Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 24 August 2018
Queens Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin, Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Darnell D. Devaughn, age 33, of Long Island City, New York, was sentenced today to a year and a day in jail for distributing heroin and crack cocaine in Albany County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea in April, Devaughn admitted to distributing heroin and cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) in the Crossgates Mall parking lot on November 9, 2016.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Devaughn to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Prominent Southwest Washington Fishing Guide Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Disability Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A prominent Southwest Washington fishing guide was sentenced today in U.S. District court in Tacoma to twelve months and one day in prison for a long running disability fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. BILLY JIM SWANN, 53, was convicted on March 29, 2018, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan. Judge Bryan found SWANN guilty of perjury, wire fraud, and Social Security fraud for his 8-year scheme to obtain disability benefits to which he was not entitled. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Bryan said described SWANN’s activity as a “nefarious scheme” to “lie to get money from the federal government.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, SWANN applied for Social Security disability benefits in 2006, claiming that he had been disabled and unable to work since 2003. When Social Security denied his claim, SWANN appealed and swore before an administrative law judge that his only work activity was as a volunteer for a few weeks in the summer at an Alaska fishing camp. When SWANN’s claims for disability benefits were again denied, SWANN filed an appeal in U.S. District Court, again with numerous false claims about his alleged disabilities. SWANN claimed his disability interfered with his ability to walk, climb stairs and use his hands, and that he needed a cane to walk. SWANN claimed that the accident that caused his disability in 2003, also caused cognitive problems, limiting his ability to carry on a conversation.
Contrary to his claims, between 2006 and 2014, SWANN had a busy and successful business known as Swanny’s Guided Fishing. SWANN offered guided fishing trips in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. SWANN was featured on the cover of Northwest Sportsman Magazine, was sponsored by numerous outdoor equipment brands, and was a regular guest on fishing shows carried on the radio. In 2012, the year he told an administrative law judge that he had not worked at all, SWANN earned $92,503 via his fishing guide business. Investigators also found that, throughout this period, SWANN failed to pay any state or federal taxes on his income from his fishing guide business.
SWANN’s applications for benefits were repeatedly denied by the Social Security Administration. Had SWANN been successful in his scheme, he and his family would have collected more than $200,000 in benefits.
The fraud scheme was uncovered following a 2016 investigation of SWANN’s illegal conduct on the Cowlitz River. On October 1, 2014, SWANN led a promotional fishing trip on the Cowlitz River. The trip was broadcast over the internet. SWANN encouraged his clients to catch two native Coho salmon protected by the Endangered Species Act and Washington law. After his clients landed the fish, SWANN clubbed both of them and then cut off the adipose fins to make it appear they were hatchery fish and therefore legal to catch and keep. However, evidence of the catching and clubbing of the wild and protected fish was caught on the web broadcast, and the illegal conduct was reported to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. SWANN entered a guilty plea to violating the Endangered Species Act. In March 2017, SWANN was fined $7,500 for the federal misdemeanor conviction.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs. Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.
Prattville Man Receives Sentence of Almost Five Years for Shooting a CowRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, August 23, 2018, Byron Jamar Esco, 30, of Prattville, Alabama received a sentence of 57 months in prison for a illegally possessing a firearm and shooting a cow, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. The prosecution was the result of Esco senselessly using a firearm to shoot and kill a pregnant cow.
On November 29, 2017, Esco, who had been recently released from state prison, was driving his vehicle along country roads near Hope Hull, Alabama. As he drove, Esco, unprovoked, pointed his 9 millimeter handgun at a cow grazing in a field. Esco then fired the weapon and killed the cow, which was pregnant with a calf. Esco drove away. Before he could do so, though, the cow’s owner observed Esco’s vehicle and reported the shooting and the details of the getaway vehicle to law enforcement authorities. Early the following morning, a sheriff’s deputy found Esco driving the car. Inside the vehicle was the handgun used in the shooting.
Because Esco was previously convicted of felony offenses, he could not lawfully possess the firearm. Therefore, a grand jury charged Esco with being a felon in possession of a firearm and Esco later pleaded guilty to the crime.
At the sentencing hearing, Esco received an enhancement for possessing the firearm in furtherance of another felony offense—that felony offense being killing cattle livestock, in violation of Alabama law.
“We often assume that gun violence is a problem that exists only on city streets,” said United States Attorney Franklin. “Sadly, even a rural area can be the scene of needless violence, as this case demonstrates. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to make every part of this district—from city streets to country roads—safe.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case was a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Drug Law ViolationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on August 15 and unsealed yesterday, named Vernon Jackson, 49, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about March 8, 2018, Jackson possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $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 criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Raymond Erfort has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The indictment, returned on August 21 and unsealed today, charges Erfort, age 42, of Pittsburgh, with (1) possession with intent to distribute cocaine on December 13, 2017, and (2) possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction on December 13, 2017.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $2,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Brentwood Police Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Making False Statements to Federal AgentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on August 23, 2018, United States District John M. Gerrard sentenced Rita K. Scott to probation for a term of 1 year with special conditions for making false statements to a federal agent in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). Scott filed a false claim contesting the forfeiture of a truck titled to Scott but used by her son, Chris Hicks, during unlawful transactions involving guns and drugs. An ATF investigation revealed that Hicks purchased the truck with $17,000.00 cash and asked the prior owner to send the title to Scott. Scott later called an ATF agent asking for the location and status of the truck, and claimed she purchased the truck for $12,000.00 earned jointly with her husband.
The case was investigated by the Omaha office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Minor Role in Cocaine Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Coshocton, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months in jail on his conviction of violating money laundering laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Guadalupe Cortez Beserra, 30.
According to information presented to the court, Beserra conspired to commit money laundering by transferring and delivering approximately $914,190.00 in U.S. currency representing the proceeds of the buying, selling and otherwise dealing in cocaine from an Erie, Pennsylvania drug dealing operation. According to the information provided to the court, Beserra received the money from the organization’s drug dealing operation in Erie, and was instructed to count the money and repackage it in vacuum-sealed bags for further transport. Investigators seized the money after conducting a search of a residence in Coshocton, Ohio. The money seized by the investigators is subject to forfeiture.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Coshocton County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beserra.
Nineteen Foreign Nationals Charged for Voting in 2016 ElectionRead the Press Release
Multiple Defendants Voted In More Than One Election
WILMINGTON, NC – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina today announced that nineteen foreign nationals were charged with, among other crimes, voting by alien for their actions prior to and on November 8, 2016. A twentieth defendant was charged with aiding and abetting a fellow defendant in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote.
A federal grand jury in Wilmington, North Carolina returned an Indictment charging the following foreign nationals with false claim of United States citizenship in order to register to vote, and voting by an alien:- Jose Cruz Solano-Rodriguez, age 41, of Mexico;
- Guadalupe Espinosa-Pena, age 63, of Mexico;
- Sarah Emilia Silverio-Polanco, age 35, of the Dominican Republic;
- Elizabeth Nene Amachaghi, age 44, of Nigeria;
- Maria Rufina Castillo-Boswell, age 31, of Philippines;
- Dora Maybe Damatta-Rodriguez, age 64, of Panama;
- Elvis David Fullerton, age 54, of Grenada;
- Olive Agatha Martin, age 71, of Guyana; and
- Kaoru Sauls, age 54, of Japan.
Separately, criminal charges of voting by an alien were filed against the following foreign nationals:- Jose Jaime Ramiro-Torres, age 52, of El Salvador;
- Juan Francisco Landeros-Mireles, age 64, of Mexico;
- Alessandro Cannizzaro, age 46, of Italy;
- Dieudonne Soifils, age 71, of Haiti;
- Hyo Suk George, age 69, of Korea;
- Merius Jean, age 54, of Haiti;
- Rosemarie Angelika Harris, age 60, of Germany; and
- Daniel Tadeusz Romanowski, age 39, of Poland.
