozolo and Michelle Petersen argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant victimized young runaways and caused his victims irreparable harm and trauma by causing them to engage in commercial sex on numerous occasions.”
The investigation revealed that Whitley took nude photographs of some of his victims, and he provided some of them with marijuana to smoke. Whitley also openly displayed his status as a Chicago police officer during his sex trafficking conduct. He was in a police car and wearing his police uniform when he first met one of his victims. Two of his victims reported that Whitley often kept a loaded handgun under the pillow of his bed, where the sex acts took place.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sacramento Woman Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Denna Chambers, aka Denna Rice, 36, of Sacramento, formerly of Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and one month in prison for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, between approximately January 2011 and June 2013, Chambers and co-defendant Starsheka Mixon, 35, of Pinole, conspired together and with others to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false tax returns in the names of other people with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns included false statements about the taxpayers’ income, dependents, and occupations in order to obtain refunds and tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. Some of the fraudulent tax returns used the name and personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent.
The fraudulently obtained refunds were typically placed on prepaid debit cards controlled by Chambers, Mixon, or their associates. In their respective plea agreements in February 2018, Chambers and Mixon both admitted that in all, approximately 174 false federal income tax returns were filed seeking over $880,000 in tax refunds, of which approximately $477,348 was paid out by the IRS.
Judge England also ordered Chambers to serve two years of supervised release. She was ordered to self-surrender on November 29, 2018, to begin serving her sentence. Co-defendant Mixon was previously sentenced on August 9, 2018, to three years and one month in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger prosecuted the case.
For 2018, the IRS, the states, and the private-sector tax industry are working together to identify and apply safeguards to better protect taxpayers and fight identity theft. You can find identity theft prevention and detection tips as well as victim assistance at: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Advertising Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark A. Richards, 49, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 17 years and six months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for advertising child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, in January 2018, Richards made child pornography available over a peer-to-peer file sharing network and provided passwords to undercover officers who asked him for access to his files. On two occasions, January 7, 2018, and January 11, 2018, those undercover officers in locations outside California obtained child pornography from Richards.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Morris prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Rumford Man Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud and Theft of Public MoneyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Raymond J. Brenneis, 59, of Rumford, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to Social Security fraud and theft of public money.
According to court records, since 1995, Brenneis has received Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) benefits which are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled, or elderly. Between 2015 and 2017, Brenneis also received Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (“SNAP”) and Maine State SSI Supplement benefits. Brenneis told the federal and state programs administering the benefit programs that he was living alone and not receiving help or money from any other person. In fact, from 2011 to 2017, Brenneis lived with his wife whose receipt of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits rendered him ineligible for benefits he received. Brenneis told investigators that he concealed his actual living arrangements because he knew his wife’s benefits would make him ineligible to receive the benefits.
Brenneis faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for Social Security fraud, and up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for theft of public money. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Maine Department of Health & Human Service’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit.
Roger Dale Williams Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Phony Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- On September 13, 2018, the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Judge, sentenced Roger Dale Williams, 52, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, to serve 63 months in prison for conducting a scheme to defraud investors and obstructing the administration of federal tax laws. Williams was also ordered to pay $1,373,361.96 in restitution to victims that lost money as a result of the scheme.
Williams pleaded guilty in May 2018 to federal mail fraud and tax charges stemming from his scheme to defraud victims who believed that they were investing money in an “investment club” and, later, in church bonds. He began offering bogus investment opportunities in 2001 as part of membership in an “investment club,” which included opportunities to invest in stock purchases, business start-ups, and bonds. Many of his victims were elderly. In order to perpetuate the scheme, he also provided victims with false IRS forms pertaining to their purported investments.
More recently, Williams extended his fraud scheme to members of the King Branch Road Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he had become a pastor. He solicited funds for the purchase of purported church bonds and claimed the funds would be used for the benefit of the church, particularly to pay off the church’s debt. However, Williams diverted the funds raised for the fake church bonds to his own personal use and benefit, as well as used the funds to make payments to investment club members to make it appear that their “investments” were generating income. Williams also convinced several victims to transfer their Individual Retirement Accounts into bogus investments under his control, and then siphoned off the funds for his own use and benefit, including paying household bills, vehicle payments and taking trips.
“Protecting seniors is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Victimization of our elderly citizens, by either abuse or financial exploitation, will not be tolerated and we will continue to prosecute vigorously anyone who commits these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.
