Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 14 August 2018
Porcupine Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Dre Red Feather, age 26, was sentenced on August 10, 2018, to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Feather was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury on August 8, 2017. The charge related to Red Feather discharging a firearm at another male at Pine Ridge on July 30, 2017. Red Feather is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, based on a previous felony conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer in 2012.
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.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Red Feather was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Picayune Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Patrick Johns, 46, of Picayune, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 160 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in Picayune, Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Johns pled guilty on January 11, 2018 to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was part of a five-person indictment against a group of individuals who were distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the Picayune area. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased cocaine from Johns on two occasions and methamphetamine on two other occasions. Johns was also held accountable as a supplier to one of his co-defendants, Antonio Irwin. Irwin was sentenced on March 30, 2018 to 128 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.
Philadelphia Woman Indicted for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Saudia Shuler, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged today by indictment with six counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, and two counts of social security fraud.
According to the indictment, the defendant applied for benefits from the Social Security Administration, claiming she was disabled and unable to work. After Social Security approved the benefits, the defendant allegedly continued working, including operating her own restaurant. This work and income were never reported to Social Security, in violation of program rules. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of $36,785.67.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 140 years’ incarceration, a period of supervised release, full restitution to the government of $36,785.67, a fine, and a special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Woman Charged with Stealing $160,000 in Social Security Benefits, Federal Student Financial AidRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Allentown, Pennsylvania, woman was arrested this morning for allegedly stealing $136,879.24 in social security benefits and over $23,000 in federal student financial aid, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Martha Aguilar, 56, a former resident of Middletown, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with one count each of theft of government funds, social security fraud, false statements in furtherance of social security fraud, and student loan fraud. She will appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.
According to the indictment:
From November 2004 to January 2015, Aguilar collected approximately $136,879.24 in social security benefits that she was not entitled to receive. During that time, Aguilar indicated in forms to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she was completely disabled and unable to work.
However, Aguilar regularly worked during that 10-year time period as a paralegal for various law firms and attorneys. Aguilar also fraudulently applied for and received temporary disability from the state of New Jersey totaling $13,622 and unemployment benefits from the state of New Jersey totaling $103,738, all of which she concealed from the SSA. Overall, Aguilar failed to report over $470,000 in benefits and income she received from November 2004 to January 2015.
In addition, Aguilar falsified her son's applications for federal student financial aid by indicating she had no income other than social security benefits. As a result, her son was given $23,195 in federal financial aid that he was not entitled to receive.
The theft of government funds count is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The false statement and social security fraud counts are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The student loan fraud count is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the SSA, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of John F. Grasso; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Debbi Mayer; and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Division of Fraud Prevention & Risk Management-Special Investigations Unit, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Orchard Park Woman Charged with Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dolores Plumer, 39, of Orchard Park, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between June and July of 2017, the defendant on three occasions sold cocaine to an individual working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. On August 3, 2017, DEA special agents executed a search warrant at Plumer’s residence at 5125 Berg Road in Orchard Park and recovered digital scales with suspected cocaine residue and a box of plastic baggies for drug packaging.
The defendant made her initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
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.
North Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Online Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A Madison man known on the internet’s dark markets as OlympusXans, or OX, pled guilty today in federal court to conspiracy to traffic drugs, including fentanyl, and to possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez.
JOSEPH WILLIAM DAVIS, 25, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala. A federal grand jury indicted Davis on the drug-trafficking and firearms charges in May. According to the indictment, Davis conspired in 2016 and 2017 to traffic methamphetamine, Alprazolam and fentanyl in Madison and Cullman counties. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 19.
“Fentanyl overdose deaths continue to soar in the United States while drug traffickers hide behind their computers, ordering up potent synthetic opioids and other drugs from the darkest corners of the internet,” Town said. “The Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office know how to unmask these criminals and send them to federal prison without the refuge of parole.”
“Dangerous life-threatening drugs have no place in the U.S. Mail,” Gonzalez said. “This case should serve as a deterrent by reminding criminals that postal inspectors and their law enforcement partners continuously strive to keep the U.S. Mail safe.”
Davis acknowledged in his guilty plea that he used encrypted internet chats to arrange smuggled shipments of illegal drugs, which he arranged to be delivered to addresses in Madison County via U.S. Mail.
One package seized during the investigation in 2017 contained 10,580 pills containing Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication. Another package contained 602 Alprazolam pills and 611 pills containing fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin.
For purposes of sentencing, Davis was deemed responsible for distributing, possessing with intent to distribute and conspiring to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, 2.81 grams of cocaine, and more than 80,000 units of Alprazolam, according to his plea.
The penalty for the conspiracy charge is 10 years to life in prison and a maximum $10 million fine. The penalty for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes is five years to life in prison, served consecutively to any other prison term imposed, and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Postal Inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Huntsville-Madison County STAC, and the Cullman County Sheriff's Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Keim is prosecuting.
###
Newark Physician Faces up to 60 Years in Prison Following Guilty Plea to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Dr. David Blasczak, 69, of Newark, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to three counts of receiving child pornography. The charges carry a combined maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a physician at the Clyde Family Health Center in Clyde, NY. Between September 1, 2015, and January 18, 2018, Blasczak subscribed to a website from his home that offered child pornography for purchase. The defendant created an account and purchased images and videos of child pornography which were emailed to Blasczak. The images and videos depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct with adults and other children, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers subjected to sexual abuse. In total, the defendant received and/or possessed approximately 2557 images and 78 videos depicting child pornography.
In addition to receiving images and videos of child pornography, as part of his plea agreement with the government, Blasczak also admitted to the following:
• Between approximately 1990 and 2000, Blasczak hosted slumber parties at his home which were attended by minor females between the ages of seven and 12. On several occasions, the defendant entered the room in which the minor females were sleeping, manipulated their clothing, and subjected them to sexual contact. This behavior typically consisted of Blasczak touching private areas of the minors’ bodies. The defendant also took photographs of the minors’ exposed private areas when he was able to remove their clothing. Blasczak engaged in as many as 40 different incidents of such sexual conduct involving approximately eight to 10 minor females.
• The defendant also stole children’s underwear from various places, including a friend’s house, for his sexual gratification.
• In his position at the Clyde Family Health Center, Blasczak took nude photographs of the genitals of multiple minor female patients at his medical office. The defendant represented to parents that the photographs were needed for a “study,” which was neither sanctioned, funded, nor approved by any official medical body or learning institution. During a search of the defendant’s medical office, Homeland Security Special Agents discovered prepubescent child sex dolls, and novels that the defendant wrote concerning the sexual abuse of children.
During the course of the investigation, Homeland Security Special Agents conducted interviews with close to 30 individuals who were exposed to some type of inappropriate conduct by the defendant.The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2018, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
Nampa Man Sentenced to Prison on Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Peter Albert Rodriguez, 28, of Nampa, was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye ordered that upon completion of that sentence, Rodriguez serve an additional three years of supervised release. A federal grand jury indicted Rodriguez on December 12, 2017.
According to court records, in October 2017, law enforcement agents used a confidential informant to purchase three firearms and marijuana from Rodriguez. Agents later executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s residence and vehicle. Inside the vehicle, agents located three additional firearms. Rodriguez is a gang member and has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.
The indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Nampa Police Department, and the Boise Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
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.
# # #
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 210 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Michael Scott Barber, age 22, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for his role in the break in and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer, announced U.S Attorney Kirsch.
Barber was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release on federal charges. The federal sentence is to be served consecutively with two separate state sentences.