Also, a federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned an Indictment charging an eighteenth defendant, Diana Patricia Franco-Rodriguez, age 26, of Mexico, with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and voting by an alien.
Additionally, a federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned an Indictment charging Denslo Allen Paige, age 66, with aiding and abetting Espinosa-Pena in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote.
Separately on August 14, 2018, Ramon Esteban Paez-Jerez, age 58, of the Dominican Republic, was charged and pleaded guilty to a two-count Criminal Information charging him with passport fraud and voting by an alien.
According to the Criminal Information, Paez-Jerez in 1988 was ordered deported from the United States and failed to appear for his scheduled removal. According to court records, Paez-Jerez assumed a fraudulent identity and applied for amnesty. Paez-Jerez in 1989 was granted lawful permanent status under the false identity and in 1999 was naturalized contrary to law as a United States citizen. On July 7, 2007, Paez-Jerez registered to vote in North Carolina under his fraudulent identity.
On September 16, 2009, Paez-Jerez made a false statement in an application for a United States passport when he applied under the fraudulent identity and failed to disclose his real name.
On November 8, 2016, Paez-Jerez illegally voted in the General Election of 2016 in Wake County, North Carolina, knowing he had illegally obtained United States citizenship.
Paez-Jerez faces maximum penalties of eleven years’ imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for the term of court commencing on December 11, 2018, in New Bern, North Carolina.
If convicted of false claim of United States citizenship in order to register to vote, and voting by an alien, Amachaghi, Castillo-Boswell, Damatta-Rodriguez, Espinosa-Pena, Fullerton, Martin, Sauls, Silverio-Polanco, and Solano-Rodriguez, would face maximum penalties of six years’ imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of voting by an alien, Cannizzaro, George, Harris, Jean, Landeros-Mireles, Ramiro-Torres, Romanowski, and Soifils would face maximum penalties of twelve months imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and voting by an alien, Franco-Rodriguez would face maximum penalties of twenty-six years imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of aiding and abetting in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote, Denslo Allen Paige would face a maximum imprisonment term of five years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments and Criminal Informations are merely accusations. An Indictment is a formal written accusation originating with the United States Attorney and issued by a Grand Jury against a party charged with a crime. A Criminal Information is a formal written accusation filed directly by the United States Attorney. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated under the newly created framework of the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina lead by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, and assisted by Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service. The investigation as to voting fraud is ongoing.Native Mob Gang Member Charged with Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering, Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a six-count federal indictment against DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 29, for attempting to murder an individual in retaliation for their testimony given at an official court proceeding. LAFAVE, who was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will remain in detention pending further proceedings.
According to the allegations in the indictment, LAFAVE is a member of the Native Mob gang, a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threats of violence in order to preserve and protect power, territory, reputation, and profits of the enterprise. Members and associates of the Native Mob meet regularly to discuss, among other things, acts of violence and crimes committed against rival gang members, gang rules and by-laws, law enforcement interactions, and to share with one another the identities of individuals who might be cooperating with law enforcement and propose actions to be taken against those individuals.
According to the allegations in the indictment, on or about October 27, 2017, LAFAVE, using a firearm, attempted to murder an individual with the intent to retaliate against that person for their testimony given at an official court proceeding. LAFAVE, who was previously convicted of three violent felonies and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time, is subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, which carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state and local law enforcement to specifically target and combat gun and gang crimes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter.
Defendant Information:
DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 29
Fond du Lac, Minn.
Charges:
- Attempted murder in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Witness retaliation, 2 counts
- Using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence, 1 count
- Felon in possession of ammunition – armed career criminal, 1 count
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monticello Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Quinn Alexander Haworth, 23 years old, of Monticello, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Haworth was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 15 years supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, between February 2016 and February 2017, Haworth downloaded child pornography from various websites and forums including peer-to-peer networks. Over the course of several years, Haworth collected over 4,000 still images and over 350 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of infants and toddlers engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
###
Montgomery “Pill Mill” Doctor Receives a 145- Month Sentence for Drug Distribution, Health Care Fraud, and Money Laundering Offenses; “Pill Mill” Mental Health Counselor Pleads Guilty in Related CaseRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, August 23, 2018, Dr. Gilberto Sanchez, 56, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 12 years and 1 month in prison for prescribing unnecessary controlled substances to his patients, committing health care fraud, and laundering money, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr.
For years, Dr. Sanchez operated a medical practice located at 4143 Atlanta Highway in Montgomery. At that practice, Dr. Sanchez gave patients prescriptions for controlled substances knowing that the patients did not need the medicine and would, in fact, abuse the drugs. Among the drugs Dr. Sanchez unnecessarily prescribed were dangerous opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. Dr. Sanchez also gave out illegitimate prescriptions for amphetamines, including Adderall, and benzodiazepines, including Xanax.
To ensure that his scheme was a profitable one, Dr. Sanchez required his patients to return to his office each month and undergo physical examinations before receiving prescription refills. These office visits were unnecessary, as their only purpose was to facilitate Dr. Sanchez giving the patients illegitimate prescriptions. Nevertheless, Dr. Sanchez performed these unnecessary examinations so that he could get money from the patients’ insurance companies. This scheme led to Dr. Sanchez’s health care fraud conviction.
The money laundering charges stem from Dr. Sanchez’s spending the proceeds of his operation of a pill mill. Court documents describe Dr. Sanchez using those proceeds to purchase at least one vehicle and one personal residence located in Montgomery.
When he imposed the sentence, United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson told Dr. Sanchez that he was imposing the strong sentence because of the significant toll Sanchez’s criminal conduct took in the lives of Dr. Sanchez’s patients and employees. The judge noted that many of the patients were unusually vulnerable due to drug addictions. Judge Thompson also stressed the amount of money Dr. Sanchez obtained from his scheme, which was at least $3.5 million dollars.
Also on Thursday, a licensed professional counselor, Johnnie Chaisson Sanders, 48, of Wetumpka, Alabama, pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Court documents state that Sanders worked for Dr. Sanchez and, with Dr. Sanchez, participated in a fraudulent moneymaking venture. Specifically, Dr. Sanchez falsely told patients that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) required any person who received a prescription for a controlled substance to undergo mental health counseling. The DEA had no such requirement. Dr. Sanchez then referred the patients to Sanders. After Sanders provided counseling to a patient, Dr. Sanchez billed the patient’s insurance company for the counseling service. Sanders knew that Dr. Sanchez would do this. Nevertheless, Sanders would collect cash payments directly from the patients. As a result, Dr. Sanchez and Sanders got paid twice for the same services.
“A license to practice medicine does not give a doctor permission to be a drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Franklin. “This white coat criminal poured poison into this community for years and will never know nor be able to undo the harm Dr. Sanchez inflicted upon his patients and their loved ones. We hope that this strong sentence will send a message deter other doctors who might follow Dr. Sanchez down the path of putting profit over care.”
“A doctor takes an oath to do no harm, but Sanchez actively harmed his patients and their families.” stated Bret Hamilton, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge. No one knows the number of lives that Sanchez destroyed for his own gain. Just because you have a medical degree, you can still be nothing more than a common drug dealer.”
“Sanchez put his patients’ lives at risk and decided to abuse his medical privileges in order to line his pockets,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS- Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue doctors and their employees who illegally divert prescription medications.”
“It’s reprehensible that a doctor entrusted with caring for his community would push unnecessary drugs on patients, knowing full well the ramifications of opioid abuse,”said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “Dr. Sanchez continuously put his financial gain above the health and safety of our local residents. HHS-OIG continues to focus resources on those who divert prescription medication for profit and abuse.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI). The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Montgomery County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners; the Montgomery, Alabama Police Department; and the Opelika, Alabama Police Department all assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and R. Rand Neeley prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Role in Painkiller Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A Michigan resident has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiring to possess and distribute opiate pain killers, oxycodone and oxymorphone, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Kavon Dawkins, 24, of Clinton Township, MI.
