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Friday 10 August 2018
Nampa Man Sentenced for Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ryan E. Curtis, 45, of Nampa, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl resulting in death, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Curtis to 240 months in prison. Lodge also imposed three years of supervised release to be served after Curtis is released from prison.
According to court records, in August 2017, Curtis, a methamphetamine dealer in the Nampa area, began distributing what he called “China White”, a common street name for either pure heroin or a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. According to Curtis, he provided Dominico Stewart a sample of China White, asking that Stewart try the substance while Curtis was present so that Stewart understood how potent the drug was.
Shortly after Stewart ingested the substance, he collapsed. Instead of calling emergency services or seeking help for Stewart, Curtis tried to revive Stewart on his own through several different methods, including injecting Stewart with methamphetamine. Ultimately, Stewart died. Curtis did not notify law enforcement of the death, but attempted to conceal his role in Stewart’s death by dumping the body in an alleyway in Nampa.
The Nampa Police Department discovered Dominico Stewart’s body the following morning. A toxicology report showed that Stewart had a lethal dose of methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system at the time of his death. The coroner ultimately determined that Stewart died of a methamphetamine overdose.
The Nampa Police Department’s investigation into the death lead them not only to Ryan Curtis, but ultimately to a drug trafficking organization that was distributing both methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Treasure Valley. Matt Sedillo, Herman Sedillo, and Vaudencia Hamilton have been arrested and charged in federal court in Idaho for their role in trafficking the drugs that caused Stewart’s death. Their cases are still pending.
This case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada and Canyon County.
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NASA Contractor Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Anthony Joseph Culotta, Jr. (59, Brevard County) with possession of child pornography. Culotta faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Culotta has been a NASA contractor since at least 2004, and worked has with the Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Program. Between May 31 and August 7, 2018, Culotta used his NASA-issued laptop computer to search for, view, and possess sexually explicit images of children.
On August 7, 2018, special agents working with the NASA Office of Inspector General interviewed Culotta, who admitted that he used his NASA computer to search for and view images that piqued his curiosity. A search of the computer revealed over 1,000 images of child pornography, including images of known victims previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has violated federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by NASA Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Kennedy Space Center. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Starkville, Mississippi tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William C. Lamar for the Northern District of Mississippi.
According to documents and information provided to the court, from early 2012 through April 2016, Jameka Coffey managed ABS Tax Services, a tax preparation business in Starkville, Mississippi. Coffey falsified taxpayer client returns by claiming false education credits and reporting fake businesses in order to seek refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Coffey also admitted that she trained other preparers to file fraudulent returns.
Coffey faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Coffey's sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Lamar thanked agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Dabbs and Trial Attorney William Montague of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Selling HeroinRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in June of 2017, defendant Christopher Thompson, 32, was stopped for a routine traffic stop. During the course of that traffic stop, law enforcement discovered heroin, a digital scale, and a large amount of money on the defendant. Evidence proved Thompson was a daily distributor of heroin in the Nutbush area of Memphis.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Our district opioid strategy focuses on those suppliers who are causing addiction, injury, and death by the illegal distribution of heroin. This case demonstrates our commitment to save lives by removing these dangerous drug dealers from our streets. If you are selling poison to our citizens, your days are numbered."
On February 14, 2018, Thompson pleaded guilty to the charges. On August 8, 2018, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Thompson to 120 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department – Organized Crime Unit.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph F. Griffith prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Members of California-To-Florida Drug Trafficking Organizaiton Charged in ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Rodolfo Quiles (33, Tampa), Melissa Vasquez (28, Tampa), Alejandro Ortiz-Mendez, a/k/a “Andrew,” (43, Tampa), Gil William Garcia-Libran, a/k/a “Giwi,” (48, San Diego, CA), Stephen Johnson (25, San Diego, CA), Mauricio Ojeda, a/k/a “Pariente,” (39, San Diego, CA), Eduardo Trujillo, a/k/a/ “B.E.T.,” (38, Chula Vista, CA), and Melissa Day Swycaffer (22, National City, CA) with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including heroin. If convicted, they face penalties from 40 years to life in federal prison.
According to court documents, the defendants were part of a drug-trafficking organization that shipped kilogram-quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances from California to Florida and other east coast destinations for distribution. During the investigation, agents seized multiple kilograms of drugs that were destined for central Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, the El Cajon Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Embry J. Kidd.
McNairy County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Following a jury trial in federal court, Michael Jay Harris, 46, of McNairy County, Tenn. was convicted of possessing 98 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the conviction today.
According to information presented in court, on February 13, 2017, agents with the McNairy County Narcotics Unit, including officers with the Selmer Police Department and McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, went to the residence of Michael Jay Harris, in the northwestern corner of McNairy County, in Finger, Tenn., to arrest Harris on an outstanding warrant.
While searching the residence, law enforcement discovered Harris was in possession of a bag containing three and a half ounces of ice methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as digital scales and drug paraphernalia. Harris became combative and attempted to fight the officers. A chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration stated the methamphetamine was more than 97 percent pure, and an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation testified it could have been distributed to more than a thousand drug users, based on its purity.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Harris is a career drug offender who was destroying this rural community by his sale of poisonous drugs, and his prior felony convictions have finally caught up with him. Thanks to the great investigative work by our local law enforcement partners at the Selmer Police Department and the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, he has been held accountable and removed from the community."
Sentencing is set for November 9, 2018, before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen. Harris has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for trafficking in cocaine and morphine, and assault charges. Based on his prior convictions, he faces up to life imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Upper Marlboro, Maryland, man convicted of Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity Theft was sentenced on August 6, 2018, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Victor Sasay, a/k/a Victor Sesay, age 38, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $60,399.47 in restitution along with his 2 other codefendants.
Sasay pleaded guilty to the charge on March 21, 2018. The charge related to Sasay and his codefendants using counterfeit access devices that had been manipulated to include credit card account numbers belonging to hundreds of victims across the Midwest. Sasay and his codefendants used the cards to acquire high dollar credit and gift cards from multiple stores in South Dakota and other locations across the Midwest. As a result of the theft scheme, local credit unions, as well as other FDIC insured banks across the Midwest, incurred approximately $60,000 in financial losses.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the police departments in Rapid City, Spearfish, and Sturgis, South Dakota, and Wheatland, Douglas, Laramie, Gillette, and Casper, Wyoming. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Sasay was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Codefendant, Roy Conteh, pleaded guilty on March 21, 2018, and was sentenced to the same terms and conditions on March 22, 2018.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics While Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Venable, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to federal firearms and narcotics offenses.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Venable pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable in excess of 12 months in prison and one count of unlawful distribution of a detectable amount of heroin. He faces up to 30 years in prison. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Oct. 16, 2018.
Venable’s charges arise from a law enforcement investigation regarding alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. On Feb. 1, 2018, law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles, which led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics. During the course of the investigation, Venable had been arrested twice in possession of distribution quantities of narcotics and a loaded firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 5, 2017, MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division was conducting undercover operations in the 600 block of Yuma Street SE. After purchasing crack cocaine, a lookout was given for the suspect dealer. Law enforcement moved in to stop the suspected dealer, who was standing with Venable next to Venable’s vehicle. An MPD canine officer and canine responded to the location and the canine gave a positive reaction for the presence of a firearm in the immediate area of the front-passenger-seat compartment. Upon opening the compartment, law enforcement observed a loaded 9 mm handgun. Venable was subsequently arrested with 32 grams of heroin on his person.
