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Monday 10 September 2018
Florida Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years for Attempting to Entice A Minor for SexRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Thomas Dean Peron (30, Sanford) to 17 years and 5 months in federal prison. Peron pleaded guilty on June 25, 2018.
According to court documents, between February 21 and February 22, 2018, Peron communicated with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as the father of a nine-year-old child. During those communications, Peron made plans to meet and have sex with the “child.” When Peron arrived to meet the “child,” he was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro J. Salicrup.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Grand Jury Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.—United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the September 2018 Federal Grand Jury.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in an indictment returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Julian Christian Alexander and Hannah Jane Shepherd. Drug Conspiracy; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. Alexander, 26, and Shepherd, 27, both of Broken Arrow, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. If convicted, they face a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for each charge. The Broken Arrow Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.
Christopher Lee Andersen. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Anderson, 36, of Vinita, is charged with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Adam Gallardo Arredondo. Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals; False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters. Arredondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, is charged with soliciting and receiving checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient, and are not FDA approved. He is also charged with giving false statements in connection with a health care scheme. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for the illegal remuneration for health care referrals charge, and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false statements relating to health care matters charge. The United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.
Richard C. Cole. Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device. Cole, 35, formerly of Afton, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.
Aaron John Culkins. Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute; Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Culkins, 42, of Tulsa, is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and with being a felon in possession of ammunition, which exceeded 300 rounds of varying ammunition. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession of heroin with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of ammunition charge. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.
Juan Herrera. Reentry of Removed Alien. Herrerra, 42, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on February 3, 2015 from El Paso, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Zachary Wayne Newberry. Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Newberry, 24, of Claremore, is charged with inducing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.
Christopher Douglas Parrish. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Parrish is charged with being a felon possession of a Lorcin, Model L380, .380 caliber pistol and .380 caliber ammunition. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.
Ramiro Ramirez-Onate. Reentry of Removed Alien. Ramirez-Onate, 35, of Owasso, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on January 15, 2016, from Hidalgo, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Johnny Slaughter. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Slaughter, 46, of Granite, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Taurus, Model PT 24/7 Pro, .46 ACP caliber pistol and .45 auto caliber ammunition. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is the investigative agency.
Christopher Virgil Sumrall. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Sumrall, 47, of Tulsa, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Marshals Service and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Mikki Lashea Vanhorn. Theft in Excess of $1,000 Within Indian Country. Vanhorn, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with stealing more than $1,000 from a Cherokee-owned business, where she was an employee. If convicted, she faces the maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is the investigative agency.
Treveon Montrell Vaughn. Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Robbery; Carry, Use, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Vaughn, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with robbery impacting interstate commerce, and with brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Vaughn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the charge of obstruction, delay, and affecting commerce by robbery. He also faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each carry, use, and brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.
Misty Dawn Weathers and Sarah Jane Garland. Sex Trafficking of a Child; Sexual Exploitation of a Child; Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Weathers, 36, and Garland, 24, both currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections, are charged with recruiting minors, between the ages of 14 and 18, for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, and with sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Weathers is further charged with possessing with intent to view the visual depictions which involved a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, they could face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sex trafficking of a child charge, and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of sexual exploitation of a child. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.
Randall G. Whalen. Attempted Arson; Interstate Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Enterprise. Whalen, 47, of Glenpool, was charged with setting fire to the Employees Federal Credit Union located at 1120 W 17th Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also charged with using his cell phone to assist in facilitating arson, namely to research the area around the bank before setting the fire. If convicted, he will face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the arson charge, and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprise charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is the investigative agency.
Erie Man Conspired to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
John Edward Moyer, II, 36, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Moyer conspired with four co-defendants to possess with intent to distribute and distributed less than five hundred grams of cocaine.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for January 2, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Moyer on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Coshocton County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Moyer.
El Salvador man sentenced for drug trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Santiago Cruz-Delcid, of El Salvador, was sentenced today to 10 months incarceration for cocaine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Cruz-Delcid, also known as “Trucko” or “Truckito,”, who had been living in Bunker Hill, West Virginia, age 38, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine” in May 2018. Cruz-Delcid admitted to selling cocaine for $2,200 August 2017 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug & Gang Task Force , the West Virginia State Police, the Virginia State Police, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsburg Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Ranson Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
El Salvador citizen sentenced for cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Wil Castro, of El Salvador, was sentenced today to 10 months incarceration for his role in a cocaine distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Castro, a/k/a “William”, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine” in May 2018. Castro admitted to selling cocaine in May 2016 in Hampshire County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Eastern Panhandle residents sentenced for drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg man and a Kearneysville woman were sentenced today for drug distribution and firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Lante Jerrel Cook, age 29, was sentenced today to 21 months incarceration. He pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base” in May 2018. Cook admitted to possessing crack cocaine in October 2017 in Berkeley County.
Tiffany Rosalind Cole, age 29, was sentenced to 18 months incarceration. She pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession of Stolen Firearm” in May 2018. Cole admitted to having a stolen .9mm caliber pistol in October 2017 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jose Rivera-Morales, 31, of Dover, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2018, Jose Rivera-Morales walked into the Kennebunk Savings Bank in Dover and gave a teller a note demanding money. Rivera-Morales told the teller “not to be stupid” and displayed a gun, later determined to be an airsoft BB gun. The teller gave Rivera-Morales a quantity of United States currency. A K-9 unit tracked Rivera-Morales to a residence not far from the bank and he was apprehended soon after. Images from the bank surveillance videos were broadcast on local news outlets and distributed via social media, leading to the positive identification of Rivera-Morales.
Rivera-Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2019.
“Bank robberies are violent crimes that often can jeopardize the safety of bank employees, customers, and other members of the community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the law enforcement community to combat violent crimes such as bank robberies. By combatting violent crime, our goal is ensure that the citizens of the Granite State feel safe in their local communities.”
This matter was investigated by the Dover Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
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District Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwan Shelton, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 80 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing three separate quantities of narcotics with an intent to distribute them, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Shelton pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, buprenorphine, and marijuana. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, Shelton will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The government’s evidence established that on Dec. 2, 2016, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4600 block of B Street SE. Upon gaining entry to the residence, law enforcement secured Shelton outside a bathroom while he was wearing a towel around his body and while the water was running in the bathroom shower. Upon entry into the bathroom, officers recovered an MPD-issued Glock 17 pistol that was stolen from an MPD officer months earlier. The firearm was loaded with sixteen .9mm rounds in the magazine and one .9mm round in the chamber.
Officers also recovered in the bathroom a lunch bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine base, marijuana, and suboxone strips, and $3,095 in cash. In Shelton’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered a ziplock bag containing twenty .45-caliber rounds of ammunition and twenty .40-caliber rounds of ammunition. A drum magazine with .9mm-caliber rounds of ammunition was recovered from a clothes hamper. A ballistic vest was on the top shelf of a closet. Drug paraphernalia also was recovered in the residence. Law enforcement also obtained photographs from Shelton’s cellphone that corroborated his connection to the residence where he was arrested and the distinct lunch bag from which he was trafficking narcotics.
Shelton’s conviction results in his third firearms conviction and second drug trafficking conviction. Shelton was previously convicted of firearm possession and escape in 2006 after he fled from law enforcement while being interviewed, which resulted in a massive search involving search dogs and a helicopter.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Laura Crane, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Cuban Man Sentenced for Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Carlos Manuel Legra-Ramirez, 43, a citizen of Cuba and a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States living in Georgia, was sentenced Friday by U.S District Court Judge Sul Ozerden to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
Legra-Ramirez was also ordered to pay $3,100 in fines and special assessment. He pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on June 1, 2018.
On February 6, 2018, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County, the United States Border Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle ("SUV") displaying a Georgia license plate registered to Legra-Ramirez. The SUV contained 10 illegal aliens, for a total of eleven occupants (including the driver), even though the SUV only had seatbelts to lawfully seat seven occupants. Legra-Ramirez was the driver of the vehicle. Further investigation also revealed that on August 31, 2013, Legra-Ramirez had been stopped on I-10 near Lake City, Florida, driving a vehicle with 6 illegal alien passengers.
After interviewing the passengers in Legra-Ramirez’s vehicle on February 6, 2018, all claimed to be citizens and nationals of other countries illegally present in the United States. Legra-Ramirez, and all passengers were arrested and transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Craig Fine Sentenced to 153 Months in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of First Tennessee BankRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 10, 2018, Craig, Fine, 48, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas Phillips, Senior U.S. District Judge, to serve 153 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery and brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, he will be supervised by U.S. Probation for three years. Fine was also ordered to pay $10,417.44 in restitution.