According to information presented to the court, Dawkins participated in a criminal network of drug dealers that obtained opiate painkillers and then illegally distributed them to users in the Pittsburgh area. He served as a key source of bulk quantities of opiate pills for a network of dealers in Pittsburgh. Dawkins obtained the pills from unknown source of supply in Detroit and then transported significant amounts of pills from Detroit to dealers in the Pittsburgh area. He was arrested in a traffic stop on his way back to Detroit from Pittsburgh, in possession of more than $13,000 in cash, multiple cellular telephones, and a loaded magazine for a handgun.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the New Castle Police Department and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dawkins.
Michigan Couple SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Ricky R. Wadsworth and Shannon Brown were sentenced on August 23 and 24, respectively, by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for transferring a firearm to a felon and illegal possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Wadsworth, age 47, from Sturgis, Michigan, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for transferring a firearm to a felon.
Brown, age 37, from Union City, Michigan, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents in this case, for several months in 2014, Brown and Wadsworth talked to a convicted felon about selling firearms to him. Brown and Wadsworth’s efforts culminated in Brown finding a supplier and making available seven firearms of various types to a buyer who was a convicted felon. Brown and Wadsworth offered several firearms, but they only sold one to him, a Norinco Model SKS 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle equipped with a folding bayonet, extended magazines, and 132 rounds of ammunition. The sale took place in the middle of the day in a grocery store parking lot in Michigan City, Indiana.
Brown has three felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, two convictions for possession of marijuana, and one conviction for purchasing precursors to make methamphetamine. Wadsworth has eleven prior felony counts of conviction and seven misdemeanor counts of conviction, including trafficking or possession of controlled substances, theft, burglary, and weapons offenses.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the Hammond Police Department, Michigan City Police Department and New Buffalo Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly.
###
Mexican Nationals Illegally Residing in Kentucky Convicted in Large Cocaine-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three Mexican Nationals illegally residing in Louisville, Ky. were sentenced today, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. A federal jury found Imanol Pineda Penaloza, 37, and Efrain Villa Villanueva, 24, guilty in May 2018. A third defendant, Sergio Aguilar Piedra, 25, entered a plea of guilty to the same charges. Imanol Pineda Penaloza was sentenced to a term of 340 months, while Efrain Villa Villanueva was sentenced to 200 months. Sergio Aguilar Piedra was previously sentenced to 125 months.
The evidence at trial established that all three men participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy from November 2015 until March 2018. In 2015, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit with the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant, at an address on Lonan Court in Lexington, and seized nearly 19 kilograms of cocaine, approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency and two firearms. In 2016 and 2017, the defendants continued to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and other drugs, in Louisville and elsewhere. The amount of cocaine involved in the conspiracy was approximately 100 kilograms.
Each defendant must serve 85% of his federal prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, each defendant will face deportation to Mexico.
“The defendants were responsible for distributing an enormous amount of cocaine, and the significant sentences imposed underscore the seriousness of their illegal conduct,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The investigation and prosecution were successful because of the good work of and cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement, and I commend their efforts.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police; and Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentences.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ellis Arkie Sago, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to serve ten months in custody, five of which are to be served in prison and the remaining five in a halfway house, for assaulting a federal officer. Sago will be on supervised release after completing his custodial sentence.
The BIA arrested Sago on Feb. 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer. According to the criminal complaint, Sago was arrested on tribal charges after he assaulted a BIA officer. Sago committed the assault on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., on Sept. 9, 2017, by kicking the officer in the legs while the officer was arresting Sago.
Sago subsequently was indicted on April 18, 2018, and was charged with assaulting a federal officer in Otero County on Sept. 9, 2017.
On May 30, 2018, Sago pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Sept. 9, 2017, he assaulted a BIA officer by kicking the officer in the legs.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Merrillville Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Steven Ruschak, 31 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Ruschak was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, between September 2012 and October 2015, Ruschak downloaded and received child pornography from the internet, including the dark web. Over the course of several years, Ruschak collected over 9,000 still images and over 200 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and Michigan City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
###
Mercer County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Felon in Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a rural Mercer County, Ill., man, Steven Austin Adams, 27, to seven years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Adams was ordered to remain on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. Adams has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested in July 2017.
On March 14, 2018, Adams, of Keithsburg, Ill., plead guilty to illegally possessing a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol in March 2016. Adams admitted that he possessed the gun in connection with his drug trafficking activity. Agents seized the gun from Adams’ bedroom where it was located in close proximity to drugs and drug dealing paraphernalia such as scales and baggies. At the time Adams possessed the gun, he had a prior felony conviction for meth conspiracy in 2012 in Mercer County.
The case was investigated by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Quad Cities Federal Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko prosecuted the case in cooperation with the Mercer County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Memphis Man has Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin Resulting in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – David Mitchell Murray of Memphis has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death. Also indicted as a co-defendant in this case is Glenda Aldape, 48, of Cordova. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea and indictment today.
According to information presented in court, on the evening of March 28, 2016, the victim, Sean Heywood agreed over the phone to buy half a gram of heroin from Aldape for $75. Aldape texted Sean that she was sending "Mitch" (later identified as 38-year-old David Mitchell Murray) to deliver the heroin. Sean lived with his father, mother and grandmother at the time.
At 10 p.m., Sean told his father he was going to a nearby Huey’s location to have a beer. Surveillance tape showed Sean entering the bar area of the restaurant a few minutes after 10 p.m. and having one beer. During this period, he spoke on the phone with Mitch at least twice. The tape then shows him leaving the restaurant. After a few minutes, he left the bar and got into a car with Mitch, who then sold the heroin to Sean. Mitch then drove Sean home.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Sean’s father found Sean unresponsive on the bathroom floor. Memphis emergency personnel arrived at the house and pronounced Sean dead at 1:02 a.m. Law enforcement also responded and tagged all of the items as evidence – a plastic bag of heroin in his pocket, syringe, spoon and 0.19 grams of heroin, and Sean’s cell phone. The autopsy results concluded the cause of Sean’s death was a lethal dose of heroin.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our district-specific opioid strategy, heroin distribution cases resulting in death receive top priority for investigation and federal prosecution, regardless of quantity of heroin involved or the prior criminal record
of the offender. Our Heroin Initiative also provides time-sensitive case coordination between law enforcement agencies and medical examiners, to ensure that opioid overdose death cases are investigated quickly and thoroughly to identify the nature and source of the drug distribution. Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute and seek the maximum guidelines sentences in these cases in order to disrupt trafficking organizations, hold the distributor accountable for the death of the victim, and to deter others from selling poison to our citizens."
Sentencing is set for November 2, 2018, before U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. Mitchell faces a minimum of 20 years up to life imprisonment.
This case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit (OCU).
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Media Advisory-Read the Press Release
WHEN: Monday, August 27, 2018 at 3:00 PM
WHERE: Terry Stanford Federal Building
310 New Bern Avenue
Room 158
Raleigh, NC 27601
Re: Sentencing of Medical Doctor Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Oxycodone
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the sentencing of DONOVAN DAVE DIXON. DIXON was a medical doctor at the time of the offenses and he was convicted on April 16, 2018, after a four-day jury trial, of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Oxycodone and twenty (20) counts of Unlawful Distribution of Oxycodone outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad based in Charlotte began investigating DIXON when they noticed that four (4) of the top ten (10) oxycodone prescribing pharmacies for the State of North Carolina were located in the Lumberton, NC area. The local pharmacists as well as local and state law enforcement identified DIXON as the likely cause.