“For nearly 15 years, Roger Williams used every opportunity, including his position as a pastor, to victimize others for his personal gain. He preyed on the elderly and vulnerable, and obstructed the IRS in order to further his scheme. Justice was served today, as Williams has been held accountable for his actions,” said IRS, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line. “We will continue to pursue those who defraud American taxpayers.”
“Unfortunately, these Ponzi schemes, driven by greed, are commonplace,” said David McGinnis, Inspector in Charge for the Charlotte Division. “Investors must not simply rely upon a reputation or relationship when entrusting their funds to others. They should verify the qualifications of those to whom they consider entrusting their funds, especially if there are claims of guaranteed returns or that the investments will outperform the market.”
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Morris represented the United States.
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Rochester Man Convicted Following A Jury Trial of Possessing A Shotgun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER MAN CONVICTED FOLLOWING A JURY TRIAL
OF POSSESSING A SHOTGUN AND AMMUNITIONROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal jury has convicted Quincey Frye, 27, of Rochester, NY, of being a felon in possession of a shotgun and ammunition. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on March 26, 2016, members from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision apprehended Frye at 270 Weyl Street in Rochester, after he absconded from parole supervision in early February. While looking for the defendant inside the residence, officers found a shotgun with an ammunition carrying case attached. The ammunition carrier contained four live shotgun shells. Officers found Frye hiding in the attic and arrested him. Evidence presented during the trial showed that after officers took Frye to booking at the Monroe County Jail, he placed a telephone call to his girlfriend. During that telephone call, which was recorded, the defendant accused his girlfriend of telling law enforcement officers about the shotgun and then said he wanted it returned.
At the time, Frye was under the supervision of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision following a 2012 conviction and serving a prison sentence for Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree.
The trial verdict is the result of an investigation by New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. who presided over the trial of the case.
# # # #Retired Prison Guard and School Bus Driver Sentenced to 12 Years for Attempting to Travel to Canada to Engage in Sex with MinorsRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN - Michael Keith Feighner, 64, of Rudyard, Michigan, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney ordered Feighner to serve eight years of supervised release upon the completion of his sentence. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
On June 28, 2018, Feighner pled guilty to a charge of attempting to travel to a foreign country for the purpose of having sexual relations with a minor. This investigation began when an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent, operating from a list of customers who were frequenting child pornography websites and trading child pornography, contacted Feighner. Believing that he was communicating with the father of three underage children, Feighner arranged for a meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the children. On the agreed date, Feighner traveled from Rudyard and was intercepted and arrested at the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Feighner is a retired state corrections officer who was employed at the MDOC prison in Kincheloe, Michigan. He later worked as a school bus driver for the Rudyard Area Schools from 2013 through 2017.
The investigation was conducted by special agents of HSI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner.
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Recent Prosecutions of Firearm Offenses in Sacramento AreaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.
Kenneth Bryant, 27, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to dealing firearms without a license and illegally possessing a machine gun. According to court documents, Bryant met with an undercover agent and two confidential sources on 17 occasions between September 12, 2017, and December 8, 2017, and sold them a variety of firearms, including a fully automatic machine gun, several AR-15-type rifles and pistol, and handguns. In all, Bryant sold investigators 46 firearms, many of which lacked a serial number or other identifying markings. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on January 3, 2019.
Christopher Alexander Kemp, 29, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr., to seven years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. In April 2018, Kemp pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon.
These two cases are the product of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with special assistance from the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office’s Gangs, Hate Crimes, and Narcotics unit.
John Allan Trotter, 36, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, Trotter was arrested after leading Sacramento County Sheriff’s detectives on a high speed chase. Trotter crashed his car and ran from law enforcement officers before being apprehended. Trotter had a loaded gun, methamphetamine, and a scale in his car at the time of the crash. Trotter is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on January 10, 2019. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Quinn Hochhalter is prosecuting the case.
Christopher Dyer, 34, of Rancho Cordova, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a gun. According to court documents, on May 3, 2018, sheriff’s deputies pulled alongside a pickup truck in which Christopher Dyer was the passenger. As soon as Dyer saw the deputies, he took a handgun from his lap and placed it in the back seat. The deputies recovered a Glock 23 handgun with seven live rounds in the magazine during a subsequent search. A records check revealed that the gun was stolen. Dyer is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Dyer is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on December 13, 2018. This case is the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rancho Cordova Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Spencer is prosecuting the case.
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Dustin Joseph Albini, 35, of West Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In May of this year, Albini was charged in a separate indictment (2:18-cr-101 JAM) with assaulting a Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officer who was in the course of performing his official duties on July 8, 2015, in Modoc County. That case is pending. The current indictment charges Albini with possessing two firearms, a loaded .45-caliber Colt MK IV handgun and a loaded .40-caliber Glock 27 handgun. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Ferrari and Matthew Thuesen are prosecuting the case.