Details of the robbery can be found in the criminal complaint and supporting affidavit on file with the U.S. District Court. According to the affidavit, in March 2018, Fine entered the First Tennessee Bank on Merchants Drive in Knoxville with a firearm and demanded money from the bank teller. During the incident, Fine discharged a firearm. Additionally, he pointed the firearm directly at the victim teller and customers inside the bank. Before leaving the bank, Fine also claimed to have a pipe bomb.
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which consists of FBI Special Agents, Knox County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Knoxville Police Department Officers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly A. Norris and Cynthia Davidson represented the United States in court proceedings.
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Corrie Gillispie, a/k/a "Bigg Tyme", Sentenced to Serve Thirty-Two Years in Prison for Kidnaping and Commercial Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On September 7, 2018, Corrie Gillispie, 42, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 396 months in federal prison.
After a seven-day jury trial in April 2018, Gillispie was convicted of kidnaping, two counts of commercial sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution, and money laundering. According to documents on file with U.S. District Court and evidence produced during the trial, Gillispie romantically pursued a victim and convinced her to travel to another state to meet him. When the victim arrived, Gillispie informed her that he was a pimp and restrained and assaulted the victim when she attempted to leave his vehicle. The victim was ultimately held against her will by Gillispie and forced to engage in commercial sex, from which he benefitted financially, through threats of force, fraud and coercion.
During the trial and the sentencing hearing, Judge McDonough found Gillispie acted disrespectfully with an intention to obstruct the administration of justice and sentenced Gillispie to an additional 12 months in prison for contempt.
Agencies involved in this investigation included U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Chattanooga Police Department, FBI, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Woods represented the United States in court proceedings.
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Convicted Sex Offender Ordered to Pay More Than $13,000 in Restitution to Child Victim of Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has ordered Stanley Hagan, Jr. (34, Jacksonville) to pay $13,619.52 in restitution to the custodian of a child who was molested in 2015 by Darren Dozier, a convicted sex offender from Philadelphia. According to court records, in late 2015, Dozier sent images over the internet depicting his sexual abuse of the 8-year-old child to Hagan. After being identified by the FBI, Hagan admitted to his participation in the ongoing sexual exploitation of the child and pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
On May 31, 2018, Hagan was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, and required to register as a sex offender. Dozier was prosecuted in Philadelphia and sentenced to 35 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI (Jacksonville and Philadelphia). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Continued Increase in Federal Regional Violent Crime ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – The United States Attorney’s Office will prosecute aggressively violent criminals and drug dealers. Federal prosecution is a powerful tool in the fight to reduce violent crime. At least 85% of federal sentences must be served; there is no parole in the federal system. None. Sentences are served in prisons far from St. Louis. Below is a list of defendants prosecuted federally in August as a result of the hard work of police and agents:
Antonio Brown, 35, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Michael Brown, 21, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Shawn Fritschle, 31, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Jermaine Gibbs, 27, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Orlando Grimmett, 42, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Lamont Hamm, 24, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Joshua Matthews, 29, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Deverin Myers, 32, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Jamar Robinson, 31, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Christine Smith, 60, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one felony count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Deandre Evans, 26, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Samuel Taylor, 39, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Tommie Williams, 66, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Devin Barnett, 35, St. Louis, Simmons, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Michael Finley, 34, Florissant, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm.
Cyrus Jackson, 31, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Bryant Johsnon, 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
A.Y. McClenton, 34, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Adam Moore, 24, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Reiko Perry, 23, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert Smith, 28, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Laron Brown, 40, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Gene Cumberland, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Larry Lott, 35, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Terry Mooney, 33, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Antwuan Morrow, 26, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Maurice Murphy, 36, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm.
John Oliver, 26, Alton, IL, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Lawrence Patterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of interference with commerce by threats or violence and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Elizabeth Reid, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm.
Trevion Hopson, 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Keith Spearman, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Percy Word, 48, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Derek Bowser, 33, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of false statement in connection with acquisition of a firearm from a licensed dealer and user of illegal narcotics in possession of a firearm.
Roy Cooper, 34, St. Louis, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Dayon Fips, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Levander Williams, 32, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Jason Aubuchon, 31, Fenton, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Chad J. Coffman, 37, pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm.
Horatio Sumrall, Jr., 29, Belleville, IL, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Zackary Ward, 27, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Joseph Saunders, 39, Hazelwood, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Anthony Frazier, 29, Florissant, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Jerome Green, 26, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Kerry Bolden, 43, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert E. Jones, 54, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Juzzton A. Hill, 28, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Jalen Sherrell, 22, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Mario McKnight, 24, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Travis Robinson, 21, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Steven Conner, 34, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Isiah Williams, 25, Hazelwood, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
John H. McIntosh, 59, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Donald L. Shaw, 32, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Wilbert Anderson, 26, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Lywayne M. Scott, 35, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and acting with others to possess with the intent to distribute heroin.
Corey Ward, 42, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Cameron M. Bryant, 24, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Edward R. Watson, 68, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Shagretta Turner, 35, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Dennis Washington, 36, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Lyle Deloch, 33, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Enzie Walton, 30, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Vernon DeFrance, 52, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Caldra Williford, 37, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Dewayne Franklin, 34, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Derrick Hudson, 38, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Derrick Perryman, 31, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Decoreyon J. Harris, 33, St. Louis, pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Nathan Allen, 58, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Kristin D. Johnson-Arnold, 24, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
David Staples, 49, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Charles Alicea, 36, St. Louis, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
Jeffrey M. Meyer, 40, St. Louis, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Dyanthany Proudie, 26, St. Louis, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Parron Walker, 47, St. Louis, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert Pruitt, Jr., 26, St. Louis, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Marlon Williams, 46, St. Louis, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Tayler Griffin, 20, St. Louis, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Anthony Tucker was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Terrill Watt, 32, St. Louis, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Cortez Davis, 39, St. Louis, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Derek Brown, 40, St. Louis, was sentenced to 93 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm; manufacture a controlled substance drug; and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Harold J. Hoskin, Jr., 26, St. Louis, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Edward Crawford, 37, St. Louis, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Deandre Jones, 29, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Daniel Eldridge, 41, Mineral Point, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Otis Jones, 25, St. Louis, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Ronell Williams, 40, St. Louis, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Frank Hart, 45, Jennings, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm and carjacking.
Jerry Massey, 26, St. Louis, was sentenced to 65 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance drug.
Jurmont Clark, 26, St. Louis, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert J. Moore, 29, St. Louis, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Alex Taylor, 21, St. Louis, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day for felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert Reinhardt, 53, St. Louis, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance drug.
Marlon Williams, 46, St. Louis, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Wardell Polk, 30, St. Louis, was sentenced to 252 months in prison for robbing a Taco Bell (Hobbs Act), discharing a firearm during a federal crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.
Dedrick Conley, 27, East St. Louis, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance drug.
Ishmael L. Hargrove, 21, Florissant, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
David Lee, Jr., 29, St. Louis, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
Clairton Man Sentenced to Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day’s imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jojuan Bray, 21.
According to information presented to the court at the time he entered a guilty plea, Bray purchased cocaine from his codefendant, Skyler Carter, for further distribution in the Clairton area, and is responsible for the distribution of approximately 230 grams of cocaine between March and June of 2017. Bray is the ninth of 21 defendants charged in the conspiracy to be sentenced.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Chinle Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Shooting Incident on Navajo ReservationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, Andrew Emerson Beno, 31, of Chinle, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Beno had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Beno admitted to using a shotgun to shoot at the victim, which resulted in pellets becoming embedded in the victim’s leg. The incident occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, and both Beno and the victim are members of that tribe.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christine Ducat Keller, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-08041-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-120_Beno
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Child Predator Sentenced to Ten YearsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U. S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Sameer Paul Gadola, 23, of East Lansing, Michigan was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff also imposed special assessments of $15,300 and a period of supervised release of five years following his imprisonment.
In 2016, Gadola engaged in conversations with minor boys over the internet using social media. He engaged in sexual conversations with the children and induced them to send him sexually explicit photographs. There was also evidence of Gadola sexually exploiting additional children beyond the counts of conviction, both online and in person. Gadola pled guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 72 months each on counts one and two to be served concurrently with each other, and 48 months on count three, to be served consecutively to counts one and two.
In sentencing Gadola, Judge Neff called him a "sexual predator" who groomed children and then acted on his impulses with them online and in person. Judge Neff stressed the need to protect the public from further crimes by Gadola, whom she described as "a danger to the community."