According to documents in this case, Barber was convicted by jury of theft of firearms from a FFL, being a felon in possession and possession of one or more stolen firearms after a three-day trial that concluded on May 9, 2018. On February 9, 2017, Barber went to hunting supply store in Shipshewana, Indiana to scope out the store for the best way to break in and steal firearms. Barber and two accomplices drove to the store in the middle of the night. Barber and one of the accomplices broke into the store and stole fifteen firearms and a crossbow. Over the next several days, Barber distributed some of the stolen firearms to others. The day after the break in, Barber returned to the area of the theft in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve a firearm that he had dropped when he fled the store. Law enforcement recovered eight of the stolen firearms, one in Chicago during the arrest of a person suspected of shooting another in the chest and another that was used in a Chicago Heights armed robbery committed by a person who was on parole for second degree murder. Seven of the guns are still missing. Barber has previously been convicted of second degree home invasion in Michigan along with burglary, theft and auto theft in Indiana. Before being apprehended on these charges, Barber committed and was convicted of assault by strangulation and assault with intent to commit great bodily harm in Michigan. Ten days after breaking into the Shipshewana located FFL, Barber fled from and attacked a Michigan state trooper.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, Shipshewana Police Department, Middlebury Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department, and St. Joseph County Drug Investigation Unit. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly.
###
Minkler calls for reduction in gun violence in IndianapolisRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative targets the most violent offenders while collaborating with community members, business leaders and faith-based groups
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today a meeting he held in his office with members of the Indianapolis community to help reduce gun violence. The meeting was held to discuss Project Safe Neighborhoods on ICE, an initiative linking the federal prosecutor’s office with members of (I) Individual Community Members, (C) Council of Private Sector Partners and (E) Evangelical and faith-based members.
“Law enforcement alone cannot stem the violent crime trend alone, it takes us all,” said Minkler. “If we broaden our base of those vested in the problem by force-multiplying our strengths, we can make a difference.”
The Department of Justice has identified Indianapolis as a city with 2.5 times the national average for violent crime. To date Indianapolis has experienced 91 criminal homicides and approximately 275 non-fatal shootings; an unacceptable statistic for a vibrant city like Indianapolis. To help reduce the violent trend, Minkler has assigned an Assistant United States Attorney to each of the IMPD Districts to focus federal resources on the most violent criminals using guns to terrorize our neighborhoods. Working with IMPD’s District Commanders, the ultimate goal is to reduce the number of criminal homicides and non-fatal shootings. To date approximately 150 federal defendants face criminal charges which carry more significant penalties and helps to insure safer neighborhoods.
Today’s meeting introduced members of varying groups from Indianapolis to brainstorm other ideas for violence reduction. The group’s task was to identify the Big Picture Goal, Identify the Problem, Solutions to the Problem and what Action Steps are needed.
The meeting also included Ms. DeAndra Yates-Dycus whose son DeAndre Knox was shot in 2014, while attending a friend’s birthday party. DeAndre was shot in the head and survived but is not able to speak or walk and is confined to a wheel chair. In addition, Ms. Cheree Sampson spoke to the group. Her 14-year-old son Daron Johnson was shot and killed in June of this year while attending a birthday party in Lawrence. Both were very powerful speakers that brought home the point that their lives are forever changed.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who engage in violent crime using firearms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 2.3
###
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Benigno Godinez-Cortez, 45, of Ahuacuotzingo, Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported.
According to court records, on July 10, 2018, the defendant entered the United States illegally from Canada by crossing a railroad trestle near Calais. U.S. Border Patrol agents located the defendant shortly after he entered. He is a citizen of Mexico who had been deported after his arrest in 1994 on immigration charges and did not have immigration documents allowing him to enter.
The defendant faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery of a Charleston BankRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced that Cory Ray Christie, age 38, of Guyton, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for bank robbery. On August 23, 2017, Christie pleaded guilty to bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). Evidence presented in court established that on August 17, 2016, Christie entered the South State Bank on Savannah Highway in Charleston. Christie entered the bank, approached the teller, and stated “just give me the money and no one gets hurt.” Christie stole approximately $2,880. The bank’s surveillance system captured Christie during the robbery and officers were able to obtain a description of his vehicle, which was tracked travelling south on Savannah Highway. After his arrest, officers found a shirt matching the shirt worn by the robbery suspect in Christie’s car and shoes matching the suspect’s shoes at Christie’s home. Further, cell site records confirmed that Christie’s phone was located very close to the coordinates of the South State Bank at the time of the robbery. Christie’s phone search history indicated that on the same day as the robbery, his cell phone was used to conduct a google search of “Charlestown sc bank robbery.”
On August 10, 2018, United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Christie to 240 months imprisonment. Citing Christie’s 16 prior bank robbery convictions, Judge Gergel imposed the maximum penalty under the law. At sentencing, Judge Gergel recognized that Christie robbed the South State Bank only a few months after his release from a 137-month federal prison sentence for bank robbery.
The City of Charleston Police Department investigated the case in conjunction with the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
#####
Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Violate U.S. Sanctions Against SyriaRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A Walnut man has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to export U.S.-origin tactical gear to Syria in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Syria Sanctions.
Rasheed Al Jijakli, 57, a Syrian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty Monday before United States District Judge James V. Selna.
In a plea agreement filed in this case, Jijakli admitted that, from April 2012 through March 2013, he conspired with other individuals to export tactical gear, including U.S.-origin laser boresighters, day- and night-vision rifle scopes, and other items from the United States to Syria.
Jijakli and one of the co-conspirators purchased the tactical gear, and on July 17, 2012, Jijakli traveled with the tactical gear from Los Angeles to Istanbul, Turkey with the intent that it would be provided to Syrian rebels training in Turkey and fighting in Syria. Jijakli provided some of the equipment, specifically the laser boresighters, to a second co-conspirator, who Jijakli learned was a member of Ahrar Al-Sham. Jijakli also provided the goods to other armed Syrian insurgent groups in Syria and Turkey.
In total, Jijakli and his co-conspirators provided at least 43 laser boresighters, 85 day rifle scopes, 30 night-vision rifle scopes, tactical flashlights, a digital monocular, five radios, and a bulletproof vest to Ahrar Al-Sham and other Syrian rebels in Syria, or with knowledge that the tactical gear was going to Syria.
Further, in August and September 2012, Jijakli directed co-conspirators to withdraw thousands of dollars from Palmyra Corporation, a check-cashing services company where Jijakli was the chief executive officer, to pay for tactical gear for Syrian rebels.
Judge Selna is scheduled to sentence Jijakli on December 4, at which time he will face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
This case is the product of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Takla of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and DOJ Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Possessing and Viewing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Derrick Coffin, 36, of Lincoln, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. to 20 years in prison and supervised release for life for possessing child pornography and accessing child pornography with the intent to view it. He was also ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. Coffin pleaded guilty on March 12, 2018.
According to court records, on March 18, 2016, Coffin possessed hundreds of child pornography images on his laptop computer that were discovered during a probation check at his home. Coffin was subject to an enhanced sentence due to a prior conviction for gross sexual assault.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Lincoln and Bangor Police Departments, the State of Maine Probation & Parole Office, and the Maine State Police and 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. 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.
Liberian National Sentenced for Resisting and Injuring Federal Officer During Removal ProcessRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Liberian national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for resisting a federal officer at Logan International Airport. The defendant struck deportation officers, injuring one, as the officers attempted to facilitate the defendant’s removal from the United States.
Mohammed Kenneh, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In January 2018, Kenneh pleaded guilty to one count of resisting a federal officer.
“The public needs to be aware that this office will aggressively pursue a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in cases involving physical assaults on agents and officers who enforce our Nation’s federal immigration laws,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Working in an increasingly politicized and hostile environment, these men and women are simply doing their jobs.”
“Individuals who think they can get away with assaulting ICE Deportation Officers should think again,” said Rebecca J. Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Boston. “This case powerfully demonstrates the priority that our justice system places not just on the enforcement of federal immigration law, but on the importance of protecting the dedicated men and women who put their lives on the line every day to enforce those laws.”