This case is a key component of the Take Back North Carolina Strategy to combat violent and drug crime in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative brings the full weight and resources of the federal court system in the fight against crime in this District.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. we anticipate members of law enforcement agencies involved with this case to be present at this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information please e-mail Don Connelly at [email protected]. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
Massena Felon Sentenced to 180 Months for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Jevar Sturridge, age 25, and a citizen of Jamaica residing in Massena, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possessing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute them, and for possessing a loaded handgun and shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered that Sturridge serve an 8-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
As part of his April 10, 2018 guilty plea, Sturridge admitted that on February 15, 2017, he possessed 48 grams of crack cocaine, 42 grams of powder cocaine, and 42 grams of heroin in his apartment in Massena. Sturridge, who has 2 prior drug felony convictions, further admitted to possessing, in his apartment, a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun and a loaded Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Massena Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Emmet O’Hanlon.
Maryland Man Sentenced to a Decade in Prison for Sexually Exploiting 12-Year-Old Girl over the InternetRead the Press Release
A Rockville, Maryland man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for sexually exploiting a minor over the internet, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. field office.
Jose Adalberto Sandoval Quinonez, 26, a laborer, previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga presided over the sentencing and ordered Sandoval Quinonez to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Sandoval Quinonez initiated contact with the 12-year-old victim over Instagram and the two later began chatting over Google Hangouts. Over the course of several months in 2017, Sandoval Quinonez groomed, persuaded, and enticed the minor to engage in sex acts, including sexual intercourse. In addition, he repeatedly asked her to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of herself, and he succeeded in persuading her to send him such a photo. Sandoval Quinonez also sent the victim an obscene image of his genitals. During these interactions, Sandoval Quinonez, who was 25 at the time, pretended to be 16 years old.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Washington, D.C. with the assistance of the Manassas Park Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Manchester Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession and Heroin Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RUFUS HOWELL, 40, last residing in Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to gun possession and heroin distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 21, 2017, HOWELL was arrested after a search of the car he was operating in Hartford’s North End contained a loaded Hi-Point 9mm pistol, approximately 14 grams of combined heroin and fentanyl, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana.
HOWELL’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions, and a federal felony narcotics conviction in 2005. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
HOWELL pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, an offenses that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for November 16, 2018.
HOWELL has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Manassas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Producing Pornography of Children in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for paying women to sexually abuse children in the Philippines via a web camera while he directed and produced numerous images of the abuse.
On April 9, Dwayne Stinson, 53, a communications technician, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. According to court documents, from at least October 2011 until February 2012, Stinson used an electronic payment service to pay women in the Philippines he was chatting with to sexually abuse children while he directed the abuse. He admitted that some of the children were as young as six or seven years old. The defendant contemporaneously produced numerous screenshot images of the abuse and stored them on his computer for years.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department and Northern Virginia/District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-211.
Man Arrested at Peace Bridge on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Ibrahim Dirweesh, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that Ibrahim Dirweesh was apprehended by officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection working at the Peace Bridge after being referred to secondary inspection. That secondary inspection revealed videos of child pornography located on Dirweesh’s cell phone.
The defendant made an initial appearance on August 23, 2018, before United States Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Judge Schroeder ordered Dirweesh detained following a detention hearing.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director Rose Brophy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Major Fentanyl Distributor Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Hyattsville, Maryland man pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area.
According to court documents, Donnell Leroy Williams, 54 (also known as “Bubbles”), his son, Antonio Donnell Shelton, 30 (“Little Bubbles”), and Demetrius Antonio Johnson, 37 (“Bake”), worked together to distribute several different types of controlled substances, including fentanyl, a highly dangerous narcotic. During the course of the conspiracy, Williams and his co-conspirators had the ability to obtain large quantities of fentanyl, and they routinely sold fentanyl and other highly addictive drugs to customers at locations in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Beginning in May 2017, an undercover Fairfax County detective conducted several deals with Williams, eventually working his way to purchasing a ½ kilogram of fentanyl from Williams for $40,000. On November 7, 2017, the FBI arrested Williams and searched his apartment in Hyattsville. Inside the apartment, FBI agents found a large quantity of fentanyl pre-packaged for distribution. Agents also found large quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun.
Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on November 30. Williams is the last member of the drug conspiracy to plead guilty. Johnson and Shelton pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Tyler McGaughey and David A. Peters are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-30.
Lexington Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Damine Alexander Green, 42, of Lexington, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of more than 28 grams of crack cocaine.
In the course of his guilty plea, Green admitted that, on May 2, 2018, he sold more than an ounce of crack cocaine. Green also admitted that he sold crack cocaine on two other occasions in Lexington.
Green had previously been convicted of three felony offenses for trafficking in cocaine, including being convicted of being a Persistent Felony Offender, in Fayette County, prior to the commission of this offense and was on parole at the time he committed this.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West.
Green is currently scheduled to appear for sentencing before United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, on December 7, 2018. Green faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of sentences.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017, as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, local strategies to reduce violent crime.
Leader of Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 16 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The leader of a sprawling drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, from California to Florida to Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison, as part of a coordinated law enforcement takedown codenamed Operation Tin Panda that to date has resulted in the conviction of 39 defendants on federal firearms and drug charges.
“These cases underscore the insidious intersection between drugs, guns, and gangs,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mr. Carew’s interstate drug trafficking operation not only supplied drugs to violent members of the Bloods gang, but also engaged in the wholesale distribution of drugs to armed street-level dealers in Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, and elsewhere along the East Coast. The Operation Tin Panda takedown in December 2017 involved over 300 agents and officers from 16 law enforcement agencies, providing a powerful example of the benefits that flow from the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement.”
According to court documents, Nasiru Carew, 36, of Dale City, pleaded guilty on April 13 to conspiring to distribute over 1,000 kilograms (or 2,200 pounds) of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) edibles since 2012. Carew, who entered the United States as a refugee in 1994, was the leader of a major drug trafficking conspiracy that supplied violent gang members of the Imperial Gangsta Blood set of the United Blood Nation gang, and other non-gang customers. Carew shipped marijuana grown in California to supply his operation in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, and he also coordinated the distribution of THC-laced edibles to sub-distributors in Virginia and elsewhere. A majority of Carew’s business came from supplying wholesale quantities of these drugs to co-conspirators, who were themselves street-level dealers. Many of these co-conspirators distributed controlled substances while armed with firearms.
From 2012 through 2017, the conspiracy netted hundreds of thousands of dollars, much of which was used to purchase luxury vehicles and jewelry, or was laundered through casinos. For example, during a court-authorized search of the defendant’s residences, law enforcement recovered approximately $19,500, as well as gold and diamond jewelry and a BMW i8 vehicle estimated to cost over $100,000.
“Operation Tin Panda has resulted in numerous guns removed from the hands of gang members and drugs taken off the streets of our neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland,” said Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office. “This operation demonstrates the FBI’s ability in coordination with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle significant drug operations, removing the threat posed by the street level dealer to the national level gang leaders.”
“ATF’s top priorities are to protect the public and remove violent criminals from our streets,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Operation Tin Panda reiterates ATF’s and its federal, state and local law enforcement partners’ commitment to pursuing and bringing to justice those that seek to disrupt communities and harm law abiding citizens.”
Carew was arrested in the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2017, when over 300 law enforcement agents and officers executed a coordinated takedown as part of Operation Tin Panda. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office began Operation Tin Panda in the spring of 2017. In collaboration with federal and local law enforcement, investigators and prosecutors began jointly investigating Blood gangs and other drug distributors involved in violent crime and other criminal activity in northern Virginia. Multiple criminal acts were tied to gang and drug activity, including homicide, malicious wounding, robbery, shootings, and drug and firearms distribution. During the course of this investigation, more than 40 individuals throughout Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California, who were illegally selling firearms and controlled substances or were involved in other criminal acts, were arrested on federal firearms and drug charges.
Operation Tin Panda also resulted in the seizure of over 95 firearms, $150,000 in cash, nine vehicles with an estimated value of over $300,000, and approximately 3 pounds of cocaine base, 10 pounds of cocaine, 7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 4 pounds of ecstasy, 227 pounds of marijuana, and 79 pounds of THC.