Then, on Feb. 1, 2018, while he was on pretrial release from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for his Dec, 5, 2017 arrest, law enforcement executed search warrants on Venable’s residence and vehicle in Maryland. Law enforcement recovered three baggies containing approximately 10.6 grams of heroin and $852 in cash from Venable’s person. During the search of Venable’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered an AWS-600 digital scale on the driver’s side floor, a small black digital scale in the center console, and a black Sharpstone box containing a silver press in the trunk. During the search of Venable’s residence, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen. In the kitchen, law enforcement recovered a black scale, a silver press, plastic sandwich baggies, and a strainer. In the hallway closet, law enforcement located a blue Nike bag containing two scales, a spoon, and plastic baggies, as well as, additional packing material for narcotics.
Venable was charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and he agreed to have the charge transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as part of a global resolution to the charges against him.
One other defendant pled guilty to charges in the case and another is awaiting trial. Darryl Smith, 41, the manager of the Next Level Cuts barbershop, pled guilty to federal narcotics and firearms offenses and is to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2018. Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for drug trafficking offenses and is awaiting trial.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of those investigating and prosecuting the cases. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Teesha Tobias, and Kim Hall; Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker Tobin and Rebecca Caruso of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Sykes.
Man Indicted for Shooting a Police OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against John Terry Chatman, Jr., 34, of Tulsa, charging him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill a Witness, and Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The indictment alleges that Chatman possessed a 32 caliber revolver and ammunition after prior felony convictions, attempted to kill a Tulsa police officer, and carried and discharged a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the obstruction of justice by attempting to kill a witness charge; and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine for the carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge.
United States Attorney Shores stated, “This indictment alleges that John Terry Chatman violated federal laws when he shot and wounded a Tulsa police officer with a firearm that he illegally possessed. We will seek to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and hold him accountable in a court of law. Like any other shooting victim of a felon with an illegal gun, the wounded police officer in this case deserves justice.”
United States Attorney Trent Shores represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department.
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Member of Valley Park Drug Trafficking Operation Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today the conviction of a defendant charged in connection with an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation targeting a drug trafficking network based in Baton Rouge and operating in Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement uncovered an illegal dog fighting operation. Numerous defendants were charged with significant drug trafficking offenses involving cocaine, marijuana and heroin, as well as violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act.
Today, COREY T. BROWN a.k.a. “Black,” age 31, of Baton Rouge, appeared before Chief Judge Shelly Dick and pled guilty to his role in the drug trafficking network. Brown pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 46.5 grams of heroin, 28.5 grams of cocaine and 28.35 grams of marijuana, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin. BROWN also plead guilty to violating the Federal Animal Welfare Act, for his part in a multi-state dog fighting operation.
On July 2, 2018, Eric Lashawn Williams, a.k.a. “E” and “EZ,” age 35, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 46.5 grams of heroin, 285 grams of cocaine and 28.35 grams of marijuana, one count of the unlawful use of a communication facility, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. WILLIAMS also pled guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with violating the Federal Animal Welfare Act by possession of animals in animal fighting ventures.
On July 17, 2018, MARCO MURPHY, a.k.a. “Big Daddy,” age 34, of Baton Rouge, appeared before Judge Shelly Dick and pled guilty to his role in the drug trafficking network. Murphy pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of marijuana, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
On August 1, 2018, ED WILLIAMS JR., a.k.a. “Cooter,” age 31, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and one count of distribution of heroin.
Because of their guilty pleas, each defendant faces a significant term of imprisonment, fines, and the forfeiture of proceeds from their illegal activity.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, ERIC WILLIAMS along with BROWN were the organizers and leaders of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for the distribution of cocaine, marijuana and heroin in the Valley Park neighborhood of Baton Rouge. MURPHY and WILLIAMS JR. were distributors in the organization.
During the investigation into the drug trafficking, law enforcement agents became aware that WILLIAMS and BROWN were also involved in an illegal dog-fighting operation. Law enforcement intercepted WILLIAMS, BROWN and others over numerous telephone conversations regarding the results of dogfights in states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi, future fights, the stakes (cash) wagers on upcoming fights, as well as the breeding, sale, and training of dogs for dogfighting.
On August 24, 2017, law enforcement agents conducted a search at two residences in Baton Rouge and seized 13 pit bull dogs related to dog-fighting activities. The dogs belonged to the defendant WILLIAMS and five were located at a residence owned by BROWN.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The good people of Valley Park don’t deserve, nor do they want, people like these defendants in their neighborhood selling drugs and using the proceeds to fight dogs for sport. We are glad to bring this organization to justice. This is yet another victory in the fight to rid our streets of wrongdoers.”
This investigation is another effort by the OCDETF Program, which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations, and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
This OCDETF operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the FBI Baton Rouge Capitol Area Gang Task Force. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Loan Officer Sentenced for His Role in Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Daniel Cardenas (37, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Cardenas pleaded guilty on April 24, 2018.
According to court documents, from as early as October 2007 through May 2008, Cardenas and others conspired to execute a wire fraud scheme affecting financial institutions. The goal of the scheme was to sell condominium units at The Preserve at Temple Terrace, a 392-unit condominium complex in Tampa. To entice buyers to purchase the units, the conspirators offered cash payments to buyers, either before or after closing. Payment of the funds to the individual buyers was neither known to nor approved by the mortgage lenders.
The conspirators made material false statements on loan documents, such as purchase and sale agreements, loan applications, and HUD-1 settlement statements, to induce mortgage lenders to approve loans for otherwise unqualified borrowers. The conspirators used several entities to conceal the payments to buyers from the mortgage lenders.
Cardenas’s role in the conspiracy, as a loan officer at Transcontinental Lending Group’s branch in Tampa, included but was not limited to preparing, signing, and certifying false and fraudulent loan applications submitted to lenders in order to induce the institutions to provide funding for buyers. The false representations submitted to and relied upon by the mortgage lenders included representations concerning occupancy, income, source of funds, and assets. Cardenas’s participation in the mortgage fraud conspiracy caused approximately $710,000 in losses to the victim mortgage lenders.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hoffer.
Lanham Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Demetrius Darrius Rasberry, age 36, of Lanham, Maryland, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the robbery of a convenience store and for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during the robbery. Rasberry also committed two other armed robberies in Prince George’s County. Judge Chuang ordered that Rasberry pay restitution in the full amount of the loss.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on April 7, 2017, Rasberry entered a convenience store in Lanham, Maryland, pointed a semiautomatic handgun at an employee and demanded that the employee open the cash drawer. Rasberry then went behind the counter, ordered the employee to the ground and stole $148.42. After putting the money into a bag, Rasberry jumped over the counter and exited the store. As he was leaving, Rasberry turned and fired two shots into the store, then ran away.
According to Rasberry’s plea and other court documents, on April 8, 2017, Rasberry and co-conspirator Jose Orlando Johnson robbed two liquor stores in Forestville and Camp Springs, Maryland, respectively. In each robbery, Johnson drove to the location and waited outside while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the employee at gunpoint. At the first liquor store, Rasberry stole $500 and two bottles of Hennessy cognac. Rasberry then exited the store and got into the car driven by Johnson and the two drove away from the area. In the second liquor store robbery, Johnson waited in the car at a gas station nearby while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the store employee at gunpoint. At the second liquor store Rasberry stole approximately $1,080 and a bottle of Hennessy cognac packaged in a black and gold box. Rasberry ran out of the store in the direction of the gas station where Johnson was waiting. An officer who was in the area saw Rasberry fleeing toward the gas station.