Between 2002 and 2012, Kenneh, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was served with four restraining orders, issued by three different women. In 2015, Kenneh was convicted of violating a restraining order and sentenced to one year in jail; and in 2008, Kenneh was convicted of breaking and entering and sentenced to probation. His convictions rendered him deportable, and he was ordered removed by an immigration judge in Boston in July 2016.
On Aug. 29, 2017, two deportation officers assigned to accompany Kenneh to Liberia, began the removal process. When the officers attempted to process Kenneh for removal, he was verbally disruptive and physically resisted. The officers then handcuffed Kenneh and escorted him to a van for transport to Logan International Airport.
Upon arrival at the airport, Kenneh refused to exit the van. When one of the officers entered the van to remove Kenneh, he became physically aggressive. Kenneh used his shoulders and head to strike the officer, knocking him to the floor. Kenneh then wrapped his handcuffs around the officer’s wrist and twisted them forcibly. As a result of the physical altercation, the officers aborted the removal proceedings and returned Kenneh to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
USA Lelling and Interim Field Office Director Aducci made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Using Internet to Attempt to Entice Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, who previously admitted to attempting to entice minors to permit him to engage in illicit sexual conduct, has been sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood sentenced Timothy Mark Poynter, II, 33, for using the Internet, with his cellular telephone, to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor, to engage in sexual activity.
According to the plea agreement, Poynter previously admitted to communicating with two different undercover law enforcement agents, who both responded to an ad Poynter posted on Craigslist.com. One undercover officer portrayed himself as the father of a 14-year old step-daughter, and the other officer posed as the mother of an 11-year old daughter. Poynter engaged in conversations during which he indicated his interest in engaging in sexual intercourse with both of the fictitious minors. He traveled to a meeting place in Lexington, designated by the undercover officer posing as the father, on April 26, 2017. Poynter admitted that he was the person who had been communicating with the officer, and that those communications contained sexually explicit conversations.
Poynter pleaded guilty to the charge in May of 2018.
Under federal law, Poynter must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for the remainder of his life.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Steven Igyarto, Resident Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; Rick Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, and Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Electronic Crimes Branch of the Kentucky State Police, and the Cyber Crimes Branch of the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Marye represented the federal government in the case.
Leader of International Drug Money Laundering Organization Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JESUS RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ was sentenced today to 30 years in prison by United States District Judge Katherine B. Forrest in Manhattan federal court. RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ ran an international money laundering business with ties to Mexico, Italy, Hungary, Panama, and China, facilitating the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of drug cartels in Mexico and Central America. Through a web of front companies, shell bank accounts, and money couriers throughout the United States and Europe, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ successfully laundered in excess of $250 million, directly facilitating the trafficking of massive quantities of narcotics throughout the world.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Jesus Rodriguez-Jimenez led an international money laundering operation that handled the proceeds of cocaine and heroin trafficking by Mexican and Central American cartels. The Rodriguez-Jimenez organization laundered more than a quarter of a billion dollars in illegal drug trafficking proceeds through front companies, sham bank accounts, and money drops in several U.S. cities. Thanks to the efforts of the DEA, Rodriguez-Jimenez will now spend considerable time in prison for his crimes.”
According to the charging and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ’s sentencing proceeding:
Since July 2013, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) has been investigating JESUS RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ’s international money laundering organization and its cartel clients, which together have been involved in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin, among other narcotics, and laundering narcotics proceeds through a variety of methods, including through a network of shell corporations under their control. To date, the investigation has resulted in charges against eight defendants, including the successful extradition of alleged high-level money launderer Filippo Magni from Italy earlier this summer.
Through a network of front companies, couriers, and his own armored car company, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ succeeded in repatriating millions of drug dollars from the streets of New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and other cities across the United States, back to cartel interests in Mexico. By introducing these drug dollars into the banking system, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ was able to move money wherever the cartel interests directed it, including repatriating this value to Mexico through trade-based money laundering: At the direction of his cartel clients, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ would wire drug dollars to companies in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. These companies would, in turn, ship merchandise to Mexico or other drug producing countries. There, merchants would accept the shipment of goods, and pay a reduced price, in local currency, to the cartels. In this way, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ turned street cash in the United States into value in Mexico.
RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ controlled his laundering empire through fear and intimidation. For example, in July 2015, pursuant to the investigation, the DEA seized $100,000 in drug money in Atlanta from Organization courier Sergio Urbina (ultimately a co-defendant of RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ). When he learned of the seizure, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ ordered Urbina to come to Monterrey, Mexico, to explain himself. After enduring a multiple-day interrogation by RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ’s underlings, complete with the administration of a false polygraph test, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ coerced Urbina to execute a false promissory note that RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ later used to try to hold Urbina liable for the value of the seizure – even commencing a fraudulent civil action against Urbina, which RODRIGUEZ-JIMENEZ continued to pursue from jail.
In total, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENZ laundered at least $250 million on behalf of the cartels during the course of the scheme.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, RODRIGUEZ-JIMENZ, 47, of Monterrey, Mexico, was ordered to forfeit $284 million in laundered funds.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Las Vegas Division of the DEA and the Las Vegas Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, in the investigation of this case.
This case is being handled by this Office’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew C. Adams and Noah Falk are in charge of the prosecution.
Lafayette man sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of fentanyl, heroin, opioids and other controlled substances and illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Monday to 151 months in prison for conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of narcotics and illegal possessing a 9 mm handgun.
Jacob Glen Collett, 35, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the April 19, 2018 guilty plea, Collett was arrested during an ongoing narcotics investigation in Lafayette and Jeff Davis parishes that took place from April 2017 to August 2017. Law enforcement agents found Collett in possession of 705.2 grams of methamphetamine, 222 dosage units of LSD, 56 tablets containing fentanyl, 4.01 grams of MDMA, 38.9 grams of heroin, 16.5 grams of cocaine, 52.3 grams of a mixture and substance containing THC, a Berretta 9 mm model 92FS handgun, and 16 rounds of ammunition.
The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Lafayette Man Sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- David L. Adams, 62, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Adams received a sentence of 78 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case, a Task Force Officer (TFO) of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force in Indianapolis reported internet-connected activity with a file sharing network they were monitoring using law enforcement software, that connects and downloads or attempts to download known child pornography images. The TFO using this software observed 72 videos containing child pornography from an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was later determined to be the defendant’s home, where he lived with a relative. A search warrant was obtained for the defendant’s home where electronics containing additional images and videos of child pornography were seized. During the search warrant, the defendant was not initially home, however, he arrived while the search warrant was still being executed, and attempted to flee in his vehicle when he saw law enforcement at his home. In the process of fleeing, the defendant almost hit several agents and TFOs that were on scene with his vehicle. The defendant did return a short time later, and was charged locally for his assault on law enforcement. The forensic examination of Adam’s computer revealed 81 videos and 6 images of child pornography with children under 12, including some videos with file names indicating the children were as young as 8 or 9 years old.
This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria N. Lerner.
###
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Deon Terrell Culberson, 39, of Wichita, Kan., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.
The DEA arrested Culberson in Feb. 2018, after seizing approximately 0.7 kilograms (1.54 pounds) of methamphetamine from his luggage during an interdiction investigation on Feb. 20, 2018, in Albuquerque. Culberson was indicted on March 13, 2018, and was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 20. 2018, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Culberson pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Feb. 20, 2018, he possessed approximately 660 grams of methamphetamine while traveling from Las Vegas, Nev., to Albuquerque. Culberson further admitted that he intended to deliver the methamphetamine to others upon reaching his final destination of Newton, Kan.
At sentencing, Culberson faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.
KCK Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearm, ThreatsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kan., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and making threats following a confrontation with law enforcement officers at the Richard Bolling Federal Building.