Operation Tin Panda was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets and Violent Gang Task Force. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Stafford County Sherriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, King George County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during the operation.
Operation Tin Panda was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Carew’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Colleen E. Garcia prosecuted the case.
For more information, please see the table below, which lists the name, age, hometown, respective charge(s), and resulting or potential sentence for each federal defendant charged as part of Operation Tin Panda.
Name, Age, City
Conviction(s)
Result
Sade Anglin, 28, Woodbridge
Maintaining a Drug Premises.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on Aug. 31.
Ishmil Hardwick, 25, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life on Aug. 31.
Rashourn Niles, 37, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, and 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life on Sept. 7.
Raheem Kelly, 39, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years on Sept. 7.
Michael Lederer, 31, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Faces a maximum of 10 years on Sept. 14.
Tarvell Vandiver, 29, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, 100 grams or more of Heroin, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces 20 years on Sept. 28.
Montreus Peterson, 23, Stafford
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base
Faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life on Oct. 19.
Tyus Terrell, 22, Woodbridge
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Faces a maximum of 10 years on Dec. 14.
Jorge Lozada, Jr., 22, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life.
Frederick Preston Gaarsoe Turner, 36, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 40 years.
Nasiru Carew, 35, Dale City
Conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 16 years.
Bassam Hassan Ramadan, 31, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 16 years.
Cory Patterson, 34, Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute one kilogram or more of Heroin, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Marcus Andrei Harris, 27, Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Brandon Edler, 23, Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 12 years.
Cydrick Delrosario, 58, Springfield
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 11 years.
Chennor Bah, 30, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 10 years.
Anthony Lozada, 18, Woodbridge
Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 10 years.
Devon Byrd, 26, King George
Possession of THC with the Intent to Distribute, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 112 months.
Teodoro Gonzales, 37, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of a Mixture of Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 9 years.
Tayvon Patterson, 24, Elkridge, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 90 months.
Ja’vell Johnson, 26, Falls Church
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 6 years.
Jerry McAllister, 42, Laurel, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Mark Ketter, 39, Alexandria
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Nathaniel Bruce Cobbold, 27, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Jamar Cox, 30, Hyattsville, Maryland
Use and Carry of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Deion Wright, 25, Alexandria
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Kelvin Bennett, 27, Washington, D.C.
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Ezana Demisse, 25, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Alpha Kamara, 20, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Orean Anthony Hayden, 29, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Bryan Matthews, 19, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Shannon Marie Sisney, 44, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 50 months.
Izeah Williams, 31, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 38 months.
Robert Evans, 27, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute THC.
Sentenced to 30 months.
Tavon Bailey, 27, District Heights, Maryland
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 30 months.
Tavon Ferguson, 24, Triangle
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 27 months.
Derek Harden, 22, Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 18 months.
Kaitlyn McCabe, 19, Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 6 months.
Samantha Winter, 22, Culpepper
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm, False Statement to a Licensed Firearms Dealer.
Sentenced to 2 years of probation.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
Laurens Man Gets 10 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Keandre Armon Connor, age 37, of Laurens, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Connor to a total term of 120 months in federal prison followed by supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on October 6, 2016, Laurens County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at Connor’s residence and located over 500 grams of cocaine and multiple firearms.
The case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff's Office along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
#####
Keshena Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that Ricki A. Mahkimetas, Jr. (age: 25), of Keshena, was sentenced on August 22, 2018 to 200 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release after a conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The sentence was the result of a June 1, 2018, guilty plea before Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.
The investigation revealed that Mahkimetas, an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, engaged in sexual contact with a Native American female who was under the age of 12. Mahkimetas caused the girl to have contact with his penis for the purpose of his own sexual gratification. Further investigation led to the discovery of at least two other Native American females under the age of 12 with whom Mahkimetas engaged in sexual contact.
In sentencing Mahkimetas, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, which he described as “horrendous.” Chief Judge Griesbach also observed the impact the offense had on the victims’ families and the Menominee Indian community as a whole. The court also noted Mahkimetas’ abuse of trust, of both the child victims and their parents.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
# # # # #
For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at 414 297-1700
Justice Department Obtains $410,000 Settlement of Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Tinley Park, Illinois, for Refusing to Approve Low-Income Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it settled a lawsuit against the Village of Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, alleging that it violated the Fair Housing Act when it refused to approve a low-income housing development in response to race-based community opposition.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2016, alleged that the Village of Tinley Park discriminated against prospective tenants of a proposed development when it refused to approve the project, despite the Tinley Park Planning Department’s finding that the project was in “precise conformance” with the applicable building requirements. Under Tinley Park’s zoning ordinances, Tinley Park’s Plan Commission should have approved the project and allowed construction to begin. Instead, the lawsuit alleged that in response to race-based community opposition, Tinley Park trustees requested the Plan Commission table consideration of the project. The Plan Commission did so, stalling the project indefinitely.
Under the settlement, the Village will pay a total of $360,000 in monetary damages to the Village’s former planning director who was placed on leave because of her support for the project, as well as a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, the Village will also take a number of actions to guard against further housing discrimination, including training elected officials and individuals involved in the planning process, developing a fair housing policy, and hiring a fair housing compliance officer. The developer of the property reached a separate settlement with the Village in April 2017.
“Increasing access to housing, including through affordable housing, is important to the development of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws, and protect against discrimination, including on the basis of race, with respect to access to affordable housing.”
“Access to housing free from discrimination is a right afforded to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. “This settlement is an example of our office’s continuing effort to enforce anti-discrimination laws that protect those rights.”
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination practices may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or a lawsuit in federal or state court. Individuals must file their complaint with HUD within one year of a housing discrimination incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of an incident. For more information about housing discrimination laws, call (202) 514-4713 or visit the Department of Justice website at https://www.justice.gov/crt/housing-and-civil-enforcement-section
Justice Department Obtains $410,000 Settlement of Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Tinley ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced that it settled a lawsuit against the Village of Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, alleging that it violated the Fair Housing Act when it refused to approve a low-income housing development in response to race-based community opposition.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2016, alleged that the Village of Tinley Park discriminated against prospective tenants of a proposed development when it refused to approve the project, despite the Tinley Park Planning Department’s finding that the project was in “precise conformance” with the applicable building requirements. Under Tinley Park’s zoning ordinances, Tinley Park’s Plan Commission should have approved the project and allowed construction to begin. Instead, the lawsuit alleged that in response to race-based community opposition, Tinley Park trustees requested the Plan Commission table consideration of the project. The Plan Commission did so, stalling the project indefinitely.
Under the settlement, the Village will pay a total of $360,000 in monetary damages to the Village’s former planning director who was placed on leave because of her support for the project, as well as a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, the Village will also take a number of actions to guard against further housing discrimination, including training elected officials and individuals involved in the planning process, developing a fair housing policy, and hiring a fair housing compliance officer. The developer of the property reached a separate settlement with the Village in April 2017.
“Increasing access to housing, including through affordable housing, is important to the development of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws, and protect against discrimination, including on the basis of race, with respect to access to affordable housing.”
“Access to housing free from discrimination is a right afforded to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. “This settlement is an example of our office’s continuing effort to enforce anti-discrimination laws that protect those rights.”
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination practices may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or a lawsuit in federal or state court. Individuals must file their complaint with HUD within one year of a housing discrimination incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of an incident. For more information about housing discrimination laws, call (202) 514-4713 or visit the Department of Justice website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/index.html.
Jury Convicts Bank Employee of Aiding and Abetting RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old Houston woman for the
robbery of the International Bank of Commerce (IBC) in June 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Mary Mosley following a three-day trial.