The charges against Albini are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm or for illegal possession of a machine gun is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for dealing firearms without a license is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense is a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Real Estate Broker Sentenced to Prison for Role in Defrauding Banks in $3.5 Million ‘Shotgun’ Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York real estate broker and a Bergen County, New Jersey, homeowner were sentenced today for their respective roles in a $3.5 million scheme to use false information and simultaneous loan applications at multiple banks to fraudulently obtain home equity lines of credit, a practice known as “shotgunning,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Michael Arroyo, 60, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Rafael Popoteur, 67, of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, including one year of house arrest. He previously pleaded guilty before Judge Vazquez to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 2012 through January 2014, Arroyo and others conspired to fraudulently obtain multiple home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) from banks on residential properties in New Jersey and New York, including a residential property on Havermeyer Avenue in the Bronx. In 2013, Arroyo and others transferred ownership of the property to an individual living at the property and his family friend.
Arroyo and others then applied, in the family friend’s name, for two HELOCs from two banks using the Havermeyer Avenue property as collateral. They hid from the lenders the fact that the property was either already subject to senior liens that had not yet been recorded, or that the same property was offered as collateral for a line of credit from another lender. The applications also falsely inflated the family friend’s income without his knowledge. In addition, the equity in the property was far less than the amount of the HELOC loans that Arroyo and others applied for.
The victim banks eventually issued loans to the family friend in excess of $500,000. After the victim banks deposited money into the family friend’s bank accounts, portions of the funds were disbursed to Arroyo and others. Eventually, the family friend defaulted on the two HELOC loans.
Popoteur was a client of Arroyo and another broker. From 2012 through January 2014, Popoteur and the two real estate brokers, and others, conspired to fraudulently obtain multiple HELOCs from banks on a residential property in New Jersey. To get the banks to extend lines of credit they would not have otherwise approved, Popoteur and the real estate brokers executed a quitclaim deed to transfer ownership of a Ridgefield Park, New Jersey property to Popoteur, who also lived at the property.
Popoteur and the real estate brokers then applied for three HELOCs from multiple banks using the Ridgefield Park, New Jersey property as collateral. As the conspirators had done previously, they hid from the lenders the fact that the properties offered as collateral were either already subject to senior liens that had not yet been recorded, or that the same property was offered as collateral for a line of credit from another lender. The applications also contained false information concerning Popoteur’s income, which was stated to be higher than his actual income. At the time the applications were made, the value of the Ridgefield Park, New Jersey property that was unencumbered by a mortgage was far less than the amount of the HELOC loans Popoteur and the others applied for.
The victim banks eventually issued loans to Popoteur in excess of $495,000. After the victim banks funded the HELOCs and deposited money into Popoteur’s bank accounts, Popoteur disbursed portions of it to the real estate brokers and others. In 2014, Popoteur defaulted on all three HELOC loans.
The overall scheme resulted in $3.5 million in losses to the victim banks.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Arroyo five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Steven Perez in Newark, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin DiGregory of the FHFA, Office of the Inspector General.
Previously Deported Illegal Alien Who Went on a Philadelphia Crime Spree Sentenced Today for Illegal Re-entry after DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that Franklin Renan Euceda, 29, a Honduran citizen, was sentenced today to 21 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation.
Euceda was originally deported from the United States in 2009. Euceda re-entered the country illegally very soon afterward, according to an aunt who testified at his sentencing hearing.
Beginning in May 2016, Euceda went on a crime spree that culminated in charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. First, on May 10, 2016, Philadelphia police arrested Euceda on charges of selling and delivering cocaine; he was released on bail. Later that same month, on May 27, 2016, Philadelphia police arrested him again, this time for possessing crack cocaine with intent to deliver. Again, Euceda was released on bail. Then, on October 29, 2016, he was arrested a third time, this time on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. According to the police report, Euceda and another man got into a heated argument with a security guard at a night club. After the argument, Euceda and his co-conspirator got into a car, and as Euceda drove toward the club, his co-conspirator rolled down the window and opened fire at the security guard.
Euceda eventually pleaded guilty in both drug cases and to the attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Additionally, he was charged by federal indictment in May 2017 with one count of illegal reentry after deportation. He is currently serving a state sentence of 11½ - 23 months’ imprisonment.