Shortly after the robbery, officers canvassing the area located the car and could see two men in the front seats. As they approached, Rasberry got out of the front passenger seat and attempted to run away. Rasberry was quickly apprehended near the vehicle and arrested. Johnson was located in the driver seat and his 5-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son were also present in the vehicle.
Rasberry and Johnson were taken in custody. Officers searched Rasberry and Johnson and recovered $993.81 from Rasberry and $954 from Johnson. From the vehicle, officers recovered: a loaded black and silver Ruger P89 9mmx19 semiautomatic handgun, with one unfired cartridge in the chamber, and eight cartridges in the magazine (front passenger floorboard); a Hennessy cognac decorative box with bottle inside (front passenger floorboard); and two unopened bottles of Hennessy cognac.
Analysis performed by the Prince George’s County Firearms Examination Unit revealed that the shell casings recovered from the scene of the robbery at the convenience store were fired from the Ruger handgun recovered from the vehicle.
Johnson, age 26, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the liquor store robbery and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2018.
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.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Eyler Kaplan and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the case.
Lake Worth Resident Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), announced that Wilfredo Roy Madrigal, a/k/a “Fredo,” a/k/a “Wolfman,” 34, of Palm Beach County, was sentenced yesterday, by United States District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to the court record, on March 6, 2018, Madrigal sold heroin to an individual outside of his hotel room in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida. On March 8, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Madrigal’s hotel room and seized a number of controlled substances including, heroin, marijuana, Adderall, and Methoxyacetyl Fentanyl pills (which were made to look like Oxycodone pills), as well as, plastic baggies and digital scales.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and PBSO, for their assistance in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
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.
KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm After Eluding DWI CheckpointRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who attempted to elude a DWI checkpoint while he was intoxicated was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Derrick J. White, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to eight years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 5, 2018, White pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. White admitted that he was in possession of a Ruger 9mm handgun, which was found by Independence, Mo., police officers who searched his vehicle following a pursuit when he attempted to elude a sobriety checkpoint.
White was driving a vehicle while intoxicated when he encountered a DWI checkpoint near U.S. 24 Highway and Vassar Road in Independence at about 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2016. White refused to stop at the checkpoint, and instead accelerated and fled. Officers deployed stop-sticks and disabled White’s vehicle.
According to court documents, officers observed many of the physical signs of someone under the influence of an intoxicant. White failed the standard field sobriety tests and refused to provide a breath sample to determine his blood alcohol content. During this encounter, he was uncooperative and argumentative with the officers. White was arrested for driving while intoxicated and fleeing. When officers searched his vehicle, they found the Ruger 9mm, with an obliterated serial number, underneath the driver’s seat.
According to court documents, White was arrested by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on May 8, 2017, after officers were dispatched on a disturbance involving the defendant. When the officers approached him, White refused to stop and fled on foot. Ultimately, White was detained, but throughout his detention, he was combative, uncooperative, and belligerent. Upon being arrested, he was found in possession of a High Point Arms, semi-automatic firearm.
Officers attempted to book White into the Jackson County Detention Center, but he was so intoxicated that the booking process could not be completed, so officers were forced to take him to a hospital. While at the hospital, White was belligerent to the hospital staff and security officers. He also made direct and indirect threatening comments about shooting the officers. Those statements included that he was happy each time he heard an officer had been shot and killed. He also threaten an officer directly by saying “when I get out in 10 or 15, shootin you is a cold fact.”
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. White has two prior criminal felony convictions for illegally possessing a firearm and prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. Additionally, White has 27 misdemeanor convictions, including two offenses that involved firearms, three offenses that involved resisting arrest, nine driving offenses and three offenses that involved alcohol or drugs. White has been incarcerated, on parole, probation, or supervised release for approximately 10 of the past 11 years.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Delivers Verdicts in Trial of FBI Special AgentRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – A federal jury today acquitted W. Joseph Astarita, a member of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) based in Quantico, Virginia, on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
"We thank the jury for their dedicated service and for giving full consideration to an important case. We strongly believe this case needed to be brought before the court and decided by a jury," said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. "Our system of justice relies on the absolute integrity of law enforcement officials at all levels of government."
"The OIG respects the jury’s verdict. We will continue to investigate allegations of misconduct by Department of Justice employees to ensure the integrity of our law enforcement components," said Michael E. Horowitz, U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General. "We also would like to thank the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Major Incident Team for their assistance with this investigation."
Astarita was one of a number of FBI agents assigned to the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and was present during the shooting of Robert LaVoy Finicum on January 26, 2016, in Harney County, Oregon.
Astarita was accused of knowingly and willfully making false statements to FBI Supervisory Special Agents. Specifically, Astarita told his supervisors he had not fired his weapon during the attempted arrest of Finnicum.
A federal grand jury charged Astarita with three counts of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and two counts of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1521(b)(3) on June 20, 2017. One count each of making false statements and obstruction of justice were dismissed pre-trial.
The verdicts concludes a three-week trial during which jurors heard testimony from FBI agents, state and local law enforcement officers, forensic scientists and ballistics experts.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated this case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The case was prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman and Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Illegal Alien Who Has Been Deported on Three Prior Occasions Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that JORGE LUIS OCHOA-MORALES, age 49, pled guilty to a single count indictment charging him with illegal reentry into the United States by a removed alien.
On February 11, 2018, OCHOA-MORALES was encountered in the Ascension Parish Detention Center. OCHOA-MORALES was born 1968, in Mexico and is a citizen and national of Mexico with no legal status to live, reside or work in the United States. He has been deported or removed from the United States on three prior occasions: on June 17, 2011, from at or near Nogales, Texas; on June 24, 2010, from at or near Hidalgo, Texas; and on or about December 31, 2005, from at or near Brownsville, Texas.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement matched OCHOA-MORALES’ fingerprints to previous records and positively identified him. OCHOA-MORALES admitted that he entered the United States illegally, never having obtained the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or his successor, the Secretary for Homeland Security.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “Our duty is to enforce our nation’s laws by protecting the border wherever we find illegal aliens. This prosecution is one of many that my office intends to bring in support of the Attorney General’s Immigration Enforcement Policy and in fulfilment of my duty to the residents of the Middle District. I appreciate the hard work by all those involved in this important matter.”
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy and Illegal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – William Russell Oswalt, 29, of Hattiesburg, entered guilty pleas yesterday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (heroin) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Oswalt faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 5 years to life in prison for the firearm charge. He further faces fines of $250,000 and $1 million, along with at least 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for October 16, 2018, at 9:45 a.m.
On January 4, 2016, the Twelfth Circuit Court Narcotics Enforcement Team made an undercover purchase of heroin. On January 17, 2017, armed with an arrest warrant, law enforcement located Oswalt at a Hattiesburg hotel in possession of marijuana, methamphetamine, digital scales, numerous pills and a loaded firearm. With this information, Agents with the DEA and ATF conducted an investigation of Oswalt that revealed he had been distributing heroin in the Hattiesburg area since 2013. Agents identified his sources in New Orleans, one of whom verified Oswalt purchased quantities of heroin. Other associates admitted they purchased heroin from Oswalt. He was indicted on the federal charges in April 2018.
The Twelfth Circuit Court Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD RIVERA, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA Hartford Task Force investigation revealed that individuals were distributing heroin from the Katty Grocery store located at 584 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. During the investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, RIVERA obtained distribution quantities of heroin from Franklyn Caraballo-Almonte at the Katty Grocery. In December 2016 and January 2017, an undercover agent made multiple controlled purchases of heroin from RIVERA.