In its sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought a significant sentence in light of the nature and magnitude of Gadola’s conduct. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office agrees with the Court’s assessment that Gadola engaged in very serious criminal conduct warranting significant time in prison," said U.S. Attorney Birge. "The predation of children, whether on the internet or elsewhere, is a very grave offense which deserves severe consequences to promote respect for the law, to deter other child sex offenders, and to protect the public."
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Sanford and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
END
Canadian Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Running Telemarketing Scheme that Bilked 60,000+ VictimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The owner of a Canadian telemarketing operation – who was extradited to the United States last year after more than 10 years of litigation in Canada – was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for orchestrating a telemarketing scheme that falsely promised credit card fraud protection and defrauded at least 60,000 primarily elderly victims out of more than $18 million.
Mark Eldon Wilson, 57, of Vancouver, British Columbia, was sentenced by United States District Judge S. James Otero.
As he imposed the sentence, Judge Otero noted that the criminal conduct was egregious both in scope and in terms of targeting elderly victims, who suffered both financial and emotional harm resulting from the fraud.
Following a five-day trial in March, a federal jury convicted Wilson of seven counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud for having orchestrated a fraudulent cross-border telemarketing scheme that targeted American victims.
The evidence at trial showed that Wilson operated the fraudulent scheme through various companies – including OPCO International Inc. and American Fraud Watch Services – and that he directed his telemarketers to mislead victims into believing they were affiliated with the victims’ credit card companies. As part of the sales pitch, telemarketers falsely suggested to victims that they were vulnerable to credit card fraud and would be held liable for fraudulent charges on their cards. They sold the victims a non-existent credit card “protection” service for approximately $300 that purportedly would be in effect for 10 years, and they falsely promised a 100 percent money-back guarantee. In many instances, even when the victims did not authorize payment for these purported services, Wilson’s companies charged victims’ credit cards for the full amount of the “protection” service fee, even though victims were told the fee was as little as $3 per month.
In reality, Wilson and his companies were not associated with the victims’ credit card companies, the credit card companies would not actually hold victims liable for charges arising from fraud, and Wilson’s companies did not provide the promised credit-card-monitoring and protection services.
Between 1998 and 2001, Wilson and his telemarketers solicited over $18 million from more than 60,000 victims in 37 different states, including a number of victims in Southern California. Wilson “then converted the victims’ money to his own personal use, using a portion of the fraud proceeds to fund his businesses and a portion to fund his own lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of different luxury boats, a fleet of cars used by himself and various employees of his businesses, setting up an offshore bank account in the South Pacific to house a portion of his fraud proceeds, and travelling periodically to Las Vegas to gamble and meet with other telemarketers at luxury hotels,” according to court documents filed by prosecutors.
This case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Federal Trade Commission. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of Justice – Canada provided invaluable assistance to ensure Wilson was compelled to answer the charges through a lengthy extradition process.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Stern of the Major Frauds section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Roger Hsieh and Joseph Woodring of the General Crimes section.
California Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Investors in Connection with Advance Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Vassily Anthony “Tony” Thompson, age 64, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today after being found guilty after a February trial of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Chief United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Thompson to a 9-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Thompson was also ordered to pay $2,015,000 in restitution to his victims.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Thompson and his conspirators, Derrick John Fincher and John Patrick Nixon, orchestrated an advance fee scheme that duped individuals into investing in three sham business ventures – a celebrity golf tournament in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a movie studio in Montana, and a housing development near Charlotte, North Carolina, by falsely promising them access to tens of millions of dollars from the Export-Import Bank and other lending institutions. Thompson and his associates induced investors to pay “advance fees” of $160,000 to $1 million, which the investors were told was “show money” or “insurance fees.” In reality, Thompson used the money to pay his personal living expenses. Three victims were defrauded out of $2,015,000.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to would-be fraudsters who target individuals for financial gain. I commend the FBI and the Special Agents for their tenacity and dedication in uncovering and investigating this fraudulent scheme. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to prosecute aggressively white collar crime occurring in this District.”
Fincher will be sentenced on September 13, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Scott Jones and Joseph Derrig, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
Buffalo Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison Following RICO ConvictionRead 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 Thamud Eldridge, 44, aka Damu, who was convicted following a seven week jury trial of multiple RICO, drug, and gun charges, was sentenced to serve 50 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Eldridge was convicted of Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO), RICO conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, possession of firearm in furtherance of violence and violent crime, kidnapping, and robbery.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Tripi and Meghan A. Tokash, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated Eldridge and co-defendant Kevin Allen were members and associates of a criminal organization which operated on the East Side of Buffalo from 2003 until 2005. The organization was found by the jury to be a violent group of gang members who specialized in targeting and then robbing drug dealers in and around the City of Buffalo, intending to steal their illegal drugs, money, and jewelry. Eldridge, Allen, and their associates were also accused in the indictment of invading victims’ homes, threatening residents at gun point for money and other items of value, and kidnapping drug dealers.
One victim who testified for the Government at trial, told the jury that Eldridge and Allen came to his home seeking money and drugs, then forcibly kidnapped him--forcing him into their vehicle with a gun into his neck. They drove the victim to another location in Buffalo where the victim stored his drugs. The dealer said his life was spared only because he was able to give them over a kilogram of cocaine.
Another Government witness testified that he was robbed of money at gunpoint in the driveway of his family home.
Other victims of a home invasion masterminded by Eldridge testified that their arms and legs were bound with duct tape while they were held at gunpoint--execution style. One victim was handicapped and duct taped to his wheelchair. While Eldridge's associates tried to break into the upper apartment which belonged to a known drug dealer, he casually smoked a cigar. That cigar was collected by crime scene detectives and later tested for DNA which confirmed Eldridge's presence at the crime scene.
Victims testified about the terror they experienced--one told the Court she dialed 9-1-1 underneath a couch so Eldridge and his gang members would not detect her attempts at contacting law enforcement. Eldridge and associates escaped before police arrived--only to be caught be his DNA left at the crime scene.
Additionally, the members of the enterprise and their associates distributed quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and planned conspired, attempted and committed robberies and murders against other rival drug dealers in order to enhance their street credibility on the East Side of Buffalo.Kevin Allen was also convicted at trial and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2018.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in- Charge Gary Loeffert, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
# # # #Buffalo Man Sentenced for His Role in Narcotics Conspiracy That Operated Around the Perry Housing ProjectRead 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 Tashawn Gay, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to time served (36 months) by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that between the summer of 2012 and April 3, 2013, the defendant, along with co-defendants Tyshawn Bradley, Darnell Brown, Dallas McLamore, Eric Ross, David Varner, Latifah Donaldson and others, to sell crack cocaine in the City of Buffalo, primarily around the Perry Housing Project. Gay purchased cocaine and crack cocaine from Tyshawn Bradley, which the defendant then distributed to his own customers. Gay did not sell crack cocaine on the grounds of the Perry Housing Projects; rather, his customers were located in other parts of the City of Buffalo.
On January 3, 2013, members of the Buffalo Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on Millicent Avenue, and seized approximately five 8-balls of crack cocaine and packaging materials. In addition, during the course of the investigation, the FBI intercepted telephone calls between the defendant and Tyshawn Bradley, during which they discussed meeting for the purpose of Bradley selling cocaine and/or crack cocaine to Gay. On April 3, 2013, law enforcement officers again searched the defendant’s Millicent Avenue residence and seized $2,800 in United States currency, marijuana and packaging materials.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
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Brevard County Doctor Sentenced to over Nineteen Years for Illegally Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced John M. Gayden, Jr. (64,West Melbourne) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for dispensing oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical reason. A federal jury found Gayden guilty on June 22, 2018.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, between 2009, and continuing through 2011, Gayden ran a cash-only pain management clinic in Indialantic, Florida. He charged $200-$400 per visit for appointment, during which patients received prescriptions for high doses of oxycodone with little to no medical evaluation. Gayden issued these prescriptions bi-monthly or monthly for years, without consulting with the patients about their health or properly verifying these patients’ needs for long-term high dosage oxycodone. Patients traveled from other counties and lined up outside Gayden’s office in the early mornings to receive the prescriptions. Many of the individuals who received the prescriptions then abused the oxycodone themselves or sold the pills.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Melbourne Police Department, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Health. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.