James E. Everett, Jr., 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 8, 2018, Everett was found guilty at trial of threatening a federal law enforcement officer, forcibly resisting a federal law enforcement officer, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Everett arrived at the Richard Bolling Federal Building, 601 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo., at about 8:30 a.m. on March 10, 2016. He parked in an emergency vehicle-only parking space on 12th Street. At the building’s lobby entrance, Everett began yelling and demanded to speak to a federal judge. Four Federal Protective Service officers responded and encountered Everett on federal property, approximately 10 yards from the entrance. During the encounter, Everett threatened the officers, stating that he was going to “blow (their) brains out.” The officers then attempted to arrest Everett who fought them as they attempted to put him in handcuffs. It took all four FPS officers, as well as two Kansas City, Mo., police officers who responded to the scene, to restrain Everett.
During his arrest, Everett attempted to bite one FPS officer and spit on another. Three FPS officers received medical treatment following the encounter. After identifying the car in which Everett had arrived, a police officer found a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol underneath the driver’s seat.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Everett has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and arson.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Protective Service.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the City of Minneapolis to Resolve Disability and Genetic Information Discrimination ComplaintRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it reached an agreement with the City of Minneapolis to resolve its lawsuit alleging discrimination on the basis of disability and genetic information. The Justice Department’s complaint alleges that the Minneapolis Police Department failed to hire a veteran because of his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint also alleges that Minneapolis violated Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) by routinely requesting and obtaining genetic information from applicants for police officer positions during the pre-employment examination process. This is the Department’s first lawsuit challenging discrimination under Title II of GINA.
Based on its investigation, the Department concluded that the Minneapolis Police Department violated the ADA by refusing to hire a veteran because of his PTSD, even though he was qualified for the job and his condition did not interfere with his ability to work. After the applicant was rejected, he was hired as a police officer at another police department and was promoted to the SWAT team. The Department also determined that Minneapolis routinely obtained genetic information, including family medical history, from applicants for police officer positions. Title II of GINA prohibits employers from requesting or requiring genetic information with respect to employees, applicants, or family members of employees or applicants.
Under the three-year agreement, Minneapolis will pay $189,338.89 in back pay and other damages to the complainant. In addition, Minneapolis will implement policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that it does not discriminate in its hiring practices on the basis of disability, and does not request, require, or unlawfully obtain information in violation of the ADA or GINA. Minneapolis will also train Police Department employees who are involved in hiring-related personnel decisions, or who have access to applicants’ confidential medical information, on the ADA and GINA.
“Veterans who are qualified should not face discriminatory barriers to employment because they have post-traumatic stress disorder or other disabilities, and no applicant or employee should be asked to disclose genetic information unlawfully, including family medical history,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to protect veterans and other people with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace, and we commend the Minneapolis Police Department for committing to change its policies, train staff, and compensate the complainant.”
This matter was based on a referral from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Minneapolis Area Office.
To read the settlement agreement, please click here, and to read the complaint, please click here. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
Jury Finds Three Time Convicted Felon Guilty of Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute heroin within protected locations was convicted by a jury on August 14, 2018, after a 3 ½-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Shelton Oliver, a/k/a Sinbad, 47, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and four counts of distribution of heroin, all within 1000 feet of a protected location. The verdict was returned following approximately two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Oliver distributed heroin on February 7, 14, and 27, 2018, and March 13, 2018, to a confidential informant utilized by law enforcement. Evidence also showed at trial that Oliver was involved in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Sioux City area from 2016 through on or about March 27, 2018. Evidence proved that the conspiracy and the four separate distributions all occurred within 1000 feet of protected locations, namely: Dale Street Park, Grandview Park, Alfred Thompson Children’s Park, Dinosaur Park, and Hunt Elementary School, in Sioux City, Iowa.
Evidence at trial also showed that on October 6, 2017, Oliver distributed heroin to Ty Olsen, who later died on this same date from a heroin overdose. The evidence at trial further showed that on March 13, 2018, Oliver distributed heroin to the confidential informant in a vehicle while Michael Pinney was overdosing in the passenger seat but was later revived by medical personnel.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Oliver remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Oliver faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least 6 years of supervised release, if ever released from imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and Mikala Steenholdt and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-4038.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Illegal Alien from Guatemala to Spend Six Months in Prison before Being DeportedRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - An illegal alien found in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to six months incarceration to be followed by immediate deportation on his conviction of Illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentencing on Edvin Delgado Escobar, aka Alexis Romero, aka Eddie Romero, aka Edwin Delgado, age 27, of Guatemala.
According to the information presented to the court, Edvin Delgado Escobar, an illegal alien, was formally removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on December 30, 2010 and November 7, 2012. Edvin Delgado Escobar was found to be illegally present in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Attorney commended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to a successful prosecution.
Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A St. Paul, Virginia man who illegally possessed more than a dozen firearms, and his wife who lied to federal agents to try to keep him out of trouble, have both pleaded guilty to federal charges, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced today.
Crystal Dione Hyde, 34, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to one count of lying to a federal agent. At sentencing, Hyde faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. She will be sentenced on November 19, 2018.
Patrick Steven Hyde, 39, pleaded guilty last week to one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. At sentencing, Patrick Hyde faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to ten years in prison. He will be sentenced on November 8, 2018.
“As this case indicates, we will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute convicted felons who unlawfully possess firearms,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “I am grateful for the leadership of the ATF and the participation of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office in this important violence-reduction initiative.”
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals has been a top priority for me,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “It is all too easy for felons to get their hands on firearms in Virginia and I appreciate the dedication of our law enforcement partners to investigate these cases. My office will continue to collaborate with law enforcement to bring those who illegally possess guns to justice and keep our communities safe.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, on December 17, 2015, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a search of the mobile home and outbuilding in St. Paul, Virginia where Steven and Crystal Hyde resided. During that search, investigators recovered 14 firearms and many rounds of ammunition. The firearms recovered included five semi-automatic rifles and two semi-automatic pistols. Steven Hyde is a previously convicted felon who is barred from legally possessing a firearm.
When interviewed by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Crystal Hyde told investigators she purchased and possessed all of the weapons and ammunition recovered during the search. However, subsequent investigation revealed that the firearms and ammunition did in fact belong to Steven Hyde and that Crystal Hyde had helped her husband, whom she knew to be prohibited from possessing firearms, acquire the weapons. The investigation further revealed that Crystal Hyde lied to investigators about the firearms.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Honduran National Sentenced in Hardin County ShootingRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 42-year-old Honduran national illegally in the United States has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Santos Alfredo Paz-Ruiz pleaded guilty on May 10, 2018, to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 4, 2017, Paz-Ruiz was confronted by an off-duty law enforcement officer for driving erratically on a rural road in Hardin County, Texas. During the confrontation, Paz-Ruiz brandished a hand gun and fired a shot. Paz-Ruiz was then tackled by the off-duty officer’s son and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the firearm discharged striking the off-duty officer’s son in the ankle. The injury was not life-threatening. Further investigation revealed Paz-Ruiz was illegally in the United States and prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. Paz-Ruiz was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan 10, 2018 and charged with firearms violations.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall L. Fluke.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Being in the United States IllegallyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Victor Yobany Archila-Rojas, 28, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to entering the United States after having been removed and deported.Court records reveal that on July 29, 2018, the defendant entered the United States from Canada in Sandy Bay Township, Maine at a location not designated for entry. U.S. Border Patrol agents located the defendant shortly after he entered. He is a citizen of Guatemala and had been removed from the United States in 2013.
The defendant faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Fresno Men Plead Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — On Monday, Devone Johnson, 32, and Anthony Thomas, 26, pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on October 9, 2016, Johnson and Thomas possessed an Uzi Model A, 9 mm rifle. Thomas was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a previous felony conviction. Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
Johnson and Thomas were arrested on November 3, 2016, along with 18 other defendants following a year-long multi-agency investigation that targeted criminal street gangs in Fresno. Other defendants also have pleaded guilty to various firearms and drug offenses, including:
- Garry Sampson, 40, pleaded guilty on August 1, 2018, to unlawfully possessing a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22, 2018.