On January 31, 2017, RIVERA was arrested on state narcotics charges after he agreed to sell 900 bags of heroin to the undercover agent. On that date, investigators seized from RIVERA 950 bags of heroin and $1,642 in cash. A subsequent search of RIVERA’s South Street residence revealed quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, $14,963 in cash, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
RIVERA has been detained since his arrest. On February 21, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
RIVERA forfeited the cash seized during the investigation.
Caraballo-Almonte has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Grand Jury Indicts Physician for Illegal Remuneration for Health Care ReferralsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Adam Gallardo Arrendondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, charging him with Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals.
The indictment alleges that Arrendondo solicited and received checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient that are not FDA approved. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shores stated, “Illegal payment for health care referrals undermines the integrity of our health care system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring to justice those who engage in health care fraud by exploiting programs that provide care for millions of Americans.”
Assistant United States Attorney Melody N. Nelson represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General.
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Four Members of a Drug Trafficking Organization Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Yesterday, four members of a drug trafficking organization based in Lee County pled guilty to charges against them on the second day of their trial, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Their guilty pleas bring the total number of members of the organization who have pled guilty in federal court to eighteen[i]. A nineteenth federal defendant, Phillip Maddox, 41, from Auburn, Alabama, is set for trial in October.
The four individuals who pled guilty yesterday were, Worldly Dieago Holstick, 36 and Timothy Lamar Spinks, 43, both from Auburn, Alabama; James Earl McIntyre, 28, from Montgomery, Alabama; and James Lee Hamilton, 41, from Santa Rosa, California.
According to witnesses who testified during the trial Wednesday, Holstick was the leader of the drug trafficking organization which stretched from Georgia to California. Spinks obtained cocaine from Holstick and distributed it in Lee County. McIntyre provided addresses to Holstick so that he could have boxes containing five to ten pounds of marijuana shipped from California to Alabama. Finally, Hamilton helped launder the proceeds of the drug activity through numerous bank accounts in California.
Holstick and Spinks pled guilty to various crimes including conspiracy to sell cocaine and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. They each face a maximum sentence of life in prison. McIntyre pled guilty to various crimes including conspiracy to sell marijuana and he faces up to five years in prison. Hamilton pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
These cases were investigated by the following agencies: DEA – Montgomery Resident Office, Auburn Police Division, Eufaula Police Department, Prattville Police Department, Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Alabama HIDTA Task Force, Alabama National Guard, Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, Central Alabama Drug Task Force (CADTF), Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County District Attorney’s Office, Opelika Police Department, Troy Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Verne Speirs, Kevin Davidson, Josh Wendell, and Curtis Ivy.
[i] Thirteen federal defendants were originally arrested in August 2017. Additional members of the drug trafficking organization have been arrested since then.
Former New Port Richey Resident Sentenced to More Than Ten Years in Connection with Consumer Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced David Owen (40, Largo) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit extortion, money laundering, and mail fraud, in connection with several consumer fraud schemes. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered restitution to the victims in the amount of $697,500, and entered a money judgment in the amount of $1,185,652, representing the proceeds of the fraud.
According to court documents, Owen, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on January 30, 2018, and a co-conspirator, Andrew Corrigan, used straw account owners to open bank accounts into which they deposited money from victims of their tax impersonation scheme. The conspirators extorted money from victims by falsely representing that the victims had financial obligations to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Canadian tax authorities, or other entities. They then threatened the victims with arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences for their purported debts and demanded that they pay the conspirators the “owed” money.
The conspirators monitored the victims’ deposits online in order to ensure that the straw owners of the accounts (who were controlled by the conspirators) made timely withdrawals. The conspirators provided the straw account owners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts of deposits. The conspirators then directed the straw account owners to withdraw the funds in cash, and turn it over to them (often less a payment to the straw account owner for opening the account or conducting the transaction) victims were also directed to pay via money transfers and prepaid debit cards, which were also collected and deposited by the defendants. Owen and Corrigan collected more than $850,000 from their victims.
For his role in this scheme, Corrigan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on January 30, 2018.
Owen also devised another telemarketing fraud scheme, which primarily targeted elderly victims. Callers located outside of the United States contacted at least three elderly victims and falsely represented to those victims that they had won millions of dollars in the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery. The callers then induced the victims to provide financial information and mail large cashier’s checks to a straw business (Edgewater Elite) in Florida, set up by Owen, to pay “advance” taxes on the alleged winnings, or for some other related purpose. Once the victims’ funds were deposited into the Edgewater Elite bank accounts, they were quickly disbursed by the straw business owner, at the direction of Owen. Over $315,000 was collected from the three elderly victims.
"This sentence today represents a victory not just for the IRS, but for the many hard-working Americans who have received an intimidating phone call from the perpetrators of this despicable scam," stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS Criminal Investigation. "We remind taxpayers that the IRS does not initiate contact by phone and we will never call with threats to arrest you. Education is your best defense, so we invite everyone to spread the word to be on the watch for phone calls from IRS impersonators."
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Toronto Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Rachel Jones.
Former Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing a Fraudulent Tax Refund ClaimRead the Press Release
A former resident of Durant, Mississippi pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing a fraudulent claim for a tax refund with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents and information provided in court, from 2005 through 2015, Teresa C. Chism operated tax return preparation businesses in Mississippi named Mo’ Money, MoneyCo USA, and Lady T Taxes . Chism falsified her clients’ returns in different ways in order to increase their tax refunds, including reporting false wages, false self-employment income and expenses, and false education credits. In total, Chism prepared more than 550 false tax returns, seeking over $3.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS paid at least $3.2 million in refunds on these bogus claims. Chism also did not file individual tax returns or pay taxes on her own income for 2013-2015, despite earning more than $100,000 during those years.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2018. Chism faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Robert J. Boudreau and William Montague of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former MLB All-Star Pitcher Esteban LoaizaPleads Guilty to Possessing 20 Kilograms of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 10, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Former Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza pleaded guilty in federal court today to an Information charging him with possession of 20 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute.
In a change of plea hearing before United States District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, Loaiza admitted that on February 9, 2018, he took possession of a silver Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle that he knew to contain cocaine. He further admitted that he drove the SUV to a townhouse he rented in Imperial Beach, California, where he transferred 20 kilograms of cocaine to another vehicle in the garage, and that he did so with the intent to distribute the cocaine to another person.
Loaiza will remain on bond and subject to electronic location monitoring pending his sentencing hearing.
Sentencing is scheduled to occur before Judge Sammartino on November 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
DEFENDANTS Case 18CR1743-JLS
Esteban Antonio Loaiza Age: 46 Imperial Beach, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment and $10,000,000 fine
AGENCIES
United States Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Border Patrol
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
Former JP Morgan Chase Bank Employee Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Selling Customer Account InformationRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Peter Persaud, a former personal banker at JP Morgan Chase Bank, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 48 months’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft in connection with access device fraud. Persaud pleaded guilty to these charges on March 7, 2017.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Persaud abused his position by victimizing unsuspecting customers, and will now pay the penalty for his fraudulent conduct,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and industry partners to vigorously prosecute those who undermine the integrity of the financial system.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department, which jointly investigated the case.