Berkeley County woman sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sarah Jaielyn Carter, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for her role in a drug distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Carter, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin” in February 2018. Carter worked with others to distribute heroin in Berkeley County in November 2016.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Berkeley County woman sentenced for cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jessica Marie Shifflett, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to four years of probation for distributing cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Shifflett, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base” in May 2018. Shifflett admitted to conspiring with others to distribute crack cocaine in Berkeley County from April 2015 to February 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Baltimore County Tax Preparer Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Filing False Tax Returns and for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Dawn Chapelle Cottman, age 45, of Owings Mills, Maryland today to seven years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for fourteen counts of filing false tax returns, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Cottman owned a tax preparation business called 40 AM Tax Service, which she operated from her residence in Owings Mills. A federal jury convicted Cottman on May 22, 2018.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
Evidence presented at trial showed that from January 2009 until March 2013, Cottman electronically filed hundreds of tax returns, then had the tax refunds for those returns directly deposited into her bank account instead of having the refunds sent to the taxpayers. Many of the returns she filed contained materially false information to increase the size of the tax refunds. The false information included fictitious personal income amounts and dependent information that qualified taxpayers for the Earned Income Tax Credit and American Opportunity Education Credit.
Cottman also prepared and filed income tax returns using the personal identifiers of other people without their knowledge and consent in order to fraudulently obtain a tax refund to which she was not entitled. Cottman paid money to various individuals to obtain the identities of other people in whose names she filed the false returns. Cottman had the resulting tax refunds directly deposited into her bank account.
Cottman was also convicted of filing a false personal tax return for 2011. Cottman falsely claimed in her tax return that her tax preparation business had gross receipts of $152,100 when, in fact, more than $1 million of other people’s tax refunds were wired into her bank account. Cottman also falsely claimed to have earned a net income of approximately $17,000 when, in fact, she spent more than $250,000 that year on personal expenses, including trips to Disneyland, Las Vegas, Busch Gardens, and Atlantic City.
United States Attorney Hur commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Sean R. Delaney, who prosecuted this case.
Baltimore County Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution, Transportation, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Adam Robert Miller, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession, receipt, and distribution of child pornography. Miller also admitted taking sexually explicit images and videos of a minor female beginning when she was 15 years old.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to the indictment and the facts presented to the Court as part of his guilty plea, in July 2017, Homeland Security Investigations-Baltimore received information from Canadian authorities regarding a user of the KIK secure messaging application, “amiller89,” who was distributing visual depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in KIK chatrooms. Canadian authorities learned about the account in the course of a larger investigation of child pornography trafficking by KIK users. Subscriber information obtained for the IP address used to access the account was identified as belonging to Miller’s father, at the home where they both resided.
On September 13, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence. Miller waived his rights and spoke with law enforcement, admitting that “amiller89” was his account. Miller admitted that between May 13, 2015 and September 13, 2017, he uploaded and stored images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his Dropbox accounts. A search of Miller’s Dropbox accounts revealed that they contained over 300 videos of child pornography. Data stored on devices seized during the search of Miller’s residence included hundreds of videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, including a prepubescent girl being subjected to sexual bondage.
In addition, Miller admitted taking sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe, whom the defendant met when Jane Doe was 14 years old. The images and videos produced by Miller were uncovered on Miller’s devices and were taken when Jane Doe was 15, 16, and 17 years old. On July 16, 2017, Miller used an encrypted chat application to communicate with another user. During those communications, Miller sent the other user three images of Jane Doe engaged in sexually explicit activity.
As a result of his conviction, Miller will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Miller faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for each of three counts of distribution and transportation of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for December 14, 2018 at 11:30 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who is prosecuting the federal case.
Atlanta drug dealer charged with distributing fake Roxicodone pills containing fentanylRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Edward Culton has been arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the death of an individual. Culton was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2018.
“Culton’s alleged fentanyl distribution led to two drug overdoses, resulting in the death of one of the individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “The defendant allegedly disguised the dangerous pills to look like legitimate Roxicodone tablets, but they were actually laced with fentanyl - a more potent and potentially lethal substance.”
“This counterfeit ‘pill peddler’ was a menace to society,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Pills in the underground drug market are often diluted with dangerous and deadly substances, as was the case in this investigation. Purchasing pills on the street is synonymous to playing Russian roulette, as there’s no quality control or efficacy in the process. The success of this investigation was made possible because of the collaborative efforts between all law enforcement agencies involved and the U.S Attorney’s Office.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between September 2017 and February 2018, Culton allegedly supplied Hubert Nathans, a drug dealer in the Roswell, Georgia area, with hundreds of fake Roxicodone pills from his Buckhead apartment in Atlanta. The counterfeit pills were blue in color and imprinted with M30, which resembled legitimate 30mg Roxicodone tablets, but they actually contained fentanyl.
In October 2017, Nathans allegedly sold a number of these pills to a man who died from a drug overdose on October 3, 2017. On January 8, 2018, Nathans also allegedly sold one pill to a woman who overdosed after ingesting part of the pill.
In January and February 2018, the Roswell Police Department purchased pills from Nathans on multiple occasions. On February 15, 2018, DEA agents executed a search warrant at Culton’s apartment and allegedly seized more than 900 of the same blue fentanyl-laced pills.
Edward Culton, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, seven counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, and one of count of possession with intent to distribute. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Hubert Nathans, 29, of Roswell, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the death of one individual and serious injury to another, on August 13, 2018.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Roswell Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan is prosecuting the case.
This case is presented as a part of Operation SCOPE (Strategically Combatting Opioids through Prosecution and Enforcement), which is an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to partner with federal and local law enforcement to fight the devastating effects that illegally-prescribed painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl have on our neighborhoods.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
78-Year-Old Man Sentenced for Distribution of XanaxRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces Edward Lowell, age 78, of Americus, Georgia, was sentenced to 36 months of probation for Distribution of Xanax by Senior U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands in Albany, Georgia on September 6, 2018.
Mr. Lowell admitted that on October 4, 2017, deputies were conducting surveillance of his residence in Sumter County and observed a confidential informant (CI) at the residence. The CI had revealed to agents that she routinely received prescription pills from “Eddie” at this residence. A subsequent traffic stop and search of the CI revealed 10 Xanax pills, which she confirmed she had just acquired from “Eddie.” In a subsequent interview, the CI estimated that she had received 8000 pills from “Eddie” over the years.
Another confidential informant (CI-2) turned over 61 pills—8 Xanax and 53 Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine—which she had recently purchased from Mr. Lowell at the same residence for $150. CI-2 stated that she had been obtaining pills from Mr. Lowell for approximately ten years, and estimated that she had gotten at least 10,000 pills over time.
Ultimately, Mr. Lowell waived his Miranda rights and admitted that he had obtained and distributed 100 pills per month over a two-year period to multiple individuals.
“Distributing prescription pills in our communities is still dealing drugs,” said United States Attorney Charles E. Peeler. “I commend the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for its work on this case.”
This case was investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Sunday 9 September 2018
Two Mexican Citizens Sentenced for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Luis Espindola Romero, age 33, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on Friday to time served (44 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States. Agustin Dominguez De Jesus, age 23, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on Friday to time served (43 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Espindola Romero admitted that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on September 27, 2014 and again on October 9, 2014. On July 25, 2018, ICE Officers arrested Espindola Romero near Cobleskill, New York.
As part of his guilty plea, Dominquez De Jesus admitted that he was removed from the United States to Mexico on October 9, 2013 and again on October 18, 2013. On July 26, 2018, ICE Officers arrested Dominquez De Jesus in Amsterdam, New York.
Espindola Romero and Dominquez De Jesus were each remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings.
These cases were investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Saturday 8 September 2018
Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention RoundtableRead the Press Release
Thursday, September 13th | 2:00-4:00 PM
Ron De Lugo Federal Building
5500 Veterans DriveCharlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
This human trafficking roundtable will gather federal, state, and local law enforcement,
stakeholders, and advocates for a robust discussion on the progress that has been made to combat
human trafficking. The conversation will focus on identifying the gaps and needs that remain as
well as potential solutions for a path forward.
Roundtable Participants Include
The Department of Homeland Security’s Blue CampaignICE Homeland Security Investigations USVI Field
Office The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Office of the U.S. Attorney
*Other speakers are in the process of being confirmed*
For more information, contact:
Blue Campaign | [email protected]
Human Trafficking Awareness Event, St. Thomas, USVIRead the Press Release
What: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands, will be hosting a one-day human trafficking training. Topics will include:
o Human Trafficking Overview
o Encountering Victims of Crime
o Blue Campaign
Trainers will be: Scott Santoro, FLETC Sr. Training Advisor & Crystal Gregory, HSI Forensic Interview Specialist
When: Tuesday, September 11, 2018, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Where: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ron de Lugo Federal Building & Courthouse, 5500 Veterans Dr., Suite 260
Who should attend: Open to anyone who wants to learn more about Human Trafficking and the DHS Blue Campaign.