- Raymond Jones, 61, pleaded guilty on August 6, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
- Danny Valenzuela, 51, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2018.
- Stephen Hill, 28, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On December 18, 2017, Hill was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
- Rashad Halford, 31, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 12, 2018, Halford was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.
These cases are the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit (SOU). The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, Fresno County Probation, and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Christopher D. Baker are prosecuting the cases.
Johnson and Thomas are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on October 29, 2018, and November 5, 2018, respectively. They face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case 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.
Former Arizona DEA Agent Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – A former DEA Supervisory Special Agent who was assigned to the Nogales Office as part of the DEA Tucson District Office pleaded guilty today in federal court in Tucson, Arizona, to illegally selling firearms without a Federal Firearms License (FFL). The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada because the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is recused from the case.
Joseph Michael Gill, 42, of Tucson, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a licensee. He resigned from his position with the DEA on June 30, 2018. United States Magistrate Judge Lynnette C. Kimmins accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for November 26, 2018. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the affidavit for a search warrant for Gill’s residence obtained in connection with the investigation, in December 2012, Gill applied for a Federal Firearms License with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), but he subsequently withdrew the application. Subsequent to withdrawing that application, Gill purchased multiple firearms from licensed firearms dealers and sold them on the internet utilizing the website Gunbroker.com. Upon further investigation into Gill’s use of Gunbroker.com, ATF learned that Gill had engaged in approximately 645 transactions.
According to the plea agreement, on June 12, 2016, Gill purchased three Colt .223/5.56 caliber rifles from an online FFL located in Lexington, Kentucky. He paid a total of $1,896. The rifles were shipped to a FFL in Sahuarita, Arizona, and Gill picked up the rifles on June 18. Then, on July 27 and 28, 2016, Gill sold two of the rifles to two different individuals who he had reason to believe intended to use or dispose of the firearms unlawfully.
The case is being investigated by the ATF and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. of the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
###
Florida Computer Store Operator Is Sentenced to 15 Months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Alan F. Luboff, 51, of Parkland, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release on wire fraud charges, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also ordered the defendant to pay restitution in the amount of $119,900.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to documents filed with the Court and yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Luboff was the operator of “Triple Play Sales,” a computer store located in Coral Springs, Florida. As part of his operation of Triple Play Sales, Luboff purchased and sold computer products and earned commission on those transactions. Court records show that on January 25, 2018, Luboff emailed a past business associate, identified in court documents as “S.F.,” proposing a transaction to help Luboff finance 600 central processing units (CPUs). S.F. is a business owner and resident of Cornelius, N.C.
According to court records, Luboff falsely represented to the victim that if S.F. gave him $131,400 to help purchase the CPUs, Luboff would provide S.F. with a $20,000 profit within one week. To further induce S.F. to give him the money, Luboff lied to the victim and said that he was going to invest $30,000 of his own money to complete the transaction. The victim wired $131,400 to Triple Play Sales in accordance with Luboff’s instructions.
According to court records, contrary to what he told S.F., Luboff did not have a proposed transaction for CPUs lined up, and Luboff had no intention of using S.F.’s money to purchase CPUs. Rather, Luboff spent S.F.’s money on personal expenditures, such as to pay for car insurance and law care expenses, among other things.
When S.F. confronted Luboff about his failure to return S.F.’s principal and income from the transactions, Luboff told the victim a series of lies, including that federal law enforcement agents had frozen the money because a party to the purported transaction had business overseas.
In handing down Luboff’s sentence, Judge Cogburn said that the defendant engaged in “classic lulling,” and that the sentence is important to deter others. Judge Cogburn also increased the defendant’s sentencing range because the defendant caused falsified documents to be submitted to the government during the course of the investigation.
Luboff will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanks the FBI for investigating the case, and the Cornelius Police Department for their invaluable assistance over the course of the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Ryan, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – An Henrico man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to make a false statement to acquire firearms, aiding and abetting another in making a false statement to acquire firearms, and using the mail to traffic marijuana.
“Preventing the illegal purchase and sale of firearms is a top priority,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to use federal firearms laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for their role in trafficking illegally purchased firearms. Every straw purchased firearm is a gun that can wind up in the hands of a prohibited person. I want to commend the ATF for their commitment to investigating these important cases.”
According to court documents, Toddai Deveaux, 21, enlisted an individual, J.M., to purchase approximately 13 firearms throughout spring and summer 2017 on Deveaux’s behalf. In doing so, J.M. falsely represented on forms required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and used by all federally licensed firearms dealers, that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, rather than on behalf of Deveaux. After learning of these purchases and the false statements that J.M. made during each of these purchases, ATF agents confronted and arrested Deveaux. Law enforcement also learned that J.M. and Deveaux traveled to New York and Connecticut to sell several of the purchased firearms, with Deveaux keeping most, if not all, of the proceeds from those sales.
“The straw purchasing and illegal trafficking of firearms is a dangerous activity and often puts guns in the hands of criminals,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “ATF remains dedicated to removing those that illegally possess firearms from the streets and communities of law abiding citizens.”
Additionally, in September 2017, Deveaux asked a student at Old Dominion University if Deveaux could have a package delivered to the student’s on-campus mailing address. Subsequently, in October 2017, Deveaux again asked if he could have a package delivered to the student’s on-campus mailing address. However, on this occasion campus police intercepted the package under suspicion the package contained marijuana. The package contained 861.09 grams of marijuana which Deveaux intended to sell and distribute to others.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-39.
Felon in Possession of Stolen Firearm Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced AUGUST NETTLES, a 21-year-old resident of Baton Rouge, to 42 months in federal prison following his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. That sentence is to run consecutively to any sentence NETTLES receives from a pending 2nd degree murder charge in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Court further sentenced NETTLES to 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. The Court also ordered that the firearm possessed by NETTLES be forfeited.
On July, 27, 2017, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies, in connection with a homicide investigation, sought to locate and interview several persons who may have had information concerning the incident. NETTLES was listed among the persons law enforcement officers sought to contact. The officers’ investigation ultimately led them to a Motel 6, located here in the Middle District of Louisiana. NETTLES was located in Room 208, along with a female associate.
A search of the room revealed an Arcus, 98DA Model, 9mm caliber pistol, lodged between the mattress and box springs of the bed wherein NETTLES had been lying. NETTLES provided a statement admitting possession of the firearm.
Additional investigation revealed that on July 27, 2017, NETTLES had already been convicted of at least one felony offense. Specifically, on September 29, 2016, Nettles pled guilty to Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm, a felony offense, in East Baton Rouge Parish.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The seriousness of convicted felons carrying guns in our neighborhoods cannot be overstated. Our community is safer as a result of this conviction and sentence, and I am extremely proud of the joint efforts of our prosecutors, the ATF and Sheriff Gautreaux’s office in this and many other important matters.”
ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with our law enforcement partners continue to serve our communities by focusing our efforts on removing armed violent felons from our streets. I am proud of the work we are conducting in conjunction with our community. We will continue to work diligently to protect our citizens by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution.”
East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux stated, “This indictment is one example of the collaboration of local, state and federal agencies to get dangerous criminals and weapons off our streets. The EBR Sheriff's Office is committed to continuing to work with all our law enforcement counterparts to ensure the safety of our residents. I'm grateful to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their hard work and dedication in prosecuting these cases that our agents have worked so hard to develop”.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Jefferson.
Felon from Artesia Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Martin O. Madrid, 29, of Artesia, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition. Madrid entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement
Madrid, whose prior criminal history includes felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse, battery against a household member, extortion, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Madrid was arrested on May 4, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on April 18, 2018, in Eddy County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers responded to a missing person call for service on April 18, 2018. During the search for the missing person, who was found in the company of Madrid, officers arrested Madrid on an outstanding arrest warrant. Officers seized a loaded firearm and ammunition from Madrid incident to his arrest.