According to the publicly filed documents and facts presented at sentencing, from 2011 to 2015, Persaud sold personal identifying information and account information that belonged to bank customers to others, or used it himself, in order to make unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts. Persaud’s scheme was exposed when he sold this information to a confidential informant in 2014 and to an undercover law enforcement officer in 2015. Persaud told the undercover officer that he had to “take it easy” because Chase might notice he had accessed all of the bank accounts that “got hit.” Persaud offered to sell the undercover officer identifying information for a client’s bank account that contained more than $180,000.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tiana Demas and Andrey Spektor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PETER PERSAUD
Age: 28
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-0462 (ENV)
Former Federal Way, Washington Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison in Repeat Case of Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A former tax return preparer is now facing a second 37-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns, after serving more than two years in prison for her first conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. KWANGBAE P. KIM, 63, operated “Tea and Tax” in Federal Way, Washington. From 2011 to 2016, KIM engaged in a scheme to file false income tax returns–mirroring the scheme that had resulted in a 27-month prison term in 2003. At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The Court’s largest concern is that she failed to learn from her prior time in prison.”
“Instead of learning from her past crimes, this defendant chose to go right back to abusing our tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Along the way, she betrayed her clients and a family member. I commend the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations special agents in this case, and so many others, to ensure our tax system serves our country and is fairly enforced.”
According to records filed in the case, in 2003, KIM prepared tax returns for customers with false and fraudulent business expenses. After the IRS investigation began and agents contacted some of KIM’s clients, she orchestrated “cover stories,” had clients rehearse their stories, and gave them falsified documentation to try to make the fraudulent expense deductions look legitimate. The tax loss in the 2003 case was $430,000.
After the prison sentence, KIM returned to tax preparation and again prepared returns with false and fictitious expense deductions. Between 2011 and 2016, KIM prepared more than 30 false tax returns resulting in a tax loss of at least $113,000. In order to try to hide her conduct, KIM used other people’s Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTIN). These numbers are assigned by the IRS so it can identify who prepared the return. KIM applied for a PTIN in the name of a relative who did not prepare taxes and did not know about the PTIN. She also used the PTINs of two other people. As in the 2003 case, when the IRS started asking clients about their deductions, KIM encouraged them to lie to the IRS and provide false and misleading documents.
While KIM did not directly profit from the increased tax refunds enjoyed by her clients, the refunds may have increased her profit by encouraging others to use her business. Of the $113,000 tax loss, KIM’s clients have paid most of the loss after their returns were audited. Chief Judge Martinez ordered KIM to pay restitution of the remaining $29,478.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS‑CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Matthew Diggs.
Florida Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL –U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced William Joseph McClenathan (30, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. McClenathan pleaded guilty on May 16, 2018.
According to court documents, in December 2017, McClenathan distributed an image depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A forensic review of McClenathan’s electronic devices revealed that he possessed 171 images of child pornography and 338 videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro J. Salicrup.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Felon in Possession of Firearms Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced CHRISTOPHER CARTER a/k/a Christopher James Carter, age 28, of Baton Rouge, to 60 months in federal prison following his conviction for two counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
On June 12, 2017, at approximately 10:35 p.m., Baton Rouge Police Department (“BRPD”) officers were dispatched to the 2900 block of Tecumseh Street, in the Middle District of Louisiana, relative to multiple shots being fired. A BRPD officer observed an individual, later identified as CARTER, exit the front passenger side of a vehicle and go inside of a residence. After a search of the vehicle, a Glock, model 26, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, and two extended magazines, containing 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition, were found lying underneath the front passenger seat of the vehicle where the defendant had just been observed sitting. CARTER admits that he knowingly possessed the gun that evening.
On July 5, 2017, BRPD stopped a car occupied by CARTER for a traffic violation. A BRPD officer observed the defendant shove a handgun into the back seat pocket of the driver’s seat of the vehicle. BRPD officers removed CARTER from the vehicle, advised him of his Miranda rights, which the defendant acknowledged, and asked him about the gun. CARTER admitted that the gun was his and that he was a convicted felon. The firearm was a Canik, model TP-9SA, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition.
Judge Jackson noted on the record that CARTER had five prior convictions, three of which involved firearms, and two other arrests which were uncharged that also involved firearms.
Both weapons were surrendered by CARTER pursuant to his plea of guilty.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “As long as unrepentant violent felons choose to illegally possess guns we will be there to enforce the law. This conviction and sentence is yet another example of how strong partnerships with the Baton Rouge Police Department and the ATF can produce results. I am proud of the continuing efforts of our state and local partners and look forward to many similar successful prosecutions.”
ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “Law enforcement partners will continue to work together towards the safety of our communities by focusing our efforts on armed violent felons. I am proud of the support we are receiving from our community. We will continue to remove the criminal element from our city and parish by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana US Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth White.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Former Chicago Man for Attempting to Join ISISRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a former Chicago man for allegedly attempting to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham.
FARESS MUHAMMAD SHRAITEH, 21, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to ISIS, and one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Shraiteh is a United States citizen who formerly resided in Chicago and now lives in Israel.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of representatives from the FBI and numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
According to the indictment, Shraiteh and two other individuals began conspiring to join ISIS in November 2014. In May 2015 the trio traveled from Chicago to Egypt, where they allegedly spent time in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheik, before flying to Istanbul, Turkey. Shraiteh was denied entry into Turkey, while the two others were allowed in, the indictment states. Shraiteh went to Israel, where he has family, and later communicated with one of the other individuals that he planned to renew his passport and join them, the charges allege.
One of the other individuals was later killed while conducting a suicide attack on behalf of ISIS, the indictment states. The charges allege that Shraiteh knew ISIS was a terrorist organization when he conspired to join it.
Each charge in the indictment is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Shraiteh is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Peter S. Salib of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Lolita Lukose of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Former Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former resident of Durant, Mississippi pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing a fraudulent claim for a tax refund with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents and information provided in court, from 2005 through 2015, Teresa C. Chism operated tax return preparation businesses in Mississippi named Mo’ Money, MoneyCo USA, and Lady T Taxes . Chism falsified her clients’ returns in different ways in order to increase their tax refunds, including reporting false wages, false self-employment income and expenses, and false education credits. In total, Chism prepared more than 550 false tax returns, seeking over $3.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS paid at least $3.2 million in refunds on these bogus claims. Chism also did not file individual tax returns or pay taxes on her own income for 2013-2015, despite earning more than $100,000 during those years.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2018. Chism faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Robert J. Boudreau and William Montague of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Eleven Members of Lakeland Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty to Causing Four Overdose Deaths, an Overdose Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the guilty pleas of the individuals listed below with charges stemming from conspiracy to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin, 400 hundred grams of fentanyl, and 100 grams of a fentanyl analogue, the distribution of which resulted in four deaths and in serious bodily injury to a victim. The defendants face penalties from 10 years to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The plea agreements also require certain individuals to make restitution to the families of the victims.
Salik Stevens Drug Trafficking Organization
Name
Age, Residence
Status
Salik Stevens, a/k/a “Carlito,” ‘Dough”
35, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Hasan Pearson, a/k/a “Julio,” “Hoov”
36, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Naboris Lampkin , a/k/a “Beezy”
32, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Ladarius Oglesby, a/k/a “Hitta”
23, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
William Jones, a/k/a “Book”
39, Mulberry
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Dominic Matthews, a/k/a “Gargamel”
30, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Prince Grant
37, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Justin Martin
33, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Jeminine Poe
37, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
John Brown
54, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of attempted possession of heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Dalyshia Dexter
28, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
On January 5, 2018, in a related case, Antonorio Nelson, a/k/a “Nep,” (29, Lakeland) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute furanyl fentanyl resulting in death. He faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreements, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues, and operated in and around Lakeland. As part of the conspiracy, Stevens and Pearson received controlled substances via packages shipped from New Jersey. They then distributed the drugs, packaged in individual user amounts referred to as “bindles,” to Lakeland dealers. The organization utilized three primary premises for the storage and distribution of controlled substances, including a car wash, a residence, and an apartment complex.