RSVP: Antoinette James, DOJ, Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands, [email protected]
Friday 7 September 2018
Wellington Woman Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Wellington woman was sentenced today to six months in prison and ordered to pay more than $86,000 in restitution for fraudulently collecting Social Security benefits, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Amy D. McLain, 50, Wellington, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security fraud. In her plea, she admitted that from April 2008 to May 2014 she worked for Kreifels Communications, Inc., while receiving Social Security disability benefits. She fraudulently reported to Social Security that she was not working and had no income.
Co-defendant Scott Kreifels, 58, Wellington, Kan., was sentenced to two years on probation and ordered to pay more than $49,900 in restitution. McLain’s husband, co-defendant Jeffrey L. McLain, 49, Wellington, is set for sentencing Nov. 1.
McAllister commended the Social Security Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child Under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction ActRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.–Robert Patrick King, 39, of Suffolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty Friday to sexual exploitation of a child, announced United States Attorney Trent Shores.
King admitted that in the summer of 2017, in Yokosuka, Japan, he took sexually explicit photographs of a 5-year-old girl after coercing her to take a bath at his home. At the time, King was the spouse of a U.S. Navy service member. Investigators also discovered similar photographs of other victims taken in Virginia, where he lived prior to his move to Japan.
This case was prosecuted under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which allows for civilians accompanying the military outside the United States to be prosecuted for violations of federal law.
“We will to do everything in our power to identify child victims and provide them the justice they deserve,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The defendant’s exploitation of a 5-year-old was and is reprehensible. Every day he is in prison is a day children are safer.”
As part of the plea agreement, King and the United States agreed to a sentence of 20 years imprisonment, payment of victim restitution, and forfeiture of computer devices used in the crime.
A formal sentencing date has been set before U.S. District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan on December 7, 2018.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Internet safety education can be found on the tab labeled "resources” on the left columns of the page.
The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
Versailles Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Emailing Threats to Member of CongressRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Scott W. Sulik, 54, of Versailles, Ky., was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for sending a series of emails containing threats to a Member of Congress.
Sulik pled guilty, in June 2018, and admitted to one count of cyberstalking. Beginning in September 2017, Sulik used an email account hosted by Google to send threats to an email address associated with a Member of the United States Congress. Sulik sent threatening emails to this address through December 2017. Among other things, Sulik threatened the Member of Congress by stating: “You put your family at risk . . .”; “. . . I’m threatening you.”; “What are you going to do before I erase you?”; and “Show me anyone who is going to protect you against me . . . .”
Under federal law, Sulik must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the United States Capitol Police, jointly made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the United States Capitol Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew T. Boone.
United States Files Complaint Against Hawaii Fishing Companies, Managers, and Vessel Operator over Illegal Oil Discharges and Lodges Partial Settlement with ManagersRead the Press Release
The United States filed a civil enforcement action against Azure Fishery LLC, the company’s managers, the operator of the commercial fishing vessel Jaxon T, and the new owner of the vessel for violations of the federal Clean Water Act, the Department of Justice and U.S. Coast Guard announced today. Along with the filing of the complaint, the United States also lodged a partial settlement to resolve the claims against the two company managers, Hanh Nguyen and Khang Dang, who have agreed to pay $475,000 in civil penalties and reimbursements. The managers also committed to perform operational improvements and other compliance measures to their entire fleet of 25 longline fishing vessels based in Honolulu. The claims against the rest of the defendants remain for future adjudication.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii today, alleges five causes of action against six defendants: Azure Fishery LLC, company managers Nguyen and Dang, company member and prior owner Tuan Hoang, vessel operator Andy Hoang and current owner Linh Fishery LLC. The complaint alleges willful discharges of oil, including oily bilge water, from the commercial longline fishing vessel Jaxon T, now known as the St. Joseph, into the ocean offshore of Hawaii, as well as related violations of the Coast Guard’s longstanding spill prevention and pollution control regulations, including failure to provide sufficient capacity to retain all oily mixtures on board. The complaint further alleges that in order to extend the length of fishing voyages, the defendants routinely pumped a mixture of fuel oil, lubricating oils, water, and other fluids from the vessel’s engine room bilge into the Pacific Ocean rather than retain the waste on board. The United States alleges that Azure Fishery LLC and the company managers and vessel operator are each liable for civil penalties under the Clean Water Act for discharging oily mixtures into the waters off Hawaii. The United States also seeks injunctive relief from these same defendants and Linh Fishery LLC, the current owner of the vessel.
“A thriving commercial fishing sector in Hawaii and other parts of the United States largely depends upon keeping our ocean environments free of harmful pollution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s action shows that the Justice Department is as committed as ever to enforcing the nation’s vessel pollution laws in close partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
“This is the fourth case we have brought this year involving illegal oil discharge practices in the Honolulu-based longline fishing fleet,” said Rear Adm. Kevin Lunday, Commander, Coast Guard 14th District. “All vessel owners and operators are responsible for maintaining their vessels and preventing illegal discharges of oily wastes into the ocean. We are committed to the people of Hawaii to protect our waters and the Pacific Ocean from the damage caused by illegal pollution.”
“We will continue to protect our precious natural resources by enforcing the Nation’s environmental laws,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price. “This settlement, and the other tremendous work performed by the law enforcement community in this area, should encourage owners and operators to proactively make necessary repairs and improve their waste disposal practices. Violators who fail to act on this message will face similar, or more severe, consequences.”
The complaint further alleges that company managers Nguyen and Dang fraudulently transferred the vessel to the current owner, Linh Fishery LLC, shortly after the Coast Guard discovered the violations in March 2017. Because the sale of the vessel and distribution of the proceeds to company members rendered Azure Fishery LLC insolvent and thus otherwise unable to pay a civil penalty, the complaint seeks recovery of the value of the fraudulently transferred vessel from the beneficiaries of the transfer, Linh Fishery LLC, Hanh Thi Nguyen, Khang Nguyen Dang, and Tuan Ngog Hoang, under the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act (“FDCPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.
Contemporaneously with the filing of the complaint, the United States has lodged a partial consent decree addressing the claims against company managers Nguyen and Dang. Under the settlement, Nguyen and Dang will each pay $211,000 for the Clean Water Act penalty claims against them and they will jointly pay an additional $53,000 for their apportioned share of the fraudulent transfer claim under the FDCPA. Moreover, they will perform corrective measures across their fleet of 25 Hawaii-based longline fishing vessels. The corrective measures are designed to ensure safe and lawful operations going forward and include (1) repairing the vessels to reduce the quantity of oily waste generated during a fishing voyage; (2) obtaining independent verification of repairs; (3) providing crewmembers with training on the proper handling of oily wastes; (4) documenting proper oily waste retention during voyages and disposal after returning to port; and (5) submitting periodic compliance assurance reports to the Coast Guard and the Department of Justice.
Section 311(b) of the Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon the waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health. Under the act, the Coast Guard also has promulgated spill prevention and pollution control regulations for vessels and other facilities. Overboard discharges of oily mixtures, whether by directly pumping out oily bilge water that has not been properly treated, or by attempting to pump only the portion of the oily bilge water beneath a floating oil layer in the bilge (so-called decanting), has long been unlawful under federal law. Eliminating oil discharges into the ocean helps protect people, birds, fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and other natural resources.
Under the terms of the Clean Water Act, the penalties paid for these violations will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Funds Center. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is used to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.
The proposed partial consent decree, lodged in the District of Hawaii, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court review and approval. Copies of the consent decree are available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.
United States Attorney’s Office to Deploy Resources to Underserved Areas in the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, and Route 29 CorridorRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced today a plan that will provide greater prosecutorial resources to underserved areas of the Western District of Virginia and allow his office to more efficiently prosecute federal crimes throughout the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg Divisions.
The WDVA Consolidation and Winchester Expansion Plan will take unprecedented steps to place Assistant United States Attorneys directly into the communities that have the greatest law enforcement needs, while also consolidating resources to ensure efficient management and coordinated strategy.
The United States Attorney announced the first step of the plan today, which entails merging staff from the Harrisonburg and Charlottesville offices into one combined office in Charlottesville. That office will be supervised by Managing Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber. Importantly, prosecutors from the combined office will continue to work out of office space in the Harrisonburg federal courthouse as needed and will continue to prosecute Harrisonburg Division criminal cases. In addition, a federal grand jury will continue to be convened at the Harrisonburg federal courthouse, and criminal cases will be tried there.