Madrid was indicted on July 18, 2018, and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Madrid was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Madrid faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Selesia L. Winston of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Felon Stopped during Lawrence County Traffic Stop Admits Illegally Possessing HandgunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Sacramento, California, and Dayton, Ohio, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a violation of the federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Timothy Anderson, age 27, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 24, 2018, a Shenango Township Police Officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Anderson was driving in Lawrence County. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed that Anderson, a convicted felon, was in possession of a silver and black Ruger P93CD 9mm semi-automatic handgun, with an extended magazine. Federal law prohibits an individual with a felony conviction from possessing a firearm.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for December 13, 2018, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Judge Ambrose ordered that Anderson remain detained.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dayton, Ohio, Police Department, the Shenango Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotics, the New Castle Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Timothy Anderson.
Federal Grand Jury IndictmentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned Indictments against the following:
Piedmont Man Indicted on Bank Robbery Charge. Brandon Laster, age 36, of Piedmont, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with bank robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). The maximum penalty Laster could face is twenty (20) years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.00. The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Greenville Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Six Illegal Aliens Charged with Misuse of Social Security Number. Julio Cesar Rojas Vasquez, Fredin Orlando Cordon-Gonzalez, and Josue Eduardo Maas-Aparico, all of Guatemala, and Luis Alberto Isaguirre-Cortes, Jose Santos Martinez, and Noe De La Cruz Galvez-Munguia, all of Honduras, were each charged in separate indictments with Misuse of Social Security Number, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). The maximum penalty each defendant could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or five (5) years imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Labor and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville office for prosecution.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
#####
Federal Court Bars Florida Tax Return Preparer and his Business from Preparing Tax Returns and Orders Them to Disgorge Ill-Gotten GainsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Orlando, Florida entered a permanent injunction against Herve Erilus and Herve Erilus, LLC, barring them from preparing federal tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business, the Justice Department announced today. The court also ordered that Herve Erilus and Herve Erilus, LLC disgorge $107,895.34, representing the ill-gotten gains that they received for the preparation of tax returns. The order was signed by Judge John Antoon II of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit available to certain low-income working people. In this case, the court found that Erilus and Herve Erilus LLC, an entity through which Erilus owns and operates a tax preparation store doing business as Travelers Tax Center, prepared tax returns that included fraudulent claims for the EITC, often based on bogus dependents, fabricated business income and expenses, and/or false filing status. The court also determined that Erilus and Herve Erilus LLC systematically and repeatedly prepared tax returns that falsely claimed: (1) education credits and (2) self-employed business income and/or expenses. The court concluded that injunctive relief and an order requiring that Erilus and Herve Erilus LLC disgorge the ill-gotten gains that they received for the preparation of tax returns making such false claims was appropriate.
The IRS has a list of steps on its website that you can take and ten tips for choosing a tax preparer. Each year, the IRS releases the top 12 scams, known as the Dirty Dozen. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2018, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some information on its website for choosing a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division at [email protected] with details.
Facebook Threats Lead to Felony Conviction for Fairhope ManRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that United States District Court Judge William H. Steele sentenced Matthew Dean Adams on August 14, 2018 to time served since his incarceration on February 22, 2018 for participating in interstate threatening communications. Adams was ordered to have no contact with his victims and must successfully complete 3 years of supervised release.
Adams pled guilty to making interstate threatening communications on May 15, 2018. As part of his guilty plea, Adams admitted that on January 25, 2018, Adams contacted the husband of his ex-girlfriend, who was in Orange Beach, Alabama, both via phone and through a series of messages on Facebook Messenger, threatening to kill him and his son. Adams stated, “I’m coming brother, say goodbye to your [son]...” He also continued to harass and threaten the individual, at one point sending a message that included a photo of Adams holding an assault rifle.
Law Enforcement was able to confirm that Adams was outside of Alabama when he sent the threatening messages to his victims within the state.
The Orange Beach Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sean Costello and Christopher Baugh prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
ER Nurse Who Stole Patient Pain Medications Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A registered nurse who used patient identities to steal hydrocodone pain pills while employed in a hospital emergency room pled guilty August 13, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
James Allen Moorehead, age 58, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, or subterfuge, one count of false statements relating to health care matters, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In a plea agreement, Moorehead admitted that, while employed at Franklin General Hospital in Hampton, Iowa, as a registered nurse in 2016 and 2017, he used patient identities to obtain controlled substances, specifically pills containing hydrocodone, by accessing their prescribed medication in the hospital’s system, and diverting those pain pills to himself. Moorehead concealed his scheme by falsely representing in medical records that the medications were actually administered to the patients and by giving his patients Tylenol instead of their prescribed medications. As a result of Moorehead’s subterfuge and diversion of their mediation, multiple patients reported increased pain during Moorehead’s shifts.
Moorehead had previously surrendered his nursing license under a 2008 Iowa Board of Nursing agreement, after having been terminated from North Iowa Mercy Health Center and Genesis Health Center for stealing opioids. Moorehead recovered his nursing license in June 2011 and had been working at Franklin General Hospital since March 2012 until he was terminated in March 2017.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moorehead remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Moorehead faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of eleven years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyndie M. Freeman and was investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/. The case file number is 18-CR-3021.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm as a Drug UserRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a .357 Magnum revolver as an unlawful user of marijuana pled guilty August 13, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Javontae Ernie Grisson, age 22, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
A criminal complaint previously filed alleged that on May 17, 2018, police investigators executed a search warrant at Grisson’s apartment in Dubuque. During the search, investigators found drug paraphernalia and marijuana strewn throughout the apartment. Investigators found a .357 Magnum revolver with ammunition on Grisson’s bed.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Grisson remains released on previously set court conditions pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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 case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-1026-LRR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Drug Traffickers Convicted for Transporting Pounds of Methamphetamine from the Southwest into IowaRead the Press Release
A man and woman who trafficked massive quantities of ice methamphetamine into Iowa have pled guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Marty Brian Robbins, age 55, of Marion, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Robbins’ co-defendant, Valerie Lee Kupka, age 42, of Clutier, Iowa, had previously been convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on August 10, 2018.
Robbins’ plea agreement and evidence from previous court hearings showed that starting in April 2017, Robbins obtained large shipments of ice methamphetamine from sources in the Southwest United States. He then transported the methamphetamine to Iowa in a trailer. Kupka assisted Robbins in selling the methamphetamine in Iowa.
In the late evening of April 20, 2018, police investigators conducted surveillance on Robbins while he was at a storage facility in Cedar Rapids. Investigators saw Robbins and others unload boxes of suspected methamphetamine from Robbins’ trailer. After executing several search warrants on Robbins’ truck, trailer, and other cars, police investigators recovered approximately nine pounds of ice methamphetamine. Investigators also recovered a total of $57,122 in cash proceeds of methamphetamine sales during their investigation into Robbins and Kupka.
On May 26, 2018, Robbins and Kupka were arrested on federal warrants while entering Nogales, Arizona, from Mexico at the Nogales-Grand Avenue Port of Entry.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Robbins remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Robbins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and was investigated by the Johnson County Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-62-LRR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Sandy Saul Pena, 36, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Saul Pena will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In May 2018, Saul Pena pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
In December 2016, federal law enforcement in Boston encountered Pena and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Pena was previously deported in February 2012. On Dec. 13, 2016, Pena was arrested in Boston and charged with trafficking a Class A controlled substance. He is being held on $200,000 bail awaiting trial in state court on the drug charges. Pena’s federal sentence will not begin until his state case is resolved.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Rebecca J. Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
District Man and Woman Sentenced to Prison Terms for Roles in Regional Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Mason, 48, and Andrea Miller, 49, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in a narcotics trafficking organization that imported and distributed heroin and other drugs into the Washington, D.C. area.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu; Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C.; Eric Shen, Acting Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mason and Miller were found guilty by a jury in March 2018, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Both defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam. Miller also was found guilty of conspiracy to import 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam from a foreign country.