“The chronology of events that took place in this case tells an all too familiar story,” explained U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Euceda, a previously deported illegal alien, returned to the United States illegally and engaged in a slew of serious crimes, enabled by an arrest-and-release cycle that occurred at the local level. His pattern of lawlessness speaks for itself: he flouted the immigration laws; he sold cocaine; he possessed crack cocaine with an intent to sell it; and he conspired to commit murder and attempted to commit murder. These crimes never should have occurred because Euceda had no right to be in the country in the first place. The sentence today ensures that Euceda is punished to the fullest extent of the laws he chose to ignore.”
U.S. Attorney McSwain continued, “The sentence also confirms that this Office will continue to hold every person accountable who violates federal law – no matter who you are or where you come from. That is the essence of the rule of law. Any other approach simply encourages a culture of lawlessness that jeopardizes the safety of our community and makes a mockery of the law.”
“ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens like Mr. Euceda,” said Simona L. Flores, field office director for the Philadelphia Field Office. “ERO Philadelphia will continue safeguarding the security of our nation by diligently pursuing criminal prosecution and the removal of criminal aliens.”
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ICE”), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.
Panama Woman Sentenced to 168 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Deana Marie Oakes, age 35, of Panama, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. The charge arose from an investigation by the Panama City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on or about August 8, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Small towns and large cities all across the country experience the tragic consequences of methamphetamine addiction on people, families, and communities. Drug dealers profit from the tragedy while the rest of society pays the price,” United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said. “This joint investigation has stopped a major drug “outlet” in rural communities in Eastern Oklahoma and has likely prevented the delivery of thousands of dosage units.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
Oklahoma Man Charged with Large-Scale Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Manuel Escarcega, age 30, of Oklahoma, was indicted on September 11, 2018, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Escarcega with conspiracy to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine between November 2016 and February 2017, and possession with intent to distribute in excess of five kilograms of cocaine between on February 8, 2017, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is 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.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Officer Illegally Arrested Citizen After the Citizen Attempted to File Complaints Against HimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Dukes, Jr., a former sergeant with the Providence, Kentucky, Police Department, was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison abd three years' supervised release for willfully depriving a Kentucky citizen of his constitutional rights under color of law, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman for the Western District of Kentucky.
The jury found that Dukes willfully violated the Constitution by arresting the victim, while knowing that he did not have probable cause to believe that the victim had committed any crime. The evidence presented at trial established that after the victim called the authorities seeking to file a complaint about an earlier interaction with Dukes, he wrongfully arrested the victim.
The jury heard evidence presented in court that when the victim called the Providence Police Department to complain about Dukes, Dukes responded by threatening to arrest him if he called back again. Still determined to file a complaint, the victim then called the local sheriff’s office and the Kentucky State Police. When Dukes became aware of these additional calls, he drove to the victim’s home in the middle of the night, without a warrant, to arrest him.
Upon arriving at the victim’s home after 1 a.m., Dukes attempted to arrest the victim based solely on the phone calls he had made complaining about Dukes. When the victim insisted he had done nothing wrong and retreated into his home, Dukes entered the victim’s home without a warrant. Dukes then tased the victim, sprayed him in the face with pepper spray, struck him repeatedly with a police baton, and punched him in the face, breaking the victim’s nose. Next, Dukes handcuffed the victim and charged him with four crimes, including a charge of property damage because blood from the victim’s broken nose got onto Dukes’s police uniform.
The jury convicted Dukes of willfully violating the victim’s constitutional rights, and found that the offense involved the use of a dangerous weapon or resulted in bodily injury.
“Police officers have a duty to protect the rights of members of their communities and safeguard them from harm or injury,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “Dukes abused his authority as a law enforcement officer by illegally arresting his victim and also by inflicting unwarranted physical harm, and the Justice Department held him responsible.”
“Kentucky lawmen and women are among the finest in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman “But when they cross a clear line, as did Mr. Dukes, they will be held accountable like any other citizen of our Commonwealth.”
This case was investigated by the Louisville Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Hancock of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Zachary Dembo of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division.
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North Dartmouth Woman and Weymouth Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A North Dartmouth woman and a Weymouth man were indicted yesterday and charged in connection with drug trafficking activities involving shipments of multiple kilograms of cocaine sent through the mail.
Cristina Lopez, 43, of North Dartmouth, and John Tavares, 31, of Weymouth, were indicted on charges of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Lopez and Tavares were arrested on Aug. 18, 2018, and have been detained since that time.