At trial, the jury heard that Mosley was as employee at IBC bank in Houston when she gave her then boyfriend, Kendrick Miller, and his brother, Kenneth Glenn, inside information regarding bank operations and procedures. Mosley informed Miller how much money was in the vault, that it took two people to open it and information about when security would arrive.
On June 9, 2016, Miller, Glenn and Mosley’s cousin - Xavier Cain showed up ready to commit the robbery as planned. However, when Mosley and her co-worker arrived early on that morning, the front doors of the bank would not open.
Mosley then told the robbers she had left the back door unlocked so they could enter the building. Miller and Glenn entered the bank with a handgun. Glenn then ordered Mosley’s co-worker to the ground at gunpoint and ordered Mosley and her co-worker to open the vault. Miller, Glenn and Cain drove away with the money from the vault.
Miller, 29, Cain, 27, and Glenn, 24, all of Houston, have previously for their roles in the robbery and are awaiting sentencing. They each face up to 25 years in prison. Miller and Glenn face additional penalties for related firearms offenses. They all remain in custody pending those hearings.
Mosley’s sentencing is set for Dec. 4, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas. At that time she faces up to 25 years in prison. She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Houston Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Celia Moyer prosecuted the case.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Sex Abuse Videos and Images over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Christopher Michael Picher (26, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to receiving over the internet videos and images depicting child sexual abuse. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Picher has been detained since his arrest on March 22, 2018.
According to court documents, in early 2018, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI conducted an undercover child exploitation investigation and determined that an account with an online data storage company and an account with a popular online mobile messaging app were both being used to receive, distribute, and store child pornography. These accounts were traced to email addresses used by Picher and residences where Picher had lived in 2017 and 2018.
On March 22, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Picher’s last known residence in Jacksonville. Picher had moved out of this home the day before and had taken his smart phone with him. Further investigation revealed that Picher had relocated to a different residence in Jacksonville. Agents traveled to that residence, where they encountered Picher asleep on the couch. His smart phone was located and recovered.
During an interview, Picher stated that he had been using his smart phone for at least one year, that he had viewed child pornography using the particular mobile messaging app, and that he knew that pictures of child pornography could be posted within the group or that users could send private messages. Subsequent forensic analyses of Picher’s phone revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and at least 1,486 images of child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson County Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
Anthony I. Hunter, a/k/a "Shug," 29, of Murphysboro, Illinois, was sentenced earlier this week to 84 months in federal prison for a firearm offense, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Hunter previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that, on October 4, 2017, officers from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Murphysboro Police Department approached Hunter to place him under arrest for an active warrant. When the officers searched Hunter incident to arrest, they located a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol in his waistband. Because Hunter has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. At sentencing, Hunter received sentencing enhancements because the firearm was stolen and because Hunter possessed firearms in connection with a drug distribution offense.
The investigation was conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Jackson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROY DAVID MELANCON, age 40, of Independence, Louisiana, pleaded guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a one-count Indictment charging him with receipt of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at MELANCON’S residence on February 20, 2018. During the execution of the search warrant, special agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation seized electronic items including one cellular telephone and one Amazon Kindle Fire tablet that contained images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that MELANCON used them to search for, download, and save images and videos of child pornography. Some of the child victims depicted in the materials possessed by MELANCON were less than three (3) months old. Agents determined that MELANCON also sought and traded images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children via a cell phone application. The forensic examination located not fewer than 1,000 images and 200 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children on MELANCON’S digital devices.
MELANCON faces a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. He can also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for November 15, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of prosecution.
Grant County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Trafficking in MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Ryan McNerney, 41, of Dry Ridge, Ky., was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
McNerney pled guilty, in May 2018, and admitted to distributing between 50 and 150 grams of methamphetamine, in May 2017. McNerney sold significant amounts of crystal methamphetamine to an informant, on four occasions that month, and he admitted to additional sales of the drug.
Under federal law, McNerney 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 five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; and Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tony Bracke.
Goldsboro Man Sentenced to 34 Years for Hobbs Act Robbery, Possession of a Firearm in Futherance of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced WARREN L. BAKER, 32, of Goldsboro, North Carolina to 408 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
BAKER was charged in an Indictment on May 24, 2017, with Hobbs Act robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. On March 12, 2018, BAKER pled guilty to the charges.
On February 7, 2017, at approximately 4:20 am, BAKER robbed the Starbucks at 1445 Walter Reed Road, Fayetteville, NC. BAKER brandished a firearm at two employees who were opening the front door for business. After ordering them inside and confronting another employee at gunpoint, BAKER took $1,597 from a safe along with a portfolio binder and Starbucks electronic cards. He dropped two .380 caliber rounds during the robbery. Before fleeing, BAKER forced the employees into a store restroom. A Fayetteville Police K-9 unit then tracked BAKER to the Extended Stay Hotel across the street. Officers observed BAKER leaving the hotel office entering a vehicle with a holstered firearm on his hip. After arresting BAKER, officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered a Glock, .380 caliber firearm, a backpack, and clothes matching those used during the robbery. The backpack contained money from the robbery. In a hotel trashcan, officers located the portfolio binder, containing BAKER’S fingerprints, and a Starbucks register drawer taken during the robbery. BAKER’s girlfriend, who was with him in the vehicle, possessed Starbucks electronic cards in her purse.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney James J. Kurosad handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Former head of Cleveland’s demolition department charged with soliciting and accepting bribes from contractorsRead the Press Release
The former head of the City of Cleveland’s demolition department was charged in federal court with soliciting and accepting bribes from contractors in exchange for preferential treatment.
Rufus Taylor, 60, was charged in a criminal information with one count of bribery in a federally funded program and one count of extortion.
According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court:
Taylor was employed by the City of Cleveland as Chief of its Demolition Bureau. He was responsible for assigning “board-up” of vacant properties to contractors, emergency demolition jobs, and conducting inspections, which had to take place before a contractor could be paid, among other duties.
Taylor and a person identified in the charges as Contractor 1 met in November 2013 to discuss a demolition job on Parkwood Drive. The two agreed that Contractor 1 would pay Taylor $8,000 in cash in return for Taylor putting Contractor 1 on the bid list.
Contractor 1 was awarded the bid. Contractor 1 gave Taylor approximately $3,000 in cash on Dec. 4, 2013. Contractor 1 paid Taylor the additional $5,000 by November 2015.
Taylor notified Contractor 1 about an emergency demolition job on East 123rd Street and Coltman Road around October 2015. Taylor asked Contractor 1 for $12,000 in exchange for notifying Contractor 1 about the job.
Contractor 1 was awarded abatement work for the premises but never paid Taylor the $12,000.
Taylor provided bid numbers to Contractor 2 for a pending demolition job on Cedar Avenue around Aug. 20, 2015. Contractor 2 paid Taylor approximately $5,000 in cash in exchange for this information around Oct. 26, 2015.
On May 7, 2016, Taylor provided Contractor 2 the names of companies bidding on a demolition job on East 130th Street. On May 10, 2016 – the last day of the bid – Taylor called Contractor 2 and informed Contractor 2 of the then-current lowest bid on the project.
Contractor 2 gave Taylor approximately $500 in cash on May 25, 2016. Taylor contacted Contractor 2 on July 21, 2016 and said he needed some “stacks.” Contractor 2 gave Taylor approximately $300.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said: “Public contracts should go to the most qualified bidder, not the best connected. We will remain vigilant and public employees who take bribes will be brought to justice.”
“Our citizens are entitled to decisions based on the best interests of the public, not the best interests of corrupt public officials and bribe-paying contractors,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony said. “The FBI is committed to ensure that those that violate the public trust are held accountable.”