The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan sentenced Mason today to a five-year prison term, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Judge Chutkan sentenced Miller on June 27, 2018, to a 15-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release. While they are on supervised release, both defendants will be required to perform 100 hours of community service.
Mason and Miller were among a total of 14 defendants indicted in May 2016 following a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking organization with sources of supply in Nigeria and distribution points in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Eleven others have been convicted of drug trafficking charges and one defendant remains a fugitive.
According to the government’s evidence, between August 2014 and June 2016, Miller conspired to import packages of narcotics into the United States from various countries in Africa, and, Miller and Mason, together with their co-conspirators, conspired to distribute the narcotics throughout the Washington D.C. region.
The drug operation misused the United States Postal Service and the commercial shipping industry to illegally import into the United States and then redistribute significant quantities of drugs, primarily heroin, within the District of Columbia and the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
For purposes of this criminal activity, the international packages had the controlled substances hidden or secreted within certain items or clothing located inside the packages, and the packages were addressed and emanated from foreign countries, such as India, and listed fictitious names for addresses or locations within the Washington, D.C., area. Higher-level participants in the drug network would either wait for the packages to be delivered to certain addresses by the Postal Service or another commercial shipping business, or these same conspirators would use various civilians to accept packages containing drugs in the mail at their residences or other locations for cash or illegal drugs.
Significant quantities of the heroin were re-distributed in the 11th and H Street NE, Fourth Street and Florida Avenue NE, and 19th and Benning Road NE areas of the District of Columbia, and other locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Customs and Border Protection Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth F. Whitted and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamila Hodge of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Catherine O’Neal, Teesha Tobias, and Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialists Ron Royal, Kimberly Smith, and Anisha Bhatia, and Intern Mallory Kruper.
District Man Pleads Guilty to July 4, 2018 Robbery of Northwest Washington Sandwich ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deantre Cole, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm stemming from the July 4, 2018 robbery of a sandwich restaurant in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Cole pled guilty to the charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 26, 2018, by the Honorable Kimberly S. Knowles.
According to the government’s evidence, on the Fourth of July, at approximately 12:45 pm., Cole came into the Jimmy John’s restaurant in the 4400 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, looked around, and spoke to a manager. He told the manager that he used to work at the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of the restaurant and left the store without incident. Twenty minutes later, he and an unknown accomplice came back into the store masked.
As soon as they entered into the store, Cole who was wearing brass knuckles, rushed the store manager and punched him in the face. Cole’s accomplice who was wielding a gun, pointed the gun at the store manager and forced him to the floor. Two other employees ran into the freezer to hide. Cole went after them and dragged one of the employees back into the front of the store. He forced the employee to open the register and remove the till. Cole grabbed all the cash in the till, and he and his accomplice then hurriedly exited the store.
A law enforcement investigation led to Cole’s apprehension on July 18, 2018. He has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nurudeen Elias, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez.
District Man Found Guilty of Felony Assault Charges for Striking His Brother-In-Law in the Head with a Lug WrenchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Johnson, 48, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for attacking his brother-in-law, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The verdict was returned on Aug. 13, 2018, followed a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2018, Johnson’s wife was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, in the 4300 block of Wheeler Road SE. Johnson went to the residence to take his wife home. When his wife refused to leave with him, Johnson became irate. The brother-in-law, 56, intervened and asked Johnson to leave.
A fight ensued, which culminated in Johnson pulling his brother-in-law by his ankles down two flights of stairs. With his brother-in-law in and out of consciousness at the bottom of the stairs, Johnson went to his car, retrieved a steel lug wrench, and returned to strike him over the head with the lug wrench. He hit him with such force that the lug wrench broke into two pieces. Johnson fled and was arrested during a traffic stop a few minutes later. His brother-in-law suffered a 4 ½-inch gash across the top of his head, which required surgical staples to close.
Johnson, who was in custody pending trial, remains held pending the sentencing.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Manzo and Kristina Wolf; Appellate Division Deputy Chief Nicholas Coleman; Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Supervisor Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Brenda Williams; Criminal Investigator Tommy Miller, and Interns Megan Hughes, Alexa Perlmutter, and Jill Rogowski.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer B. Loeb and Amy Joy Thomas, who prosecuted the case at trial.
Dark Web Vendor Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, and BuprenorphineRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On August 13, 2018, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Cory Nicholas Skinner, age 33, of Pikesville, Maryland, to seven years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams of more of heroin as well as quantities of cocaine and buprenorphine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; and Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division.
According to his plea agreement, while investigating the death of a University of Arkansas police officer, a detective with the Conway (Arkansas) Police Department found an opened Priority Mail package shipped from Baltimore, Maryland, under the decedent’s head (the “Arkansas package”).
During the investigation of the Arkansas package, Postal Inspectors identified two other Priority Mail packages purchased in the same transaction and destined for addresses in North Carolina (the “North Carolina package”) and Arizona (the “Arizona package”), that were related to the Arkansas package. The recipient of the North Carolina package told investigators that he used Bitcoin to purchase heroin from DoggFood, an online vendor on the dark web. The North Carolina package contained approximately 2.8 grams of heroin, and the Arizona package contained approximately four buprenorphine units. Fingerprints found on both packages belonged to Skinner.
During their surveillance of Skinner between September 2017 and January 2018, Postal Inspectors intercepted over 20 packages containing a total of approximately 47.5 grams of heroin and 81 buprenorphine units that Skinner sent through the United States mail. Additionally, Postal Inspectors discovered that Skinner did not act alone to distribute controlled substances through the mail. Instead, Skinner used individuals that he knew were unusually vulnerable due to a physical or mental condition to drop off packages containing heroin and cocaine at Baltimore post offices in July 2017 and August 2017, respectively.
By January 2018, Skinner had sold approximately 290.5 grams of heroin, 97.5 grams of cocaine, and 216 units of buprenorphine as the dark web vendor DoggFood.
When officers searched Skinner’s residence, they found the laptop he used to run the dark web vendor DoggFood, printed labels, approximately $6,600 in cash, plastic baggies, a digital scale, heat and bag sealers, a large amount of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipping supplies, $23.75 in postal stamps, a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm, and 12 rounds of Luger 9mm ammunition.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, which led the investigation, and the Postal Inspectors in other field divisions that provided assistance—including the Charlotte, San Francisco, Seattle, and Phoenix Divisions, as well as the Fort Worth Division - Little Rock Domicile, and the National Headquarters Cyber Crimes Unit—for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur recognized the Conway (Arkansas) Police Department; the Brunswick County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office; the Baltimore County Police Department; the Maryland State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Baltimore and Raleigh Field Offices for their contributions in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who prosecuted the case.
Colombia’s Former National Director of Anti-Corruption and a Foreign Attorney Plead Guilty to Participating in a Conspiracy to Launder Money in Order to Promote Foreign BriberyRead the Press Release
The former National Director of Anti-Corruption in Colombia and a foreign attorney pled guilty today in federal court in Miami for their participation in a conspiracy to launder money with the intent to promote foreign bribery.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
Luis Gustavo Moreno Rivera, 35, the former National Director of Anti-Corruption in Colombia and Leonardo Luis Pinilla Gomez, 31, an attorney practicing in Colombia, pled guilty to conspiracy to launder money in order to promote foreign bribery. The defendants entered their guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro in Miami. Moreno and Pinilla are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ungaro on November 19, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
According to the court docket, including the agreed upon factual proffer, beginning in November 2016, in Colombia, a cooperating source of information (CS) was approached by Moreno and Pinilla who attempted to entice a bribe from the CS. Specifically, in exchange for 100 million Colombian pesos (the equivalent of approximately $34,500 US), Moreno and Pinilla offered to give the CS copies of sworn statements taken from cooperators who had testified against the CS. In June 2017, Moreno and Pinilla traveled to Miami, Florida and met with the CS who, under the direction of the DEA, provided Moreno and Pinilla with a $10,000 deposit of the bribe money. Recorded conversations revealed that Moreno and Pinilla discussed Moreno’s ability to control the investigation into the CS and that Moreno could inundate his prosecutors with work so that they would be unable to focus on the CS’s investigation. In exchange, Moreno and Pinilla were asking for a 400 million Colombian peso payment (the equivalent of approximately $132,000 US), with an additional $30,000 to be paid prior to Moreno leaving the United States.