U.S. Attorney Cullen also announced that two Assistant United States Attorneys will be dedicated to spending one day per week in new office space in Winchester, where they can focus on meeting with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the area.
“By combining our prosecutors in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, we can more efficiently and effectively deploy our limited resources to parts of these court divisions that, historically, have been underserved by our office,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “Importantly, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who have traditionally worked out of our Harrisonburg office will continue to prioritize cases originating in that community and work closely with our state and local law-enforcement partners there. I do not anticipate a decline in the number of criminal cases filed in that court.”
Cullen added, “Our prosecutors will also, for the first time, work out of new office space in Winchester, an area that has long been the epicenter of the opioid epidemic and organized drug trafficking. I am confident that, with these structural changes, we are better positioned to service the Harrisonburg and Charlottesville court divisions as a whole, including Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County, Nelson County, Winchester, Frederick County, Front Royal, and the Route 29 corridor.”
United States Attorney's Office, HSI, and FBI to Host Human Trafficking Training for Foreign DignitariesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that a special Human Trafficking Training Program will be held on September 10-11, 2018 at the Federal Courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Ave. Members of the United States Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI will be training prosecutors and law enforcement officers from Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. The training will address the best practices for prosecuting Human Trafficking crimes, ways to assist crime victims, the importance of partnering with other agencies, and other topics.
The media is invited to attend the opening ceremony on Monday, September 10, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Welcoming remarks will be provided by United States Attorney Matthew Krueger, Resident-Agent-in-Charge Brandon Bielke of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special-Agent-in-Charge Justin Tolomeo of the FBI. Opening remarks will last approximately 30 minutes. After the opening remarks, members of the press will have an opportunity to interview the speakers and members of the foreign delegation.
# # # # #
For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at (414) 297-1700
Two Rosebud Men Charged with Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Rosebud, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Dallas Burning Breast, age 25, and Ervin Burning Breast, Jr., age 23, were indicted on February 14, 2018. Ervin Burning Breast, Jr., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 12, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
Dallas Burning Breast made his initial appearance on the Indictment on April 10, 2018. On September 5, 2018, he appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange, and pled guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 2, 2017, Dallas Burning Breast and Ervin Burning Breast, Jr., assaulted an individual with brass knuckles with the intent to do bodily harm, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered for Dallas Burning Breast and a sentencing date was set for November 26, 2018. Dallas Burning Breast was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Ervin Burning Breast, Jr., was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for November 13, 2018.
Two Chicago Police Officers Indicted on Federal Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted two Chicago Police Department officers for allegedly providing information from non-public traffic crash reports to the owner of an attorney-referral service in exchange for money.
Officers KEVIN TATE and MILOT CADICHON provided information from the crash reports to RICHARD BURTON, who owned and operated Bloomingdale-based National Attorney Referral Service, the indictments allege. In exchange, Burton allegedly paid a total of at least $7,350 to Cadichon, and at least $6,000 to Tate. Burton then used the information to solicit accident victims as clients for attorneys, the charges state.
The indictments were returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Tate, 47, of Chicago, Cadichon, 46, of Chicago, and Burton, 55, of Bloomingdale, are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. Tate and Cadichon also face an additional count of bribery. Arraignments in federal court have not yet been scheduled.
The indictments were 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. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrianna D. Kastanek and Ankur Srivastava.
Traffic crash reports in Chicago are either filled out by a police officer who appears on the scene of an accident, or by a complainant appearing in person at a local police station. Although the reports are not publicly available during a processing period ranging from 24 hours to several weeks, police officers can access them for legitimate law enforcement reasons. Officers are not permitted to access or disclose the reports for non-law enforcement purposes.
According to the indictments, Tate and Cadichon provided information from the reports to Burton from 2015 to 2017. The information was conveyed in various ways, including using a cell phone to text Burton the crash victims’ contact information, the indictments state. Burton paid the officers via cash bribes and wire transfers, the charges allege.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the bribery charge is punishable by up to ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Turtle Creek Teen Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded AR-15 and Handgun to Protect Crack Cocaine and Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A former resident of Turtle Creek, PA pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to federal narcotics and firearms charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
William Thomas Spencer, age 19, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on February 11, 2017, North Versailles police conducted a traffic stop on Spencer while he was driving a BWM SUV. Police then found a large amount of crack cocaine on Spencer’s person and heroin inside the center console of the car. In the cargo area in the back of the SUV, police recovered a loaded Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle and a loaded handgun.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for February 1, 2019. The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior record, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the North Versailles Police, and the Duquesne Police conducted the investigation that led to the guilty plea in this case.
Third Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms Landmark Cyberstalking Resulting in Death Conviction in Matusiewicz CaseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the criminal convictions and life sentences of David T. Matusiewicz and Amy Gonzalez for their roles in stalking and killing Christine Belford in the New Castle County Courthouse in February 2013. After killing Ms. Belford and her friend, Laura “Beth” Mulford in the Courthouse, the Defendants’ father, Thomas Matusiewicz, took his own life following a gun battle with Delaware Capitol Police Officers. Defendants’ mother, Lenore Matusiewicz, was also convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her role in this crime, but died while her appeal was pending.
Following a five week jury trial in the summer of 2015, Defendants were convicted of all charges, including cyberstalking resulting in death. This was the first such case in the history of the nation.
In a seventy-seven page precedential opinion, a unanimous panel of the Court of Appeals affirmed these convictions and sentences “in all respects” and specifically recognized the trial judge for handling this “complicated case” – involving “numerous issues of first impression” – with “exceptional precision and care.” Regarding the landmark charge of “cyberstalking resulting in death,” the Third Circuit concluded that the Government sufficiently proved its case, stating that the defendants stalking conduct was the “actual” and proximate” cause of Ms. Belford’s death.
The Court specifically found David’s conduct included, among other things:
directing his family to send letters to Belford’s acquaintances accusing Belford of sexual abuse; setting up the in-person court hearing that brought Belford to the courthouse where Thomas shot her; lying to probation officers about the need to attend the hearing in person; and traveling from Texas to Delaware in two vehicles that were filled with numerous weapons.
The Court specifically found Amy’s conduct included, among other things:
spreading false accusations of child abuse by creating online postings and YouTube videos, and sending defamatory emails and letters to Belford’s acquaintances; preparing false polygraph reports about these accusations; recruiting third parties to surveil and report on Belford and the children; providing Thomas with temporary cell phone number and cleaning his safe when he traveled to Delaware in 2011 and showed up at Belford’s house; and filing numerous petitions for custody of the children beginning two days after Belford was killed.
Ultimately, the Court found that there was “overwhelming, uncontradicted evidence” that the accusations against Ms. Belford were false and that “both David and Gonzalez were intimately involved in this stalking campaign and conspiracy.”
United States Attorney Weiss stated the following: “As the Court of Appeals observed, this is a watershed case of national importance. Cyberstalking is a form of psychological terror that deeply impacts its victims. Individuals who engage in such conduct are on notice that the Department of Justice will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This outcome can never bring back Christine Belford and her courageous friend, Laura ‘Beth’ Mulford, or compensate their families for their loss – but it does rightly hold those responsible for these heinous acts. I want to thank once again the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Delaware State Police for their superb investigative work in this matter.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie M. McCall and Shawn A. Weede, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. McAndrew, and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware State Police.
Suspended Attorney Indicted for Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Today, before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon, suspended attorney Christopher Davies was arraigned on a four-count indictment charging securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a market manipulation scheme. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned the indictment on August 30, 2018. Davies was previously arrested on a complaint in April 2018.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward Gallashaw, Assistant Postal Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced the indictment.
“As alleged in the indictment, Davies used both sophisticated means and some of the oldest tricks in the book, including backdating documents and forging signatures, to deceive the investing public and manipulate the price and ownership of a public company’s stock,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The defendant’s scheme ultimately failed as a result of the outstanding investigative work by our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to protecting the integrity of public markets.” Mr. Donoghue also expressed his gratitude to the New York Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance during the investigation.
“Criminals take what isn’t theirs and have no regard for victims they harm in the process,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Mr. Davies allegedly pumped up the price of the stock for a public company because he controlled the information being made public, he knew exactly when to sell to make the most money, leaving other investors in the lurch. Instead of enjoying the large sum of money he made, he now faces time in prison.”
“This is a classic case of greed overcoming honest business practices,” stated USPIS Assistant Postal Inspector-in-Charge Gallashaw. “Mr. Davies allegedly used his knowledge of the market to ‘increase’ the value of stock he knew was worth pennies, taking money from investors he knew would result in a loss. While Mr. Davies tried to cover his illegal tracks with bogus documents, he couldn’t cover-up his crimes from Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners.”