“The charges disclosed today prove our continuing resolve to root out fraud and corruption in all forms, especially when the programs involved should have been used to help our neediest families,” said Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “It is our continuing core mission to work with our Federal law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our housing programs and to take strong action against those who seek to personally benefit from taxpayer-funded grants.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea S. Rice and Elliot Morrison.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.Former Church Employee Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former church maintenance worker pleaded guilty in federal court today to arson after setting a fire at Concord Cultural Center in Kansas City, Mo., and spray-painting racist graffiti on the front of the adjoining church, Concord Fortress of Hope, in an effort to cover up his burglary.
Nathaniel D. Nelson, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charge contained in a Nov. 16, 2017, federal indictment.
Nelson was a member of the church who was employed as a maintenance worker at the church and cultural center, located at 11040 W. Longview Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. Firefighters were called by a church employee and responded to the cultural center on Sunday morning, Oct. 29, 2017. A fire had occurred in an office inside the building but a sprinkler had activated and extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of firefighters. Investigators concluded that an office chair and other ordinary combustible material had been intentionally ignited using an open flame.
According to the church’s insurance company, the fire, fire suppression efforts, and other damage resulted in payouts to date in excess of $330,000. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Nelson must pay restitution, which will be determined by the court at the sentencing hearing.
Investigators also discovered racist graffiti spray-painted on the front of the church. A racial slur, the letters “KKK” and a symbol similar to a swastika were visible from the main entrance into the parking lot as members of the congregation arrived at the church for Sunday morning services.
Nelson admitted he set the fire to conceal his breaking into the church offices and vending machines. Nelson also admitted he spray-painted the outside to further conceal his identity.
The digital video recorder for the video surveillance system that monitored the foyer area and the cultural center’s interior and exterior cameras was unplugged and no longer recording when examined by investigators. Investigators determined that the DVR system lost power sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, and had been intentionally unplugged.
A review of the DVR system revealed that Nelson was in the foyer area shortly before the DVR system was deactivated. A second DVR, which was still powered on, recorded the video surveillance footage for the interior and exterior cameras located inside and outside of the church, which were separate from the cameras located in the cultural center and foyer. The second DVR captured video footage of Nelson spray painting the front of the church. Nelson admitted he deactivated one DVR to hide his actions and identity. He did not know that video was being recorded on a separate system inside the church, which captured him spray-painting the outside of the building.
Under federal statutes, Nelson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2019.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Fifth Defendant Arraigned in Takeover-Style Bank Robbery in Meriwether County, GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – D'Asis Sheffield, 20, of Greenville, Ga., the final defendant of a five-member armed robbery conspiracy, was arraigned yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III following Sheffield’s arrest on federal charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Sheffield and his four co-defendants, Antavious Bray, 29, of Greenville, Ga., Derrick Scott, 26, of Manchester, Ga., Dontavius Prather, 22, of Greenville, Ga., and Shaneka Copeland, 35, of Manchester, Ga., were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 15, 2018.
“Sheffield attempted to evade capture after terrorizing innocent victims and endangering their lives during this armed robbery,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Fortunately, thanks to the assistance of the public and the hard work of law enforcement, Sheffield and his co-defendants will now have to answer for their crimes. This case demonstrates that all citizens play an important role in keeping our communities safe.”
According to United States Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Three of the defendants, Sheffield, Bray, and Scott, allegedly entered United Bank in Woodbury, Georgia, shortly after noon on June 28, 2018. The robbers had covered their faces to disguise their identities, and they were armed with two handguns and a semi-automatic rifle.
After entering the bank, the men ordered two bank employees to lie face down on the floor. Bray allegedly stood over them with the semi-automatic rifle, while Scott and Sheffield pointed handguns at a teller and demanded that she fill a backpack with money. The men then exited the bank through a back door, but thanks to the quick response of the City of Woodbury Police Department, their getaway driver, Prather, fled before he could pick up Sheffield, Bray, and Scott. At that point, the three robbers ran into the nearby woods on foot.
After hiding in a nearby house for several hours, Bray and Scott were captured by the FBI. Sheffield, the third robber, remained unidentified and at large until local news stations played a clip of him in the backyard of a residence without his face concealed by a mask. Several tipsters then identified Sheffield, who the FBI arrested shortly thereafter.
D'Asis Sheffield, Antavious Bray, Derrick Scott, and Dontavius Prather, were charged with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Bray and Scott were additionally charged with possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. Shaneka Copeland was charged with being an accessory after the robbery.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Bret R. Hobson is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Jury Convicts Colombian International Cocaine SmugglerRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Carlos Arturo Cuerro Borja (51), a Colombian national, guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on that vessel. Cuerro Borja faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, Cuerro Borja was part of an international maritime drug smuggling operation involving approximately 240 kilograms of cocaine bound for the United States. Cuerro Borja was the load guard for a Manta, Ecuador-based cocaine smuggling crew. While in international waters, hundreds of miles off the coast of Mexico, Cuerro Borja and his crew offloaded eight bales of cocaine to a Sinaloa, Mexico-based smuggling go-fast vessel. They then joined the Mexican crew for the run to Sinaloa, after scuttling their vessel in the Pacific Ocean.
On October 10, 2017, a U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft spotted the go-fast vessel speeding towards Mexico. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ASPEN and its crew launched two over-the-horizon boats to catch the go-fast smuggling vessel crewed by Cuerro Borja and his five co-conspirators. The ASPEN crew seized cartel cocaine smuggling equipment and approximately 102 kilograms of jettisoned cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Palermo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas DeRenzo.
Fall River Man Ninth Charged in Investigations of Cocaine Shipments from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Fall River man who allegedly made repeated trips to Puerto Rico to obtain and ship significant quantities of cocaine to Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service has been indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
A federal grand jury in Providence returned a two-count indictment on Thursday charging David J. Knight, 47, with conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver more than one kilogram of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Raymond D. Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
According to information presented to the Court during Knight’s arraignment today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, it is alleged that between June 1, 2016, and April 11, 2017, Knight, in coordination with others, made several trips to Puerto Rico for the purpose of purchasing kilograms of cocaine, that were then packaged and shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in Rhode Island.
Knight is the ninth person charged in a series of ongoing investigations by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents to identify and interrupt the delivery of packages of narcotics shipped through the U.S. mail to addresses in Rhode Island, to identify individuals responsible for making the shipments and to identify the intended recipients of the packages.
To date, U.S. Postal Inspection agents have documented more than 100 packages shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island, which contained 300 grams or more of cocaine.
Knight was released on unsecured bond.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
###
Ex-Teamsters Union Officials Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement and FraudRead the Press Release
Scott D. Alexander, 56, and Nancy L. Alexander, 52, from Belleville, Illinois, have each been sentenced to a year in prison as a result of their convictions for embezzlement and theft from a labor union and wire fraud, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Their sentences will be satisfied by six months in prison, to be followed by six months home incarceration with electronic monitoring and three years of supervised release.
From January 1, 2012, through June 30, 2016, Scott Alexander was the president / business agent of the Union Local 50 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. His wife, Nancy Alexander, was the Local’s office administrator. During that time, the Alexanders embezzled and converted Union funds by using the Union’s credit card to make personal purchases. They also manipulated their payroll withholdings in order to increase their net pay at the Local’s expense, received more vacation pay than earned, received salary while on vacation, and received additional auto allowance payments.
At their sentencing, the loss to the Teamsters Local 50 was determined to be $66,855.33. Some of the money was repaid prior to sentencing. As part of their sentence, the Alexanders were ordered to pay back $44,576.04 in restitution to the union.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Escapee from Federal Confinement Sentenced to One More Year in PrisonRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former inmate of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and 1 day on his conviction of escape from federal custody, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Ghassan Saleh, 66. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the 70 month sentence Saleh was serving at the time of his escape.
According to information presented to the court, on June 30, 1997, Saleh escaped from F.C.I. McKean while he was serving a term of imprisonment imposed by the Eastern District of Michigan for his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. Saleh escaped from prison and then fled the United States for Lebanon where he remained as a fugitive.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution and the United States Marshal’s Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Saleh.