Law enforcement identified several overdoses in Polk County between February and April 2017, that were linked to the organization. Specifically, investigators identified four victims who had died from ingesting furanyl fentanyl and carfentanil sold by members of the DTO, and one victim who was medically resuscitated after a carfentanil overdose.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized thousands of individual bindles of heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues, three firearms, and over $10,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Eldorado Woman Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
On August 9, 2018, Betsy J. Gutowski, 45, of Eldorado, Illinois, pled guilty in federal court to charges that she engaged in a scheme to steal from a federal health care program, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Prior to her guilty plea, Gutowski’s bond was revoked, and she remains in custody pending sentencing, which is currently set for November 15, 2018. Gutowski faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
During her plea hearing, Gutowski admitted submitting false and fraudulent bills for personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid waiver program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Gutowski admitted she falsely billed the program between December 1, 2011 and October 15, 2012, when she purportedly rendered personal assistant services to a customer who, in fact, was in a hospital or nursing home at the time. In total, Gutowski improperly billed 349.5 hours of services and obtained $4,036.73 in payments for services not performed.
This prosecution is part of the "Operation Home Alone" initiative. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General,
and the Illinois State Police - Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.
Eight Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in NE AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge this week sentenced eight members of a northeast Alabama methamphetamine conspiracy to prison sentences ranging from two years to life, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr.
U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced JEFF MORRIS BEAM JR., 37, of Gadsden, to life in prison as the leader of an Etowah County-based conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine in Etowah, Marshall and Calhoun counties in Alabama and in areas of northwestern Georgia.
“The ringleader of this drug-trafficking operation will spend the remainder of his youth, middle age, and the rest of his life in a federal prison,” Town said. “All eight of his co-defendants, to include his sister, have been reserved bed space in a federal prison, half of whom will be there for at least a decade. Federal, state and local law enforcement have a shared commitment to take drug traffickers off the streets and direct them to federal custody where there is no sanctuary of parole,” he said.
“The work done by the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force dismantled this criminal enterprise, which was bringing large quantities of methamphetamine to the streets of Etowah County,” Sharp said. “I want to thank the Etowah County Drug Task Force, the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office, the Anniston Police Department, and the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office for their work to help to bring Beam and his criminal organization to the justice they deserve.”
A federal jury convicted Beam in April of the conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between December 2014 and April 28, 2016. The jury also convicted Beam for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Aug. 18, 2015, and for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more on Aug. 25, 2015. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked through the conspiracy was at least 33 kilograms, or nearly 73 pounds.
The seven other defendants involved in the conspiracy included Beam’s sister, JAMIE LEANN BEAM, 41, RICHARD WENDELL EDMONDSON, 36, HENRY CURTIS GILLEY, 34, HAROLD DEWAYNE DEAL, 39, and RICHARD LEE KIRBY, 35, all of Gadsden, and HANNAH BLAIR CROWDER, 25, and ROY CLAUDE FARLOW JR., 58, both of Attalla. All but Deal and Kirby pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.
Edmondson pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, once in Calhoun County on Jan. 3, 2016, and in Etowah County, along with co-defendant Farlow, on March 8, 2016. Judge Haikala sentenced Edmonson to 10 years in prison.
The judge sentenced Beam’s sister to 14 years in prison. Jamie Beam pleaded guilty in March to the conspiracy and to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on July 1, 2015, and possessing with intent to distribute five grams or more on Oct. 14, 2015, both in Etowah County.
Gilley pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Gilley to 12 years in prison.
Deal pleaded guilty in January to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The judge sentenced Deal to 10 years and 10 months in prison.
Crowder pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy, possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams and possessing with intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Crowder to seven years and seven months in prison.
Kirby pleaded guilty in January to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Kirby to five years and 10 months in prison.
Farlow pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Farlow to two years and four months in prison.
The FBI investigated the case in conjunction with Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Hodge and Erica Williamson Barnes prosecuted the case.
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District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Hopkins, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest last fall in a narcotics investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hopkins pled guilty in July 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Hopkins was arrested on Oct. 16, 2017, in the 1900 block of West Virginia Avenue NE after he and another man sold crack cocaine to an undercover MPD officer. When MPD officers arrested Hopkins, they discovered an additional amount of crack cocaine in his pocket and a loaded firearm tucked in his waistband. Hopkins had previously been convicted of a felony offense and was, at the time of his arrest, on pre-trial release for a pending drug charge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The firearm recovered from Hopkins was linked to a broader investigation into a firearms ring that acquired guns in Atlanta, Ga., and transported weapons into the District of Columbia for resale. According to the evidence, the gun in Hopkins’s possession was purchased by Jeremy Carr at a store in Smyrna, Ga. Carr, 34, of Marietta, Ga., has been indicted along with two co-defendants on federal charges in a separate case in the District of Columbia, including a charge of taking part in a conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. All three defendants have pled not guilty to charges and are awaiting further court proceedings.
According to court documents filed in the case against Carr, more than 20 firearms that Carr purchased have already been recovered in the District of Columbia.
These cases are being investigated by ATF and MPD. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to 30-Month Prison Term for Illegal Possession of Gun on MetrobusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael N. Jackson, 44, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 30-month prison term on a federal firearms charge, stemming from his possession of a loaded handgun onboard a Metrobus in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.
Jackson pled guilty in June 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and one count of simple possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 14, 2017, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Jackson boarded a Metrobus at 8th and H Streets NE. He was highly intoxicated, and initiated an argument with another passenger. He later threatened to shoot and kill everyone on the bus.
Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department responded to the bus after it arrived at the Minnesota Avenue bus bay. They made contact with Jackson, and recovered a loaded 9-mm handgun from his waistband. After Jackson’s arrest, officers found crack cocaine in his pocket. Further investigation revealed that the handgun had been stolen from Prince George’s County, Md. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest.
This case marked Jackson’s fifth conviction for an offense involving a handgun. They included a 2006 conviction of a federal firearms charge in the District of Columbia and a 2014 conviction of a firearms charge in Prince George’s County, Md.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Pavlik commended the work of the officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson, Lisa Walters, and William Schurmann, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term for Killing Woman Near Southeast Washington Bike PathRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elliott A. Starks, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing a woman in December 2016 along a bicycle trail in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Starks pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison term of 15 years. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Starks accordingly. Following his prison term, Starks is to be placed on five years of supervised release. However, he also faces revocation of his parole for an earlier killing.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Antina Pratt, 40, was slain on Nov. 7, 2016, just over an hour after she left the restaurant where she worked. After work, Ms. Pratt took a bus from a stop near the restaurant to the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Howard Road SE, a short distance from the Sheridan Station apartment complex. When she got off the bus, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Starks, who knew Ms. Pratt, walked up to her at a location behind the apartment complex. The two walked alongside each other onto the 2600 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and towards a bike path adjacent to Suitland Parkway SE.