Several of the $100 bills, from the $10,000 paid to Moreno and Pinilla, were found on Moreno and his traveling companion as they boarded their flight back to Bogota, Colombia from Miami. Both Moreno and Pinilla were arrested in Colombia pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice.
This investigation and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
Mr. Greenberg commends the DEA for their investigative assistance with this case. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Judicial Attache in Colombia along with the DEA Bogota Country Office; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office and Attache Office in Colombia; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office and Attache Office in Colombia; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Miami Office of Field Operations; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Legal Attache Office in Colombia, for their assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Lynn M. Kirkpatrick of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section in the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal partners commend the Attorney General of Colombia and the Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigacion (CTI) for their cooperative efforts in this investigation.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Clarke County Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Vincent Logan Baugh, age 28, of Grove Hill, Alabama was sentenced today after earlier pleading guilty to two counts charging violations of 18 USC Section 2252A(a)(2), Receipt of Child Pornography, two counts charging violations of 18 USC Section 2251(a), Production of Child Pornography, and one count charging 18 USC 2252A, Possession of Child Pornography.
A young girl reported to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office that Baugh had coerced her into sexual activity when she was twelve years old. After an investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Baugh’s electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed that Baugh had demanded and received pornographic images from three young girls. In addition, he had approximately 250 images of child pornography which he had downloaded from the internet.At sentencing, the United States argued that the defendant had downloaded images that included infants. Also, he had caused trauma to three young girls. United States District Judge William Steele found that because of the nature and seriousness of the crimes, a high sentence was appropriate and ordered that he be imprisoned for 262 months, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Chicago Woman Sentenced for Role in Airplane Loan ScamRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for her role in a fraudulent airplane loan scheme.
Latoya Monique James, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served (approximately one week) and three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served in home confinement. In March 2017, James pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. James and two co-conspirators, Ryan Miller and Dusten James Miller, were indicted in June 2016.
From March 2013 through March 2016, the Miller brothers engaged in a scheme to defraud banks by obtaining loans purportedly to finance the purchase of recreational airplanes. Using stolen identities, the brothers posed as both the buyers and the sellers of airplanes; they submitted fraudulent loan applications to the banks and provided the banks with false and fraudulent documents in support of those applications, including false tax returns, bank statements, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards.
Once the loans were approved, the brothers arranged for the loan documents to be sent either electronically to an email address they created or to a physical address they rented. The Millers signed and notarized the loan documents—either using fake licenses as identification or forged notary stamps. The brothers instructed the banks to wire the funds to bank accounts opened at various banks in the name of fraudulent companies that the brothers had incorporated. Once the funds were wired to those accounts, the brothers quickly withdrew the stolen funds, and used those funds, in part, to rent high-end residences in the United States and Dominican Republic and to purchase expensive vehicles, jewelry and other luxury items.
James was engaged in a relationship with Dusten James Miller throughout much of the relevant period. James participated in the conspiracies to defraud the banks and launder the stolen funds by impersonating an individual whose identity had been stolen, by opening multiple bank accounts into which the stolen funds were wired, and by contacting banks to inquire about financing and/or the loan application process.
In February 2018, a federal jury convicted the Miller brothers of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft. Ryan Miller was also convicted of one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In June 2018, Ryan Miller was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Dusten James Miller was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Thomas J. Ullom, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Regional Office, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karin M. Bell and Greg A. Friedholm of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Connection with Fraudulent Shipping Services SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, Ernest Keith. 51, of Charlotte, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. to 41 months in prison and two years of supervised release in connection with a fraudulent shipping services scheme, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also ordered the defendant to pay restitution totaling $721,707.37.
David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, Keith executed a mail fraud scheme that defrauded FedEx Corporation (“FedEx”) and individuals throughout the United States, by purportedly offering shipping services to customers at reduced prices. Court records show that, from February 2012 to March 2016, Keith used multiple addresses in and around Charlotte to create FedEx Freight shipping accounts for various sham companies. Keith then solicited customers via the internet, and induced them to use his purported shipping services at a reduced cost. Customers paid Keith for the purported shipping services via various money transmitting services, including but not limited to, Western Union, Moneygram, and Paypal. Using the fraudulent FedEx Freight accounts he had created for his sham companies, Keith arranged to have the customers’ shipments picked up by FedEx, but instead of paying FedEx for their shipping services, Keith kept the customers’ money.
Court records show that when FedEx began holding shipments it identified as associated with Keith’s sham companies, Keith purported to make payments via telephone, which were later rejected by the bank due to insufficient funds. Court records show that, after Keith’s scheme began to unravel and he was no longer able to use companies, accounts, or addresses associated with him, Keith fraudulently arranged shipments using the name and/or billing address of an existing FedEx Freight customer, which had no affiliation with Keith or the shipper, resulting in the invoices being erroneously sent to that unaffiliated company.
Court records show that Keith induced approximately 200 individuals to use his purported shipping services to arrange for more than 390 shipments. Keith also used more than 20 different FedEx accounts he created to facilitate his shipping services scheme, as well as multiple accounts associated with unrelated third parties, resulting in a loss of more than $680,000.
Keith is currently in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanks USPIS for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jenny G. Sugar and Maria Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
# # #
California Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions Against SyriaRead the Press Release
Rasheed Al Jijakli, 57, a Syrian-born naturalized U.S. citizen of Walnut, California, pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of conspiring to export U.S.-origin tactical gear to Syria in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Syria Sanctions. Jijakli’s guilty plea was accepted by United States District Judge James V. Selna of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna of the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division, and Special Agent in Charge Richard Weir of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement Los Angeles Field Office.
In the factual basis filed as part of the plea agreement, Jijakli admitted that from April 2012 through March 2013, he conspired with other individuals to export tactical gear, including U.S.-origin laser boresighters, day and night vision rifle scopes, and other items (Tactical Gear) from the United States to Syria. From June through July 2012, Jijakli and one of the co-conspirators (Co-conspirator 1) purchased the Tactical Gear. On July 17, 2012, Jijakli traveled from Los Angeles, California to Istanbul, Turkey with the Tactical Gear, with the intent that it would be provided to Syrian rebels training in Turkey and fighting in Syria. Jijakli provided some of the Tactical Gear, specifically the laser boresighters, to a second co-conspirator who Jijakli learned was a member of Ahrar Al-Sham. Jijakli also provided the goods to other armed Syrian insurgent groups in Syria and Turkey. In total, Jijakli and co-conspirators knowingly provided at least 43 laser boresighters, 85 day rifle scopes, 30 night vision rifle scopes, tactical flashlights, a digital monocular, 5 radios, and 1 bulletproof vest to Ahrar Al-Sham and other Syrian rebels in Syria, or with knowledge that the Tactical Gear was going to Syria. Also, in August and September 2012, Jijakli directed co-conspirators to withdraw thousands of dollars from Palmyra Corporation, where Jijakli was the Chief Executive Officer, to pay for Tactical Gear for Syrian rebels.
Jijakli was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 14, 2017. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 3, 2018. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Jijakli will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Mark Takla of the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.