Davies, an attorney whose law license was suspended, controlled a publicly traded company, American Transportation Holdings Inc. (“ATHI”), and manipulated the price of its stock in a pump-and-dump scheme. Beginning in 2012, Davies exercised secret control over ATHI and its predecessor companies (collectively “ATHI” or the “company”) through a series of nominal Chief Executive Officers. As a part of his scheme, Davies accumulated a large number of shares in the company by fraudulently converting corporate debt into stock at no cost. To effect these fraudulent debt-to-stock conversions, Davies forged the signatures of purported ATHI board members and backdated documents. After accumulating large amounts of ATHI stock, Davies artificially increased the price of ATHI’s stock through false and misleading press releases claiming that ATHI had developed proprietary gaming and live-streaming app technology. Although ATHI’s stock had historically traded for pennies, its price rose to $12 per share at the height of the pump, resulting in a market capitalization of over $3 billion. Davies’ coconspirators then dumped ATHI stock at a profit, causing heavy losses to investors.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of wire fraud, the top count in the indictment, Davies faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin Farrell and Mark Bini are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
Parkland, Florida
Age: 50E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-479 (FB)
Statement from U.S. Attorney John H. Durham on Ongoing White Powder Letter InvestigationRead the Press Release
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department anjd New Haven Police Department, in coordination with other federal, state and local law enforcement and emergency services agencies, continue to investigate several incidents of letters containing white powder that were mailed to government facilities and non-governmental organizations in Connecticut and elsewhere in the U.S., and began arriving on September 5, 2018. It is alleged that many of these letters were mailed by an individual who has been in federal custody since his arrest, for alleged violations of his supervised release, on September 5.
Through the course of the investigation, investigators have seized unmailed letters, notified numerous potential recipients of letters, and successfully removed some letters from the mail stream prior to their delivery. However, letters continue to arrive in various locations.
Although the seized and retrieved letters have caused no illness or injuries to date, we strongly urge anyone who receives a suspicious letter or package not to handle it further, and immediately call 911. This will permit law enforcement and emergency services personnel to investigate the matter safely.
Finally, I note that these letters have caused emotional distress for recipients and have consumed valuable time and resources of our first responders. This crime, and others like it, will be vigorously prosecuted.
Statement by Attorney General Sessions on Chinese Narcotics SchedulingRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement on Chinese Narcotics Scheduling:
“The Trump Administration is fighting back against the opioid crisis, and the Department of Justice has taken a number of aggressive and innovative steps to combat many of the contributing factors to the havoc inflicted in our neighborhoods and communities across the country.
“However, full cooperation on an international level is required to eradicate the scourge of fentanyl and opioids from the world. In recent weeks, as the Justice Department announced multiple accomplishments in the fight against opioids, I expressed hope that China’s Ministry of Public Security would schedule fentanyl-based substances as a class.
“The Ministry of Public Security announced—effective September 1, 2018—the scheduling of 32 substances, including two opioids, as narcotics. This is an important step in the global fight against opioids and, by providing Chinese law enforcement additional tools, it affords our federal law enforcement authorities a greater opportunity to continue working on important joint investigations. I thank the Government of China for this action and I look forward to further cooperation.”
State Department Official Sentenced to Prison for Engaging in Honest Services Wire Fraud and Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
A program manager for the U.S. Department of State was sentenced to 13 months in prison today for accepting kickbacks and stealing federal funds intended for a foreign exchange program maintained by the U.S. Department of State. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Inspector General Steve A. Linick of the U.S. Department of State and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
Kelli R. Davis, 49, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III of the Eastern District of Virginia. On May 24, Davis pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging her with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and theft of public money.
According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Davis was a Program Specialist for the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She also served as the Program Manager and Grants Officer Representative for the Sports Visitors Program, which sponsored foreign exchanges for emerging youth athletes and coaches from various countries. The exchange program was managed by George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, through a federal grant and cooperative agreement with the State Department.
Davis admitted that between February 2011 and March 2016, she conspired with others to steal portions of the federal money allocated to the Sports Visitor Program by, among other things, falsifying vendor-related invoices and making fraudulent checks payable to a government contractor, Denon Hopkins, who supplied transportation services for the program. In total, Davis and Hopkins stole approximately $17,335 from the State Department. They have both admitted that Hopkins used portions of the funds to pay kickbacks to Davis to retain his transportation contract. In addition, Davis stole an additional $17,777 from the program over a multi-year period.
The Department of State’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Spartanburg Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ------ United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Tory Ray Watkins, age 40, of Spartanburg, was sentenced in federal court in Anderson for distribution of controlled substances. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, sentenced Watkins to 210 months in federal prison followed by 6 years supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing and sentencing hearing established that on September 24, 2016, Spartanburg Police officers were on routine patrol when they observed Tory Watkins driving a white van. Officers confirmed that Watkins had a suspended driver’s license, then initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Watkins was detained and gave consent to search his person. Officers found a small plastic baggie in his right change pocket containing a tan substance. This substance was submitted to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab for analysis. This was determined to be .43 grams of fentanyl.
On May 26, 2017, Investigators with the Spartanburg Police Department met with a confidential, reliable, informant, to discuss the purchase of U-47700, also commonly referred to as “pink”, from Watkins. The informant, acting under the direction of law enforcement, placed a consensual recorded telephone call to Watkins. Watkins instructed the informant during the phone call to meet at a location in Spartanburg. The informant next began travelling to the aforementioned meet location and was contacted by Watkins telephonically who informed the informant that they would need to travel with Watkins to another location in Spartanburg in order to complete the purchase of “pink”. After arrival at the other location, the informant gave Watkins the recorded US currency and Watkins walked to an unknown apartment. A short while later, Watkins was observed by members of law enforcement walking back to and entering the informant’s vehicle. Watkins provided the informant with the purchased product once inside the vehicle. The informant was next followed to a pre-determined location where they turned over a quantity of substance believed to be U-47700 or “pink” to Spartanburg Police Department. The substance purchased from Watkins was submitted to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) for further testing and chemical analysis. The SCSO lab report indicated that Ketamine, Tramadol, and Fentanyl were all discovered in the substance that Watkins sold to the informant.
On June 29, 2017, investigators with the SCSO met with an informant working at the direction of the SCSO to make a controlled purchase of heroin from a subject known to the informant as “Chewy.” The informant was searched both before and after the controlled purchase with negative results. The informant was equipped with a recording device and provided with US Currency to facilitate the purchase. The buy took place at a restaurant parking lot on Reidville Road in Spartanburg. The informant returned with a clear plastic bag containing a brown powder substance. The informant was shown a photo of Watkins and confirmed that Watkins was the individual from which the informant made the controlled purchase. The powder was tested by the SCSO Crime lab and was confirmed to be .36 grams of heroin.
On June 29, 2017, deputies with the SCSO received a call about an unconscious individual in a roadway. The person died as a result of a drug overdose. The boyfriend of the individual told deputies that he knew the heroin the individual ingested prior to their death came from Watkins.
The case was investigated by agents of the Spartanburg Police Department and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Wells of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Waddah Siedahmed, 23, of South Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit bank robbery.
According to court records, on November 17, 2017, the defendant and another person agreed to rob a Key Bank branch in Portland. That afternoon, the other person entered the Key Bank branch wearing a black sweatshirt, black gloves, black glasses, dark colored jeans, and what appeared to be a long black wig. The other person also carried and used what appeared to be a firearm and absconded with $1,721. Following the robbery, the defendant received a share of the stolen money. Within hours of the robbery, police located the defendant and recovered from him some of the stolen money.
The defendant faces up to five years in jail, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Department and the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments.
South Florida Pharmacist Convicted of Health Care Fraud for Role in $5 Million Compounding Pharmacy SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a South Florida pharmacist guilty today of health care fraud for his role in a $5 million compounding pharmacy scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)’s Miami Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General – Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)’s Southeast Field Office and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement.
After a four-day trial, Stephen Chalker, 42, of Wellington, Florida, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two substantive counts of health care fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 15 before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately September 2014 to August 2016, Chalker engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid by submitting false and fraudulent claims for compounded drugs and other prescription medications that were not medically necessary and/or never provided. The evidence established that in his role as the pharmacist-in-charge at Pop’s Pharmacy, a now-defunct pharmacy located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Chalker submitted or caused the submission of claims in the amount of several thousands of dollars each for a single tube of pain and scar creams that patients did not want, did not need, and in some cases did not receive. Chalker and his co-conspirators ran a nationwide telemarketing and telemedicine scheme in which there was no real patient-prescriber relationship or actual patient care. As a result of claims submitted in connection with the scheme, Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid made payments totaling nearly $5 million, the evidence showed.