Several minutes later, while in a grassy area near the bike path, Starks drew a knife and stabbed Ms. Pratt repeatedly, inflicting a total of 29 stab wounds. She fought back, and in the process, scratched her assailant with her fingernails. She eventually collapsed and Starks fled on foot. A passerby found Ms. Pratt’s body the following afternoon.
Starks had been paroled in June 2016 after serving a term of imprisonment for other offenses, including a murder that he committed in 1999, also in Southeast Washington. In the earlier murder case, he had been sentenced to a prison term of 14 to 42 years.
Telephone records revealed that Starks and Ms. Pratt had communicated with each other on the night of Nov. 7, 2016. As a result, MPD detectives arranged to interview Starks. During the interview, on Dec. 22, 2016, Starks acknowledged knowing Ms. Pratt and being aware of her death. But he denied being responsible for the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, meanwhile, had examined Ms. Pratt’s fingernail clippings and found the presence of an unknown male’s DNA profile. The profile was uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes. Because of his convictions for the earlier offenses, a sample of Starks’s DNA profile had been uploaded into the CODIS database. On Dec. 30, 2016, MPD was advised that Starks’s DNA profile matched the one found on the fingernail clippings.
At the time of Ms. Pratt’s murder, Starks was still under supervision following his parole for the earlier crimes. However, in January 2017, he stopped reporting for meetings. On Jan. 6, 2017, a warrant was issued for his arrest for Ms. Pratt’s murder. He was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
As a result of this crime, Starks faces revocation of his parole for the earlier conviction. He could be required to serve the remaining 25 years on the sentence for that crime.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Metro transit system. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark and Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Discovery of Guns and Drugs in His ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leroy Jones, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of possessing firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton accepted the plea and sentenced Jones accordingly.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, on June 28, 2017, Deputy U.S. Marshals came to an apartment building in the 1300 block of Kenyon Street NW to conduct an eviction. Building management provided them with the keys to the apartment. The deputy marshals announced their arrival for an eviction and entered the unit. No one was inside. The deputy marshals observed suspected narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm in plain view and reported the discovery to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department secured the apartment while a search warrant was sought. The officers who secured the apartment locked the front door and waited inside the apartment. While they waited, Jones returned to the apartment and unlocked the front door. Officers came to the front of the unit and detained Jones in the hallway.
Officers then searched the apartment pursuant to a search warrant. They found, among other things a duffel-style bag containing a Wyndham Weaponry .223-caliber short-barreled rifle, a rifle-pistol, two handguns, several high-capacity magazines and various types of ammunition. They also discovered in the apartment a ballistic vest, loose ammunition, a loaded magazine, suspected narcotics, and $3,409 in cash.
The suspected narcotics were submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and a lab analysis determined them to be mixtures of substances containing cocaine and cocaine base.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Marshal Hughes, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service and Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neil, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente, Steven B. Wasserman, Emory V. Cole, and Vincent Caputy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Taking Part in Drug Conspiracy Based in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Crevonte Johnson, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as crack cocaine, in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2018.
Johnson was among 12 people indicted in December 2017 following an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. One other defendant has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and ten others are awaiting trial.
According to plea documents filed today, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking activities in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE in late 2015. Throughout the investigation, an undercover police officer purchased crack cocaine from Johnson on multiple occasions. The first such purchase took place in 2015 and Johnson continued selling crack cocaine to the undercover officer on a regular basis throughout 2016. The last of these sales took place on Dec. 14, 2016, in the parking lot of a grocery store in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Throughout the investigation, Johnson sold the undercover officer approximately $10,080 worth of narcotics. Johnson admitted in Court that he was responsible for conspiring to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with MPD, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods that is expected to generate additional cases targeting drug organizations. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI, MPD, U.S. Park Police, Prince George's County, Md. Police, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2015 Slaying in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sean Green, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing a man in July 2015 in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.
Green also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. The verdict, on Aug. 9, 2018, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Nov. 2, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 30, 2015, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Green encountered the victim, Derrick Black, 24, who had flashed a gun at him in the area of the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Green left the area and immediately retrieved his own gun for the purpose of killing Mr. Black. Green did just as he had intended. He returned to the area where he last saw Mr. Black and fired multiple shots at the fleeing victim, causing him to run into the street and collapse to the ground from gunshot wounds to his head and back. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Black never fired a shot at Green. Moreover, an unknown individual safely escaped Green’s gunfire while running alongside the victim into the street.
Green was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Pace, David Misler, Katherine Earnest, and Silvia Gonzalez Roman; Appellate Division Deputy Chiefs Nicholas Coleman and Suzanne Curt; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Supervisor Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Paul Howell; Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Michelle Wicker; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Kelly Blakeney, and D’Yvonne Key, and Law Clerk Alexa Perlmutter.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson and Michelle D. Jackson, who prosecuted the case at trial, as well as Law Clerks Julie Bessler and Siri Palm, who handled all aspects of courtroom technology.
Covington Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky., — Ryan J. Brock, 34, of Covington, was sentenced yesterday to 360 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for production of child pornography. The sentence imposed was the maximum allowed by the statute.
Brock previously admitted to sexually abusing a minor relative and producing photographs and videos of the abuse using a tablet device. When a search warrant was executed at Brock’s residence in Covington, his device was not located, but an empty box for the device was found inside his vehicle. Agents also located a laptop that was forensically examined and found to contain images and videos depicting the sexual abuse perpetrated by Brock, as well as other child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2017.
Under federal law, Brock must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 25 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Field Office; and Chief Robert Nader, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Covington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Elaine K. Leonhard.
Corporate Officers for Bozeman-Based USA Brass Company, Inc. Plead Guilty to False Statement and Clean Water Act Offenses Related to Company's Discharges of Lead-Contaminated Waste WaterRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Two former corporate officers of USA Brass Company, Inc. a Bozeman-based company that cleaned and polished spent ammunition casings for resale and reuse, pled guilty to separate offenses related to the company’s unauthorized discharges of lead-contaminated waste water into the City of Bozeman’s sewer system in 2013. U.S. Magistrate Jerimiah Lynch presided over the plea hearings held in Missoula on August 2 and August 9.
Zachary Daniel Flanagan, a 26-year old resident of Bozeman, Montana and former Chief Executive Officer of USA Brass, pled guilty to a felony false statement offense for making false representations to the pretreatment coordinator for the City of Bozeman’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) regarding the nature of lead-contaminated industrial waste water generated by USAB to gain permission to discharge the wastewater into the city’s sewer system.
Flanagan pled guilty to an information alleging that he falsely stated in a November 2013 email to the pretreatment coordinator that USAB’s laboratory analysis of the waste water had been reviewed by an environmental consultant who concluded that the lead-contaminated waste water “would be fine to send down the sewer.” Flanagan admitted that the statement was false because the consultant had not reviewed analytical results and had not concluded that the waste water was suitable for discharge to the city sewer. Sentencing for Flanagan is scheduled for November 15, 2018.
Nolan Michael Schimpf, a 26-year old resident of Bozeman, Montana, and former Chief Production Officer of USA Brass, pled guilty to a misdemeanor count under the federal Clean Water Act for negligently discharging the lead-contaminated waste water into the Bozeman POTW without authorization from September 2013 to December 2013, in violation of the City’s pretreatment program that regulates industrial discharges of pollutants into the City’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works. Schimpf is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2018.
The EPA’s criminal investigation into the company’s waste water disposal practices followed a 2013 OSHA investigation into lead exposure of workers at the USA Brass facility that resulted in OSHA citations for worker safety violations. USA Brass has since closed the Bozeman business.