Erie Man Charged with Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count indictment named Terry Chase White, 50, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, White received and possessed computer images and movies depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Entertainment Industry Business Manager Convicted of Defrauding Celebrity Clients, Bankruptcy Fraud, Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury has convicted Kevin R. Foster, 42, of Montclair, N.J., of 16 charges related to a fraud scheme. He was found guilty of wire fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion and filing false tax returns.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Richard E. Zuckerman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the verdict reached after a trial that began Monday before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
This case stems from the prior prosecution of Thomas E. Jackson and Preston J. Harrison, who collected approximately $9 million from investors under false pretenses to start and market the sports beverage “OXYwater” through their company, Imperial Integrative Health Research and Development (“Imperial”). The two were convicted by a federal jury in March 2015 of multiple wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud charges.
Foster, as the principal of his management/accounting firm, Foster & Firm, Inc., and as business manager for Shaffer Smith (“Ne-Yo”), induced Smith to invest $2 million into OXYwater under false representations. Unbeknownst to Smith, Foster invested an additional $1.5 million of Smith’s money into the product without his consent and fraudulently took out $1.4 million in lines of credit under Smith’s name by forging his signature.
Foster also defrauded a second celebrity client, Brian McKnight, as a way to secure money to help keep Imperial solvent.
Foster also stole millions of dollars from Smith and McKnight’s bank accounts in order to fund the operations of OXYwater as well as his own lavish lifestyle, including multiple luxury vehicles, a personal driver, designer watches, and season tickets to the New York Giants and New York Knicks.
Smith and McKnight agreed to invest in the company, not knowing that Foster was receiving a substantial commission based on their investments,that he served as an officer/controller of Imperial, and that he controlled an Imperial bank account.
In addition, Foster failed to report on his 2012 and 2013 tax returns the millions of dollars that he stole from Smith and McKnight. He also claimed millions of dollars in bogus deductions in order to further reduce his tax liability.
Foster was charged in an original, seven-count indictment in July 2016. A superseding indictment containing 10 counts was returned in November 2017. The final, second superseding indictment added six more charges in May 2018.
U.S. Attorney Glassman and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim and Department of Justice Tax Division Trial Attorney Jason M. Scheff, who are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Entertainment Industry Business Manager Convicted of Defrauding Celebrity Clients, Bankruptcy Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Columbus, Ohio has convicted Kevin R. Foster, 42, of Montclair, NJ, of 16 charges related to a fraud scheme. He was found guilty of wire fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion and filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; and Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division.
This case stems from the prior prosecution of Thomas E. Jackson and Preston J. Harrison, who, according to court documents, collected approximately $9 million from investors under false pretenses to start and market the sports beverage OXYwater through their company, Imperial Integrative Health Research and Development (Imperial). The two were convicted by a federal jury in March 2015 of multiple wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud charges.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Foster, as the principal of his management/accounting firm, Foster & Firm, Inc., and as business manager for Shaffer Smith, a/k/a Ne-Yo, induced Smith to invest $2 million into OXYwater under false representations. Unbeknownst to Smith, Foster invested an additional $1.5 million of Smith’s money into the product without his consent and fraudulently took out $1.4 million in lines of credit under Smith’s name by forging his signature.
Foster also defrauded a second celebrity client, Brian McKnight, as a way to secure money to help keep Imperial solvent.
Foster also stole millions of dollars from Smith and McKnight’s bank accounts in order to fund the operations of OXYwater as well as his own lavish lifestyle, including multiple luxury vehicles, a personal driver, designer watches, and season tickets to the New York Giants and New York Knicks.
Smith and McKnight agreed to invest in the company, not knowing that Foster was receiving a substantial commission based on their investments, that he served as an officer/controller of Imperial and that he controlled an Imperial bank account.
In addition, Foster failed to report on his 2012 and 2013 tax returns the millions of dollars that he stole from Smith and McKnight. He also claimed millions of dollars in bogus deductions in order to further reduce his tax liability.
Foster was charged in an original, seven-count indictment in July 2016. A superseding indictment containing 10 counts was returned in November 2017. The final, second superseding indictment added six more charges in May 2018.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica H. Kim and Department of Justice Tax Division Trial Attorney Jason M. Scheff, who are prosecuting the case.
Dubuque Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Prison for Meth Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A man who trafficked at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine in the Dubuque, Iowa, area was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison.
Derek Richard Rath, age 35, from Dubuque, received the prison term after an August 23, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine near a school and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing established that in June 2016, Rath obtained the phone number of codefendant Anthony Robert McCarron in Phoenix. Shortly after, Rath and McCarron agreed that Rath would pay McCarron to ship packages of ice methamphetamine to several addresses in Dubuque. McCarron mailed at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine to Rath between July 2016 to July 2017.
Rath paid for the methamphetamine by mailing packages of cash to McCarron. In all, Rath and McCarron mailed at least 56 packages, sometimes using aliases on the shipping labels. They also wired thousands of dollars to each other with MoneyGram, Western Union, and Walmart2Walmart.
Rath was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Rath is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 17-CR-1042-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Home Invasion in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Rousseau, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for burglarizing a house in Northwest Washington and then riding off in the family’s car, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Rousseau was found guilty in January 2018 of charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, and unauthorized use of an automobile. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Rousseau was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 10, 2016, Rousseau was stalking the 5100 block of 7th Street NW, looking for a house to burglarize. After going up and down the block, he located an unlocked rear deck door. He entered this house, which was occupied only by a teenager and three small sleeping children. The teenager was getting ready for bed and showering in the basement bathroom. She heard footsteps upstairs, but mistakenly believed that it was the rest of the family returning to the house.
Only later, when the teenager heard Rousseau peel off in the family’s MINI Cooper sedan, did she realize that a burglar had been inside. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and canvassed the neighborhood. An exterior fingerprint at the home helped lead to Rousseau’s identification. In addition, MPD was able to recover surveillance footage from security cameras belonging to neighbors on the block. The surveillance footage showed the same person, and the footage from the driveway showed that person driving off with the car. Rousseau was arrested 10 days after the crime. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement recovered a cellphone from Rousseau’s house that included a picture of the defendant wearing the same outfit shown in the surveillance footage.
At the time of this offense, Rousseau was on probation for a prior burglary offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso, Stephen Rickard, Veronica Sanchez, and Denise Cheung; Paralegal Specialists Donice Adams and Crystal Waddy; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel, who secured the indictment in the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Manzo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pled guilty yesterday to federal drug trafficking and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Kyle Keith Russell, 22, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Stuart praised the investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“Gun-toting drug dealers shouldn’t be anywhere near a college campus,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Nothing keeps me up at night but our efforts should be keeping drug dealers up at night wondering when, not if, we’ll show up at their door to introduce or, too often, reintroduce them to the criminal justice system. I can assure you that our drug task forces, campus police, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are working every day with my team of prosecutors to put drug dealers behind bars and keep our schools and communities safe.”
On August 30, 2017, an agent with MDENT arranged to meet Russell’s co-defendant, Baylee Gibson, of Charleston, and purchase two ounces of methamphetamine. The agent had spoken to Gibson on the telephone and had arranged the price and quantity.. Gibson told the agent to meet her at a parking lot just off the campus of West Virginia State University. Gibson met the agent, retrieved the buy money, and met Russell on the WVSU campus. This was the site of previous methamphetamine sales by Gibson with Russell as her source of supply. Agents then executed a search warrant on a house Russell was using to store drugs near the campus. They seized an additional 2 ounces of methamphetamine. Russell was arrested and found to have a loaded 9 mm handgun in a backpack, along with over $3700 in cash, some of which was used in the undercover buy earlier that day.
United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.
Gibson previously pled guilty and is pending sentence. Russell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 to 40 years imprisonment on the drug charge and a 5 year consecutive sentence on the firearm charge.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
###