Two other defendants have been charged in this case. Christopher Liva, 40, of Boca Raton, Florida, and Elaina Liva, 66, of Pompano Beach, Florida, both of whom pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS and the State of Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorneys Jim Hayes and Leslie Wright of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in 12 cities across the country, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
South Florida Doctor Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Participating in a Conspiracy to Illegally Dispense Opioids and Other DrugsRead the Press Release
Dr. Andres Mencia, 64, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was sentenced today to 78 months in prison, after having been convicted by a federal jury in South Florida, of participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
“Dr. Mencia has been held accountable in a court of law for casting aside his medical ethics to illegally distribute controlled substances and fuel the opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Greenberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to do everything possible to protect the community from the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction.”
“The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “It is especially disturbing when doctors — like Andres Mencia — disregard their oaths to ‘do no harm’ in exchange for lining their pockets with illicit profits. The Criminal Division is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic by aggressively investigating and prosecuting those healthcare providers who, rather than help those in need, contribute to the opioid epidemic by writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for highly addictive and harmful painkillers. Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement partners, Mencia now faces serious consequences for his crimes.”
“Today’s sentencing of Dr. Mencia serves as evidence that medical professionals who unethically and illegally dispense highly addictive opioid medication unnecessarily will be subject to prosecution.” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wright. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the DEA Miami Field Division continues its commitment to protecting our communities from all forms of illegal practices that result in drug addiction.”
“Dr. Mencia violated the law and his Hippocratic oath to do no harm,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Richmond. “Health professionals who profit by prescribing poisonous opioids can expect to face the law’s full weight.”
According to evidence admitted at trial, Dr. Mencia ran Adult & Geriatric Institute of Florida lnc, d/b/a AGI Medical & Dental (AGI), in Oakland Park, Florida. Beginning in or around January 2014 and continuing through October 2017, Dr. Mencia, and office personnel Oscar Luis Ventura-Rodriguez, 41, of Ft. Lauderdale; Nadira Sampath-Grant, 51, of Margate, and John Mensah, 50, of Miami, conspired to perform sham consultations with cash-paying patients. The evidence showed that the true and intended purpose of the consultations was to improperly issue the patients’ prescriptions for opioids and narcotics, such as Oxycodone, OxyContin and Percocet, in exchange for cash payments. Pursuant to Dr. Mencia’s instructions, co-conspirators kept track of the drug-seeking patients by identifying them as “CS” (controlled substance) “patients.” On occasion, Dr. Mencia provided his co-conspirators pre-signed prescriptions to issue the “CS” patients prescriptions for controlled substances in his name. During the course of the conspiracy, Dr. Mencia was not providing a medically meaningful consultation but was in fact acting outside the scope of his professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose.
Ventura-Rodriguez, Sampath-Grant and Mensah previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by unlawfully distributing controlled substances. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced the conspirators as follows:
Dr. Mencia was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $4,800 forfeiture and $250,000 fine. Ventura-Rodriguez was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $396,428.18 in restitution, jointly and severally. Sampath-Grant was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $396,428 in restitution. Mensah was sentenced to time-served, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $132,142 in restitution.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, HHS-OIG and HSI. The Aventura Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, and Miami Gardens Police Department assisted in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gilfarb of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov/.
South Florida Doctor Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Participating in a Conspiracy to Illegally Dispense Opioids and Other DrugsRead the Press Release
Dr. Andres Mencia, 64, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was sentenced today to 78 months in prison, after having been convicted by a federal jury in South Florida, of participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
“The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “It is especially disturbing when doctors — like Andres Mencia — disregard their oaths to ‘do no harm’ in exchange for lining their pockets with illicit profits. The Criminal Division is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic by aggressively investigating and prosecuting those healthcare providers who, rather than help those in need, contribute to the opioid epidemic by writing medically unnecessary prescriptions for highly addictive and harmful painkillers. Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement partners, Mencia now faces serious consequences for his crimes.”
“Dr. Mencia has been held accountable in a court of law for casting aside his medical ethics to illegally distribute controlled substances and fuel the opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Greenberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to do everything possible to protect the community from the dangers of opioid abuse and addiction.”
“Today’s sentencing of Dr. Mencia serves as evidence that medical professionals who unethically and illegally dispense highly addictive opioid medication unnecessarily will be subject to prosecution.” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wright. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the DEA Miami Field Division continues its commitment to protecting our communities from all forms of illegal practices that result in drug addiction.”
“Dr. Mencia violated the law and his Hippocratic oath to do no harm,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Richmond. “Health professionals who profit by prescribing poisonous opioids can expect to face the law’s full weight.”
According to evidence admitted at trial, Dr. Mencia ran Adult & Geriatric Institute of Florida lnc, d/b/a AGI Medical & Dental (AGI), in Oakland Park, Florida. Beginning in or around January 2014 and continuing through October 2017, Dr. Mencia, and office personnel Oscar Luis Ventura-Rodriguez, 41, of Ft. Lauderdale; Nadira Sampath-Grant, 51, of Margate, and John Mensah, 50, of Miami, conspired to perform sham consultations with cash-paying patients. The evidence showed that the true and intended purpose of the consultations was to improperly issue the patients’ prescriptions for opioids and narcotics, such as Oxycodone, OxyContin and Percocet, in exchange for cash payments. Pursuant to Dr. Mencia’s instructions, co-conspirators kept track of the drug-seeking patients by identifying them as “CS” (controlled substance) “patients.” On occasion, Dr. Mencia provided his co-conspirators pre-signed prescriptions to issue the “CS” patients prescriptions for controlled substances in his name. During the course of the conspiracy, Dr. Mencia was not providing a medically meaningful consultation but was in fact acting outside the scope of his professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose.
Ventura-Rodriguez, Sampath-Grant and Mensah previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by unlawfully distributing controlled substances. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced the conspirators as follows:
Dr. Mencia was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $4,800 forfeiture and $250,000 fine. Ventura-Rodriguez was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $396,428.18 in restitution, jointly and severally. Sampath-Grant was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $396,428 in restitution. Mensah was sentenced to time-served, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $132,142 in restitution.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, HHS-OIG and HSI. The Aventura Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department, and Miami Gardens Police Department assisted in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gilfarb of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Second Guilty Plea in Department Store Break-in, ATM & Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The second of two men charged with cutting their way through a roof into a Target department store in Smithfield, R.I., prying open an ATM inside the store and stealing more than $14,000, and cutting through a wall into a CVS Pharmacy located inside the store and stealing a controlled substance pleaded guilty today in federal court in Providence.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Liridon Gashi, 33, of Bronx, NY, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit larceny from a financial institution, bank larceny, conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, and burglary involving controlled substances.
Gashi’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Smithfield Police Chief Richard P. St. Sauveur, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
A co-defendant in this matter, Epirot Krasniqi, 27, of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty on May 11, 2018.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of October 10, 2017, Gashi and Krasniqi, equipped with hand tools and two-way radios, cut through the roof of the Target store and then forced open an ATM from which they stole $14,720. The two men then cut through the wall of a CVS Pharmacy inside the store, broke open a locked cabinet holding controlled substances and stole a prescription package of Oxycodone. The two men then fled to the roof of the store.
While the burglary and robbery were taking place, Smithfield police officers responded to a report of an electronic burglary alarm and began to search the premises. After discovering the hole in the roof, officers began searching approximately 30 air conditioning units located on the roof. The two men were found hiding inside separate air conditioning units. Also discovered inside the store and in various air conditioning units on the roof were the tools used in the break-in of the store and the ATM, the cash stolen from the ATM, and the drugs stolen from the pharmacy.
Krasniqi and Gashi were charged and arraigned in Rhode Island state court and released on bail. Federal arrest warrants were issued for both men following the return of a federal indictment on November 7, 2017. Krasniqi was arrested by FBI agents in New York that same day. Gashi was located and arrested by FBI agents in San Francisco, CA, on March 7, 2018.
Krasniqi is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on September 20, 2018. Gashi is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2018.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Denise M. Barton.
Gashi is detained in federal custody. Krasniqi is detained in Pennsylvania state custody awaiting trial for burglary and related charges in connection with a break-in at a Turkey Hill, Pa., convenience store that occurred on November 24, 2014.
The matter was investigated by the Smithfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task Force.
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