"The defendants jeopardized public health and safety by discharging lead contaminated wastewater into public sewage systems, and lied to a local City official to obtain permission for the discharges,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Montana. “This case sends a clear signal that EPA will hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect our communities and the environment.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan R. Whittaker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric E. Nelson. It was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, Montana Office.
Columbia Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Mail FraudRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Federal jury sitting in Frankfort has convicted Ronnie C. Rodgers, 62, of Columbia, Ky., of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and securities fraud, arising from the sale of interests in oil and gas exploration ventures in South Central Kentucky, between 2007 and 2017. Rodgers, along with his brother, Ricky Rodgers, sold interests in oil and gas programs, in Adair, Clinton, Pulaski, and Warren Counties, and various sites in Tennessee, utilizing false and misleading representations about the chances of hitting productive oil wells, the length of time the wells would produce, and the amount of profit the investors could expect. The investments, totaling around $10 million, were sold under the names Rick-Rod Oil, Big South Resources, R&R Plus, and Hydro & Green Global Energy.
United States District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2018, in Frankfort. Rodgers faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, on the single count of conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Securities. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Taylor and Neeraj Gupta.
Citizen of Mexico Convicted of Illegal Re-Entry and Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Ramon Lopez-Alvarado (58), a citizen of Mexico, guilty of one count of illegal re-entry into the United States. Prior to trial, Lopez-Alvarado also pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), for failing to register as a sex offender when he returned to the United States. Lopez-Alvarado has previous felony convictions for committing a lewd act on a child and failing to register as a sex offender. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, Lopez-Alvarado, an alien of the United States who had previously been removed in 2000, 2009, and 2013, was found to be back in the Orlando area on March 17, 2018. Lopez-Alvarado claimed he was a naturalized United States citizen, despite his naturalization application having been denied.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Attempting to Create Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Mark Brookbank, 54, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 262 months in prison for attempting to create child pornography through the photographs of a five year old.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents, from at least June 2017 through December 2017, Brookbank attempted to create child pornography by photographing his five-year-old relative. For example, Brookbank took a digital photograph of himself wearing a pair of children’s underwear and touching his exposed penis to the head of the relative while she slept. Brookbank also took photographs of the five year old while he touched her genital area.
Brookbank uploaded the photographs to a foreign file-sharing website trafficked by child pornographers and named his photo album “Toy.”
After learning that law enforcement was pursuing him, Brookbank destroyed some of the child pornography in his possession.
Brookbank pleaded guilty in April to one count of attempting to produce child pornography.
“The defendant abused his position of trust in his family to prey upon a vulnerable child,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The public needs to be protected from such a predator. His heinous crimes warrant the sentence he received.”
“Today’s sentencing should serve as a stern warning about the consequences awaiting child predators who produce and distribute child pornography,” said Steve Francis, special agent in charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “Protecting our children from predators remains an HSI priority, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and bring these criminals to justice.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by HSI Special Agent Jason Kearns, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Thursday 9 August 2018
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Terrence Cachini, 31, an enrolled member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting a minor resulting in serious bodily injury. Cachini’s plea agreement recommends five years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Cachini was arrested on March 6, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a female child by striking and biting her on Feb. 24, 2015, resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim. According to the complaint, as the result of the assault, the victim sustained extensive bruising to her entire body consistent with multiple and repeated impacts, which could have resulted in muscle breakdown, kidney failure, and potentially death.
Cachini was indicted on March 24, 2015, and was charged with assaulting a female by striking, kneeing and biting her, resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Cachini committed the crime between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Cachini pled guilty to an information charging him with assaulting a minor under the age of 16 years, resulting in substantial bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Cachini admitted that between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, he assaulted the minor victim on more than one occasion by striking and injuring the victim. Cachini acknowledged that as the result of the assaults, the victim suffered lacerations and significant bruising. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case.
Whiteville Man Sentenced for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, LEROY MOORE, JR., 31, of Whiteville, North Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
MOORE was named in a two-count Superseding Indictment on November 29, 2017. On January 24, 2018, MOORE pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack).
On July 1, 2014, deputies with the Columbus County Sheriff's Office conducted a license check point at an intersection in Whiteville. A Deputy made contact with a vehicle which was being driven by MOORE. The deputies detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the vehicle’s center console. When asked about the smell of marijuana, MOORE stated he had just extinguished his “blunt.” During a search of MOORE’S person, several pieces of cocaine base (crack) fell from MOORE'S pants leg. MOORE also possessed three plastic bags containing cocaine base. During a search of MOORE’S vehicle, several pieces of cocaine base, digital scales, an empty pill bottle, and .42 grams of marijuana were recovered. Laboratory analysis of the cocaine base that was recovered confirmed the total weight to be approximately 29 grams of cocaine base (crack).
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Crime Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Waterbury Grocery Store Worker Charged with Food Stamp Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on August 7, 2018, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging MUHAMMAD SHAHBAZ, 49, a citizen of Pakistan residing in Jersey City, New Jersey, with one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and two counts of unlawful use of food stamp benefits.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”) is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power. SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items. Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items. SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.
As alleged in the indictment, SHAHBAZ was employed at WB Trade Fair Grocery, LLC, a grocery and convenience store located 43 Willow Street in Waterbury. From November 2014 until June 2016, SHAHBAZ and others illegally allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other ineligible items, including cigarettes, pipes, hookahs and a circular saw.
SHAHBAZ was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 31, 2017. He is released on a $50,000 bond.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia King and Neeraj Patel.
Upshur County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marlin E. Beckner, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, has admitted to a methamphetamine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beckner, age 44, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Beckner admitted to possessing crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, in September 2017 in Upshur County.
Beckner faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Unlawful Firearms Dealer Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE - Fabian Gonzalez, 27, of Caldwell, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Gonzalez was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, during the summer of 2017, Gonzalez sold a government informant eight firearms for a total of $6650. The firearms sold included tactical rifles, a tactical shotgun, pistols, and an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. During the sales, which occurred in various parking lots throughout the Treasure Valley, the informant told Gonzalez that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and that he was buying the guns to give to others. The informant first contacted Gonzalez through a social media website on which Gonzalez was advertising guns for sale.
In December 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Gonzalez for unlawful dealing in firearms. That offense makes it illegal for anyone who is not a licensed firearms dealer to sell firearms as a trade or business with the intent of making a profit through the repeated purchase and sale of firearms. The offense does not apply to persons who sell firearms as a hobby or to enhance a collection. Gonzalez was not a licensed firearms dealer. During the sales to the informant, Gonzalez offered to continue selling guns to the informant so they could make a profit and encouraged the informant to find out what types of guns the informant’s “homies” wanted so he could arrange future gun sales.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”). After every firearms sale with Gonzalez, ATF agents recovered the firearms from the informant. As part of Gonzalez’s prosecution, those firearms were forfeited by the government.
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.
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U.S. Attorney OpEd--Maine Voices: Prosecution Must Remain Weapon in the War Against Opioid TraffickingRead the Press Release
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/09/maine-voices-prosecution-must-remain-weapon-in-the-war-against-opioid-trafficking/
Toledo man indicted for robbing two banks last monthRead the Press Release
A Toledo man was indicted for robbing two banks last month.
Robert Andrew Harris, 41, was indicted on two counts of bank robbery. Harris is accused of robbing the Citizens Bank on South Detroit Street in Toledo on July 9 and the Fifth Third Bank on Woodville Road in Northwood on July 11.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Simko.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.