According to court records, more than 40 suspicious parcels were identified that had been sent via the United States mail from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Massachusetts, including residences in Quincy, North Dartmouth, Weymouth, and New Bedford. The suspicious parcels were often sent on the same day from Puerto Rico to two or more different addresses in Massachusetts. Agents executed search warrants on two of the parcels and allegedly seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine hidden in sealed coffee cans. Through surveillance, agents allegedly determined that Lopez and Tavares were receiving the majority of the parcels. It is further alleged that Lopez and Tavares had regularly been flying from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico for trips lasting only 30 to 72 hours, and that the parcels suspected of containing cocaine were then typically sent to Massachusetts within one to three days after their return.
At an earlier court hearing, an agent testified that multiple search warrants were executed on Aug. 18, 2018, including at three different residences in Weymouth, North Dartmouth, and Boston. During those searches, agents seized more than three kilograms of cocaine, more than $100,000, two firearms, and various drug paraphernalia.
The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a lifetime in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Raymond D. Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement today. Investigative assistance was provided by the Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, North Dartmouth and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Nadine Pellegrini of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident, who is also licensed as an attorney in Georgia, was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, between January and May 2015, Shannon DeWayne Patterson co-owned and operated tax preparation businesses named “Fast Tax” in the cities of Winston-Salem, Salisbury and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Patterson instructed his employees to fabricate information on the tax returns they prepared, in an effort to increase the refunds paid to their clients. Because of his actions, more than $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds were sought from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Patterson also filed false personal tax returns for 2014 and 2015, on which he underreported his income.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Patterson was sentenced to one year of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $60,800 to the IRS.
Two of Patterson’s Winston-Salem employees, Kristyn Dion Daney and Rakeem Scales, pleaded guilty in April to preparing a false tax return for an IRS undercover agent and are awaiting sentencing. Patterson’s co-owner in Fast Tax, Claudia Shivers, has also pleaded guilty to conspiring with Patterson and is awaiting sentencing.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and former Tax Division Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident, who is also licensed as an attorney in Georgia, was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, between January and May 2015, Shannon DeWayne Patterson co-owned and operated tax preparation businesses named “Fast Tax” in the cities of Winston-Salem, Salisbury and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Patterson instructed his employees to fabricate information on the tax returns they prepared, in an effort to increase the refunds paid to their clients. Because of his actions, more than $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds were sought from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Patterson also filed false personal tax returns for 2014 and 2015, on which he underreported his income.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Patterson was sentenced to one year of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $60,800 to the IRS.
Two of Patterson’s Winston-Salem employees, Kristyn Dion Daney and Rakeem Scales, pleaded guilty in April to preparing a false tax return for an IRS undercover agent and are awaiting sentencing. Patterson’s co-owner in Fast Tax, Claudia Shivers, has also pleaded guilty to conspiring with Patterson and is awaiting sentencing.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and former Tax Division Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
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Nigerian National Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Phishing Scheme That Victimized School EmployeesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL ADEKUNLE OJO, 34, a citizen of Nigeria last residing in Durham, N.C., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 32 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a scheme to obtain the personal identifying information of school employees in Connecticut and elsewhere, and to file false tax returns in the names of those identity theft victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2017, an employee of the Glastonbury Public Schools received an email that appeared to be sent by another Glastonbury school system employee. The email contained a request to send W-2 tax information for all employees of the school system. The recipient of the email responded by sending copies of the W-2 information for approximately 1,600 Glastonbury Public Schools employees. After the W-2 information was emailed, approximately 122 suspicious Forms 1040 were filed electronically with the IRS in the names of victims of the Glastonbury phishing scheme. The 122 tax returns claimed tax refunds totaling $596,897. Approximately six of the returns were processed, and $36,926 in fraudulently-obtained funds were electronically deposited into various bank accounts.
OJO controlled or used an aol.com email account and a gmail.com email account involved in this phishing scheme. A search of OJO’s gmail account revealed emails implicating him in the scheme. One email contained six W-2 forms of employees of Glastonbury Public Schools, and the employees’ personal identifying information.
This ongoing investigation by special agents from the FBI’s cybercrime squad in New Haven and the IRS includes phishing incidents that victimized the Groton Public Schools, and the Bloomington Independent School District in Bloomington, Minnesota.
OJO has been detained since his arrest on August 3, 2017. OJO had entered the U.S. on a visitor’s visa in May 23, 2016, and failed to depart on his scheduled departure date of June 8, 2016.
On June 21, 2018, OJO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Judge Meyer ordered OJO to pay $36,926 in restitution to the IRS.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Durham (N.C.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.